The game is going to have a serious balance problem

I really enjoyed the Wardog beta, and I think the game has a lot of potential. However, I’m worried that the balance will completely change after the first week.

During the first few days, the game should feel relatively balanced because most players will still be using infantry and unlocking their equipment. But once a large portion of the playerbase unlocks tanks and artillery, I’m afraid the game could quickly turn into World of Tanks , where playing infantry simply isn't fun anymore.

Tanks (I'm a tank player)

The current combat tank is, in my opinion, far too strong for its price.

• A tank costs $15,000 to spawn , which is ridiculously cheap compared to what it can do. • An infantry player has almost no chance against it. • The shell explosion radius is huge. • The secondary machine gun feels like a laser and can kill infantry in roughly two shots. • A tank can easily carry around 70 shells . • It can apparently survive around 7–10 rockets . • Grenades barely do anything against it. • There are very few constraints on tank usage. Adding fuel consumption is a good first step, but I don't think it's enough.

When you compare a $5–6k infantry loadout with a $15k tank , the choice becomes pretty obvious when the tank is this powerful.

I like the way the tank shred infantry, but I think tanks need either significantly higher costs or stronger limitations.

Mortars

The mortar is way too easy to use .

The fact that you can see where the shell is going to land, combined with the camera effect in the air, makes it extremely easy to learn.

After just 2–3 shots, you can already make very accurate mortar strikes without really having to calculate anything.

I think the impact location should not be revealed to the player, and the current aerial camera/trajectory feedback should be reconsidered.

In short: mortars need balancing.

Explosive drones

The controllable explosive drone also feels overpowered.

Being able to destroy a tank with only two drones is way too strong, especially considering how easy they are to use.

Classes

General

Bandages are slightly too expensive, and I also think weapons are a little too expensive in general.

Overall TTK is excellent.

Assault

The Assault class should have access to a deployable ladder .

This would allow infantry to attack FOBs that aren't properly protected by barbed wire or other structures.

Sniper

I don't have many complaints about the Sniper class.

The only thing I would consider is slightly increasing the power of the first scout rifle, perhaps enough to one-shot a T1 helmet .

This one is definitely up for debate, though.

Medic

The Medic class feels good.

There are good incentives to actually heal teammates and revive them, which encourages the intended gameplay.

Support

Support takes a little too long to level up and earn XP.

The shotgun progression is particularly difficult because it's very situational, even though I think the shotgun itself is reasonably balanced.

I also think players should receive XP and money proportional to the damage they deal to vehicles .

For example, if I deal 40% of a tank's HP, I should receive a corresponding amount of XP/money. This would make using rocket launchers much more rewarding and economically viable.

I'd also add some lighter machine guns before the heavy machine guns .

Something like a G36E with a bipod could be a good intermediate weapon. It would allow players to learn how to properly use bipods before moving on to heavy machine guns.

Right now, reaching around Support level 15 feels like a long grind.

Logistics

Logistics is pretty good overall, but I have a few issues.

There should be an option to choose whether other players are allowed to store pallets in FOB on your behalf.

Currently, if another player does it, you lose the $750 reward , which feels pretty bad.

Ground vehicles

Ground vehicles should be significantly cheaper.

$500 for a quad bike that isn't particularly useful is too expensive.

The same principle should probably apply to other basic ground vehicles.

Helicopters

The co-pilot should not have their weapon visible in their hands .

Right now, the co-pilot can put their weapon directly in front of the pilot's view, which can be extremely distracting and potentially obstruct the pilot's vision.

I also think helicopters should be more expensive to spawn .

Final thoughts

Overall, I really like the direction of Wardog and I think the game has a lot of potential.

But I genuinely believe that if the game launches with the current vehicle and artillery costs/power levels, it could become frustrating very quickly.

One possible solution would be to introduce vehicle limits :

• Maximum X tanks per team • Maximum X helicopters per team • Potentially limits on other heavy vehicles as well I understand that this could reduce some of the game's freedom and organic gameplay, which is one of Wardog's biggest strengths. But I think some restrictions may be necessary for balance.

Otherwise, I can easily see the first week being fantastic, followed by a situation where most experienced players have unlocked tanks/artillery and infantry gameplay becomes frustrating and unrewarding.

The game has a great foundation. I just think the vehicle economy and power balance need serious attention before launch.