We will take as an example the F-15A
The current F-15A is a 1984 iteration (afaik). It has a BR of 13.0. It currently has the AIM-7M, AIM-9M and countermeasures. What if you would be able to uninstall a specific modification for example the 9M, replace it with the 9L and bring it down to 12.7. You could take down the countermeasures, replace the AIM-7M with an AIM-7E-2 and so on. The idea is that the 13.0 F-15A could be a 12.3 ore 12.0 aircraft, that has no countermeasure, uses the AIM-7E-2, the AIM-9J or the P.
The possibilities are endless. This would negate the need for a 1976 F-15A. Reducing the grind. Or gaijin can just folder these suites below the base aircraft for a lot less RP (F-15A 1976 = 300k but F-15A 1984 = 100k or smth like that).
This would not only stop here. Another American aircraft that would fit very well with this modification would be the F-4E. The latest F-4E was able to carry the Shrike and the 9L.
Again. The F-15E. Uninstall the AIM-120, GBU-39 etc and you can bring it down to 12.3 or 12.7
Maybe another solution would be to just add the later/earlier suites for free (which i know gaijin won’t do)
Modification-based BRs is a bad idea. This is not because it couldn’t be done well, but because Gaijin is incompetent as it is at balancing vehicles based on their spaded configurations.
There are literally over half a million combinations of modifications for the F-15A alone. Even if most don’t affect BR, modification-based BRs will increase the number of vehicles to balance tenfold- so no thanks.
Adding more foldered configuration is much better, but should still be done in moderation, ensuring such vehicles are historically significant or at least fill a gap. Even then it’s typically better to just have a different variant of the aircraft instead of just the exact same with different weapons. For example, there could be an “early” F-16C Blk50 without AMRAAMs- or we could have a Blk30. Going the other direction, a “late” F-4E, or an F-4N.
Actually I have a problem with this suggestion, even if you remove modifications to go down to Br, it does not change the detection capabilities and flight models of the planes, a F-15 radar in 12.0 as you suggest would be an absolute threat to other planes. In the same way, imagine a Mirage 2000 in 11.3, even if it did not have “competent” missiles, the plane would roll on the opposing team (the Mig 23 vs Mirage 2000 duel is not ideal).
I think if it were ever to be implemented, it would need to be limited to a single alternative BR. That change could be a single change or multiple but I think it being so heavily variable would cause too great of a balancing headache (they can barely cope at the moment)
For Example. Harrier Gr7 with 9Ls = 11.7. Harrier Gr7 with 9Ms = 12.3.
Though an “F-15A (early)” could be an interesting vehicle to add and it would be fun to kick its butt in the Sea Harrier FRS1 should that ever get modeled accurately.
No no. Hear me out. So for example you have the F-15A Early, that has just the AIM-7E-2, AIM-9J etc. You could make loadouts with just these weapons among others and choose between these ones. But if gaijin were not to be lazy and add more early variants of the aircraft we already have in game. MAYBE they would not be gridy and let us unlock the early/late variant for free once we spade the base aircraft.
This would be better in my opinion, but again gaijin is so lazy that they can’t even improve their gamemodes