In my experience, putting TNT on the driver’s hatch rarely works. However, sticking it above the engine or even along the sides (you don’t even need to climb on top!) will usually kill it.
That said, the most effective method is placing it down on a road and getting the tank to drive over it then detonating. Problem of course being that trying to survive with the soldier that placed it is not always easy.
That’s why I’ve suggested in the past that they make it where you can place the detonator on the ground (kind of like how you get the ghost outline when using an engineer), after you place the TNT charge.
This way you can operate it even after that soldier is dead and gone. So it can be used for effective traps.
Meanwhile I think “sticky bombs” need to be implemented. Yes the idea comes from “Saving Private Ryan”. Make it where you have to prep it for a couple seconds then can run forward and stick it on the tank. Blast power would be mediocre so its better for taking the tracks off of tanks or starting engine fires rather than outright killing. Which still forces them to get out of tank.
I do NOT think that outright killing tanks with standard infantry should be easy. It should either require preparation (usage of AT mines, TNT Mines) or require incapacitation followed by killing the crew.
AT soldiers are the only infantry that should be able to outright kill tanks without extra preparation.
A satchel charge which takes more preparation but is on a timer and has a huge blast radius killing the tank and enemies around it.
(TBH I like the ability to delete tanks with a well placed throw, it keeps tanks at bay and from entering urban areas where they shouldn’t be, and it allows me to take care of tanks when they can take care of me with one click.)
I can undarstand this but on the other hand imo tanks are not tanky. They are glass cannons.
When I see a tank it’s not a threat, it’s annoyence.
Also you still would be able to delete tanks if they are close enough but it would require effort unlike explosion packs.
Also also it would (hopefully) increase the meaning of infantry escorting tanks as there won’t be a threat of a pocket nuke falling out of a random window.
Personally I think that the throwable AT charges (explosive packs) are too strong in concept of game balance. You are talking about breaking part of a tank at range, which would otherwise require a tank or AT soldier. I really don’t think that kind of power should be in the form of a grenade.
At this point I bring up balance of charges with their pros/ cons in the way I think it should be.
TNT mines
Pros-
Good blast radius
Works well against infantry and tanks
Can be detonated when you want
If underneath of a tank it can outright kill
Cons-
Must be manually detonated
Must be manually placed (no range)
Takes a moment to arm
AT mines-
Pros-
Can outright kill a tank
Detonates when a tank drives over, doesn’t require manual detonation
Cons-
Manual placement required (no range)
Takes time to arm
Doesn’t detonate unless directly driven over. Can be narrowly avoided.
Much easier to see than TNT mine
Sticky Bomb-
Pros-
Can be prepped ahead of time to decrease time to detonation
Sticks to the target
Can be used effectively by run-and-gun type tactics.
Can reliably damage tracks and engines
Cons-
Shallow armor penetration
Very low chance of ammo racking tanks unless they have very thin armor
Requires manual placement
Has a fuse time instead of a proximity trigger (this could be good or bad)
Requires player to be close (within 3-5 meters) to attach it. Obviously the closer you are the more accurately stick it to where you want, otherwise there is a little possible deviation (due to its size).
Each have their uses, but none of them outperform the AT launchers in terms of mobility. My concern is that grenades offer far too much mobility.
Actually what about forcing the tank hatch open and throwing a grenade in?
It would take time to force the hatch open, you would be vulnerable to enemy fire, and you would make some noise which could be heard by the tankers.
IF the suggestion was implemented, and explosive packs were removed like we are saying, there is one major change that I think could potentially fix the issue:
While in the greyzone tanks cannot shoot lethal ordinance (they can use smoke shells and grenades, If smoke shells are selected, it allows an exception to the forced firing of shell), however, they also have spawn protection until the moment that they leave the grey zone. So while they cannot attack from it, they cannot be killed in it either, until they have passed the line.
The thing about this though is you are just saying “throwable” which in the grenade sense is too strong in my opinion. “Short-range” 3-5m like I said is a more fair range.
I would prefer to be precise so we don’t just get an Explosive Pack Mk2.
Then perhaps a timer that limits their time in the greyzone? In order to buy more time back to go back for a re-arm, you must expend ammo while inside the playable area.
Ultimately it should only give you enough time to leave the greyzone initially, and you only can re-arm when you are at half ammo or less.
A small indicator would show how much time you have available as you build it up.
