Sandbox Test: Reworked HE Shells – FAQ | General News

HE shell changes

1. Could you briefly summarize the differences between the old HE damage mechanics and the new ones?

We are switching from calculating damage at the weak spot within the shell-burst sphere to a new model based on the point of impact. Also, HE (High-Explosive) shells are now able to penetrate screens, tracks, and small obstacles.

2. What is the difference between HE shells and HESH shells in general?

The mechanics of HESH (High-Explosive Squash Head) shells and standard HE shells will be identical. The only difference between them is that HESH shells have higher penetration values as compared to HE shells of the same caliber.

3. Will the frequency of critical hits inflicted by HE shells to internal modules and crew change?

The statistics for the amount of critical damage to internal modules and crew members should remain the same on the regular server. It may seem that critical hits are more frequent during HE shell tests on the Sandbox server, however, this only happens because of the increased number of shots with HE shells.

We will closely monitor the extent of critical damage caused by HE shells, analyze the obtained data after the tests, and adjust the final settings to keep critical hit chances at the same level.

4. What about the well-known situation of setting the engine on fire after penetrating the Commander's cupola?

We plan to remove situations with illogical critical hits to internal modules as part of reworking the damage mechanics. Situations like this should never happen.

5. Could you tell us about effective and nominal armor for the new damage mechanics? How does it work? Does normalization work for HE shells? And what about ricochets?

It is pretty simple. HE shells do not have normalization and cannot ricochet. Effective armor is used to calculate armor or screen penetration, similar to AP (Armor-Piercing) shells. Nominal armor is used to calculate the damage caused if a shell fails to penetrate the armor.

The thinner the nominal armor–the higher the damage that can be inflicted at this spot in case of non-penetration.

6. Please tell us about Premium vehicles! Has the KV-2 (R) been nerfed? Let the Emperor's wrath guide you to victory!

We know how important Premium tanks are for players, and that's why we don't want to change their technical characteristics. We're not planning to modify the characteristics of any vehicles or their shells. The change will only affect the mechanics of HE damage infliction. However, we will study battle performance indicators of Premium vehicles individually and make any necessary adjustments based on the test results, should they be necessary.

7. Could you elaborate on the penetration of screens? How much is a shell's penetration value reduced after it pierces a screen or a small obstacle? How is damage calculated if an HE shell explodes against a screen?

The logic behind the reduction of the HE shell penetration value is exactly the same as that of AP shells—when a shell penetrates a screen, the value is reduced by the value of the thickness of the pierced screen or obstacle.

8. The new mechanics increase the significance of an accurate hit, but what about the "true" HE guns with an accuracy of 0.4, or even 0.6? Accurate hits are very difficult with this much dispersion.

Vehicles that can be equipped with powerful HE shells, but not particularly accurate guns, don't have to carefully aim at weak spots to reliably deal damage. The effectiveness of such vehicles lies in firing at generally weak areas of enemy tanks. Always try to go for weaker areas, such as the lower glacis plate, instead of a tough turret with a gun mantlet, to cause more damage.

9. Will Personal Missions and the conditions for earning particular awards be revised?

Within the Sandbox, we will test the major aspects of the mechanics of HE damage infliction: how the system works in terms of causing damage at the point where the shell hits, how the value of the inflicted HE damage is distributed in the new system, and how players perceive the new changes.

Following the Sandbox test, we will evaluate the changes to HE damage indicators. If it turns out that the changes can significantly affect the completion of Personal Missions, we will look at the possibility of revising the conditions of some Personal Missions. However, this will only happen if the changes are approved by the players and after they are implemented.

10. Will the characteristics of HE shells / HE-gameplay vehicles change?

Currently, no such changes are required, but it is possible that such a need might arise after the tests.

11. Will the changes to HE shells affect the shells of SPGs?

No, these are separate developments that are not interconnected. The damage mechanics for SPG HE shells and standard HE shells will be different.

12. There are some concerns that the changes to HE shells will particularly affect lightly armored vehicles, i.e. their survivability will be worse due to more efficient and deliberate use of HE shells against them. How is this going to be addressed?

We are not changing the characteristics of HE shells—neither their penetration values nor their nominal damage per shot. Therefore, we don’t expect a significant increase in the amount of damage dealt to lightly armored vehicles.

13. Do you expect the frequency of HE shell usage in Random Battles to increase?

Presumably, for low- and medium-caliber guns, the probability of using HE shells may increase, but only under specific conditions such as the reset of a base capture or finishing off an opponent.
For large calibers, the frequency of the use of HE shells is likely to remain the same, but their efficiency, when fired at heavily armored vehicles, will be reduced.

14. Will non-penetrations by HE shells count as blocked damage?

No, we don't have plans for that.

15. Will the Spall Liner be more effective with the new mechanics? Will the operating principles change?

The Spall Liner operating principles will remain the same. It is useful, as the Liner works like a “multiplier” for armor (as a kind of enhancement), and the damage is now calculated at the point where the shell hits the armor. This means it will work in a more correct manner, now.

Sandbox Server

1. How do you participate?

Download the Sandbox launcher.
Install the Sandbox client by launching the downloaded file. If you're running the Game Center for the first time, you'll have to authorize and restart the downloaded installation file.
Wait until the Sandbox client is downloaded and installed.
Open the World of Tanks tab, select World of Tanks Sandbox, and click Play.

2. What are the special missions and Tokens? What do you need to do in order to earn rewards for participating in the Sandbox test?

It’s quite simple. Six combat missions will be made available on the Sandbox server. Five of them are completed simultaneously and unlock access to the sixth one. The sequence can be completed three times.

An overview of the exact mission conditions is available in the main guide.

Once a chain is complete, the missions will become available again, but not earlier than the next day.

Shortly after the Sandbox testing is over, the Tokens will be transferred to the main server and players will be able to spend them in a dedicated part of the in-game Store for rewards. Don't forget to spend your Tokens before the next test starts, or else they will be converted into credits at the rate of 1 Token = 10,000.

3. When will accumulated Tokens be transferred to the main server?

Between 24 and 48 hours after the test is concluded. We will try to do it as quickly as possible and will notify you after the Tokens have been transferred to the main server.

4. Are the Tokens for each iteration counted separately, or is it possible to collect them and then spend them all at once on rewards during the last iteration?

All of the Tokens earned during a test iteration have to be spent before the next Sandbox stage begins. Tokens don't stack, so don't forget to choose a reward in the time between the tests.

5. When will we see the 2D style and decals?

We're working on the 2D style and additional decals right now. They are still being drawn, tested, and carefully prepared for presentation to the public. However, we can already show you the decal for HE shell testing:

As for all the others, you will have to wait a little longer.

6. When and where will I receive the survey?

The survey will appear in the main game client. Some players, who have fought a certain number of battles, will receive the survey during the testing phase. All other players, who have fought more than five battles, will receive the survey in the final days of the test, or immediately after it ends. If you don't receive the survey right away, please be patient. To make the technical load lighter, we'll send the survey out in batches.

7. Why do we have to download the full Sandbox client every time?

This is the nature of the Sandbox server test. Each iteration means a separate client that was built for a new feature separately from other mechanics. Unfortunately, the production process requires this approach.

8. What will be tested during the final stage of the Sandbox?

It depends on the results of the HE and artillery tests. We will implement improvements, if they are required, and see how the community reacts. That's why more details will be released after the initial iterations and based on the test results.