OpenRA

Hello all! For two releases now, shock troopers have been buffed a considerable amount to make them more usable in the current multiplayer environment. It seems as though shock trooper massing has become a popular way to play for a large number of players. Whilst i do not object to a buff being given to Shock Troopers i do object to the way that this has changed the game.

I feel like making shock troopers a useful unit has, in turn, made many more units now useless. Would you ever use tanks against someone who is using shock troopers? Defenses get torn through, infantry massacred and planes shot down before they can do much damage by the flak trucks that accompany them. Ukraine is now useless in SvS matches.

Well, that's my opinion at least. I'm not going to be the one deciding whether shock troopers do need a nerf. Please post your own opinions below and select an option in the poll.

Will be away for a couple of weeks so will probably not be able to respond.

The unit is awesome, but a tad powerful in bulk.

If large groups of Shock Troopers had tended to randomly explode or attacked very slowly, that might help things quite a bit. There could be some risk in moving hordes of Shock Troopers around. If they go nearby Tesla Coils, major electrical storm? If you store them inside an APC, the APC shorts out and won't drive anymore.

If you CAN get 25 Shock Troopers to the enemy's base, it's game over. But getting them there is a HUGE gamble requiring an enemy who isn't paying attention.. .

Shock Troopers can't defend against dogs?

end random thoughts...

zoidyberg wrote: ↑
If large groups of Shock Troopers had tended to randomly explode

I like this idea, but we will see what others say

I think their damage is fine, seeing as they are supposed to be a lategame high-performance unit. The real problem with them is their resilience to damage. If anything, I'd give them a health nerf, because currently, only Tanya or mass hinds can deal with them. We should shift their role towards second-row damage dealers that rely on Heavies to take the brunt of the damage.

"If large groups of Shock Troopers had tended to randomly explode"

If it could be an explosion that all players hear, that would be hilarious.

Player 1 masses 50 Shock Troopers
cue giant explosion that all players hear*
Player 1 disconnects



It's gotta happen like that!

Maybe keep them as they are but just make them more expensive? Personally I quite like the Shock Troopers as very powerful infantry at the end of the tech tree, but at $400 they just seem too cheap to me.

Dollar-for-dollar, Shock Troopers are the best deal going!

40 Rocket Guys @ $12,000
OR
30 Shock Troopers @ $12,000

The amount of damage the little electric guys can deliver can be overwhelming. Plus, you get to hear catchy one-liners!

Yea they really do need a nerf in some way.

I think they are almost right in terms of damage etc. but they are just overwhelming when you can get so many of them. They either need to be weaker (health/armor) or cost more i would say.

they were buffed because they were previously mostly useless.

simple solution: nerf them, but not to the extend that they're again as bad as before. I think they were mostly buffed in terms of having a more effective weapon (range, possibly sighting range, damage output).

don't like cost or health nerfs and the "lets have them explode when in Group hurr-durr joke already got old when it ruined Grenadiers.

I for one will choose to NOT NERF the Shock Troopers, they are fine as they are is.

Yes, their rolling electrical stinging balls of death are resilient to most assault except...

Massed Artilleries, seriously guys, I didn't speak about 3 / 4 arty being able to handle like a horde of 40 shock troopers, but I talk about 8 or more artys with proper rocket soldier and longbow supports.

They are resilient and they have flaks? THat's the point of having balanced army!

But still, it's finally nice to see Soviet faction actually become truly viable late game, who finally pushed the lategame metagame into one balanced thing between Allies and one soviet instead of one Allied instawin with GPS + Artys.

...

IMHO, the Russians are fine as there is, no need to nerf them.

...

It's the Ukrainians that are too weak, Demo Truck is just too long to build and often not worth it

I don't have a strong opinion on this one, but.. Isn't it possible to nerf something just a bit? E.g.: damage -3% instead of -10%. Or: damage -2% AND cost +$10.

Also I still hope for a more objective way to test the strength of factions. By checking winpercentage for 1v1 games perhaps? Internally (in a faction) things could also be balanced. If grenadiers are never built, but rocket soldiers always, then +1 grenadiers AND -1 rocket soldiers.

Prince Blueblood wrote: ↑Massed Artilleries, seriously guys, I didn't speak about 3 / 4 arty being able to handle like a horde of 40 shock troopers, but I talk about 8 or more artys with proper rocket soldier and longbow supports.

Perhaps arty should have to fix their position before firing so that they cant run?

christian wrote: ↑They are definitely too good as they are now so something should be done with them and yes they are particularily hard to deal with as Ukraine.

Sure, Ukrainians have hard time to deal with them, but it shouldn't end up as a call to Nerf the Russians' toys, because they are belong to late game changer and their massed nature fits perfectly into the soviet playstyle.

Maybe it's the Ukrainians who need some boosts who also able them to stand toe to toe against the lategame allies. Demolition truck is again, too much situational and often too weak against even some sacrifical riflemen.

Murto the Ray wrote: ↑

Prince Blueblood wrote: ↑Massed Artilleries, seriously guys, I didn't speak about 3 / 4 arty being able to handle like a horde of 40 shock troopers, but I talk about 8 or more artys with proper rocket soldier and longbow supports.

Perhaps arty should have to fix their position before firing so that they cant run?

There's no need to do that, IMHO, current Russians are balanced enough to stand toe to toe against lategame Allies

What if the Shock Troopers had to reload their ammo after like 15 blasts? If the Shock Trooper runs out of ammo, they revert to being a rifleman until a recharge?