Company of Heroes: Eastern Front News

Greetings soldiers!

Today we want to present you the first batch of information for the upcoming Company of Heroes Eastern Front Patch.

Basing on your feedback we were able to work on a new Multiplayer focused update.
With the upcoming version EF will do the next step in balancing and gameplay adjustments.

We have prepared some concept art for you to show you the upcoming faction changes
and to give you some information about the new faction design.

Today we will beginn with the reworked Red Army:

+ > Is needed
T > Technology
C > buildable



Have fun and stay tuned for the upcoming Ostheer changes.

Keep in mind:
Patchnotes will be released with the patch.

For more information you can join our Discord server!
Discord: https://discord.gg/HBunW7yEyu

Thank you very much
and
have fun with the upcoming new patch.

Your EF-Dev Team.

Soviets:

- Increased burst duration of SG 43 by 0.15sec
- Increased Tank Hall Hitpoints to 850 from 700
- Increased Sapper health to 50 from 45
- Increased Sturmovie Health to 70 from 60
- Increased Command Squad Guard health to 70 from 65
- Increased VPGS grenade Ability range to 30 from 25m, lowered cost to 30 ammo from 35
- Increased SU 85 and ISU 152 turning speed slightly
- Increased IS 2 turret turning speed slightly
- Lowered SU 85/100 cost to 400mp/80f (from 90f) , exchanged rec. damage modifier bonus with received accuracy bonus
- Increased sniper rate of fire by 1 sec
- Lowered Katyusha health and applied tp_vehicle armour
- Increased Katyusha weapon AoE to 6.5 (from 5.4)
- Lowered support barrack cost to 30f (from 35f)
- Increased ATO 42 flame thrower damage to 12/18 (from 8/12)

Urban combat
Sturmovie Ingenery can now throw AT grenades
Street Fighting ability (RHS 1) now unlocks camouflage for snipers

Panzer Elite

- Increased Support Kommand teching cost to 250mp/65f (from 200mp/40f)
- Increased Panzer IV buildtime by 10sec
- Lowered Kettenkrad cap speed to 1.25 from 1.75
- Increased Kettenkrad cost to 150mp (from 120mp)
- Increased buiildime to 25s (from 15s)

Ostheer

- Changed Panzer II critical type to vehicle
- Ostheer officer now uses assault pool bonus automatically
- Lowered basic Landser capping speed to 1.35 from 1.5)
- Fixed Modernization II research time being too low (lower than Modernization I)
- Panzerfusiliers now start with Mkb 42 sub machine guns and can upgrade Panzerschrecks/Granatwerfer. Removed ability to throw regular grenades

NOTE: Currently the patch version is not shown publicly. There is a possibility that a hotfix is needed - will be published either later today or tomorrow along with the new version number.

EDIT 21:04: In case you have issues with applying the patch - try to restart steam. There seems to be an issue with the newly created beta branch. I'm working on a fix.
EDIT 21:59: should be fixed and update properly now. Sorry for the inconvenience.
EDIT 18.05.: There are some ninja changes that backrolled from an old internal version for some reason (like the command squad pool choice). Will be fixed in the next days.

Bugfixes:

* fixed casualty requirement on Ostheer medic tent (now correctly needs 6 casualties to create Landser squad)
* fixed some inconsistencies with flame throwing weapons
* fixed weapon bug on Ranger team (now can correctly apply 2x3 Thompsons and up to 2xBazookas for 40 ammo like intended)
* fixed T17 Staghound not having an MG upgrade
* set hotkey for Priority Defense Ability to 'V'
* tried to fix the spotter healing once more
* fixed Bt7a not profiting from mass scale assault
* Fixed PE starting with both schwimmwagen and kettenkrad on some maps
* Fixed bad crit table causing a crash when brit emplacements are destroyed by certain weapons
* Testing AI fix which will prevent AI going stagnant after 20 minutes into a game (for Annihilate right now
* Fixed brit HQ on some maps
* applied a new version of Achievements, please test if the achievements now unlock correctly.


General:

* Added provisions for AI to use assault engineer reward doctrine
* Testing new AI conditions for some abilities
* Added more missing stuff to luaconsts.scar
* lowered the "destroy turret" turning speed reduction from 90% to 65%
* Increased aggressiveness of Allied AI
* Adjusted AI targets for some abilities

Ostheer:

* lowered assault pool capture speed bonus to 10% from 15%
* lowered recharge time of healing supply airdrop by 30s
* increased panzerwerfer call in cost to 500mp (from 400mp)
* increased StuG III cost to 360mp/60f (from 325mp/50f)
* lowered Panzerwerfer weapon supression by 25%
* Panzer III main cannon damage now 67.5 (same as upgun, upgun increaes penetaration and long range accuracy by 5%)
* increased Spring mine damage radius to 2/3.5/7m (from 1/3.5/7,), increased damage to 90 (from 75)

Panzer Elite:

* PE Scout car cost increased to 20f (from 15f)
* lowered PE Kettenkrad capture speed to 1.75 (from 2.00)
* lowered Panzer Grenadier Kar 98 damage to 12 (from 13)
* lowered Panzer Grenadier G43 long range accuracy to 42% (from 45%)
* increased Panzer Grenadier upkeep to 2.78mp/min (from 2.59mp/min) - 11.1mp/min for 4men squad and 13.9mp/min for 5men squads
* increased Panzer Grenadier reinforce to 42mp (from 41)

Soviets:

* lowered Conscript deployment time by 5 seconds (35s -> 30s)
* SU 85 penetration on medium range increased to 0.94 (from 0.90)
* increased SU 85/100 deflection damage to 25% (from 15/20%)
* tweaked Bt-7a cannon to behave more similar to a Howitzer

Bugfixes:

* fixed reinforcement bug on Spotter
* fixed some double layered upgrades
* swapped Hohlladungsgranate-Ability from Sdkfz 250/10 (AT HT) to Sdkfz 250/9 (Stummel Halftrack)
* fixed projectile bug on PTRD
* Rangers get their +25% weapon penetration bonus with vet 1


Balancing:


Panzer Elite:

Gameplay:

* removed Schwimmwagen (for now, will be put back in in the Brit faction update)
* applied mine drop ability to Kettenkrad
* shuffled abilities:

• removed Field Experience upgrade (capture speed)
  
• moved Flame grenade upgrade to Kampfgruppe Kompanie (t2)
  
• moved Veteran Sergeant upgrade to Kampfgruppe Kompanie, now also applies 25% capture rate from Field Experience
  
• moved Sdkfz 250 armour upgrade to Logistik Kompanie
  
• moved improved repairs to Panzerjäger Kommand

Stats:

* lowered Kettenkrad repair rate by 25%
* lowered Kettenkrad capture speed from 2.00 to 1.5
* increased Sdkfz 221 (Scout Car) cost to 180mp/20f (from 10f)
* increased Sdkfz 250 armor upgrade cost to 160mp/35f (From 120mp/25f)
* lowered Pz Grenadier Kar98 damage to 12 (from 13)
* lowered Nashorn Call in cost to 500mp (from 700mp)

Soviets:

* lowered Mg crew cost to 240mp (from 250mp)
* increased Bt7a damage to 87.5 (from 76)

Bugfixes:

* Fixed Spotter retreat speed
* fixed Spotter shooting in observe mode
* fixed camouflage movement for vetted snipers in cover
* fixed spotter max range issues
* fixed IL-2 Sturmovik Air Raid unlock together with Katyusha
* fixed blue boxes on IL-2 Sturmovik Air Raid
* fixed requirements for a couple of abilities (smoke rounds, grenades etc.)
* improved performance and loading times slightly
* couple minor other bugfixes on abilities

Gameplay:

Ostheer:

* to avoid further confusion about the Assault / Support Troops selection the upgrade was moved from the HQ to the Kampfkommandant. The Kommandant is required for the modifiers to apply anyways. The upgrade is permanent until the Kommandant dies. Afterwards you can train a new one and select again.
Bonuses Assault Troops: +15% capping speed and -10% received supression.(no change)
Bonus Support Troops: +10m sight range and 0.022 health regen in friendly territory.(no change)
* added correct requirement for Vehicle Smoke (Army Fortress "Ambush Tactics", 2nd ability on left side)
* lowered Landser vet 2 health bonus from 20% to 10%
* lowered Mg26(t) performance on medium and close range
* tweaked Mkb42 performance on short range
* lowered Luchs resistance to PTRD/PTRS. Will penetrate more reliably on all ranges
* lowered Luchs hitpoints to 310 (from 360)

Soviets:

* increased spotter buildtime to 35s (from 29s)
* lowered camouflage shot bonus to 5 (from 10)
* Bt7a 76mm cannon upgrade is a fuel tech (150mp/30f) in the armory now. Vehicles in the field can be upgraded for 75 ammo
* swapped Strelky vet 1 and vet 2 bonus. Vet 1 + 15% weapon accuracy, vet 2 - 15% weapon reload
* lowered Strelky reinforcement cost from 58% to 54%
* applied Strelky veterancy bonuses to Sturmovie ingenery
* lowered T34-85 xp reward from 10 to 9
* lowered T34-76 xp reward from 9 to 8
* increased T34-85 hitpoints to 480 (from 450)
* increased Su 100 hitpoints to 650 (from 600)
* fixed target tables on some infantry weapons