Profile of ZombieRommel

Anybody seen this movie at theatre yet?

I plan on going sometime this week. It's been getting good reviews.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fury_2015/

Some of you guys' comments about how that scene relates to CoH2 were hilarious.

I assure you Peter Qumsieh and co. have a method to their madness. Keep in mind they are paid to think about and adjust balance as their job. So when you are playing other games or sleeping or w/e, they are thinking about how to balance the game better.

It's hard to argue that, today, the game is not better balanced than it was on launch. The number of viable strategies is much higher than it was before. The problem is that the number of viable strategies is still quite low in relation to how many units and abilities are in the game.

With respect to Peter, I think his approach to balancing over-used and underused units and abilities is too conservative. I think he tends to look at underused units as unimportant on the priority list as long as those units don't affect faction W/L ratio. This is why the SU-76 has gone untouched so long. I'm sure they can see from the data that almost nobody builds it, but I think Peter figures that if the unit isn't built and the Soviets can still win, then addressing said unit isn't a high priority.

I completely disagree with this line of thinking. Buffing units that are statistically underused should be at the top of the priority list to make the game more dynamic and fun. If it turns out that a unit was over-buffed, then do a reactionary fix. I'm FINE with that. But I'm not fine with certain units and abilities living in a cellar all their lives. It's like, why even have them in the game if nobody is using them?

What makes an RTS game fun is not only the technical aspect of out-playing your opponent in micro, but also outsmarting him with ingenious tactics. We see this all through real wars... Rommel using 88 flak guns as ad-hoc AT guns in the desert... The US using decoy radio transmissions and inflatable tanks to fool German intel. The Russias using a scorched earth policy to slowly bleed the advancing Germans.

CoH2 is proficient in terms of rewarding technical execution but lacks when it comes to allowing organic and divergent tactics to flower. Currently, with few exceptions, players are punished outright for deviating from standard methods of winning.

When we go back to CoH1, we find that even though there was less "stuff" in the game to balance in terms of units and doctrines, all of it was usable. So I could choose to make Tigers and go armor heavy as Germans, but I could also choose to rely on my infantry with tough bunkers and 88s for defense.

As Americans I could build a Pershing, or I could go with a Calliope or howitzers or strafing runs, and all of this was equally viable if I used it properly.

Whereas look at CoH2. Choosing a doctrine that lacks Shocks/Guards or IS2/ISU is pretty much like taking a hatchet to your chances of winning. So is attempting a build with fewer than three starting Riflemen as Americans.

Players might be playing a "balanced" game, but when the balance comes at the cost of such tactical restriction, balance becomes a secondary issue to the lack of strategic variety in your strategy game.

Regards,
ZR

It seems everyone wants to forget that you have to spend MP and FUEL before you have to spend AMMO and that you have to return to base losing map control while you do it.

Meanwhile the AXIS players just spend AMMO and can do it everywhere in the map.

I only use grenade (Smoke is needed) and the M1919A6 Browning LMG that comes with the Infantry Company because you don't have to spend MP and Fuel for it.

They could keep the weapon rack at base but make them cost only AMMO while having to go back to base to get them.

I agree with this. Could do the same for bazookas.

If they are kept bad, don't make them slow teching.

Otherwise buff them up a bit (especially bazookas).

Give Volley Fire to BARs as in CoH1?

Can anyone watch this and say "Oh yeah, Kubel is fine." ?

Suppression buff was overboard. It's a mobile suppression platform, and that's okay. But now it is essentially an MG42 on wheels. That's cool and all, but the fact that it can rotate on a dime to suppress flanks and tank ZiS rounds (all with no fuel cost, mind you) is very alarming.