Suggestion: Motorized and Mechanized Variants

[freejones912]

In the base game, we can build anti-tank, SPG, and anti-air variants of any tank, bar the great war tank. This makes sense, as there are many examples of specially built tanks for these purposes. However, one thing that is not yet represented, alongside armored cars like the Sdkfz. 234 Puma or M8 Grayhound, are motorized and mechanized variants of the same kind. For example, the US had the M16 halftrack, with 4 .50 cal machine guns, or the M3 GMC, with a 75mm cannon. These could easily fill the AA or AT slot, and just fill in the rest for the sake of having all. Heck, you could even restrict it to just mechanized. Even an armored car could have a specialized variant, such as the 234/4 Pakwagen.

 

[Shaka of Carthage]

Let's not forget the scale of the game. The basic combat unit is supposed to be a division, with battalion level components that make up that division.

I agree we should have motorized variants for the base game (ie towed) artillery, anti-tank and anti-air.

Don't agree we need a mech version of the same. That's more or less what the SP versions cover.

And why do we need a armored car? What battalion had mostly armored cars? What the game calls Recon. The better equipment the Recon unit receives I believe reflects armored cars (along with tankeetes and light tanks). Point could be made some of the Engineer units had armored cars as well, though I believe that was more from a C3 viewpoint than a capability one.

 

[Mr.Bajskorv]

I think this only makes sense becouse they existed in reality and desiging divisions if kind of fun. But if you add more options but isn't really that different from the options you have, is sort of bad game design.

From a game perspective i don't think i adds that much value to add motorised or mech variants like Mech-ART or MOT-AA. Maybe if the timeline is extended. But overall I don't think so.

Though maybe a late 45' Motorised tech with some increased stats like better reliability or so would be fine.
Or just why not have mech variants as a nation only desing, sort of the Japanese torpedo boats.

 

[halvorni]

I agree we should have motorized variants for the base game (ie towed) artillery, anti-tank and anti-air.

Indeed! Why only motorized rocket artillery? Since I use all five support slots for other stuff, I have to build light SPART for my motorized and light armoured divisions to be able to not slow them down, and large amounts of rocket artillery are really only relevant for the Soviet Union. I'd much rather have regular motorized artillery.

And while we're at it (although this is OT), currently most artillery upgrade starting from 75mm via 105mm to 155mm (or thereabouts), which really is a transition from light to medium field artillery. I'd rather have different paths for light, medium and heavy, just like tanks.

 

[Shaka of Carthage]

From a game perspective i don't think i adds that much value to add motorised or mech variants like Mech-ART or MOT-AA. Maybe if the timeline is extended. But overall I don't think so.

The value motorized adds is speed. The existing towed versions operate at infantry level speeds. Early motorized and armored divisions don't add aritllery (or anti-air or anti-tank) because it would slow them down. Yet they did have those units. Having a motorized version would solve that problem. Once I do get SP versions, then it's an issue of what is more cost effective.

 

[Shaka of Carthage]

And while we're at it (although this is OT), currently most artillery upgrade starting from 75mm via 105mm to 155mm (or thereabouts), which really is a transition from light to medium field artillery. I'd rather have different paths for light, medium and heavy, just like tanks.

Agree this is off topic, but ... I've given this a lot of thought. I think it's a better representation to view the existing artillery path as 75mm to 105mm, then 105mm improvements. To properly represent 150/155mm units, there should be a support heavy artillery unit (to restrict the division to only having one). If you would like to discuss this, create a new thread. Be happy to put my 2 cents in it.

 

[Lord of Beer]

But all of those things sucked in real WW2, to the extent that over half of the M3 GMC vehicles built were converted back to halftracks

 

[mabus81]

There are probably a couple of mods which address this. I'm certainly not missing this functionality in the main game. I already ignore most variants already now, so implementing wheeled and half-track variants would just mean ignoring even more features of the game.