I very much like the idea for this mode, especially the map size increase, because as soon as we start getting long guns such as the Russian 57mm ZiS-2/4/4M, the German 75mm KwK/StuK/PaK40 L/43-48, the Russian 76mm ZiS-5/F-34, the American 75mm M3, the UK 57mm 6-pdr Mk.V, the Italian 75mm 75/34, etc., maps start to feel VERY SMALL. And we then use guns far stronger than that such as 20-pdrs, long 88s, long 90s, nevermind more modern tech like L7s on the same maps.
However, I massively disagree with Spawn Point limitations of any sort. One of the biggest reasons for the CAS debacle in Ground RB today is the fact that it is barred by SP, as its best counter is other aircraft.
In your proposed mode, if one team had a player get enough points to spawn a Battleship, and nobody else could manage to do so, how would anyone kill it? With how the game pits single planes against a BB’s full compliment of AAA, even the likes of a Pe-8 might at best trade with the BB. Which is fun for neither, IMHO.
Instead of trying to limit people to specific vehicles and treating others as “powerups,” what this mode idea needs is more diverse objectives that are intentionally important enough to draw the attention of the potentially “abusive” vehicle types.
CAS is a large issue in Ground RB today partly because it has nothing better to do but dunk on tanks directly, a minority of its real-world usage. CAS has no artillery platoons to strafe out that are preventing friendly land forces from advancing. CAS has no Pillboxes to bomb out that are preventing friendly fleets from landing troops safely. CAS has no Supply Lines to disrupt to starve enemy defenses of fuel and ammo. CAS has no airfields to strafe and wreck stuff on without being obliterated by overkill AI AAA. CAS has no trains to explode to cut off supplies en masse. CAS has no supply bases or train stations to bomb to smithereens. Big Bombers have no factories to strike.
A Battleship in your mode, earned by Spawn Points as a “powerup,” would likewise have similar problems - tanks obviously would not perform well against even larger coastal monitors, nevermind BBs which can shrug off even MBT rounds with some angling and range, and if those rounds pen, taking minimal damage due to their sheer size. Infinitely-spawning coastal boats trying to spam torpedoes is not a solution here due to Naval AI gunner mechanics ensuring that most BB players can literally never be surprised unless they’re botting or in a vegetative state. CAS would most likely trade with BBs due to AI AAA gunners being overkill-strong.
And there are many other potential examples of problems by adhering to Spawn Point mechanics.
Now what kind of objectives could be added into this idea?
- Pillboxes
- Coastal Artillery
- Artillery Platoons
- Railway Artillery
- Supply Convoys
- Supply Bases
- Destructible extra airfields
- Aircraft Carriers
- Transport fleets
- Many more possibilities I cannot think of right now.
And in order for these objectives to work - they need to matter more to match victory than Team Deathmatch. There were in fact once bombing targets on Ground RB maps, but they mattered so little to game outcome that nobody bothered going after them, and eventually they got removed entirely because the CAS only bothered to PvP, as that is what paid the bills.
TL:DR - Great idea, just ditch the Spawn Point mechanics, add diverse objectives to draw the attention of specific vehicle classes (CAS, Bombers, Battleships, etc.) instead.
