UPDATE: As of Wednesday, 19 April 2023, this post is no longer relevant. In response to the negative outcry from some of the community, the new Crew Perk System has effectively been scrapped, retaining only some of the smaller quality-of-life updates — the new perks and rebalances to existing skills will NOT be implemented to the live servers. More details can be found here: https://thedailybounce.net/world-of-tanks/updates-to-wot-plus-and-crew-rework-they-listened/
For the sake of preservation, the original 31 March 2023 post (no longer relevant) can still be found below:
Today, Wargaming has released an important announcement regarding the new Crew Perk system, including a welcome policy change: for the first 30 days upon logging into the game after Update 1.20.1 launches, you will be able to reset ALL of your crews’ perks for free, allowing you to change up your existing crews’ perks as much as you like (and even experiment with more-than-one perk setup, all without having to pay)!
So as not to mince any words, here is the official statement taken from the portal article:
Commanders!
Thank you to everyone who already participated in the Common test and shared their feedback. The new Crew Perk System is a significant update that will affect everyone, and we intend to make the transition to the new system as comfortable as possible. We believe the old system needed an update to provide more value for everyone.The new system aims for:
- Competitiveness of every perk. Moving away from the current situation where all players choose the same perks and creating an environment where diverse and thoughtful decision-making is encouraged.
- Solidifying the perk system. The same easily understandable rules apply to every player and crew, supported by game interfaces.
- Fair perk distribution. A roughly equal number of perks should be available for all qualifications, and the mechanics should work smoothly and fairly across the board.
- Easy implementation of future improvements. Establishing a foundation that easily allows the implementation of future improvements, such as:
- removal of 50% and 75% trained crew members,
- allowing a single crew to operate multiple vehicles,
- implementing mechanics to transfer unused crew experience from one crew to another
Monetization was never part of these goals. We recognize that adjusting to these changes may not be simple, so we are introducing a special promotion to help you get comfortable with the new system, experiment with different configurations, and settle on your preferred setup. From the release of Update 1.20.1 until the end of 2023, this promotion allows you to reset crew perks for free for 30 days. When you log in to the game for the first time after the update, you’ll have one month to experiment with crew perks without any penalties. Additionally, we will credit 12 retraining orders to all players.You will receive the free crew perk reset from the release of Update 1.20.1 until the end of the year. The 30-day period starts immediately after the first login following the update.
Official FAQ
Several concerns were raised during the Common test, and we would like to address them directly.
- If all perks in the new system are useful, doesn’t this force players to get them all?
We’ve added more perks to the game and balanced them against each other to ensure their value depends on your playstyle and vehicles. However, we have not changed the experience progression system, as we are sure that having the ability to learn all perks shouldn’t be reachable. We also believe it’s important to have a sense of progression and to learn the perks gradually. Additionally, we’ve found that after the fifth or sixth perk, the resources required to progress outweigh the benefits gained. With more perks available now, players must decide which perks to choose and what final setup to get.While perks can influence battles, it’s important to remember that factors such as map knowledge, driving skills, and tactical decision-making play a crucial role. We’ve opted to maintain the experience system as it is to ensure that new players aren’t immediately outmatched by highly-trained opponents. It’s important to us to preserve the basics of crew training while encouraging players to think more deeply about their choices.
- Why is the number of available perks per crew not limited?
Developing a few favorite crews is an important part of this and future changes. We have already announced that you will be able to train one crew for multiple vehicles. Also, we will let you transfer experience from unused tankers to crews you are using, and we don’t want to limit this system. We conducted experiments with perk limitations in Crew 2.0 on sandboxes, and these changes, among others, received negative feedback, which dissuaded us from implementing them in the game. As a result, we have focused on a more consistent approach to improving the current system.Implementing such restrictions would also raise certain issues where no easy solutions are apparent, particularly for crews with already more perks than the limit which will have no chance to progress further or may even be scaled down.
- Does the new Crew Perk System potentially create imbalanced or overpowered crews?
To avoid imbalances, we invested effort into simulating various scenarios, including applying the maximum possible bonus to specific performance characteristics and considering all consumables, perks, equipment, and more. We also conducted practical tests. Nonetheless, we will closely monitor the situation after the release to quickly address any imbalances if they arise.
Once again, we want to express our gratitude for your comments, opinions, and concerns. We believe the new system will benefit all players by adding more variety and depth to the game. The crew is an important mechanic of our game, and we assure you that we will continue improving it.
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