Matchmaking Improvements: Low-Tier Novice Battles

Greetings, Commanders!

It is not always easy for new players to adapt to the game, learn battle mechanics and show decent performance, especially if they find themselves in matches with experienced commanders. To give them a chance to train by playing in more comfortable battles and master their skills faster, the Random Battle matchmaker will create a separate queue for novices starting with Update 1.12.1.

Helping Novices Improve Their Skills

New players in low-tier Random Battles (Tier I–V) will find themselves in more comfortable battles, because most of the tankers in their queue will most often be fellow novices.

You’re considered a novice if you haven’t played a single battle in researchable Tier VII or higher vehicles in any game mode. If you show decent performance in battles with novices, we’ll assign you the status of "regular player".
If you purchase a Tier VII–VIII Premium vehicle but continue to fight in low-tier (Tier I–V) battles, you will still be considered a novice.

If a novice enters a battle using low-tier (Tier I–V) vehicles, the matchmaker will try to assemble the battle in a separate queue involving only novices in both teams. But if there are not enough novices to create two full teams, the matchmaker will try to add regular players to these specific novice battles. If you enter a battle in a Tier VI vehicle as a novice player, you will instantly be placed in the standard Random Battles queue with regular players.

NEW! Starting from Update 1.14, in battles against new or regular players, as well as against AI-controlled vehicles, the list of maps for battles in Tier I–III vehicles has been changed. Himmelsdorf and Abbey have been removed from the list. In their place, three new maps have been added: Ensk, Lakeville, and Mannerheim Line. The resulting list includes a total of 6 maps: Mines, Lakeville, Mannerheim Line, Ruinberg, Steppes, and Ensk.

Please note that all other maps will be available depending on the type of players the matchmaker sends into battle: If a battle is fought only with new players and bots, the remaining maps will be available from Tier V; if there are ordinary players—from Tier IV*.

New players in Tier IV vehicles can be matched with players in Tier V and VI vehicles, and all maps will be available in such battles.

AI Players at Lower Tiers

Our top priority is to make sure that novices play against fellow novices, so they can adapt to the game more easily. But depending on the server, time of day and the current state of the queue, the matchmaker may not have enough players to form equal and competitive teams in Tier I–V matches, so the waiting time may increase significantly. Adding AI-controlled tankers will help us quickly get you into battle and allow the matchmaker to assemble battles faster. On highly populated servers, you will be less likely to encounter AI players, but it may still happen from time to time.

We want the presence of AI-controlled vehicles in battle to be completely transparent, so you will always be able to easily distinguish them by the colon (":") and tiny tank icon next to their names. Here are other points to note about battles with AI players:

  1. Dealing damage to and destroying AI enemies will award you with the same amount of XP as you would receive for damaging and destroying human opponents.
  2. Just like in regular battles, you will be able to earn Achievements and rewards, and make progress in Personal Missions.

AI players will only be present in those rare novice battles involving vehicles between Tiers I and V, when the matchmaker lacks sufficient novice and/or regular players to form full, equal and competitive teams. According to our calculations, such matches involving AI players should be relatively infrequent, depending on your region, time of day, and the number of players online. You will not be able to view AI players’ statistics after the battle.

Improving Your Battle Experience

These matchmaker changes are a win-win for both novices and regular players. They will help us maintain the fair and competitive spirit of the game and:

  • reduce the difficulty curve to make it easier for novices to grasp the basics of World of Tanks and motivate them to play and win.
  • match more experienced commanders with skilled opponents, so they can continue to challenge and improve their abilities.
  • decrease the queuing time for all players, especially on low-population servers (will vary on different peripheries).

We will closely monitor how this system works and adjust its settings if necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Gameplay

How skilled are AI players relative to new human players?

You can expect AI players to play at a similar level of skill to human players who have progressed to the same point in the game in which they are available (e.g. Tiers I - V). They will respond to the situation at hand, be aware of their own armor/positioning, but will also occasionally make mistakes–much like a human player of similar experience.

What tanks will they play?

AI players may only control Light, Medium and Heavy tanks within the Tiers they are active. They cannot operate Tank Destroyers or Self-Propelled Guns.

How will AI players be distributed in a match?

AI players cannot occupy more than 7 spots per team, or 14 spots per match.

Do AI players have the same information as human players to process, or are they aware of enemy positions?

AI players have no more information than a human player would in the same position.

Will AI players react to chat commands?

No.

Others

How are my statistics/medals/match results impacted by damaging/destroying AI players compared to a human player?

All stats, medals and match results will be unaffected and will operate as per normal. Destroying AI enemies will award you with the same amount of XP as you would receive for destroying human opponents.

Just like in regular battles, you will be able to earn Achievements and rewards, and make progress in Personal Missions.

Does this MM work only with newly created accounts?

It works both with new accounts and existing accounts which have no battles played on a researchable Tier VII.

Can a regular player go back to being a newcomer if they play poorly, as long as they have not researched Tier VII yet?

Players who have demonstrated sufficient skill and have been removed from the newcomer queue by the system will not be added back to it again on the basis of their future play. They will only enter the newcomer queue occasionally, when the matchmaker requires more players to fill out empty team slots.

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Let’s improve our tank skills together, Commanders!

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