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Hey Captains,
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THE "VICTORY" COMPETITION
The Soviet battleships emerge from early access to take up their rightful place in the Tech Tree, together with the friendly competition that’s currently in full swing! Choose to join one of the two teams each day you enter the game, then score points and earn Provision Tokens. Exchange these in the Armory for various in-game goods and rewards, including Premium cruiser tier V Murmansk; "In the service of the Motherland" containers that have a chance to dropping tier V: Okhotnik, tier VI: Molotov, tier VII Leningrad tier VIII Lenin and the new unique historical Commander, Nikolay Kuznetsov.
End date and time: Mon. Jun. 24 3:00 AM PT / 6:00 AM ET.
Details of the competition will be available in a dedicated article set for release on May 30.
SOVIET BATTLESHIPS
Ships of the new branch are effective at close to medium ranges. Compared with same-type rivals, the new battleships are notable for:
Good firing accuracy at medium range (at long range, however, the shell dispersion ellipse will be noticeably larger compared with other ships of the same type).
Reliable armor, especially efficient against high-explosive shells, allows these ships to approach the enemy at a convenient combat range and lose less HP in the process.
Distinctive settings for the Damage Control Party consumable: the ships have limited charges, but their cooldown time is remarkably shorter compared with enemy peers.
Strong armor at the ships' ends makes it possible to take less damage when closing in on a hostile ship at an acute angle.
More details on the ships’ histories are available in our historical article. The in-game specifics of the entire branch in general, as well as each ship in particular, are covered in a publication titled ”Soviet Battleship Branch Review”.
RANKED BATTLES: SEASON 12
A new season of Ranked Battles is about to begin! The battles this time involve teams of seven Tier X ships each, and will be held in a 7 vs. 7 format. Rewards include various in-game goodies, a total of 5,500 Steel and a commemorative achievement for those who make it to Rank 1.
Seasons starts: Thu. May 30 9:00 AM PT / 12 PM ET
Season ends: Tue. Jun. 25 2:30 AM PT / 5:30 AM ET
If you want to test your skills in the competitive mode but don't have a Tier X ship yet, for the twelfth season you can get access to a set of rental ships which are intended for use in Ranked Battles.
Play a Random or Co-op Battle with a ship of Tier VIII or higher and get access to Ranked rental ships of the same type. You can also obtain Ranked rental ships by playing a Ranked Battle with any Tier X ship you already have. Rental aircraft carriers won’t be available for Ranked Battles.
Based on your feedback, a number of changes have been made to improve interactions between aircraft carriers and other ships. Carriers are now ready to enter Ranked Battles in the new season. The maps and game modes for the new season were selected taking into account the specific features of ships of this type. Please note that only one aircraft carrier will be allowed per team.
More details are available in a dedicated article on the Rules of Ranked Battles: Season 12.
BATTLE LOADING TIME
We are constantly working to optimize our game, resulting in positive effects on all aspects of game performance, including battle loading time. The textures streaming fix that we implemented in Update 0.8.3 has benefited players with a significant reduction in the average battle loading time. With Update 0.8.4, the battle loading time will be reduced from 45 to 30 seconds.
CHANGES TO AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
The engine boost values have been made consistent for all aircraft:
The cruising speed has increased by 35 knots (excluding the effects of Commander skills and upgrades) at all tiers.
The cruising speed of Japanese aircraft, tier VIII Graf Zeppelin's aircraft, and the attack aircraft of all nations has been increased by 40 knots.
With the S key pressed, aircraft will decelerate by 17.5 knots at all tiers.
Japanese and Graf Zeppelin's aircraft, as well as the attack aircraft of all nations, will decelerate by 20 knots upon pressing the S key.
At high tiers, the power of the engine boost has been reduced, decreasing the maximum speed of aircraft but also increasing their minimum speed. This way, we’re slightly downgrading the reconnaissance and attack potential of aircraft carriers. Moreover, the decreased difference between the maximum and minimum speed will make it more challenging to dodge AA bursts (flak).
Owing to the specifics of their in-game mechanics, as well as the peculiarities of aiming and bomb dispersion, dive bombers carrying HE bombs were able to easily deliver multiple hits on a destroyer. Even maneuverable targets, like destroyers, could do little to escape the painful punch that dive bombers were able to connect. To provide destroyers with an opportunity to take countermeasures in such situations, we’ve:
Increased the altitude at which bombs are released.
Narrowed the reticle's ellipse and made it longer in shape.
Changed the distribution of bombs within the reticle's ellipse (bombs will now fall closer to the edge of the aiming edge more often, and more rarely at its center).
The reticle aiming settings have also been changed in order to preserve the interaction between HE dive bombers and other ship types. Aiming will begin during the preparation stage for an attack and will happen quicker, while flight maneuvering will have less of an effect on it.
The above changes will apply to all aircraft carriers in the game.
The post-battle statistics screen, available on the Detailed Report tab, will now display the aggregate damage dealt to aircraft. Please note: at present, rewards in credits and XP are granted for bringing hostile planes down rather than for damaging them.
We’ve updated the tool-tips displayed by pressing the H key when operating a squadron.
MAPS
In Update 0.8.4 a new map called "Greece" will appear in the game for Tier IX–X battles in Domination mode. The map has two versions: one with three and one with four key areas. It also features the Thunderstorm Front, which has a 25% chance of appearing in Tier X battles.
The visuals of the map were inspired by the landscape of Santorini Island, but its atmosphere will be wet and dreary.
The “shelters” on the map allow ships to provide support to their allies, not only in the closest key area but in neighboring key areas as well. The islands are tall enough to hide a ship, but do be careful and cautious: the enemy will still be able to attack you if you’re spotted. The number of islands on each side of the central part of the map differ. This will allow you to safely approach a key area and quickly redirect fire to support the neighboring key areas. The flanks of the map aren’t similar, either: the left side offers more hideouts, but makes it harder to maneuver; the right side is better suited to attacks with any type of ship. The edges of the map are ideal for flanking and mounting effective attacks or breakthroughs at the enemy's rear.
Reworked "Trap" Map
Key area "A" was initially located close to two borders of the map, which strongly restricted maneuvering opportunities. To add dynamics to the gameplay for this key area, all objects on the map have been shifted to the right and upwards.
We’ve reworked the Epicenter mode for the following maps: "Big Race", "Trident", "Islands of Ice", and "Tears of the Desert." The center zone and rings can be captured independently, while capturing and holding the inner rings will bring you more points. In Update 0.8.2 battles in this mode received a warm response from participants of Space Battles, as the gameplay turned out to be more dynamic compared with the "standard" Epicenter mode.
PORT ENVIRONMENT
In Update 0.8.4, the Philippines, New York, Saint Petersburg, Zipangu, Hamburg, Naval Base, and Ocean Ports have been given a fresh look with the addition of dynamically changing environments.
Selecting any of the above Ports triggers a timer, and one hour later the visuals of the selected Port transform, allowing you to view the traditional Ports in new colors: day succeeds night in "night-lit" Ports; Saint Petersburg becomes shrouded in a gloomy mist; and the sun rolls over the horizon and sets for Ocean Port.
ARMORY UPDATE
The Armory will offer a special tab with various goods dedicated to the second stage of the "Victory" competition, and a new temporary resource: Provision Tokens.
More details about Provision Tokens are available in a special article that’s set for release on May 30.
With the release of Update 0.8.4, Ironium will be converted into credits at the exchange rate of 1 : 16,000. The "Spacepril Fools' Day" and "Space Camouflages" sections of the Armory will no longer be available.
Allowance Tokens and the "Victory: Part 1" section will be available throughout the duration of Update 0.8.4. If you don't have enough tokens to get any particularly desired items, you can still get a bundle with one Soviet Era Premium container in this section of the Armory. With the release of Update 0.8.5, Allowance Tokens will be converted into credits at the exchange rate of 1 : 8,000.
Makoto Kobayashi camouflage patterns are no longer available in the Armory.
GAME BALANCE CHANGES
Analogous to destroyers, all Tier I ships have had their Citadel replaced with a "vital part." This will improve the ships' durability and reduce the chances of them being destroyed with just a couple of salvos.
We’ve reinforced Graf Zeppelin’s dive bombers:
Armor penetration capacity has been increased by 11 mm.
Attack time has been extended from 6 to 8 seconds.
The speed of dropped bombs has increased by 13%.
The inner and outer reticle ellipses have been slightly reduced.
Tier VIII Graf Zeppelin's bombers differ from their counterparts aboard other carriers by their behavior at the initial stage of an attack. This peculiarity requires a different approach to assessing the lead time to a target when attacking it. By changing the attack timing and accuracy we’ve made the aircraft more comfortable to use, and attacks easier to mount. An increased armor penetration capacity and faster speed of released bombs will make the carrier more effective at hitting Citadels and countering ships of Tier X.
CONTENT ADDITIONS AND CHANGES
The Armory continues to offer new camouflage patterns that can be obtained in exchange for Copper and Molybdenum. With Update 0.8.4, cruiser X Stalingrad receives a “Victorious” camouflage that’s available for Copper. The camouflage provides the following bonuses:
−3% to the ship’s detectability range by sea.
+4% to the dispersion of shells fired by enemies at your ship.
−50% to the cost of the ship's post-battle service.
+20% credits per battle.
+100% XP per battle.
We’ve added a special camouflage called "Supertest Veteran" for VIII Alabama ST, and an "ST Veteran" flag which are awarded for two and more years of participation in Supertests. Camouflage bonuses:
−3% to the ship’s detectability range by sea.
+4% to the dispersion of shells fired by enemies at your ship.
+10% credits per battle.
−30% to the cost of the ship's post-battle service.
+100% XP per battle.
+300% Free XP per battle.
We’ve added a flag called "Paragraph 11", as well as the following patches: "Reddit", "D-Day", and "U.S. Army." Stay tuned for more news on our portal about how to get them!
The following ships have been added for testing by developers, supertesters, and community contributors: Tier X Smolensk, Tier X Somers, Tier X Colbert, Tier V Hill, Tier V Siroco, Tier II En. Gabolde, Tier III Fusilier, Tier IV Bourrasque, Tier V Jaguar, Tier VI Guépard, Tier VII Vauquelin, and Tier VIII Le Fantasque.
OTHER CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS
Wargaming Premium Account is no longer available in exchange for doubloons in the Premium Account purchase menu. However, you can still get it via the Premium Shop.
Minor improvements to the geometry and textures of the following ships: Tier VIII Implacable, Tier III Charleston, Tier VII Lazo, Tier VIII Vladivostok, and Tier VII Lyon.
The name of cruiser IX Alaska has been added to the ship's model.
New Year’s decorations have been removed from the barge ship in Zipangu Port.
Implemented minor fixes to the visuals in Ports.
Added hints about an option to get rewards for inviting friends to the game.
Autopilot track points are now displayed in the "from ship" camera view.
The following ships can now be dropped from a supercontainer: Tier VII Z-39, Tier VIII Cossack, Tier V Marblehead Lima, Tier V Exeter, Tier VII Lazo, Tier VIII Wichita, Tier VIII Irian, Tier IX Azuma, Tier IX Alaska, Tier VI Prinz Eitel Friedrich, Tier VI W. Virginia 1941, Tier VIII Vanguard, Tier VII Nelson, Tier VIII Lenin, Tier IX Jean Bart, Tier VIII Kaga, Tier VIII Graf Zeppelin, Tier VIII Saipan, and Tier VIII Enterprise.
Based on your feedback, we’ve added the following two new Clan roles to diversify the existing Clan structure: Midshipman and Commissioned Officer. The new roles don’t have decision-making permissions.
The image of Azur Lane Commander Azuma has been adjusted to match the original image.
The names of Japanese ships have been updated with the addition of diacritical marks.
The delay between individual shots in sequential fire has been reduced from 0.3 to 0.15 seconds.
Tier X Yamato's torpedo protection has been increased to bring it in line with the ship's torpedo protection prior to the update of her 3D model.
Bugs Fixed
Fixed the horn sound for X Midway.
Fixed a glitch which prevented the engine boost bar and red engine boost indicator from being displayed for an active airborne squadron.
Fixed a glitch which changed the view direction after switching to the free camera and back when operating an airborne squadron.
Fixed the commissioning date in the description of Tier V Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya.
Fixed a glitch which didn’t change the display of a squadron's reticle after the attack time was over.
Fixed a glitch which didn't display a Clan tag in a notification that appears after destroying a ship.
Fixed a glitch which made it impossible to collect a container in the Port after re-entering the battle due to a connection failure.
Fixed a bug which caused the game client to crash on exiting.
Fixed an error in the armor penetration capability of HE shells for Tier IX Friedrich der Große. It has increased from 100 to 101 mm.
Fixed an error in the operation range of the Surveillance Radar consumable for cruisers Tier VIII AL Montpelier and Tier VIII Wichita.
Fixed a glitch which caused the distortion of images on displays with an aspect ratio of 21:9 after changing the Fog Transparency setting.