Unit prices

[Artur]

Gentlemen,

I just examined the US, German and Soviet units and prices at date 1984 october.
It is very strange to me that between a unit hat has thermal sight and the one that has not (all others being equal) the cost difference is only 37 points. Look at the M60A3 and M60A3 TTS or Chieftain MK 10 and Chieftain MK 9. Between the value of the last two is 24 points!!!

The thermal vision gives an enormous advantage to a player against the other that has not . Two Chieftain MK10s are less in price than 3 T72s however I would surely chose the two Chieftains even against 5 T72s.

Same stands regarding FO vechicles with radars as well, they should be much more expensive than normal FO vechcles.

Cost points are for expressing game strength value aren't they? (If cost values would represent historical production costs the price of the eastern units must be halved at least if not decreased even more...)

My fellow gamers what do you think? Don and Andy is there a way to consider the thermal sight more regarding the unit price?

Artur.

[scJazz]

No argument here. TI gives a unit a huge advantage. However the new patch will include some anti TI tweaks. Really thick smoke or fire will block it so there is some hope for the T72s etc.

[JaM]

Hard to say, in real, west has no problem equip their tank with TI. Soviets didnt bother until desert storm when they found their tanks in huge dissadvantage. Newest russian tanks are all equipped with TI,some of them with second gen. TI (identification max 3000m, not better than in SEP, but much better than in M1A1...)

[Artur]

But still the units equipped with TI are much more p[owerful. How can we play (more or less) fair e-mail games if the points do not reflect the units' real value?

Artur.

[Uncle_Joe]

I think the problem comes in as a result of other factors. In a close-in city fight or in other rough terrain, how much benefit does the thermal provide? Not anywhere near as much as on an open battlefield where there can be lot of smoke.

I do agree that most games way over-rate the capabilities of TI. For the M1, the driver doesnt have it so he is driving blind yet there is no penalty. Also, target identification at long ranges remains problematic with TI (at least as of late 80's) and its harder to range the enemy.

But most games blithely allow tanks with thermal to incur no penalties whatsoever for smoke, dust, fog, etc. I believe they should suffer less penalties, but still not be as good as clear conditions.