It certainly can be frustrating in the first few tiers, but you can work up to tier IV pretty quickly (a few nights of casual play). Also, don’t judge a tank when you first get it - most tanks require the unlocked equipment (particularly guns) before they shine.
I just wanted to chime in to thank this thread for introducing me to a fascinating and very enjoyable game. I’m having a blast (heh).
I’ve been playing this since January. I like that I can log on and play a couple battles and sign out again in about 20-30 minutes. It can easily be as much of a time sink as any other game, but it doesn’t require a bit time commitment to play a bit.
Currently, I just finished getting an IS-4 researched, bought, and fully upgraded in anticipation of the 7.3 patch. That said, I still probably have the most fun playing the smaller tanks like my Tier II Tetrarch and the captured German pzkpfw 38H735 “mini maus”.
That word should be “big” of course. Sigh.
Any one (besides me) still playing? Any one interested in forming a Doper clan?
(I am BozoBBozo in WoT).
I play on the SEA server, so no chance of joining your clan. Great hand (but huge time sink ). 8.6 just dropped here not sure how the changes are going pan out.
Sorry was posting on my phone before - I meant to say great game…
Just to clarify a few misconceptions (albeit from 2 years ago).
It’s still fully free to play, I haven’t paid a cent and don’t feel I’m missing out on anything. All money does is allow you to progress up the tiers faster and buy shiny premium tanks. Everything usable in-game can now be bought with credits earned from previous battles.
I’ve been playing for 100 days and have only got up to tier 6 (out of a total of 10). Had I paid for premium I’d have got 50% more credits and experience per game which I think would have me up to tier 8 or so. A better player (I’m average at best) could no doubt get through things faster. Having said that there’s no compulsion to go all the way up to tier 10 unless you want to play clan wars with all the serious players. And the general consensus seems to be that the mid tiers are as much fun as the high tiers anyway.
IMHO World of Tank’s isn’t a shooter game, quick reactions are helpful but not essential. But it’s not a full-on simulator either. It’s certainly worth a go - all you’ve got to lose is a few hours of free time.
It’s good to hear that 8.6 has dropped outside Russia; I’m eagerly awaiting the XP boost (or, more accurately, the elimination of the XP penalty) for TDs and SPGs.
For those who haven’t played, regarding the optional buying of premium tanks: it isn’t “pay to win”. Premium tanks are a quick way to buy-in to a tier above what you’ve earned through play, but with rare exception they are not the best tanks in a tier, and they can’t be upgraded. A player that has worked his way up to tier 8, and has outfitted his tier 8 tank in a typical manner, will typically do better than a player that has bought a premium tier 8 tank. I only mention this in case people get the idea you have to pay money to be competitive; you don’t.
I agree. In fact, my highest tank is at tier 7, and I don’t think I particularly care to go to tier 8. I might, but it isn’t a goal for me. Similarly, I love my tier 6 M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, but not eager to unlock the next TD up (basically same gun, but you’ll fight more difficult opponents), so I’m happy where I am.
Hellcats are little beasts aren’t they? I always take note when I see one on the red team. I plan on taking one line up to Tier 10 just for the hell of it (probably the Tiger H line as I’m committed to getting one anyway - gotta play the Tiger).
I played about 20 games last night, got the new map (Sacred Valley) three times. First impressions are lots of terrain, good sniping spots all over and some interesting lanes to run. Looking good so far.
As for the changes - the arty nerf seems to have hurt the SPG players a lot. Even longer aim and reload times plus a larger reticule make SPG play even more tortuous (going by forum posts here as I rage sold my Grille over a month ago - I just wasn’t having fun - ‘waiting, waiting, waiting, firing - another miss!?’).
- Removing the Xp penalties to TD’s and SPGs is all good, although I didn’t have any really good games in my Hetzer and SU-85 last night but I noticed I was still getting some good returns in them.
- The accuracy buff is good, but it seems that there are lots more bounces, camo and cover are even more vital than before. Get caught in the open and you’ll field hits from everywhere.
- Lots more critical hits and fires. Stocking up on consumables when they’re on sale is even more important.
- The new sounds are weird and I don’t like them.
And my biggest highlight - finally got an ace tanker for my T-150. 7 kills, including the last four enemy solo in an encounter battle on Siegfried Line - I carried like a boss! There’s an event on for the top 50 exp scores in heavy tanks (3,000 gold!). I doubt my 1,135 raw total is enough but a guy can dream…
I’m still playing too (North America server).
I’m not sure what to think about the 8.6 patch yet. I’m waiting for a decent artillery mod before I make any conclusions about the arty changes.
I was definitely benefiting from the accuracy buff in most of my games last night, hitting tanks 450m away with laser accuracy with an M4.
I only played one game with arty (M7 Priest). They more than doubled the reload time (20 seconds now), which was quite painful. I mean, c’mon: 3 RPM on a tier III vehicle? But, though we lost, I was number 3 on the damage-dealt list, so thus far I don’t have much of a platform for complaining (granted, #3 damage on a losing team is nothing special, but I wasn’t impotent).
My T57 is no longer the kick-ass tank destroyer it was when I use it in direct-fire mode thanks to the reload and aiming time now, but fortunately the tank drivers are still making the same mistakes they always do so I’m still doing pretty well in as artillery.
And I like the new map.
I ground my way to the GW E100 (German Tier X) arty right before 8.6 dropped. I think I played one game in it as a tier VIII before the patch. I’ve played 13 games in it since the patch. Out of 14 games, I have 2 wins. Normally I’m a 52.5 - 53% win rate player with most of my games just being pub matches. Apparently that thing is cursed. The reloads and aim times are quite painful.
That said, can anyone recommend a decent arty sight mod for 8.6? The one I tried last night had a side effect of forgetting your zoom level when going in and out of sniper mode.
Ahh the pain of playing arty in pub matches. 14 games is only a very small sample though, I’m sure you’ll get back to your accustomed winrate in time (kudos for that by the way, I’ve been stuck at just below 50.5% for the past month and it’s really annoying, I want to be green dam it!).
As I said earlier, I bailed out of arty over a month ago. You just can’t rely on your team doing anything for you, and even if someone does do a good job of spotting the frustratingly long aim and reload times (which I hear are even worse now) mean you spend half your time waiting, waiting, waiting for the circle to close or your loader to get the shell ready.
Over here on the SEA server the number of arty players has dropped through the floor. It’s now rare to see three arty per side whereas before 8.6 you used to see 5 per side every 20-30 games (and my highest tier tanks are only tier VI, apparently top tier battles were even worse).
Still don’t like the new sounds, but I’m becoming used to them though. The thing I miss most is the clicks on the countdown timer at the start of each battle - it just used to get me ready to play.
I’m looking at my tier 6 and 7 TDs and tanks, and not seeing a reason to advance in tier. In the cases of my TD (M18 Hellcat) and T-29 heavy, the next tier tank has basically the same gun options. It seems discouraging to face a tier higher enemy with basically the same gun (albeit with perhaps slightly better armor), so I see no reason to advance (I have no interest in clan wars).
Unless I’m looking at it wrong…am I?
The T29 is arguably the best tier 7 heavy and is probably a little over powered. The Hellcat is definitely over powered when you combine its speed and gun. It’s no surprise that you’re happy with both of those tanks. My opinion is that if you’re not planning on clan wars, the reasons to take a line to tier X would have to be more personal (ex. want to have one tier X or have to have a Maus) and less about it making sense. If you don’t have some reason to get a tier X, I would recommend playing a variety of lines up to tier 6 or 7.
That said, I’ve made my way up both lines you mentioned. The heavy line (T29 -> T32 -> M103 -> T110E5) was a lot more fun. You hear some complaints about the T32 (I didn’t mind it), but the M103 and T110E5 are both pretty universally considered good tanks. If you are going to choose one of these two lines, this would be it.
The TD line with turrets (M18 Hellcat -> T25/2 -> T28 Prototype -> T30 -> T110E4) on the other hand gets pretty painful. The T25/2 is basically a bigger, slower Hellcat placed in higher tiered battles. The T28 Prototype just isn’t much fun to play. It’s so slow! It does have a decent gun and can bounce a few shots, but you basically get to choose where you are going on a map at the beginning of the game and you are stuck with the decision. I did manage to get a number of Top Guns in it, so it’s not that it’s all bad, it’s just generally not fun. The line starts to pick up again once you have the T30 fully upgraded. I don’t have the E4 yet.
YMMV.
Sorry for the thread-rez if this is truly dead but I am interested in hearing if people are still playing in the 9.0 patch.
I’ve been an off and on player since beta and I have a love/hate relationship.
I like the light tanks and zoom and boom/passive scout, and lights have horrible matchmaking to tier 10. When scouting does work I feel like an evil mage…enemy tanks are lit up and then they die just because I’m close!
I’m finding that I’m having a lot of fun in the tier 2-5, with them being more mobile, and I’ve decided to work up the Chinese line for the Wz132 and 121.
Of course I’ve changed my mind a multitude of times as to which nation advance in.
I’m ‘still playing’ the game, though it’s been a few weeks since I’ve actually fired it up; I’ve been spending my time lately with Guild Wars 2 and Dwarf Fortress. But I’ve been following the news about the 9.0 patch and the issues that have come with it; I’ll probably give it another week or so for the rest of the problems to get ironed out and then get back into it.