Note that all of the opinions about perk balance stated in this post are my thoughts on how to balance these perks. In my opinion most perks are balanced well but a few rotten apples.
Perks that are currently fine in their current state:
All mobility perks
Medpack restores 200% health
100% more health regen out of battle (but rename since base health regen is 0, so just name it health regen out of battle)
100% more stamina
100% faster stamina regeneration
24% faster firearm reload
20% higher rate of fire for bolt actions
Shot spread decreases
50% faster firearms changing
Ones that may need some changes but I havent tested thoroughly:
70% less horizontal recoil
70% less vertical recoil
These two perks I have only tested with SMGs. It is decently strong on them but SMGs have low recoil to begin with. I have not yet gotten to test these perks with LMGs, where I feel they would be strong if not broken. So I do need to progress further to test these out.
Perks that definitely need to be changed:
35% more vitality
80% more aim stability after receiving damage
These two perks in my opinion truly are the bane of this game. The 35% vitality increase’s biggest issue is how damage is dealt in game. From bolt action rifles a shot to the chest normally results in an instant down. But with the 35% vitality increase, this is rarely the case. Now instead of a death in less than half a second (from reaction time and aim acquiring) the TTK (time to kill) is roughly tripled to 1.5 seconds or so thanks to having to load the next round, reacquire the target who is now shooting at you, and fire again. In that time they have already returned fire (and if you don’t have the vitality perk you’re now dead) or have ducked back into cover. If someone was using a semi auto on you then they have to put two rounds into you at close range or the occasional three at long range if they haven’t upgraded their guns. Once again this is a large increase to TTK although not as much as bolt actions. The only time the perk doesn’t do much is when machine guns (both SMGs and LMGs) are being used, where the TTK increase may only be an additional few tenths of a second.
Next is the aim stability perk. Being able to take rounds and keep shooting accurately can definitely be breaking in certain situations with all classes of gun. It becomes even worse if it is comboed with the vitality perk.
Suggestions:
Change the Vitality perk to a +10-15% increase at the same cost. This would allow it to be situationally good, but not broken massive increase to TTK.
Change the Aim stability perk to a 40-50% reduction at the same cost, this would still make it difficult to aim accurately while being shot but not no flinching.
Or the problematic perk could be just removed, because they are not realistic after all. And then they could be replaced with proper equipment items, like armor, that would have some downsides and would not create straight meta in game (their weight would visibly slow your soldier and make him tired faster). Right now there is no reason to not choose vitality perk (if of course your soldier is capable of that). That way there are some “best” perk combinations instead of making the perks fully reflect individual playstyles.
This game is not realistic… It is however immersive. It’s really rubbing me the wrong way when games cater to realism, making it only more tedious and a chore to play. Is being able to revive yourself after getting domed realistic? Not really. Is being able to control each one of your minions like a hive mind? Nah.
I think the whole perk system should be reworked and be more than just empty numbers that stick to your minion. I’d appreciate a modular system where you can exchange perks and level them up (adding to the RPG element) as you perform actions according to said perks. Like the H&G medal system if my memory serves right. Haven’t touched that game in forever.
And sidegrades would be much more enjoyable than direct upgrade perks. Be more tanky but run slower thanks to some armor. Or run faster because you chose to ditch half of your ammo. Etc. At least you must make choices then, instead of making all of the soldiers that “superior Aryan soldier” the Germans were looking for.
It is advertised as realistic. But you must remember that realistic =/= simulator. There can be some simplifications, because it is a video game and not real life.
Of course, ground perk rework could work. But it doesn’t seems that it will ever come so we must work with what we have.
I’d argue that it’s threading the line between realism and arcadey. You have a point about it not being a sim since my mind went there while writing the comment.
Gaijin has always used the term “simulator” for all the super realistic stuff, while keeping “arcade” as how you would imagine it, and “realistic” indeed as the in-between.
What are direct upgrade perks?
This is what I run on my nonpremium level five guys for the record. I’d swap health regen for the medkit perk though if I had rolled it.
I think the middle ground between standard and perk efficiency would work perfectly. And of course with no additional perks other than faster using of medkit (as this was mentioned in the last devblog)
