The Common Test for Update 9.18 has started.
This time, players can test
a number of important new features.
Improved matchmaker, Tier X light tanks,
a new role for SPGs, updated rules for forming platoons,
and more than 20 vehicles in HD quality.
Learn more about it right now!
IMPROVED MATCHMAKER
Something players have been asking for for a long time, happened!
A new, more elaborate, but at the same time simpler, matchmaker.
The main change is matching the teams by a template.
Thanks to this, both teams will have lineups that are equal in strength.
Most battles will be three-tier battles.
Vehicle distribution can vary a bit,
but there are three obligatory conditions:
no more than three vehicles at the top;
in the middle—no fewer vehicles than at the top but no more than five;
and no fewer than seven vehicles at the bottom of the list.
Now, entering a battle where you’re at the bottom, and there are almost no vehicles
of the same tier, is impossible even in theory.
Also, if you play several battles at the bottom of the list,
the matchmaker will prioritize a place in the middle or at the top for you.
Sometimes there will be excessive vehicles of a particular tier in the battle queue.
In cases like this, creating two-tier and one-tier battles is possible.
The latter is clear,
and the two-tier battle will tend to a format
with five top-tier vehicles and ten vehicles one tier lower.
In addition to using templates,
further team matchmaking by vehicle types is introduced.
The improved matchmaker considers the number of light tanks, tank destroyers and SPGs.
The difference for these vehicle types should not exceed one vehicle.
By popular player request,
the maximum number of SPGs on a team was reduced from five to three.
Also, new rules for forming Platoons were introduced.
A key decision was to make them of the same tier.
Every player has battled in a team where a high-tier vehicle was platooned with low-tier ones.
It could be fun, but it brought about a huge imbalance.
The chances of winning with such a Platoon in the team decreased significantly.
The whole team suffered because of two or three players.
Now this situation will change.
The mechanism of map selection was also improved.
Many players complained they had to fight on the same maps
over and over again during the same game session.
Now the matchmaker remembers the maps you have played on
so that you don’t play the same maps too often.
You can share your opinion of the improved matchmaker
in a special thread on the game forum.
You can find a link in the description.
NEW SPG ROLE
The first thing you notice when playing the new artillery is the new aim!
Inspired by the Battle Assistant mod, familiar to many players,
it provides a clearer idea of terrain irregularities.
The good old Artillery Aim remains.
You can switch the view while aiming.
Also, a new indication marker was added.
Now all SPG players can indicate the area they are currently aiming at.
The marker is placed by pressing a button
and helps allies focus their fire on the targets
and leave the area under fire in time.
These are all just visual improvements.
The main change is the new role of artillery in battle.
Over a long time, this topic
has been one of the most discussed and controversial.
Some players claim that SPGs should remain the way they are.
Other players complain about being destroyed with a single shot.
No one enjoys quitting to the Garage after a shot from nowhere, right?
The degree of discontent with SPGs has been continuously rising.
For this reason, the new SPG gameplay
has been actively tested and tuned over several months.
After four iterations, hundreds of surveys, and thousands of work hours,
the developers decided to make this step—
release the new SPG gameplay on the Common Test.
Now, only high-explosive shells are available for SPGs.
Their damage and armor penetration were considerably decreased.
The chances of being destroyed with a single shot are now close to none.
At the same time, their accuracy, aiming time, and reload time were improved,
and the burst radius became wider.
Now it’s more advantageous to fire at groups of enemy vehicles and not at single targets.
However the key feature of the improved artillery is the ability to stun enemy vehicles.
All opponents within the burst radius get stunned for a while.
And this is the best time for the allies to advance!
When a vehicle is stunned,
its mobility, accuracy, and reload time worsen.
The stun duration can vary and is displayed
on the special marker above the stunned vehicle.
You can protect your vehicle from artillery with Spall Liners.
They decrease the stun effect by 10%.
But sometimes even one second matters in a battle.
In this case, the First Aid Kit comes in handy.
It will momentarily remove the stun effect.
To make the game more interesting, First Aid Kits and Repair Kits became reusable!
These features are new in the game
and this why the developers need your opinion on all the improvements.
Join the Common Test, play, and share your feedback in a special thread on the game forum.
LIGHT TANKS
Initially, light tanks were intended for scouting
and providing fire support to allies.
As the game evolved, they received separate branches in the Tech Tree.
These branches, unlike other branches, ended at Tier VIII.
This resulted in specific matchmaking for these vehicles.
Usually, light tanks had to fight against the vehicles that were two or three tiers higher.
In situations like this, light tanks had little effect on the battle’s outcome...
But things are different now.
For the Update 9.18 Common Test, the light tank branches
received their logical extensions to Tier X.
Thanks to this, the matchmaker will be able to assemble teams faster,
and light tanks will be able to exert a stronger influence on the course of battle.
Due to the new tanks, the former top light tanks were moved from Tier VIII to Tier IX.
Tier X is occupied by the new vehicles.
For the Chinese Tech Tree, it’s the WZ-132-1.
The main features of the newcomer
are high armor penetration, sturdy turret armor, and excellent view range.
The French AMX 13 105 can’t boast thick armor,
but it’s equipped with a three-shell drum-type autoloader, 390 points of damage each.
The U.S. Sheridan looks a little oversized and crude.
However, this tank has excellent gun depression angles
and the best damage per minute among other Tier X light tanks.
It also has the best view range in the game! 430 meters!
The new German light tank has the same view range as well.
In addition, the Rheinmetall Panzerwagen received a good gun and excellent dynamics.
However, it’s outmatched in acceleration by the new Soviet T-100 light tank.
Its power-to-weight ratio is almost 50 horsepower per ton!
Also, thanks to its low silhouette, the vehicle has excellent concealment.
The role of light tanks remains unchanged: scouting and fire support.
However, they now have decent firepower and even more impressive dynamics.
HD VEHICLES
More than twenty vehicle models were reworked in HD.
This time the emphasis was on artillery and Soviet light tanks.
The elegant French Lorraines, as well as such behemoths as
the Soviet Object 261 and U.S. T92, received new HD models.
That’s all for now.
Join the Common Test and remember that
together we make the game better!