Obsidian Entertainment and My.com are proud to introduce the the newest addition to Armored Warfare - Update 0.17, which continues to focus on addressing the biggest issues of Armored Warfare in preparation for Balance 2.0!
Update 0.17 is bringing several quality of life improvements and fixes such as the PvE spawn system overhaul as well as new features, like the brand new VBR wheeled AFV and the new, large and open Frontline map. Additionally, a number of changes to game mechanics was made in preparations for the upcoming Balance 2.0 game mechanics overhaul.
Update 0.17 main features include:
- New PvP map "Frontline"
- New PvE mission "Leviathan"
- Two new Vehicles
- Overhauled PvE mission "Snakebite"
- Improvements to the Shot Delay issue
- PvE AI vehicle spawn overhaul
- Game mechanics changes
Apart from the abovementioned features, a number of game corrections will be implemented as well.
New PvP map "Frontline"
Two opposing tank companies clashed in a large-scale battle, leaving the local woodland landscape in a state of ruin. One side pushed north, crushing buildings under their tank treads while opposing forces traveled south, setting the nearby forest ablaze and leaving it to burn in their wake. When the two forces finally met the results were cataclysmic; now the area is littered with evidence of their encounter, with the broken remains of tanks dotting the landscape, left to rust. Stick to the main roads to face your enemies head on, or battle at long range atop precarious vistas in Frontline!
The Frontline is a large, open map suitable for all types of vehicles. It favors fast flanking maneuvers as well as long distance shooting.
Read more about this map in our preview.
New PvE mission "Leviathan"
The newly-finished Aurora satellite sits on a remote island in the Pacific, having received the final touches that will facilitate its maiden flight. When adversarial forces threaten to destroy Aurora and its component parts, the ISD takes immediate action by hiring Black Company to travel to the island in order to bolster the satellite's defenses and secure the area.
In Operation: Leviathan, you must protect the satellite and defend the island's facilities, stopping your enemies from capturing the Aurora and destroying it.
New Vehicles
Two new vehicles will be implemented into the game in Update 0.17:
- VBR Tier 8 AFV (read more about this vehicle in our preview)
- AMX 10 RCR Tier 8 Premium Tank Destroyer (read more about this vehicle in our preview)
Overhauled mission "Snakebite"
We've reworked the original Snakebite map in order to make it less linear in nature. The usable map space now much larger and features multiple paths around the map to key objectives.
New randomized secondary objectives have been added and the primary objectives now have players capture the supply depot before defending it against enemy counterattacks.
Improvements to the Shot Delay issue
We have continued to improve and optimized AW's weapon firing model in many aspects, with the goal of making it easier for players to hit targets more consistently while firing on the move. As part of these changes, we've fixed shot direction desync issues between the client and server which can happen occasionally when firing while your vehicle is still moving.
We've also improved the server-side lag compensation algorithm introduced in 0.16. As a result, the physics simulations for key components which include the physical projectile, the player's vehicle and target vehicle are now more accurate and efficient.
PvE AI vehicle spawn overhaul
We've added more potential spawn locations to all maps in addition to a spawn point validation system. Before spawning an AI vehicle, this new system will check to see if it has Line of Sight and is within close radius to players in an attempt to find a location that is not directly on top of players. This should greatly reduce the cases in which AI vehicles spawn in-sight of and around players.
Additionally, we've also given AI vehicles a warmup period in which they can't spot or shoot after spawning, ensuring that players have a moment to react when an enemy spawns near them.
Game Mechanics Changes
In Update 0.17, we've updated the way several mechanics in Armored Warfare mechanics work. As part of our ongoing effort to rebalance many of Armored Warfare's major gameplay elements, we've taken the opportunity to introduce several major Quality of Life improvements to ATGMs and Smoke Grenades. Additional changes to ATGMs and Smoke Grenades can be expected as we continue to work on the upcoming Balance 2.0 overhaul.
We've changed ATGMs in several areas to make them more viable and easier to use, including:
- As a baseline, all ATGMs no longer have a lock-on delay and can be fired as soon as the vehicle stops
- Vehicles which could fire ATGMs on the move in real life can now also do so in-game
- We've removed the delay when switching between ATGMs and other weapon systems
- We've increased the ATGM launch speed from 45 to 100 m/sec
- We've updated ATGM damage for AFV's to be similar to damage done by HEAT ammo from large caliber cannons at the same tier
- We've updated the damage for cannon-launched ATGMs to perform similar to their regular AP ammo
- Tandem Warhead ATGM's now reduce ERA effectiveness by 80%, up from 50%
We've made the following changes to Smoke Grenades to increase usefulness and solidify their role in the moment to moment gameplay:
- All vehicles with smoke grenades now have 15 charges
- Vehicles which previously only fired one smoke grenade now have a 45-second reload
- Vehicles which could previously fire up to three smoke grenades now have a 35-second reload
For more game mechanics changes, please see the full list of changes below.
List of 0.17.2589 Changes
Shot Delay Improvements
We have continued to improve and optimized AW's weapon firing model in many aspects, with the goal of making it easier for players to hit targets more consistently while firing on the move. As part of these changes, we've fixed shot direction desync issues between the client and server which can happen occasionally when firing while your vehicle is still moving.
We've also improved the server-side lag compensation algorithm introduced in 0.16. As a result, the physics simulations for key components which include the physical projectile, the player's vehicle and target vehicle are now more accurate and efficient. Finally, we've made some code improvements to reduce the frequency of "ghost shells" appearing, which can occasionally cause shots to disappear shortly after being fired.
PvE AI Spawn Improvements
We've added more potential spawn locations to all maps in addition to a spawn point validation system. Before spawning an AI vehicle, this new system will check to see if it has LoS and is within close radius to players in an attempt to find a location that is not directly on top of players. This should greatly reduce the cases in which AI vehicles spawn in-sight of and around players.
Additionally, we've also given AI vehicles a warmup period in which they can't spot or shoot after spawning, ensuring that players have a moment to react when an enemy spawns near them.
Guided Missile and Smoke Updates
We've changed ATGMs in several areas to make them more viable and easier to use, including:
- As a baseline, all ATGMs no longer have a lock-on delay and can be fired as soon as the vehicle stops
- Vehicles which could fire ATGMs on the move in real life can now also do so in-game
The full list of affected vehicles can be found in the vehicle section of the list of changes.
- We've removed the delay when switching between ATGMs and other weapon systems
- We've increased the ATGM launch speed from 45 to 100 m/sec
- We've updated ATGM damage for AFV's to be similar to damage done by HEAT ammo from large caliber cannons at the same tier
- We've updated the damage for cannon-launched ATGMs to perform similar to their regular AP ammo
- Tandem Warhead ATGM's now reduce ERA effectiveness by 80%, up from 50%
We've made the following changes to Smoke Grenades to increase usefulness and solidify their role in the moment to moment gameplay:
- All vehicles with smoke grenades now have 15 charges
- Vehicles which previously only fired one smoke grenade now have a 45-second reload
- Vehicles which could previously fire up to three smoke grenades now have a 35-second reload
Ammo Rack Update
We've changed how ammo racking works. Getting ammo racked will now only increase a player's reload rate by 20% when the ammo rack is in its destroyed state. Destroying an ammo rack will no longer cause any hit point damage. We will most likely adjust this mechanic further with the release of our major Balance 2.0 changes later this year.
First-Person Vegetation Render Update
Vegetation fading has been updated so that any cover vegetation that is within a set radius around the player's vehicle will fade out (disappear) completely when the player is in first-person / sniper mode.
This reduces situations where the player's viewport can be completely obscured by vegetation geometry while the player is using this vegetation to improve their camouflage. Note that this change only affects vegetation which is used in the camouflage and spotting mechanics and does not affect aesthetic vegetation such as grass.
Render Range Update
We've increased the overall vehicle render range to be 808 meters. Previously, a player's maximum render range was set to 707 meters. Now, players are able to see enemies rendered by their allies outside of their own personal vision range of up to 808 meters. Please note that this change does not affect a player's own ability spot enemies beyond his vehicle's maximum view range.
Miscellaneous
- Vehicle speed is no longer as greatly affected when coming into contact with another vehicle
- The third-person camera has been updated to have a much smoother motion when using the mouse wheel. Now there is much more fidelity instead of the five fixed zoom steps used previously. The camera's overall configuration (minimum zoom distance, maximum zoom distance, offset, etc.) has not changed
Texture Streaming
Added the ability to toggle Garage Vehicle Texture Streaming. This option allows players to asynchronously load vehicle textures as they become available. Speeds up time before a selected vehicle appears on screen by loading low res assets first, and replacing them with hi-res version as they are loaded. This feature is automatically turned on when selecting ultra settings.
New Flags
Added the following flag decals:
- Denmark
- Finland
- EU
- Greece
- Japan
- Moldova
- Australia
- United Nations
- Pirate Flag
- Norway
- Finland
Detail Tuning
- Turning the Game Effects setting to Low will now also remove environmental and vehicle visual effects (surface, exhaust, etc.)
- Turning the Object Detail setting to Medium will now also cause grass to appear sparingly while turning it to Low will now turn off grass completely. Bushes will still continue to appear
Crate Opening
Players can now continue to open supply crates without having to exit the loot window.
Miscellaneous
- Added tooltips when hovering over all options in the customization checkout window
- Custom match teams now remain readied up after being swapped using the "Swap Teams" option
- The PvE-only item slot is now visually distinct from other consumable slots in the consumable window
- Added the ability to switch to a specific vehicle in the garage from a dealer tree
- Clicking on 'Global Chat' from the Friends/Groups window will open up the Global Chat window
- The radial command "Requesting Fire" has been changed to "Attack" while playing Artillery
- Enabling the color-blind mode will now also affect Artillery reticle while reloading
- Added the ability to disable the minimap ping sound effect through the settings menu
- Retrofits and upgrades which affect both Min and Max accuracy have had their tooltip condensed into just "Accuracy". Previously, when both stats were present on an upgrade or retrofit the UI only indicated a change to minimum accuracy, when both were actually affected
- Outdated replays will now show up as red in the replay details window
- Removed the option to enable the server-side reticle from the settings menu. With the changes added to address shot delay, the server-side reticle used the outdated shot code making it obsolete and inaccurate
Miscellaneous
- The prerequisites for unlocking the Type-59 in Dealer 3 have been reduced to 15.000 damage in PvP or 75.000 damage in PvE
- In order to improve the flanking capabilities of Light Tanks, we've improved the time it takes to go from 0-32 km/h acceleration
- The Light Tank ability "ECU Override" can no longer be activated by accident while immobilized
Ariete
- Fixed an issue where some parts of a destroyed Ariete's turret could be shot through
B1 Draco
- Fixed an issue where the vehicle's HEAP shells used an ATGM icon
Begleitpanzer 57
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 4.28s to 3.38s
- Upgraded engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.6s to 2.95s
BMD-4
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
- Fixed an issue which caused the vehicle to move at the same speed while driving forward or in reverse
BMP-3
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
BMP-3M
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
BWP-1 Puma
- Fixed an issue with decals being improperly displayed when placed in the first slot
BMPT-72
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
Centauro 120
- Fixed an issue where the vehicle's cannon would clip into the cannon base
Chieftain Mk.6
- Fixed an issue where the Mk.6 did not have the same gun depression as the Mk.5
CRAB
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
Expeditionary Tank
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.23s to 2.8s
Leopard 1
- Fixed an issue where some parts of a destroyed Leopard 1 could be shot through
Leopard 2
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
Leopard 2A5
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
Leopard 2A6
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
MBT-70
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
M1134
- Fixed an issue with the armor pieces at the front of the vehicle not being connected to the hull
- Fixed an issue with several objects on the vehicle appearing in low resolution
M41
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 4.28s to 3.53s
- Upgraded engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.83s to 3.23s
M8
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 2.9s to 2.7s
PL-01
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.45s to 2.5s
PTL-02
- Aim Time lowered from 3.25s to 3.05s
- Min Spread improved from 0.1229 to 0.105
- Max Spread improved from 1.35 to 1.25
- Hull Traverse increased from 44.8deg/s to 47.4deg/s
- 0-32km/h acceleration improved from 5.3s to 4.4s
Ramka-99
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
RDF-LT
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.9s to 3.23s
Scorpion
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.6s to 3.15s
- Upgraded engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.53s to 2.95s
- Second upgraded engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.38s to 2.85s
Sheridan
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 6.1s to 4.03s
- Upgraded engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 5s to 3.68s
Starship
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
Stingray 1
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.9s to 3.38s
- Upgraded engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.83s to 3.15s
Stingray 2
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.83s to 3.15s
- Upgraded Engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.75s to 2.95s
Sphinx
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
T-14
We've slightly updated the T-14's cannon depression limits. Over the front sights of the vehicle, on the left side, the cannon now only lowers to -3 degrees to avoid clipping. At the rear of the vehicle, the cannon depression now raises to +3 degrees (over 0) to avoid clipping.
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
T-15
We've changed the vehicle's turret armor composition from High Yield Steel to High Hardness Steel. This increases the multipliers from 1.25 to 1.5. This is the same composition used on the BMPT-72's turret armor. It felt natural to not downgrade the armor composition on a newer vehicle.
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
T-54
- Fixed an issue with decals being improperly displayed when placed in the second slot
T-64
- Fixed an issue where the 'Classic stripe" camouflage was not being applied to certain parts of the vehicle
T-80
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
T-90
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
T-90MS
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
- Fixed an issue where decals were not being placed symmetrically on both sides of the vehicle
T-92
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 5.3s to 3.75s
Terminator
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
Type 98
- The vehicle's ATGMs can now be fired on the move
VFM5
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 2.9s to 2.6s
XM1A3
- Hit points reduced from 3625 to 3415
- Fixed an issue where the vehicle's engine grill would not take critical damage when hit
- Fixed an issue where the vehicle's destroyed ERA would display camouflage
- Fixed an issue where the vehicle's commander, gunner and turret ring could all be destroyed in one shot from the front
- Fixed an issue where the vehicle's smoke grenade launchers would disappear with camouflage equipped
- Fixed an issue where the thumbnail used for the vehicle in the garage did not match the vehicle's actual appearance
XM1 FSED
Damage and Penetration values have been raised:
- AP: 409 damage to 419, 381 penetration to 429
- HE: 245 damage to 251, 157 penetration to 161
- HEAT: 511 damage to 535, 336 penetration to 341
Ammo cost has been increased to match their new effective values.
- Hull traverse speed has been lowered from 14.2s to 13.8s
- Turret traverse speed has been increased from 25.4 deg/s to 28 deg/s
XM8
- Stock engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 3.08s to 2.8s
- Upgraded engine 0-32 km/h acceleration improved from 2.9s to 2.55s
Wiesel
- ATGM reload rate improved from 17.78s to 11.11s
WZ-1224
- Fixed an issue where some parts of a destroyed WZ-1224 turret could be shot through
Zhalo-S
We added an autoloader to the Zhalo-S. Previously, the vehicle had neither a loader nor an autoloader.
A new Frontline map was added.
Cold Strike
- Moved the northern cap circle to the other side of the river
- Fixed numerous prop collision issues throughout the map
Coastal Threat
- Fixed an issue in cell J3 where players could get stuck on map terrain
Ghost Field
- Fixed several Level of Detail issues on map terrain when players drove near rocks
Lost Island
- Fixed an issue in cell E9 where small vehicles could become stuck in the destroyed observation tower
- Fixed an issue in cell B5 where the Wiesel 1 could sink into the ground
Narrows
- Fixed an issue in cell H5 where bunkers were missing textures on Low graphic settings
- Fixed an issue in Cell A1 where certain trees had no collision model
Pipelines
- Fixed an issue in cell B4 where the water splash VFX would play on regular terrain
Port Storm
- Fixed an issue in cell H3 where the capture circle was partially missing
- Fixed an issue in cell D4 where destroyed vehicle models had gaps in their textures
Roughneck
- Fixed an issue where players were not receiving rewards for capping
Miscellaneous
- Fixed an issue where the Tank HUD icon could appear during the ending cutscene
- Fixed an issue where AI artillery would remain invisible until firing at a player
Albratross
- Fixed an issue where the defeat Voiceover would not play after failing the primary objectives
- Fixed an issue where the enemy command center was displaying as a blue circle on the minimap
Anvil
- Fixed an issue where the Voiceover could overlap if you reached cell D2 fast enough
- Fixed an issue where the Voiceover for failing the primary and secondary objectives would overlap
- Fixed an issue where AI artillery was spawning near player artillery
- Fixed an issue in cell E1 where players could get stuck on map terrain
- Fixed an issue in cell A7 where map terrain was causing artillery cameras to jitter
- Fixed an issue in cell F0 where players could drive into non-playable areas
- Fixed an issue in cell B3 where invisible walls were appearing
- Fixed an issue in cell D4 where players could drive into non-playable areas
- Fixed an issue where secondary objectives were not displaying on the mission briefing overlay
Basilisk
- Increased the Primary objective reward modifier to 1.8 and added 90 seconds to the mission timer
- Fixed an issue where the Voiceover for failing the secondary objective still played after the match ended
- Lightened the map a bit to make it easier to see spotted enemies
Cavalry
- Fixed several instances where Voiceover lines could overlap
- Fixed an issue in cell I0 where players could get stuck on map terrain
Dire Wolf
- Fixed an issue in cell A3 where white textures were appearing near the base of the building
Erebos
- Fixed an issue in cell F9 where the player vehicle would disappear
Frostbite
- Fixed an issue where no Voiceover was playing when the secondary objective was completed, or failed
- Fixed an issue where the SFX for colliding with water was missing
Ghost Hunter
- Fixed an issue in cell E3 where small vehicles could get stuck between two buildings
Kodiak
- Fixed an issue where the position of the 2nd and 3rd primary objective location points did not match up to the location points on the minimap
- Fixed an issue in cell B5 where players could shoot through the pipes
- Fixed an issue in cell B8 where environment textures in a non-playable area of the map were missing
Life Jacket
- Fixed an issue in cell E5 where LOD on map asset for sewer grate appears and disappears at close range
Phalanx
- Fixed an issue in cell F4 where player vehicles could get stuck on map terrain
- Fixed an issue in cell C8 where parts of the building could be shot through
Perseus
- Fixed an issue where AI was unable to capture the first and second objective point
- Fixed an issue in cells G7 and G8 where the map borderline did not match up with the map border shown on the minimap
Umbrella
- Fixed an issue where Artillery could complete secondary objectives without them being spotted
Quarterback
- Fixed an issue in cell C7 where some parts of the building would disappear while the player was rotating the camera
Red Opossum
- Fixed an issue where players were able to shoot through certain map assets
Ricochet
- Fixed an issue where the secondary capture circles were displaying red instead of white
Sapphire
- Fixed an issue where Voiceover would not play after failing the secondary objectives
- Fixed an issue in cell B6 where the secondary objective was not being counted after being destroyed
Spearhead
- Fixed an issue where the beginning Voiceover would get cutoff if the player started driving immediately after the countdown
Starry Night
- Fixed an issue in cells A1 and F8 where player vehicles could drive into non-playable areas
- Fixed an issue in cell F8 where map props could be shot through
Stormy Winter
- Fixed an issue where the Voiceover for failing the primary and secondary objectives would overlap
- Fixed an issue in cell D3 where the primary objective capture circle decal was showing up on props
- Fixed an issue where secondary objectives were staying highlighted after failing
- Fixed an issue in Cells I9 and J9 where players could not be seen on the minimap while driving next to the map border
General
- Fixed an issue where the smoke trail VFX from ATGMs would linger after the missile struck its target
- Fixed an issue where destroyed enemy vehicles would sometimes appear invisible but retain their collision
- Fixed an issue where a player using a Win32 machine would sometimes crash while loading into a match
- Fixed an issue where bright sparks would appear when players fired underwater
- Fixed an issue where the sound effects for reloading and crew phrases would play while in free camera mode
- Fixed an issue where it was not possible to launch a replay if the .awr file had been renamed outside of the client
- Fixed an issue where vehicles could begin floating while watching a replay
- Fixed an issue where allies would sometimes show up as enemies in the UI while watching a replay
- Fixed an issue where VFX would disappear when pausing a replay
- Fixed an issue while watching a replay where the camera would not switch to a player after using a Field Rebuilt Kit
Garage and User Interface
- Premium time purchase notifications will now properly read as "Premium account time purchased"
- Fixed an issue where match duration and privacy settings were displayed as default values after being applied in a custom match
- Fixed an issue which allowed players to ready up with several different vehicles in a custom match after being moved
- Fixed an issue where an incorrect character count could be displayed in the Custom Match description box
- Fixed an issue where the platoon window displayed no notification after a player joined the platoon
- Fixed an issue which allowed a custom match lobby leader to be able to move players around in the UI while a match was in progress
- Fixed an issue with the post-match screen where a player was shown as having "survived" an ally crashing into and destroying them
- Fixed an issue where players could type in a group chat they've been invited to, but haven't accepted the invitation
- The "Total Bonuses" window for boosts now properly shows 'Dealer Prerequisite Progress' as part of its boost
- The Gold Medal and Iron Star award achievements now more accurately reflect their respective titles
- Fixed an issue where text would overlap while viewing the Custom Match Lobby in
- Fixed an issue where the button to unlock a vehicle via token was not active in the preceding vehicle's upgrade window
- Fixed an issue where team lists would disappear in-game if a player pressed the '[' or ']' key
- Fixed an issue where shadows were not being applied in the garage
- Fixed a display bug with the Slovakian flag decal
- Fixed a display bug with the US and UK flag decals
Vehicles
- Fixed several instances where the first-person camera could clip into and through walls
Sounds
- Fixed an issue where first-person cannon sounds were being played when vehicles other than the current player fired
- Fixed an issue where Voiceover was not being played after a component had been destroyed
- Fixed an issue where engine startup sound effects were not playing after the line "Driver, crank it!"
- Fixed an issue where artillery engine sound effects would disappear if the player attempted to drive in artillery mode
- Fixed an issue where the engine startup sound effects did not play during the countdown sequence in PvP
- Fixed an issue where no music would play after a PvP match ended in a draw
- Fixed an issue where the water splash sound effects would cut off when changing directions while driving
