For a while, I have come to the conclusion that russian light vehicles and missile carriers starting from about tier vi, tend to surpass their western counterparts in game at the same rating. The bmpt is probably the most blatant example of this happening, and plenty has already been said on it, so while it is part of the issue, I want to highlight how it is part of a larger problem. For starters, missile carriers from the west do not function as they should because saclos is barely usable in game while laser guided missile launchers function almost perfectly, whereas spikes rarely function as top attack missiles and instead attack the most armored/volumetric parts of vehicles. While not to as such a degree in performance gaps as the 10.7 bmpt situation, let us observe the 9.3 and 9.7 brs. 9.3 russia gets the 2s25 as a heavy-gunned light tank, the only other light tank i can think of in such a role at this br is the stingray, which shoots weaker rounds, cant shoot missiles, and has a longer reload. I would even argue that the 2s25m which shoots even more powerful rounds and a more powerful missile still surpasses other tanks that sit higher like the boxer due to better mobility (bad wheeled vehicle traction), better rounds, and lower profile. To contend with the bmd-4m2, and bmp3 for that matter, we get a slew of autocannon only tanks with either the 25mm or 30mm bushmaster that lack missiles and he rounds for overpressuring for that matter. Let us not forget that even though the low rate of fire mode of the 30mm bushmaster should have less dispersion in game it has similar dispersion to the 30mm 2a72 cannon with a higher rof. This gets worse as brs advance because you have the 2s38 at 10.7 even though its closest western contenders sit 1.3 br higher (rdf-lt and hstv-l). the bmp-2m with some of the strongest missiles in the game has no similar vehicle in terms of performance with 4 of the strongest functional missiles in game to fire at once. The closest one maybe is the strf9040 bill, but that has a ready rack of 25 rounds, and a dysfunctional missile launcher that cannot elevate or depress and is also saclos. I hope I am not the only one that sees the larger issue at play here
And that’s because the 2S38 is much, much worse than both of them.
It’s almost like asymmetric advantages exist. It’s better in some ways, and worse in others.
Also, please format your posts, or at least add a line break or too.
1- Western IFVs are as strong and sometimes stronger for their BR than Soviet vehicles.
Bradley sits at 8.3, BMP-2 sits at 8.7, and the superior Type 89 sits at 9.0.
2- Wheeled vehicle traction in War Thunder is over-performing substantially, primarily due to game limitations, secondary if wheeled vehicles performed accurately they’d be a pain to use on maps that aren’t city maps.
3- 2S25 has 8mm effective armor, is the largest light tank in the game, and with that fires DM33 equivalent ammunition.
The closest equivalent vehicle is not Stingray. Stingray has gun depression, smaller size, and a good round for the BR, while being more resistant to machine gun fire.
4- 2S38’s closest direct equal is Ajax and Strf 9040C Ajax is inferior, having ~30% less pen, and Strf 9040C also has ~24% less pen.
Other examples include VCC-80/60, Begleitpanzer, HSTVL, and RDF/LT.
HSTVL is infinitely superior to the 2S38 being smaller, firing a notably superior round, being the fastest tracked vehicle in the game… HSTVL has no direct competitor.
5- SACLOS missiles are rather easy to use in War Thunder… I don’t get that statement.
6- BMD-4M2 equivalent IFVs include Desert Warrior that’s just better, which explains why it’s 10.0.
There’s also ZBD04A firing better ammo at 10.0, Dardo, VCC-80/30 also firing better ammo.
And an honorable mention to the Begleitpanzer.
The 2s38 has a fully automated turret and carries way more ammo. Also honestly the benefits from the heavygunned light tanks arent as significant, my main issue is with the autocannon ones as they also include missiles when theyre ussr ones and 30mm bushmaster guns in game both habe a low rof and low precision
Bushmasters are abysmal in game, I’d just not bother crewing the Bradley and go for the booker and then the hstvl
The wheels are usually prepared for that, you can see that the majority of wheeled vehicles in-game don’t use everyday road tires, so although I don’t know how good or bad they’d perform (taking in all factors) they should be manageable. I did hear traction was “nerfed” due to some tanks getting into cheeky spots (the new US SPAAs and the Japanese tanks as a whole) but I’m unaware if it was really done and if so, solely to the US SPAA (the multi-vehicle one, sorry I don’t remember its name) or anything specific.
Besides that, I either do not have the knowledge to provide anything and do agree on the fact that SACLOS ATGMs are quite easy to use, although maybe the missiles are slower? Beam riding is usually better if I’m not wrong.
The problem is saclos is worse than beamriding in game and the missiles dip more than they do in real life and arent as responsive. I own vehivles with both beamriding and wire guided saclos. As for wheeled vehicles, the traction hit them harder than tracked vehicles and they dont turn as well as they would irl and have a harder tjme going up hills
The missile dip was fixed on the same dev server it was introduced.