Some questions about the steam version of Eastern Front.

[Daulat]

Hello folks, I'm currently running the steam version of eastern front. And I've several questions about the mod, especially about some of the changes that have been made. So I will just list them.

1. First regarding the AI, Wehr expert AI doesn't make Kampkraft centre and plays with no veterancy at all. Was something changed? It wasn't the case with the last version of eastern front I played.

2. Was the once per game limit removed for KT? I saw the wehr expert AI produce it twice, after it was destroyed. And what about jagdpanther?

3. What does Vampire halftrack do now? It seems it gives off a command aura and some vehicles seem to be affected by it but not all vehicles? What exactly does it do?

4. What does Skirmish commander do? How does its aura effects change with the chosen pool? And which troops does it affect?

5. Was the mobile healing removed for the munition halftrack? It was supposed to be implemented, no? I don't really mind not having that though, PE already has a great healing ability.

6. What about the secret squad upgrade that was mentioned for the PE mortar halftrack? Was it scraped?

7. And about stummel halftrack, wouldn't it fit better in Panzer support command rather than Panzer Jager command? And vice versa for AT-HT halftrack?

8. And about the repair ability on the kettenkrad by default, wouldn't that make PGs obsolete sort of late game, when it comes to repairing? After the advanced repair upgrade, a group of 3-4 kettenkrad can provide much faster repairs on vehicles and would also cost less pop cap. I think camouflage ability (could be only when in cover though) by default fits better on Kettenkrad rather than repair. I think the idea of PGs being the fighting as well as the engineer squad is the core part of the faction, no?

Well, that's all for now! Really loving most of the changes, both soviets and ostheer are so much better organized and conceptualized. Same with PE, it's a lot better now, a lot flexible. Looking forward to british faction now. Thanks for such dedication and passion.

[Blackbishop]

2. I recall balancers were working to make the one-time-at-all call-ins to become one-at-a-time ones and balanced them according to that. This was for all the factions.

5. I don't recall the MuniHT having heal aura, if was planned it was discarded then.

6. If it doesn't have it atm then it was.

7. The answer to why we do not do that is the answer to these questions:
 - Why would you add the Stummel to a building which already has a Panzer IV with the same gun?
 - Why would you add the ATHT to a building which already has a Marder III with better gun and than no one would build once unlocked?

8. Why would you want to use your valuable PGrens to repair instead of to fight? Kettenkrad would have no use otherwise anyway.

[jonarus_drakus]

I have some questions too -well, only one really, but its a big multi-barrel one:

In the 'reward vehicles' selection screen, there are listings for "Lend-lease contract" (For RU - all), "Romainian Support" (for OH - replacer doctrine?), and "Urban Doctrine" (For WM, replacer doctrine replacing Blitz).

What do these even do? Are they supposed to do anything yet? And if they are supposed to be usable, how do you 'unlock' them so you CAN use them?

~JD

[Blackbishop]

They are not usable until we enable them. What they do? Replace some Command Trees or some units .

[Daulat]

Regarding KT, if it is destroyed now, another one will be ready to be produced in 1 hour! Was it intended? Wouldn't all such units be made more like how russian counterparts, like ISU 152?

For kettenkrad, I get there is not much less left to make it useful, but camouflage ability would be neat for ketten like how it was in scorched earth doctrine. But thinking about how snipers can't cloak without cover, a camo ability would have to be only in cover. I think PE need such a infiltrator unit which could provide information behind enemy lines.

[Daulat]

As the changes to PE are still experimental, I would like to suggest some ideas.

 I think PE mortar halftrack should be removed and infantry halftrack should be made upgradable to mortar halftrack for a munition cost. Or keep the mortar halftrack but also add the option to upgrade the IHT to mortar halftrack. That way there would be a good incentive to go with IHTs then, which right now they don't have as scout car are more preferable as they are upgradable to armored car. It would really add a lot of flexibility to the faction. And the latter idea would also go along with PE faction design, like having the flexibility of upgrading PGs with shrek for munitions cost or get the tank hunter squad for manpower cost.

Another thing that should be totally removed from every faction which has halftracks, is to remove the ability to reinforce squads when upgraded. Like American halftrack still reinforces when upgraded with quad, ostheer's does the same after mortar upgrade, which really doesn't make sense. It would also be strategically good, and would require a lot of thought before upgrading. Same would be for the IHTs, when they upgrade to mortar halftracks.

And, if let's say, mortar halftrack is removed, a slot is freed in Kampgruppe Company which can be filled with the Stummel, which can be made to require the global halftrack upgrade (ausf B upgrade) to produce, so when it comes, it will be slightly more formidable and also would not be available as soon as Kampgruppe company is built . And also, Hotchkiss light tank can be added to the Panzer Jager command, which would also give a non doctrinal artillery option to PE. Hotchkiss being reward unit for Marder III really doesn't make that much sense, as Marder III is pretty much essential for PE.

[Daulat]

What has happened to American and Wehr AI? American Armor division doesn't use Calliopes, they just sit there around headquarters. Wehr Ai never builds Kampkraft centre. Was AI changed for original factions in between the EF 2.300 pre steam version and the current version?

[Jeff 'Robotnik' W.]

What has happened to American and Wehr AI? American Armor division doesn't use Calliopes, they just sit there around headquarters. Wehr Ai never builds Kampkraft centre. Was AI changed for original factions in between the EF 2.300 pre steam version and the current version?

Thats been fixed in the dev builds, they now build kampkraft center and use calliopes. So it should be fixed in the next patch

[Daulat]

Wow, good to know that.

Another thing I noticed with AIs, Soviet AI really love their fuel sectors while ostheer AI couldn't care any less for fuel sectors. What happens next is quite evident. Soviets rolls out tanks after tanks, ostheer just sits and spam landsers. And even if it captures some fuel sectors, ostheer AI keeps on purchasing upgrades rather than go for some armor, or high tier units. It just spams landsers. It doesn't even contests for fuel sectors as soviet AI does. Soviet AI even captures fuel sector that are near ostheer base and ostheer AI hardly retakes it, while soviet AI is securing all the fuel sectors in the meantime. I think Ostheer AI really needs to stop spamming landsers and  prioritize fuel sectors, in fact all AI for that matter.

And regarding PE, after playing quite some games with them, I'm really loving them now and the changes are really making sense. I see the vampire halftrack increases the range of MHT barrages, Panzer IV IST(also when upgunned) and Panther's range. Was this change made with British in mind? If so I'm so eager to see how British will turn out. And the global halftrack upgrade is probably the most well thought option that was added. Love it!

And another thing I noticed is Armored car, when upgraded from scout car, it still takes 2 popcap, while it took 4 before. I personally like the change, as overdrive ability was removed, and it also was too fragile for a 4 popcap unit.

About munition halftrack, I see that it heals units when defensive operations is researched, but it seems at a reduced rate. Is that so or it's the same rate as around HQ?

Another thing, before, AT-HT's treadbreaker ability made AT nades useful when dealing with armored threats, but now, AT nades have lost much of their use, except maybe on buildings, or emplacements, which has actually restricted the tech tree choices now imo, as it's hard to deal with armor if you choose to either go both tier 1 buildings at the start, or go to Panzer support command from any of the tier 1 building as there is no early to midgame armor counter in these three buildings. Even for shreks, you need to go Panzer Jager command. So, in a way, going Panzer Jager command is almost always a requirement for PE as the second building, if the player wants to remain prepared for armored threats. Before, Panzer support worked just as well, as AT-HT and AT nades could deter armored threats. Even going both tier 1 buildings could work as shreks were in the Kampgruppe company. AT nades were never as reliable as they tend to miss a lot on moving targets and no shreks before Panzer Jager command. Is this restriction intended? I don't mind a little rigidity in teching up though. Just wanted to understand what was the idea behind these changes.

And where can I know about the current ostheer and soviet veterancy bonuses? I presume a lot has changed since pre-steam version.

Thanks.