Commanders!
Welcome to the newest Q&A Session where developers are answering questions posed by players. This session’s questions were provided exclusively by the authors of the Gamestone blog, one of the best resources for Armored Warfare news on the internet!
Without further ado, here they are:
How is the work on bringing back artillery going? Is there any progress?
We are currently testing two types of changes. The first is to introduce the Self-Propelled Mortar class that we showed you on PTS some time ago. We plan to develop it further after we introduce a new system of active class abilities and modes that we are working on.
The second is to overhaul the SPG class by introducing new features with the intention of making it a proper support class and, following this overhaul, to test it in Global Operations. We could re-introduce the class to this mode if your feedback regarding the overhaul is positive. After that, we can start considering new artillery vehicles.
What’s your opinion regarding TTK (Time to Kill – average time needed to destroy an enemy vehicle)? Some feel that the high-Tier TTK is too short. Others say that it is too long for Tank Destroyers and call for a buff to their damage output. What do the developers think?
On average, we think that the TTK is mostly fine but there are some specific issues with it. First, there is the low-Tier damage output, which is simply too low per shot and, making the low-Tier TTK too high in general. This often leads to boring “hitpoint trading” on these Tiers. In Update 0.26, we improved the gameplay dynamics by reducing low-Tier vehicle reload times and we are working on more improvements in this direction.
The second issue is that there is too much of a TTK difference on higher Tiers between vehicles with standard loading and “burst”-based vehicles (which include vehicles with clips, ready racks and vehicles that launch missile salvos). As a result, gameplay situations can vary wildly between long “hitpoint trading” and those where players leave cover only to die in seconds from a salvo of missiles. Some vehicles feel completely powerless when meeting an enemy with high burst capability.
This is something that we plan to address by the means of a wholesome set of changes instead of just specific vehicle updates. We will rebalance hitpoint values in order to eliminate some of the worst TTK situations. We will also increase the damage per shot values of large tank guns as well as the efficiency of autocannons. These changes, when applied together, will make “burst” vehicles less lethal by providing a viable alternative for them.
When can we expect the French tanks?
According to our plans, the French dealer will be the next whole dealer in the game. While we cannot give you a specific deadline, it should appear in the first half of the next year.
Will Leopard 2A8 appear in the game as a new vehicle or Leopard 2AX replacement?
Not in the near future. Further down the road – quite possibly.
Some time ago, you announced the switch of the Ariete tank for something else in order to make the line completely British. When will that happen and what tank will it be replaced with?
It should happen along with the introduction of the next dealer. As for what tank will it be replaced with, it will be one of the British MBTs intended for export.
Speaking of British tanks, when will you introduce low-Tier British tanks like the Centurion?
The Centurion is available as a low-Tier Israeli vehicle already. But as for the British branch specifically, we have no current plans to introduce more low-Tier tanks to it at the moment.
You already mentioned the upcoming Scandinavian branch a few times. Will it feature, for example, the legendary S-Tank?
That’s quite possible.
Will we see various Korean tanks such as the K1 and the K2 in the game?
We are considering adding more south-east Asian vehicles to the game. And yes, some will appear in the near future.
We’ve seen the XM723 render already. What happened to the vehicle?
Nothing yet. We are considering where to put it.
Do you have any plans to add a few special Premium vehicles that you could only buy for a large amount of Reputation?
We are considering that option. We do not, however, currently have any finalized plans.
What is your opinion regarding the VBL INGWE AFV? This machine simply dominates our server’s mid-Tier PvP, especially during various events, thanks to its combination of an excellent camouflage factor and the ability to fire missile bursts. Isn’t it overpowered?
The vehicle is quite powerful, especially in skilled hands. However, it’s not the only powerful Tier 7 vehicle. There are other vehicles on that Tier that are specifically intended to counter it.
Will the self-propelled AA guns (Flakpanzer Gepard etc.) appear in the game?
They might. We are considering adding them.
Let’s talk about Ghost Shells. They appeared in Update 0.26 again in very large amounts. How about that?
That was a bug in the game’s code that was already fixed by one of the recent hotfixes.
Do you have any plans for a camouflage system overhaul?
Not as a whole system, no, but we are working on improving its integration to the game and on making new players understand it better.
Do you plan to overhaul the crew system? If so, when can we expect it?
The desire is there. We do not, however, currently have any specific plans as to how to do it and when since we are working on tasks with higher priority.
Will you add the option to change paint, camouflage and decals on many vehicles at the same time?
We are currently not planning this feature.
Can you say more about the planned vehicle class special abilities?
We are planning to add them in one of the upcoming updates but the feature is still deep in development and we can’t tell you anything more yet – after all, a lot of it might be different in the final product.
In Update 0.17, you added a mechanism that should prevent bots from spawning too close to players. This does not seem to be working at the moment. Can you look into it?
We are aware of the issue and are working on improving this mechanism.
Why aren’t you guys developing more standard PvE maps? The Special Operations mode is all well and good but gets boring over time. Wouldn’t it make more sense to add more PvE maps without bothering with the storyline and expensive cutscenes?
According to our statistics as well as the collected feedback, players actually do like the Special Operations mode. We’d like to use it further to unveil more of the Armored Warfare storyline and to involve players in it. Plus, we already have plenty of PvE maps and if we add a few more, they will just get lost amongst the ones that are already there. That’s one of the reasons why we are currently not adding more standard PvE missions, but rather improving the quality of the existing ones.
Will you add more city maps?
Yes.
That’s it for today! We’ll see you on the battlefield!
