New suggestions for "Hardcore mode"

[AAMC4]

Hello guys... I do not know if is possible but would be great if you modify the abrams skin because I think the M1A2 tusk does not look good enough with the tiger eyes on the turret front (looks like a toy)... the rest is ok only delete both eyes...

P.D : would be nice if you add the anti infantry Canister shot for all tanks...

it is easy to do, only you need take the regular M3 stuart canister shot make a copy of this file and renamed and change the icon (I used the suppression fire icon) maybe you can change the values a little bit to be more effective and that is all...

I did it and work fine, obviously you need pay for every shot (75 munition)...and add the reload time (30 seconds) you can prove it and added for a period to see if the people really like the idea and after that you can make the changes on icons and sound...(to not lose your time making new stuff.

you can do the same with other abilities for example, cromwell fast speed, tiger direct fire, munition halftrack "follow ability" between others...

I think the "follow" ability it is really necessary when you send a comvoy from point A to point B, you need conserve the line (one vehicle behind other) because some vehicles are faster but more fragile than others...

the "Fast speed" ability can be used to scape from enemy attack, when is necessary to avoid be destroyed...

the "Direct fire" can be used to shot through bushes or to make a bonus shot...

these things do not cause unbalance if you add the same things for both factions...

I personally made all these changes in the game for personal use.... including I made all building can rotate (this ability is necessary on some maps)

I made all heavy tanks type99 and M1A2 tusk have the same cost, power and health... why? because you really do not know if a type 99 can destroy or not a abrams with a single shot (or viseversa) because you need confront these tanks on a real battle to see what tank is better.( that never happened until the moment)

I added the "Armored piercing round" using the british AT emplacement "APR ability" for heavy tank like Type 99, type96 and all abrams (used cost 200 munition per shot) now I can destroy a M1A2 abrams or Type99 with a single shot if you have enough resource...

This game is based on strategy or how do you use your resource? that is why you need capture manpower points, munition points and fuel points.... "how do you use your resource can decide the battle result".

I hope you consider add new abilities for vehicles....thanks i love all that you made with the new icons image, vehicles and weapons... long life for MC developers. thank you so much guys...

[The Soldier]

We modders don't exactly like making faction symmetrical - takes the point out of playing any faction. Most of that stuff won't work, especially with the cost changes and APCR abilities. Those numbers are based off of balance, and to an extent the number of produced tanks and combat efficiency. Having them the same cost would both make the factions, and even worse, the doctrines, a bit less appealing and offset balance.

And being able to one-shot an enemy tank, no matter the munitions cost or time it takes, is just a huge no-no in any game. You can knock out a Vet 3 Abrams or Type 99 with that, which would just be utterly crushing both emotionally and gameplay-wise to the player and just be a big hunk of OP.

BTW, the Tiger Eyes are fine in my book. They're just on the TUSK variant, the normal one doesn't have that. Gives a sense of power to the TUSK!

[AAMC4]

We modders don't exactly like making faction symmetrical - takes the point out of playing any faction. Most of that stuff won't work, especially with the cost changes and APCR abilities. Those numbers are based off of balance, and to an extent the number of produced tanks and combat efficiency. Having them the same cost would both make the factions, and even worse, the doctrines, a bit less appealing and offset balance.

And being able to one-shot an enemy tank, no matter the munitions cost or time it takes, is just a huge no-no in any game. You can knock out a Vet 3 Abrams or Type 99 with that, which would just be utterly crushing both emotionally and gameplay-wise to the player and just be a big hunk of OP.

BTW, the Tiger Eyes are fine in my book. They're just on the TUSK variant, the normal one doesn't have that. Gives a sense of power to the TUSK!

the War is like this: it does not matter how much experience you have. If you were ambushed, you will be destroyed.

that is what I am talking about, you need resource to have option to use these abilities... if you have a Abrams on level 3 and decide used like a big monster destroying everything on his way, you can not do that anymore, because you can be destroyed by a type 99 with a single shot....

the good thing in this game is, you do not know what the enemy has or how much resource he has... the veteran level means more accuracy , efectiveness and penetration power but you can avoid be impacted using smoke cloud (50 munition cost) that make your experience does not run.

the important on this game is the strategy and how do you use your resource....

imagine for a moment you have your abrams and find a Type 99 you need choose between differents abilities, if you decide use the APCR and the enemy use the Smoke cloud, you will lose 200 munitions on a failed impact...(this is strategy)

the same way you can use the smoke cloud and the fast speed for retreat to void be destroyed.... obviously you need resource to use these abilities...

the M1A2 tusk look like a toy with those eyes. "be serious" it is not a barbie car

[The Soldier]

And this is a game, NOT a simulator. And there still has to be an ounce of balance for Hardcore mode, otherwise the US would simply get overrun by hordes of Chinese soldiers or the US would mow down the Chinese with superior firepower. As you can see right now, neither of those things happens in either gamemode.

And how does one know when the enemy is going to use an APCR shot? In real life, you don't see a message pop over their head saying "using APRC rounds!" That pretty much makes smoke useless unless you know. Nonetheless, being able to instantly destroy anything is never good for balance, regardless of how it's deployed, since it cannot be stopped unless you destroy it.

It doesn't look so much like a barbie doll when you're on the receiving end of a 120mm smoothbore cannon. It's intimidating, and in the field of battle, it's much more so because you're not sitting safely behind a computer screen.

[AAMC4]

And how does one know when the enemy is going to use an APCR shot? In real life, you don't see a message pop over their head saying "using APRC rounds!" That pretty much makes smoke useless unless you know. Nonetheless, being able to instantly destroy anything is never good for balance, regardless of how it's deployed, since it cannot be stopped unless you destroy it.

It doesn't look so much like a barbie doll when you're on the receiving end of a 120mm smoothbore cannon. It's intimidating, and in the field of battle, it's much more so because you're not sitting safely behind a computer screen.

your comment here does not have sense....

including if you paint a pink abrams or purple, this tank is a beast with the 120 mm cannon...

if you show me a real photo with a abrams with eyes I will shut up my mouth.... I saw helicopter, airplanes with eyes and shark mouth but never a saw a tank with this drawing...

In the real life and in the game you can not see the warning (APCR) I included this APC round and it does not give a reload warning, only en BK you can see the warning...

the smoke cloud is used to cover retreat when the enemy ambush you and when you know the enemy has the chance to make the first shoot....

this changes are only for "Hardcore" the regular online game is untouchable...

[The Soldier]

If you haven't noticed, the British actually painted their jeeps pink (yes, a specific shade of pink to make them "invisible" to the naked eye during sunset and rise) during the WWII North Afrika campaign.

Well, you can't see a warning? Even more unbalanced. You can one-shot a vehicle with absolutely no warning, no matter.

And yes, the US can already use smoke, giving it to the Chinese makes it kind of a universal thing, which is what modders tend to want to stay away from.

[AAMC4]

If you haven't noticed, the British actually painted their jeeps pink (yes, a specific shade of pink to make them "invisible" to the naked eye during sunset and rise) during the WWII North Afrika campaign.

Well, you can't see a warning? Even more unbalanced. You can one-shot a vehicle with absolutely no warning, no matter.

And yes, the US can already use smoke, giving it to the Chinese makes it kind of a universal thing, which is what modders tend to want to stay away from.

the smoke something universal? the bullets are not universal? grenades are not universal?

All IFV, ACP and all tanks have Smoke grenades...

Not give smoke grenades for PLA vehicles is like, Not give Grenades for infantry units (essential)

If the british painted their jeeps pink, this explain why they were massacred by the African korps....

[The Soldier]

This is not a bloody simulation. I'd like smoke to not be for every last vehicle so there's an ounce of difference left between the factions. I let this go, the rest of that stuff if going to come pouring in. Which is not good.

Well, not every infantry unit in the mod has grenades. Take the PLA Conscripts. Minus the doctrinal Molotovs, they've got nothing.

As to your last statement - it's called an example. I mention it because, yes, the British did paint their jeeps pink, but moreso because it actually worked. There's a reason why the LRDG in North Afrika continued to raid Luftwaffe airfields behind enemy lines the entire time of the campaign. BUT, I digress, thanks to you. And I'm still opposed to most of those suggestions, by the way.

[I_am_a_Spoon]

Abrams skin I agree with, but it's not a huge deal if the skinner responsible leaves it as is. As for the abilities you suggested:

Canister:
We discussed this for some tanks before release, but opposed it on the grounds of balance. If a tank like the Abrams can take on any other vehicle in the game AND also shred entire infantry units with canister shells, then you have a major balance issue.
The difficulty of doing this properly would also be higher than you might think, OE coding for the visual and sound effects especially. Not only that, but our Mossbergs required 48 custom .action files as well (determining the animations and sounds that play when the pellets hit an object, a human, grass, concrete, stone, dirt, water, bricks, wood, etc), and still don't have tracers at all.

Overdrive:
Would have balance repercussions, for example reducing the effectiveness or RPGs, Javelins, AT guns, etc. Not to mention the relationships between existing vehicles would suffer.

Direct fire:
We initially had this in hardcore, but removed it as it was causing random crashes that we couldn't fix.

Follow:
Seems like it would just clog up the UI, and provide too little payoff (no benefit that can't be achieved by 2 extra seconds of micromanagement).

Building rotation:
I suggested this before release, but apparently it can cause confusion in the AI. So we went for the auto-rotation option instead.

Insta-kill shells:
We try to avoid instant-win abilities, and being able to destroy an opponent's apex unit with a single button click definitely qualifies as instant-win. The closest thing we have are the AT4 and vehicle ATGM abilities, which are only useful for finishing off crippled tanks, not destroying them outright (even in hardcore).
Even a Tomahawk (which costs 200 munitions) requires a great deal of forethought to employ. It can also be dodged by the enemy player, making it much less unsportsmanlike to use.

[AAMC4]

Abrams skin I agree with, but it's not a huge deal if the skinner responsible leaves it as is. As for the abilities you suggested:

Canister:
We discussed this for some tanks before release, but opposed it on the grounds of balance. If a tank like the Abrams can take on any other vehicle in the game AND also shred entire infantry units with canister shells, then you have a major balance issue.
The difficulty of doing this properly would also be higher than you might think, OE coding for the visual and sound effects especially. Not only that, but our Mossbergs required 48 custom .action files as well (determining the animations and sounds that play when the pellets hit an object, a human, grass, concrete, stone, dirt, water, bricks, wood, etc), and still don't have tracers at all.

Overdrive:
Would have balance repercussions, for example reducing the effectiveness or RPGs, Javelins, AT guns, etc. Not to mention the relationships between existing vehicles would suffer.

Direct fire:
We initially had this in hardcore, but removed it as it was causing random crashes that we couldn't fix.

Follow:
Seems like it would just clog up the UI, and provide too little payoff (no benefit that can't be achieved by 2 extra seconds of micromanagement).

Building rotation:
I suggested this before release, but apparently it can cause confusion in the AI. So we went for the auto-rotation option instead.

Insta-kill shells:
We try to avoid instant-win abilities, and being able to destroy an opponent's apex unit with a single button click definitely qualifies as instant-win. The closest thing we have are the AT4 and vehicle ATGM abilities, which are only useful for finishing off crippled tanks, not destroying them outright (even in hardcore).
Even a Tomahawk (which costs 200 munitions) requires a great deal of forethought to employ. It can also be dodged by the enemy player, making it much less unsportsmanlike to use.

first the canister shot does not work if the infantry is behind a sandbags or any defensive position.... it is stupid using At team to engage a tank on a open space, they deserve be killed....for other way this ability can not used to engage Mg nest, MG team, AT cannon, vehicles or Mortar team... It can be used for it...

I always suggest make the type 88 100 mm cannon more efective aganist Abrams, I saw a little change but not much...I do not know why if the PF 98 is a weapon only shrinkable on specific doctrine, why this weapon does not produce enough damage for vehicles, the las time I played, I saw my pf98 make 5 shot and all of them bounced on the M1A2 frontal armor... this weapon is garbage...you need upgrade this weapon....

I do not know why the direct fire does not work for you because I added this ability and everything work fine.

the follow ability can be used if you really want use it. This is optional.... and does not need lot of modification ....

I added the rotation buildings and it does not produce any conflict with AI contruction.. I proved... I do not know what problem you saw...

I only make suggestion to add more thing on this game to avoid be boring....

if you decide take or not these suggestion It does not matter for me because I did it for my personal use and worked for me but This is good for me because I can not play online games...Thank you so much guys and specially thanks to you I _am_a_spoon, I could not do this change without your help, I really appreciate you help.... wonderfull game, I love it, good luck and long life to MC developers...