My idea for an Engineer progression system. The main thing is to have three tiers of Main Engineer buildables. by “Main buildables” I mean MGs, AT guns and AA guns. In addition to these improved sandbags/Tank traps/barbed wire is introduced
Here are two examples:
Germany (Normandy):
MGs: MG08 → MG 34 → MG 42
AT Guns: 5cm Pak 38 → 7.5cm Pak 97/38 → 7.5cm Pak 40
AT Guns (Option 2): 5cm Pak 38 → 7.5cm Pak 40 → 8.8cm Flak 18/36/37/41
AA Guns: 2cm Flak 30 → 2cm Flakvierling 38 → 3.7cm Flak 18/36/37/43
USA (Normandy):
MGs: M1917 → M1919 → M2 HBMG
AT Guns: 57mm M1 AT gun → 75mm Field Gun M1897 on M2 Carriage → 3-inch Gun M5
AT Guns (Option 2) 57mm M1 AT gun → 3-inch gun M5 → 90mm Gun M3
AA Guns: 20mm Polsten single mount → 20mm Polsten quad mount → 37mm gun M1/ Bofors 40mm
AA Guns (Option 2): (M2) M45 quadmount → 20mm Polsten quadmount → 37mm gun M1/ Bofors 40mm
This could be implemented with my other progression system suggestion:
EDIT: I am going to offer solutions to some of the problems that have come up in the comments:
1st problem, the grind:
Grind wouldn’t really increase much, which comes from my idea of integrating this to my other progression suggestion, although with Gaijin you can’t know for certain. I really only see a single biggest failing of this: The amount of different unlocking groups. This can be countered by introducing some sort of system to maybe ease the grind. Although this grind could also be justified as “Specialization”, meaning you can can specialize as an AT engineer by unlocking all ATs or AA engineer by unlocking all AAs, etc.
2nd problem, Stock Engineers too weak:
They would only really be weaker than now in AA only, and that too can be balanced out, for example with faster reloads and better gun handling. If balanced correctly, these would all be pretty much just sidegrades, with the middle one pretty much being a Jack-of-all-trades.
3rd problem, Engineers becoming too OP:
In my eyes Engineers would and should get more powerful only to compensate for heavier tanks that could be added (Panther, Tiger, Jumbo), but that AT capability is pretty much the only place were they would get better in this system. And even then everything would have drawbacks, for example the 8.8cm and 90mm would offer bigger guns with more penetration but they would offer less protection to the operator and a bigger target.
The 37mm AAs have bigger guns packing more explosives per shell, but with the smaller RoF and slower gun handling.
The MG-42 runs out of ammo faster and is less controllable and the M2 HBMG has lower RoF and some other balancing factors (like quicker overheating, less ammo, etc.).
In terms of fortifications (Sandbags, AT traps, Barbed wire) I imagined an 2-tier system, which goes like this (Haven’t thought about the balance on these that much, might be a bad idea):
Sandbags (What we have now) → Reinforced Sandbags (Sandbags reinforced with wood)
Czech hedgehog (What we have now) → Dragon’s tooth AT trap
Small barbed wire (Smaller diameter) → Improved barbed wire (What we have now)
Only real difference between the AT traps and Barbed wires is their size and durability. (Small barbed wire would still be as wide as now but easier to jump over.)
Please, give your opinions in the comments so I can work on this to improve! Say your opinions, so the devs see if we’d be fine with something like this or not.