World of Tanks

[Engels]

You can still play for free, just not at double xp/credit rates of premium. Granted, tier 9 tanks and above are pretty much unplayable without premium, but if you're into that tier of the game anyways, I'm not seeing the hurt at $15.00 a month. Otherwise, have fun with a Leopard, Tiger, Jadg IV and stop bitching.

Also, claiming this is just an FPS with a lobby is a bit disingenuous. The level of work put into the game, with damage variances, telemetry, palpable differences between not simply models of tanks but wild variations in game play depending on what freakin' barrel you put on the danged tank puts this well above and beyond any FPS out there.

You payed that much for Planetside, you payed that much for far far cruddier MMO productions, but now that they want money for you to play at an accelerated rate, its all wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Christ.

[veredus]

Why would you want to buy 250 gold at a time? Just so that on any given day you can activate premium? Seriously, just man up, pay the danged 7 or 15 bucks for half a month or more than a month of premium already.

The reason they probably didn't do this is that transactions that small aren't really feasible with a credit card payment system.

It's more that I want to get the $1 = 250 gold price since that is the equivalent price on the RU server. I don't like being charged a different price for living in another area. Also if I want to buy like a premium tank I can't just buy what I need, I have to buy a package of gold instead. I also don't like that to buy a month of premium I have to buy 3000 gold and can't just buy 2500. I hate that type of shit no matter who is doing it and it really makes me not want to pay anything. As for the feasibility part, do they not use credit cards in Russia or something? Since you can in fact buy gold in 250 increments on that server.

[veredus]

You can still play for free, just not at double xp/credit rates of premium.

And you can't start a platoon either. That's a pretty important thing you can't do w/o premium.


Edit: sorry should have added this to above post, wasn't thinking

[Bandit]

I think they are slightly off in pricing and packages. Having said that, i dropped $90 on the pre-order heavy package. I like what what wargaming is doing here and appreciate the 9 months of free beta.

[Numtini]

I don't get people going aggro over the prices. Yes, if you want premium it's $10 a month. That's if you play it all the time and if you need premium all the time. Honestly, I paid primarily by the day during beta--if I wanted to play a higher tier tank and if I was going to play more than 1 or 2 matches. Most of the time, I knocked off a few low tier ones before or after work and I can do that forever. Also you're not dropping $50 on buying a box at release nor are you likely to ever need to drop more $ in for expansions or sequels or any of that. Also, every cash shop game I've played has occasional specials on gold, so you're likely to see a perpetual 5-10% discount as long as you buy when the buying is good.

Having said that, this is the only FPS I've enjoyed ever and it's definitely well above the standard. And I see no chance of that changing unless tanks start suddenly bunnyhopping. But I agree. It's just an FPS, the stupidity of the Guinness Book aside, this is not an MMO. It's fun though and I'm probably getting the light preorder and I don't have any issues on the pricing.

[veredus]

I agree Bandit it's a fantastic game and yes I'm still going to play and buy premium. I can still dislike the pricing and bitch about it though.

[Gets]

I am fine with this pricing. You'd think my first reaction be "They are jacking prices because Russian developers want sweet sweet western cash just look at Allods", but World of Tanks is surprisingly the Robot Jesus I'm considering dishing 90 bucks out for to buy the rather nice pre-order special, but I would still be perfectly happy riding a Tier 9 alone without Premium all day.

[tmp]

Hardly surprising western prices are set higher, given the difference between average salary and whatnot.

[Dark_MadMax]

I guess my post was more of a knee jerk reaction. Bottom line - they been in "beta" too long  , there is no real changes since beta started (aside new maps which are nice). My interest to this game peaked  last summer and gradually waned to little more than indifference, their pricing scheme does them no service either.

 A shame really - it is a very well made game. And I would even  still play it in release  (and pay some $) -if I didnt have to regrind all my tanks . Irony is I spent more on LoL (terrible game BTW) than I would spend on WoT (which is 0). All because LoL marketing is much smarter

[DLRiley]

Its not marketing, more like hiding. LoL really long beta didn't make it hyper apparent that RP will become a necessity and they have been slow to phase in the necessity of RP till recently when they butchered how people gained IP. WoT great game but made no attempt to hide the fact that without gold, progression becomes glacial fast. Their price structure simply didn't help hide that fact. The fundamental principle that X amount for "premium" content is not something that current gamers swallow without question.

[Tmon]

Premium is nice but not required.  In the early game credits are the gate to getting bigger tanks as the xp to unlock them comes pretty fast.  So one thing you could do instead of sub is to buy enough gold to buy a mid to high tier premium and use it to grind cash to buy the lower tier tanks. The left over gold can be used to upgrade the crew and convert xp earned by it.  I plan on using my gold to buy premium days or weeks based on my work schedule rather than buying premium a month a time.

[FatuousTwat]

I've seen bitching on other forums about this.

I think they could have alleviated a lot of the complaining if they would have just made the gold amounts even across the board (and adjusted the prices accordingly).

It's not clear when they list different prices AND gold amounts, and most people wont actually do the math, they will just glance at it and start immediately bitching.

[Numtini]

Well blah, you need 1000 battles in post-wipe beta to get the beta tank and I've been around almost a year, but I just didn't play that many post-wipe.

[FatuousTwat]

I'm barely over, 1145, or so.

[snowwy]

The combo S-70 and IS-4 is fantastic. Sniper and Steel Wall almost every match. Just wish more people would go back to using auto-aim 
Arty is still way to popular on russian side though. Had a few rounds with this outcome.  A-20 scout....big badda boom! Next!
GW-Tiger, curse you!
Just need to grind 80k more xp  on T-44 to get the T-54 and i'm set. T-29 is also way to much fun with the big gun 
Still enjoying it.

[Engels]

I just got into the VK4502. Its a nice tank, despite the bitchin and moaning to be heard. Its not as forgiving as the IS4, but its quite accurate. It also seems 'smoother' somehow, more controllable.  only thing, its not exactly an 'earner'. I don't think there's a tier 9 anything that's an earner. Maybe an Object or a JagdTiger, but I dunno.

snowwy, if you like the t29, you need to get into the t32. Its really really really the best tier 8 tank, and possibly the best all around heavy tank short of an IS7. It has the same gun as the top t29 gun, but with a nearly impenetrable turret. If you know how to play on the dunes of Sand River, you can rack up some serious kills. 

Its also a good money maker. Friend of mine got 8 kills the other night, 90k credits in just one fight. This is at tier 8 levels where his repairs were modest (10k?) and his ammo expenditure small. I wouldn't be too surprised if it gets nerfed to all hell.

By the way, if any of you are floating about clanless but would like a regular crew of players, look me up in game, tag is Engels. I'm now part of a clan that's pretty friendly, and assuming you're not on my sekrit list of f13 asshats, I can introduce you. Please be aware that it is an 'adult oriented' clan, which means that you have to be over 16 years old but have the mentality of a 16 year old boy. Or at least the ability to put up with the usual clan drivel associated with EVE nerds. Are they GLBT friendly? I have no idea as to their 'tolerance' levels. I know that they have gay friends and whatnot, but you know how it is; all it takes is one narrow minded asswipe to harsh the mellow.

[snowwy]

Objekt is a money-printer. Guess they'll fix that one day, but for now, you just can't lose money with it. Unless you miss 10 shots in a row and then die horribly.
And the T-32 is my next upgrade i think. T-44 pisses me off to much at times to bother grinding 80k more  Still want a T-54 though

[Bandit]

Release went well last night.  No issues whatsoever from my standpoint - pre-order code worked, servers stable, and most seemed to be enjoying the tier 1-2 action.  It appears their pre-orders went well from what I could tell.  I was in one match with 30 pre-order heavy M6's.  The M6 appears to be bit of a KV counterpart.

I am mostly concentrating on the US tech tree this time around. I picked up the Tier 3 medium (M2) down the heavy path and the Tier 4 M5 Stuart down the medium.

The WoT forums are full of vitriol about everything, as most forums are but i do tend to agree that free players should be able to form platoons.  Not a strong opinion on that one, but at first glance it seems to be common sense.

[kildorn]

I found the traktorfests to be hilariously fun.

I also found that I suck at this game again, and could barely sneak into an M2 Light during an evening of play. I swear my gunners are all blind.

[Bandit]

It's probably not you, 50% crews on Tier 1 and 2 tanks are god awful.  I was half-cheating using the premium PzKpfw 38H735 (f) and bumped up crew to 100% just to take advantage of all the noob tanks for XP.   You can pretty much will your team to win with that tank (70% + win rate).  It is horribly overpowered for Tier 1 and 2. I was then converting XP to get up a few tiers.  During beta it wasn't uncommon for me to get 10+ kills with it.  You pretty much have to flank from behind or shoot out the hatches to damage it. 

[kildorn]

I could take out one decently with an upgunned MS1 or T1, but they're pretty bullshit. Mostly the rate of fire and accuracy from what I saw when watching one play. One shotting things with a rather rapid fire cannon from across the map.

The M2 is fun, but made of paper. T2 medium also seems to be made of paper, considering how much my little T1 mauled one in three hits in an earlier match.

[tmp]

I was half-cheating using the premium PzKpfw 38H735 (f) and bumped up crew to 100% just to take advantage of all the noob tanks for XP.   You can pretty much will your team to win with that tank (70% + win rate).

Yeah, most of the guns at these tiers simply can't penetrate it.

[kildorn]

The little T2 light with an autocannon? Hilariously good. It's like a BT-2 with armor and a turning radius. 8 kills <3

[Numtini]

The pre-order A32 is a lot of fun. I didn't expect much, but it's a lot of fun.

[Simond]

E: Wrong tab! 

[kildorn]

Wrong kind of tanks, imo <3

Also, I totally meant the T2 Light, whichever is the non-gold tier tank. It's fun, if paper thin.

I keep getting random stupid killstreaks on it, though I feel that they built the entire tank out of Tracks, because that's all that ever gets hit.

[Engels]

So, I've started to see a fracturing of my gaming group between those who have spent money on gold and those trying to make this work as 'free to play'. The F2P folks are losing interest as they are left behind. They are frustrated at having to grind an M2 Medium, not to mention the M3Lee. There's one guy in our group who is catassing on F2P and has gotten his hummel by now, but hes' reporting serious burnout and disinterest.

[Dark_MadMax]

So, I've started to see a fracturing of my gaming group between those who have spent money on gold and those trying to make this work as 'free to play'. The F2P folks are losing interest as they are left behind. They are frustrated at having to grind an M2 Medium, not to mention the M3Lee. There's one guy in our group who is catassing on F2P and has gotten his hummel by now, but hes' reporting serious burnout and disinterest.

Yeah I  abandoned idea of playing it as F2P  back in beta. Its not the issue of credits per se (with some tricks you can play f2p even tier10 tanks), but the fact that xp grind is long enough even with premium .I see it as not big deal as I am part of the clan and participating in clan wars is largely the reason I am playing at release, and for those you need top tier tanks so I knew I d have to shell out at least a couple of months for prem. Later one there is a possibility clan wars might pay for premium  but I dont count on it

For f2p? Just get t1-t2 tank ,fully pimp it out . Enjoy the fun ! Or you can do same with tier 5-6 (vk36   or kv3).

[Engels]

For f2p? Just get t1-t2 tank ,fully pimp it out . Enjoy the fun ! Or you can do same with tier 5-6 (vk36   or kv3).

See that's just it. The early tiers lack that sense of consequence that later games have. Everyone can't stand the low tiers; they run about like spazzes with little concern for strategy and its a minor experiment in chaos theory every single game.

Its only later when there's more at stake for the tier 9 mediums and the tier 10 heavies that people actually stop and think about what's going on. The lack of this element is discouraging to the earnest players going f2p, and I fully understand them.

Unless you're a f2p player that is content to play game after game after game with a bunch of TF2 ADHD addled goobs, you're gonna be frustrated inside of a week.

[Sparky]

Alternatively they can max their crews and pimp their rides then own all the thoughtless grinders just flying through tiers fast as possible.

[Numtini]

Seems like you should be able to make a limited gold purchase to grind out, then pick up a couple of moneymakers to support your unfortunate high tier habit?

To add, I don't think there's that much grind as much as its that the beta went on for far too long (that has to be a first) and people got too used to infinite gold. Honestly, they should have gone commercial when they did the soft wipe. I can't see that a whole lot other than more maps and a few tanks was done then.

[Sparky]

I hear the gold tanks are good credit grinders because they're so cheap to ammo and repair, although they are kind of crappy tanks for their tiers.  If you didn't mind grinding you could splurge there to support your big tank habit.  But at £9 a month premium is hardly bank breaking anyway.  I'm happy to pay that while the game holds my interest.  It's nice to support a F2P that doesn't gouge it's cash shop customers.

[Bandit]

Enjoying the hell out of this game at the moment, but can understand how a F2P could get frustrated at having to grind out tiers again.  I also think most of it is a symptom of a very long beta.

Thankfully, I am not really interested in straight up grinding.  I am mostly interested in the tanks themselves - the differing looks, strengths and weaknesses of each tank regardless of the tier.  I picked up most of the premium tanks and have been making some great cash while testing them out.  I would have to say that the Valentine is easily the worst of the bunch with poor penetration, lousy damage and none of the mobility of a light tank.  I would recommend the Ram II (go Canada), PzKpfw 38H735 (f) (Tiny Maus), and just for pure aesthetics - the T14.  Most of the other Premiums are serviceable depending on how they get placed in a match which could be said about any tanks. 

Hit Tier 6 US Medium and the M4A3E8 Sherman last night but in no rush to grind the 50k to get Tier 7 - it will come.

My biggest gripe is still players constantly bitching about matchmaking.  Really? I enjoy the variety of challenge each match brings.  Otherwise playing hundreds of perfectly balanced matches would become pretty stale.  Usually the matchmaking is pretty solid in my opinion and gets you in a game in less than 30 seconds.  I think most people look at the Top 3 or 4 tanks and if they aren't identical they scream murder.  The only strange issue I see is loading up of TDs on one team and none on the other - this can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on the map.

[kildorn]

My matchmaking bitches are that the system is pretty clearly broken, and seems to make a 'team' and then match it to another similar tiered team, instead of making a match and dividing up whoever ends up in it.

80% of the time, I'm fine with it. 10% of the time, I'm playing an M5 or A20, both of whom are completely screwed by the matchmaker (they decide the highest tier of light tank counts as tier 10), I had a fight last night with my m5 where there were ~9 T-32s on both sides an no arty to spot for. That's just frustrating, and worse in an A-20 (at least the M5 can actually take a few percent off them with that howitzer), and 10% of the time my M7 winds up being the top tank leading a bunch of lights in a charge against a team with all the TDs and all the heavies, because it organizes by tier and not by class.

The matchmaker is pretty clearly broken in some fundamental ways. The up side is that you can just die like you're supposed to, and go play another match that will probably be better.


My primary game complaints are a few crushing grinds (m5->m7->e8 was fun, though I dislike the e8 comparatively so far. bt-7->a-20->t34-> is a huge irritating painful grind), and that the camo system as is reinforces shitty gameplay on a few maps.

[Amarr HM]

I had a match last night which was 1v1 my IS versus an Object 212, ended up a draw (we both capped).

If you are looking to make money and not go the arty route, I would recommend the KV-3 I made 2m in mine over the course of 100 battles. The KV with 152mm derp cannon can do pretty well too.