I'm always willing to change my mind. However, imo, the point of emplacements is to force the other guy to attack at somepoint (since emplacements can't move), or to focus on a different area of the map (since emplacements have a smaller range). What emplacements shouldn't do is force players to attack with particular, slow-moving/situational units (e.g., panzerschrecks, AT guns, tanks), or reinforce an indirect-fire arms-race that will always end in a shitshow.
Low-lethality, short-range pits would be useless vs MGs.
Low lethality, long-range pits would be just as annoying as before when you go sim-city mode.
About the revamp-mod mortar pit? Any sort of evidence that proves that it is no better than live-version/FBP mortar pit mechanics in terms of gameplay/player frustration/faction synergy.
For both live-version and FBP mortar pits, you cannot build mortar pits in open ground. That's because the massive target size means that the mortar pit will get wrecked by Stugs/AT guns etc. This means you need to find a suitable shotblocker to place them behind.
For live-version mortar pits, this restriction doesn't matter, due to 120-range autoattack.
For FBP mortar pits, the restriction will matter a lot more; the mortar pit will only be able to control an area of 85 range around it; for anything beyond that, you require a 40-60 second barrage which can easily be dodged. This means the shotblocker requirement even more harsh than before.
We can't buff mortar pit target-size/hitbox, obviously, without nerfing brace, because absolutely nothing would ever be able to kill them, ever. However, without fixing target-size/hitbox we have mortar pits (and the entire Brit indirect-fire department) that is completely map-dependent.
Nevertheless, in both cases (FBP and live), if the map does have a shotblocker at the right distance, the mortar pit will remain immortal. Especially when sim city commanders are involved.
Emplacements shouldn't be immortal; they should be kinda-replaceable.
The ideal solution for the pit is one that:
- Doesn't require sim city for the pit to be useful
- Punishes players heavily for going sim city
Indirect fire is meant to punish overly defensive players and as support for a push. What indirect fire shouldn't do is win you any infantry fight that it is in range of. The mortar pit acquires targets quickly, fires accurately and hits hard. So much so that if you have a squad in cover fighting another squad (even for 20 seconds) the mortar will hit that squad and you lose the fight almost all the time. If not because the mortar hit you but, because you had to move the squad. The mortar pit currently counters all infantry, not just team weapons or camping.
As the mortar pit means the brits (for the most part) win every fight, your single objective is forced to become its destruction. The Brit player knows this so prepares accordingly. Knowing what your opponent will do, MUST do is an advantage that shouldn't be underestimated.
So how does a good Brit player prepare? Set up MG's in trenches or heavy cover and AT guns protecting the approaches to the mortar pit. Worse is a Bofors. Not only does the bofors ward of infantry, it also wards off any light vehicles. Add into the mix the repairing forward base for never ending fast repairs.
For an Ost player they still have some limited options. However, OKW is now fucked. With the shitty range and survivability of the Raketten an OKW player cant use them. The Stuka, as an alpha strike unit is useless vs emplacements; cant use that. The Puma gets killed by Bofors and AT guns, as with the luchs. The LEIG gets outranged and killed by the mortar pit.
The only option for OKW becomes an all in push with medium and upwards tanks, however by this time the Brit will have at least one AT gun, and probably a tank of their own (given how the mortar pit is likely to win them most engagements in at least half the map).
By nerffing the only actual counter OKW had to mid-late game emplacement spam, you have forced OKW into a do-or-die gamble for an early game win using the luchs/mech in general. Vs a Brit, no OKW player will ever go for Med HQ. Even that gamble is unlikely to work vs a good Brit player who uses AEC and/or AT sections.