1 : Additional Automatic Squad, one of the key limitations of automatic weapons within the game are the fact that Automatic weaponry (in terms of saturation within a squad IE how many guys can carry automatic weapons and thus lives with automatic weapons) are limited by about two squads. For Alpha testers, you get two squads, one is the standard assaulter squad, the other is the LMG squad. One remaining squad must be a bolt action dominated squad which limits the amount of firepower you can field (excluding emplacements such as MGs) This addition essentially makes it so that every infantry squad spawn can have automatic weapons saturating games.
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Squad saturation is too high : To my understanding there is an increased cap of Assaulters available to the new squads. I’m unsure of the real number but to my understanding via discussions on forums, the entire squad can be assaulters. This is inherently dangerous as the entire squad can saturate effective firepower indoors, and thus dominate CQC. Even Alpha squads cannot saturate that much firepower, given that only 4 out of 7 once fully upgraded can field auto weaponry. Which means after four deaths provided none of your squad has been wiped (unlikely) you no longer have an automatic weapon unless scavenged, but in the case of the new squad, as long as the squad is active you have a automatic weapon depending on the soldier build of the squad.
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Disparity between Alpha and CBT players. Yes I know alpha players have the “privilege” of playing the game for free, however when you consider the gameplay impact that having one of these paid squads has, it essentially disadvantages Alpha players, 1 out of three instances (presuming you have brought the MG and the SMG squads) you are contending with bolt actions in CQC against a CBT player who presuming can make it to LMG has at all times an automatic. Furthermore even when you have a automatic squad, even if one enemy is alive with one of these new squads they have a automatic which can squad wipe you more effectively than an single enemy with a bolt action character. A CBT player having three automatic squads, with the one in particular having the entire squad composed of assaulters is disparate from a Alpha player having only 2 out of three squads having multiple automatics, and in addition both automatic squads only have 4 automatics within them.
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No clear instance of obtaining the new squads for Alpha players beside buying a pack which is priced for both a squad and a game that one has access too. This is the logic : If you pay 40 bucks for a game + a ingame squad the division of cost is split by the cost of the game (say 30 dollars) and a squad (essentially DLC so 10 dollars). In order for an alpha player who has access to the game to play, they have to still pay the full price which is 40 bucks. Which means compared to a CBT player, who had to only pay 10 dollars for the DLC content, an alpha player loses out on 30 dollars, as the price of the DLC in effect costs you the full price meaning that the DLC was marked up 300 percent.
This isn’t even considering the balance of the new weapons which thusfar has a few threads already available. I believe the threshold of pay to win has been crossed with this new addition to the game due to the massive impact that someone buying the game has to someone already here.
A counterargument is that Alpha players presuming they used the 2x xp weekend well, is more advanced still to a CBT player, which is true. But if you consider how advanced a Alpha is to a CBT its negligible effects, an Alpha player has better Bolt action rifles & if they were lucky on requisition more equipment, and in addition has access to more squads. But the composition of said squads are primarily in bolt action rifles which in an objective focused game like this, which most objective environments are CQC based, automatics, of any kind can effectively eliminate bolt action equipped squads. Furthermore if you consider the impact of squads the most vital ones to have are : Engineer (access to important buildings, SMG & MG (automatics are generically force multipliers) two of which can be unlocked with about 2 games with 50-70 kills each. Which for a CBT player armed with a automatic equipped squad is not a difficult thing to accomplish. Bolt action wise, the effect is also minimized if you consider the design of how the weapon dynamic occurs in addition to map design, bolt actions are great for keeping people away from points, and at open fighting in the streets or fields, but not very good in CQC if an automatic is present. SMGs are great in CQC and at limited instances short to medium ranges depending on the situation, but cannot sustainably keep enemies away. However this is negated by map design, A: Objectives are all CQC, even presuming that only 1-2 soldiers get to a CQC filled with enemies, the weapon dynamic still applies and Bolt actions squads easily can be wiped by 1 player with a automatic B: Maps are designed to prevent full camping of OBJ’s, there are flank routes, cover, and other features to allow for a team to get close to an objective which again applying weapon dynamic allows for automatic domination. The impact of being in the game longer is minimal compared to the impact of having an additional squad of automatics to always have automatics whenever playing.
Solution? Give alpha players as a thank you or whatever reason this squad. Alternatively, have them buy it as “Support the team” bundle as DLC, at DLC prices. Alternatively, remove the damn squads, but this last one I wouldn’t recommend as it will cause a shitshow.