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The Squishiness Vehicle Dichotomy - Getting Away From Vehicle Classes

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Disclaimer: everything in this guide is purely of my own opinion. I am not infallible, please don't take my word to be gospel but simply advice.

 

Squishy: noun, singular. Anything with insufficient practical protection against being shot at. Plural: squishies.

Non-squishy: noun, singular. Anything that isn't a squishy.


I've always hated the game's vehicle classifications, because they encourage the belief that each vehicle class fulfill certain roles. The "classic" belief is that MBTs brawl, lights flank, AFVs scout and TDs snipe. This belief is entirely incorrect since any class can perform any of the above mentioned roles perfectly well, given the player is experienced enough to do so. There's no reason why AFVs and TDs can't flank or lights can't scout.

A keen player will quickly realize that even though any class can perform any role, it doesn't necessarily mean they will excel at it. A PL-01 can certainly try push up against hordes of T-15s, it may even succeed given the ideal conditions but any MBT would be much more suited for that role. At the same time however, a K21 could maintain vision control almost as well as a Sphinx, but any advantages the Sphinx may have is purely due to its stats and not differences in vehicle class. Even though any class can perform any role, some of them simply perform said role better than others even within the same class (ie. T-15 vs Wilk).


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Who says a Sphinx is needed in heroic ch2?


At the very core of the game, vehicles could be classified into two primary types: ones that could survive against being shot at, and ones that could not. The term "squishy" would apply to the latter, this includes practically all AFVs, most TDs and lights. Why would I wrap them all into one category, you ask? Because they all fundamentally similar to each other in terms of gameplay. They tend to survive by not being shot at, have high vision control capabilities, and have far higher tactical mobility than any non-squishy (some exceptions apply).

Take the following vehicles for example:

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Bradley

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Dragun

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Sprut

All 3 vehicles have similar vision control capabilities (view range + camo). They all have high effective DPM and relies on not being shot at to survive. Their mobility are similar as well, with the Bradley lagging behind in top speed. The Sprut and Dragun in particular are essentially siblings, with the Sprut trading DPM for slightly better vision control. There's no reason why the Bradley has to be the scout out of them all, or why the Sprut couldn't flank and skirmish just as the Dragun could. The classic belief falls apart when the differences between classes get blurred and they could all substitute for each other.


Non-squishies are far easier to classify: almost all MBTs fall under this category, as well as hardy TDs such as the T-15 or Termi series. They have armor, they can afford to get shot at and still come out relatively intact. If you feel comfortable with getting shot at and staying alive longer than squishies, you're a non-squishy. Not much else to say about that.


Note even with this simple dichotomy, the line between squishy and non-squishy can often blur depending on the situation. Certain squishies such as the PL-01 and Draco may sometimes become non-squishy if you are in hulldown positions, as their turrets are unmanned and could afford to take hits. Likewise, if an MBT doesn't have sufficient practical protection to survive being shot at, it should be relegated to being a squishy by virtue of having to avoid getting hit. Having enough hitpoints to afford trading damage doesn't mean you can afford to get shot at, it just means you can survive a little longer.

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The Cent 155 is very much a non-squishy if you can hide that hull. Surprise!

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Try to argue the Leo 1A5 isn't squishy. I tried, I couldn't.

 

The takeaway from all this is that vehicles should be played according to their capabilities, not their arbitrary classifications. If you have good vision control, go exercise vision control. If you have mobility, run around to tag objectives or get flank shots on targets. If you have armor, go use that armor.

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I mount Vison enhancement on all vehicles I can afford to. Same with Commanders Vision is High on my list to activate. All my vehicles get Camo from one source or another. I spend a lot of Time out on the flank working to get secondary's early and breaking track so other can hit while I move forward. Working at getting all non rentals up over 50 battles each. When it is break CAP time and I have at least one respawn left I will bull in as feasible to spot the entire CAP and smash as many as my health and friendly fire rates and hits will allow. I hate when I light the CAP up and the rest are 800 meters back hiding.

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I actually prefer camo skills in commanders over raw view range, reason being camo is far harder to increase compared to stacking optics + binocs for view range. But that's a topic for my vision control wall of text which will come soon(tm).

22 hours ago, Nihtwaco said:

I hate when I light the CAP up and the rest are 800 meters back hiding.

This is one big reason why I prefer camo over view range. Being able to spot stuff myself is nice, but being able to spot AND shoot stuff while not being spotted is even better. This all depends on positioning of course.


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I understand your camo Bias I take some camo skills as feasible. I am a fair player I have cataracts which I will need Surgery for. I am 68 Years old I started shooting when I was Five. I did 27 years teaching for the US Army active then reserve A lot of it was how to kill tanks with TOW and Dragon, Mines, Planted Demo charges and anything  you can create that does the job.. Build the idea in the recruits you are the weapon everything else is a tool to complete your assigned Missions.

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No matter the mode I play I tend to be a bit more on the aggressive side (although I am in the main a PvE player), it does not matter what vehicle I am in I am more often than not towards the front (even on the odd occasion I play arty as I use them nearly always in direct fire). 

I tend to like fairly fast, fairly rapid firing vehicles (that does not mean auto cannons only) - so BWP 2000, Griffin 50, Stingray 2, PL-01, Drako, OT-64, Ontos as a nice selection, the XM1A3 with the 120mm fast draw is good fun. 

 

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I tend to play Light tanks and TD's and use them for spotting/second tier(right behind the MBT's if they don't camp somewhere in the back) or flanking depending on the map and what the rest of the team is doing.

Lately i tend to play the Ramka/Terminator/T-15 tanks the most as i can also try and get into the brawling action if the team is sub par or not enough MBT's are in the team.

I do tend to do similar setups on my vehicles but then spec my commanders for specific play styles.

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For the not squishy it is surely better to boost view range, on most of my MBTs i have at least one view range retrofit, but i would not use a slot for the "Camo Paint". Unless you build them as brawlers only and completely ignore their spotting function, then hope to not being perma tracked by some invisible tank, it can happens both in PvP and PvE...

And some MBTs performs really well with a view retro or maybe even 2 and a commander that boosts the view range, K1A1 is a crazy good spotter with both the retros and Douglas, it will not outspot the AFVs that are not moving or firing, but will do it with many other (not lieutenant) ones, as well as will outspot  many tanks in PvP.

For the squishy ones imo they should have both camo and view capability, and camo is probably superior for the way that the things are implemented.

Let's say that 2 enemy vehicles of the same model have both 200m view range and 50% camo, they both spot the other at 100m. Now add on one a retro that improves the view of 10m and to the other a retro that makes the camo 10% better, the first one is spots the other at 84m but is spotted at  the same 100m as before. But as we have retros that greatly improve the view range and only a retro that gives a moderate camo boost and only if the vehicle is still i find that for me to use view range retros on the squishy ones works better, then i decide it the 3rd retro is the paint or something other, to improve the rate of fire, the accuracy, the aim time or the mobility depending on the tank.

While for the squishy ones i tend to use the commanders that give a camo boost, mainly Erin, but also Sabrina for few tanks that benefit of her module damage, on Wilk T10 and Gau she can be very effective, i had the daily mission to set on fire 10 bots yesterday, with Gau and Sabrina i started 6 fires in a single PvE mission, without even caring too much about aiming at engines and racks, i bet that is possible, if someone really wants, to complete the mission in only 1 PvE game, with a little luck.

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Hi,

 

sorry for being off topic - I have the K1A1 - but I dont see the hydraulic system or what had before..was it a change or smth?

I know that was something like Type 90 or Chally 2 system..am I wrong here? pls reply if you know what to do.

 

thanks and regards

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@Terminator83 The K1 has always had a hydropneumatic suspension. It's automatic, so the suspension will naturally lower or elevate the tank depending on where/how you are aiming the main gun. Try depressing the cannon as far as you can in the testing range, you should be able to see the K1 gradually "kneel", lowering the front suspension to increase gun depression. This is particularly useful in hull-down positions, allowing certain vehicles to only expose their [strong] turret armor.

Note that hydropneumatic suspension(s) usually aren't visible on vehicle model(s) or as an upgrade/modification.

You might be confusing its hydropneumatic suspension with the active "dynamic suspension" ability, which allows a vehicle to lower itself entirely using its hydropneumatic suspension, shortening its profile. The K1 has never had this ability, instead it is given the ability to designate targets.

Edited by di_duncan
Additional comments (see edit history)

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