(I'm aware that .72 warfare has fixed a few things, but it's not set in stone, so thus is exempt from the following)
Here are my findings.
1. Man portable AT
OPFOR:
Gear 1, RPG-7 with three RPG rounds available (why two when you'd only use the best one? Who knows, 320 damage VLs).
Gear 2, Get the SMAW with HEAA right off the bat instead of HEDP.
Gear 3, the metis which behaves just like the NLAW, but actually does damage.
BLUFOR:
Gear 1, AT4 (One shot use)
Gear 2, MAAWS with HEPD (can carry two rounds, 150 damage), NLAW (also two rounds, 1 if using INKO).
Gear 3, Javelin, which has a lulzy long lock time and is useless unless you have major range over the enemy.
In conclusion, the AT capability of BLUFOR is sorely lacking. With nothing but a disposable launcher as their main AT, then only to get two shot capable only AT after that, which isn't all that effective is also a letdown. Then the heavy AT pales in comparison to the metis.
2. Light factory
OPFOR:
LF 0, ???
LF 1, M113 ambo (invuln to small arms and terrain damage), BRDM-2 (14.5mm w/ 7.62 coax, invuln to small arms)
LF2, Vodnik ambo, ATGM BRDM, Vodnik BPPU
LF3, BTR-90(30mm Autocannon, 7.62 coax, AT-5 ATGM, AGS-17 GL), BM21-Grad
BLUFOR:
LF 0, GPK (.50 cal, vulnerable to small arms), Jackal (.50 cal, 7.62, vulnerable to small arms), Repair truck
LF 1, CROWS (mk. 19 or .50 cal, vulnerable to small arms), Ammo/fuel trucks,
LF 2, Ambo (vulnerable to small arms and terrain damage), TOW humvee, Another repair truck (???)
LF 3, Avenger (Poor AA capability, .50cal coax, vulnerable to small arms), LAV-25 (25mm, 7.62 coax.)
In conclusion, Initially, BLUFOR get a good start with the GPK, but, coupled with their lack of man portable AT mentioned above, it gets pwned by armour. The early access to the repair truck is nice, being able to set up TOWs to counter armour, though being a very costly practice and only really viable on Takistan (More on rep trucks later).
The lack of ambo access till light 2, and the invulnerable M113 leaves BLUFOR having to drive from base every 10 minutes rather problematic. They may have the GPK, but they have nowhere but base to spawn when they lose it. The ammo trucks makes using the repair truck less of a pain. OPFOR get the BRDM at LF1, with a 14.5mm main and 7.62 coax and has a fully protected crew to small arms thus quickly trumping the GPK, and with ambo support.
LF2 adds no real additions to the light factory for BLUFOR. The TOW Humvee is no match to the BRDM ATGM, due to it's vulnerable crew and low rate of fire. The Humvee ambo is no match for either the M113 or Vodnik because of how frail it is and it's vulnerability to fire.
The OPFOR side, they gain access to the BRDM ATGM (Fully protected crew, high rate of fire), The Vodnik BPPU, with a 30mm autocannon and 7.62 coax, AP and HE capable, it can provide fire support over 1.5 KMs away effectively. They gain yet another ambo, which has greater protection (No instapop tyres) and is also amphibious. The repair truck finally becomes available. Landrover SPG-9 gives high mobility AT and HE support, which BLUFOR do not have access to in either light nor gear. The BTR-60, just like the BRDM, but with larger troop carrying capacity. The Zeus Ural, great for fire support though vulnerable.
LF3 for BLUFOR gives the Avenger, which uses stingers (slow, short range, almost totally ineffective) with a high ROF .50 cal, making it a slightly amped up GPK. The LAV-25 is totally outmatched by the BTR-90. The BTR-90 has a high ROF 30mm Autocannon (AP/HE), ATGM and a GL, making it a mobile fortress. The armour values are the same, but overall, the LAV-25 and avenger are not worth going to light 3.
OPFOR get the above mentioned BTR-90 and the BM-21 Grad (Heavy rocket artillery that BLUFOR has to wait till heavy 3 for). OFPOR get no missile based AA via the light factory, but they get the Zeus Ural and the Vodnik BPPU, which is more than capable at taking out helicopters and other early air.
3. Heavy factory
OPFOR:
HF 0: T34!!! (MBT, 7.62mm frontgunner)
HF 1: ZSU (Zeus x2), BMP-2 (30mm Autocannon, 7.62mm coax, ATGM, 250 armour), T-55!!! (MBT)
HF 2: BMP-3 (100mm HE cannon, 30mm Autocannon, 3x 7.62mm guns, ATGM, 300 armour), T-72 (MBT, 690 Armour)
HF 3: T-90(800 Armour), Tunguska(Tung missiles).
BLUFOR:
HF 0: AAV (.50 cal, Mk.19), Stryker M2/Mk.19 (lol, 160 Armour)
HF 1: Bradley A1(ATGM, 25mm gun, 7.62mm coax, 300 armour), Stryker MEV (Ambo, 160 Armour).
HF 2: M1A1 (MBT, 850 Armour), Bradley A2(400 Armour)
HF 3: M1A2 (MBT, 900 Armour, loader 7.62mm), MLRS (finally, heavy rocket artillery), Linebacker (Tung missiles)
In conclusion, OPFOR get much better anti tank and protective units straight away, with the T-34 at HF 0, capable of taking any form of resistance armour if used right as well as fantastic anti infantry with HE and front gunner. The T-55 is a step up with even greater AT and anti-infantry, more armour but one less 7.62mm gun. The BMP-3 has gained notoriety as a fantastic ATGM platform, as well as HE platform for anti infantry. It's a good infantry transport with good survivability (300 armour) and more guns to know what to do with. HF2 and HF3 are fine in my opinion, with the T90's double tap of cannon and refleks, and the Tung and Linebacker balance, there's a surprising amount of balance here.
On the BLUFOR side, their HV 0 units are totally useless. The AAV is slow, big and has no AT capability. The Strykers are just over priced, over sized CROWS, bringing nothing new to the table. HV 1 adds a new ambulance which is less flimsy and a Bradley with it's 25mm gun and anti-terrain guided missile (Not a typo, 95% of the time I've used the TOW, it hit the ground right in front of me). The lack of viable selection, and the fact that we have light APCs (Strykers) in the heavy factory, really highlights the lack of AT (yet again) for BLUFOR. The Bradley, although having 50 more armour, is not much of a match for the BMP-2, the 5mm larger higher ROF, lower profile and better ATGM which is also half the price. When Strykers finally begin to become available, their roles are already totally surpassed by pre-existing, or then unlocked units. The MLRS is fine as heavy 3, as the rockets do 3x the damage of the Grad's.
4. Gear
Now, I know what you're thinking, "BLUFOR have the best gear, what are you on about?". Let me tell you what's up. You have access to TWS weapons way to soon. You have the Goshawk right away (take it off a taki TWS soldier, Barracks 0, save, done.). You have a battle rifle at G0 (FN FAL), and a Thermal battle rifle at G1 (FN FAL TWS). BLUFOR only get TWS at gear 3, sure a lot more TWS weapons, but, the FN FAL is already perfect. Either bring some entry level TWS down for BLUFOR, or raise the TWS up for OPFOR.
5. Repair trucks
Now, Basker has probably already made a reply about repair trucks before he's gotten this far into reading the OP, so, to most probably rebut his reply, the repair trucks for OPFOR simply have too many options. OPFOR gets the Zeus and the SPG-9, BLUFOR do not. BLUFOR don't have any comparable static weapon that can rival the range and ROF of the Zeus, and the AT/HE of the SPG-9. All we have is the TOW, which is only AT. Unless you feel like forking out 2k at the very start of the round for an M119 howitzer, or buy a TOW and an M2 and feel lucky, then go right on ahead. The repair truck rush of BLUFOR is pretty useless unless you have the ammo trucks to go with it (Or you could sploit and have the TOW backpack as your launcher in your gear and respawn over and over. Oh, wait, no ambo. *facedesk*).
So, what needs to happen is, either remove the SPG-9 and Zeus, or bring them over to BLUFOR as well.
So that's the end of my analysis of warfare as it stands in version .71. I plan to, in future, to edit the mission so that it's a bit more balanced (Don't worry, I'm not going to make AA pods fire tung missiles or make aircraft 1 billion dollars) and how I will do so, is outlined (not final) below.
MY SOLUTION:
Fix barracks upgrades so that they don't give gear that isn't available on the coinciding gear level. (eg, Thermal AK 74s are only available if the Barracks is at Barracks 2, just like Gear needs to be Gear 2. This operates totally independent of Gear level. So, you'll need either Gear 2, to buy the TWS AK conventionally, or, get it via Barracks 2, by getting the AI to drop it and you saving it into your gear.)
BLUFOR:
Launchers: (The following replaces all pre-existing launcher levels etc, what is here is what will be available)
Gear 0: AT4 (1x 315)
Gear 1: MAAWS: HEDP (150 damage x 2 = 300), SMAW: HEDP (150 damage x 3 = 450) // edit: Added SMAW to BLUFOR, but only the HEDP round will be available. This balances against the OPFOR's RPG-7's 3 V rounds in early game.
Gear 2: MAAWS: HEAT (480 damage x 2 = 960)
Gear 3: Javelin, NLAW
Gear:
Gear 3: Heavy TWS (7.62mm, Mk.17s, M107, M110, etc), Light TWS (5.56mm, Mk16s, M249)
Light:
LF0: M2 Humvee (No guard), M240 Humvee
LF1: GPK, Humvee Ambo, Jackal HMG, Repair truck/Ammo
LF2: Stryker MEV, M2, Mk.19, TOW. Humvee CROWS M2, Mk.19, Jackal GMG, Fuel truck
LF3: Stryker Mortar, Avenger, LAV-25 // edit: Due to having the Strykers, we can use them to counter the BTR-90, thus making it acceptable for OPFOR to have.
Removed: Humvee TOW, Terminal.
Heavy:
HF1: Stryker MGS
Strykers made into LF vehicles, to fill the roles of what OPFOR has in form of BTRs and BRDMs
OPFOR:
Launchers: (The following replaces all pre-existing launcher levels etc, what is here is what will be available)
Gear 0: RPG18 (1x 300)
Gear 1: RPG-7V (208 damage x3 = 624)
Gear 2: RPG-7VR (510 damage x 2 = 1020)
Gear 3: Metis , Dragon.
Gear:
Gear 3: FN FAL TWS, TWS SVD, TWS AK-74, M8 TWS
Light:
Leaving the same
Heavy:
HF0: M113 // Edit: Shilka moved back to HF1, only leaving the M113.
HF1: T34, T55, BMP-2, Shilka
HF2: T-72, BMP-3
Repair Trucks:
SPG-9 and Zeus removed.
And that's it. Please post your comments below, and please, only constructive criticism, not "Herp derp, everything's fine", because you obviously cannot read. I'm limiting a few options (namely AT) to create more creative thinking, and keeping the AT rounds to 2 rounds or less (hence no SMAW, though early RPGs are accepted, but their overall damage is within acceptable limits) and ultimately, it's all to get you thinking outside of the box again.
But upmost primarily, I'm doing this because BLUFOR rarely wins, and it's mainly due to Skill stacking on OPFOR, and the above noted imbalance issues. With my changes, it gives BLUFOR a fighting chance against the OPFOR vets, and makes the game more fun for all of us.
This post took me 5 hours to write, and is over 1,900 words. I've worked harder on this, than any Uni assignment I've had all semester, I've done my research by looking up unit stats on Dev-heaven and I've read through the mission code, so I'd appreciate it if you read it.
Thanks.
- Radioman.
KNOWN BUGS:
- RPG VLs not fully removed in template loadouts
- Shilkas are not from an independent faction so will give negative scores when killed by OPFOR
All the changes I gave are quick and simple, so it can be done in a day or less and have a big improvement.
