Balancing Japan for the long term - New equipment and Tech Tree adjustments

[argamendon]

There need to be some readjustments to this faction in order to make it viable and interesting long term. The overall equipment inequality was not as big of a problem before the merge since vehicles and weapons selection was much more limited for the Americans. (The Devs also seem to agree judging by the announced and teased equipment). Right now Japan is still winning a lot, but this is in my experience mostly due to utter dogshit US Teams and many vets playing on the Japanese side.

In the following will attempt to make multiple suggestions on how the balance out the Japanese with the US (and Soviet) equipment in the following post (this includes filling in performance holes at every BR). New Tank/Plane suggestions will be limited to war thunder stuff to reduce the amount of work necessary.

If you don´t feel like reading the entire post here is a nice and simple table summarizing everything:

Quick & Easy changes
(Changes to the Tech Tree, the BR/Tiers of Weapons/Vehicles and their Ammo loadout)

Rifles:
Move the type Hei rifle from BR 3 and Tier 3 to BR 2 and Tier 2 in the Tech tree.

Move the Type Otsu rifle from BR 4 and Tier 4 to BR 3 and Tier 3 in the Tech tree.

Tanks
Move the Chi-Nu from BR 4 and Tier 4 to BR 3 and Tier 3 (How is this thing Tier 4 and BR 4? It is more or less on par with a regular Sherman II)

Make the Type 98 Ke-Ni the standard unlock and the Ha-Go optional (The Ha-Go is just not fun to use and extremely underpowered even compared to an M2A4 and let’s not talk about the better Stuarts).

Give the Ho-I its HEAT rounds so it can actually deal with the M3s and Shermans.

New equipment

Rifles
Add a sniper version of the Type 99 early (with a better 4x scope, faster reloading and higher RoF. The Nagoya Arsenal actually used those 4x scopes, BR 3 and Tier 3)

https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/81/1516/nagoya-arsenal-type-99-sniper-rifle-with-4x-scope

Machineguns
Add the Type 92 Aircraft Machine Gun in a ground role, 47 round magazine BR 4 and Tier 4 with the 97 round magazine BR 5 and Tier 5)

Mortar
Add the Type 99 81 mm mortar (BR 5 and Tier 5)

Motorcycle Squad
Add a Squad with the Type 97 motorcycle (BR 2 and Tier 2)

Tanks
Type 97 ShinHōtō Chi-Ha
Add a tech tree Version of the Type 97 ShinHōtō Chi-Ha (BR 1 and Tier 1, unlocked after the Ka-Mi, Counter to the T 70)

Chi-He
Add a tech tree Version of the Chi-He (BR 2 and Tier 2, as a counter to the crusader/T50/M3 Lee/Grant)

type 4 Chi To
Add the type 4 Chi To (BR 4 and Tier 4, counter to the 76mm gun shermans)

Planes
Ki-43-II Hayabusa
Add the Ki-43-II Hayabusa (late BR 1 and Tier 1, fighter with 2x 50 kg bombs and 2x 12.7 mm MGs as the next unlock after the A5M4, as an equivalent to the F2A-3 Buffalo)

Ki-44-II hei
Add The Ki-44-II hei (BR 3 and Tier 3, Fighter with 2x 100 Kg bombs and 4x 12.7 mm MGs)

B6N1 Modell 11
Add The B6N1 Modell 11 (BR 3 and Tier 3, Bomber with 2x 250 Kg bombs dropped separately and better defensive armement than the B5N2)

D4Y3 Ko
Add the D4Y3 Ko as an optional unlock in a folder after the D4Y1 (BR 4 and Tier 4, Bomber loadout with 3x 250 Kg bombs, and better defensive armament)

B7A2 Ryusei
Add the B7A2 Ryusei (BR 5 and Tier 5, Bomber with 2x 250 KG bombs and 4x 50 Kg bombs and 2x 20 mm cannons)

Ki-84 hei Hayate
Add the Ki-84 hei (BR 5 and Tier 5, fighter with 2 x 250 Kg Bombs, 2x 20 mm Cannons and 2x 30 mm cannons)

More campaigns/maps:

Early war only – Battles of Khalkhin Gol

Late war only – Soviet invasion of Manchuria (some maps could overlap with the Battles of Khalkhin Gol)
This way the soviets have a new opponent and it´s far easier than adding a new Chinese faction.

Note:
I personally do not like to Idea of adding many paper vehicles/weapons like the Ho-Ri to the game but I guess it will be necessary with things like the Super Pershing coming to the US tech tree. The best option would in my opinion be to expand the BRs/Tiers from 5 to 6 this way we could have 3 matchmaking brackets (BR 1-2, 3-4 and 5-6). Japans tech tree would simply end at BR/Tier 4. This way we could avoid most of the paper stuff.

This is also important when we look at possible future factions like the Brits, Italians or Chinese.

[Elisseo]

Yeah theycould hardlimit japan to their max tier, totally support that

@argamendon

apans tech tree would simply end at BR/Tier 4.

[IchBenzDichWeg]

I’m with you with the weapons and the bike
The Chi Ha Kai-tank was an event unit, so some players have it (like me) others not.
Nice addition of planes - but what about the A6M2-N :P?

[Atomik_Invader]

Overall, this would be a drastic improvement to the Japanese faction. I still say the Type 4 should be a BR3 weapon like the Garand though, but I could live with it being BR4 if the rest of these changes were implemented.

[Atomik_Invader]

I might also add the Type Hei Automatic to the Assault line for BR5. Functionally it would essentially serve as a Japanese Federov

[Greyparrots]

@argamendon

Machineguns
Add the Type 92 Aircraft Machine Gun in a ground role, 47 round magazine BR 4 and Tier 4 with the 97 round magazine BR 5 and Tier 5)

This would suck if this were added and the Germans still don’t have a MG with 100 rounds

[Atomik_Invader]

@Greyparrots

This would suck if this were added and the Germans still don’t have a MG with 100 rounds

1. The Japanese need it more

2. I’m sure the Germans will get one eventually. Maybe the MG08/15 or just another MG42

[Greyparrots]

I know that but the Germans have been screaming for the longest and we’ve been ignored and a new campaign will be the first one to actually get something like this and That would just be sad for the Germans at this point

[Atomik_Invader]

I hear you, I mostly play Germany. The thing is Germany currently has the most weapons and campaigns out of any faction, so I doubt were going to be the priority

[Greyparrots]

And in the next few days the Soviets will get their paratroopers and we’ll be seeing power creep everywhere

[GiltBurrito7238]

I’m just saying when are we going to get proper Japanese bombers

[IchBenzDichWeg]

The USSR has some 100-round LMGs.
But the Germans are not too weak - I think they will get the MG 42 with a 100-round belt.
Or the engineer even a gun mount with a scope (MG 34/ 42)
At least I will suggest the scope for the buildable Type 92 HMG (for a new pioneer class) in my upcoming thread about new weapons for Japan.

[Inferno1001001]

Looks quite nice, only argument I’d make is swap Otsu and Type 4

[Atomik_Invader]

The Otsu only has a 5 round mag. It absolutely does not belong at Rank 4

[Atomik_Invader]

Ki-48 (1x800kg bomb) and Ki-21 (4x500kg bomb) are ideal candidates

Ki-48

Ki-21

[Inferno1001001]

The rof however

[Atomik_Invader]

I still wouldn’t say it warrants rank 3. The RoF is why I think it’s okay at rank 3 when most 5 round semi auto rifles are ranked 2

[HX1997]

It would have been okay if it had a 10 round mag. But 5 rounds doesn’t do any good.

[洁草闻啼]

That’s really some good ideas

Japan’s tech tree now have too few weapons, and most of them are overrated, making the Japanese more fun to play would be a long-term task.

[argamendon]

I really like this Idea, I´ll add it to main post/overview.