1.36.18.1 HE Shrapnel change - Critical issue/imbalance now exists

[lovewing]

Quote

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World War II Online
Version 1.36.18.1 - August 2022
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- HE shrapnel against non-penatrating armor hits has been temporarily disabled (shrapnel is still generated when hitting non-armor surfaces)

I think this was implemented because tanks had a chance to incur damage when being strafed on their vulnerable engine decks by planes w/ cannons. Some of these cannons supposedly have HE and AP mixed in the belts etc. Even if they did not, HE and bullets could potentially damage the tanks when shot in these vulnerable areas.

After this patch was implemented it now ranges from incredibly difficult (not due to being skill based but something that feels like 'random number generator' based) to impossible for luftwaffe to kill anything beyond scout cars/very light tanks with MG/20mm.

 

There was an oversight though because using allied planes I am still able to damage/destroy ALL axis tanks.  I have only been testing this for a couple days and 95% of the axis tanks are trivial to destroy for me so far (I have never flown allied planes really up until the past few days even)

They do not even require cannons nor do they require anywhere as near much ammo to do what LW 20mm was doing on vulnerable engine/grill/lightly armored parts of tanks.

 

I think it is awesome and totally reasonable for tanks to be able to be damaged by planes. I dont think the allied planes should be nerfed.

I think this fix should just be reverted instead of making it where planes cannot damage very vulnerable areas of tanks.

Even if you insist on nerfing planes from being able to damage weak parts of tanks, is it not more than reasonable to atleast revert this change until you can figure out how to not make it where one side has an incredible handicap?

Edited September 23, 2022 by lovewing
clarified that I

[jwilly]

Engine grates of mid-30s-designed tanks were very vulnerable to bullets, fragments including from smallish-caliber HE, and substantial blast (i.e. >= 75mm). That'd be Vickers, PzKpfW II, JgPz I, French R and H tanks.

Engine grates of late-30s-designed tanks were slightly vulnerable, mostly to substantial blast (>= 75mm). That'd be PzKpfW III and IV, StuGs, French S tanks, British cruiser and infantry tanks.

WWII-designed tanks (i.e. first fielded mid-war) and a few earlier tanks were minimally vulnerable to through-engine-grate attacks, except with HEAT ordnance or by artillery-caliber direct hits on the grates. Of the T0 models, that would include the French B tanks.

Of course, the above information assumes that realism is the design goal.

[lovewing]

Thanks jwilly for the clarification.

In that case I suppose the issue at the moment is whether the axis should be handicapped for X days/weeks/months unable to damage tanks like they could previously.

During this time, allied fighters will be able to destroy all axis tanks.

Or maybe this isnt imbalance and allied planes are normally able to kill every axis tonk.

On an unrelated note, that I forgot to mention in original post: I dont really care what happens, just noticed something quite obviously imbalanced that can greatly effect how battles turn out. Lol should be interesting regardless.

 

[jwilly]

I don't see any realistic basis for a big performance difference between sides.

 

[jester]

Should keep in mind, in this game, damage-wise, Hispanos =/= MG/FF and MG151. This was evident with the original FRU deployment where Hispanos, with a quick burst of ammo, were taking out mobile spawns that a whole 110 C4's worth of cannons couldn't touch.

Edited September 23, 2022 by jester
clarification

[sascha]

6 hours ago, jester said:

Hispanos =/= MG/FF and MG151

Tony Williams' website seems to be gone, but I found his comparison table via wayback machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20080807173003/http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/WW2guneffect.htm

 

In the case of the FF, I have no real problems with it being judged inferior to the Hispano, but the 151/20? Sheer "gun power" stats are very close with a slight advantage to the Hispano, so I'm not quite sure why everyone seems to treat the Mauser as an inferior weapon. IL-2 GB in its latest iteration seems to do the gun/catridge more justice, since it's pretty devastating in that game and has a pleasantly flat trajectory.

 

*shrug*

 

S.

Edited September 23, 2022 by sascha

[jwilly]

7 hours ago, sascha said:

Tony Williams' website seems to be gone

Maybe down or being serviced at the time you looked?

This link worked for me just now:

https://www.quarryhs.co.uk/miltech.htm

[aismov]

The real solution is a more realistic flight model where you can't pull up at the last second and not rip of your wings, or never stall the plane while doing full acrobatics and takeoff speed just above the deck. (don't even mention entering a spin which I have never been able to do).

[halsey]

On 9/23/2022 at 2:35 AM, sascha said:

In the case of the FF, I have no real problems with it being judged inferior to the Hispano, but the 151/20? Sheer "gun power" stats are very close with a slight advantage to the Hispano, so I'm not quite sure why everyone seems to treat the Mauser as an inferior weapon. IL-2 GB in its latest iteration seems to do the gun/catridge more justice, since it's pretty devastating in that game and has a pleasantly flat trajectory

I think the main difference we see in game with strafing armor is that the brit hispanos are belted with 50% ap and the 151 is about 20%

[lovewing]

This issue involves machine gun not cannon