I agree that the commander is a tad odd in that it encourages to forgo t4 because you can get a superior panther without the need for the tech structure. However, I would argue that the argument regarding the diminishing effect doesn't really hold since the difference in cost to a vanilla panther is 25 fuel and 70 manpower (completely neglecting the cost for t4), hardly anything that would make you think twice and it's hardly anything that would prevent you from getting t4 either before getting the command panther or after. The difference can be more of a hurdle in 1v1 but in anything else, the difference is not a big hurdle.
It's a small difference indeed, made further worse that the call-in nature (bypassing tech) is not appliciable in the command panther situation because of the ober soldaten upgrade.
Yet i would still stand behind the idea that the command panther occupies a doctrinal slot and is more expensive as a reason for being what it is.
One can disagree on me wether or not it is enough a difference.
And ofc, 1vs1 is the focus of balance, so one should think from that perspective.
It is important to differentiate this. In my OP I asked two questions:
1. Why does the AURA of the Command Tank have to improve with Veterancy?
2. Why do the UNIT STATS (survivability) of a unit that provides a strong aura have to improve with Veterancy.
The most important question to ask ourselves is #1; this is what makes this unit fundamentally broken (i.e., a deathswitch). I don't think any of the responses has even touched this question.
Perhaps because no can say its a death switch since no one ever saw a vet 5 command panther?
The reason why you never see a vet-5 Command Panther is because OKW will have won the game by the time the CP reaches Vet-3. It's as simple as that.
With the Mark Target ability (50% extra damage = 50% extra vet), it's not difficult to grind Veterancy either.
Find me a decent high-tier replay (post OKW-rework) where a Vet-3 CP did not manage to turn a match to the favour of an OKW (for an example that demonstrates the opposite, you can watch the Cup #12 EU finals).
The bolded part is not as simple as that.
Plenty of times i've seen a command panther die before even reaching vet 2, let alone vet 3.
Claiming that a vet 3 command panther is an autowin is simply impossible without extensive back-up. Said back-up can certainly not exist out of a single game (assuming that game was won solely due to the command panther).
Besides that, finding a game where a vet 3 command panther did not turn the game is equally impossible, due to the same fact vet 3 command panthers are as rare as summer snow in the sahara.
Besides, im quite sure it would be diffecult enough to find a replay proving this even if vet 3 command panthers were common.
On another note, "grinding" vet with mark target for the command panther also isn't as simple as you claim since a: panther has a low RoF, so vet is still hard to attain and b. it needs to be in alot of armor fights and as said before, this is not what is most common about coh2.
Infact, it might even be true the command p4 attains vet faster since it can actually fight inf (and inf being the most used units in coh2)
The thing is that the Command Panther is already way more survivable than the P4, even at Vet0:
- More Armour
- Better speed
- Better gun, so that it can 1vs1 most flanking units
Any survivability veterancy on top of that is multiplicative.
It's a panther compared to a p4, it's equally more expensive aswell.
Ofc it got better survibility, the opposite would actually be utterly out of place.
Besides that, the command p4 has AI capablities, whislt command panther is rather meh in that department.
How do you finish off a Command Panther with USF/Soviets? Any engagement that you lose while failing to wipe the Command Panther off means extra Veterancy for the CP.
Same as you do a normal panther (p47, jacksons, mark target, su-85's t34-85's or simply use of atg's to name a few).
The Command Panther NEEDS to cost more than Vanilla Panthers because:
- It retains the full combat capabilities of a Panther
- It has much better sight range than the Panther
- It has an aura that allows all your other tanks to spot for themselves.
As said, the command p5 already costs more and it comes with the picking of a doctrine.
To conclude, the command p5 is not a problem atm due to the fact vet 2-3 ones are rare, and vet 5 ones are unheard of.
Besides that, going for a command panther in a 1vs1, generally means no other vehicle's around to take advantage of the aura.
The only place were the command panther at vet0 could be a problem is in "higher" gamemodes which are not the focus of balance. (and i havent heard anyone complain about command panthers in 3vs3 or 4vs4)
No need to tamper with something that isn't a problem and might very well prove never to be one.