Jan 11, 2013
11.1.2013 part 2
- it's not clear yet whether the DW will be DW1 or DW2 or combination of both or whether it will really be designated as a heavy tank
- Q: "Since you ban nazi-named clans, will you ban homosexual-named clans too? After all children play the game" A: "A necrozoopedophile came visiting, tiny dead animals he brought with him" (SS: end of quote - and yes, it does rhyme in Russian) - apparently not, devs will ban only those names that are illegal by law
- 105mm L/100 gun - devs tried to implement such a weapon, looked horrible, was scrapped
- D-25 won't have its accuracy buffed. Devs state that its real-life accuracy was comparable to the German 88 L/71 and if they implemented it as such, everyone would be playing Russian tanks only
- devs don't think it's wrong (and unbalanced) that tanks from different eras fight each other (SS: for example that the Tiger was so overhyped and yet when facing T8-9 it underperforms)
- SerB states that if the amount of arty per battle doesn't drop after the introduction of tier 10 arty, more nerfs will come
- there is a possibility smokescreens will eventually make it into the game, but so far it's just an idea (SS: technical reasons, smoke is quite requiring)
Chieftain's Q&A: US server
Thanks to Vipez from the German community and US guys, we have some answers from The Chieftain, who
is one of the historical experts working on World of Tanks and is active
in the US community (he's the counterpart to EU's The Challenger) :)
I skipped the questions about Challenger's real life experience with tanks, if you have time - go over it, it's rather interesting
Source: http://www.reddit.com/r/WorldofTanks/comments/16c7y9/i_am_the_chieftain_wargaming_americas_director_of/
Q: I find the lack of communication between players in the game. So my question is: are there any plans on fixing this gap in communication. And how do you handle tactical decisions in "pubbie" matches?
A: Yes, there are such plans. Partially for tactical communications purposes, and partially also just to enhance the social aspect of the game. It's a team game, after all, why not talk with your team mates?
Q: When will chat be fixed/changed?
A: I've seen a date, but can't recall what it is. But I have seen a date. They've been working the problem for a while.
Q: Light tanks like T-50-2, ELC AMX and Chaffee can reach really high speeds. So I was wondering were there a lot of losses caused by bad driving, or driving on uneven terrain that led to tanks being lost or crew being seriously injured? I assume there were some losses but were they really big, or was it just an occasional thing?
A: Heavy tanks can cause the same problem. You've seen those publicity shots of a T-90 shooting whilst in mid-air after launching from a ramp? Yeah, I do -not- want to be the gunner on that tank when it hits the ground and the sight comes up to meet him. Even a solid application of the brakes on a 70-ton M1 can result in lost teeth atop the hatches.
Q: What books would you recommend on Tank lore?
A: On the specifications? For the US, Hunnicutt is the standard. For German, Doyle/Jentz. British, usually Fletcher, and Russian is much easier if you speak Russian.
Q: Heard someone on forums suggest 5man platoons that get paired up with other 5man platoons in 15v15 matches. Any plans on something like this?
A: Not that I'm aware of. Would reduce the enjoyment of the random pubbies who become 'also rans' and 'cannon fodder' for the 5-man platoons.
Q: What arty do you think should be used to fill in the gaps if the current 8s go to 10 as has been mentioned in the past by WG?
A: I have sent some suggestions to Minsk. Whether they listened to me or not is another matter, but some of those suggestions have appeared on the proposed ten-tier branch I've seen come back, so I choose to believe that they did.
Q: First off, what is the story with Italian tanks?
A: Last I heard they are still going into the Pan-Euro tree. I've seen an interesting player proposed tree with enough entrants to almost make Italy a viable nation on its own, however, but I think it falls short at the Tier X level.
Q: Second off, have there been thoughts about adding in other cosmetic options to tanks other than inscriptions and flags?
A: There have been such thoughts.
Q: Any info on the American-British lend lease line? Looking forward to driving a Firefly and a desert rat Stuart.
A: I don't know if they'll put the Jerboa icon in the right place for the lend-lease tanks, but otherwise you'll be OK. I even see the Caunter scheme as a camo option. As for which specific lend-lease tanks will be there... I'm not in a position to reveal if it's not out already.
Q: Hi. I'm curious if you're happy with the state of clan wars and if you'll pursue eGaming more than you are now?
A: Clan Wars is still in Beta, so obviously someone thinks it can still be tweaked. We are making a much bigger push into E-Sports this year.
Q: Are there any plans to introduce skills/perks/bonuses unique to a country with some relation to history? eg German tanks get +5% view range ontop of optics because they had the best sights during WW2 and Americans get +5% on repairs because of their massive production lines etc.
A: I don't see the view range thing being implemented, it should already be a factor in the view range. Repair skill time is an interesting idea, however, I'll kick it up. I haven't actually seen anything directly on point to your suggestion.
Q: Can we expect expansion of the variety of tanks? Such as tiers above 10, different tank roles (such as rocket platforms), or maybe more nations?
A: Tier X is a hard limit. Other roles have been mentioned (I think the Sturmmoser Tiger is one example, and I seem to recall hearing about command tanks). We've a few more countries to come yet.
Q: Thanks for being here. I only have one question at the moment: One of the items I am most excited about is the possibility of Garage Battles. Will this ever become a real game type, and if so, how soon do you think we may see this kind of variety in the game?
A: I'd put a few dollars on it becoming a real game type. Actually, I'm not sure why it hasn't been already, they've been talking about it for long enough. I do not know the specific date off the top of my head.
Q: Why do HE shells feel so useless outside of large "derp" cannons? Are they even meant to be a viable options anymore.
A: Simply because HE shells are not a primary armor defeating round, but the game has nothing but armoured targets. I usually carry at 10 rounds HE or 1/4 of my loadout. Very useful for resetting caps, or just annoying things I can't otherwise damage.
Q: I was looking through the projected tech trees for each nation the other day and noticed that there is a second planned American medium tank line capped by the T95 MT. Can you give us any information about the tank that isn't readily available on other sources? (i.e. Wikipedia)
A: Hunnicutt's "Abrams" does a very good overview of it, I guess. It looks a lot like a squished T54. The project was started at the same time as T110, along with T96, except the T110 was designated a short-term one. Eventually they realised that the heavy guns intended for T96 could actually be mounted on T95 anyway, so T96 was nixed. In the end T95 became more a weapons testbed than a viable tank project in itself.
Q: Why did the soviets trade/give so much tank technology with the Chinese? and what modifications were done to these tanks to adapt them to the different terrains?
A: Ideological partners, I guess. Good communist friends. Not much. The Chinese tree seems to have a number of vehicles which are changed from the usability/internal space standpoint, more than the mobility/environment standpoint. USSR was so big that their tanks had to be capable of dealing with pretty much any environment that existed in China anyway. The significant change, I think was the creation of more light tanks in China, a reflection of the terrain in some of the neighbouring countries, and the requirement to get a few across to Taiwan.
Q: Hey Cheiftain, i have a question pertaining to the German medium line coming in 8.5(?). The World of Tanks forums have been debating what version of the Leopard 1 will be used, and was hoping you could clarify which it may be.
A: Well, I'm quite sure it won't be the welded turret A3 or A4! Beyond that, I'm not convinced myself. I've seen a couple of proposals, but the 3D model has not yet been created. At least, I can't see it and I can see plenty of other unreleased tanks.
Q: What do you think about the low tier game?
A: The new player experience has been a focus for us for a while. I know, it's not Eve, but there's still a learning curve particularly for someone not used to games with things like 'spotting mechanics', it can be seriously frustrating. Especially if you don't figure out that there are no respawns. Fortunately, some steps have been, and continue to be, taken to help new players adapt to the WoT environment. We're also taking the lessons to heart and immediately implementing what we can into WoWP and WoWS before they get launched.
Q: You probably don't know or can't say, but can you give us any information on the British tank destroyer tree?
A: Not much. Your typical favourites, Archer, Achilles and Tortoise are liable to be around somewhere. I'm afraid the 2pr isn't the cool-looking Aussie LPA Carrier, Tank Attack. There was a slew of British designs int the leadup to Tortoise (AT-15 is in the game already) so I might not be surprised to see some of those show up either.
Q: Sooo the Archer TD has a rear facing gun.... is that going to be implemented? Because that'd be awesomely hilarious.
A: Yes, but last I heard, they still haven't decided which way the thing will go when you press 'w' No, he won't get killed/hurt when you fire. There are a number of tanks which would cause significant bodily injury if they tried to shoot/move in the manner they do in the game. M26 and T-54 come to mind, for example. Loaders wouldn't last at all.
Q: How they going to play? Like the heavies, heavily armored and mediocre guns or different?
A: My guess is similar to the US line, except with slightly better guns. I'm sure they'll lose something to compensate.
Q: When are the British TDs going to come? Next patch? One after?
A: Can't answer (Not permitted)
Q: If introduced how would TD/SPG's like the Strumtiger work?
A: Last I heard, they were considering categorising those big boys as their own class of vehicle, neither TD nor SPG. I've not pushed finding out information on them, due to time prioritisation.
Q: The Leopard 1 and AMX 30 have been announced for the game and we allready have a T62 variant in game. Could a configuration of the M60 Patton fit into the game? If so, how do you think this would work out?
A: The cannon would surely be the M58 105mm if it were to be incorporated. (I can't think of another.. the 120mm smoothbore is way too OP for WoT). Probably the counterpart to the later versions, such as AMX-30B1/B2 or Leopard 1A1A4 or Leopard 1A5.
Q: How are those new french super heavies going to be played? they have multiple large guns so will multiple gun support be added with them?
A: Last I saw, multi-gun support was not yet enabled for them.
Q: Where German tanks really superior in ww2 and if so why they r not very good at the game?
A: German tanks were superior at what they were designed to do. Ease of maintenance, for example, was not one of those superior traits. American crews probably didn't care how many hours of sleep the Panther crew had lost trying to replace the #2 inside left roadwheel, they were far more concerned about the rather big gun and heavy armour facing them. I think they're pretty good in game. Tiger (P)s in particular annoy the heck out of me, and I defy anyone to say the 3601(H) is a poor tank.
Q: Will there ever be a skill based matchmaker?
A: And I believe Chris Keeling also gave a definitive 'no' about three weeks ago.
Q: Historically how would have the Batchat 25t and the Leopard 1 compared?
A: Batchat 25t really was a fairly unique design. More of a cavalry tank than a battle tank, I would say. Certainly history has borne out the winner, the Leopard seems to have been easier to build, easier to protect from NBC effects, and easier to upgrade. Especially once things like gun stabilisation were invented. I don't think BatChat would have ever had a front-line tank role in the French Army, but I can definitely see a use for it in specialist roles, if they had the money and personnel to spare.
Q: Do you plan on having any sort of Stuka zu fuss or calliope?
A: I seem to recall seeing Calliope as a proposed vehicle.
Q: When will you improve the chat box? Sometimes messages scroll too fast and I miss them.
A: When the improvement is ready. They're working on it, I don't have a date.
Q: Have you heard anything about a historic battle mode around the office any?
A: Yes. When, I don't know, but yes. I know Serb is personally a fan of the concept.
Q: I was wondering if we could get your opinion on/any news about changes to the 'scout' matchmaking. That is, those light tanks that tier 4 and higher (with a couple of exception) can get into much higher level games than same tier mediums and heavies, while being excluded from most matches where they would be top tier.
A: Being discussed. I don't think the role of the light scout is completely gone (esp in company battles and some maps on Clan Wars), but yes, I understand where you're coming from in random battles. I suspect that future game modes may well prove to make it worthwhile to have a light scout in your garage, even without expanding the light tier level. (eg M41 for US tree)
Q: Is there any word on the FV215b and it's conversion to Tier X TD and whether it will use the historically accurate 183 mm cannon.
A: FV215b (183) is the Tier X TD as far as I know. It is -not- however currently slated to be a converstion from the FV215b (120) which is scheduled to sit happy as larry in its current position on the Heavy line.
Q: How do you think the S-Tank will play when/if it ever will be in the game.
A: Presumably like a TD. It's an interesting problem, though, because there is no traverse to the gun at all, so any 'aim' will require movement of the track and thus blooming of the aiming reticle. Maybe they'll give it a really low 'aim on the move' modifier?
Q: Any chance you can tell us when to expect the German TD line to be finished?
A: Nope. At this point, I don't know myself. The models exist, at least. I guess it's down to final balancing and the release schedule.
Q: Has there been any further thoughts/info about being able to fire multiple guns on a tank (eg M3 Lee)?
A: No. Still on the 'we'd like to do it but haven't done it yet' list.
Q: Are there any plans to introduce some of the more obscure premium tanks into the game, at least that you can tell us about?
I'm mainly interested in the Type 59 G, and WZ-111.
A: I don't believe either of those two are likely to be seen on the US server. If you're referring to 'regional oddities' like the PzIV Hydro or M4A2E4, they are server-specific, and are also unlikely to appear on servers that they are not currently found on.
Q: Can you confirm that the current british t10 will go TD and be replaced by the chieftan?
A: I cannot. I'm really not sure where that rumour started, last I heard FV-215b with the 183 was going to be the TD, leaving the current FV-215b as the top Heavy.
Q: Is there a chance that countries that have no tier 10 tanks (and tier 9, ect.) might be added? (For example, Japan might be one of the countries.)
A: I have seen no proposals for countries without Tier X tanks. Otherwise, where's the reward for grinding through it?
Q: Tank Emblems, we will be seeing anything new in the future? I like the ability to add custom decals others can see in game, and realize that "over-doing" this option could really ruin the look and feel of the game. But the current emblems are kind of boring and poopy looking
A: They are a little bit, aren't they? The desire to put bumper stickers all over the tanks seems to be a particularly American trait, there's less demand for it elsewhere. Which I guess makes sense, if you look at the back of a car in Dallas vs one in Birmingham. We're still expanding them, though, albeit a bit slowly. Personally, I'm not a fan of the things at all, but I'm a killjoy. I don't even put camo on my US tanks, as they were rarely applied in real life.
Q: Is there going to be new tanks to the dedicated light tank lines?
A: Yes. Light lines are going to be expanded, I believe M41 was pretty much confirmed by the Minskonians this week.
Q: What do you think about being able to veto a number of map so we don't/rarely play them ? Also new game modes would be appreciated.
A: Personally? I don't like it. You'll have all the artillery vetoing Himmelsdorf in the hopes that they will get Prokhorovka, all the heavies vetoing Prokhorovka so that they don't have to worry about the artillery... The whole rock/paper/scissor balance will be thrown out of whack. However, there has been talk of 'reduced probability' options, or 'increased probability' options which I guess I can live with if correctly implemented. Agreed on new game modes. They're still working on them.
I skipped the questions about Challenger's real life experience with tanks, if you have time - go over it, it's rather interesting
Source: http://www.reddit.com/r/WorldofTanks/comments/16c7y9/i_am_the_chieftain_wargaming_americas_director_of/
Q: I find the lack of communication between players in the game. So my question is: are there any plans on fixing this gap in communication. And how do you handle tactical decisions in "pubbie" matches?
A: Yes, there are such plans. Partially for tactical communications purposes, and partially also just to enhance the social aspect of the game. It's a team game, after all, why not talk with your team mates?
Q: When will chat be fixed/changed?
A: I've seen a date, but can't recall what it is. But I have seen a date. They've been working the problem for a while.
Q: Light tanks like T-50-2, ELC AMX and Chaffee can reach really high speeds. So I was wondering were there a lot of losses caused by bad driving, or driving on uneven terrain that led to tanks being lost or crew being seriously injured? I assume there were some losses but were they really big, or was it just an occasional thing?
A: Heavy tanks can cause the same problem. You've seen those publicity shots of a T-90 shooting whilst in mid-air after launching from a ramp? Yeah, I do -not- want to be the gunner on that tank when it hits the ground and the sight comes up to meet him. Even a solid application of the brakes on a 70-ton M1 can result in lost teeth atop the hatches.
Q: What books would you recommend on Tank lore?
A: On the specifications? For the US, Hunnicutt is the standard. For German, Doyle/Jentz. British, usually Fletcher, and Russian is much easier if you speak Russian.
Q: Heard someone on forums suggest 5man platoons that get paired up with other 5man platoons in 15v15 matches. Any plans on something like this?
A: Not that I'm aware of. Would reduce the enjoyment of the random pubbies who become 'also rans' and 'cannon fodder' for the 5-man platoons.
Q: What arty do you think should be used to fill in the gaps if the current 8s go to 10 as has been mentioned in the past by WG?
A: I have sent some suggestions to Minsk. Whether they listened to me or not is another matter, but some of those suggestions have appeared on the proposed ten-tier branch I've seen come back, so I choose to believe that they did.
Q: First off, what is the story with Italian tanks?
A: Last I heard they are still going into the Pan-Euro tree. I've seen an interesting player proposed tree with enough entrants to almost make Italy a viable nation on its own, however, but I think it falls short at the Tier X level.
Q: Second off, have there been thoughts about adding in other cosmetic options to tanks other than inscriptions and flags?
A: There have been such thoughts.
Q: Any info on the American-British lend lease line? Looking forward to driving a Firefly and a desert rat Stuart.
A: I don't know if they'll put the Jerboa icon in the right place for the lend-lease tanks, but otherwise you'll be OK. I even see the Caunter scheme as a camo option. As for which specific lend-lease tanks will be there... I'm not in a position to reveal if it's not out already.
Q: Hi. I'm curious if you're happy with the state of clan wars and if you'll pursue eGaming more than you are now?
A: Clan Wars is still in Beta, so obviously someone thinks it can still be tweaked. We are making a much bigger push into E-Sports this year.
Q: Are there any plans to introduce skills/perks/bonuses unique to a country with some relation to history? eg German tanks get +5% view range ontop of optics because they had the best sights during WW2 and Americans get +5% on repairs because of their massive production lines etc.
A: I don't see the view range thing being implemented, it should already be a factor in the view range. Repair skill time is an interesting idea, however, I'll kick it up. I haven't actually seen anything directly on point to your suggestion.
Q: Can we expect expansion of the variety of tanks? Such as tiers above 10, different tank roles (such as rocket platforms), or maybe more nations?
A: Tier X is a hard limit. Other roles have been mentioned (I think the Sturmmoser Tiger is one example, and I seem to recall hearing about command tanks). We've a few more countries to come yet.
Q: Thanks for being here. I only have one question at the moment: One of the items I am most excited about is the possibility of Garage Battles. Will this ever become a real game type, and if so, how soon do you think we may see this kind of variety in the game?
A: I'd put a few dollars on it becoming a real game type. Actually, I'm not sure why it hasn't been already, they've been talking about it for long enough. I do not know the specific date off the top of my head.
Q: Why do HE shells feel so useless outside of large "derp" cannons? Are they even meant to be a viable options anymore.
A: Simply because HE shells are not a primary armor defeating round, but the game has nothing but armoured targets. I usually carry at 10 rounds HE or 1/4 of my loadout. Very useful for resetting caps, or just annoying things I can't otherwise damage.
Q: I was looking through the projected tech trees for each nation the other day and noticed that there is a second planned American medium tank line capped by the T95 MT. Can you give us any information about the tank that isn't readily available on other sources? (i.e. Wikipedia)
A: Hunnicutt's "Abrams" does a very good overview of it, I guess. It looks a lot like a squished T54. The project was started at the same time as T110, along with T96, except the T110 was designated a short-term one. Eventually they realised that the heavy guns intended for T96 could actually be mounted on T95 anyway, so T96 was nixed. In the end T95 became more a weapons testbed than a viable tank project in itself.
Q: Why did the soviets trade/give so much tank technology with the Chinese? and what modifications were done to these tanks to adapt them to the different terrains?
A: Ideological partners, I guess. Good communist friends. Not much. The Chinese tree seems to have a number of vehicles which are changed from the usability/internal space standpoint, more than the mobility/environment standpoint. USSR was so big that their tanks had to be capable of dealing with pretty much any environment that existed in China anyway. The significant change, I think was the creation of more light tanks in China, a reflection of the terrain in some of the neighbouring countries, and the requirement to get a few across to Taiwan.
Q: Hey Cheiftain, i have a question pertaining to the German medium line coming in 8.5(?). The World of Tanks forums have been debating what version of the Leopard 1 will be used, and was hoping you could clarify which it may be.
A: Well, I'm quite sure it won't be the welded turret A3 or A4! Beyond that, I'm not convinced myself. I've seen a couple of proposals, but the 3D model has not yet been created. At least, I can't see it and I can see plenty of other unreleased tanks.
Q: What do you think about the low tier game?
A: The new player experience has been a focus for us for a while. I know, it's not Eve, but there's still a learning curve particularly for someone not used to games with things like 'spotting mechanics', it can be seriously frustrating. Especially if you don't figure out that there are no respawns. Fortunately, some steps have been, and continue to be, taken to help new players adapt to the WoT environment. We're also taking the lessons to heart and immediately implementing what we can into WoWP and WoWS before they get launched.
Q: You probably don't know or can't say, but can you give us any information on the British tank destroyer tree?
A: Not much. Your typical favourites, Archer, Achilles and Tortoise are liable to be around somewhere. I'm afraid the 2pr isn't the cool-looking Aussie LPA Carrier, Tank Attack. There was a slew of British designs int the leadup to Tortoise (AT-15 is in the game already) so I might not be surprised to see some of those show up either.
Q: Sooo the Archer TD has a rear facing gun.... is that going to be implemented? Because that'd be awesomely hilarious.
A: Yes, but last I heard, they still haven't decided which way the thing will go when you press 'w' No, he won't get killed/hurt when you fire. There are a number of tanks which would cause significant bodily injury if they tried to shoot/move in the manner they do in the game. M26 and T-54 come to mind, for example. Loaders wouldn't last at all.
Q: How they going to play? Like the heavies, heavily armored and mediocre guns or different?
A: My guess is similar to the US line, except with slightly better guns. I'm sure they'll lose something to compensate.
Q: When are the British TDs going to come? Next patch? One after?
A: Can't answer (Not permitted)
Q: If introduced how would TD/SPG's like the Strumtiger work?
A: Last I heard, they were considering categorising those big boys as their own class of vehicle, neither TD nor SPG. I've not pushed finding out information on them, due to time prioritisation.
Q: The Leopard 1 and AMX 30 have been announced for the game and we allready have a T62 variant in game. Could a configuration of the M60 Patton fit into the game? If so, how do you think this would work out?
A: The cannon would surely be the M58 105mm if it were to be incorporated. (I can't think of another.. the 120mm smoothbore is way too OP for WoT). Probably the counterpart to the later versions, such as AMX-30B1/B2 or Leopard 1A1A4 or Leopard 1A5.
Q: How are those new french super heavies going to be played? they have multiple large guns so will multiple gun support be added with them?
A: Last I saw, multi-gun support was not yet enabled for them.
Q: Where German tanks really superior in ww2 and if so why they r not very good at the game?
A: German tanks were superior at what they were designed to do. Ease of maintenance, for example, was not one of those superior traits. American crews probably didn't care how many hours of sleep the Panther crew had lost trying to replace the #2 inside left roadwheel, they were far more concerned about the rather big gun and heavy armour facing them. I think they're pretty good in game. Tiger (P)s in particular annoy the heck out of me, and I defy anyone to say the 3601(H) is a poor tank.
Q: Will there ever be a skill based matchmaker?
A: And I believe Chris Keeling also gave a definitive 'no' about three weeks ago.
Q: Historically how would have the Batchat 25t and the Leopard 1 compared?
A: Batchat 25t really was a fairly unique design. More of a cavalry tank than a battle tank, I would say. Certainly history has borne out the winner, the Leopard seems to have been easier to build, easier to protect from NBC effects, and easier to upgrade. Especially once things like gun stabilisation were invented. I don't think BatChat would have ever had a front-line tank role in the French Army, but I can definitely see a use for it in specialist roles, if they had the money and personnel to spare.
Q: Do you plan on having any sort of Stuka zu fuss or calliope?
A: I seem to recall seeing Calliope as a proposed vehicle.
Q: When will you improve the chat box? Sometimes messages scroll too fast and I miss them.
A: When the improvement is ready. They're working on it, I don't have a date.
Q: Have you heard anything about a historic battle mode around the office any?
A: Yes. When, I don't know, but yes. I know Serb is personally a fan of the concept.
Q: I was wondering if we could get your opinion on/any news about changes to the 'scout' matchmaking. That is, those light tanks that tier 4 and higher (with a couple of exception) can get into much higher level games than same tier mediums and heavies, while being excluded from most matches where they would be top tier.
A: Being discussed. I don't think the role of the light scout is completely gone (esp in company battles and some maps on Clan Wars), but yes, I understand where you're coming from in random battles. I suspect that future game modes may well prove to make it worthwhile to have a light scout in your garage, even without expanding the light tier level. (eg M41 for US tree)
Q: Is there any word on the FV215b and it's conversion to Tier X TD and whether it will use the historically accurate 183 mm cannon.
A: FV215b (183) is the Tier X TD as far as I know. It is -not- however currently slated to be a converstion from the FV215b (120) which is scheduled to sit happy as larry in its current position on the Heavy line.
Q: How do you think the S-Tank will play when/if it ever will be in the game.
A: Presumably like a TD. It's an interesting problem, though, because there is no traverse to the gun at all, so any 'aim' will require movement of the track and thus blooming of the aiming reticle. Maybe they'll give it a really low 'aim on the move' modifier?
Q: Any chance you can tell us when to expect the German TD line to be finished?
A: Nope. At this point, I don't know myself. The models exist, at least. I guess it's down to final balancing and the release schedule.
Q: Has there been any further thoughts/info about being able to fire multiple guns on a tank (eg M3 Lee)?
A: No. Still on the 'we'd like to do it but haven't done it yet' list.
Q: Are there any plans to introduce some of the more obscure premium tanks into the game, at least that you can tell us about?
I'm mainly interested in the Type 59 G, and WZ-111.
A: I don't believe either of those two are likely to be seen on the US server. If you're referring to 'regional oddities' like the PzIV Hydro or M4A2E4, they are server-specific, and are also unlikely to appear on servers that they are not currently found on.
Q: Can you confirm that the current british t10 will go TD and be replaced by the chieftan?
A: I cannot. I'm really not sure where that rumour started, last I heard FV-215b with the 183 was going to be the TD, leaving the current FV-215b as the top Heavy.
Q: Is there a chance that countries that have no tier 10 tanks (and tier 9, ect.) might be added? (For example, Japan might be one of the countries.)
A: I have seen no proposals for countries without Tier X tanks. Otherwise, where's the reward for grinding through it?
Q: Tank Emblems, we will be seeing anything new in the future? I like the ability to add custom decals others can see in game, and realize that "over-doing" this option could really ruin the look and feel of the game. But the current emblems are kind of boring and poopy looking
A: They are a little bit, aren't they? The desire to put bumper stickers all over the tanks seems to be a particularly American trait, there's less demand for it elsewhere. Which I guess makes sense, if you look at the back of a car in Dallas vs one in Birmingham. We're still expanding them, though, albeit a bit slowly. Personally, I'm not a fan of the things at all, but I'm a killjoy. I don't even put camo on my US tanks, as they were rarely applied in real life.
Q: Is there going to be new tanks to the dedicated light tank lines?
A: Yes. Light lines are going to be expanded, I believe M41 was pretty much confirmed by the Minskonians this week.
Q: What do you think about being able to veto a number of map so we don't/rarely play them ? Also new game modes would be appreciated.
A: Personally? I don't like it. You'll have all the artillery vetoing Himmelsdorf in the hopes that they will get Prokhorovka, all the heavies vetoing Prokhorovka so that they don't have to worry about the artillery... The whole rock/paper/scissor balance will be thrown out of whack. However, there has been talk of 'reduced probability' options, or 'increased probability' options which I guess I can live with if correctly implemented. Agreed on new game modes. They're still working on them.
TVP - EU tree high tier project
History background:
Pre-war Czechoslovakia always had strong presence in the tank development branch and its pre-war designs were one of the best in the world (especially the LT-38, later adopted by the Germans under the name Panzer 38t). It is no wonder that by the end of the 1945, first ideas about the new generation of tanks emerged in the Czechoslovak republic, freshly liberated from German occupation. On 17.10.1945, 1st Department of the Czechoslovak High Command sent its ideas about the new tank to the VTU (Military Research Institute). It was supposed to be a 30-33ton machine, armed with an 85mm to 105mm cannon, with the armor of 20 to 65 milimeters. It was to be propelled by a diesel engine with maximum speed of 50 km/h and it was to have a 5 member crew. The VTU institute proposed to use the captured German 88mm-105mm anti-aircraft guns as its armament.
On 1.3.1946, VTU design bureau presented a miniature mock-up proposal, named "Tank všeobecného použití" (TVP). It was based on the best elements of studied German, British, Russian and Czechoslovak constructions. There was one especially interesting element of the first proposal, the tank was to have a bow machinegun (BESA, or Vz.37 HMG) paired with a flamethrower. Smoke and defensive grenade launcher was also considered, along with a protective thin (in fact mesh) layer of spaced armor. The projected engine was a diesel powerplant with 20 hp per ton ratio. The suspension was however inspired by pre-war constructions (leaf springs). Two prototypes were planned to be made in case more companies take part in the vehicle production - each prototype from a different company.
The Škoda Pilsen company replied to these demands with a design drawing (drawing indexed as Am-P, 8.12.1946) proposal. In the years 1947 and 1948, this project was worked on, the demands and construction elemends of the vehicle were further refined. There was a parallel development in the other big company - ČKD (Pilsen and ČKD used to compete a lot before the war for military contracts), there is however no info on their involvement in these years.
The official request for the new tank from the High command was however given only in 1949 (all the previous army involvement was on an unofficial level). The Škoda project recieved thus an official designation - T-50, the ČKD project recieved the T-51 designation. The official demands were as follows:
Weight - 35 tons, maximum 40
Length - 6500mm
Width - 3200mm
Height - 2800mm
Suspension height - 500mm
Armor - 65mm (front hull), 40mm (sides and rear), 20-30mm (the rest)
Armament - 100mm cannon (60-70 rounds), 2x 7,62mm MG + 1x 12,7mm AAMG
Diesel engine
The date when the development was finished, prototypes tested and mass-produce estabilished was estimated to be June 1952.
The Škoda company introduced their T-50 project along with a wooden mock-up probably in 9/1949 (the archive files are still considered to be military material and thus secret), but the project wasn't accepted. The second proposal was introduced in 11/1949 and in 12/1949, another wooden mock-up was ready (this time in 1:10 size). One interesting feature, that was ultimately denied, was that this project was supposed to have a "pike" front hull, looking much like the one of IS-3. From this time, there are no pieces of information about the T-51 project.
At the turn of 1950, both projects were unified under the designation of T-50/51. From January 1950, both companies (formerly competitions) ran a series of negotiations, in which it was decided who does what. A unified engine space and suspension model was agreed upon and both companies cooperated heavily when deciding the hull shape. The Škoda company was tasked with the development of a new 100mm gun, code name AK1 (two versions were considered: L/53 and L/55). Six running wheels of the T-50 project were agreed upon (T-51 had five) and the considered engine was the ČKD AXK revolutionary prototype (with cylinders set into the X shape) - while Škoda proposed the AHK engine (cylinders set into the H shape).
On 15.2.1950 it was decided to produce 3 prototypes - 2 from mild steel and 1 fully armored. Both companies were to produce 2 engines with transmission each. However, ČKD was also to present a temporary solution of mounting the V-2 engine into the tank, as the new engines were expected to take longer time to develop. The final version of the tank was authorized by a Czechoslovak Tank Force committee on 27.2.1950.
Compared to the contemporary tank T-34/85, the TVP project was vastly superior. Although extremely hard-pressed by the Army, both companies promised to have the mild prototypes on 30.4.1952 and the armored prototype in November 1952. This however proved to be the beginning of the end - due to limited manufacturing capacity of Czechoslovak steel plants (which was completely occupied by the Soviet-forced "contract" - in reality an order - to produce licensed T-34/85), the quotas could not be met. Forced by the Soviet Union and pressed into accepting the Soviet tanks into their army, the Czechoslovak High Command had to abandon the support of the project. Few months later, all the independent design and construction works in Czechoslovakia were ended and that marked the end of the last truly independent Czechoslovak tank project - from now on for decades, all the Czechoslovak tanks would be (although in some cases significantly improved) derivates of the Soviet models.
First idea of TVP (1946) (thanks to Paran for providing the drawing scans)
T-50 (Škoda model) (late 1946)
T-50/51, Final version (1952)
TVP in World of Tanks
As you can probably imagine, the TVP will most likely be a part of the Czechoslovak branch of the EU tree. Will there be a Czechoslovak branch in the first place? Yes, most likely at some point. It has been proved time and again that Wargaming acts on demand and there has been a demand of Czechoslovak tanks (Czechoslovaks are the 2nd largest EU WoT community after the Polish I believe - not sure about Germans, but we're definitely in top 3).
In order to provide as many tanks for the Czechoslovak tree as possible (please note that Czechoslovaks are one of the very few nations of EU tree that can actually build a full tree with mediums up to tier 10, TD's up to tier 6-7 and arties up to tier 8 - no heavy tanks though), this tank will most likely be split into two tiers - tier 7 (the old T-50 version) and tier 8 (the new one).
As you can see, the design is pretty influenced by the Germans. The early tower bears resemblance to the older Panzers, while the new one looks much like the one of the Löwe prototype. The tank itself isn't that heavy and the armor is fairly light (barring it from occupying tier 9 too), but the new AK1 100mm gun was to be pretty modern and some sources claim it was to be equipped with the autoloader (!). Another feature important for the game would be the AHX (AHK) V16 diesel engine, providing nearly 1000 hp (!). Yes, that's a lot for such a tank (compare it with T-54: 38 tons, 700hp engine). What we can expect is a weakly-armored but very fast and agile vehicle with some serious firepower for its tier.
And there is room for improvement: Wargaming already proved with the E50M that it can work with "what would happen, if the development was taken further" idea. This can be applied to the TVP too - yea, it's a stretch, but I believe it would provide more variability than stuffing tier 9 and 10 with (albeit distinctive) T-55 derivates.
And - there's more!
Several vehicles were planned to be constructed on the hull of the TVP:
100 ShPTK 14,75/900-TVP - turretless TD version with a 100mm gun (resembling the Hetzer construction)
100 ShPTK 14,75/950-TVP - TD version with the same 100mm gun with a turret, resembling the M10/M36 construction
152mm ShKH 43,5/675-TVP - TD/SPG version with a 152mm howitzer (of Czechoslovak construction, estimated K7 model)
152mm ShKH 43,5/675-TVP - TD/SPG version with a 152mm howitzer in a turret (again, resembling the M10/M36 construction).
11.1.2013
-
there are no plans to change the shell mechanism into something more
historical: whiners would whine anyway and the server load would be much
bigger (Storm added "naturally not, for many reasons")
- SerB states that everything is fine with API (SS: sorry, no idea what that is)
- two-speed vehicle rotation for arty is not planned (SS: not sure this is correct, as the question isn't there whole - basically what some tanks had was that the turret rotation had two selectable speeds and the slower one was used for fine aiming - which was done generally manually anyway)
- currently, the work on new maps is stopped until the old ones are re-worked to the new render, but roughly 10 new maps are in various states of completion
- maps from South and central America ("Mexico") and "Savannah" are in plans, no exact number available on how many maps will come in 2013
- it is not planned to raise the compensation for arty HP loss by teamkills (SS: the issue is, that hightier arty, although it has low HP, has high repair costs to prevent it from being profitable, so it has relatively more repair cost per HP than other vehicles. However, compensation for teamdamage is calculated for all the vehicles the same, thus when the arty gets teamkilled, it recieves much less compensation than a regular tank).
- it's not yet determined where in the German tree will the Durchbruchwagen go (possible that it will lead to heavy tanks)
- SerB states that the VK2001 to be implemented can be found here: http://de.wikipedia....hfolger_VK_2001
- SerB states there is even a Leopard prototype from Arbeitsgruppe C, but that's not for the weak and timid people
It won't be implemented because it would be ridiculously difficult to balance
Leopard Arbeitsgruppe C Entwurf (Borgward) - hydropneumatic suspension with variable height settings, 1500hp engine, 80-120km/h speed (with and without tracks), 3-axis stabilized turret with a 105mm gun
- Leopard 1 will game-wise be a hybrid of Batchat and T-62A
- it's probably already decided which vehicle will open the new German branch, but SerB won't tell yet
- it's possible KV-5 might appear again in the gift shop (no promises, also, this goes for RU server)
- SweB states that if you manually set the WoT game to work on a "free" core (not running the operating system), the client will work better, but it doesn't guarantee you'll get better FPS, as that depends also on the graphics card
- there is a possibility the VK3002DB exp accumulated by players (SS: including me) will be useless because it might not be a part of the branch (SS: SerB went on a rant that the devs are not responsible for players assuming stuff before the patchnote release), Storm states only "when there is an official announcement, all will be revealed"
- it's possible (on some open-topped) machines to kill crewmembers without even damaging the vehicle, as they are "sticking their heads out" and the shell hits them
- Storm states that it's very important to have a solid videocard. As for RAM - 4GB should suffice
- Storm states that the music is of good quality and there is enough of it, so why change it (as a reply on whether there will be new music added into the game)
- an allied tank shooting next to you or behind you won't demask you
- artillery won't have its aiming made easier
- free camera, the ability to switch to any tank in replays: it will be implemented but not anytime soon, very difficult to implement
- NO skill MM (yet again confirmed)
- SerB states that everything is fine with API (SS: sorry, no idea what that is)
- two-speed vehicle rotation for arty is not planned (SS: not sure this is correct, as the question isn't there whole - basically what some tanks had was that the turret rotation had two selectable speeds and the slower one was used for fine aiming - which was done generally manually anyway)
- currently, the work on new maps is stopped until the old ones are re-worked to the new render, but roughly 10 new maps are in various states of completion
- maps from South and central America ("Mexico") and "Savannah" are in plans, no exact number available on how many maps will come in 2013
- it is not planned to raise the compensation for arty HP loss by teamkills (SS: the issue is, that hightier arty, although it has low HP, has high repair costs to prevent it from being profitable, so it has relatively more repair cost per HP than other vehicles. However, compensation for teamdamage is calculated for all the vehicles the same, thus when the arty gets teamkilled, it recieves much less compensation than a regular tank).
- it's not yet determined where in the German tree will the Durchbruchwagen go (possible that it will lead to heavy tanks)
- SerB states that the VK2001 to be implemented can be found here: http://de.wikipedia....hfolger_VK_2001
- SerB states there is even a Leopard prototype from Arbeitsgruppe C, but that's not for the weak and timid people
It won't be implemented because it would be ridiculously difficult to balanceLeopard Arbeitsgruppe C Entwurf (Borgward) - hydropneumatic suspension with variable height settings, 1500hp engine, 80-120km/h speed (with and without tracks), 3-axis stabilized turret with a 105mm gun
- Leopard 1 will game-wise be a hybrid of Batchat and T-62A
- it's probably already decided which vehicle will open the new German branch, but SerB won't tell yet
- it's possible KV-5 might appear again in the gift shop (no promises, also, this goes for RU server)
- SweB states that if you manually set the WoT game to work on a "free" core (not running the operating system), the client will work better, but it doesn't guarantee you'll get better FPS, as that depends also on the graphics card
- there is a possibility the VK3002DB exp accumulated by players (SS: including me) will be useless because it might not be a part of the branch (SS: SerB went on a rant that the devs are not responsible for players assuming stuff before the patchnote release), Storm states only "when there is an official announcement, all will be revealed"
- it's possible (on some open-topped) machines to kill crewmembers without even damaging the vehicle, as they are "sticking their heads out" and the shell hits them
- Storm states that it's very important to have a solid videocard. As for RAM - 4GB should suffice
- Storm states that the music is of good quality and there is enough of it, so why change it (as a reply on whether there will be new music added into the game)
- an allied tank shooting next to you or behind you won't demask you
- artillery won't have its aiming made easier
- free camera, the ability to switch to any tank in replays: it will be implemented but not anytime soon, very difficult to implement
- NO skill MM (yet again confirmed)
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