Stream of the Year 2020: Q&A With Developers Digest

During the Stream of the Year, there was a Q&A with Artem Safronov, Executive Producer of World of Tanks, at the end. I’ve watched it live and prepared the following digest of all the important info shared for easier reading, forgive me for typos, errors, etc, the article will be updated in due time. Please consider that some things didn’t have a lot of details/information shared about, so we will have to wait for new information to be officially released.

HE Shells Rebalance 2.0

• The damage will calculate based on where the shell land exactly, so the armour will take a big part in calculating damage.
• Players will have to aim where to hit an HE shell to deal more damage. This means the thicker armour the less damage you will take/deal with HE.
• Developers want to “eliminate” the “Spam HE anywhere to deal damage”.
• HE changes will be tested in Sandbox first, making sure changes are good and not game-breaking.
• Spaced Armour will also play a bigger part against HE.

SPG Rebalance 2.0

• SPG will have new types of shells.
• The first will have Stun, fixed damage, a bigger splash.
• The second will have a smaller splash, no stun, bigger damage.
• The third one, regular damage, no stun. (Hark Note: It seems AP will make a return to SPG)
• Each type of shell will have different trajectories. First one will be wider, making it possible to maybe hit tanks behind obstacles, second will be lower but similar to the first one, AP will be faster but even lower arch.
• The idea is to create a different experience using SPG in the game.
• There will be a reduced reload if you are fully loaded and decide to change shells type. No decision on how much the reload will be reduced yet.
• Developers are considering implement “SPG Sixth Sense”. The way it will work is, if an SPG makes a shot the player will see an indicator that an SPG made a shoot, a few seconds only, not making massive different in gameplay, but gives the player an opportunity to “move” before he gets hit.
• Another big change will be the introduction of the siege mode to SPG, they will only be able to fire if in siege mode and not outside of it.
• Tracers will make a return to the game and will have a strong colour so counter SPG will be possible and easier.
• There will be a “splash zone area” that can be seen by SPG players, making it easier to understand if the splash will hit a target behind cover.
• The minimap will show indicators where SPG made a shot that hit, not precise, just the area. There is no final decision on how long the indicator will last but will give important information for players.

Crew System 2.0

• New crew skill system will have 75 Levels.
• The new Skill/Perk tree will allow a varied choice to make different builds.
• Sixth Sense will come as default to every crew.
• Tank crews will be reduced to one member, no more 3, 4, 5 or 6 crews members each tank. (Hark Note: Just as WOT Console or World of Warships)
• One Crew will be able to be trained for up to three tanks and still use any Premium tanks of the same Class and Nation.
• Introduction of Crew Instructors, these will give extra points to certain perks/skills, even above the limit level of the skill/perk.
• Crew rework won’t make you lose “perks/skills”. The conversion system will make sure that all the hard work into crews won’t be lost.
• Unique crews, like New Year and Female Crews, will have a purpose in the new system. (Possible will be Crew Instructors with good stat boost?)
• The conversion rate/system will be more detailed with the release of the first Sandbox.
• Developers emphasised how important these changes are and that they really don’t want players to lose out. They also asked everyone, who can, to play and give feedback when the Sandbox is released.

Battle Pass Changes

• Battle Pass will have three tanks, instead of two.
• There will be different acts and new options at certain stages on the battle pass to give different choices to players.
• The new styles will be given early in the battle pass, but there will be a progression for the style. New parts will start showing as you level up the Battle Pass.
• Points for the Battle Pass will be able to be earned during Ranked Battles now, not just Random battles.

Maps Training

• Players will be able to practice maps. The mode will work as a Training Room but with more options, etc. enabling players to learn how to play in certain areas, etc. This will be available to all players, not just new players.

Italian Heavy Tanks

• Coming with Update 1.11.1, nothing new here but for some reason is a big announcement…
• The new mechanic is aimed to be simple even for newer players but can be a bit difficult to understand.
• You will lose DPM if you fire the full clip in one go, or you can wait, not lose DPM but maybe lose the opportunity to take an enemy down.
• The longer you wait, or the “closer” you are to reload, the bigger the bonus you receive if you fire earlier.
• The new mechanic is aimed at those situations when, you need to shoot earlier to take an enemy down, or deal more damage, and not lose so much DPM with a longer reload.

Czech Tanks

• Not much announced, but there will be a new branch of Czech heavy tanks coming to the game, with a cyclic gun (no autoloaders, etc, just normal single shot).

New Maps

• Port Map will make a return, completely reworked.

Events

• Last Waffle event was a big test for Wargaming, and overall players liked the mode. It will make a return in 2021, with some improvements, but no major changes.
• Steel Hunter will return in 2021. It will come earlier in 2021 and there will be small changes.
• Frontlines will also be returning in 2021 with changes, but later in the year, no information about what is going to change.
• Halloween mode was a huge hit in 2020, after the fiasco of 2019 and the mode will make a return in 2021.

Other Information

• New Platoon search system. You will be able to look for random players to platoon with by entering a queue. Other player tanks will show in your garage too.
• Team Clans 2021 will be making a return with some changes, with four new Contributors, Dakillzor, Circon, Orzanel, NewMulti2k, and four smaller ones, MartyVole, L4ny-, Pamboum, Eekeeboo.
• Developers didn’t want to disclose the introduction of new nations, because of the amount of time/work that takes to get them into the game and not create expectations that can’t be met.
• 2021 will bring tanks to two nations, no further information. (Hark Note: CZ tanks and most probably will be UK tanks, as I know for secure source, they have a branch of Wheeled Tanks and one of Vickers/Chieftain!!! I’ve been told also that Swiss tanks will be introduced to the game, but possibly could make it in 2022 only…)
• 2021 will bring some rebalances to tanks, no details on which ones.
• There are no plans to introduce tanks above Tier X.
• No plans to improve or change Training Rooms.
• No plans to introduce Skilled Based Match-Making.
• Currently, developers don’t want to introduce new wheeled vehicles, due to bad feedback from players. (Hark Note: strange enough, they got a UK branch ready to be introduced…)
• Homefront mode might make a return, there are new ideas for it but nothing certain.
• Ammo rebalance is on stand-by for now, and changes will come in parts. With HE and SPG rework first, Ammo rebalance will be coming later as these changes are already “stressful enough”.
• There are plans to improve the Blueprint system, coming in the near future players might be able to convert blueprint fragments, etc.
• No plans to re-work RNG at all.
• “Unpopular” tanks could be rebalanced during the year if necessary. (Hark Note: this means tanks players don’t like to play, not CW or other tanks players don’t like to play against.)
• Developers thought about introducing Personal Missions 3.0, they even could do it this year, but they won’t because they want each new campaign to have something new and unique, so no high priority for now.
• No plans to introduce smoke grenades into the game, mainly due to performance in the game, for example, if several players deploy them at the same time.
• There are no plans to introduce a regular customizable garage, like Holiday Ops. (The regular garage but having customizable things.).

*Article Updated 14/12/2020: typos corrected, clearer information added and other things arranged.

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