"World of Tanks" Topic

I started playing this online game about a month ago. I enjoy it, but it has nothing to do with armor tactics, more like capture the flag with tanks.

One thing I did notice is that some ratings in the game seem really off. For example, my PzIII J w/ 50L60 has more hit points than my Hezter with a 75L48.

The guns seem off also. I understand that the website makes its money from having people buy the hot ammo (HEAT), but I just play for free.

That being the case, it still seems off on damage. I just got done with a game where I was right off the rear of a KV-1, point blank range. The KV was tracked and couldn't move. It was also pre-occupied with other tanks to the front, so I had no danger.

From maybe the 30 feet range I was firing into the rear of the KV with a 50L60. Four hits (tough to miss at that range) and I did ZERO damage to him.

That seemed wrong. I know the KV tough, but 4 hits into the engine at spitting distance? Now, I'm sure if I paid for the HEAT ammo, I would have smoked him.

I do like the game, but shake my head sometimes.

My son plays this and frequently comes to me for advice. Unfortunately for him, my advice is based on reality.

I´m really tempted to give it a go though, is it possible to win without paying?

Is it as the name implies, tanks only or can one play other arms?

I play it quite a bit, though I'm not very good and don't spend any money on it

I have realized a long time ago that it has nothing to do with real tank warfare but good fun none the less

Can you play as a team? A TMP team?

I'm pretty addicted to this game. It's only tanks and self propelled artillery.

The game tries to replicate the armor based on reality, but tweaks that based on playability. The gun penetration stats and armor stats are based on reality, but the amount of damage they do and the 'hit points' per tank are where they balance the tiers.

It's fun, but historical tanks are usually not as good as the experimental stuff and later war stuff that dominates the game.

A can see a PZIII J having a hard time with a KV at point blank range in the game. There are ricochet factors based on angle of hit in the game. I've had worse luck, and better in the game.

It's fun, but not terribly historical when you can have a match with Type 59s, Hetzers, French ARL 44's, an American M14 and a Matilda Black Prince all in the same game.

It's still fun, though.

Oh, and to answer questions- Yes you can play and win without spending any money (if you ever get one of their starter discs, they actually give you 20 dollars of free points and that will give you perks, though you don't need it).

You can play in platoons (friends who play together) as well as clans of permanent teams.

Cash in the game is Gold, which is bought with money, and silver, which is earned (or can be bought with gold).

With gold you can buy premium tanks, which aren't necessarily better than regular tanks, but they give you bonus experience and 'game cash' when you play with them.

You can also buy 'gold rounds' which are special armor piercing rounds. Tanks normally come with standard rounds and lower penetrating heat rounds as standard (though you have to spend silver when you expend them).

Crew for each turn can earn experience and get better at their jobs. You can use gold to expand the number of tanks you can own and expand your barracks to have more crew.

You also earn experience by playing (and more by winning). XP you use to earn better an more powerful tanks.

Generally, lighter and earlier tanks are lower tier tanks, and later war and post war tanks are higher tier.

Tanks come in light, medium and heavy varieties, plus tank destroyers and self-propelled arty. Each has it's own specific strategy you want to use.

You can play well for free. They are constantly having event weekends where you earn more experience and silver than usual and every day, your first victory match earns you double of both.

I have a large stable of tanks right now up to Tier VII with Tier X being the highest.

The game is good at matchmaking so you don't end up with battles between, say, an FT17 and an M60. You generally fight between up to 3 tiers (say 4 to 6, or 5 to 8).

It's definitely possible to win without paying. The real-money tanks aren't much better than regular tanks at the same tier, especially if you know where to shoot them. The advantage to buying a tank (or paying monthly for a 'premium' account, which is what I do to help support the game) is that you earn more money and experience points, so you can move up the tiers faster than if you don't pay anything.

My main disappointment with the game isn't the a-historicity of the tank matchups, but the lack of tactics. There's a fair bit of individual tactics you can employ, but when you throw 15 strangers together and tell them to fight 15 other strangers, everybody is going to do their own thing. Sometimes it works out okay, but often you'll see everybody charge like crazy down one flank, leaving a single low-tier TD to defend the entire other flank by himself (and that guy is usually me). I think if you formed a platoon of 15 like-minded people, with a command structure in place and good communication via skype or whatever, you could completely dominate the game.

On a side note, the new Mechwarrior Online title follows pretty much the same gameplay/business model.

I play pretty heavily. Am up to a Tier 9 German E-75 but my favorite is my JagdPanther with upgraded Loader and Upgraded optics.

Also love my Easy Eight!

There is a fair amount of tactics involved. light armor scouting for arty with upgraded radios, tracking heavier tanks with lighter guns to immobilze them so Arty can hammer them ( or to pin a tank dd so his gun is pointing wrong direction).

Fun, fun game.

The problem I see with the shot pen/dam results is that you often will get the same result again and again, too many times in a row for it to be logical. The game is still in a beta test. So maybe its a bug.

I had fun with it for a long time. The formula gets old after a while though. As long as you go in with the expectation that the game has NO basis in reality you will have a good time.

Yes, if you're a rivet counter your head would explode. As long as you realise it's just vehicles that appear to be historical tanks (even if they never got off the drawing board) you'll do fine. And it can be free.

I agree with most of the sentiment above. You can play without paying, in fact I have a buddy who is up to Tier VIII without paying a penny. It will take you a little longer because you can't convert XP.

I find in lower levels (below Tier VIII) most people don't use gold rounds so the penetration advantage isn't really an issue.

Platooning up is the way to go. I find that even with a crappy team, if our platoon works well together we can usually pull it off, or at least hurt them.

Clan wars is 15 vs. 15 but since you belong to the clan and have Voice Chat coordination is a factor. The problem with Clan Wars is the battles are all Tier X tanks. So only my E-100 gets to fight in those.

And yes even part time gear heads like me get flustered with some of the game mechanics, but if you can suspend reality a little the game can be fun. And the great thing is you can play for as long or short a time as you want. If I only have 20 minutes I can log in and get two games under my belt.

Chris

If I only have 20 minutes I can log in and get two games under my belt.

Or if you play like me that would be 10 games

Been playing since April of last year, just bought my first tier 6 tanks over the holidays during the big year end sales, though I have a lot of tier 5's and 4's.

Once you get past the issue that half of what's in the game only existed as blueprints or prototypes, its not so bad. Though I still get a twitch in my eye when I see a Panzer IV with a 105 howitzer.

Tactics are what you would expect for a FPS type game, which means reality often takes a back seat.

Oddball, had a similar issue but I was driving a T-34 with the top tier 76mm gun. Put three rounds into the backside of a KV-1 from about 20m and the first two bounced.

TGerritsen wrote:

The game tries to replicate the armor based on reality, but… [snips]
Matilda Black Prince

Mr. Picky remains strangely unconvinced about any claims concerning "reality".

Winnie and Prince Edward would both like you to forget about the comic duck.

All the best,

John.

Just started playing this two days ago.

So far have been sitting right around the 50% win/loss rate.

I have learned a few things.

1) I am not an Arty individual, tired it and that is not for me.

2) I have learned to like my Panzer II, it may only have a pop gun (I have up gunned it) but I have been able to put all five shots into other tanks. Actually this little tank has gotten me the 10 hits in a row reward.

3) Getting the new tracks for my T18 TD might not have been a good thing. Because ever since then it has gotten tracked in every match afterwards. But I do like this little guy since with that 75mm gun when he does hit something they know it. Plus with the hull armor upgrade I can hear the rounds pinging off of me.

It is a fun little game.

It is a fun game…though if you just starting out it can be a bit of a grind to get to the higher tier tanks. You will discover that each one has its own set of tactics and how it should be played. It is fun..and to some a social game.
See you on the American server
VonMallard

I used to paly this game and found it very enjoyable. It was pretty unfair fighting guys with upgraded armour and ammo though, you get what you pay for!
I stopped playing LOTR and Tanks because they were eating into figure gaming time.
I didn't paint all those figures for nothing!