Each squad has it’s own weapons, which can be unlocked by using the squad. In this case the squad is the SMG squad and it’s weapon unlocks are divided between SMGs and Shotguns. The gun unlocks would most likely have level requirements like now. When all weapons for a certain squad is unlocked, you can then research a Level 2 squad, which would give some advantages over the standard squad (for example a small xp booster)
New squads can be researched at the same time as weapons using separate xp. This gives a person a maximum of 5 things to research at the same time (4 squad specific things and a new squad)
Tanks and aircraft are researched the same way as other squad specific things. My idea would be to divide tanks between Infantry support and Tanks and Planes between Fighters and Ground attack.
Pistols and other non-squad weapons (pistols, grenades, etc) could be researched either trough the new squads like now or trough a separate “General” tech tree, that you can unlock using squad specific xp
Why this is better: it would allow for more weapons to be added and it would give players more reasons to play non-meta squads. It would also give the player an option to grind the weapons they like the most
Funny, I was thinking about making a thread about removing weapons from campaign progression today too.
I’m not sure about making lvl2 squad better, because it would lead to complete replacing base squads and domination over new players. Better option would be making different variants of the squad wih access to various weapons or other equipment (what is important here - you could not take into battle more than one wariant to prevent meta setups composed of 3 SMG squads).
As for pistols and general equipment I’m fine about getting acces to them with unlocking the squads like we have now, same for new weapons coming with the squads. What bother me the most is additional campaign levels only for weapons, tanks etc. That truly limits the variety of them that we can get.
So I suggest leaving the squad progression as it is (if this progression system stays, of course), adding more different squads to fill the campaign progression (motorized infantry for example) and moving weapons/vehicles unlocks to another tech tree as we have for squad upgrades/soldier upgrades/weapon upgrades.
Yes, lvl 2 squads and general tree were kind of an afterthought. I too would prefer non-squad stuff being obtained trough new squad unlocks. As for the lvl 2 squads, I wouldn’t want them to have advantages in a match, but rather something like and xp boost to reward for the grind and to encourage to research all of the weapons for each squad or just a special outfit
This basically looks like a tech tree system.
However, if there is no fix for the guns being strictly better, the end gameplay result will remain the same.
Why would you use an MP28 over an MP40? or PPD box vs PPD drum? there is no reason.
I personally think the tank squads should be combined into one, with a seperate tech tree for it similar to the assaulter tech tree you lay out here, with the main tech tree only unlocking more squad types.
simply having a different composition, for example, having a flametrooper in the assaulter squad instead of a gunner, would work fine. But imo they would have to be limited to only one of the two assaulter squads to be brought into battle so you dont get to have both, forcing you to make a decision.
Yes, it basically is just a (separated, more complicated) tech tree system.
I don’t have any solution to this. There needs to be progression, so naturally the worse equipment is ditched in favor of the better stuff, much like in real life. You aren’t going to use a Pz. III in 1944 or 45 unless you have no other choice. If you have anything I would be more than happy to hear your opinions/suggestions.
Yes, this sounds like a good option too, possibly even better than what I had in mind
one word: sidegrades
for example, make the PPD drum reload long to the point where you really have to retreat for a moment to do it, while the box mag would reload fast enough to just continue the engagement, like a 1.5-2sec reload vs a 5+sec reload. Reloads are not objective stats anyways so they can easily be used to balance things out.
Same can be done for the tanks
Use the T-26-4 instead of just the T-26 so it can make up for its lack of armor and mobility by having a big HE lobbing 76mm gun similar to the T-28, but in a smaller package, or make it the T-26E, a field modification with heavy armor at all but one spot.
for rifles, you could use damage falloff over range, reload speed, recoil and fire rate as balancing factors. Have a gun that shoots slower, but maintain its damage longer over range with a higher bullet velocity, allowing you to snipe with it better. Weight can also be used, as it affects run speed. The PPD drum would be heavier than the box mag, making you slightly less mobile.
And this can pretty much be done for every gun in the game.
Like, why do we HAVE to improve our gear? why not just offer more OPTIONS that can be interesting, and instead focus on the skill aspect of the game, where the good players outplay the bad players, instead of having the veterans beat the newbies because of superior gear?
I personally think that if the game moved to a sidegrade system and removed the RNG, removing gun upgrades and replace them with sidegrades like H&G does (heaver bolt gives less recoil but lower rate of fire, for example), it would fix most of the progression issues. Simply allowing people to buy guns with orders, instead of opening the boxes, would also fix that part of the RNG. Simply make the order obtaining rate like 10x, and make the later guns like 10+ orders, while starter rifles would cost like 1-3 orders.
