This is a bit of a no-brainer (particularly for the advanced combat fabber at 6000 (!) metal), but 720 metal cost for a single squishy unit is a big risk. I'd do this: Combat fabs cost 180, and have 15 metal/s throughput Advanced combat fabs cost 720, and have 30 metal/s throughput This divides cost and throughput of combat fabs by 4, cost of adv combat fab by ~8, and throughput of adv combat fab by 4. The intent with combat fabs is to have the same throughput for the same cost, but spread over more units so it's less risky and you have more options. Advanced combat fabs have the same, but cost reduced by 8 instead of 4, because 1500 still seemed too much relative to the 360 it would cost for the same throughput with 2 combat fabs.
But, the whole point is that they are very strong repair bots. It makes no sense to just ruin their throughput; its the only thing they have.
With the current health levels, combat fabbers don't really matter too much. The only units they really help are Infernos or Vanguards. The costs of combat fabricators should be brought down, and the health of all units should be roughly doubled. Increasing the health of all units also increases the fun of the game by making engagements last longer and tactics actually matter during engagements.
Do any of these calculations take into account the insane RANGE combat fabbers have? They have over 4 times the reach.
The numbers chosen take into account that advanced combat fabbers have a large range advantage over combat fabbers. If you want the best repair throughput for cost, you go with combat fabbers. If you want the additional range, and strategic benefits that come with it, you'd go with advanced combat fabbers. Combat fabbers having larger range than normal fabbers is irrelevant. Normal fabbers are unsuitable for repair tasks for a number of reasons, and combat fabbers can no longer perform the main role fabbers fulfill. During live ground confrontations perhaps you have a point, but combat fabs have other uses. Consider: Repairing structures. With the 3x structure health this is particularly strong Repairing units when not in a live confrontation Repairing air units when defending in a live confrontation. Particularly pelicans (in this case used as fodder), it doesn't take much repair for it to take an additional hit from a hummingbird before going down. Every time it works out like this, you stall one enemy hummingbird for one second Units it is particularly worthwhile to repair other than inferno and vanguard (opinion): Pelican, hummingbird, leveler, ant, narwhal, orca Reclaiming forest is actually rather strong. Each tree was worth 12 metal last time I tested. Particularly with changes in this thread, combat fabs doing area reclaim is strong (otherwise you might prefer air fabs for this role) You may be right that cost per throughput should be reduced.
I agree, with the seperation, the cost can go down. To encourage macro, they really should give the combat fabber 300% bot fabber repair and 45% cost. Just get more combat fabbers in light of that. Although I have no problem with the current, with 1 combat fabber per 10 tanks or so. Because it can focus on repairing them all as damage comes.
What is the advantage of having normal engineers repairing at all? I really do feel like both need to have a good use. Like if combat engineers repair a flat number per second, and engineers repaired a % per second. Making the combat ones good for low HP units, and the normal ones goof for high hp ones. Because other then the cost of the units themselves (Which is a terrible way to balance) I don't really see the point of the engineers repair ability.
I would start with the cost obviously 720 is convincing nobody to even think about this unit, probably then people will start to realise that trialq is right and the combat fabricator should be used. Also, i don't see why everyone forgets landmines, i did some pretty good **** with landmines.
