Detailed Values
Starting with detailed values, means a lot of queue time most likely, therefore the outcome should be relatively even matched for both teams. Why would you go with something like this? Well if you really want to clarify on who is the best overall, you need to find values who are representing the player skill the most accurate.
Like i had in my previous example regarding playerrating, you have 2 values who are representing the best athlete on the 100m run. It is the distance (100m) and the time you need for it. I should mention that a certain reaction time leads to disqualification as well as leaving your own lane, next to your body counts when passing the finish line.
Regarding this game, you will have a lot more values, who are needed to make the difference between real skill or talent compared to fake skill, like we can see within the current winrate based MatchMaking.
Vehicle based values
Vehicles are the major factor for clarifying real skill, therefore you will have a lot of different values
here to try to make the difference.
Should be clear on what i mean here. Some classes benefit more from this than others, also it might indicate the specific role or vehicle balance. The T5 ERC would be a exceptional case here, since it should be considered with a slightly OP balance. (more to that below)
- average spotting damage after 5 seconds for the spot*
This is really important actually, as even i underestimated this in the official forum and was against it. Iam a fool.... . Why you might ask, because we have spotting damage already right ?
The reason is simple, if the map offers the ability to overwatch it with your high viewrange this value wouldn't kick in, since you permaspot the enemy most likely. But what is the case if you quickspot due the mapdesign?
You will get the initial spot and maybe some spotting damage, when your teammates are quick. But what happens if you quickspot and the damage kicks in just after 3 seconds, while you have no direct line of sight to your spot. Yes the spotting damage won't go anywhere, since you are not spotting in a LOS (line of sight), nor does anyone else spots it.
The target is just being spotted due ingame mechanics for quite a while after the initial spot while losing LOS.That is why this value is important to AFVs who are relying on quickspots on non open maps for example.
Pretty much self explaining here. Important to MBTs the most, since they have the biggest amount of armor. It can be a small value for some other vehicles, but not the main factor as for MBTs.
Same as above, it is pretty much self explaining. Damage is important nonetheless, but it shouldn't be the major part of the possible rating. Every kind of damage that you can deal needs to be equal, while damage blocked might have a little less weight.
- average assisting damage*
This is basically when you disable a vehicles movement, either due shooting the tracks off or the engine and important as well, if you disable active defensive modules, such as APS or ERA, who are resulting into damage due that disabling.
( for example you disable the APS, and 3 seconds later the target got damage from a ATGM or if you kill the ERA plates you should be rewarded if the vehicle is now able to be penetrated there, although this "damage" should be split up to all parties who are involved )
- average kill death assist ratio*
I think assisting to a kill is as important as killing itself, next to not dying often. As for a specific value i would rate all 3 the same.
- average damage done and taken ratio*
This ratio is already in the dossier and i quite like it.
- average balance rating compared to same class vehicles for the tier*
This one needs probably a further explanation on what i mean here. If we have for example 6 tier 5 MBTs, each of them is different in design and playstyle, plus their very own ability to win games.
- T-72 can be beast, but requires quite some skill -slightly OP-
- M60A3 is a good allrounder -fairly balanced-
- Chieftain MK5 limited in what you can do but forgives quite a lot -fairly balanced-
- Leopard 1A5 doesn't forgive a own mistake, requires skill to be good -okay balanced-
- Type 80 is the strongest and easiest hulldown MBT -slightly OP-
- WZ-1224 currently one of the most annoying tanks for the tier -OP-
So we know some tanks are better and some are worse, but one clearly is standing out. The rating that is the result of it, should be marked as "imbalanced" as for a positive aspect if the vehicle is UP or negative if the vehicle is OP compared to everyone else.
Such a value would lower the effectiveness of statpadding with a clearly OP vehicle, as the results needs to be seen on how they gathered them. This would be the same case for the old XM1, who was clearly outstanding compared to everything else, so this value kicks in for that timewindow of imbalance, which effectively should raise the value of the OP vehicle.
Yes it is somewhat of a punishment, but just to those who were in the timewindow of being "OP", so to lower the rating after the change/nerf , your value needs to be raised so you need to do more to maintain on what you gained while being "OP".
* For all those values it is important to note, that tier and classdifference should be counted. Aka damage of any kind vs lower tier, same tier or higher tier and what classes.
Conclusion
I think every value from above is needed to have a basic vehicle rating. If iam missing something, just comment below and I think about it.
Map based values
Yes there are even map based values, as the map design is not mirrored, so players might perform different on each side and spawn for every map.
Maps in general are another relatively huge factor for performance, as it either gives you a disadvantage or advantage for the vehicle you are using. Therefore the map itself is not entirely a restricting factor, because it also depends on the distribution between classes, tiers and vehicles who can add some limitation to your own gameplay, but more regarding that a bit later.
If we take the current maps, some of them are limiting you in your efficiency, as for example a wide open area is not good for vehicles that are fairly slow and have a bad vision range next to a even worse camo factor ( MBTs ). On the other hand those vehicles might accelerate in close quarters or areas where you can limit the amount of visionrange to your standards.
This is the case for every class and even vehicle, as the mapdesign sets the pace of the gameplay and what you are able to do. To sum up major points on what value Iam looking for :
- where did you got your general damage(spotting and actual damage) done on the map
- how did you got your general damage(spotting and actual damage) done
- what did you killed or damaged(spotting and actual damage)
- where did you receive your damage / where you got killed
- where did you blocked damage and from who
- what is the range on dealing and receiving damage (spotting and actual damage)
Basically this should result in "hotzones" and "coldzones" for every vehicle you are using, or if the playstyle is similar within the same class, you go for a class summary.
Hotzones would be areas, where you are active for the most time when playing on this map, while coldzones are areas which you are avoiding.
If you get this data, you can give those players a better spawning position, so they can play their playstyle as efficient as they are with their vehicle. What you have in mind when having something like this, is the matchup.
If the enemy team as for example more AFVs than every other class you play the map different, which is the same when they have more MBTs than every other class. This needs to be counted in, as this takes in huge effect on where you can go, and where not .
Like i said in the previous general map point, the maps are not mirrored which mean each side has a different approach to your options with your vehicle.
This needs to be considered as the map design might limit you in time to reach certain key points, while the other side might be faster or requires less time to get there.
I won't say that each side makes a huge difference, but with certain vehicles you can gain a lot more on some maps on either sides.
A good example would be Pipelines, when you are on the North spawn in a recon AFV. You basically have the option to deny a lot of the map for the enemy team, while the same map with the same vehicle on the South spawn, has not that option.
And even if we take into count that the South in this case has some good positions as well, there is none that has the same amount of vision pressure than the North side has.
Those are just examples and you will find those limitations on every map with every vehicle, so the value of taking into count that your possible performance might be lower, if you are on a side which you dislike to play, should be mentioned.
I personally might be extreme in this case, but i wage my chances of getting to my preferential key positions to get early spotting or damage done, on every map for every spawn.
You could call it "gameplan", and on some maps iam really limited on where i can be to be effective. Narrows with a AFV would be my example, on where i feel uncomfortable for both sides actually .
- Sideperformance should be a reason to balance the map
- Sideperformance should be considered to a certain point as playerperformance up to certain matchups
Spawning is similar to the request per side and it got slightly covered with the map already. The important part on the right spawn is the spawnlocation itself.
Depending on each map you either have a more grouped spawn or spread out spawn, which means within the latter reason, you might need to drive a lot more to get to your favourite position.
Also the spawn location might be limiting you in where you can be at a certain time. The previous point is the most important one regarding this.
I'll give you an example from a different game on how different your future actions can be.
Game: Americas Army 2.x version
Map: SF Hospital
Side: none VIP
What you basically need to know is, that there are a number of slots per side, like 10vs10 = 10 slots. Each of those slots has a specific role and weapon, plus a different spawn location.
Now the important part is, that with some slots you get a specific spawn, which saves you like 2-5 seconds if you want to rush a specific area on the map, without having the danger of being shot while going there.
This may sound not like a lot but the difference is, that you either reach your area with full HP and alive, or you are dead, because you were to slow.
This is why the spawnlocation gets important, even in AW, because you reach certain locations earlier, therefore you can have the chance to do more right from the start. This could be early spots, which adds useful informations to your team or in a best case scenario, you can deal damage without getting seen right from this.
If you want to maximise your effectiveness as a player you need a environment which gives you this option on a reliant basis. Later on in Clan Wars or what ever they plan to do, the spawn location for the vehicle which will add vision is important for another reason.
You don't get stuck in "traffic" when you have a bad spawn location, or if you divide your force , you often had a lot of issues regarding the driving around to reach your area and so on.
Conclusion
The importance of consistency regarding side,spawn and the map is given to get the best possible early result for every player and their playstyle. Besides the obvious positive aspects for the player, another aspect is given, and that is the knowledge over key areas for the map design. Yes the map values offer the chance to get information on player distribution and how well your map design is, and most important you might get knowledge on why the players are doing it.
Class / role based values
Since I find a 3 way class system with different roles in it the best solution, i will point out here, on how the difference is important, either by class or by role and why you need to consider the roles for each side.
A 3way class system is 3 specific basic attributes, which are SPGs who have the long range support task, MBTs who are the frontline while being the hardest and toughest targets and AFVs who are the mid to close range supports.
Their main task is too provide long range vision, vision denial and damage as it stands currently.
If we keep this short the possible value need to count:
- singleloader or multiloader
- potential single shell damage vs fast firing (having mortars in mind)
- countermeasures for SPGs (PzH 2000 IGEL as rooftop armor for example)
- each different type needs to be equal per team
- current availability of support shells for each SPG
To go into some detail on why i think those values need to be considered. The maximum potential damage in a certain amount of team is higher for the multiloader, while the single target damage is higher for the singleloader. Questionable is on how punishing this is if you place both types against each other and not mixed so every side has a equal chance.
Next could be countermeasures as rooftop armor or the amount of support shells available. In future their might be mortars or wheeled SPGs, those need to be balanced or rated differently, because i would say their playstyle might be different to the ones we have right now.
As for the last point, it would be bad for a team to have 2 SPGs with no support options yet, while the other team has those.
Conclusion
Despite the low amount of SPGs, their balance from the MM has some weight, as they provide something unique if they expand the amount of support options for them.
Here it gets a bit tricky as not every MBT is the same nor has the same potential or balance for its specific tier or playstyle. Some are more forgiving than others and the MBTs represent every men's expectations regarding tanks.
Basic things should be the same amount of MBTs per side to start it. This should be followed by same amount of same MBTs per side to give the best possible balance. Since we will have in my point of view different MBT roles ( Heavy MBT, Light MBT and Support MBT), they should be equal as well per side per tier. Last but not least, the upgrade status needs to be considered.
Heavy MBT would be for example : Challenger series
Light MBT would be for example : Leopard 1A5
Support MBT would be for example : BMPT
Why the same amount of MBTs per side ?
Currently there are maps who are in favour of MBTs, and the team with a lower amount of them, might have a much harder time to do well on it. This is likewise for a map where AFVs and SPGs are favoured, and the team with more MBTs will suffer from it.
Why the same amount of same MBTs per side ?
You might have noticed that MBTs have different strengths and weaknesses by nature or forced by balancing. It would be unfair if one team gets all the heavily armored MBTs and the other side gets all the more squishy MBTs.
There are probably circumstances where being squishy can have the advantage due their different strengths, but the outcome might be really predictable and that would be a worst case scenario for the balance during a game.
Best possible solution would be the same amount of same MBTs per side, to have the maximum equality.
Why the same amount of MBT roles per side ?
This point is similar to the previous point, maybe this one is a better choice overall. The main difference is that each side gets the same amount of different MBT roles, while this is not restricting to the same vehicle actually, but only the same role.
It might be easier to do it this way actually.
Why is the upgrade status important ?
While the difference from a stock vehicle to a elite vehicle is not night and day, like it is in WoT for example, their might be a difference regarding how much tools do you have to do your job/task. This is similar to the SPG point, where one side gets support shells and the other side doesn't. Some upgrades might be crucial and can change the playstyle of a tank drastically, so this should be considered.
Conclusion
You see there are quite some values who can make the difference between a balanced matchup or rather pointless matchup.
This class has most likely the biggest diversity regarding different vehicle types and playstyles, also they are a closer support than SPGs are. A big issue is, that even within the current roles, the value for vision is really different to every vehicle. Most players think that AFVs are recons, while the difference is actually quite huge between dedicated recon vehicles and IFVs for example.
They can do somewhat each others main task, but the team with a dedicated recon vehicle on a open map, might have the edge over a IFV that needs to add vision for his team.
Recon role
The reason why you need to have a difference is the approach of being specialised in a certain area over every other vehicle within the same class. In a ideal MatchMaking you want to have a similar role with a similar possible vision control for each team.
This means the difference in tier gaps should be too big within the same role, therefore this is highly depending on the tierrange like +-0 or +-1 can make the difference.
Important values here for recons:
- Visionrange
- Visioneffectiveness
- Camorating
- Mobility
Visionrange and visioneffectiveness are as important as the Camorating, as basically the latter one, is visionrange as well. For example you can have 2 vehicles with 500m viewrange and 30% visioneffectiveness due thermal optic upgrade, but 1 vehicle has a camo rating from 0.4(the max) and the other vehicle has 0.2, which is rather bad. This would mean that the vehicle with the higher rating will outspot the other vehicle fairly easy. If the vehicle with the higher camo rating would have only 480m viewrange for example, the other vehicle will have a better chance to compete with him.
Those values need to be considered, either in a separate vehicle role rating to gain a optimal load out or with "flags" so the system knows about the current strength of each of the recon vehicles that are in the 30 player pool.
Light IFV
Basically my current thoughts are, that some IFVs, such as the M2 Bradley are kind of better armored and suit a slightly different role than for example a BMP-3 on the same tier. Western IFVs tend to be more armored and heavier than eastern IFVs, which would result in a different power setting.
That is why i thought about the difference between Light IFVs and Medium IFVs, who's big difference is the armor against same tiered AFVs.
Since this is very specific the main values that matters are:
- Weapon performance (usually ATGMs and possibly AC damage)
- Mobility (they should be more nimble to use)
The reason why these 2 values, is that they need to stick out somewhere and ATGM performance and higher AC damage, next to better mobility should be the niche for this role.
Medium IFV
Like stated before the main difference will be the armor value and the slightly worse mobility against lower armored IFVs. The current ingame design is leading to this different role designation, as they don't use real life armor or weapon penetration values, regarding autocannons, which is somewhat a downside for vehicles that actually can have enough armor to withstand other autocannons, but due the ingame tiering and balancing it is somewhat negated.
Important values to make the difference clear:
- Armor/resistance vs same tiered autocannons
- HP pool
Those vehicles should be a tough opponent for other AFVs in general who are using autocannons as their main weapon, with the exception for high caliber AFVs . This doesn't mean that those are invulnerable, but you should not penetrate every shot on them, as they somewhat counter AFVs up to a certain point.
Combat role
This is where i see some vehicles who are using high caliber autocannons, up to real unique weapon system such as the RMK 30 on the Wiesel ( which was the planned armament for the German EC Tiger ). However the main focus for this role is more being a glasscannon with the highest damage output for autocannons or maybe in future ATGMs ( maybe only... ).
Due my overall different approach to classes and roles i would suggest following vehicles to be in this role at the moment.
- Wiesel
- Draco
- BPz 57
Values which are important to make the difference to other roles and classes (ingame, not real life reasons):
- Clipdamage and Penetration
- DPM overall
Clipdamage and Penetration, because those will be higher than everything else compared to other AC using AFVs. DPM is mainly the point of having not a huge reload. The downside of those vehicles is the limited survivability compared to for example Medium IFVs who should have a higher HP pool and higher chances of a non penetration than other AFVs.
High Caliber Tracked |High Caliber Wheeled
This will be the former LT and TD class, since i don't see a reason why they need to be in a whole different class, when they will mix those up anyway in future. The reason on why these exist are a lot different in real life than they are in this game, and this makes it kind of complicated as people expect them to be on what they know from other tankgames.
While i see them really close together regarding their task in this game, the only difference between them is, having wheels or being tracked.
Summary for tracked:
- better hulltraverserate
- most likely better acceleration
- worse top speed
- trackhitpoints
Summary for wheeled:
- high top speed
- better camorating
- more ammunition
- wheels can't be tracked / better mobility
The weaponry is somewhat the same, as they mainly use either 105mm, 120mm or 125mm gun systems, while the Sheridan might be a exception here at the moment.
While i see the penetration and damage values similar with each other, the main differences are being tracked or wheeled and their advantages over each other. If we take the current active abilities at the moment, the tracked vehicles will get their ECU to boost even further their agility, while the wheeled vehicles keep their ability to snipe as a highly mobile weapon system.
I would tune both abilities a bit to make them fit and suit more their roles, but that will be another topic. The listened differences are the values that you need to have in mind, as they allow different tactics and play style for both roles.
Conclusion TL;DR
Each role has a different focus on what they want and can do on the battlefield. The strength of each of them needs to be considered, either by a overall rating for each role, or a rating for each class, while having in mind that there are different roles with different abilities on the battlefield. What you need to understand when having such values around is the fact, that being in the same vehicle class doesn't mean directly it can do everything that other roles offer.
Recon vs Medium IFV
Heavily armored MBTs vs light armored MBTs
This is happening and the MM needs to see the difference in between each vehicles main task and what they can offer against other roles,classes or vehicles.
