- Yes
- No
To put it mildly, the Germany Ground Forces tree is becoming an inconsistent mess. There’s some minor issues across the entire tree, but what I believe to be the largest issue has emerged in the last few updates. Update 2.41 added the Luchs A2, which is a light tank, but it was added to the SPAA branch. With Update 2.43, the PzH 2000 was added to the SPG branch, although the one other vehicle it is most similar to—the M109G—is in what’s ostensibly the light tank branch. This suggests to me that Gaijin is encountering difficulty in expanding the German tree while remaining consistent to the themes of each branch.
I believe with some reorganization, we can establish firmer consistency and clarity with each branch. So please bear with me here while we go through the ranks and I explain my thought processes. My decisions are based largely on the following assumptions:
- I will not suggest vehicle additions or make Battle Rating adjustments. That is beyond the scope of this proposal.
- Within each Rank block, no branch can have more than 3 objects. A folder is considered 1 object, regardless of how many vehicles are in a given folder.
- Vehicle Rank, while needing to remain consistent, is largely arbitrary. So some vehicles may change Rank, within reason.
- An “ideal” Rank block has the same number of objects per branch. For example, Rank IV having two vehicles from each branch and thus devoid of holes is heavily desired.
- Vehicle Class is also largely arbitrary and is less a reflection of the vehicle’s intended role, but its in-game playstyle. Nevertheless, a vehicle’s real-world classification should be respected whenever possible.
I also needed to label the themes of each branch. They begin simply enough, but in the postwar era vehicle classification starts to lose consistency. So I created a few labels that I think better clarifies the themes of each branch. Here is a direct link to the current tech tree for comparison, and my solution is as follows:
With the exception of Rank I, the “Light Tank” branch has been narrowed to focus on reconnaissance vehicles and IFVs. This change will be explained further later. I have also moved the Pz.II folder before the Pz.IV C so as to not interrupt the Pz.IV line of vehicles. Further, I moved the Pz.IV H into the previous folder of Rank II Pz.IV tanks because this tank is considered the pinnacle of the Pz.IV’s development. Thus, it makes sense for a need to work through a folder to achieve it. The Pz.IV J was built from necessity in the later stages of the war, a “retrograde” which removed some improvements from the Ausf. H model (such as the powered turret traverse) and simplified production overall. This change also demonstrates what I believe to be a solid solution to the German tree’s theming problem: putting heavy-gun tank destroyers in other branches, foldering them with vehicles they share a chassis with. Because the Dicker Max was built on a Pz.IV chassis, I have foldered it with the Pz.IV J. The Struer Emil was built on a VK 30.01(H) chassis, which is not in the game, so it exists in the branch outside of a folder.
My reasoning for this change is that presently, the SPG branch includes all SPGs, and there is a sharp difference in playstyle between Germany’s late-WWII tank destroyers (Jagdtiger, Jagdpanther, etc.) and Cold War tank destroyers (Jagdpanzer 4-5, etc.). In order to make the playstyle and themes of the SPG branch more consistent, these vehicles should be moved. Foldering them with related vehicles of other classes is the most sensible way to achieve this. See now that that the transition between WWII and Cold War tank destroyers is now clear and the gameplay should be familiar. Now, the Panther tanks have been split up to include the Jagdpanther and the Jagdtiger is now foldered after the Tiger II (P). I think the Ferdinand placed before the Tiger II (P) also makes some sense thematically, putting the devastating 8,8cm L/71 in a fixed casemate before putting it in a turret. I’ve also moved the M44 into a folder after the StuG III G, such that matches the folders that came before it.
Keeping with the first branch for the moment, I’ve reclassified the Wiesel 1A4 as a “Light Tank” to fit its real-world reconnaissance role and as a weapons carrier, in the spirit of the Waffentraeger. This makes some room for the Luchs A2 to fit in its branch, too. I realize having two 7.3 BR vehicles in Rank IV might seem odd, but it’s not unprecedented. The UK Centurion Mk.3 and Eland 90 Mk.7 are both 7.7 Rank IV and Israel has four 7.7 Rank IV vehicles. Continuing down the branch, there’s room for the PzH 2000 (so it can coninute the theme established by the M109G) and the Wiesel 1A2, too. With these changes, all traditional light tanks have been moved to fifth branch, because their guns and underwhelming armor are more consistent with the tank destroyers that preceded them. Howitzers and autocannons will be more at home in the first branch.
I moved the Kugelblitz up to Rank V to fill the void vacated by the Luchs A2 and Wiesel 1A4, although this may not be strictly necessary. I also moved the M48A2 G A2 to Rank V to help make this rank block look more ideal. Again, this is not without precedent: Japan, UK, and China all have researchable vehicles at 8.3 Rank V. This also means the KPz-70 and M48 Super can be un-foldered. I suspect the reason these two tanks were foldered together was because of their same BR, not because of any real world connection, however tangential. Beyond adjusting some more folders, that is the last of my major changes to the tech tree.
Finally, I rearranged some folders at the higher ranks.
Overall, I think this reorganization would better balance the first and fifth branches. I hope this idea is appealing and I’m happy to answer any questions anyone may have.
