kwok wrote:
About cost dropping TDs,
Sure I personally also agree it's too strong of an unlock. Can we reasonably replace it in some way? Any suggestions?
what goal is the doc supposed to achive ultimately if i may ask? More focused on TD´s? (In that case adding AP rounds for the TD´s only as in old TH doc might be an option again).
If it should be geared towards tanks and attacks (so less on camping) while TD´s are more of a support branch (like in basically all allied docs) you should do something for the tanks...Vet for Tanks or something. Or simply a proper tank line that includes Panther. Why Panthers? Well, the Tiger thing is overall quite special. Its nothing you get in numbers usually and abilities and gun power usually matters more than anything else. But overall i would argue that a doc cant survive on tigers alone, let alone launching assaults, unless they get special treatment. Sure, that inf part is still there but rifles alone wont save the day+ the infantry is based arround tanks. The attentions has to be on Tank
s, not just one Tank arround which all your inf dances arround.
Arty? Well, it helps to make a push but overall you will find yourself pretty outplayed without TD´s and just one Tiger on the field. Its an error many players have already made over and over again. Thus the TD´s will remain a must go unlock (at least till IV/70) if you want to stay alive but that means "camp a lot".
The Tank IV can be usefull as mobile multirole platform but quickly loses its usefullness quickly once Numbers of M10, shermans and 17 pdrs show up.
The Tiger gets too costly in all regards and isnt mobile enough. The KT is too special, limited to one and takes time to get the ressources. So if a game becomes fast you havent got many options as of now. You can either go for TD´s and try to slow the game down and create a save zone. But that means that docs primary role and pretty much best and only way to play will be again "sitting arround". And its going to do that even more so since you can add a number of grens being boosted when sitting next to the TD´s.
If you have a doc that has infantry building up arround tanks, you have to make sure enough tanks are fielded. As of right now, only TD´s seem to be able to achieve this in this doc. Thus you create some sort of "RE Axis style" where the JP IV´s will play a similiar role as churchills. Slowly creeping forward with inf in support. Sounds borring to me.
You can try to throw out lots of tank IV´s along with grens and hope the best but you might end up in just feeding the enemie and you are left depleeted and without back-up.
So unless you want the doc to have its main task in fielding lots of TD´s i would say you have a few options:
1. TD-mass production is replaced by what Menicus said. Some sort of "Tank reserve mobilization". That would make non CP Tanks and TD´s cheaper but should also drop the cost of tank IV´s and adding cheap Tank IV J´s so that you can maintain a number of tanks.
The advantage would be to havea steady supply of tanks to make your infantry actually usefull without spamming TD´s like shit.
2. Add Panther to fill the gap between Tank IV´s and Tigers. Its mobile, can be fielded in sufficient numbers and mutlriole (A/G version). But also durable enough to not only feed the enemie.
3. Anything that helps tigers in the field. So your unlock line would look like Tank IV unlocked for 2 CP (4 is quite a lot for a doc supposed to be focued on tanks), 2 CP for tiger and then you can either unlock a vet 1 for your tigers for 1 or 2 CP or go for the KT in case you think even more armor matters more than vet steps on existing tigers.
The issue still is that you have only few tanks which isnt good for your infantry.
4. Or, finally, after Tank IV unlock you can decide between Panther or King Tiger and forget about Tiger I altogether as it wont have much use when unlocked late and without any support measures. And instead of TD mass-production you would unlock either Vet 1 for Tanks, AP rounds for TD´s or "Activating Tank reserves" that drops the cost of all non-CP TD´s and Tanks and the cost of Tank IV H/J and perhaps even unlocking the Tank IV J.
My favorit right now would even be option 4 with "activating Tank reserves". Forget about Tiger unless you want to set a focus on the tiger with buffs etc. If not, throw it away. Even though it would be sad.
Why? Bc that seems to me the only real way to overcome the issue of supplying the Infantry with a sufficient tank fleet that is not just based on TD´s but powerfull enough to not just feed your enemie. If just one Panther supports 2 Tank IV´s, you would have a considerable tank fleet to handle threats while boosting your infantry sufficiently.
About hotchkiss,
I actually kind of like the idea of replacing it with the grille but I also wonder if that would make it even stronger than having the hotchkiss because the range and precision of that unit would let PS players too rely on camping oriented strats. At least with the hotchkiss, the tiny tank has to move up close enough to the target. Is the destructive power between the grille/hotchkiss really all that different?
I also like the idea of making hotchkiss a vertical shooting arty only, that could also work. Not sure though.
Grille in its current state would be OP with its GPS guided shell. It could snipe out nasty Hidden TD´s, finish off damaged tanks while you retreat into safety with your own and so on.
The Grille was actually an infantry support gun. The heaviest infantry gun ever build. I would wish it would get into its role as such. Its basically an oversized leig 18 serving the same purpose. It would work as a a close range 150 mm gun shooting direct and indirect fire. But idk if this doc would be the right place. As said, i could even Imagine SPG´s like Wespe and Priests acting in armored doctrines instead of defensive/inf doctrines.
But i find neither hotchkiss nor Grille suited in this doc. Wespe or Maultier looking most appealing to me, but i think thats just me.Te Grille belongs to infantry heavy docs, the Hotchkiss in docs that fights with everything it gets hands on since its basically a "Mini-Beutepanzer".