World of Tanks Mark 2

[Skywalker_T-65]

Ghetto Edit:

And now I'm having to wait in a queue to get into the test server. Evidently Wargaming hates my free time.

[Simon_Jester]

My laptop's down with a busted power jack. No tanking for me.

Fortunately, I have at least two friends giving me so much advice on how to fix it that the only obstacle is time, not anything else. So there's hope.

Also, I don't want the M4A2E4; I just want the M4A2 in general. The diesel engine option would be nice, even as a refit for the baseline M4. Less fire chance than the upgraded Wright Continental, but also less horsepower.

Or am I overestimating how much fire chance really matters?

[Skywalker_T-65]

Not sure since I haven't used a Sherman and I'm waiting to try anything else out on the Test Server until later. Namely because right now everyone and their grandma is Russian and when you can't understand a word they say its kind of hard to get a team working.

Also...oneshot a Hetzer in my VK...via ramming it at top speed.

[Vanas]

Fire chance really isn't a problem, and this is speaking as a german tank driver with the critical mass frontally mounted oil-coated transmissions.

On the other side, tank of the day is the Medium Mark III for it's glorious ungainliness and sheer crushing strangeness. It's like a tank closely followed by a trailer containing it's engine and is also hilariously funny.

[Agent Sorchus]

Very doubtful that the beta tanks will be available to anyone in 8.1, basing this on the fact that these tanks looked to be made available in prior test servers but weren't (with the exception of the M6A#E#, which was turned into a gift tank thanks to very low numbers.) No guarantee mind you, but they did catch shit for even making the M6freak a gift tank so it is highly unlikely.

Releasing the beta tank from the Russian server to the American and vise versa on the other hand is more likely. But still not.

[Skywalker_T-65]

Hey, just relaying that the E4 was in the Test Server. I doubt it will move out of said server though.

[Simon_Jester]

Are there any tanks not on the test server?

If I were in Wargaming's shoes, there wouldn't be. Part of the point of the test server is to find out how old tanks perform as conditions in the game change, after all.

[Skywalker_T-65]

Maybe. I don't know how many tanks were around before I joined that they ditched. The only one I noticed was the E4, since I recognized it.

[xthetenth]

The E4 has always been available on the Russian server. The test server is functionally a Russian server where everyone else has accounts.

[Skywalker_T-65]

Getting to the 3002DB is proving to be fun...still got about 10k XP to go.

[Vejut]

Tried the mark I and Cromwell brit tanks earlier today.
Cromwell was crazy fun for peek a boom, because of the sheer acceleration and speed it has--I was keeping up with or passing a M18 on dragon ridge. Gotta pick your shots though. Silvergold ammo is also pretty fun, though crazy expensive. Shot through 25 rounds in my Cromwell trying it out, 70K silver. The tier 1 matches are just filled with Mk Is and they are hilariously fun. Haven't tried anything but the BESA HMG, but that gun is just insanely fun to shoot. Good accuracy period, especially for an A/C, excellent DPS, and big old magazine, and the sound effect is cool too. Penetration is 25mm, not sure how that will stack up once it fights tier II and other tier I beside its 6mm all around, slow as all get out self.

[xthetenth]

The Cromwell may very well be one of my favorite tanks. I think overall it's got roughly equivalent actual speed to a hellcat because it turns so much better, and although it doesn't have the hellcat's glorious gun it's got a very good one.

[Skywalker_T-65]

I just had a battle on Airfield where the other team were idiots and left the entire center open. I just slipped right on through in my VK and went Arty hunting. Killed all FOUR of their SPG's, while the rest of their team was bogged down with ours. Also got a Dumitru's Award...which has got to be rare considering how often can someone kill four or more SPG's in a single match?

[Vanas]

I think I'm in love with the Caernarvon. It really fits into how I like heavies to be and is acceptably agile as well. Defintely going to have to get one. Unfortunately, I've only got enough free XP to get up to the Black Prince.


Might not be a problem though, because I've every intention of playing all of the Churchills. The Mk.I compares favourably to the KV-1 and has a monstrous HP pool,, the Mk.VII Heavy Churchill is a brick of armour with a gun and engine added as an afterthought and the Black Prince is the same, but with a bigger gun.

[Skywalker_T-65]

I'm currently at the Mk.1 Church myself, and it is a very fun tank. Should be fun to play once 8.1 launches.

On the subject of the main server...finally got the 3002DB. Quite a different beat compared to the 3601. Where the 3601 was a massive (for a T6) slab of armor, the DB is apparently blessed by the God of Bouncy Tank Armor. Its taking some getting used to, having such wonderful slopes. Makes it more of a brawler, especially since, while the L/70 hasn't lost its accuracy, it can't pen most things I'm seeing now at long range.

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

Now that I have a buttload of free time on my hands and a computer that can actually run the game, I'm currently considering becoming a tanker. Looks like Wargaming.net's in the middle of an update cycle, though, so should I wait until 8.1 actually launches before getting in on the action?

In a related matter, just how much leeway is there with regards to customization? I ask because of this guy who decided to make a Touhou itasha out of his M18 Hellcat.

[Vanas]

That's a local skin mod, so only you can see it. But yeah, if you can find the skins or make your own, that shouldn't be a problem.

The internal camo schemes are all more or less historical ones.

Edit: There's always new updates coming out, the next patch is a big one because of the UK tree being added. The only issue you'll have for getting the game now is having to download the patch.

[Simon_Jester]

Updates are usually something like a month or two apart, in my experience. My advice is to wait for 8.1 to come out- though if you do, be advised that your early gameplay experience will involve fighting British tanks almost exclusively, because everyone and his cousin Fred will be wanting to try out the British armor.

[PeZook]

I had a most hilarious Physics Encounter just now: was running my KV-1, as was the other guy ; I'm at 25% health or so, he's at 63%...he goes over a hill, and I shoot him in the underbeely, he moves over the crest and leaps down at LUDICROUS SPEED, smashing right into me.

He destroyed me, but blew up in the process. We both got a kill

[Vendetta]

In a related matter, just how much leeway is there with regards to customization? I ask because of this guy who decided to make a Touhou itasha out of his M18 Hellcat.

It's really easy to do, but might be frowned upon by WG. (They do want you to pay money for their camo skins, after all), that's why they have an in-game effect now :p

Also, skins like that are done just by replacing a local image file, so for that guy every M-18 with the camo pattern he's replaced looks like that, and if your custom skin is "I have recoloured all the weakspots on the tank bright purple" that might be cheese.

Anyway, it's free to play, so any time you want is fine to start. Also, you can run this game on a toaster if you're willing to put up with ugly, my laptop is knocking on five years old and I still get 20-30fps constant, with everything except draw distance turned all the way down.

[Skywalker_T-65]

Yeah, it really wouldn't make much difference if you wait Shinn. Really, its a matter of wanting to wait for the Brit tanks or not. Otherwise, 8.1 should still be at least a little ways off.

[xthetenth]

User-done skins are totally on the user's end, same for crew skins, so they're totally the user's perogative.

The only modern graphics cards that have issues are nvidia mobile graphics cards, and the old renderer works fine with them.

[Zinegata]

I had a most hilarious Physics Encounter just now: was running my KV-1, as was the other guy ; I'm at 25% health or so, he's at 63%...he goes over a hill, and I shoot him in the underbeely, he moves over the crest and leaps down at LUDICROUS SPEED, smashing right into me.

He destroyed me, but blew up in the process. We both got a kill

Man, mine have been relatively benign in comparison. Such as my Type 59 (at 300 HP) ramming a Tiger II in the rear at full speed. I blew up; he didn't. *cries*

[Skywalker_T-65]

Well, I've killed an A-20 and a little MS-1 in my VK 3601 via ramming. Obviously the MS-1 didn't even slow me down.

[Esquire]

I've become very fond of ramming in my Panzer III/IV - somehow every other shot knocks the gun out, but the thing goes fast enough that anything smaller will get squished. It's very funny to imagine the expressions of light tank commanders go from "Aha, we're safe!" to "Oh, fuck..."