Thanks schurem.
So, I broke down and decided to try out the British tanks, and …
WHAT have they done to all the maps?! Virtually every single map I’ve played over the last few hours has been altered in some way from what I last played - some of them quite dramatically. El Haluf, for example, is nearly unrecognizable. I keep heading to places where I remember certain things are going to work, and they don’t anymore, because the terrain is different. :(
Also, apparently not playing the game for six months left me so rusty it’s downright embarrassing. I also haven’t gotten the hang of the new physics yet, managing to drown two tanks now and to get one stuck in a place without escape while trying to do the old “hang off the edge of the hill” move.
I used what free XP I had saved up to ramp up the British tree straight to the Cromwell (T6). Until I unlocked the final gun, it felt like playing a Sherman M4 that somehow got stuck in Tier 6. Now with the final gun (Vickers HV) it’s better, but still nowhere near what I would call a good T6 tank. BUT, not nearly as bad as the French low tiers, and the medium tanks ahead should be more than worth it, if just for their guns alone (just look at that Centurion mark 7 monster gun in tier 9).
Don’t you love what they are doing to the maps? more little dips and crannies for you to go hull-down in. And yes water you can drown in. try pushing that irritating T-50-2 into thte water. much fun :D
the hang-off-the-edge-of-a-acliff move was bullshit anyway, much better to be able to jump down on an unsuspecting TD and crush the F%$^k out of him :D
So true. The new physics and revised maps are the best thing about the new patches, and probably the main reason I log in to play once in a while. There’s some seriously cool stuff you can do on these maps.
Agreed the maps are much better.
Unrelated question – I’ve been trying to get the targeting indicator to work with the T-key and it doesn’t seem to work anymore. Did they change the key again?
Yes. F2 is "Requesting fire on <target>. There is no “I’m shooting at X” key any more.
Thanks Wombat.
I’m mixed on the reworked maps, on one hand it’s almost like getting new maps, which is always nice, on the other hand it’s having to learn new strategies while already very rusty, and abandoning the old ones.
I do love the new physics, though. So great being able to simply drive down a low hill rather than having to go all the way back the way I came, because an invisible wall stops me. I was almost ready to do just that one game, when I see a fellow medium simply ride down the hill - I went “Holy shit I can do that?! Awesome!” and followed suit.
Still not sure about the new graphics, however, something just feels “off” even with the anisotropic filtering fix schurem posted. Maybe just need to get use to it, but there’s also way too much bloom on my tank now, compared to what I remember.
I had the same issue. Thanks.
Anyone recommend a good newb/getting started guide?
Tier 1 battles, lots of them ;-) Dont mind dying and just wade on in. There’s tutorial movies and such on the worldoftanks.com .eu and .ru websites. But the bestest thing you can do as a noob is just get stuck in. also right click stuff, look at the different stats and compare stuff you have to see how they work out in the game.
I see your point. The claim that the tank parameters are realistic was a lot more plausible back when the game was newer. At this point it ha’s clearly evolved into a fantasy tank game. I happen to like that game, but some of the potential roads not taken might have made for even better games. I think it would be neat if there was some sort of “Licence To Kill”-style mode, where tanks were destroyed on the first pen or had greatly reduced health. The resiliency of the tanks helps the slow pace of the game (which I like) but allows for some very strange outcomes.
Yeah. While I think most of the new maps are “better” than the old ones, the changes are quite dramatic. El Haluf is probably the best example; popular attack routes no longer makes a lot of sense. (Similarly, the changes to Lakeville in version 8.0 were quite dramatic, and, in my view, were not ideal.)
Wow, that seems designed to make artillery even less popular than the currently are!
Wow, that seems designed to make artillery even less popular than the currently are![/QUOTE]
I did some poking around on their forums and apparently artillery still says “I’m shooting at X”. However, for us non-artillery, it now says “Assist me with this target” because supposedly a lot of people took “I’m shooting at X” as “I’m shooting at X don’t steal my kill, shoot at something else.”
I could give you some advice about some things, I’m sure others here will either chip in or give better.
Play a lot of early tier matches to learn the maps. Early tanks are rubbish with horrible accuracy so you don’t need to worry about learning where weak spots are. Each map will have several paths to follow, stay with the herd and you’ll be safe for a bit longer. Your side might lose the match but at least you won’t die in the first 20 seconds.
You’ll find that the game makes narrative sense, not historical sense when it comes to tank characteristics. Soviet tanks are tough, with strong but inaccurate guns. American tanks have strong turrets and accurate guns but weak hulls. I don’t have any German tanks but I think they have very accurate guns. These are gross generalizations but usually appropriate once you head up the tech tree.
Different tank classes will also appeal to your play style.
Light tanks are scouts who usually don’t last long. They can be great fun if you want to play a racing game with cannon fire. A good scout makes the battle much easier, especially for artillery.
Medium tanks work well in packs and can also work well supporting heavy tanks by tracking and flanking heavier enemies. Most of the time you will be the first to contact and engage the enemy. How well you can push or defend your initial contact will decide how the heavies will fit in when they arrive.
Heavy tanks are usually slow, heavily armored and the focus of artillery. If you like being where the action is, go for this line.
Tank destroyers are the snipers in WoT, stealth and patience are required.
Artillery plays differently from the others- you enter into an overhead mode and spend your time playing a slow-motion whackamole. You will also become very paranoid about any little dots on the map, because that will be a scout who is trying to spot you.
When you are finally away from the lower tier dodgem cars, you will start to realise that each tank has weak points that you should aim for. Generally, turrets are stronger than hulls and the front is stronger than the sides and rear. Angle your hull at about 30 degrees towards the enemy (or higher if they can’t see your side) to make yourself stronger. Experience and/or research will allow you to figure out which parts of a tank to aim at. Things like view ports tend to be vulnerable.
With experience you will learn to ‘read’ the list of enemy tanks and prepare for them. If they have lots of light and medium tanks, sit back and prepare for a wolf pack to appear on the flank. Lots of artillery- make sure you find cover and stick to it. Lots of heavies, get ready for a zerg.
The matchmaker will try to make sure that you are not placed with tanks more than 2 tiers higher than you are (unless you are a scout or artillery).
If you are at the top of the list, you are one of the terrors of the map. This can be awesome but don’t play recklessly because proper focus firing will bring you down and it is downright embarrassing to be the toughest tank and the first to die.
If you are below halfway on the list, you are the equivalent of a minion. Sit back and support the top guys. If you are two tiers below the top guys, don’t pick any fights with them in the open.
I’m sure more of the guys here will offer their own advice, but probably my best advice is: play to enjoy the game. Don’t get caught up in any end-game grinding.
this.
As to the gross generalizations, they are gross. lol. Also french tanks often are paper thin with rapid fire guns that can put stupid amounts of hurt downrange. except below tier 5. there the french are stupidly hard targets with guns that couldnt punch their way out of a wet paper bag.
The russian medium line is zippity-zip fast up to tier five, and they become more like their heavy tank stereotype, though ending up with quick, small tanks with pretty good guns.
German guns are overrated. They tend to have fair armor, but lack somewhat in pure damage output. one of the things i noticed using greman tier 5 to 8 guns is that their penetration (how well they pierce armor) remains good with a fair bit of distance, while that of russian guns rapidly drops off.
But that is all late-tier talk. At the low-tiers the differences in guns arent as pronounced. what is more pronounced is the effect of range. your panzer II is not able to pierce something all the way across the map. so dont try.
With tracking, we mean shooting at the front or end parts of the tanks tracks (the drive and idler wheels) in order to break the tracks. this makes a tank stop, becoming a very easy target.
Do not underestimate what having a good radio does for your win ratio. What it does is put more dots on the map. not only the ones you have spotted, but also the ones in front are relayed to the ones behind you. So by having a great radio, you do your team a great service. Not one that is always used to full potential sadly ;-)
How do the various high-end premium tanks compare with the Lowe in terms of earning potential and ability to make a difference in a match? That 6 million credits for a Tier X M48A1 is looking awful far away without doing something to boost my earnings (especially after I managed to blow the 2.5 million I had saved up for it all on British tanks – now up to Tier VI Cromwell on the medium line and Tier V Churchill I on the Heavy Line). So I thought maybe I should take the plunge and get a Premium.
Essentially, as I see it at least, WoT is at its most enjoyable if you just play it as a cool shooter with realistically-modeled (graphically) tanks and interesting terrain. It’s at its worst as a progression MMO-wannabe grind fest. As the former, you can even play it 100% for free, if you’re not too competitive minded.
Unfortunately for me whenever a game holds out a progression carrot I find myself in a virtual Skinner box and keep pecking away for the food pellet…which is bad is this game.
I was playing around with low tier Brits in the medium line and having fun, though. Fast guns, fast tanks, little armor, but cool dynamics.
Lowes are universally regarded as good earners, or were until the last patches; I suspect they are still good. The T34 also makes good money; it’s what I use mostly. The Type 59, when it’s available, is also solid, but right now people tell me the JagdTiger 8.8cm premium TD is a great credit grinder. The Tier 8 premiums are the go-to money makers definitely. I see fewer IS-6s and SuperPershings than Lowes and T34s, but that may be because the Lowe has been around forever and the T34 ended up in a lot of people’s garages for free with the US heavy line revamp.
I have the M48, the E50M, and the T62-A; they’re all great tanks but very different. They all share one thing, though–they hit you right in the nuts in terms of cost of operation. In addition to the 6.1 million credits to buy them, their ammo is apparently made of unicorn horns and rainbow dust, and you need Gandalf and the Nazgul working together to repair them.
I find the Tier III and IV British tanks to be a lot of fun, especially on desert maps where you can play Eighth Army vs. the Afrika Korps. It’s too bad that the credits earned is so pitiful. I liked it enough though that I’m keeping my Valentine and Covenanter, and I actually went back and played through the alternate path so that I could get a Matilda.
Thanks. I was looking at the IS-6 since I didn’t want to be playing a Lowe like everyone else! But the “Horrible accuracy” and “Low penetration” in the WoT Wiki does make me a bit nervous.
Lovely.
Don’t let that stop you, though, as they’re all fun tanks. The M48A1 is a very versatile and effective medium, and with gold ammo can really put a hurt on heavies. Great scout/spotter too, even with the nerfs. The other two play like their Tier 9 versions, only on steroids.