As per the recent leaks, it seems as though Japan will be receiving the M44, a 155mm SPG based upon the M41 chassis.
As someone who is vehemently against copy paste I can’t say I love this addition, since it will quickly be overshadowed by the American version whenever the latter gets added, and I would much rather have an indigenous Japanese SPG such as the Type 56, Ka-To, or Type 74 even with their lower calibre 105mm guns.
Regardless, I have to appreciate that we are finally getting another lowish tier addition for Japan, and one that looks pretty fun at that.
Also i wouldn’t be surprised that if US mains would prefer something like the M55 since that SPG is a little different in the sense that has a different calibre
Perhaps, but the M55 would be larger, slower, with a longer reload, and worse gun handling. And either way, I don’t think Gaijin would miss the opportunity for an easy copy paste job for a major nation anyways.
Vehicles like M44 should be one of the absolute last resources for when there is nothing Japan made left to add.
I’m a little upset if this is the only thing we get for ground forces for the last patch of the year.
Still can not understand why the Type 74 SPH, the last remaining post-war domestically mass-produced SPH is still not in the game yet. And Gaijin has been avoiding from making Japanese ww2 tanks since i believe the Ka-Chi which was added back in 2021. Beside it is not like Japan is lacking of SPG to add either we have the Ho-Ni I Proto., Ho-Ni II, Ho-To, Ho-Ru, Ka-To etc.
There’s also the Type 56 SY.
Supposedly there was also a Na-To tested with the 75/55mm Type Ge squeezebore gun, which could be foldered with the current Na-To at 3.3~3.7 if its existence is substantiated.
Yeah that and what being said, range finder which is the major difference between prod. and proto. variants.
If added it would be the lowest rank vehicle equipped with a range finder.
Also unlike the production Ho-Ni, it had a Chi-Ha style commander periscope.
Is there anything else for a skilled 3D artist would need to replicate a vehicle model other than a entire illustration of it from four angles ?
Regarding the ammunition layout, crew placement, vehicle characteristics and so on would be completely fine to copy from the already existing Ho-Ni I in the game.
There is a need for more WW2 stuff in general across all nations, even in the big three. There are some incredibly iconic, mass-produced, vehicles that are somehow absent (or at best, locked behind a paywall).
Maybe it sound strange, but i want more “jeeps” for JGSDF, like Mistubishi (I know there ATGMs like on Type 60 ATM) or Toyota with ATGMs. Also Toyota with Type 11.
