Sandbox 2021: Changes to SPGs
3 min readThe third Sandbox iteration is here and is devoted to testing important and complex changes to SPG and other vehicle types. From a new skill called Sound Detection, brighter shell tracers, markers of SPG shots on the minimap and the reworked Intuition skill, there is plenty to test and to see how these changes can influence the gameplay.
To make things easier to understand, Wargaming has released a video that explains every change with many details, because of this, I highly recommend you to watch it or read the official article before you head out to the Sandbox Server. The third Sandbox iteration will run from March 09 through March 16, so make sure you give them a try and send feedback to Wargaming when the time comes.
Quick List of Changes
- Brighter Shells Tracers – shell tracers will become much more noticeable, so its easier to see them and understand from where you are getting hit by SPG.
- Sixth Sense for Arty – A new indicator will display when an SPG fires a shot if your vehicle is inside the affected area.
- Minimap Shot Markers – A new minimap indicator will show you where the SPG last hit their shots, making it possible for you to make tactical decisions and even know when the approximate enemy SPG reload time.
- Three Shell Types – This is not necessarily new, but something that should have never left the game. We will get again the possibility to test three shell types with SPG:
- Standard HE Shell – Large burst radius, low damage, low penetration, stun.
- Alternative HE Shell – No stun, small burst radius, higher damage, higher penetration.
- Tactical Shell – No stun, no burst radius, high damage and high penetration, must hit the target to deal damage.
- Changing Shell Types Quickly – Intuition perk will be worked and will become a skill that changes the shell type loaded more quickly. Fully trained will speed up reloading by 70%, but go up to 84% with other skills/consumables/equipment. The skill only works when reloading a new shell type, not the overall reload, for example, when a Standard HE is loaded and you want to reload a Tactical Shell, with the reworked Intuition skill can take off 70% of that reload time.
- SPG Ammo Interface Changes – New interface features will also be introduced, where you will be able to see which shell type is loaded and they will have coloured indicators:
- Green Indicator means there are no obstacles in the path of the shell
- Red Indicator means the shell won’t reach the target
- Zoom scale indicator is now displayed on the interface
- Estimated shell travel time indicator next to the crosshair
A lot of changes, but are they positive for the game? Let us know your thoughts down in the comment section.
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Sounds like they want to cripple arty in the game… why not just take it out… all of the changes seem to simply mark the arty more so that wheeled tanks can run straight over and kill them.
Fancy that WG say the arty is the most controversial type… but have not nerfed the wheeled clown cars that seem to move without any real life G-force impact to the crew…
Why are they only offering tokens for Lights, Mediums, Heavies and Destroyers? I thought that this was an arty test…. It seems like they only want feedback from non-arty players!
They nerved wheels 3x since they came out but kk. And yea it would be better for the Game if the Arty gets removed
EBRs know where arty is. In 90% of the time they are in the same spot. These changes will make playing against arty more pleasant hopefully more most tanks. And oh buhu arty dies to EBRs. Even if I lose to that, it is always rewarding to see them die. Most of the time when I know we win I let the enemy ebr through to my arty and kill him afterwards.
With these changes arty has to think, preload and change the ammo type more often as it is less punishing and move more often and stay closer to the own forces as they cant shoot and immediatley move afterwards.
Could be interesting.
BUT do the sandbox and give WG your opinion afterwards. As seens in Crew 2.0 it works and they listen when the backlash of the community is there
They should also limit 1 arty per mm,
good. limit it to 1 a team aswell
lol all the changes to arty, meanwhile wheelies still bounce shells off the wheels. make 90degree turns at full speed, have amazing accuracy when shooting on the move, and move super fast even when the wheels are damaged…
Just reading about these changes is a kick in the nuts to Arty players. Serb said they would never remove Arty, but these changes will make it worthless to play as ever Arty will be countered by the enemy within the first 5 minutes of the game. You will never be able to do any damage worth the credits that you will lose. I guess the unicums tears finally won out and they are going to castrate arty.
still sceptical of the AP shell with over 300mm of pen and around 500 dmg, that could become a new problem if not taken care of properly.
Funny how that guys who above who says that he lets wheelies in to kill off his own arty – talk about a scam bag.. he is probably the first to request fire at an enemy player… what apiece of…. such toxic person..
Arty is there for a reason, to support players when they advance. Having a cry about getting hit is just showing your lack of vision of the whole game… when sixth sense goes off… it is not just a light etc… nooo you just sit there like a turd on a rock..
dispersion is rubbish on arty… so no slash means they have to hit you.
Wow.. this dude that would let his own team members get killed intentionally… you sir are a scum bag. each type has its place… and purpose. The fact that you can’t handle getting hit by arty just shows that you sit in a spot and don’t move.
Found the butthurt arty player.
Shooting through the tires and still causing damage despite not hitting the hull would be unfair to the wheeled vehicles. If you wanna cripple “wheelies,” fire HE at them. They slow to a crawl once they lose more than 2 tires.
About the special shells… could it be actually more interesting and better for gameplay to give arty a different tactical option altogether, making a third (or fourth) shell into a smoke shell that would break line-of sight detection through an area?
(This could later be used in conjunction with other possible future mechanics like giving tracked LTs and/or MTs smoke generators/launchers, thus bringing a more variety to various lines and tanks…)
Also, I don’t think bringing in the fast shell switching mechanics as a perk might be that good idea… maybe it would be better to allow arty to “dig in”, making the vehicle immobile (and thus vulnerable to counter-fire) and slowing the traverse of the gun for anything more than a very narrow angle, but m***ively decreasing the reload time (and maybe increasing the accuracy, simulating a situation after landing a few ranging shots)… in that way, arty could switch between fast firing “area denial” emplacement (against tanks clustered in choke points) and a slower firing mobile weapon (that could work better against moving enemies and at closer ranges)
“The fact that you can’t handle getting hit by arty just shows that you sit in a spot and don’t move”
But thats what arty basically is… scumbags that dont move thats why its easy for ebr to find them.
I play all the types… funny how you all seem to get through the Stug IV campaign… without playing arty?
Stop being a troll and grow up
stop crying bout arty, just stop sitting at one place -.- now ill be starting to play arty just beacuse of butthurt players like u guys hope they bring back old AP shells that do 1000 dmg