News and Rumours

[Mobius]

@Keyan_TTK DDs are easier to implement since they require far less work (don't have to research armor scheme, models are far easier to create, etc...) and there's some hype around the Le Fantasque-class.
On the other hand, there's probably even more hype around the French BBs and DDs are already the most represented class in terms of ships available. We already know that there will be a new Soviet DD line, and we could see a RN DD line this year as well (although I imagine they'll focus on CV line after the RN BB line is released).
Also, a cruiser line is required to be able to access the BB line, while DDs are mostly standalone. The KM line release went Cruisers -> BBs -> DDs, the RN line is Cruisers -> BBs -> ?, while the Soviet line was DDs -> Cruisers -> BBs. We can see a bit of a pattern here.

If they implement what players want the most and if the pattern is correct, then the second French line will be the BB line in all likelihood.

[Keyan_TTK]

@Keyan_TTK My prediction is for PvE missions to give item rewards like the Halloween event in lieu of real exp or credits. Theree's still a need to distinguish the "why" of playing PvE vs PvP particularly for players who are motivated by reward more than gameplay itself, and they shouldn't devalue Random battles.

That would be nice to have too. For now the PvE rewards are meagre, and the earlier "Defence" PvE flopped because of a lack of human players. On the other hand, I understand the need not to gut PvP entirely, like what happened to Armored Warfare.

Regarding 138.6mm I'll reserve judgement. It might seem really good on paper, but so did DEDD 150mm with only a slightly worse RoF. In the end those didn't add much despite the better pen performance for both HE and AP, in my opinion. Lots of factors to take into account on whether these guns would be effective in given situations.

The 138.6mm guns have an advantage over the German 150mm: they benefit from the BFT and AFT (and the new proposed APHE/IFHE) skills, that what makes them so interesting in my opinion. That said, I want to see their IG performance too, as theoretical performance is fine and dandy, but they will probably be "balanced".


@Mobius
I'm fine with whatever second line WG decides to introduce fpr the French Navy. I'd like to see Le Fantasque and Mogador DDs, but I'm not a good DD captain, so grinding for Richelieu would be a nice goal too.

[DLRevan]

@Keyan_TTK If the current version of IFHE gets into the game, 138.6mm won't gain a special benefit over 127mm at those tiers.

[Keyan_TTK]

On the other hand, I saw no mention of carrier gameplay rework in that vid.


(Yes, I'm an evil person who likes baiting people into saying more than they should)

[DLRevan]

@Keyan_TTK This game has aircraft carriers?

​Actually Asia server does have quite a few.

[Keyan_TTK]

@DLRevan
Believe me or not, last week I had numerous games with 2CVs per side on the EU server !


@Mobius
WG did mention last year there were going to be no French BB line for 2017. Either they changed their minds, or we're going to have some French DDs before them.

"Will we be seeing a French battleship line in 2017?"
-Frostss

Nope, but we do have a different battleship line planned for 2017. ;)

[Emerald Acid]

I've ended up saying it elsewhere, and I feel it's small (and soon) enough to say this.

The French lines we're getting are Cruisers and Destroyers. One of the French DDs is in the preview video if yu look close enough.

Expect them to have everything that's good about the VMF line, but better (Frenchies get 138mm gunboat DDs), with the downside being poor AA (whopdeedoo), and them being bigger in size while being thin (RN CL will eat them alive).

[Keyan_TTK]

Here are some teasers from a WG magazine (in Russian) :

https://www.reddit.com/r/WorldOfWars...azine_article/

Announces for this year:

Russian DDs (including Smeliy, Neustrashimiy and Project 56) will get some new weapon type
New cruiser and battleship trees for France
New Pan-Asian tree with RU, US and Japanese ships

Balance:

Bismarck hydro nerf (done)
No nerf for Minotaur because majority of players are only getting VII
BBs are above 40%, so they want to make them less universal, which might fix long high tier battles

Variants for clan development:

Playing actively will provide personal and clan bonuses
Continuous clan battles or tournaments, similiar to team battles
Global map (not for this year)

Also

Raid-like PvE with different difficulty levels
BB with golden fist http://i.imgur.com/BOnwe6f.png

CVs:

Starcraft-like mouse controls
Removal of alt-attacks on 4-5 level CVs, because sealcubbing is too common

New premiums:

Graf Zeppelin
Roma VIII Italian BB
But VIII BB Alabama first

Removal of open-water stealth firing

Introduction of inventory (done)

Bastions nerf, no plans for removal (changed their plans apparently)

Missile destroyers for the Russians ?
A change of plans for the French Navy, because WG said a few times there will be no Baguette BBs this year


A new CV interface, and then Graf Zeppelin and maybe the RN carriers.
I have some misgivings about the CV rework, since WG isn't exactly known for subtlety when balancing. Besides, no more alt-attacks for T4-5 CVs ? Yeah, let's learn how to manual drop against Clevelands, Atlantas or Gneisenaus...

[M.A.Mitscher]

@Keyan_TTK A lot of insultingly stupid stuff in those notes. A lot of catering to Battleships.

1. More CV Nerfs, WG complaining about CVs seal clubbing yet there are other ships at low tiers doing that already. The lack of manual drops is going to hurt Tier V CVs when they are facing better Tier VI & VII ships. More and more CV nerfs, and Battleships more than any other group complain about CVs the most.

2. The removal of invisifiring is nothing more but a massive buff for Battleships. It is Battleships that complain the most about invisifiring. I'm very curious to know how well compensated the ships that lose invisifirng are going to be. Zao is a big example, her HP pool took a massive nerf a while ago. Will she get her HP back? I don't think so. I think the ships losing invisifiring will be compensated as well as 155-Mogami and Cleveland were when their nerfs hit.

The notion of Raid PVE is laughable, because that means WG has to make PVE worthwhile to begin with.

[DLRevan]

@M.A.Mitscher I wouldn't make so many assumptions. For example, before I suggested that new PvR modes could give different rewardsizes and be completely separate from regular coop.

I see we dont waste time in leaving blame at the feet of specific parts of the playerbase as usual for things that may or may not happen and may or may not be good.