Supertest for Update 9.15

Tank Commanders,

Ever wonder what our World of Tanks developers are working on for the next update? Take a look at the summary of our latest Supertest for Update 9.15!

The Supertest is available only to carefully selected test players. However, we wanted to take this opportunity to share its contents before you get the chance to test it yourself in the upcoming Public Test, available for all players.

Read on to find out more about the upcoming Supertest.

Roll out!

Supertest 1: Changes in Version 0.9.15 vs Version 0.9.14

Game Features

1. Updated the display of vehicle characteristics in the Garage.
   • Added a preview screen which allows you to preview any vehicles that you have not yet purchased in the 3D scene (available via the Research screen in the Tech Tree).
   • Simplified vehicle characteristics which are now arranged into five expandable groups.
   • Changed the list of main characteristics (added new characteristics to the list).
   • Vehicle characteristics are now dynamically updated to reflect any changes to vehicle crew, equipment, or modules.
   • Added the information to tooltips about the way modules, equipment, and consumables influence the vehicle's characteristics.
2. Implemented Basic PvE Tutorial:
   •   Changed the composition of the team, the teams now have 15 players from each side.
   •   Reduced the waiting time in queue, added the ability to launch a battle as a solo player.
   •   Added a starting point at the upper base.
   •   Implemented alternative bot behavior scenarios on the Mittengard and Mines maps.
3. Changed the base capture bar. Added the information about the number of capturers and the time left until the base is captured.
4. Enabled the "Save addressee in battle" by default for all players, which forces the system to remember the last addressee in Chat until the end of the battle.
5. Added a warning that informs the player that the battle is coming to an end.
6. Improved several aspects of the improved vehicle movement physics: 
   • Fixed an issue where sudden, overly high damage was caused when sliding downhill.
   • Decreased the probability that player vehicles would overturn when performing a manoeuvre.
   • Fixed the issue with vehicles getting stuck to other vehicles or objects.
7. Reworked existing filters as well as added new ones to the vehicle carousel in the Garage.
8. Added sound events on activation of the Camouflage Net and Binocular Telescope.
9. Added the ability to select the type of the sound system in the Sound tab of Settings, which allows you to further fine-tune the positioning of sound sources in battle.
10. Only Platoon in which all vehicles are of the same tier can join the battle. Implemented warnings and advisory recommendations on selecting vehicle in Platoons that have "tag-alongs" in them.
11. When playing in a Platoon, you will earn bonus experience that will depend on the Tier of the vehicle in which you fought the battle.
12. Added a new aiming indicator — full circle.
13. Added two new magnification options — x16 and x25.
14. Reworked the appearance of the number of shells in battle.
15. Added the promoscreen display button.
16. Added the readings for latency and server state in the login screen and the Garage.

Technical Tasks

1. Re-designed a number of personal missions (improved the logic behind them).
2. Optimised the interfaces of drop-down menus and tooltips.
3. Performed a switch to CoreEngine 3.0:
   • implemented a number of technical solutions that allowed for an increase in:
     • Client performance, up to 30% on certain PC configurations:
     • Average FPS has significantly increased for Improved Graphics preset.
     • Average FPS has slightly increased (up to 15%) for Standard Graphics preset.
   • Reworked the system of FX lighting for Improved Graphics preset. As a result, smoke and explosions now look more natural in the in-game environment.
   • Added the ability to use the modern DX11 graphics API. Because of this, we advise you to download the latest driver software for your graphical card from the manufacturer’s website.

Maps

Improved the Mittengard and Mines maps in order to comply with the requirements of the newly released PvE Tutorial:

1. Balanced out the teams; 15v15 play is now possible in all current scenarios.
2. Added the support of the scenarios of playing solo (14 bots + 1 players in one team against 15 bots).

Tanks

1. Replaced the Waffenträger auf E 100 with the Grille 15. Tentatively, the Grille 15 will have the following stats:
   • Speed - 60 km/h
   • Hull Armor – 30/16/20
   • Hit Points - 1800
   • Suspension Traverse Speed – 25 deg/s
   • Rate of Fire – 3,79 rounds/min
   • Aiming time – 1.4 sec
   • Dispersion at 100 m—0.26
   • View range - 390 m
2. Adjusted the parameters of the following vehicles: 
   • Kanonenjagdpanzer
   • А-32
   • T-22 med.
   • 59-Patton
   • M56 Scorpion
   • T95E2
   • 112
   • STA-2
   • Pz.Kpfw. V/IV and Pz.Kpfw. V/IV Alpha
   • T-54 ltwt.
   • T95E6
   • O-Ni
   • O-I Experimental
   • O-I
   • Achilles
   • Challenger
   • Heavy Tank No. VI, Škoda T 40, and other vehicles that have the 88 mm L/56 guns.
3. Added the following vehicles for testing by Supertest players:
   • KV-4 Kreslavskiy
   • Object 268 Variant 5
   • T71 CMCD
   • Т-45
4. Reworked 19 vehicles for HD quality:
   • Т-46, Т-127, BT-7, Т-80, SU-85B, Т-43, SU-122-54, Object 430
   • Pz.Kpfw. 38(t), VK 30.01 (P)
   • T1 Cunningham, T67, M6
   • AMX 13 90
   • Bishop, Centurion Mk. I
   • WZ-131
   • Chi-He, Chi-Nu Kai
5. Improved the visual and collision models of the following vehicles: T-34-85, StuG Ausf. G, Type 62

Adjustments to Premium Vehicles

We're planning to make adjustments to the characteristics of a number of premium vehicles. While selecting which vehicles to upgrade, we sought to improve their technical characteristics without making them overpowered, and also kept player satisfaction and user-friendliness in mind. 

Most of the changes have been made to tanks that were added to the game a long time ago, so that they will be able to fight evenly in today's random battles. We also took note to not radically change the gameplay of any vehicle, so that vehicles will generally feel familiar despite the changes made to them.

The following premium tanks will be updated to be more competitive in today's random battles:

• A-32: Upgraded penetration, accuracy, and muzzle velocity.
• Pz. Kpfw. V/IV: Will no longer see Tier VII battles, and was moved from Tier VI to Tier V. Improved gun stabilisation and accuracy. 

The following premium vehicles will be updated for ease of use in battle:

• T95E6: Improved terrain crossing capacity; reduced aim time; improved gun accuracy
• T95E2: Improved stablisation and accuracy on the move; improved view range; shortened aim time; improved view range to 400m (top of its tier)
• M56: Improved mobility and reverse speed. The M56 can now move around more actively on the map, and has reduced aim time. It can now roll out from behind cover, take a shot, and quickly run back behind cover.
• Heavy Tank No. VI: Upgraded standard shell penetration. It is now a Tier VI heavy tank with excellent damage per minute and a large HP pool. It can now penetrate Tier VIII vehicles from the front by hitting their weak spots.
• STA-2: The STA-2 now plays more like the STA-1. However, it has become a bit more of a support tank. Penetration is increased, but damage per minute has been decreased. It will shoot less often, but the chance of a penetrating hit will be a little higher.
• Kanonenjagdpanzer: This is now a mobile TD with low alpha damage and excellent penetration. Decreased stabilisation on the move, which in turn decreases effectiveness of firing on the move. Improve aiming time, penetration, and muzzle velocity. This vehicle is now more suited to quickly finding a good position and firing from there.
• 112: The main difference between this tank and the WZ-111 is the frequent occurrence of fires due to the internal arrangement of the tank's modules. The 112's fuel tank will now be moved away from the frontal armour, where it was previously easily penetrated and set ablaze. This can potentially reduce the occurrence of fires in this tank.
• 59-Patton: Improved firepower and aiming parameters; improved view range; improved reverse speed. This vehicle can now make use of its high damage per minute and improved mobility to quickly destroy enemy vehicles by aiming at their weak points. The improved mobility will also increase its survivability.
• Škoda T 40:  Amendments are similar to those of Heavy Tank No. VI.

The T-22 medium will see many changes to its statistics.

The T-22 med. is a multipurpose vehicle that has all the striking features of Soviet medium tanks, and outstanding armour due to its special hull design. All these features have caused the T-22 medium to outperfom its peers, so it was decided to review the performance characteristics of this vehicle to make its performance more comparable to researchable Tier X medium tanks.

The T-22 med. will retain its excellent armour, and the players who earned it will remain owners of a powerful and unique combat vehicle.

Here is a preliminary list of changes:

• Decreased mobility due to deterioration of resistance on all types of soil;

• Increased aiming time from 1.9s to 2.2s

• Decreased accuracy from 0.33 to 0.36

• Increase of impact of the turret traverse on gun dispersion from 0.08 to 0.1

• Increase of impact of the chassis traverse on gun dispersion from 0.08 to 0.1

• Decreased turret traverse speed from 48 deg/s to 40 deg/s.

Adjustments to Researchable Vehicles

Japanese Tanks

In the Japanese tech tree there is an evident bias regarding vehicles popularity. The vast majority of players are concentrated on the medium tiers, from V to VI.

Also, these tanks are significantly distinguished by their combat effectiveness against their peers from other branches. To resolve this situation, it was decided to make changes to vehicle characteristics in order to balance the combat capabilities of Tier VI heavy tanks.

At the same time, Tier III and IV tanks were a little weaker than their peers, so the changes to vehicle characteristics were generally made to improve the tanks' combat capabilities.

• Type 91 Heavy: Improved aiming and stabilisation paramters; improved damage per minute.
• Type 95 Heavy: Improved firepower and survivability of the vehicle.
• O-I Experimental: Changes were made to this vehicle to make it perform similarly to other heavy tanks of the same Tier in combat. The O-I Exp. will still be able to rush forward, “tanking” damage, but the adjusted aiming parameters will cause O-I Exp. commanders to spend a little more time aiming before firing.
• O-I: Similar to the O-I Experimental, the changes will make the O-I's combat effectiveness approximately equal to its peers. The main changes to this vehicle are related to the gun's aiming and stabilisation parameters.

British Tank Destroyers

• Achilles: Improved aiming parameters and increased damage per minute. This TD will now be better able to hunt and destroy enemy vehicles.
• Challenger: Improved aiming parameters and increased damage per minute. This TD will now be better able to hunt and destroy enemy vehicles.

Soviet Light Tanks

• T-54 ltwt.: This vehicle stands out among all light tanks for its versatility: the vehicle is equally capable of effectively dealing damage, spotting, and even “tanking” enemy fires. In Update 9.15, changes will be made to aiming parameters damage per minute to be more in line with other Tier VIII light tanks.