Cavalry, attack aircraft, and another nerf to accuracy will appear in WOT.

Not so long ago we already wrote about the test server "", but all that we knew until now were only scraps of information and impressions of various bloggers.

Today Wargaming has completely uncovered the veil of secrecy and published a longread, which takes a lot of time to read, so we have collected for you all the most interesting things in this material. Go!

• The primary task is to set up a new balance for level 10 tanks, as well as light tanks of level 8. As soon as these machines are finished and all changes are approved, they will go lower.
• Goals:
  • increasing the role of tank armor;
  • reducing the cost of mistakes - with the increasing role of armor (and also, looking ahead, with nerfing accuracy and penetration at a distance), the tank will be more difficult to destroy at long distances, which will provoke more active actions;
  • reducing the risk of focused fire at long distances from multiple enemies;
  • reducing the combat distance;
  • increased variety of gameplay - with the introduction of new roles for tanks, it will be possible to experience new gameplay and completely different combat missions and methods of solving them;
  • increased combat dynamics (due to changes in armor penetration at a distance).

Nerf accuracy 2.0. I personally have already lost count of how many times we have changed the accuracy (if I’m not mistaken, then in patches and ). This time it is motivated in this way:

• reducing the combat distance,
• increased survival over long distances,
• increasing need to reduce completely.

Changing armor penetration with distance pursues the same goals - increasing the role of armor, survivability, as well as reducing the combat distance.

Roles

At the moment, the meaning of any type of equipment, with the exception of art, is blurred. Almost any tank can perform several tasks equally well at once.

Therefore, the developers decided to introduce seven new roles for tanks. The names are not final.

Cavalry- medium tanks with good armor and mobility.

The attack aircraft are maneuverable heavy aircraft with good frontal armor.

Heavy tanks - outstanding armor, poor maneuverability. Classic "tank".

Fire support - second line, effective weapons, but no armor.

The ambush vehicle is a classic class of anti-tank vehicles.

Scout - light tanks for spotting the enemy.

Artillery is the god of war)))

Thus, the ST and TT classes were mixed and became cavalry, attack aircraft, heavy troops and fire support.

Among other things, the developers mentioned " a noticeable decrease in review indicators." No details yet, but apparently this is another nerf.

Self-propelled gun rebalance

Some call this rebalance salvation, others call it the death of art in the game as a class. The point is that there will be no damage to art anymore. At all. Its main goal will be to support the main forces by stunning the crews of enemy tanks.

New opportunities will also appear:

• blast wave and stun- spreads along with the splash and temporarily worsens the performance characteristics of the tank caught in the affected area;
• Allied artillery marker- graphic designation on the map of the approximate area of ​​art information, a message will also be displayed indicating whether the SPG is charged.
• alternative sniper scope for arty- apparently we are talking about .

Balancer- a software mechanism whose functions include the distribution of players into teams before the start of the battle.

Introduction

The basis of the World of Tanks game is battles between two teams, consisting of 15 combat vehicles each. The vehicles are divided into classes (light, medium and heavy tanks, self-propelled anti-tank guns and self-propelled howitzer artillery), each class includes 10 levels of vehicle “development”. In order for “random battles” (the main game mode) to be interesting for players, it is necessary to complete three important conditions automatic selection of tanks:

• Equality of capabilities of military equipment of two opposing teams.
• Diversity of team compositions.
• Unpredictability of the course of the battle and its results.

This task is performed by the “balancer” - a module of the World of Tanks server part, which adds tanks to the team, makes them equal in “strength” and sends the teams into battle. The balancer appeared at the beginning of the closed beta testing of the game (it was not present at all during the alpha test). In his very first version, there were only two levels of battles (“sand” with tank levels 1-2 and general battles of levels 3-10). Then it was replaced by a more complex balancer, which is constantly being improved.

Principle of operation

The system analyzes the machines in the queue and selects one of the templates - server algorithms for collecting commands that determine the number of machines at the top, middle and bottom of the list.

The balancer begins its work by attempting to create a three-tier battle using the 3/5/7 template (three cars at the top, five cars in the middle and seven cars at the bottom of the list) or another variation of it (for example, 3/4/8, 3/ 3/9, etc.). The option chosen by the balancer depends on the composition of the queue. In any case, there will be no battles where the number of vehicles at the top of the list exceeds the number of vehicles in the middle. Guided by the same principle, the balancer does not create battles where the number of vehicles in the middle exceeds the number of vehicles at the bottom of the list. The following rules will always be followed:

• there cannot be more cars at the top of the list than in the middle;
• there cannot be more cars in the middle of the list than at the bottom.

Thus, the balancer ensures that, regardless of the player’s position in the team list, there will always be a sufficient number of enemy vehicles of a similar level for him, and the influence of such a player on the outcome of the battle increases.

Since April 3, 2019, the principle of operation of the balancer has been changed: dynamic templates have been added, which should reduce the number of battles against vehicles two levels higher, especially for vehicles of tiers VI and VIII. Tanks will be redistributed into single-level battles and battles with a difference of one level. Premium Tier VIII vehicles with a preferential battle level will be encountered less often in battle with an opponent of a higher level in a two-level battle and more often with opponents of the same level or a lower level.

Dynamic Templates

Unlike the current balancer with hard-coded templates, the new ones will dynamically adjust to changing queue conditions.

Templates 3-5-7 and 5-10 still remain relevant, but they will be used less frequently - when there is a suitable distribution of equipment by level in the queue.

Preliminary list of templates that will be used in the new balancer:

• 5-10, 7-8, 6-9 and 4-11 for two-level battles;
• 3-5-7, 3-6-6, 4-5-6 and 4-4-7 for three-level battles.

If the 3/5/7 team build causes players to wait in line too long, the balancer will loosen the requirements to create the matchup faster. In this case, two- and one-level battles can be created. The bulk of the battles will be three-level.

If a player has fought several battles in a row at the bottom of the list, the balancer will try to find such a player a place higher, regardless of whether the player went into battle on the same or on different cars. However, if waiting for such a battle takes too long, the balancer will send the player to any suitable battle. As a result, players will not have to wait in line for too long, and team compositions will correspond to the current situation on the server.

Creating a fight

Stage 1: Determining the range of vehicle levels in battle and the type of battle. First, the balancer determines the number of players and squads appropriate for each combat level, as well as the type of combat. Next, the system analyzes the modes specified by the players, the equipment they have chosen, its levels, as well as the standard or preferential level of battles.

Stage 2: Create two equal teams. Having determined the range of vehicle levels in battle and the type of battle, the system tries to distribute players among teams, taking into account balance requirements and restrictions:

• Patterns: Both teams must follow a pattern: the number of vehicles at the top, middle and bottom of the list must be the same.
• Self-propelled guns: the number of self-propelled guns is limited to three vehicles per team.
• Platoons: Only single-level platoons are allowed in random battles. The difference in the number of platoon players should be no more than three.
• Types of equipment: the difference in the number of self-propelled guns, light tanks and tank destroyers within each part of the team list should be no more than one vehicle.

At the same time, the balancer DOES NOT take into account vehicle nation, module configuration, equipment, equipment, crew level and player statistics, excluding the number of battles. The latter is taken into account when creating separate battles for beginners.

Stage 3: Select a card. Once the balancer finds a template that meets the requirements, he assembles teams, selects a map and creates a battle. Cards for low-level vehicles are randomly selected from a limited set. In other cases, the balancer determines a set of cards that correspond to the type of battle and the range of vehicle levels in the teams. Next, the program analyzes which maps the players fought on in the last few battles, and selects the one with the fewest tankers.

FAQ

Q: Is there a preferential battle mode for newly purchased stock vehicles?
A: Newly acquired vehicles without a platoon have an increased chance of getting to the top of the team list, however, this rule is neutralized if the server cannot create such a battle at the moment. Also, a preferential battle mode exists for the first twenty battles using first-level vehicles.

Q: Do premium cars have priority to get to the top of the team's list?
A: No, premium equipment has no advantages other than increased profitability and reduced repair costs. Some premium vehicles have preferential battle levels.

Q: At what point is a card selected? Before or after team formation?
A: The map is selected after both teams are formed.

At the GDC 2017 gaming conference, we talked about some significant changes to the game that players can expect in the near future. So, in the next update we will have an improved balancer and new Tier X light tanks. And a little later, it is planned to introduce a completely new mode of ranked battles - but first things first.

Improved balancer

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If we look at current system, then we will see that it allows you to create various compositions teams, including the 8/5/2 format, where the last two cars are in an extremely difficult situation. In terms of combat effectiveness, they are inferior to tanks from the middle and top of the list, and the battle situation does not always allow them to engage in battle with vehicles of their level. Being the most vulnerable in both teams, such tanks do not live long and quickly end up in the Hangar.

The improved balancer is designed to correct the balance of teams in battle thanks to a new system of templates and rules. It is based on three types of battles: battles involving equipment of three, two and one level. Other rules of the improved balancer will be able to solve some of the most common problems that are constantly voiced in the gaming community.

• Annoying situations will be eliminated when the number of vehicles at the bottom and in the middle of the list is less than the number of top vehicles (as in the above example), and situations with falling to the bottom of the list during a series of battles will also be corrected.
• Ensure an even distribution of vehicle types for both teams. A limit of three self-propelled guns will be introduced for one team.
• The combat effectiveness of platoons will increase: their creation will only be possible for single-tier vehicles.
• The repetition rate of cards will decrease.

The new system analyzes the queue of players: (the number of vehicles in the queue, types of vehicles, levels and battle levels of vehicles) and creates teams based on the principle of the ratio of waiting time and the optimal composition of teams. In other words, this system tries to create combat in such a way that the player gets into battle as quickly as possible and with as balanced a composition of teams as possible. If the search optimal conditions will drag on for the player, the system will slightly deviate from the given rules in order to quickly select a battle. The longer the waiting time, the more the system deviates from the established “reference” rules “3/5/7” and “5/10”. Now let's take a closer look at each of the three scenarios.

THREE LEVELS FIGHTS

If there is a variety of vehicles in the players’ queue and if the player goes into battle not on a level I-II vehicle, he will be included in the most likely lineup: a battle of three levels with a range of +/−2 levels. After analyzing the vehicles that are waiting to go into battle, the balancer will use the 3/5/7 template or one of its versions to create a team.

FIGHTS ON TWO LEVELS

1. With the current version of the balancer, you were probably thrown into battles of two levels, with a system of +/−1 level of balance. After introducing an improved balancer, we finalized these types of battles and, most importantly, introduced clear restrictions on the situations when such battles will be created: First of all, two-level battles will be used for low-level vehicles (levels I-II) - to create favorable conditions for beginner players.
2. Also, such battles will be created in situations where the state of the queue does not allow the creation of battles for three levels quickly enough. In such cases, the balancer will use the 5/10 template or one of its versions to create the team. And, just as in the case of battles of three levels, the longer the waiting time, the more the system will deviate from the established 5/10 pattern. In addition, there will no longer be battles where the number of vehicles in the middle of the list is lower than the number of vehicles at the top of the list.

BATTLES OF THE SAME LEVEL

Situations when at a certain moment a large number of vehicles of the same level are collected in the queue can lead to a long wait to enter battle. To speed up the process, the improved balancer will create battles of vehicles of the same level.

OTHER MECHANICS

In addition to those listed three options battles, several new mechanics will also appear in the balancer. Each of them will help fix the problems listed by players and improve the gaming experience:

Getting to the top/middle/bottom of the list. If a player was ranked at the bottom of the list for several battles in a row, then in the next battle he will most likely end up in the middle/top, regardless of whether he went into battle in the same car or chose a different one during this series of battles.

Range of technology. The difference in the number of light tanks, self-propelled guns and tank destroyers in opposing teams can determine the outcome of the battle before it begins. Therefore, the improved balancer will begin determining the composition of teams with these three types of equipment. The goal of balance will be a situation in which each team will have the same number of cars of each of these types. However, there is one “but”: the composition of the teams also depends on the size of the waiting queue and on how many cars of a certain type are in the queue at a certain moment. Thus, all five vehicle types will not always be represented on both teams.

Self-propelled guns. To prevent an excess of self-propelled guns from negatively affecting the gameplay, we have introduced a limit on the number of artillery per team. Now each team can have a maximum of three self-propelled guns. This limitation was recently tested in the Sandbox: it had a positive effect on the gameplay and received good feedback from testing participants and will appear on the main servers very soon.

Platoons. Another unfortunate scenario is when platoon members find themselves in battles against equipment that is more than 3 levels superior to their own. In the current version, this happens due to the fact that one platoon can consist of vehicles of different levels. A typical situation: you create a platoon on a Tier V vehicle with a friend on a Tier VIII vehicle - and find yourself in battle against Tier IX-X vehicles. Agree, this is not very pleasant. An improved balancer will allow you to create platoons exclusively from vehicles of the same level in random battles, which will solve the problem forever.

Rotation of cards. We are currently receiving many reports of the same cards appearing too often during the same game session. An improved balancer will help reduce such situations to a minimum. It analyzes all the maps on which the players from the two teams being created have played the last ten battles, and then selects the best possible map: the one on which the players from both teams played the least, or the one on which they did not play at all.

Light tanks

Initially, light tanks were used as support vehicles accompanying other vehicles and could not act as independent combat units. This concept still exists: the restriction of light tanks to Tier VIII very often leads to these vehicles ending up in battles against “dozens”.

To correct the situation, we are extending the light tank branches to level X. Thanks to this, light tanks, like other types of equipment, will be able to show their worth in the range of +/−2 levels. They will continue their role as support vehicles with a focus on reconnaissance, but now with increased firepower.

We will also rebalance all light tanks to ensure that these vehicles meet the updated conditions. After all, now they will find themselves in battles against vehicles a maximum of 2 levels higher, whereas previously light tanks were configured taking into account their possible participation in battles against vehicles three levels higher. As a result, the gameplay for light tanks will change significantly. Vehicles that are currently at Tier VIII will move to a higher level - except for vehicles from the China research tree: a completely new Tier IX light tank, the WZ-132A, will be added to it.

In battles on X level, players will be able to get acquainted with five new light tanks: XM 551 Sheridan (USA), T-100 (USSR), Spz. 57 (Germany), WZ-132-1 (China) and AMX 13 105 (France). Check out these beauties:

Light tanks of Tier X will show off the compact dimensions characteristic of their class and will become serious rivals for their “classmates” of Tier VIII-IX thanks to unsurpassed mobility, improved viewing radius, increased number of hit points, as well as increased armor penetration and one-time damage of guns. When adjusting their balanced characteristics of light tanks, we sought to give them performance characteristics that would improve the classic gameplay of this class of vehicle and at the same time bring something new to it.

Results of the second iteration of the “Sandbox”

We did a great job this January with the second iteration of the Sandbox. On behalf of the entire World of Tanks team, we thank all the players who contributed to testing and shared their opinions. The feedback we received was extremely valuable and helped us determine what was helpful, what was not, and how we could address shortcomings. Below we present brief results.

Stage 1. Change in shooting accuracy, decrease in armor penetration with distance and the value of one-time damage.

A change made to the spread of projectiles within the scope reduced the number of "incredible" shots. However, it also led to a drop in accuracy when shooting with full aim, which was completely different from our goals. Therefore, we are submitting this edit for revision.

Testing the drop in armor penetration with distance brought to the fore a much more important problem. After studying the results, we came to the conclusion that this change will not bring the expected results (allowing heavy tanks to reduce the firing distance) without a significant change in HEAT shells. And this is an important decision, the adoption of which will affect the entire gameplay and, most likely, will require corresponding balance changes to other types of projectiles. Therefore, it was decided to return to it later, after conducting thorough analysis and modeling. Current changes will not be implemented on live servers.

As for testing changes to one-time damage, we continue to compare the behavior of players on all units of equipment whose characteristics have been changed. And we will need some time to analyze and reach the final conclusion. Although we can already see that the idea of ​​​​increasing the damage of 120 mm guns to the level of damage of 122 mm guns found a response among the players and showed good results, — changes to the one-time damage of large-caliber guns still need improvement. We will return to them later, after a thorough analysis of all the information received.

Stage 2-3 Significant changes in the characteristics of the self-propelled guns

Work on changing the characteristics of self-propelled guns is proceeding very successfully. Feedback and combat statistics collected during testing of Tier X vehicles showed that the proposed changes improved the dynamics and enlivened the gameplay. Currently, we have expanded the list of tested vehicles by adding Tier VIII and IX vehicles. Next week our team will continue to work: we will carefully study your feedback and analyze the huge amount of collected statistics. Based on the results of the analysis, once we know how the current changes will affect gameplay, we will make further changes (if necessary).

Visit the Sandboxes blog for a detailed report, and check out the Stage 3 program:

A new mode in development - “Ranked Battles”

For a long time, players have been asking to add the opportunity to test their strength and compete with players of equal skill levels. And today we announce: soon ranked battles will appear in the game! Truly great battles are coming!

Ranked battles will be held exclusively on Tier X vehicles and will be divided into seasons . You'll get a great chance to show what you're worth in 15 vs 15 battles! The greater your contribution to the victory, the higher you will appear in the special table of ranked battles. At the same time, victory will not be the most important indicator: your contribution to the outcome of the battle will play a more important role. And if, despite all your efforts, your team is defeated, you can still move up the ranking ladder. This means that your place in the ranking battle table depends solely on you! As you move up the ladder, both the stakes and the strength of the enemy increase. In addition, the selection of the enemy also depends solely on your position: in a special queue of random battles the balancer will select players exclusively with the same rank. And, if you show outstanding results in battle and during the season, pleasant rewards await you.

It is worth noting that the Ranked Battles mode is still in the early stages of development. But we hope you're looking forward to seeing all of these changes hit the live servers. And as their release date approaches, we will tell you all the details about them.

New graphics

Finally, the game will see some significant graphical changes this year. We are sure that you will appreciate them. Although why say it a hundred times if you can see it once:

This year we also plan to significantly rework the game engine and add a number of new game features to it - most of these plans were already announced at GDC 2017.

We hope that you, like us, are looking forward to the moment when all the long-awaited innovations appear in the game and you can immerse yourself in testing. As testing gets closer and closer, we will continue to keep you up to date with all the latest news.

2 years and 7 months ago Comments: 5

Balance in terms of efficiency () in battle is a new game balance that players are talking about more and more often. Is it possible to implement this in game World of Tanks? This procedure is very difficult to implement. Some players may gain an incredible advantage because they once played very poorly but have improved their game. And due to the reluctance to change accounts, they will end up with players who do not play very well, because such an indicator as efficiency rises harder and harder with each battle. Accordingly, victories will be easy and will subsequently discourage interest in the game. As a result of this balance, even more players may leave the game, as many will also complain about the team.

Even if we assume that such a procedure is possible, the entire balance of the game breaks down. This is due to the fact that there will be too many tanks of the same class playing.

Of course I have, another variant- a combination of balance in technique and skill. But this technology is much more complex, and a couple of lines of code will not be enough. In addition, the developers will not agree to this procedure, because they will lose a considerable audience of players.