12 hours ago, Quantum_Ranger said:So I'm wondering about the economics of the first aid cabinet over the medical kit... seems like it only becomes worthwhile at a certain tier in PVE.
At T7 the first respawn costs 7500, so if I just go ahead and die once in each of 3 matches, I've spent 22,500 (and reloaded all my ammo and completed all repairs, too.) This is just half the cost of burning a cabinet. I hardly ever need second respawn, because usually that late in the game there's not enough opportunity to mitigate the additional cost.
At what point is the cabinet worthwhile? And if you have a cabinet, what's the optimal threshold for breaking it open?
This is certainly true. In fact, I would even claim that the cabinet is unnecessary for PvE at any tier. With the respawn mechanic, there is little incentive to choose the cabinet.
However, there is one scenario where a cabinet always trumps the single-use kit: When a vehicle is still healthy and combat-ready, but has already suffered from a dead crew member.
In this case, intentionally taking enough damage to die only to respawn away from the fight is inefficient and wasteful. On the other hand, continuing to play with an injured crew member may also be rather frustrating, especially if it's a commander or loader. While such occurrences are quite rare, this is where the cabinet's 3 uses proves valuable, even if running the consumable isn't particularly cost-effective.
TL;DR: The cabinet allows PvE players to ensure crew survival throughout a single lifespan and/or without relying on respawning.
As for when a medpack should be applied, it's entirely dependent on the tolerence level of the individual player. Someone could technically complete a game without healing an injured loader, but I'm sure most rational/reasonable players would immediately restore their loader(s) to full combat effectiveness.
An injured commander or loader should be an immediate med. It's very annoying/fustrating to play with a global debuff or a terrible reload. Gunners are also crucial, as AW transforms into WoT when they are injured, so healing them is also usually advised. Finally, I would say drivers are the least urgent/serious, since mobility is not vital to perform well.
As for me, I heal any injured crew member regardless of role. I detest anything and everything which degrades my vehicle's overall capability.
12 hours ago, Quantum_Ranger said:One problem is that once you buy the cabinet, you can't set it aside and just use the medical kit if you are going off to play PVE for awhile. So do people just keep 1 vehicle prepped for PVP and a different vehicle prepped for PVE?
As players become more advanced and/or experienced in AW, they will eventually begin accumulating credits (earning more than they spend). Wealthier players (with excess/disposable income) may simply ignore consumable or even retrofit costs, equipping their vehicles however they like.
PvP players (GlOps players especially) usually spare no expense in outfitting their vehicles either, since their respective gamemode(s) require them to overcome diverse and distinct challenges. It also helps that PvP modes offer better relative credit (and XP) income.
12 hours ago, Quantum_Ranger said:Thanks for a great tutorial, and for enlightening us noobs.
You're welcome :)
I hope you found it helpful/useful.