In Development: Vol. 4

Preliminary 7.0 patch notes are available:

Tanks:
To be specified (no French tanks!).

Maps:
1. Swamp (jungles, anyone?)
2. Fjords

Features:1. Vehicle customization: camos and horn sounds
2. Company battle divisions: tier 10 max with no overall tier limitation, tiers 8, 6, and 4 max with the respective overall tier limitation.
3. Mini-map customization and new functionality.
4. Quick in-game violation report system
5. Clan logos (Clan Wars only)
6. Fog of war (Clan Wars only)
7. Cooldown period for destroyed vehicles (Clan Wars only)
8. Crew skill reset option
9. Improved special effects

The list of features is not complete and will be expanded closer to the release.

ETA - November, 2011

Note! French tanks will be added in 7.1 update which is planned for Q4 2011.

Tank Debut Quiz: Results

Let's start with the correct answers:

1. Sir Ernest Swinton (yeah, he is the grandfather of the famous actress) didn't invent Mark I, however he contributed much to the creation of British tank forces and one of the first commanders.

So those who said that he did invent the tank, but pointed out family relationship get 50% of the reward, i.e. 375 gold. In some cases I considered the answer as not complete with no gold given. No complaints accepted. )

2. "Mother" is the correct answer.

3. Ricardo (after Sir Harry Ricardo), famous British engine designer who invented the engine for Mk V.

4. It was German Pz. IV actually. No Soviet bias in WoT.  )
Actually it amazes me that so many chose T-54. Guys, it was added to the game not so long ago.

And the prize winners (I chose 15):

1.      Virking – 750 gold EU

2.      b0Gia – 750 gold EU

3.      Knaster – 1125 gold EU

4.      SycaMore – 750 gold EU

5.      Hotwhells – 1125 gold EU

6.      xero8p – 1125 gold US

7.      Bodasz – 750 gold EU

8.      PCManiac – 750 gold EU

9.      Molen – 1125 gold EU

10.  Vasili1945 – 750 gold EU

11.  kwi4tusz3k – 750 gold EU

12.  VIPER262 – 750 gold US

13.  Someus – 750 gold EU

14.  MMark EU – 1125 gold EU

and special prize for the player - infilTRAITOR from EU server who was first to guess the first tank in World of Tanks. 1875 gold for him.

The prizes will arrive soon. Unfortunately no one managed to give the correct answers all the questions.

See you next time.

Tank Debut Anniversary

The Battle of Flers-Courcelette was a battle within the Franco-British Somme Offensive Operation which took place in the summer and autumn of 1916. Launched on the 15th of September 1916 the battle went on for one week. Flers-Courcelette began with the overall objective of cutting a hole in the German line by using massed artillery and infantry attacks. This hole would then be exploited with the use of cavalry.

However this battled is significant for the first combat use of the tank – Mark I.

The British Mark I was a tracked vehicle developed during the First World War and the world's first combat tank. The project to develop the 'Land Battleship' had commenced in the summer of 1915 under the initiative of the British Landships Committee with the objective of developing an armoured vehicle that would break the deadlock of trench warfare. Under the highest degrees of secrecy the 'tank', as it later became known, was designed and built with the first prototype of the Mark I rolled out in January 1916.

Just less than six months after its first tests, General Sir Douglas Haig had wanted to launch the first mass tank attack on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme. However, the manufacturers could not have the tanks ready in time for the first attacks on July 1.Two and a half months later, as Flers-Corcelette was being planned, the tanks were delivered and Haig had General Sir Henry Rawlinson, his subcommander in charge of 4th Army, incorporate them into his battle plans. From the beginning the tanks were challenged by having to traverse the heavily upset terrain of the Somme battlefield while still beset with numerous mechanical failings and manned by crews that had had little training in their operation. Nonetheless, the decision was taken to send the 49 tanks that were available into battle on September 15. He was warned against this by the engineers who were responsible for the creation of the tank and his subcommanders, such as Ernest Dunlop Swinton (who had been part of the Landships Committee), and the French government, which sent Colonel Jean-Baptiste Eugène Estienne and Sub-secretary of State of Inventions Jean-Louis Bréton, (who were normally arch-enemies), to London, hoping to persuade the British government to overrule Haig. The primary concern of those who didn't want the tank used was that they wanted it kept secret until they could be massed in larger numbers and be more likely to lead to a major breakthrough.

Born of the need to break the domination of trenches and machine guns over the battlefields of the Western Front, it was the first vehicle to be named "tank", as an expedient to maintain secrecy and to disguise its true purpose. It was developed to be able to cross trenches, resist small-arms fire, travel over difficult terrain, carry supplies, and to capture fortified enemy positions. It is regarded as successful in many respects, but suffered from many problems owing to its primitive nature.

Mark I specs:

In service – 1916–1931
Number built – 150
Weight – 27-28 tons
Crew – 8 (commander, driver, two gearsmen and four gunners)
Armour – 0.23–0.47 in (6–12 mm)
Main armament – Male: Two 6 pdr QF or 6 pdr 6 cwt QF, Female: Four .303 Vickers machine guns
Secondary armament – Male: Four .303 in Hotchkiss Machine Guns, Female: Two .303 in Hotchkiss machine guns
Engine – Daimler-Knight 6 cylinder sleeve valve petrol engine 105 hp

QUIZ

1. What is the relation between this woman (see the image) and Mark 1?

 

2. One of the nicknames of this tank was Big Willie, what was the other one?

3. What did Russian soldiers call this tank?

4. What tank was the first to be modeled in World of Tanks (guess game :))?

Post your answers in comments. Don't forget your nickname and server.
Each correct answer will bring you 750 gold, give 4 correct answers - and you will get 5.000 gold.

First 10 luckies will be awarded.

Quiz results here.

September 8-14 Poll Results

Some 10651 (!) players took part in the most recent poll (there was support for this poll on both forums, so no wonder :) ).  63% (6720 voters) voiced there strong feeling that the number of SPGs per team should be limited somehow, while 22% of players have no issues with the concept of SPGs and existing balance, 9% still don't like the way arty works in-game, and 6% think that it is OP.

Thanks for the feedback, it will take time, but the issue will be addressed.

As always new weekly poll is up (this time - just for fun).

Full Patch Notes of v.6.7

World of Tanks v.6.6 – 6.7 patch notes:

Content and Features:

- added German tier 5 light tank VK2801
- added Soviet light tanks: T-50 (tier 4) and T-50-2 (tier 5)
- added American tanks: tier 5 light tank M24 Chaffee and medium tank Sherman Jumbo (M4A3E2)
- added premium Chinese tier 8 medium tank Type 59
- added new map – Fishing Bay
- added 6- and 12-month premium account options
- added historical description for American heavy tank M6A2E1
- Wittmann’s Medal substituted with Boelter’s Medal
- fixed tank models: T92, Pz V-IV, Pz38 NA, T-54
- fixed map errors on Steppes, Westfield, Lakeville, Siegfried Line
- changed hit boxes for German tanks E-50 and E-75: mudflaps, rangefinder caps
- fixed gun model for German tank Pz III/IV
- fixed bug: battle chat won’t open when pressing Enter
- fixed bug: research path Pz III/IV and Hummel is inactive
- fixed bug: creating 14 vs 15 battles
- fixed bug: chat button is not flashing after the battle
- corrected engine names for SPG T92 and TDs T28, T95
- fixed nation filter for consumables in Store

Vehicle Specifications:

PzJager I

- traverse speed for stock suspension decreased by 1 deg/sec
- horizontal gun traverse increased by 10 deg/sec
- reload time for 3.7cm PaK 38t L/47 gun set to 1.8 sec
- aiming time for 3.7cm PaK 38t L/47 gun set to 1 sec
- ammo load for 4.7cm PaK 38t L/43 increased by 1 shell
- aiming time for 4.7cm PaK 38t L/43 gun set to 1 sec

Marder II

- reload time for 7.5cm PaK 40 set to 3.5 sec
- reload time for 7.6cm PaK 46(r) set to 3.8 sec

Hetzer

- passing ability for medium terrains increased by 5%
- reload time for 7.5cm PaK 39 L/43 set to 3.4 sec
- reload time for 7.5cm PaK 39 L/48 set to 3.4 sec
- reload time for 10.5cm StuH42 L/28 set to 7.5 sec

JagdPz IV

- added more detailed gun mantlet armoring
- dispersion during movement decreased by 5%
- reload time for 7.5cm StuK42 L/70 set to 3.4 sec
- reload time for 10.5cm StuH42 L/28 set to 6.3 sec
- reload time for 8.8cm PaK 36 L/56 set to 5 sec

Jagdpanther

- traverse speed for top suspension decreased by 3 deg/sec
- dispersion during movement increased by 5%
- reload time for 10.5cm K18 L/52 set to 7.2 sec
- reload time for 8.8cm PaK 43 L/71 set to 4.8 sec

Ferdinand

- reload time for 10.5cm K18 L/52 set to 7.2 sec
- reload time for 8.8cm PaK 43 L/71 set to 4.8 sec
- reload time for 12.8cm PaK 44 L/55 set to 10.5 sec

JagdTiger

- stock suspension: passing ability for medium terrains increased by 5%
- top suspension: passing ability for hard terrains increased by 5%

Pz IIIA

- hit points increased by 20
- stock suspension: passing ability increased by 10%
- top suspension: passing ability increased by 5%

Maus

- weight limit increased by 1 t

M2 Med

- added more detailed armoring

M36 Slugger

- traverse speed decreased by 2 deg/sec

M46 Patton

- dispersion during movement decreased (now the same as M26 Pershing had in v.6.4 and earlier)
- reload time for 105mm Gun T5E1M2 mounted in stock turret set to 8 sec

M5 Stuart

- added more detailed armoring

Ram 2

- added more detailed armoring

T18

- traverse speed for stock suspension decreased by 2 deg/sec
- stock suspension: dispersion during movement increased by 5%
- top suspension: passing ability decreased by 5%
- traverse speed for top suspension decreased by 2 deg/sec
- top suspension: dispersion during movement increased by 5%
- reload time for 75mm Howitzer M1A1 set to 3.6 sec

T40

- stock suspension: dispersion during movement increased by 5%
- traverse speed for top suspension decreased by 1 deg/sec
- top suspension: dispersion during movement increased by 5%

T25 AT

- traverse speed for stock suspension decreased by 2 deg/sec
- stock suspension: dispersion during movement increased by 5%
- traverse speed for top suspension decreased by 2 deg/sec
- top suspension: dispersion during movement increased by 5%
- reload time for 90mm AT Gun M3 set to 6.4 sec
- reload time for 90mm AT Gun T15E2 set to 6.4 sec
- reload time for 105mm AT Gun T5E1 set to 8 sec

T82

- traverse speed decreased by 2 deg/sec
- reload time for 57mm Gun M1 L/50 set to 2.2 sec

Soviet Guns (the values may differ depending on the vehicle):

- 37mm ZiS-19-S, aiming time set to 1.5 sec
- 45mm 20K-S, aiming time set to 1.5 sec
- 57mm ZiS-2, reload time set to 2.5 sec
- 76mm L-10-S, aiming time set to 2.0 sec
- 85mm D-5S-85A, dispersion set to 0.37 sec
- 85mm LB-2-S, aiming time set to 2.5 sec
- 100mm D10-T, reload time set to 6.2 sec, aiming time set to 2.0 sec
- 107mm ZiS-6-S, aiming time set to 2.5 sec
- 122mm M-30-S, aiming time set to 2.0 sec, dispersion set to 0.28
- 122mm D25-S with muzzle break, aiming time set to 2.5 sec
- 122mm D25-S 1944 mod., aiming time set to 2.5 sec
- 122mm A-19, aiming time set to 2.5 sec
- 152mm ML-20 1937 mod., camouflage during firing increased by 10%

AT-1

- traverse speed for stock suspension decreased by 2 deg/sec
- stock suspension: dispersion during movement increased by 5%
- traverse speed for top suspension decreased by 4 deg/sec
- passing ability for top suspension decreased by 5%
- top suspension: dispersion during movement increased by 5%
- 76mm L-10-S, aiming time set to 2.0 sec
- 57mm ZiS-8-S, aiming time set to 1.5 sec

SU-76

- hit points increased by 10
- passing ability for top suspension increased by 10%
- horizontal gun traverse decreased by 6 deg/sec
- 57mm ZiS-2, reload time set to 2.5 sec

SU-85B

- dispersion during movement decreased by 5%
- horizontal gun traverse decreased by 6 deg/sec
- view range increased to 440 m
- 76mm ZiS-3, reload time set to 3.0 sec
- 57mm ZiS-2, reload time set to 2.0 sec

SU-85

- horizontal gun traverse decreased by 6 deg/sec

SU-100

- hit points decreased by 20

SU-152

- horizontal gun traverse decreased by 7 deg/sec

ISU-152

- horizontal gun traverse decreased by 6 deg/sec

T-46

- view range increased to 300 m
- traverse speed for top suspension increased by 2 deg/sec

Approx size - 200 Mb.

6.7 update is planned for release on September 15, 2011. The exact EU and US downtime will be announced later.

Also recommend you to look through World of Tanks release plans for 2011-2012.

2012 Mystery Revealed

What to expect in WoT in the near future? A lot of stuff!

We give you the unique opportunity to get hold of World of Tanks release plans for 2011-2012. I'm totally sure most of the plans announced will be accomplished in time thanks to the team of highly-skilled professionals, that currently comprises around 300 people in 3 major offices.

With the development center in Minsk, Belarus, Wargaming.net has fully functioning operation office in California, the US, and two forming offices in the EU - in Paris and Berlin.

The main focus of the development team is to introduce new game modes, add more tank models (French are coming soon), new maps (Jungles, anyone?), improve visual effects and the engine itself.

The detailed release plans are given below.

 New Game Modes

Company battle divisions: tier 10 max with no overall tier limitation, tiers 8, 6, and 4 max with the respective overall tier limitation.	Q4 2011
Assault (one team attacks, the other one defends the base) and Encounter battle (two teams are to capture the base in the center of the map).	Q4 2011
Garage battle – players can use several tanks (one after another) in one battle (“limited respawn”).	Q1 2012
Escort (only a few tanks from the team have the ability to capture enemy's base, the opposite team is to stop potential invaders).	Q1 2012
Historical battle - faction based battles with historically justified restrictions on vehicles and modules available.	2012

New Tanks American tanks
medium tank M4A3E2, light tank M24	Q3 2011
tank destroyers M8A1, T49, M18 Hellcat, T28 prototype	Q1 2012
heavy tanks M103, T110, tank destroyer T25-2	Q1 2012
Soviet tanks
light tanks T-50, T-50-2	Q3 2011
tank destroyer SU-85 (I)	Q4 2011
tank destroyers SU-100M-1, SU-101 (Uralmash-1), SU-122-54	Q4 2011
heavy tanks  KV-1, KV-2, KV-4, Т-150, ST 1, Object 252	Q1 2012
German tanks
medium tank Pz IV Hydro	Q4 2011
tank destroyers Marder III, Dickermax, Nashorn, Sturer Emil, Jagdpanzer E-100	Q4 2011
TDs E10, E25, tank destroyer JagdTiger Sd Kfz 185 (88/71)	Q2 2012
French tanks
light, medium, and heavy tanks Renault FT, D1, D2, B1, ARL 44, AMX-50 100mm, AMX-50 120mm, Hotchkiss H35, AMX 38, AMX 40, AMX-13/75, AMX-13/90, Chatillon 25t, BDR G1B, AMX M4 1945, AMX-50-68t , AMX-12t , Lorraine 40t	Q4 2011
SPGs RenaultBS, Lorraine39 L-AM, AMX-105AM, AMX 13F3AM, Lorraine155-50, Lorraine155-51, Bаt Chatillon155	Q1 2012
tank destroyers FCM 36Pak40, 105 leFH18B2, Panzerjager35R	Q1 2012
tank destroyers Renault FT AC, Lorraine 37L-AC, Somua Sau40, S 35CA, ARL V39, AMX AC de120-46, AMX AC de120-48, AMX50 Foch	Q1 2012
medium tank Renault G1R, light tank АМХ 13FL11	Q1 2012
British tanks	Q2 2012
Japanese tanks	2012

Ultimate Conquest (Clan Wars)

Fog of war in clan battles	Q4 2011
Cooldown period for destroyed vehicles.	Q4 2011
Expansion of the global map. The following regions are going to be added in the prescribed order: North America, Africa, South America, Australia, Korea, China, Japan.	2012
Clan treasure transactions.	2012
Clan armoury, clan consumables and tanks.	2012

Performance and Game Client

Packed resources decreasing map loading time.	Q4 2011
Pre-caching – optimized vehicle model loading for Low-end PCs.	Q4 2011
New firing effects, explosions, and other visual effects will be added gradually.	Starting Q4 2011

New Features (Misc)

Vehicle customization: camouflage and horn sounds.	Q4 2011
Mini-map customization and new functionality.	Q4 2011
Quick in-game violation report system.	Q4 2011
New crew skills and perks.	Starting Q4 2011
New aсhievements.	Q1 2012
Expanded post-battle statistics, also accessible in garage menu.	Q1 2012
Realistic vehicle physics.	Q1 2012
Extended platoons for up to 5 players.	Q1 2012
Improved match-making system	Q1 2012
National crew voices (crews of each nation speak their mother tongue)	Q1 2012
Battle game tutorial.	2012
Commander’s chart.	2012
Improved chat functionality, official language-based chat subchannels.	2012

Maps

1. Each update will introduce 1-2 new maps.
2. Maps featuring North American Landscapes are planned for release in Q4 2011, after that the following regions are going to be covered:

- Africa
- South America
- Australia
- China, Korea
- Japan
Maps featuring all regions above are currently in development. The details on maps will be announced upon the release of each particular update.

Notice! Release plans stated above are subject to change. Only the most important features are listed.

By the way, 6.7 update is planned to be released later this week.
Stay with us and you won't miss anything!