I think it’s still gonna be a competitive MBT, but it definitely won’t be absolutely dominate like some others. The APS will make it a nice late game pick tho.
Also I would hold my breath on the engine at all. The problem is that there is simply no proof that it was ever fitted, and thus Gajjin probably won’t add it. The 1500 HP engine claim seems to be more of a suggestion for future variants of the vehicle, rather than an actual tested version.
It’s the same issue with the purposed side ERA kit that would cover the sideskirts. It has yet to be physically shown, and has thus never left the paper, and so probably will not be implemented unless gajjin is feeling very generous.
For ground vehicles, Gaijin seems very reluctant to add something that does not exist in a real vehicle, even though all the components are there and appear in manufacturer brochure or designer interview.
We can only hope Norinco can show off the real VT-4B in next expo with all high end options installed.
Well, there’s no evidence it’s been fitted to the VT-4A1, but it’s clearly been fitted to other VT-4s and there’s plenty of mentions of that being the engine fitted to it all over the place. Even the Wikipedia article states very clearly that 1500hp is an option. So given that it can be fitted to the VT-4, and the VT-4A1 is a modification of the VT-4 that simply adds an active protection system to the turret, there should be no real reason why the engine wouldn’t be able to be mounted. It also wouldn’t be the first time something like this has been done - I point to the Challenger 2s & mere existence of the Japanese F-16 for this (though in the case of the former, it’s for the worse).
The VT-4A1 right now isn’t at all up to standard, and it probably never will be in its current state unless Gaijin manages to make it an equal to the ZTZ99A & WZ1001 with the coming changes. This probably won’t happen, so I can see a few ways the vehicle could be made to stand out without bending the rules:
The improved round mentioned beforehand could be introduced, which would allow the vehicle to function more effectively as a sniper (and thus stand out more from the WZ1001, which currently looks like an overall better option).
The 1500hp engine (which can and has clearly been mounted in other VT-4s) can be introduced, allowing for the vehicle to perform better in the way most people (myself included) currently use it, which is as a flanking sniping vehicle.
The armour can be brought to be on par with the ZTZ99s, which can make it work as a good alternative to them while having the unique dynamic of being smaller and having an APS.
It may bend the rules a little bit, and I doubt Gaijin will act upon it, but this vehicle has been a real let-down so far, and the way people treat it in game only consolidates that. Most of my kills with it are from people underestimating it & rushing it, or from the stars aligning enough for me to sneak into a good sniping spot without dying on the way (that is if there even is one - god forbid you get an urban map like Sweden). There is absolutely no reason why your performance in any top-tier vehicle should rely solely on chance.
Yeah, it didn’t notify me about the update. I see it now. Definitely a step in the right direction, but unfortunate that the engine still hasn’t been upped.
I’ve just noticed this, but it seems like there’s a bug with the textures on the mantlet cover when using a different camoflague? Does this happen for anyone else? Maybe I could chalk it up to my ancient device rendering it weirdly - I don’t know, no clue how these things work. :P
The ERA package that was shown in the one advertisement has never physically been fitted, and therefore will probably remain off the tables until one is actually shown with it on IRL. Same with the 1500HP engine. The 1300 HP engine is the best one it has actually been fitted with irl, and the 1500 is just a proposal
