You Ask - We Reply! Bulletin 10 (inc. Super platoons, release pace etc.)

Nody

All bolded piece are my highlights.

We have gathered some of the most frequently posted questions and asked our development team to answer it.

Please see below:
Will you allow players to choose maps from a pre-set list for battles in Random Mode?

At the moment players may choose maps from a list only in Team Training Mode. Random Battle is random in all its aspects: players, vehicles, and maps.

With update 7.2 there will be around 20 new crew skills introduced. I have 100% on all three current crew skills, will I be able to add fourth and more?

Indeed in update 7.2 there will be more crew skills and qualifications. We are finalizing the list now, but you will get approximately 20 new ones. And certainly, you will be able to add fourth and more skills to your current crew qualifications, if you want to.

At the moment I can replay only my ‘view’ of the battle. Will it be possible to switch between other players’ vantage point during the replay?

Watching others play, especially if they are really good, is the way to improve. Even more, we are working on the ways record battles with a free-floating camera, playbacks, and other exciting features. Yet some technical difficulties have to be resolved.

How does a map sorting work in Random Battle Mode and do you plan to change it? It seems that I get permanently stuck on several of them.

There are 30 players per battle and technically it is virtually impossible to have a map where none of them played or played there the least. The only solution is to play more.

Will there be some sizeable awards for winning in-game medals?

There won’t be any awards (gold, credit, etc.) for the in-game medals. Otherwise, we might risk turning battles into a hunt for medals.

I often play in Tank Companies and I’d like see my stats for the both, Random and Company, separately.

Indeed, we plan to make your statistics logs more convenient. If you play in Tank Companies you will be able to see your progress there separately from Random Battles.

When and on what conditions will super-platoons be introduced?

We have abandoned this idea as it could have potentially broken down the game balance.

How is IS-7 doing in statistical terms? Has it started to pull ahead? If so, will you be upping E-100 gun?

IS-7 is not dominating in statistical terms, and we will be increasing neither damage nor penetration for E-100 gun.

Where will there be a place for Sherman Firefly?

Sherman Firefly will be take its well deserved place in the researchable branch of British Tech Tree.

Will there ever be the following medals:
- for researching all vehicles of a certain nation;
- for all fully researched, i.e. elite, vehicles of a certain nation;
- for researching all vehicles of all nations.

If you ever do research all vehicles of even one nation it will be a great achievement indeed. Yet we have no plans of introducing new medals for all of the listed above.

What will appear earlier in the game: French SPGs and TDs or alternate German and Soviet TD branches?

French Tank Destroyers and Self-Propelled Guns will precede new Soviet and German Tank Destroyers. French newcomers will hit the dirt in 2Q 2012.

When, if you such plans, will we see new Chat Shortcuts added, e.g. Retreat, Good Job, Need Cover, etc.

The Chat Shortcuts and Command System will be thoroughly reworked with new commands added. Also the system will change as well: you will see a command pie/radial menu more customary for FPSs.

Will you revise shell costs since with the new armour system more rounds are needed per battle than previously?

The new spaced armour system has made tank armour more realistic. Although you might not penetrate armour as easily, yet average damage from a direct hit has not changed. Thus, you should not use more shells per battle than previously.

Will it be possible to adjust team list settings changing transparency and position on a screen?

Team lists and ‘Tab’ key tables will be reworked for update 7.2. However, you will not be able to change list settings such as transparency or position.

Are you considering rebalancing/changing parameters for T-127 and Valentine with the French low tier tanks on the scene?

Low tier well armoured French tanks have changed the game quite a bit. However, we will not be changing other tanks, e.g. T-127 and Valentine. Perhaps, players will need to reconsider their strategies to accommodate them for the French. Once the British and the Japanese are in the game, it will a whole new world, the world of tanks.

In previous bulletins you stated that with new skills training time for each one of them will not be reduced. Are you looking into adding some kind of special consumable that will shorten crew training time?

No, there are no such plans at the moment

Has the Dev Team reached a consensus regarding Soviet MTs?

The Soviet MTs branch does need some additions and work, yet the Developers Team is concentrating their brain power on speedier releases of the French TDs and SPGs, the British and Japanese Tech Trees. They will certainly come back to the Soviet vehicles once all major tank nations are represented in the game.

It’s been mentioned previously that there will be one more low-tier map.

In update 7.2 there will be two new maps added. One of them will complement existing, usually considered low-tiered Malinovka, Himmelsdorf, and Mines.

Which tech tree will appear in the game first, British or Japanese?

The rumours circulating on forums or fan resources about UK not releasing necessary vehicle communication are unsustained. The British Tech Tree will be introduced before the Japanese.

Spear

I'm annoyed at the German TD's getting pushed back. They're all real existing vehicles, mostly using pre-existing weapons and 3d models, so I don't see what the delay is. Also I just want to upset people by using a Sturer Emil and teaching people what a tier 7 with a 128mm/L61 can do.

Auvers

what about fixing the zero critical hits

I see the chose to ignore that again

Spear

Auvers wrote: »

what about fixing the zero critical hits

I see the chose to ignore that again

The new skills introduce a gunner option to reveal which component was damaged by the hit, which may go some way to stop making it look like nothing happened.

Arrawin

Its a pity they abolished the larger platoons.

Auvers

Spear wrote: »

The new skills introduce a gunner option to reveal which component was damaged by the hit, which may go some way to stop making it look like nothing happened.

its a start but something simple like a bit of exp\credit gain for destroying modules would be nice

hate wasting credits when a shot from my high tier tanks is absorbed by a module for no exp\credits

ZZR1100

Auvers wrote: »

its a start but something simple like a bit of exp\credit gain for destroying modules would be nice

hate wasting credits when a shot from my high tier tanks is absorbed by a module for no exp\credits

i belive that feature is in the works. damage caused for all crits

copeyhagen

russian heavies pushed back again too by the looks of it

ZZR1100

copeyhagen wrote: »

russian heavies pushed back again too by the looks of it

7.2 american heavies.. 7.3 russian heavies..
5 man platoons definatly gone and i can see their point..

OL. Initial tests showed that platoons of 5 can really hurt the balance in all battles, regardless of battle tier. Platoon of 5 IS-7 or 5 Hotchkisses can own the whole opposing team. It's not the same thing as regular "beloved" stacking (which will supposedly be got rid of in the new matchmaker) where we get random players of mixture of platoons.

The skill would prevail in platoons of 5 raising their win percentage to the sky, while such platoon of skillful players can be plainly balanced with platoon of .. sorry.. noobs. The influence of such platoon on the team would be very high, the influence on balance - totally unexpected.

The feature has been denied.

Nody

But the original information was that the 5man platoon was going to be vs. 5 man platoons only (i.e. 2 or 3 platoons per side) which would act as a company battle basically (but I guess the problem was in the MM on limited number of such platoons and tier in them).