Originally Posted by Lumberchuk
Again all these things are on paper. More damage relies on you hitting your target (which will be much easier with a gunner driver combo), more survivability of 2 tanks in terms of pure HP, but again, a target on the move is much harder to hit (also driver can focus on driving more e radically between shots). More tactical flexibility, that the 2 tanks may have an advantage slightly, but in standard range open terrain tank on tank combat, the 2 man tank will perform much better, and retreating to repair is much easier with a dedicated driver, not to mention the ability to shoot back while the vehicle is being repaired.
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Lumber, we're not saying that the individual unit gains advantages. We completely agree with you on that. You don't need to repeat your point.
But you lose other advantages and that cancels out very, very swiftly.
Here's a list:
(Dis)advantages of ONE unit with TWO gunners over the same, ONE unit with ONE gunner
Note: A unit is described as any player operated avatar in game: tank, infantry, aircraft, etc. A player is any real life person operating as an unit that will be in game at the same time anyway.
The first comparison is just the effect on the single tank.
PER UNIT (driver=gunner + gunner vs driver=gunner, both in one unit)
Situational awareness
per unit:
doubled and a little (gunner not needing to watch road, two sets of eyes)
Variety of potential perspectives per unit:
Equal
Number of potential units:
Equal
Enemy firepower dispersion:
Equal
Hitpoints per unit:
Equal
Firepower per unit:
Doubled
AA options available:
Equal (no need to switch)
Resource cost per unit:
Equal
Maneuvrability per unit:
Equal
Tactical options per unit:
Equal
Expected lifespan per unit:
Slight increase
Execution of available tactical options:
Slight increase in efficiency
So that looks pretty neat and beneficial, right? Until you actually look at what the above means for
the actual potential of two players.
PER PLAYER (Two separate units vs one unit)
Situational awareness per player:
Minor increase
Number of potential units:
Halfed
Variety of potential perspectives per unit:
Halfed
Enemy firepower dispersion:
Halfed
Hitpoints per player:
Halfed
Firepower per player:
Equal
AA options available:
Halfed
Maneuvrability per player:
Halfed
Resource cost per player:
Halfed
Maneuvrability per player:
Virtually halfed
Tactical options per player:
Severely restricted
Expected lifespan per player:
Reduced by a third to half
Execution of available tactical options:
Slight increase in efficiency
Meaning the only thing that improves ever so slightly is the first and last efficiency (driving and awareness) and resource cost. Firepower effectively remains the same and therefore
does not double even if it appeared to do so. But the kicker is that
all other statistics are halfed!
And it gets worse when you compare the potential of three players with three in one unit, again per unit and per player:
(Dis)advantages of ONE unit with TWO gunners and dedicated driver over the same, ONE unit with ONE gunner
PER UNIT (dedicated driver, two gunners vs driver=gunner, one unit
Situational awareness
per unit:
Tripled and a little (gunner not needing to watch road, three sets of eyes)
Variety of potential perspectives per unit:
Equal
Number of potential units:
Equal
Enemy firepower dispersion:
Equal
Hitpoints per unit:
Equal
Firepower per unit:
Doubled
AA options available:
Equal (no need to switch)
Resource cost per unit:
Equal
Maneuvrability per unit:
Increase in efficiency
Tactical options per unit:
Equal
Expected lifespan per unit:
Slight increase
Execution of available tactical options:
Slight increase in efficiency
Note that compared to two players, for three players only maneuvring and situational awareness increase. Firepower
does not. If it was a dedicated driver with just one gunner, firepower would equal per unit, but HALF per player.
PER PLAYER (Three separate units vs one unit)
Situational awareness per player:
Negligible
Number of potential units:
1/3
Variety of potential perspectives per unit:
1/3
Enemy firepower dispersion:
1/3
Hitpoints per player:
1/3
Firepower per player:
2/3
AA options available:
1/3
Maneuvrability per player:
1/3
Resource cost per player:
1/3
Maneuvrability per player:
Extremely reduced
Tactical options per player:
Extremely restricted
Expected lifespan per player:
Reduced by half to two thirds
Execution of available tactical options:
Slight increase in efficiency
If you compare the per unit advantage, then sure everything looks nice and there only seem to be positive effects. When you start looking at manpower and thus player potential, you should immediately be shocked by the potential you remove from yourself by making a choice on the per unit statistics.
Considering the lifespan per player is reduced, it is also questionable whether the resource advantage really matters.
The only way to combat this is to design the unit to have significantly better endurance statistics than a single crew unit.