If I may be so humble to suggest a series of improvements, for consideration upon the tier 8 machine. Similar such changes may be affected upon the tier 9, but I doubt it needs a faster rate of fire, where the tier 8 struggles with the damage output, and it's quantity of damage.
Though I would rather the tier 8 & 9 keep it's rather high skill floor. As you know, low difficulty machines tend towards a less nuanced game, more able to repeat the exact same method of damage out put repeatedly, until the game ends, or they die.
Too Long Didn't Read version:
Firepower:
- From (0.19/0.19/0.12) to (0.14/0.14/0.1) bloom, a major improvement to maneuvering, and firing. I believe it justified, if it is to keep a theme of "I trade power for a little bit of W, X, Y, Z"
- +0.55 RPM (5.21 --> 5.76), or slightly more, it is true it should trade some power, but it's penalty is much too harsh
- From (0.345) to (0.32) accuracy, as a recognition that it will probably have to stay rather far away, and poke the enemy team with it's rather large gun, incessantly, until they all die.
- Horizontal gun arc increased to 8.5*/8.5*, to improve target tracking.
Mobility:
- (1/1.2/1.7) improved to (0.8/1.1/1.7) or (0.9/1.1/1.7) to improve agility, such that it is more of a mobile machine
- Improve traverse substantially, perhaps 48-52 degrees per second
Survival Ability:
- Improve camouflage slightly
Introduction
Currently (perhaps for some time now), the SU-101 is widely regarded, as a poor machine for it's level, tier 8. Not for cause of an inappropriate method of play (a similar such machine exists), but simply in a lack of capacity within such specialization, with great compromise to achieve little. I will constrast to a similar tank destroyer, the German Jagd Panther II, for an understanding of the SU-101's situation, for the benefit of those who have no knowledge of it.
At the moment the Jagd Panther II has superiority in accuracy, movement dispersion, and vastly outclasses the SU-101 in raw firepower. If the SU-101 vastly exceeded the JPanther II in a similar way, then it would be fine. But it also extends to the guns arc, on horizontal and vertical aspects. This is not something the SU-101 ever manages to recover from, because it doesn't vastly exceed the JPanther II in anything other than camouflage. A feature already significantly compromised, by a limited arc of gun travel, both vertically, and horizontally.
It may even be said the Jagd Panther II may make better use of it's camouflage, simply because of the gun arc.
Firepower
Improving the situation in a manner desirable, I believe the following changes must be made to the tanks firepower, and shot effectiveness characteristics:
- Rate of fire improved to match, or slightly exceed the Jagd Panther II, such as 5.76 or 6 rounds per minute to make up for a 40 damage gulf and base damage. I find the former figure, a better fit.
- Gun bloom characteristic improved to 0.14/0.14/0.1 , to reduce the aiming period. As the SU-101 is likely to find it's limited gun depression and arc, as a rather awkward scenario, at short ranges, it's limited durability could be compensated by having a very rapid aiming period. Additionally, it is not a situation which may cause opposing players, great grief (when struck), for the gun does not devastate their machine in a single blow, allowing them opportunity, for an effective counter play, and many further tactical options.
- Horizontal gun traverse changed from 7*/7*, to 8.5*/8.5*
- The accuracy will improve, to follow the theme, to a figure of 0.32, shedding 0.025 dispersion, a nearly 10% improvement.
This category is a massive increase in firepower. An increase of 231 base damage per minute, keeps it behind it's counterpart, and yet, increases the damage per minute, in such a way, that is to operate in perfect synergy with the other such changes.
Admittedly, my lack of experience in the Jagd Panther II, has made me wary of adding more damage per minute to the SU-101. But if the accuracy increase is truly to be so substantial, I have little doubt in my mind, that the limited imagined increase to damage per minute is fair.
Agility
- Ground resistance statistics to (0.8/1.1/1.7), or (0.9/1.1/1.7)
or
- Increased ground traverse rate, to perhaps, a basic number of 48-52 degrees per second
Survival ability
The most important part of the "surviving" to be done in World Of Tanks, is simply not to be shot at. To not be shot at, you may use a barrier, or most desirable, simply not be seen. In a machine where it's attempts to fire on it's foes are already somewhat clumsy, and it's survival ability, rather poor. Improving the camouflage by integer percentage points, to match with the ever growing view ranges present, would be marvelous.
Though on many, more closed maps, it will have little affect.