Profile of Ekko Tek

Yes I'd like to see it back too - they needed to fix something with it and Relic mentioned at one point they did intend for it to come back. I think it may have been that retreating squads ended up stuck or crawling in it or something.

Heres a reason.

Im having a great game, and all is even, its back and forth we both have preserved our units well and have similar fuel count. I get 2 P4's out, he gets a t34 and a KV8. From then on, the balance has gone completely in his favour. His Kv8 roasts all my infantry, then when my p4's show up he switches gun instantly and brings in his t34. His infantry are unopposed due to me franticly retreating and losing most of my units to the 1 sec flame headshots. A few At nades and good rear shots with the KV8 and my p4's are gone.

Please explain how this is not imbalanced.

It's not imbalanced because you were supposed to win with imba German MG42 and LMG Grens 20 minutes earlier...

(j/k)
I pretty much agree with Stoffa's post above.

I don't know if they can code it so that only HMGs take more damage from small arms fire. Even if they could, it would mean the Maxim would suffer more because it takes so much longer to pin anything. I'd be happy just to see the Maxim have its last damage nerf reverted (this was a stopgap measure imo dealing with Maxims being able to counter MG42s - the proper fix came later when pinned HMGs could no longer fire) and the MG42 have its arc reduced to the 120 degrees it had in vCoH. I think changing the MG42 arc and reverting back to 3 members might be a bit much. Going back to 3 members makes it more susceptible to snipers and retreat wipes again and while 222s are a much better purchase now, I'm not sure it would even out - unless there are also sniper changes inc we don't know about.

Blows my mind that you think I give a shit about your opinion on me, as you are to me some random nobody who likes to get personal instead of discussing the topic.

Hell, even in the thread I started to discuss, rationally and constructively SPECIFICALLY on HMGs, you where the only jackass who refused to follow the requested format though everyone else did.

http://www.coh2.org/topic/7356/the-hmg-thread

You can read mine and many others CONSTRUCTIVE perspectives on problems and suggested solutions there.

READ IT. And see if you can't, for once in your life, be as rational and reasonable.

I am being perfectly rational and reasonable - you just don't like the truth, which is that your opinions on the topic are skewed and lack insight because you do not actually have much experience playing. And so you throw out a bunch of ad hominems. You like to theorycraft based on statistics. Statistics are good, but are not a substitute for actually playing the game. Your position (unless it has changed) is that any changes to the MG42 must be mirrored with changes to the Maxim. This is why you keep referring to "HMG" changes. Other people are trying to point out to you that they are not in any way equal. Which you would know, if you actually had experience playing rather than just harping on about 6 man "survivability". The MG42 has received nothing but buffs and the Maxim nothing but nerfs. In addition the M3 has been nerfed, Oorah has had a cost increase, and the 222 scout car has been buffed (or the MG made more than just cosmetic after its upgrade, however you want to look at it). This is the context people are viewing the MG42 specifically within - not "HMGs" (or the Maxim) on the whole.

My first ranked game on this map - is it my imagination or is the natural fuel for the south start harder to reach/control than for north (seeing as you have to cross the river to the mid island to reach it)? Posting this mainly cause Stugs seem to have a bad reputation and don't get built often.

Zero goes for a fast T70 and gets it out in a very respectable 8-9 minutes. I fail to notice this is his plan and auto purchase a scout car and mortar half track and end up so behind on fuel that he has a T34 out as well before I can mount any kind of counter. Luckily, my reliable Stug does not let me down vs. the hordes of T34s unleashed by Zero.
Amusing moments: Teller mine, Riflenade one shotting a house with Guards inside (well, woodshed maybe), some sweet Stug on T34 action (almost get it to vet 3), T34 back from the dead to Ram his Soviet comrade, me misclicking a vet 3 gren squad into a house amidst all the chaos to ill effect (luckily the game was almost over at that point). GG WP to Zero - was a fun one.