Community Highlight - Pt.66

Is My.com still in charge of all content on EU/NA?

It hasn't really changed compared to before with Obsidian Entertainment. If there are things that won't work well on EU/NA then it could be vetoed from the My.com side and we wouldn't see it. Likewise, there could be things that we would want to have but don't fit for RU server; then we'd get it and they wouldn't.

Why are lieutenants now red with two asterisks instead of yellow as they were before?

The intention was to make them easier to identify, but it seems to have had an adverse effect. If the general feedback is not positive, then of course it will be looked at to get changed again.

Regarding autocannons, most don't have infinite firing without reload. Can a clip reload be brought back?

Balance 2.0 (the Tanks Reloaded patch) isn't final yet, it's still being worked on. The preliminary 0.20 patch notes are just out and a lot of Balance 2.0 changes are already in there. Overall though it is unlikely that a full blanket change will come to the autocannons reload.

There are now two MBT's with a "clip reload" instead of single shot. Are there plans to return to single shot or have the option to switch between 'clip' and single shot?

The real-life part of the ready rack mechanic is not always 100% accurately represented. But of course, if the high tier tanks are found to be overpowered (like the XM1A3) and it will be looked at. Of course, you could hit reload to force the reload to go and that way you would still kind of have a single shot tank.

Will advertising come around update 0.20 or later?

Big commercials like the 'Super Bowl' commercial that World of Tanks had is not something we'll likely see; but smaller advertising in places like Facebook and the like are being done. Other means are also in the plans. Cooperation like with the Razer Man O'War contest, for instance. Steam is also on the board. It would likely not go through the Greenlight process. Another My.com game, Cloud Pirates, did go that way. It went through the Greenlight process and recently got fully released. So, it's a good experience for My.com to see how all the things surrounding Steam work in practice.

With regards to update 0.20, why are we getting a "WoT garage theme." The UI changes are also bugged currently on RU, are we getting the same changes on EU/NA?

The feedback has been heard on the screenshots that were released a while back regarding how the new garage looks. It has been sent to the developer team. However, it is still coming in 0.20. The majority of the issues and bugs with it should definitely be fixed by the time it releases on EU/NA.

If the general opinion on the new UI is really bad, will we still get it after all?

All constructive feedback is always welcome; but it is maybe a bit more the fact that people are currently used to the UI so it's more of a problem with a drastic change. Again though, feedback is really taken into account.

The current SPGs are not working well, what is going to be done about it? There are no support rounds and sometimes there are multiple arties in a PvE team.

Surrounding arty, there are always a lot of negative feelings. It was attempted to find a good middle ground and that's the result we see now in 0.19. Arty definitely needs some work. Multiple arties in a match is definitely not intended. Making everyone happy is never possible but changes are of course still coming.

With regards to British tanks; why do the names have the FV numbers in front of them now? It looks cluttered and out of place. It is the way it is done in World of Tanks and nobody wants that.

Firstly, it should be an easy change should it need changing (and I'll bring it up); secondly, the anti-World of Tanks reaction isn't really the way to go. Armored Warfare should be judged by its own merits and not in comparison with World of Tanks.

Are clips in TDs really needed? Isn't it going to be overpowered? It's also differently balanced in PvP and PvE, good in one mode, bad in the other. The option to choose between 'clip' or single shot could also be nice to have here.

It could be overpowered, obviously that is not desired. Though TDs in general are underperforming in Balance 2.0, which is why they needed some changes. But as always, nothing is set in stone. If things don't work, well, then they will be changed again.

Why are some tanks getting what they don't have in real life?

Overall this isn't intended; but one class is intended to work similarly across the board, in the sense that if you play one TD for instance, that you have a feel of how the class as a whole plays like.

Is there going to be more involvement with regards to tournaments, events etc. organized by the community?

Absolutely. If anyone wants to do a tournament or event, get in contact with me (CptFancyPants) and it can for sure be supported with prizes, getting the word out for it etc. regardless of the size or how many players you expect in the tournament.

Are there plans to get some sort of big, long term, in depth personal missions? For instance, "get 100 kills of each class and you get a premium tank?"

It is being worked on. Some people also ask if we could get events like the RU community gets; that too is definitely being looked at; to see if the good ideas that come from there could be implemented for us on EU/NA too. It would also help for people who have everything unlocked in the game so that there is some more of a goal to work towards.

Are there plans to bring the web interfaces that RU server has with regards to battalions etc. to EU/NA? Will your dossier still be private on the website if it is set so in-game?

It's not coming soon, but if/when it comes, the option to keep your stats private will definitely remain.

Would we ever see mods or premium ammo in AW?

No, definitely not, that's a no-go.

Will there be any hotfix before 0.20?

RU server already has 0.20, so we'll likely have it soon too. Whether or not there will be an additional hotfix in-between is not certain. (Note by Jeno: it seems very unlikely, seeing as the majority of major and minor bugs and issues get fixed with 0.20)

What can we expect to see in update 0.21?

Update 0.21 and following updates will definitely have new tank lines. Update 0.21 would have the PL/CZ line.

When do we get the French, Israeli and other tanks?

No definite dates can be given on those questions

With regards to game sounds, things like guns and engines sound too weak. Is this being looked into?

It's a combination of things. There are some bugs with it that have been reported for sure where sometimes no sound is heard at all.

Plans for DX12 or HAVOK this year?

Unknown.

Will there be some more 'tree filling' tanks in addition to full new lines?

No specifics, but it is highly likely. (Note by Jeno: there definitely will be; seeing as some lines are simply not finished yet, for instance Chinese MBTs)

Why was the PL/CZ line delayed?

It was supposed to be in 0.20, but the focus was laid on fixing major issues from 0.19 first.

With regards to PvE, will there be any changes to the PvE mission select interface to make it simpler and not having it open a total new fullscreen UI? It's definitely possible; and many things are already changing to the garage UI in 0.20. This specifically though, is unknown.

How big is the developer team?

I can't tell you the exact number.

Are there going to be special rare bosses in PvE?

Ot has definitely been discussed; at one point, it was going to be done, but then it got scrapped, and now it's unknown if it's coming or not.

Will there be improvements / add-ons to the replay system?

It hasn't been a priority, but it's definitely on the table.

With regards to Object 187, what Tier will it be, how much will it cost?

It's not intended to be a substitute for anything but, much like the earlier gift tanks (T-64AV Hunter, Chieftain Mk.6). They will gradually be offered in easier ways to get them so everyone can reasonably get their hands on them.

Wheeled vehicle physics are pretty bad right now, they can be hard to control. Is this a bug or intended?

It's not a bug.

What about the bug regarding to the aiming reticule bouncing around?

It definitely isn't a widespread bug; it is likely a client side issue. If you are having this issue, send in a ticket to support.

The Chieftain 900 gun barrel diameter looks off, is it a bug?

It's probably not a bug, more of a garage scale issue. Looking at tanks in the garage doesn't really provide a good point of comparison or reference.

What about optimizing the game's performance overall? It seems that performance is worse in 0.19.

It's rarely possible to do big chunks; most often it is in smaller chunks. 0.20 brings optimization improvements to quite a lot of maps. Performance improvements are being put into every patch.

What about anti-aliasing? It seems to kill your fps if any high AA settings are selected. I get much better results in other games where I can have settings set on "ultra" and still hit 60FPS, but not in AW?

Again, this ties into the overall improvements to performance that is always worked on; but it is very client-side specific. On some setups, certain graphics options take more of a hit to your FPS than others.

Are there any secret changes being done server side?

Any changes or fixes are almost always announced, but of course it is possible that very minor changes just get applied in the background.

What about certain tanks that don't fit at their current tier? Several tanks were bumped up or down in tier; will they be changed again if they don't work at their new tier?

That would be most likely, yes.

Are there any plans to change maps to discourage certain behavior like camping?

It is tricky as it means influencing player behavior. Changing the maps isn't really an option since if you would remove camping spots that MBTs go sit in, then those spots are obviously also gone for all other classes. Ultimately, players will play the game the way they want to, though.

When is the Man o'War campaign coming?

Certain details are being finalized for it. The good news is that it will be more complete now.

Any other modes planned for competitive play?

Lords of War got delayed because of other priorities but it is definitely still coming.

Will we be seeing any big major patches before the summer?

Definitely not anything as big as 0.19 was, but of course there will be several updates going forward.

Is anything going to be done about the excessive ATGM spam we see in PvE?

Yes, it's definitely being looked at.

Any plans to put, in addition to the Skirmish mechanism, a max cap on players in a match so that the most you'll ever get is like 7v7 or 8v8?

Probably not. Most players do like the bigger matches.

We are seeing the Sabre being driven as an AI vehicle. Are we getting that as a player-drivable tank?

Yes, definitely. But when or how is unknown.

Why did key binds change? Like the respawn kit used to be on the 9-key?

The ammo choices were changed from 5 to 3 so the hotkeys were obviously changed there, too.

Why are some AFVs now classed as being TDs?

Because those vehicles fit more in that role; it ties back into the way of having one class play similar across the board. The missile AFVs work more akin to TDs than the autocannon / ATGM combo AFVs for instance.