Eh, the M44 and M109 are both things the UK used and at very different BRs, just because they’re or other examples doesn’t mean they’d be 1-1 equivalents. Same concept as people thinking the M7(Priest) and Sexton would be at the same BR, but even then there’s no guarantee they’d get it, just do it being domestic to Canada and well- jesters to Canada treatment and the lack of Canadian-built vehicles in other operators (the US is missing nearly a full family do to this)
WW2 SPHs, as of my last time looking into my guess, are:
Bishop: 1.7
Priest: 2.X (2.7 most likely as my guess, as it’s the 2.3-3.0 range for me, idk enough of the other M7 variants to tell if they’d have a major BR difference)
Sexton: 3.X (likely 3.0-3.3, you might get a 3.7+ with the addition a one of the Sexton variants with the experimental/post-war shells like APDS and HESH)
My issue with the “C&P”, like the M44s and M109s is not that they were added, just that they came first. It wouldn’t be so bad if it came after a similar but domestic vehicle, just for more options or line-ups or to LARP.
Before I show you something, I want to stress that I fully understand the promises and plans made more than a decade ago are no longer applicable. Naturally, plans had changed. Still, these are the planned tech trees for each nation from around 2012 to 2014, and it saddens me to see how many of the vehicles originally envisioned back then still have not been added to the game.
Again, these old tech trees should never be treated as ‘Gaijin promised us these,’ but rather as a snapshot of how their plans and ambitions evolved during the early years of development.
Even so, there are some notable absences that remain puzzling, such as:
AJ-1
Me 262 HG series
Ki-51
G3M
Welkin
Manchester
Fulmar
Ju 287
Obviously, the US in particular is missing many variants that barely add anything over the versions in the game; however, some variants like P-51B stand out as worthwhile additions because of their distinct characteristics. The P-51B, for example, carries less fuel and offers better flight performance than the P-51C. There are similar cases exist for Germany, Britain, and Japan. While the differences are subtle, those variants would still meaningfully expand the WWII lineup or variety of gameplay. Folders exist for that purpose to fold multiple variants of a single vehicle in one place.
In Gajin, they probably consider Japanese CAS planes automatically equal to Kamikaze planes. Currently, there are only two Japanese CAS planes in the game: the Ki-109 and the Ki-102 Otsu. It’s funny that the Ki-109 was originally designed as an interceptor, only later becoming a CAS plane. The Ki-102 Otsu was originally a CAS plane, but since its introduction, it has been considered an interceptor in the game.
This is a very nice list of possible (not all) CAS aircraft for Japan (not my work, but that of a friend of mine).
2024 is counting the 6 M44s in Storm Warning.
The point with the later list is 2025 is stronger than last year.
Either way, we’re closer to the 60 per year mark than away from it now.
After gen 5 jets are added next year, I do expect normalization as the focus shift is to finishing naval.
Of course we have a new tech tree coming as well as sub-trees.
Of course we have bomber cockpits coming this update, which is $$,$$$, and effectively at least 2 new vehicles worth of money spent to make B-25 pilots happy in simulator [and arcade/realistic for people that run 1st person in those game modes].
Remodeled tanks and aircraft are effectively new vehicles.
Of course, I do want to see 60 a year, irrelevant of where the vehicles are.
Ideally more tech tree, especially as America’s premium panel is cluttered.
I honestly don’t know how you calculate that you’re getting around 60 vehicles. The “Great War” event only added 5 (+ the airship) new vehicles, not 7. The Garford-Beute and Beutepanzer IV vehicles are C&P vehicles. Nine of the vehicles from the vehicle packs are also C&P with a modified appearance. If you look at the 5 new Mosquito planes recently added, probably one or two (I’m not 100% sure) are C&P vehicles. Additionally, the Fokker D.XXI added for the Netherlands is also a C&P.
This is what I said. This is a desire, an opinion, an expectation.
Also, the term you actually mean is something along the lines of “insultingly similar to other vehicles”.
Copy-paste is a match, not a similarity.
And yes, 1 Mosquito is copy-paste, which I counted in my list.
But literally, the vehicles in the multipack are pure C&P (the M18 and Hanomag are half-C&P). Slapping some crap on a vehicle doesn’t make it a new vehicle. It’s like slapping a Mercedes badge on a Ford Focus and claiming it’s a new Mercedes Focus.
That’s not what BVVD said. He said that lineups at low BRs are already so full that you get diminishing returns by adding even more (as in, people would skip them). Therefore, WW2 vehicles make for good event/premiums.
Now, if you distance yourself from your narrative for a second, it’s not hard to read between the lines here. Nations that have WW2 gaps will still see them filled (see the PaK AMD for Germany and France), just don’t expect a million other Pz IV and Pz III variants to be in the regular TT. Even then, they added the STP to the regular tree when it could have easily been an event, so it’s not a hard and fast rule either. As you would expect from a for profit company.
I exclusively play up to 7.7 only, and I think you’re making a mountain out of a molehill.
This game is based on constant expansion. They will never pass up the opportunity to add a vehicle that was actually built, that’s leaving free content on the table.
They came first so that “everyone” would have access to the mechanic. This way, when they (say for example) add the Sexton a year from now, BUT do not add the Hummel in the same update, they’re not putting one nation at a disadvantage with perceived lack of access to the mechanic.
Drip feed content industry. Gotta stretch it out, it’s the name of the game.
Japan has had only one WW2-era ground attack aircraft for eight years, and there are many gaps. So far, nothing has been added to fill them (an additional three unique aircraft have been taken away). The AMD Pak was added to France because Germany got it; otherwise, France probably wouldn’t have gotten it.
Literally adding two planes every three years might confirm that Gajin has abandoned the WW2 era and is giving 90% of its attention to the highest-era vehicles (the remaining 5% are ships and then there are WW2 vehicles).
It’s new content that meaningfully impacts gameplay and gives you plenty of lineup depth. Now you can use two Ostwind IIs in a match with pressing AA duty without having to spend a backup, for example. If I could get doubles of all my favourite WW2 vehicles I would take it in a heartbeat. Give me another Tiger E. Give me a second Jagdtiger. Give me the Jagdpanther G2 and the Panther A early.
I know. I wish minor nations got more of a priority. But from a business perspective it’s hardly shocking that they focus so much on the more played tech trees (which in turn creates a feedback loop because they stay the most played).
Still. If a vehicle was ever built, it will eventually come to the game. Of course it will. They’re never gonna leave free content on the table.
I’m not saying these are bad additions, just that they’re visually altered C&P vehicles. They don’t hinder my gameplay, but if you count the new vehicles, they don’t fall into that category.
I would say that the Stug III G in the game IS an early example as you can see here (link). What is needed is the common late example. Poor Finland needs one too. Additionally, you can add even more missing vehicles to this list such as the following:
