I think Relic are doing a pretty good job overall.
Personally the single player doesn't really interest me, in the same way COH 1 single player didn't really interest me. But I'm here for the multiplayer and core game play is still great. Some nice new additions like coldtech, true sight and vaulting which at the moment are partly offset by IMO poor multiplayer maps.
Multiplayer functionality isn't as good as the original game which is disappointing but its still functional.
Game is still good overall. My main gripe and I wouldn't call it a major one is that its not as fresh as the original COH was so it hasn't had quite the same impact on me, it doesn't feel quite so different and out of the blue, but that's like catch 22. Change it too much and its not COH, change it too little and its a bit like deja vu. The game play additions are subtle as are the graphics improvements, and I don't want to sound over entitled but I was expecting something more substantial.
Game has been rock stable for me and I do appreciate them having dialogue with the community and taking their time with balance patches. The communication with the community makes the wait for patches and maps easier. In that regards thank you Relic.
Regarding balanced, I have raged at balance but its mostly to do with me being a poor looser during an actual game where I can never admit to be being outplayed. But reading forums and watching replays has time and again proven I've been mostly wrong on this issue and once I clam down after a game I can see where I went wrong.
Overall I've already got over 100 hours playing it, so its being more than value for money. I hope future support helps it reach the great heights of the first game. |
I still get some use out of the German sniper. I don't get him early and I don't get him to counter a Sniper team, but if the enemy goes Maxim heavy at the start, I normally get one, because the counter to this requires the Russian player to back tech. If the Russian is going infantry heavy he is pretty good too. I feel his higher rate of fire plus Russian players tendency to not retreat as quickly due to having larger squads make him a better manpower drain on the opponent.
Pretty sure his incendiary shot at vet 1 never misses retreating units, so if a single enemy unit is crossing his path retreating to base he can for the cost of munitions eliminate the last enemy solider. At least in my experience he always hit them.
|
Pak-43 counters SU-85.
As for clown cars, landing that the 1 faust can be extremely difficult if the scout car is well micro-ed.
My personal tactic against Soviet Sniper teams is to build two scout cars. Send the first around the edge of the map towards his base. The second scout car targets the sniper in the field even if he is behind a wall of infantry. 9/10 the sniper will be retreated and my second scout car will be waiting for him in his base to kill him. I don't care about losing my scout cars (although I try not too), its easily worth it in exchange for getting rid of the sniper.
Counter sniping is basically out for the German player alright, but I use the German sniper as a manpower drain, just not in the early game unless I see maxim spam as first enemy unit beside engineer. But on occasion I get him mid game against infantry heavy Soviets, with good micro a sniper regardless of the faction can be a real pain in the ass.
|
Why should a T-34 be able to counter a Panzer IV, which costs 80 more manpower and 20 more fuel. T-34 is an impact tank where it can have short window on the battlefield as the only tank on the field and push back the German player. Its not suppose to fight tanks head on but kill infantry and light vehicles and only play a supporting role in tank battles (flank or ram).
I admit the T-34/85 needs a buff or price change, because at the moment its not worth using.
SU-85 does not get beat out by a Panther if used properly. It has superior range to the Panther. The Soviet players need to maintain this range by crippling the Panther with a AT Grenade, or mine or the button tank ability of Guard Rifles. Once that's done he can simply keep reversing to maintain the range and kill the Panther without taking any fire in return. Not to mention if the German player can field a Panther you can probably field more than one SU-85.
Rifle Guards are anti-tank. True there not as good as Panzer Grenaiders with PanzerShrecks but if you get a rear flank on the enemy tank they do decent enough damage and the button tank ability is good when use in conjunction with a Zis-3 or SU-85.
Machine gun bunker lockdown is not a viable tactic at higher levels of play. They can simply be bypassed and the investment made by the German player is wasted allowing the Soviet player to bring superior numbers to win map control on the other side of the map.
We don't wonder why you rush the scout car. Its a really good tactic that's very difficult to counter.
Its far from the only viable strategy, mass conscripts and mass maxims work as well as do a mix of the above.
True one Panzerfaust cripples a clown car (except maybe the 1 in 10 times where it doesn't), but the requires grenadiers getting in range which is difficult to do if the Russian player has good micro. True sight ambushes are map dependent. |
Its a feature. |
Yeah a relic dev confirmed the ability it on these forums a little while back in a response to a post saying the Pak 43 was boring compared to the 88 in COH.
Its great and a real beast on small maps because it denies such a wide area of the map.
As other uses have said put it behind a bush or house to keep it hidden for a while and deny straight line of sight of it to the enemy and spot for it with other units. I normally score my first hit by surprise and often the opponent doesn't react fast enough to avoid a second shot. It can 2 shot a SU-85. Keeping it behind an obstacle will protect from Katushka rockets.
Damage is that of a Elephant tank and with better penetration. I don't think it ever fails to penetrate any tank armor if it hits.
If you properly support it infantry, tanks and a half track in conjunction with the commanders other abilities such as smoke, command tank and of course hull down it becomes extremely difficulty for your enemy to defeat.
The only snag is that the enemy can usually field a SU-85 before you can get this out. I usually go Panzer 4 which I normally have on the field a little before or at the same time has a SU-85 and try to avoid the SU-85 and use smoke to evade it while buying time to build the Pak-43. I still use the Panzer 4 to counter infantry.
Once's it up Katushka's are the the biggest threat. I usually keep an upgunned scout car on hand and send it around the edges of the map to hunt down the Katushka. Its irrelevant if the scout car survives as long as the Katushka goes down.
Its not often used either so Russians players aren't expecting and don't know how to counter it well. A lot don't even know about the ability it has to shoot through shotstoppers and often leave there tanks exposed without realizing it. If they loose the first SU-85 they have lost, because they have to get another one to stop a single Panzer 4 from getting complete map control, this delays there ability to get an arty counter and the SU-85 is limited in its ability to pursue the Panzer 4 which can retreat back into Pak-43 cover range. |
I really like the Panzer Tactician commander.
Smoke dispenser is good for getting out of trouble. When advancing into enemy territory you can pop smoke and hit reverse as soon as you realize there is anti gun or an SU-85.
Hull down is good but obviously enemy's can choose to bypass hulled down tanks if they choose or use the superior range of the Zis 3 or SU-85.
Pak 43 is excellent, massive range, excellent damage and penetration. Shoots through everything in its path as long as another unit give it line of sight.
When you combine the Pak 43 with hull down tanks defending it plus support infantry and when one of the hulled down tanks is a Panzer 4 command tank you have virtually impregnable defensive zone against tanks and infantry. Even mass SU-85's will struggle. They can target a single tank but the German player can delay there tanks destruction by popping smoke and retreating.
Railway artillery is a bit useless though. Too slow. |
The ability is way too strong at the moment.
Needs to cost muntions. I'm thinking 30.
The accuracy received modifier should be changed to 0.60%, make it a little less effective.
It should protect against suppression for a fair while but eventually the unit should become suppressed and then pinned and loose the benefits of HTD.
HTD should not be use able if the unit is already suppressed or pinned.
If oorah is used there should be a 8 seconds cool down on HTD from the moment oorah is used.
Slight delay on retreat of maybe 2 seconds when the unit has to go back into a standing position before retreating
|
Gradually getting the hang of Ostheer but struggling against Conscripts with PPSH upgrades and Hit the Dirt ability. I normally get Panzer Grenadiers when I reach Tier 2 often before Cons with those upgrades and abilities are a problem.
I've tried back off to max range, but the problem with this is lets the conscripts cap. Snipers seem okay but the enemy will often try to counter with his own. Bundle nades are okay but I'm often starved of munitions so its not always an option.
Anyone recommend a counter?
|