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We’ve been detailing various improvements arriving in 9.18 during its Common Test. Click the images below to check out deeper details on each feature.
Improved Matchmaker
You always face a team that has the same number of vehicles at the top/middle/bottom of the list as yours. Plus, whichever template the matchmaker uses, tanks at the bottom will always be in the majority and the middle is bigger than the top. Simply put, regardless of your position on the list, there are enough players in the same position to turn the tide of battle.
Stretching Light Tank Branches to Tier X
The new Tier X light tanks are swifter and more maneuverable than their peers at lower tiers. Their gun stabilization, penetration power and hit damage allow them to excel in close- and mid-range combat. When facing off against medium tanks, Tier X light tanks are anything but an easy target incapable of returning a favour. Their guns are just a little less powerful than those of medium tanks, and have enough penetration power to pierce through the side and rear armor of the majority of heavies. They have what it takes to punish opponents who might naively consider them harmless.
All-Round SPG Revision
We also considerably lowered the penetration and damage per shot for HE shells and removed AP, APCR, and HEAT shells for SPGs. Now, they deal less direct damage, but benefit from the damage their teammates cause to stunned targets, similar to scouts. So, shooting at multiple targets is now more efficient than picking just one. This change, together with the introduction of the stun mechanic, should force SPGs to change their play style and aim to hit multiple targets.
9.18 is one of the most significant updates we have ever introduced to the game, both in terms of the importance of the issues it tackles and the sheer scope of fundamental changes it simultaneously introduces. Matchmaking and arty have been a source of heated discussion for years now, and it has taken us several iterations to transform them into something we feel happy to put into your hands. And if our own experience and the feedback we gathered working with our community during the testing phases are any indication, the revisions made in 9.18 will make the game feel both fairer and more fun.
The team has been working tirelessly to react to your feedback up to release, and we have been thrilled by the passion and involvement of our community. We didn’t expect to see so many driven players pitch in to test new mechanics in Sandbox and during Common Test. The genuine dedication you showed us definitely makes months and months of work worth it! And we do not intend to stop here. As we get 9.18 out the door, work continues. We’re calling on you to hit the battlefield, see what it’s like, and get back to us. Moving forward, among the top priorities for the team is continuing to fine-tune and refine the new matchmaker and arty, working off your suggestions and commentaries.
Also, we believe that the best way to thank you for being with us every step of the way is to stay focused on further improvements that fundamentally push the quality of the game forward. Now that we’ve addressed two of the longest-running complaints in the community, we’ll get down to tasks that are no less important: refining the game’s other components and expanding it with new mechanics, scenarios, and setups. There’s a lot more in store for 2017!
