I know. (Also to further clarify, I mean the May Preview Patch, not his Competitive mod). But please understand that this is at the heart of why I've been a little critical of the balance and design decisions of the mod team.
Even though the May Balance patch was influenced by the competitive mod, Miragefla had 0 input about which changes to include or how to implement them. There was no direct communication channel between Relic and Miragefla at that point.
This is how we ended up with Flamer Penal blobs. This is how we ended up with turbo mortar. This is how we ended up with panzerschreck-free OKW with no compensating buffs (raketenwerfer, ISG smoke). This is also how we ended up with a pitifully small set of bugfixes/qol changes, even though Miragefla's mod was full of these.
I've really been trying not to be. I mean I started out by insisting that they need to be careful about the changes they make because A) Relic has to take them, interpret them, and implement them. and B) trying to tweak combat stats and performance would be an endless cycle of balancing. I also insisted not to just make changes because they are in the scope. Not every light vehicle necessarily needs changes, especially when changes compound other changes being made (like squad formations.)
This time, unlike the may preview mod, there is a very active 2-way communication channel with Relic. We write the mod, Relic has access to the mod and will have to implement it.
However, unlike previous times, we will also be given access to a beta build, before it gets released in the unsuspecting public. This is the same procedure that was used for the last bugfix patch. Thus, if something is wrong, we will spot it and fix it before it becomes public.
I do love the AT satchel functionality in its v1.4 form, but that's also because I thought that's how Satchels should have functioned since Beta. I disagree greatly with the previous changes to mines, but that's because I greatly agree with the formation changes of this patch. I felt the mine changes ignored the issues that formation changes attempts to deal with, but I accepted them as accomplishing a much needed goal. (Incidentally I'd suggest reverting the mine changes in a version of WBP to see how many wipes occur.)
The #1 annoying thing about mines was the door-mine thing. That's probably due to how stupidly fast squads enter/exit buildings, which was itself necessitated by the power of certain AoE weapons. To me, the new mines hit a perfect balance, and unless door-mine related issues are ironed out, I don't feel comfortable risking reverting to the previous state again.
With respect to squad formations, we can do absolutely nothing about how squad spread out behind fences, etc. If a squad is clumped up behind directional cover a single shot from a light vehicle can harm/kill multiple models. This is why we reduced the maximum possible damage (near AoE). Making no adjustments to near AoE would result in blink-of-an-eye wipes every time a squad is hugging a wall.
Wall-hugging is, incidentally, the most usual position you will find retreating squads in, as they clinch for dear life when they retreat.
However, as you mentioned, squad formations affect how squads behave out of cover. To rectify this:
- Vehicles that are good at chasing were given MG buffs (e.g., T70). That way they can deal damage to out-of-cover squads, without adding to the wipe-on-retreat potential
- Vehicles without MGs and/or bad at chasing (e.g., Stug-E) had their AoE radius inflated
- All AoE-oriented vehicles have had their far AoE/radius buffed
Now, if we could find a way to make squads spread out behind directional cover, we wouldn't have to go through all this. However, we haven't found a way to bypass this issue. Thus, this is the only reasonable solution we have come up with, so far.
I won't shy away from what I think are good changes nor will I allow that to overshadow what I find to be poor changes. The opportunity to test a mod in an official sense is an incredible opportunity. As much as I respect their efforts, I fear they are squandering the bulk of their potential.
Thx.
Do note that as of WBPv1.4 the bulk of the changes we wanted to make are there (this also means no more major bugfixes/qol changes). With the exception of the PTRS-free alternative, the only other changes people are going to see is fine-tuning of existing changes.
This is where community feedback is crucial.
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Romeo
Mr Smith
Luciano
Mr Smith
Relic Entertainment
