Yesterday I took a look at the v.0.6.2.4 patch notes and pointed out a few points of interest which focused on the change in HE mechanics, certain scout tank changes and some of the specific changes to German tanks.
Today I will be taking a closer look at some of the big additions, the small changes and the changes to Russian tanks and equipment.
Check out my other World of Tanks previews and guides.
Check out my other World of Tanks previews and guides.
- Added new maps: "Ruinberg" and "El Halluf".
New maps are always good I guess. Komarin is still pretty bad as a map despite the fact that I like the idea they tried to introduce with it. Any new map means less time spent on Campnovika which is a bonus.
- Added new battle mode: the "Tank Company Battle". A company of tanks with sum of tiers from 60 to 90 will get into a company waiting list where it will be randomly assign an opposing company.
This is what a lot of people are playing World of Tanks for, the 15 vs. 15 organised battles. Personally don't fancy it myself but I see it being a great feature for the game and something that I'd like to taste one day.
- Added voice chat based on the Vivox technology. It works only for platoons in random battle, for companies in tank company battles and for training battle. The feature is still in testing hence is implemented with minimal settings.
Although I use the services of a private Ventrillo server this is a welcome addition to the game for those who don't have the access to Vent or TS.
- Added achievements: "Reaper", "Invincible", "Survivor", "Raider", "Master Gunner", "Kamikaze"
- Added medals: Kolobanov's medal, Billotte's medal, Fadin's medal, Wittmann's medal, Orlik's medal, Oskin's medal, Halonen's medal, Burda's medal.
- "Scout" is now awarded only if the team won.
- "Sniper" is now awarded if during the battle there was no friendly damage.
Achievements aren't really all that important as they have no real bearing on how well you perform but I still like seeing achievements pop up during the normal course of my battles. To know that I have done something 'above and beyond' during my normal gameplay makes me warm and fuzzy inside. New achievements and sensible changes to current achievements are only a positive thing.
- The top tanks in the battle roster are now balanced not by the level but by the match-making "value", which considers type of the tan
- The coefficient of heavy tanks for the match-making calculations is increased from 1.3 to 1.45.
- Reworked tank distribution tiers in battles.
Balance fixes!!! Aside from the random Romulan cloaking devices found in our rough 1930-1950 era tanks, balance is the biggest issue in our gaming time at WoT. It looks like they are addressing the main issues by weighting Heavy tanks higher and by changing what tanks you can face in battle. They also seem to have introduced an individual tank weight which if done correctly should fix up balance a bit further.
What disappoints me is that there seems to be little to no system that defines how 'upgraded' a tank is. A stock IS-3 could in theory be paired against a fully upgraded IS-3 with 100+%+ crew and as we know, this is completely unfair and unbalanced if we take that tank in isolation. Looks like a step in the right direction but we'll need to see it in action before drawing any real conclusions.
USSR:
- T-34-85: by 20% improved pass-ability on medium and good grounds
- Т-43: by 9% decreased influence of movement and traverse on accuracy.
- Т-44: by 5% decreased influence of movement and traverse on accuracy, by 25% increased durability of tracks.
The famous Russian medium tanks are getting some buffs. The accuracy on the move and traverse accuracy buffs for the T-43 and T-44 will be most welcome. Being a T-43 driver with 100% + 90% crew it's very difficult to hit anything going full tilt and traversing with the 100mm D10T so that buff makes me smile a bit. The old OP T-44 is feeling a bit vulnerable and the track durability increase should give it a bit more legs. Some minor buffs which should help restore a bit of order to the chaos.
- IS-4: armor: hull-upper plate 120->140, driver's lug 120->160, rear-upper plate 120->100.
So they buff the tank which is considered to be the most OP tank and most OP tank of it's tier in the entire game... that makes sense!!! They've increased the front upper plate and given a significant boost to one of it's frontal weak spots but decreased it's rear upper armour section. This seems like an unnecessary buff with a minimal nerf. I am honestly not sure whether this has been done for historical purposes or not but it doesn't seem to have been done for balance. I don't think it will affect the game too much... an IS-4 is an IS-4 and you can still take them down if you are crafty, skilled and lucky :)
We've covered quite a few points today and almost everything is very positive. Definitely a step in the right direction.
The patch will coincide with the server split. Please be aware that the soft wipe has been postponed indefinitely for the time being. (Source: http://forum.worldoftanks.com/index.php?/topic/20462-server-split-up-procedure/). A bit of sour news mixed in with the good but at least the game will run smoother, play better and be more balanced by the time we get to pick our tanks!
Say tuned for tomorrow and part 3 where I'll cover some more points AND the USA tanks.
Check out my other World of Tanks previews and guides.
Check out my other World of Tanks previews and guides.
2 comments:
I think the IS-4 buff is for historical accuracy, Overlord posted a schematic showing the mms of armor at various spots of the IS-4 and the changes coincide with that. Also, the weakened part of the back is the most vertical part, which should make it really easy to penetrate.
The matchmaking changes are good too, especially since we're getting tier 4 french heavy tanks sometime.
About the new maps, I just hope people won't camp like in the east of Sand River or Komarin. Secindly, I hope they won't made TD useless in thats map like in hills (they change the map name to Pagorki somehow as they have only stay in the base to defend and can't take the hills as effective as heavies.
As for Tank commander battle, is somehow not so good, the balancing may fail. This is because a tier 10 tank is more than twice as powerful as two tier 5 tanks. they should be twice more powerful if you to make the matchmaking balance.
As for the voice chat,It will be good with a mute button, I see in the youtube that some WoW player scream like mad because fail to get somethings. So a mute button will be good. Secondly, the voice chat may increase the lag if they made the chat use the same CPU as the game, at the moment the game does not support multi core. As a dual core player with 1.8ghz each, I may suffer badly.
Like you said, achievements are not important too for me. Just to make the game more challenging and interesting.
Balance fix may reduce camping. Finally, tier 8 heavy will not match up with tier 8 medium. As you says, stock tank can't win elite tank but will match with, I think this is not encourage the player to use the best gun and not the most cheap gun. Imagine a KT who use the 88 to save money matchmake with another KT with long 105.
So, the Russian medium get some buff. TD have a nightmare, let see how effective is the buff before giving out some real conclusion.
And for the IS4 buff, I think thats is not fair, not only not balance but also not realistic at all, see the driver's lug, why is it thicker than hull armour. At the moment we all know we can penetrate IS4 from medium range (if lucky) or close range with a 88mm gun (200pen). So after the buff, I would see that IS4 frontal armour can't be penetrate with long 88 and short 10.5. KT long 10.5 may pen IS4 with no angle and can't pen IS4 frontal armour if there are angle. So, there are no vechicle can go head on with IS4. Ferdi (with the last gun), JT, Maus, Ausf b (with the last gun)can penetrate IS4 frontal armour. Now I know why there is no a wipe in December. This is because a lot of German heavies want to change to IS4 (my guess). so they want to try how effective IS4 against German armour. But I can't make any real conclusion until the patch is out.
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