World of Tanks: Catch All

Patch 9.18 has been released a couple of days ago. Surprisingly ahead of EU and RU servers, usually we are behind by a few days. I wonder if it means anything.

LOTS of changes, the game feels very different now. Main changes are:

1. Matchmaker redone. It's basically back to 2011 - tier distribution in a fight is now either 3-5-7 (top tier/med tier/low tier), 5-10 or all one tier. With small variations, of course, if the queue is difficult. Arty, TDs and lights are mirrored on both sides. Heavies and meds are still mix and match - theoretically you can have 3 top heavies on one side vs. 3 top meds on another, they do it to keep at least some variance between setups. New MM is a HUGE improvement, loving it.
2. Arty has been re-designed. Again. They got slightly improved ROF, accuracy and splash radius but got their damage and penetration halved and have only HE rounds now. Guns 150mm and up can now stun enemies in the splash radius, applying various (pretty noticeable) debuffs to the victims. Jury is still out on this change, it will require a lot of testing, but so far I like it. IMO arty has more effect on the fight now but it's more indirect. For example, it can slow down and disrupt several enemy tanks rushing a flank instead of (possibly) just one-shotting one of them. I've seen several fights where it allowed the team to re-group and defend effectively.
3. Level 9-10 scouts are introduced. I haven't played lvl 10s on the main (i.e. non-test) server yet but lvl 9s are awesome.
4. A bunch of changes to light tanks through all tiers due to them moving up or down the tier. Some ups, some nerfs. the more memorable changes affect AMX ELC (not sure what, I don't play it), M49 Bulldog (pen and damage up, down to 6 rounds in the magazine) and SP IC (autoloader gun is gone, WTF).

The game is pretty crazy right now while people are adjusting to the changes (jeez, lots of people should just quit playing light tanks) but it's a lot of fun.

Hedinn wrote:

the more memorable changes affect AMX ELC (not sure what, I don't play it)...

What did they do to my favourite tank in the game?

I'm guessing they nerfed the gun. I'm really mixed about the bulldog's change. Especially since I ran it for a long time without the autoloader and was marginal in it and it became fairly viable once you dropped the autoloader on it for some late game heroics. I'm interested to try everything oht

BlackSheep wrote:

I'm really mixed about the bulldog's change. Especially since I ran it for a long time without the autoloader and was marginal in it and it became fairly viable once you dropped the autoloader on it for some late game heroics. I'm interested to try everything oht

If you liked the regular gun, the changes won't affect you much. In 9.18, it's got slightly higher damage (150 -> 170), slightly slower reload (4.12s -> 4.79s). The tank also got a significant bump in mobility, specific power went from 23.41 hp/t to 34.05 hp/t.

Unfortunately, tanks.gg doesn't show the most important stat for a scout - camo - but I don't think it changed.

I played some more yesterday and I like the changes more and more. Arty is much more bearable now, it affects the fight but it doesn't hit you for 50%-100% of you health anymore. New matchmaker is much better, I can no longer be the only tier 8 tank in a tier 10 fight - even if I am in the fight's bottom tier, I still have at least 7 tanks of my own tier and 5 tanks of my tier + 1 to shoot at.

I'll definitely check it out after I get off work tomorrow morning. It was already a good tank, not really a camo monster anyway since it really is a mobile scout. Check out things early, try to sit tight and keep their scouts in line and wait until about 5-10 of their heavies and mediums have been sufficiently pounded or destroyed and then go guerilla.

Camo stat (well, concealment) is mega important for all scouts, that's what really allows them to scout enemies without being seen. Mobile or not (although, gotta say that immobile scout is nonsense in most cases) it doesn't matter, scouts keep their concealment even on the move and that's what allows them to outspot other classes. And that's why having concealment skills on the crew is mega important as well as the paint. Painting your tank "only" adds 3 to the camo score but it gives you an extra 10+ meters spotting advantage, which can play a role more often than one would expect.

Heheh... Hedinn, I feel compelled to inform you: BlackSheep is a bit of a veteran in WoT.

MoonDragon wrote:

Heheh... Hedinn, I feel compelled to inform you: BlackSheep is a bit of a veteran in WoT.

Hehe, I apologize if i went to all the explaining for no reason.

On the other hand, some mechanics of this game are fairly obscure and I often see even seasoned tankers say stuff like "No need to have the view range above 445 m, you can't spot beyond that range in the game anyway". Or like some youtubers freaked out after an update to the test server last week "OMG tier 10 light tanks are useless now, they are outspotted by meds!". Official forums are full of this kind of bullsh*t.

So you never know who knows what.

No sweat man. I just got a chuckle out of it and thought to share it.

Hedinn wrote:
MoonDragon wrote:

Heheh... Hedinn, I feel compelled to inform you: BlackSheep is a bit of a veteran in WoT.

Hehe, I apologize if i went to all the explaining for no reason.

On the other hand, some mechanics of this game are fairly obscure and I often see even seasoned tankers say stuff like "No need to have the view range above 445 m, you can't spot beyond that range in the game anyway". Or like some youtubers freaked out after an update to the test server last week "OMG tier 10 light tanks are useless now, they are outspotted by meds!". Official forums are full of this kind of bullsh*t.

So you never know who knows what.

I don't mind - camo is an important stat, but I was only mentioning that it's not really the bread and butter of the bulldog. It actually plays a lot like a scout medium more than most of the other scouts; French scouts notwithstanding (at least the 75 and 90). It really does rely on speed and angles to make shots miss more than a high camo stat - and that's ok. It's one of my favorites simply because you're not fairly useless in, say himmelsdorf, Stalingrad or any other city map where a pure spot scout can really struggle to find a role. I'll trade adaptability for camo any day

How do you like the Bulldog after the patch? I still haven't had a chance to play with it, having too much fun with tier 9 lights atm. Does it suffer much from meeting lots of tier 9 lights? It used to be my favorite light before the patch.

Speaking of tier 9, I really like how WG managed to differentiate tier 9 (and, supposedly, 10) lights, each of them has something unique about it, making it fun to try them out. I like the 90 the most (autoloader duh, plus the increased stability) but my friend swears by T49 (with the new gun, not the 152 mm derp monstrosity, although that one is fun to fool around with sometimes too).

Can't wait for people to calm down and stop driving so many lights. It will be more fun when it's back to normal 1-2 lights per fight.

So far, it's really hard to tell much f a difference. It feels a little less squishy, and since I never really got into the autoloader much, I'm probably not the expert on it, though I have a ton of games in it without the loader. before, I had no problem penning anything really and it shot really fast, so that really didn't change terribly much. Minor tweaks but it benefitted greatly from the reworking of the mm. Probably why it feels less squishy.

BlackSheep wrote:

Minor tweaks but it benefitted greatly from the reworking of the mm. Probably why it feels less squishy.

Yeah, 3-5-7/5-10 matchmaker is an incredible improvement and I am glad it didn't result in increased waiting times.

Anyone playing this on XBO or the 'Blitz' version?

I'm on xbox and have come back to playing tons of WoT on xbone. I've added you, Donan but it's been a few months since your post.

I play this regularly with some others. There's two of us who Wolfpack in Cromwells for laughs and I love it. Make a beeline for any tanks that look isolated and circle them. If a wing is clear we push hard to get the arties early. Spot everything. Very annoying for the opposite team I imagine. It doesn't always work but we get decent scores usually and win a lot of the games. It works best on big maps. Disrupting the opposing team at the back can lead to very quick victories.

On my own I play a lot in the Hellcat.

I've unlocked the Centurion 7/1 but don't have the willpower to save up the silver to buy it.

Working though the unlocks on the SU100- not enjoying it as much as the 85 yet.

So single player content "War Stories" has just been released for WOT Consoles ...

Any one given it a try yet ?

HantaXP wrote:

So single player content "War Stories" has just been released for WOT Consoles ...

Any one given it a try yet ?

Let me know how it is. I don't play console but am interested. I do know they just consolidated the North American servers

WoT just hit V1.0. Lots of graphics changes - new engine, all makes reworked with new physics, stuff like that. Not a lot of gameplay changes, but a new map was added - Glacier.

Definitely looks shiny and runs well in High Def.

It feels like a brand new game to be honest. I've enjoyed this new version quite a bit.

I’ve noticed that the terrain is more subtle, but also a bit easier to “read”. Still the same basic game though.

BlackSheep wrote:
HantaXP wrote:

So single player content "War Stories" has just been released for WOT Consoles ...

Any one given it a try yet ?

Let me know how it is. I don't play console but am interested. I do know they just consolidated the North American servers

I play exclusively on console now (XBX). The 'War Stories' are fun and challenging. I've gone thru the first two, but for whatever reason got stuck in the 'Tiger...' one. They have just released 3 new one's about 'what if' after WWII kept going. I haven't got into those. You get some rewards. There are comic book cut scenes with voice over (if you read any of their magazine comics, they are of those types).

Just a heads up for those running this on X-Box One. With the release of 4.5: Mercenaries, they added ALL the maps. Redone them with different environments (i.e. the template is the same, but added structures, environs etc.), some strategies would change, and all in 4K HDR.

Did start a contract in 'Mercenaries', but after the first 4 steps, I checked the review of what I contracted for and really saw it wasn't worth the grind (the, 'Slapjack", which the T-29 won the comparison).

So back playing the regular game.

I have dipped my toe back in after a long lay off. The second stage of the first mercenary tank contract requires to be done in a specific tank I don't have. Don't see the point other than encouraging people to just buy the tanks with real cash.

Improved graphics are nice. I'd rather there were more maps rather than reworking old ones all the time.

Played a bit in the SU 100 which is rediculously over gunned. You can easily one-shot squishy tanks. The SU 85 is the most kills per game tank I have at 1:1.

Slipping back into mainlining wot would be so easy.

I'm happier out of it, yreg...

Move to WoWS! It is much more fun!

I have looked long and hard at WoWS and I can imagine that fitting like a glove BUT my computer is busted. Is it more fun- tanks are fun?

I have reached a bit of a standstill on progress. Tanks I have but the next tank doesn't look all that: T34, Sherman, Hellcat and SU100. Tanks I have topped out but will never be able to afford the next: Centurion, LTTB and T32.

yregprincess wrote:

I have looked long and hard at WoWS and I can imagine that fitting like a glove BUT my computer is busted. Is it more fun- tanks are fun?

I have reached a bit of a standstill on progress. Tanks I have but the next tank doesn't look all that: T34, Sherman, Hellcat and SU100. Tanks I have topped out but will never be able to afford the next: Centurion, LTTB and T32.

I loved my hellcat and su100. The Sherman I didn’t care for until the Sherman Jumbo (E2) which had excellent frontal armor and and solid, fast shooting cannon. After hitting 6 or so, the climb can be a bit tedious and there always seem to be a speed bump in each line that the tank is absolutely trash because of its deficiencies and what it gets put up against. They’re usually the tier 6/7 tanks but sometimes it’s the 8 or 9 that is near total trash

yregprincess wrote:

I have looked long and hard at WoWS and I can imagine that fitting like a glove BUT my computer is busted. Is it more fun- tanks are fun?

I have reached a bit of a standstill on progress. Tanks I have but the next tank doesn't look all that: T34, Sherman, Hellcat and SU100. Tanks I have topped out but will never be able to afford the next: Centurion, LTTB and T32.

There can still be that tier grind but I sure like the mechanics better than Tanks.

Why isn't WoWS on xbox? It'll have to wait until I get the compy fixed or cave and buy another. I'd rather do without one TBH but Mrs princess says she needs one. It's her fault if I get sucked into another three years of grinding.

Stats say my best tanks are SU85 and 100 but after the fun I have had in the LTTB for the last couple of sessions that is now my besty.

Donan, I've seen you on a couple of times. I'll send you an invite next time if you want to squad up.

yregprincess wrote:

Why isn't WoWS on xbox? It'll have to wait until I get the compy fixed or cave and buy another. I'd rather do without one TBH but Mrs princess says she needs one. It's her fault if I get sucked into another three years of grinding.

Stats say my best tanks are SU85 and 100 but after the fun I have had in the LTTB for the last couple of sessions that is now my besty.

Donan, I've seen you on a couple of times. I'll send you an invite next time if you want to squad up.

Please do. I've had trouble with a headset, but got a 'new' one while back and hopefully it will work fine.