War Thunder

I think the name's Karelia. If I'm not mistaken.

I remember that being my debut map for Ground Forces. The Stugs seemed like complete monsters back then. I remember that whenever I saw one I immediately turned around and ran away.

Yes that is the one. I can see the gorge on the map and the fort roughly in the middle.

There were a couple other maps where at least a single spawn point is heavily exposed at least partly to easy long range camping. In all the cases so far because I am still kicking around the lower tiers it is the early T-34's that do it mostly.

Question: Rather than explicit spawn protection, what about putting weak but invincible/fast-spawning AT and AA guns around the spawns? You could totally try spawn-camping if you felt like braving the AT fire, but there'd be a risk to it.

Include some tank scrapes and such?

edited 21st Apr '15 8:04:11 AM by Ernie

It wouldn't work. The AI in the game is pretty stupid and would not prevent players from being plinked anyways. Not unless you want spawn points to threaten well beyond a certain range to begin with. Either a hard physical terrain object or other intervention is needed to ensure players are not spawn camped.

The simplest solution is hard terrain features that screen the spawn. Mountains, hills, valleys, or even fortifications.

edited 21st Apr '15 3:53:31 PM by TuefelHundenIV

Argh, Karelia. That map is badly designed. I've had fun there, but ...

Quite a few people have issues with that map from what I have been reading. It was supposedly one of the first ground forces maps and has a fair number of issues that comes with that. Apparently some of the longer reaching AT guns can sit back on the further hills and just hammer any unlucky soul spotted below. There are other issues as well like the balance of cover and how easily it is to get a good hull down or covered position against spawn areas. I personally like the gorge though especially the across the gap fire fights but available cover is not reasonably balanced.

My poor Stug. It just hasn't been having any lucky. Launched into a battle and forgot to swap out my crappy shells for my shiny new HEAT shells. I got into a turning fight with a T-34 who simply could not out turn my Stug to get a clean shot. Neither of us was really getting any good penetrating shots. Did that for about 3 minutes before one of his team mates plinked me from a nearby hill.

Then the next match I remember my HEAT shells. But the first tank I run into is a PZ III who I had the drop on at short range but he moved suddenly and spoiled my shot. What should have been a high body shot into the crew compartment ended up hitting his engine. He got off a lucky shot on my gun and loader. I got off two more shots but he kept whacking crew in return. He was limping but I was dead.

I just can't seem to get the poor Stug into a position to use range.

My Panzer 38T seems to be a decent machine. Good penetration on its shots and reasonably robust. I was getting some good shots off of it.

edited 21st Apr '15 4:42:15 PM by TuefelHundenIV

Have some info on the Doom Turtle

Seems the T95 version will be normal for everyone and the T28 version will be premium.

No idea what the actual differences in those versions were in the real world. I was under the impression they were the same and we just couldn't name the damn thing.

The Pz.38(t) is a damn good tank at low level.

It looks like their T28 is going to be single-tracked and thus narrower; it may represent the one that got sent to Korea (but never used). They could be converted like that for more easier transportation, at the cost of higher ground pressure.

The Pz 38 is indeed a surprisingly good vehicle. Its first off the shelf shell is pretty good. The CAPHE makes sitting back and making long range plinking great. I was surprised that I was making some good ranged pen shots on tanks that gave some of my other tanks trouble.

I never researched the Pz.38. It was always much too cute for me to take seriously.

I spent all my points in the other trees anyway, I don't like it when a tree dies halfway down the list. Even if it dies as a totally kickass tank destroyer

edited 22nd Apr '15 6:11:32 AM by LeGarcon

I don't mind that it ends at that point I think it might be fun to play. Players have the same tendencies in War Thunder as they do in World of Tanks. That is to be blind follow the leader lemming idiots a bit too often.

Having a bit more luck with my Stug. On that jungle beach head map with each team already holding pre-capped bases. Each teams spawn pretty much puts them in line for a direct run at the points. Apparently no one figures out that sending some units that are not stupid AI tanks to delay the enemy might be worth it. It was just me and a Zis-30 to intercept the enemy spear head. They had a few T-34's taking pot shots at our team going after their cap. The Ai tanks are stupid and die quickly.

I got into a ok low position and found the Zis and I facing down 2 T-34's, a Pz III, and a Stug. The Stug backed off after taking a nasty hit from the Zis which was sadly smacked by a T-34. The Pz III I hit a couple time with HEAT shells so they slink back behind a hill and calling arty and staying there. One T-34 starts to go the long way around and the other T-34 and I get into a shooting match. I realize if I try to back out or run I am toast as anywhere but that position leaves me overly exposed. I manage a few good hits and tag some of his crew before his buddy cleared the obstacle and hit me through the side and ammo racked me.

Then after all the AI and the two players were dead and the enemy Capping the point my team decides they should probably do something about it. So it turns into a slug fest centered around the new spawn points and the last cap zone by the beach. The Pz 38 did ok before I stumbled onto the Stug around a corner and got blasted.

Oddly my Pz II with that HVAP load out did the most damage. Got a revenge arty kill on that Pz III from earlier, popped an American M3 light tank, and shot down an enemy bomber with my HVAP and MG. I got final blow on that Pz III and that was there last vehicle. We had won through pure attrition. No caps, no bar run down, all the players were dead.

edited 22nd Apr '15 5:02:22 PM by TuefelHundenIV

The list of vehicles for the next update is getting massive. The Skyraider, more Soviet AA, the Doom Turtle and other American tank destroyers, another Arado, the English are getting their carrier planes in the game finally and now,

This.

Yes you're seeing that right, it's the T34 Calliope Sherman. Yes we can use the rocket launchers.

That one is going to piss off so many people. Does this mean we will be seeing the self propelled artillery?

Well for what it's worth it's premium only and you have to spend all your rockets before you can use the main gun.

They also said it was a big breakthrough in coding that allowed this to happen so I'm assuming that's opening the gates for many things.

Personally I'm hoping for Katyushas

I would be really surprised if we saw Katyusha's or other similar vehicles like the walking stutka as playable. The calliope makes sense because it can still do the tank thing. Even the various AA guns can do more then act as anti-air. The self propelled arty could do direct fire or indirect.

edited 25th Apr '15 12:45:03 PM by TuefelHundenIV

Something I quickly learned to be careful about is to avoid target fixation while scoping in. I start getting paranoid and start checking the radar to make sure I am not being blind sided.

One match this netted me 3 easy kills from some enemies holding a point.

News time.

The next update will contain the T-34-85 E model.

Basically your T-34-85 with some mesh screening to fuck with Panzerfausts and HEAT shells. Something I really want since my poor T-34-85 is always getting one shotted. I never get the chance to use that absolutely incredible main gun.

Aircraft damage models are being overhauled to match tank ones.

Ammo and damage to internals will matter much more in the future and everything is going to be better.

And finally, Warthunder is helping to make a movie, Panfilov's 28 Men.

They did a great job on the Victory Is Ours one so I'm sure this is gonna look awesome.

I was wondering about the aircraft damage models. That should make aerial combat a lot more interesting.

Just got the skdfrzkmfp whatever.

The 37mm flak gun on the halftrack. It's nice. I like it more than the Gepard.

Those APHE shells eat planes like nobodies business, haven't actually had a chance to shoot tanks with them though.

Update 1.7.1945 is here

Much sooner than I thought it'd be actually.

Here is a full list of the changes.

All in all we've got 40 new vehicles to play with, lots of ammunition changes, overhauled plane damage mechanics, 3 new maps, new fixes to old maps. Shit tons of new decals and other various fixes and tweaks too numerous to list.

I'm excited.

Glorious 12-kill game in Berlin. Ample cover and a gun that rips through brick walls like tissue paper makes for a very happy Panzer IV Ausf. F2 player.

I hate you. :P

I have taken advantage of through wall shots myself so I have no room to talk.

I am steadily unlocking my next tier of tanks. My first Pz-IV and soon my second, my first T-34, and my M-10 Wolverine. The M-10 is a beast. I am working on my first American M-4. Those tanks are surprisingly tough.

The M-3 Lee is not a bad tank at all. Bit tall but the main gun is pretty handy.

I can one shot most Stug III's now with little trouble. Facing the front of a stug front on shoot to the right of the gun. From behind shoot for the upper left corner of the rear area. You will knock out three crew in one go. From the side just where the gun enters the vehicle and about person and half space a piece towards the rear.

Update 1.51 has happened.

Jerry gets the Leopard, HESH shells are a thing, fragments and HEAT jets are better tracked and stuff, other things happen.