3401

My favourite tanks are the T46, M5, M7 & M4E8, I am happily smelling the roses in lower tiers without paying premium. Just unlocked the M7, but wil be some time before can buy it. RamII (bought during 1/2 price sale) my “competitive” money maker tank.

I think one issue is that many people do rush up tiers, and as the grind gets longer, means that their high tier tanks end up with much better crew - i.e. it is often possible to jump T3 to T4 with your T3 crew not up to 70%. I unlocked the M7 with my M5 crew at 69%. But there is a big difference in playing a tank with good crew (100%) and mediocre crew. So I view the M5 as a keeper, and will just dump all experience into crew training

I view the game as a nice lightweight stress relief. Rare that I play a tank more times than is needed to get the 2x bonus.

3402

And now the ultimate in whining. A T34 said he liked the match because this was the first time he could actually damage everything. No not a Russian T-34 medium, a USA Heavy Tier IX T34.

I suppose it’s possible that without gun upgrades there is stuff he can’t hurt from the front (quick wiki check says T34 guns penetrate 170, 198, or 248mm). But jeez it’s ridiculous for a Tier IX heavy to complain about matchmaking.*

  • I suppose this is arguably not whining, since he phrased it in a positive manner. But “thank goodness I can actually damage everything” certainly implies the opposite “usually my matches suck because I can’t hurt stuff.”
3403

I am very sympathetic to people who are not enjoying the game because of the unequal battles. I’m also not that worried about it personally because I don’t pay any attention to the tiers in the battle I’m in, but to the roles. Admittedly, I do not play light tanks, as I think the game doesn’t give them enough to do nor does it have a solution for the lights all being lower tiers but still dumped into high tier matches, which when combined with the bizarre spotting system creates oddities that are more often unpleasant than intriguing.

But for mediums and heavies, there’s always something to do. I’m not ashamed of hiding or holding back, either. Guard the arty, be a backstop, even a speed bump if necessary. And so many higher tier players are less than stellar players that you can often literally run rings around them in a cheaper tank.

The one-shotting is a bitch, I agree; I really, really hate the game’s love of derp guns and ludicrously powerful HE attacks, but I’ve learned to live with it.

With my Tier VII stuff it’s much, much better–the SU-152, T-29, and DB are fun to play, and I can generally kill stuff even with the L70 in my almost stock DB. The 122 in the SU and the 105 on the T-29 can do a number on things, and while I still flee in terror from Maus and IS-7, I’ll stick around and annoy anything else usually.

But then, I view this game as an extended version of solitaire. I do put a few bucks into premium and some gold here and there, but no more than I’d put into a regular MMO, and the payback so far is worth it. I don’t know about longevity, as I’m getting bored with the maps and the really drab same-o missions.

3404

I had exactly the same experience as you with tier 3 TDs. My marder was always always thrown in at the bottom of the list, is made of paper and didnt have the gun to significantly damage the vehicles it was thrown in against or the speed and maneuverability to scout. PzIIIA was also a piece of junk that had the sole virtue of speed. But after grinding my way to tier 4 things are much much better with better match ups and vehicles (once upgraded) that are useful even when at the bottom of the list.

Stick it out.

3405

There is an issue with TDs and SPGs (maybe not so bad for SPGs) that they are treated as being one tier higher than they really are for matchmaking. Right now that not a good deal if you are lower tier TD driver.

Generally I would say if you are starting out in this game: drive a tank. TDs and SPGs are definitely a harder road.

3406

Once you get that last gun in the Marder, the 7,6cm Pak36®, it is just vicious. It can easily damage tanks up to 4 tiers above it. It’s a better gun than the Tier IV Hetzer ever gets and is better than all but the last Tier V StuG guns.

The Marder’s 7,6cm Pak36® penetrates 118mm which is more than the frontal armour on a Tier VI VK3601(H), a Tier VI M6 Heavy Tank, or even the front hull of a Tier VII Tiger I or the front turret of a Tier VII IS.

The second Marder gun is actually pretty decent with 98mm of penetration. The starting 5cm is admittedly pretty poor.

3407

Yeah Marder with the top gun is great fun, though you still die very easily. Good positioning + that gun = fun in any tier battle

3408

Really? You are in a tier 3 TD against kv’s (tier 5) and you are complaining? Are there like 12 kv’s above you? Not likely.

There is almost always something for you to do regardless of your tier or class. It’s no fun trying to kill a superfast tank on a KV, that’s something the lower tier teammates should do.

Also with a marder, even without the top gun, you can mess up a KV pretty bad with HE. There is nothing more frustrating than having a loader or gun or engine or whatever killed when you are on a KV. The KV is slow, pretty inaccurate, slow reloading tank to begin with. You mess up his modules and he becomes an easy prey.

Be creative when you are a lower tier, don’t just suicide run. Finding a way to help your team no matter the tier, that’s where the real challenge and real fun is, not in being able to one shot any tank on the map.

3409

I don’t have the Marder, but I can confirm that the top tier gun is definitely a pain in the ass against my KV, luckily most Marder’s are fresh from the factory and completely useless. I’ve been tempted to go back to the Marder, at least it has super long range and accuracy on its side.

My main complaint with the matchmaker is those matches full of heavies that I can only hurt small percentages on, yet are quite capable of one shotting me. And if I’m a stock vehicle, i’m just screwed until i get a chance to upgrade. Could you imagine being a stock KV and facing off against a Lowe? It’s not like the KV can back away from anything it encounters.

BTW the stock VK3001P – omg, really? This is a tier 6 vehicle? Did they have to make it entirely shit? Couldn’t they have bumped its engine up by one at least?

3410

Until you unlock the gun upgrade the T34 is indistinguishable from the T29. Unless he springs for a gold crew, a new T34 player is going to be driving a tank that the matchmaker thinks is a tier 9 tank, but is worse than his tier 7 tank.

If that’s not a recipe for frustration, I don’t know what is… It’s also an excellent example of how the “freemium” business model encourages terrible game design.

3411

I’m probably the dickhead he’s facing in the KV, my KV is 100 percent crew with a 107mm Zis, with a spall liner and a rammer. It is not inaccurate, and shrugs off low tier HE fire. I can completely understand why they are splitting the KV into two tanks, and upping the tier on the KV-2. I regularly get large numbers of kills when I’m top tier in games. (10 is my highest, but I’ve gotten several 9’s, and usually average 4-6)

Of course that probably makes my complaints about matchmaking seem more like whining, but I really don’t mind the KV versus tiers 6 and 7, and if there were only 1 or 2 tier 8s, ok fine, but when it’s over 1/3, and its tanks that I can barely scratch, it’s not like I can scout or something.

3412

Yes but KV’s don’t start in that top notch configuration, for each KV like yours there are probably 5 KVs in lesser configuration.

3413

It’s horrendous. By the time you get it fully upgraded, it’s pretty solid, with the 88 and decent survivability/mobility. Not great, but decent. Luckily the DB is not bad, with a lot of health and even with the L70 a solid gun early on. The tracks cost like 11k though to get to the 12k or something for the new turret so you can mount the 88 you unlocked with the P, but then it’s only about 4k to the 10,5cm after that.

3414

Yeah the upgraded 3001P is definitely a very nice tank. You’ll have this same experience with the Panther when you hit it btw; the unupgraded Panther is an absolute broken-down slug. The fully upgraded Panther is a finely tuned killing machine.

The VK3002DB was not bad out of the gate, by contrast.

3415

Im in a su-76 with the 57mm gun against the hvy tanks I do almost no damage to them and all of them can one shot me with my crappy 150 hps. When its anyone sees me and I am dead, it does take the fun away.

3416

Heh, you just don’t bother reading, so I won’t bother writing about it anymore.

3417

I did read everything you said. But it just doesn’t work that well when the TD you are in can be one shot by every thing you are facing on the battlefield.

3418

First, with such a rapid fire gun, sit 15+ meters behind cover (bushes or tree tops). Not right beside it, as was done prior to 0.6.4, but 15 meter or further behind the soft cover. You won’t spot a thing, but you can still get radio transmissions from your teammates, and will rely on that.
If you try to snipe the old way, you will lose the camouflage bonus from the bushes/trees every time you fire.

Second, don’t shoot heavy tanks on the front. Don’t bother shooting KVs with that gun on the sides. Concentrate on damaging other, far softer targets, which usually comprise 2/3 of the enemy team.

This will allow you to get to the SU-85B, which at first will be the same as your SU-76 but with more HP and some other improvements. However, when you unlock the final 88mm gun (130mm penetration, 160 damage, high ROF), you will be amazed at how powerful this tier 4 TD is. You’ll still need to employ the same bush/tree techniques (so don’t waste money on binoculars), but you will experience a tremendous jump in combat effectiveness.

And always remind yourself that, as of 0.6.4, and until you’re in a Ferdinand, JagdTiger or Object 704, you’re purely a sniper when playing a TD. Purely in a support role. And that you’ve chosen the hardest type of vehicle in the game, as of 0.6.4.

Indeed, I find that this patch nerfed TD effectiveness so badly that I have not a single TD left in my garage, as I hate the pure support role. Instead I play my Panther, T-44 and T23. And now also the Sherman E8 in preparation for the US TD line, two of which will have turrets and one will have decent front armor, good speed and a good gun, so might be effective even after 0.6.4.

3419

[LEFT]Listen to Supper. In a TD you need to be patient, hide and snipe. Aim for the tracks or use HE to set him up for a teammate. I made the comment to some friends just yesterday that the TD is made to be played while drinking beer or maybe taking prescription pain medication and sipping tea. Either way, there’s an aspect of it that makes sedation an asset rather then a liability. When you get to the SU85 with the 107mm you’ll reap the benifit of those tactics. [/LEFT]

3420

… and you will be 1-2 shotted most of the time. :) Well, except for probably JagdPanther as it bounces a lot of shots as of 6.4. if you don’t like to be one shotted, you should probably play a heavy.

Indeed, I find that this patch nerfed TD effectiveness so badly that I have not a single TD left in my garage, as I hate the pure support role. Instead I play my Panther, T-44 and T23. And now also the Sherman E8 in preparation for the US TD line, two of which will have turrets and one will have decent front armor, good speed and a good gun, so might be effective even after 0.6.4

Yes, TD’s are strange beasts right now, especially the lower tier German ones, as they don’t have powerful (for their tier) guns like the Russians do. They are forced to “shoot and move” kind of playstyle and, naturally, they are worse at it than the “regular” tanks. Still, for some weird reason (improved accuracy?) I still enjoy playing TD’s.

One thing that concerns me about the US TD’s is the top speed of the their top TD (T95) - 15 kmh. That’s freaking slow, so taking into consideration the above, I am not sure how it’s supopsed to be played. Yes, it has ARMOR but, similarly to Jagdtiger, it will most likely have weak spots. And with that speed, arty is going to love them.

I am also not sure what’s going to be the “theme” of the US TD’s, except for the 2 turreted ones. Soviets have more damage (between the existing 2 countries), Germans have more accuracy and ROF, where does it leave the US? So-so damage and so-so accuracy? MObility? But the German TD’s, except for the top two, are already extremely mobile.

Surely, it will be fun to try them out though (both killing and driving them :)).