A large test is coming.
Global changes will be introduced into the game.
Tech Trees have been reworked.
You'll be able to get days of Premium Account.
The paradigm of all shell types in the game has changed.
You'll get a vehicle in its top configuration.
We've increased the durability of all vehicles, especially low-tier ones.
We started working on these changes within a large update—New Balance.
A massive test of new balance will be held in the next 10 days.
Global changes are coming to the game, and they will affect a lot of aspects:
from shell balance to the Tech Tree.
We're making all these changes for a certain reason.
There's always been three types of shells in our game.
However, special shells have always been
the most effective and attractive from the players' point of view.
Just like standard shells, special shells can be purchased for credits.
They deal the same amount of damage but have much better penetration.
Obviously, they are the most efficient in battle.
Sure, they're more expensive than standard shells,
but all economic calculations are made after the battle.
When in battle, you only care about combat efficiency.
Our main goal was to decrease the efficiency of special shells
while increasing it for standard shells.
Shell types should have different advantages
for different combat situations.
At the time, alongside changing the shell properties,
we were working on several other improvements,
and it would be logical to introduce them all together.
So, we started working on these changes
within a large comprehensive update that we call "New Balance".
Since last summer we've tested four Sandbox iterations,
where we've been checking our hypotheses together with you.
Reworking the shell balance system was the main change.
According to the new model, standard shells will cause the most damage
and feature good penetration while remaining inexpensive.
On the other hand, special shells have the best armor penetration,
which compensates for the lower amount of damage they cause.
They're also much more expensive.
Finally, we have high-explosive or, in other words, tactical shells.
They've become more effective for calibers below 120 millimeters.
But for calibers above 150 millimeters their efficiency has decreased.
We've also improved the mechanics of causing damage with an HE shell.
It's become more predictable for both the shooter and their target.
Within the new system,
using only HE shells to cause damage will not be as useful as before,
provided that other types of shells are available.
Firing HE shells only will dramatically decrease your damage per minute.
According to the new mechanics,
very few vehicles can penetrate armor with an HE shell.
The only exceptions are the KV-2 and KV-2 (R).
They will still be capable of doing so.
As for vehicles that mostly rely on high-explosive-based gameplay,
for example the T49 or the Sheridan,
the penetration of their HE shells has decreased,
but they remain as effective as before.
High-explosive and HESH shells that previously featured better penetration
will now cause higher damage
to compensate for their decreased penetration within the new system.
Therefore, their efficiency will not change.
Still, there're few such vehicles. You can see them all on your screen.
As a result, each of these three shell types
is suitable for different combat situations.
Within the reworked system,
standard shells are best suited for causing the maximum damage per shot.
When using special shells,
you sacrifice damage per minute for the sake of penetration chance.
HE shells can be used
when you can't damage an enemy with other types of shells.
Also, you can use them to reset the base capture,
land the final blow on an enemy vehicle,
or damage an external module, for example, tracks.
Obviously, the balance changes have also affected SPGs.
Now they have three shells types, just like other vehicles.
Standard shells (high-explosive shells that can stun enemy vehicles)
remain unchanged.
Special shells—they are also high-explosive shells.
They cause more damage and feature a greater burst radius
but cannot stun enemies.
And finally, armor-piercing or HEAT shells.
They have great penetration and cause predictable, yet less, damage.
The efficiency of these shells also depends on combat conditions.
If you need to stun an enemy and cause damage, pick a standard shell.
If you're targeting a large group of enemies or want to cause more damage,
use a special shell, since they feature wider burst radius
and cause a bit more damage.
Still, if your target is well-armored, go for the third shell type.
For example, when you're aiming at the slow Maus equipped with a Spall Liner.
It's rather easy to hit, so it's better to fire an AP shell once
rather than try to cause some damage with HE shells.
Together with increasing standard shell damage, we've also increased
the durability of vehicles accordingly to preserve the system balance.
However, when boosting Hit Points of vehicles,
we've considered the corresponding factors, such as armor.
As for Tier I to VI vehicles,
their durability has been additionally increased.
Respectively, durability is increased more evenly from tier to tier.
These vehicles now have better survivability,
and the consequences of a mistake have become less severe.
During the previous four Sandbox iterations,
the developers were testing the balance changes only.
The current test will be the largest one.
It comprises all previous balance tweaks
supplemented by other related game elements.
One of the key features is the reworked Tech Trees.
Currently, they're rather complicated.
Players have difficulties using it,
and sometimes it's not clear how to research a desired Tier X vehicle.
This is particularly crucial for the title nations: USA, Germany, and USSR.
Previously, the Tech Trees of these nations were rather clear.
However, over time we've introduced more vehicles to the game.
In particular, we're talking about historical vehicles that saw real combat.
As a result, these Tech Trees have become more complicated at low tiers.
We want to make the new Tech Trees more clear,
visually appealing, and user-friendly.
At the same time, we acknowledge the importance of historical vehicles
and want to keep them in the game.
Therefore, some vehicles will become Collectors' vehicles,
while the Tech Trees will become more simple.
Let's see how it works on the Soviet Tech Tree for example.
We've removed 13 vehicles from it. Mostly low-tier vehicles.
The remaining vehicles make up the new Tech Tree.
The branch of heavy tanks is the primary one,
since this vehicle type is the most understandable and popular.
To arrange the branch in a better fashion, we've introduced the BT-5 tank.
The Soviet branches of tank destroyers and medium tanks
start from the heavy tanks.
SPGs and light tanks are displayed on the edges,
since they are more team-focused vehicles.
Premium vehicles have been moved to a separate tab at the bottom.
It expands upon hovering over it with the mouse.
However, some Premium vehicles might not be displayed there.
You can go to the Shop to view the full list of Premium vehicles.
The simplified Tech Trees
can be displayed on the screen of most existing monitors.
One vehicle column per tier.
It's become easier to locate the required vehicle of a certain type.
We've also introduced a feature for zooming in on the Tech Tree,
so players can get a closer look at a particular area.
This principle of arranging Tech Trees is applied to all nations in the game.
After making the Tech Trees simpler,
the number of available low-tier vehicles has decreased significantly.
Even within the densest nations, for example the USA,
you can now research a total of 11 vehicles
and get all vehicles from Tier I to V.
You won't need to go back to them to research high-tier vehicles.
So, players can save a lot of both experience and time.
We had to remove a total of 92 vehicles from the Tech Trees
to make them less complicated.
In addition, to better arrange the Tech Trees,
we've introduced three new vehicles:
the BT-5, the Cavalier, and the T6 Medium.
The vehicles that have been removed from the Trees will still remain in the game.
They will become Collectors' vehicles.
If you already have these vehicles in your Garage,
they will remain on your account with all their consumables and equipment.
Tier I to V vehicles will be added to the Collectors' Vehicles tab in the Shop.
Vehicles there are sorted by nation.
To gain access to the Collectors' vehicles of a certain nation,
you need to research at least one Tier VI vehicle of the same nation.
Collectors' vehicles can be purchased for credits.
You don't need to spend experience to get them.
Still, modules for such vehicles
are researched the same way as with regular vehicles.
Players research modules for experience and use credits to purchase them.
In addition, such modules can be equipped to other suitable vehicles.
A Collectors' vehicle does not differ from its previous version,
however it can only be purchased in the Shop.
As for Tier VI to X vehicles, it's a different case.
There are few such vehicles.
They are not being removed from the game,
and you'll be able to get them in the future.
How? We'll explain later.
If you already have any of these vehicles,
when the update is released, it will remain in your Garage.
Moreover, it will be converted to a Special vehicle,
and you'll get it in its top configuration.
Even if you've not researched a single module for it yet.
If you've previously researched and purchased a vehicle
that is now removed from the branch,
we'll automatically unlock the next vehicle
or the vehicle of a higher tier in the same Tech Tree.
Blueprint fragments of vehicles that we're going to remove
will be converted into national blueprint fragments.
If a vehicle has been moved down a tier,
which causes a difference in the number of blueprint fragments,
this difference will also be compensated with national fragments.
During the test, we will be checking many vehicle changes,
but we can't test everything using this format.
For example, statistics.
It will obviously change when the number of hit points and damage dealt change.
We are planning to introduce certain periods that will allow you
to more accurately track your new accomplishments using the new values.
We will have two statistics tabs.
The first one will include all your achievements,
and the other one will show only the most relevant ones,
for example, for the last three months.
The new tab with the relevant statistics will work with the period logic in mind.
When a period ends, another one of the same length will launch.
We are still thinking what relevant statistics period length to choose
in order to make it the most efficient for you to track your progress.
We also understand that these changes
will affect the Personal Missions of both campaigns.
The conditions of the damage and hit points-related missions
will be updated some time after New Balance is released,
when we acquire enough data for it.
Battle economy that directly depends on the damage dealt
and the hit points of the vehicle will also be corrected.
The income will not decrease in any case,
we want to keep it at the same level as before.
Credits awarded will be changed in such a way
so that you will earn as much as you did before with the same battle performance.
It's now time to conduct a thorough test
to come to a final conclusion regarding the new balance.
This stage of testing is probably the most important one.
So, we would like as many players as possible to participate.
We will let everyone who takes part in the test
provide their feedback in a special survey.
Of course, it will take some time,
so we will reward those who decide to participate.
There will be special missions on the test server
that will allow you to get days of World of Tanks Premium Account
and a special medal on the main server for completing them.
To earn these rewards,
you need to both complete missions and complete a special survey.
You’ll receive it in the primary game client after the test finishes,
approximately on February 19.
The rewards for those missions will only be added to your account
if you play on the test server and answer all the questions in the survey.
Taking part in the New Balance test
is as easy as participating in the Common tests.
Follow the link in this video's description,
download and launch a special file.
If you don't have Wargaming.net Game Center installed,
it will be installed along with the test version of the game.
If you already have WGC installed, it will automatically
let you install the test version after you launch the file.
Then, on the World of Tanks page, in the Game Instance menu,
select the New Balance test and click Play.
There may be queues on the server, because its capacity is restricted.
Try waiting a bit or logging in at another time.
During the final testing stage we will transfer your account completely.
We will transfer all your vehicles, Service Record and items.
It's necessary to let you accurately judge all the changes
that will be implemented on the test server.
This test is a very important step towards the new balance.
And the test results will show in what way it will appear in the game.
Take part in the test, share your opinions and receive rewards.
See you soon!