I think we killed each other a few times yesterday, actually.
Just out of curiosity, what is your in-game handle, such that one could find it in the stats page?
I personally could use them even in a spawn battle, just because I know how to use them effectively. It's not so much different fights, but different tactics. Luckily, my personal defensive tactics closely resembles those for TDs.
It depends on the intensity of the spawn camp, of course. However, I was referring to the intense/bad kind, where you can’t just drive away. In such a spawn camp, you expect to die, but want to get one of them first, thus reducing their numbers for the next spawn. Eventually you hope to have them thinned out enough so you can drive away from the spawn and engage from a position of equality. So in this case, with a turret, you can rotate both the hull and the turret to get off the shot quicker. In contrast, a TD will only be able to rotate the hull, leading to slower on-target time, which is a big disadvantage. My argument is that this difference is one of many factors which should reduce the TD in-game cost relative to an equivalent tank with the same chassis.
Well, it is if you develop tunnel vision. I've been able to keep the fight long ranged in a Tiger, because I held a spot until I couldn't, then withdrew, but left myself enough time to make it to the next burn: I always have at least a tertiary firing position picked out.
You don’t always have the option to stay 2-3k in the rear, as in many terrains you can’t see anything back there. So, unless you are on a flat plain or a mountain, and sometimes even then, there will usually be covered avenues of approach which they can use to get on your flanks. Once they do this, the TD disadvantages I mentioned will apply. Again, my argument is that this lesser situational capability should lead to lesser in-game cost for the turret-less TDs. I am not saying that the new TDs will always be completely useless, but that they will be inherently disadvantaged except for larger guns, and the cost should reflect this (hammering away at this point as you see).
Let me rephrase; way back under the trees, at least in the maps where there are dense thickets. And in a TD, your commander will be at about gun level on a tank, if not even lower. In other words, below the branches.
I doubt the new TDs will be any lower than our current M3 TD (75 mm), and the M3 commander’s head is still in the branches. In particular, a Jagdpanther is much higher than the M3. Thus this shouldn’t be an excuse to increase the cost.
You misunderstand me. I'm talking about hiding I inside of the undestroyed barns. Only 5 vehicles can do this at present, IIRC. In this position, you are only able to be shot through the doors, and now where else.
Since the Panzer can squeeze throught the barn door (I just tried it offline), I assume that the Hetzer and the JPzr IV will also. However, the Panther hull is much wider, and I doubt that Jagdpanther will fit. IMHO, hiding in barns is a mixed blessing, as you can't see them, but you yourself may have been seen and reported (usually by aircraft). Thus, I don't think this is much of an argument for increased in-game cost.
Nominal thickness of 80mm, line of sight thickness of 139mm. Bear in mind that at 30° slope from horizontal, the LOS thickness is double the nominal thickness, and the Panther is at 35°.
It’s 35 degrees, not 30 degrees. Again, the Jagdpanther’s armor is essentially the same as the Panther’s, and thus shouldn’t be an excuse to increase the cost.
The top issues afflicting the Jagdpanther will be field of view, ROF, and limited traverse, in descending importance.
Plus lack of a turret, lack of AA capability, smaller ammunition load, and all the tactical limitations which result from these, as I mentioned in my previous posts.
MH
