[WoWP] MMOFTW Best Hybrid MMO Award

World of Warplanes is among the E3 awardees here:

And a bonus interview with Victor Kislyi over here.

[WoT] Transmission Response from Mr. Doyle

I'm very proud that we were able to get an official response of highly-respected researcher in the field of German WWII tanks - Mr. Hilary L. Doyle regarding that "transmission thing" with E-series (namely front drive for E-50 & E-75). What's more important, this statement doesn't go against our suppositions.
 

"Firstly, in this case Overlord is completely correct.  Any engineer or logical person can see that these sketches do not make sense.  But he must avoid shooting the messengers!

We have talked about the philosophy that Tom and I adopted after the success of our “best-seller - the Encyclopaedia of German Tanks” (Arms & Armour Press, published in 1978).  We try only to report the facts that we find them in original documents.  As time has gone on we have become even stronger in our determination to avoid speculation.  There are more than enough charlatans prepared to sell snake oil concerning German Panzer development and users.  The “facts” are actually far more interesting and there is still plenty of new material to be unearthed but of course this involves really hard and expensive research that the home based enthusiasts is not prepared to do.

In our Panzer Tracts No.20-1 “Paper Panzers” on a single page we summarised of the “facts” available on the E50 and E75 proposals.  Most important are the five general requirements of a next generation of Panzers

Of course, behind our summary I have collected some seventy pages of original documentation.  Most are original calculation sheets on possible drive train and suspension ideas.  My drawings are based on the sketches attached.  Clearly, these first thoughts and proposals on future Panzer requirements were never given any priority and as the war situation deteriorated.  To me the “real“ engine/transmission package designers from Maybach never actively got involved and the armour designers certainly had not considered how a rear drive might be mounted.  What we see are proposals “that are the best ideas since sliced bread” being pushed by fringe companies and they certainly had no authority to  design the necessary new armoured hull.  Overlord should try to address his doubts to the inventors that made these sketches in 1944.

Any additional information published on E50 or E 75 besides that in Panzer Tracts No.20-1 and Spielberger's  Band 8 Special-panzerfahrzeuge  is merely fantasy and should be labelled as such. 

We do not need to dream up E50 & E 75  designs since  Porsche and Daimler-Benz  outlined a possible tank design for the Indian government in 1955 which incorporated many of the E50 & E 75 ideas. This also did not get off the proposal drawing board but two years later, as part of one of the consortia bidding for the Standard Panzer (later Leopard), Porsche used these ideas once again.  See the attached drawings." (see those HLD watermarks on the pics)

Once again many thanks to Mr. Doyle, whose works were a good source on many of German tanks in-game, and WG.net military expert Chieftain.

[WoT] Tier 10 Meds and TDs Announced

Following the announcement of tier 10 TDs and Meds, presenting you the new tier 10 German MT - E-50 Ausf M with rear drive layout.

Unlike Leo 1 (we keep it in mind), it has neither been finished nor seen any kind of action. However its armour fits tier 10 concept better (Leo has got 70mm front hull and 35mm sides which makes him similar to BatChat).

Note that the turret is closer to the front, the overall profile will be a bit lower (-10cm), other minor visual differences from tier 9 E-50 are on the blueprints. 

[WoWP] Nice Video For Tutorials

"This one is truly amazing,real pilots with real kills.Based on the Allied campaign in France.Watch every second!"

Might be useful for WoWP. :)

[WoT] The Notorious Transmission Thing

In this post I have gathered some (not all) of the info gathered from various sources (including Serb's and Storm's posts on RU forums).

It's obvious that the hull size and design of E-50/75 is similar to the one of King Tiger, which leaves nearly no space for rear transmission layout declared by Jentz and Doyle in their reconstruction blueprints. 

The real archive blueprints are still not public and probably will never be. 


Serb: Rear engine layout (which results from intakes), the design of leading and rear wheels (plus the absence of hub drive casing) make the rear-drive for E-50/75 impossible. In the generally accepted configuration and design provided by Doyle and Jentz at least.


There is no evidence in the form of engineering blueprints, based on Doyle's hull geometry, that could demonstrate the possibility of moving the transmission  to the rear. The above does mean that with quite high probability Jentz and Doyle actually presented the two mutually exclusive theses on the same page.

Consequently the conventional front-drive design is considered to be more viable, without denying possible intentions of engineering rear-drive E-50/75.


More evidence by Serb is to be presented.

Storm: It's known that French AMX 50B was a successor of German tanks in terms of design. Still the hull of Tiger II is 6.4m (it's ~7.3m), while AMX 50B is almost 1m longer (7.35m). That allowed French engineers to enable rear-drive for that very vehicle, while E-series were almost of identical size with KT. The difference was mainly in armour thickness and slope.

If we cut 1m from AMX 50B hull we are getting the following:

That leaves very little space for driver or engine compartment. There was no way the turret could be in the center of the hull.

Added Panther II turret, leaving the suspension, AMX 50B hull decreased by 90cm:

Looks somewhat horrible. 

With the current front armour values of E-50 (upper 120@60, lower 120@60) and E-75 (upper 160@60, lower 130@60) the made adjustment doesn't look drastic and is not supposed to lead to noticeable performance decrease. However if the performance of either of the above drops, the necessary buffs will follow.

Edited (June 7):

Regarding the nerf thing, let's do some math.

Assuming that transmission is about 25% of the vertical projection of E-50/75 (I bet this is overestimation), internal module has 33% chance of being damaged and engine's (Maybach HL 295 Ausf. A) chance of fire is 15%, we get the following:

(0.25*0.33*0.15)*100%=1.2375%

And this accounts only for penetrating shots, while even at high tiers pen chance is not even close to 100% (for front hits ofc). It would be more difficult to do the same from the side.

So how many shots do we need to set a tank on fire:

100/1.2375=80.8 shots

80.8 rounds with average damage of 300 (it might be low for high tiers) will inflict 24242 damage which is enough to destroy E-75/50 how many times?

For Those Who Prefer Seas

Grandiose and magnificent, here they come. :)

World of Battleships E3 2012 Teaser. Another small glimpse on how this very exciting game World of Battleships, is expected to be like, enjoy.

PS. Latest poll results (votes / %):
Which of the Soviet newcomers did you like most?
IS-8 - 1110 (35%)
IS-4 - 758 (24%)
KV-2 - 247 (7%)
ST-1 - 241 (7%)
KV-3 - 220 (7%)
KV-1 - 206 (6%)
KV-4 - 201 (6%)
T-150 - 129 (4%)
The new poll is up.

[WoWP] Closed Beta Begins

World of Warplanes hit closed beta in NA, EU and Russia!

We have unleashed into the skies 59 warplanes of three different types. Steel birds from the release tech trees of all three nations – USSR, Germany, and USA – are now battling for Supremacy on unique 4 maps, spraying bullets, dropping bombs, and firing rockets into a variety of ground targets.

We have implemented several game control modes to suite both experienced and novice pilots. Also there is an initial tutorial scenario to help newcomers get to grips with their warplanes, teaching them the nuts and bolts of basic aviation.

The development is far from reaching its final stages. The most exciting times are ahead. We will be improving gameplay, introducing more warplanes, polishing the existing features, and adding new ones. And we hope to work with you, shoulder to shoulder, to create a truly great game.

Some important notes: 

• All alpha testers automatically get access to the closed beta.
• All applications made during the alpha are valid for the closed beta. Moreover they are elgigible for priority processing.
• During closed beta we will be gradually inviting more and more players. Don't give up if the invite hasn't arrived right upon the start. It takes time. :)

[WoWP] Questions and Answers. Session 2.

Questions and answers session for World of Warplanes. The user questions (italics)  were gathered on EU and NA official forums. The answers (bold) are brief and concise to save your time. If something needs clarification, ask in comments.

To your Qs: 

when is wop going to be ready for all of the public to play?

Open beta is planned for later this year. Closed beta starts on May 31, we will be inviting more players since then.
Do the Dev team ever plan on implementing Tessellation into their graphics models which would lmprove detail of models and effects 10x over what is currently in world of tanks and planes?

Tesselation is something WoT (with lots of small objects) can benefit from, as for WoWP, currently we are neither using nor planning to use this. 
hello i got some questions u might be able to answer (sorry for bad english )

1. do u guys have plans for adding heavy/med bombers (like b25, 17,29, pe 8 etc')?
maybe u can arrange a bomber tree which every bomber can be controlled by more then one person , one pilot and one control the turrets?

2. is there a way to change controls? ( if i use to ASDW keys and arrows keys to manuver i got no spare hand for firing with the mouse)
*somewhy i cant login right now and check if i realy cant change

3. will clouds be added? they can be usefull to hide, like trees in WOT

4. last one, there are any plans to make modules get damaged during battles from enemy fire? (flaps, guns, ammo, etc')

1. Probably some of them can be added as NPCs.

2. Yes, controls can be changed in menu.

3. Yes, clouds are currently one of the high prioroties. They are supposed to make the gameplay much deeper, brining more tactics.

4. Some things can be damaged (visually and gameplay-wise) even at this stage. 

how many players one battle can take in this game?

Battles are up to 15vs15. Just like in WoT.  

Will there be a tool included to create custom skins for aircraft? If not, will the files of the skins be editable in photoshop?(like DDS files)

It will be possible to edit skins however since they are supported server-side, all you changes will be visible to you only. 

Ok aside from joystick support will the flight dynamics for say, Mouse and keyboard, be arcadeish and like that of this game called Heroes In the Sky (HIS)?

The game is fairly arcadish and supports keyboard and mouse (apart from gamepad and joystick).  

what is the best way to play wowp? ie. joystick, keyboard, gamepad? and what brand or type is best suggested?

Depends on your preferences of course, most of the players use various KB+mouse combinations.  

Q1: Do you plan on adding commander planes / scout planes/ mother planes into the tech tree ? like the planes that command other planes, send coordinates, jamming radars, spot, etc. like the Bristol Blenheim or the Dornier Do 215? These planes were used as motherships, reconnoise airplanes, light bombers.

Q2: About Flak cannons and AA guns, I have seen in the overlord blogs that they are in the map and that can be destroyed, but do they fire upon enemy aircraft or they are just decoration ?

Q3:Can we turn our engines voluntary or just when they get shot?

1. Definitely not in the tech tree directly. Such planes can be added as NPCs for PVE modes or tutorial. Regular tech trees will be more conventional, with some exceptions of course. Just check out that F5U

2. They fire upon enemy aircraft. There are two types of AA guns at the moment, light and heavy ones.

3. You can voluntary turn off the engine to increase your maneuverability.  

Will there be a cockpit view? Dogfighting games aren't dogfighting games without a cockpit view.

We are not planning to add a cockpit view to the game.  

Will there ever be any Canadian planes? premiums perhaps?(like in WoT) a Canadian Spitfire would be nice, we had alot of those, and some of the wars' greatest aces were Canadian : / 

Quite possibly. As premiums.  

Can we Upgrade T10 planes in WoWP? I would love to change those 4 20mm into Mk108 or even MK 214 

That's not 100% decided yet. Possibly they will be upgradeable.  

i have one question about RAM Memory.
How much RAM consumes WOWP ?
I have Win 7 - 32 bit (i want change to 64) and 4 GB RAM
What detail i can run with Graphic card GeForce HD 520 ?

4GB should be enough for medium settings at least, the graphic card is somewhat weak, borderline allowable to launch.  

Will there be british planes? like the spitfire and hurricane

Yes, British planes are in in plans. Spitfires and Hurricanes FTW!  

Calculations for 3D movement are way more complicated. I would be surprised if final requirement were not significantly higher than WoT

System requirements will be similar to the ones we have got in WoT, nothing extraordinary.  

I assume there are AP and HE shells for most of the Guns.
Is any Type of Gold Ammo Planed? And what will be then?Better AP/HE shells or even Incendiary Rounds? And can we set a Explosion timer for Rockets? Will there be any kind of ballistic drop or does the game handle that automaticly like in WoT?

Currently we have got only one type of ammo - regular AP rounds. Other types of ammo are also planned for future. In addition to that we are thinking of such feature as customization of cartridge belt, ie it will be possible to create your own ammo setups like 1 AP, 2 incendiary, 3 HE, etc
The game accounts for ballistics automatically.  

Hi, do you develop native application for MAC OS? 

WoWP is being developed solely for PC at this stage.  

I was digging through a topic, but couldn't find my question - will alpha tersters get any profits in future stages of development of WoWP just for participating in the alpha stage? If yes, are there any conditions of receving such profit (i.e. certain number of battles played or something like that)? 

We appreciate the contribution of our alpha testers and won't forget their input.  

I have applied me for the Alpha.So my Question is ,do I have to apply again for the closed beta? 

No, you don't have to do that.  

I have a question too. If players participated in closed beta, will their stats be resetted when "normal" verision come, like in WoT? Or they will keep stats and planes which they had in beta?

In release version everyone will start with a clean sheet.  

I applied to Alpha on February, do i get a Notification on my Forum Profile when i get an Invite? and What happens if i accidently delete my invite, is there still a notification on my Forum Profile? 


You will get an email notification once you are accepted. Even if you delete the message, you will still be able to play. All you need is to DL the game.

If your question is not on the list, you can ask in comments to this post or in the respective Q&A thread - EU or NA. 

Questions and Answers. Session 1.

[WoT] Digging Through Archives: Fighting First Tigers

Resolution by State Defense Committee of the USSR passed in May 1943 in Moscow on how to withstand German heavy tanks. The decision was based on first battle contact with Tiger tanks on Eastern Front.

1. Artillery Directorate General of the Red Army, Central Artillery Design engineering bureau, and other responsibilities were ordered to:

• improve the ballistics of 85mm tank gun is such a way that it would penetrate 100-110mm of armour at a distance of 2000m. The prototype was to be placed at disposal of Kirov Plant by June 15, 1943 for trials.
  
• design, produce, and forward to testing a special 100mm tank gun prototype with separate loading and ballistics, ensuring penetration of 120-130mm at a distance of 2000m by July 1, 1943.

2. The National Ammunition Committee and Central Artillery Design engineering bureau were ordered to:

• launch, as soon as possible, but not later than June 1, 1943, the production of 57mm HE rounds with fragmentation effect .
• perfect, as soon as possible, but not later than June 1, 1943, 76mm AP rounds for F-34 tank gun so that they are able to penetrate side 82mm armour of T-VI tank (Tiger I tank) at a distance of 600m .
  
• perfect, as soon as possible, but not later than June 15, 1943, 76mm APCR rounds for F-34 tank gun so that they are able to penetrate front 100mm armour of T-VI tank (Tiger I tank) at a distance of 500m.

3. The National Tank Production Committee was ordered to:

• mount 57mm tank gun (ZiS-4) on T-34 tanks starting with May 15, 1943. The ration of T-34 tanks with ZiS-4 gun to total ratio of T-34 tanks produced should be 20-30%.
• produce, based on T-70 suspension, 3 prototypes of self-propelled guns - SU-57 armed with 57mm gun by June 1, 1943. The specified prototypes were to be tested within 10 days with the results submitted
  
• produce, based on SU-152 suspension, a prototype of self-propelled gun armed with 122mm mod. 1931 gun by June 1, 1943. Later series should be equally divided between 122mm and 152mm vehicles.
  
• produce, based on T-34 modules, a prototype of self-propelled gun armed with 85mm tank gun (SU-85) following the SU-76 design with rear firing compartment by July 1, 1943.
  
  
  
  PS. Latest poll results:
  You are mostly playing WoT on (votes / %)
  • desktop PC - 3025 (78%)
  • gaming laptop - 307 (8%)
  • regular laptop / netbook - 505 (13%)
  The new poll is up.

[WoWP] World of Warplanes To Go Closed Beta Soon

World of Warplanes closed beta will start May 31, 2012.

Since Global Alpha launch on February 23 this year, World of Warplanes has got more than 600,000 applications for global alpha from players around the world, with 100,000 coming in first 24 hours. Thousands of players have been granted access to World of Warplanes alpha version, and the army of test pilots will be increased drastically once the game enters Closed Beta.

Applications made during global alpha stage will be eligible for priority processing in closed beta.

You can apply here:
NA - https://na.worldofwarplanes.com/ga/new/
EU - https://eu.worldofwarplanes.com/ga/new/