I would like to preface this that I am an Air RB main but play all 3 modes (ground, naval and air), and play ground RB because I love tanks, enjoy ground striking, and enjoy dogfights (in 3rd person) with no spotting markers. I’m not trying to shit on tanks or planes, I agree that changes need to be made.
CAS/CAP does need rebalanced in a big way. That big way in my opinion would be less rp for fighters, with an increase to their ground strike ordnance SP cost, and then having strike aircraft cost a bit more while also making gun belts cost no SP, and making ground ordnance cost per bomb/rocket/rocket pod. I think these changes would do good for ground vehicles and aircraft both.
I will use the P51H-5-NA as an example. It is a 6.3 fighter wirh 12.7mm machine guns that can carry bombs, HVAR rockets, and M8 rockets. Maybe bring the SP cost to 300 in an full downtier, so cost of 2 medium tanks depending on your br in game (200 in a full uptier), while also making the ground ordnance much much more expensive because it is a fighter. So make the P51 and it’s HVARs cost 20sp each for a total of 120 sp for 6 , and make each 1000 lb bomb cost 150sp each for a total of 300 sp. That way if you want the P51 for CAP you could do so to assist the team by keeping other planes out of the sky, but if you want to ground strike it would cost you 420 more sp to spawn with ground ordnance, so you’d have to earn more than twice to get a full payload. Total max payload spawn 720 in full downtier and 620 in full uptier. Spawn with no payload 300 sp full downtier, 200 full uptier. This would encourage fighter’s playing with no payload and going for other aircraft while making ground striking harder to earn.
For my 2nd example, I will use the AD-4. It is a 6.0 strike aircraft that has 20mm cannons that can carry bombs, HVARs, and Mighty Mouse FFARs. Maybe bring the initial spawn cost to 450 in a full downtier, so the cost of 3 medium tanks depending on your br in a game (300 for a full uptier for balancing), while making all available fun belts cost no sp, and making each weapon cost per unit that is taken. So if you want 3 1000 lb bombs make it 75 sp each for a total of 225 extra sp. Maybe make the 2000 lb bomb 100 sp since you can only take the 1. Make each FFAR pod cost 25 rp so it is 200 sp for all 8 pods. It can carry 12 HVARs for 10 sp each (because of the higher initial sp cost and because ground striking is it’s purpose) for 120 sp. So if you wanted the full payload you would need 425 sp extra to spawn with the mighty mouse ffars and 3 1000 lb bombs. Total max payload spawn 775 in full downtier, and 625 in a full uptier. Spawn with no payload 450 full downtier, 300 full uptier. This would give the heavy strikers a chance to use their guns without being prohibitively expensive, while making heavy ground ordnance have to be more earned.
By all means, let me know if anyone has constructive criticism. Please don’t just say it needs to be higher cause I hate CAS or it needs to be lower because I love CAS. I can’t improve the idea without actual information. I’m really hoping to get the opinion of each side if this could be a solution accepted by both sides of the argument.