Other factions aren't incentivised to backtech with a super heavy stock tank nor their alternative tech offer much, contrary to OKW.
Other than an MG or ATG, and a free utility squad in the case of USF, I suppose? Or literally any type of support weapon for a tier-1 SOV? Being forced to back-tech really isnt the same as being "incentivised" to.
In fact, OKW was never designed with intent of NOT getting all 3 trucks.
1v1 meta allowed skipping one truck, but they always were supposed to eventually deploy all 3 and faction is balanced around that.
Brits were designed around having to choose between various units (AEC/Bofors) and Infantry sections only being able to fight defensively from behind cover, too. Just because this is the "intended" design doesn't mean that it's good design, and that it shouldn't be somewhat changed.
Remember back when the USF Platoon Command pretty much couldn't fight vehicles, and the Company Command pretty much couldn't fight infantry? That was how that was designed, too, but it was terrible, and why it was changed to allow both tiers to cope.
Protip:
If you go straight for BGHQ, you don't need to backtech for it.
Face reality, you never had micro needed to keep that LV alife long enough for it to pay for itself anyway, so you don't need it.
Do you have an allergy to constructive posting?
This is also why you are supposed to deploy ALL trucks before you can call-in heavy, while everyone else only needs last tech.
If you need LVs and repairs more then indirect and infantry healing is 100% up to your own priorities.
Alternatively: You need LVs because LVs are OKW's strongest opening option. I somehow doubt you'd be making this absurd "argument" if Sov had to choose between the T-70 and healing.
It would totally be possible if the options of setting up the repair and medic stations without any unit unlocked was given, like I had proposed before sturmpios receieved their overexpensive medkits.
Other factions also aren't designed to need to backtech like OKW does, which is why still linking the medis to BTG HQ is a stupid idea
It would work even better if BTG itself was reworked to be a cheaper support weapons tier with medics and the tech structure was made linear, always requiring both Mechanized and BTG, since BTG was never an equal option to Mechanized like LT is to Captain.
The options are already there, it's just that the time for reworks is over
I'm pretty much in agreement here. At the very least; The BGHQ should be buildable for a fairly nominal price, providing only the medics until further upgraded. I really don't see any reason that OKW should be without healing unless they go down a certain tech path.
Linear teching for all factions would probably improve the game/make balance rather a lot easier, incidentally. "Real" non-linear teching just isnt all that viable due to a fairly limited number of options available down any given "path".
While I disagree that BG and Mech aren't side grades to each other (I think they're actually quite balanced relative to each other at the moment in spite of OKW's flaws) the real pants kicker is that even if you go Battlegroup, you're probably going to need to use the 45 Muni Medkit ability before you can even get medics if you want to maintain field presence and I think that could be improved on.
I'd like to see the Medic upgrade on Battlegroup decreased in time by a significant amount and as necessary have the secondary Battlegroup tech timing increased to make up for it if total tech timing becomes an issue. OKW has the latest natural healing source of all the factions and it's incredibly rough to be out 45 Muni most games because you needed to heal once before your medics come up in order to maintain field presence.
I'd also be willing to argue for cheaper Sturmpio Medikits since if you do go Mechanized you go from the least Muni starved faction to the most having to spend about 180-270 Muni on healing alone before it's reasonable from a timing perspective to backtech medics, which is kind of ridiculous. Drop that to 30-35 per kit and you're still spending more than any other faction for healing as you should given your tech choice, but it doesn't eat your whole muni bank attempting to sustain your infantry throughout the match.
Just drop the medkit ability from Sturms entirely, and make a healing-only BGHQ buildable. It's a bandaid solution rather similar to Brits getting a Medic squad rather than just being able to build a Forward Assembly sooner, or getting Base Medics like SOV.
I agree that the BGHQ and Mech are rather more balanced against one another now, though. There's really just a couple of niggles here, and some other changes I'd make to OKW and I think they'd be a pretty good/balanced faction. Next step is to try and untangle Brits.