Profile of Gbpirate

Jump back to quoted post15 Feb 2016, 04:04 AMNuclear Arbitor

there are multiple reasons why the timing in this game is so uninterrupted compared to say, dow2. personally, i would not only like for more infantry/support weapon/very light vehicle play but also more play with light/medium tanks, particularly in team games which i play.

anyway, analysis. coh2 teching is really fast for a couple of reasons.

one, vehicles and tech are the only thing that fuel is used for. since there are a limited number of vehicles early game and those that are available tend to be fairly cheap it means that teching is going to happen sooner rather than later and that, for those factions with early vehicles choices, the construction of light vehicles may result in a 1 or 2 minute delay in teching; nothing major.

two, most factions have a small number of tech levels. OKH is 4+1 (5) but generally only builds 3 (+1). the soviets are also 4+1 (5) but also generally build only 3. the difference between OKH and USSR is that OKH branches at the top while USSR branches at the bottom. UKF is basically 2 (+1+0.5+0.5). as a result UKF tends to tech pretty fast. USF and OKW have a similar structure in that they are 3+1 (4) and both have a choice at the bottom of the tree. effectively, they have 2 (+1) tech levels. like the brits, they tech fast.

all of the above tech splitting is done for the sake of "diversity" but the result is an artificial limitation that removes core features from the faction. it's like a car with a list of features (mirrors, power steering, head lights, heating, locking doors) and you're told "pick 3 of 5" based upon your situation and personal preference.

dow2 had linear tech for all factions, with all of the base units available in a given game, but players never purchased each of those units because it didn't make sense to. the system of counters is a lot harder than in coh2, and there are more unit types, and squad loses are much more devastating, so players picked what complimented their play style and/or countered their opponent's. what limited tech not artificial but rather a product of having more choice than buying power in a single game. the tech being linear didn't detract from the overall game and the variety of units meant that a player generally had some kind of counter (with a few notable exceptions).

additionally, power used to tech and buy vehicles, like coh2, but also for upgrades and the more powerful base units. this meant that buying a lot of t1.5 units would delay your t2 timing, leaving you more vulnerable to a vehicle rush, but was worth it if you could keep the enemy delayed as well. another important factor was that tech power costs were very high, making the transition timing an important decision and delaying a unit purchase.

tl;dr: dow2 is better designed because THQ wasn't going backrupt.

the only way to fix the current rapid tech and limited units is by redesigning the tech for all factions and/or adding more units so that there are more units for each timing window, the windows are longer, and there is always a counter available.