I was going slightly off topic
Not an issue it was an interesting post non the less.
the game has been designed for a last tier rush ever since.
Soviet had different tech system with 2 building and doctrinal unit up until "July 2015 patch".
But lets avoid going at before the Soviet/OKW tech revamp since the game is completely different.
The game was never designed or played for "last tier rush" actually most strategies revolved avoiding even teching to last tier and using doctrinal call in vehicles instead.
Back teching often does not diminish the window of opportunity for units.
The pace of the game is related but it not really the point of this threat. This thread has more to with tech being used as simple time factor (similar to CP) or tech being more important having the add utility of being used for strategic decisions by the player
You cite CoH1 as a good example of needing to chose techs exclusivle (I never played it so I can't judge). But for the most part these exclusive tech structures just brought a lot of problems for balance and are partially still not solved (SOV, USF and OKW all T1/2).
Imo trying to "fix" this problem without clearly redesigning the faction created far more issues than is solve and that has also to do Relic.
USF unit are prime example of this. One can not take a faction is designed with unit that are OP in order to cover hole in the roaster, and suddenly give access to all the roaster expect that everything will be fine.
Sanders post makes it unclear whether he is talking about balance team or CoH2 in general. Because in all versions of CoH2 the lighter vehicles got more and more useless when heavier versions came out. The Scout car was never useful past minute 6-7+, the 222/251 were also only useful until another "heavier" LV hit the field and even more diminished in usefulness once medium tanks arrived. There have been some other strats (like SU76 spam) that worked as well, but many were based on call-in strats that bring their own problems as well.
That is more of window of opportunity issue.
they usually took the one that costs less effort, would be easier to fix/revert i
I simply can not agree with this but I would rather not comment since I have little reason to criticize the work the MOD team has done. I would rather thank them for the effort.
Feel free to contact me via PM if you interested in more detailed response.
To repeat myself: In this game, there has always been an incentive to tech up and get better armor on the field. The only way to not play like this are rush tactics were you put all eggs into one basket and can insta-forfeit if you fail the strat.
Simply no, call-in stalling has been viable strategy for a longer part this game lifespan.
Locking Super heavies in tech was the final nail in the coffin (and for no apparent reason I might add).
As the last point, I want to come to what - I think - is the core of this discussion:
Lighter vehicles become less useful the longer the game goes, sometimes even to the point where it is almost better to throw them away. If light vehicles were useful in the late game, there would be less incentive to get your highest tier up asap. But they are not, so every one wants heavier tanks quicker than their opponent.
In other threads you often suggested to prolong game phases by delaying units. I already remarked how this would cause reworks for the power level of most units although I generally agree. But in the end it would not solve the problem: Last tier would still be top choice, you'd just need longer to get it. And the player that can use these units first wins if the other one does not tech up.
The only real solution is to increase late game utility of early units. I once made a whole thread about this so I will not repeat myself now, but balance team also implemented a ton of these utility buffs for light vehicles and is still expanding them in the current patch.
For me window of opportunity for unit is only partially related to the issue of the thread.
This thread is about the concept that the optimum way to play the game would be to "rush final tier" and then back tech if you need too. That imo is simply a bad direction for the game to go for a number of reason:
It make a build order stale
It removes decision making from player
It practically removes the tech difference of faction
In the end of the day I do not really see any benefits from it.
Relic Entertainment
cblanco ★ 
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