Source: Portal
We are pleased to present to you the Developer Bulletin for Update 0.7.4 which covers all the latest changes. Read more about it in our Developer Bulletin below, and prepare to jump into the Public Test and try the changes out for yourself!
Most of the changes in the upcoming Update have been made based on the requests and wishes of players. We’ll give a rundown on the system for prevention of unsportsmanlike conduct, matchmaker improvements, new in-battle features and Port interfaces — not forgetting the new Kronstadt Port!
Important! Because the version update is still being tested, the information in this Bulletin is tentative and reflects the state of game development at the time of publication. Certain changes and new features may be stripped or implemented in a different way by the time the final version of this update goes live. Screenshots, specific values of certain characteristics, and details of in-game mechanics will not necessarily be relevant after the update is released.
Round 1 Changes
System for Prevention of Unsportsmanlike Conduct
World of Warships is a game in which players team up for a single purpose—outfighting the opponent at sea and in the air. But let’s make it clear—players are all human. We all have emotions, and sometimes tempers can flare. It definitely won’t do any good to your team if you miss a teammate’s manoeuvre and send your torpedoes right into his path, or if you succumb to anger or frustration and send a salvo at your ally, or if you forget that you’ve already pressed the “Battle” button and go do something else.
In World of Warships, we’ve always kept an eagle eye on players and tried to act when their behaviour does not always correspond to the rules of the game. The upcoming Update 0.7.4 introduces an enhanced tool for tracking offenders, increasing the responsiveness of our violations system, which brings it to a whole new level.
Like in the previous version, the main indicator of a player’s own status will be the colour of his nickname in the game:
- If it’s white, the player has not committed any violations recently.
- A nickname that’s gone pink means the player has had a warning and should mend their [in-game] manners.
- The colour orange means the player has been punished for foul conduct.
Let’s take a quick look at the main violations which can result in a warning or penalty followed by a change in the player’s nickname colour:
- Inactivity in battle
- Damage to Allies/Team kills
- Fleeing the battle
For violation of the rules, AFK/sleeping status in battle or fire at allies, the system will display a warning in the Port, informing the player of a change in their status and explaining the actions that caused the change. If the warning does not produce the desired effect and the player continues to violate the rules, the next step will be a ban on entry to certain types of battles, in particular, those where individual performance may affect the final result. To be allowed access to encounters with real players in Random, Ranked and Scenario Battles, violators will have to play several Co-op battles against bots.
Matchmaker
We continue to work on enhancing the way the matchmaker works in Random Battles. After Update 0.7.4 hits the servers, during the first three minutes when the first player in the queue is waiting to be matched into a battle, the matchmaker will strictly mirror teams by ship types and tiers.
For example, your team will have the same number of destroyers and they will belong to the same tiers as the destroyers on the opposing team. This way, the matchmaker will operate most efficiently during most of the day when a sufficient number of players are queued for battle. That is why we’re sure the average time for assembling teams for battles will not increase, and if it does, the increase will be insignificant.
If the matchmaker fails to assemble a battle within the first three minutes the first player is in the queue for one, it will revert to its previous, pre-Update 0.7.4 operation mode. At that moment it would be more important to send queued players into battle as soon as possible.
This is basically the first in a series of steps we’re taking to enhance matchmaking in the game in 2018, and we’ll continue our work in that direction. We’re hoping you’ll enjoy other pleasant changes that we’ll implement in the upcoming updates.
Upgrade of Ship Detection System
A ship’s icon on the Minimap and its silhouette in the battle will be rendered simultaneously, eliminating cases where a spotted enemy ship’s icon appears on the Minimap first, before the ship appears on screen seconds later. You’re welcome to test the new feature during the Public Test of Update 0.7.4 and share your feedback with us!
Game Balance Changes
As the game progresses and new ships are introduced, 
X Shimakaze must adapt and continue to be capable of completing her main battle tasks. In the Update 0.7.4 we enhance the battle performance of this destroyer and reduced her standard detectability range by sea to 7.11 km (5.59 km with all possible modifiers applied), which lets her spot most of her adversaries while staying undetected.
The upcoming Update 0.7.4 will also affect German cruisers 
VIII Admiral Hipper and VIIIPrinz Eugen.
VIII Admiral Hipper – for hulls B and C, the standard rudder shift time was reduced to 9.2 seconds (used to be 10.7), the main battery loading time was reduced to 11.5 seconds (used to be 13);
VIII Prinz Eugen – the ‘Repair Party’ consumable was added.
For the 
X Midway, the hangar space was reduced, making the ship’s air group count 96 instead of 136. This carrier used to be on a par with her main adversary, X Hakuryu, in short battles, but due to a larger stock of aeroplanes, she demonstrated superiority in protracted battles. The setup of squadrons on the deck will remain the same:
- 2 squadrons each 6 fighters strong.
- 2 squadrons each 6 torpedo bombers strong.
- 2 squadrons each 6 dive bombers strong.
Now, the carrier’s hangar will accommodate 18 fighters, 21 torpedo bombers, and 21 dive bombers.
IV Orion main battery salvo density was decreased (sigma parameter 1.6 instead of 1.8). Orion often appeared to be a very dangerous weapon under the command of a skilful Commander, that’s why we had to give more chances to direct counterparts of this ship from the opposing team.
Finally, the detectability range by air of torpedoes is reduced by half. This will let the “torpedo” destroyers to fulfil their roles more efficiently, especially in battles with aircraft carriers.
Achievements Given for Participation in Clan Battles
The Clan Battles Season 2 will end in the Update 0.7.4. All participants will receive respective achievements. Achievements earned by Clans will be added to their Rostral Columns.
All achievements granted for participation in Clan Battles, except for “Hurricane”, as well as “Hotspot” and “Islands of Ice” (after which the clan seasons are named), can now be earned multiple times.
The earning criteria were changed, too. Instead of 7 victories in a certain league or above, as it used to be in Season 1, a Clan now needs to just reach the specified league (play at least one battle).
In connection to this, all players who reached several different leagues in Season 1 before the Update 0.7.4 goes live, will receive respective achievements on their accounts. For example, if you reached the Storm league in Season 1, and played 2 battles in this league, irrespective of the battle results, you will be given the “Storm” achievement.
Achievement |
Earning Criteria |
Squall |
Reach the “Squall” league or higher in a Clan Battles Season |
Gale |
Reach the “Gale” league or higher in a Clan Battles Season |
Storm |
Reach the “Storm” league or higher in a Clan Battles Season |
Typhoon |
Reach the “Typhoon” league or higher in a Clan Battles Season |
Hurricane |
Reach the “Hurricane” league in a Clan Battles Season |
Islands of Ice |
Win the Clan Battles “Islands of Ice” Season |
New Season of Ranked Battles
Ranked battles are on the horizon, and the new season will bring something genuinely new! You’ll need Tier VIII ships for lower ranks, and your favourite Tier X ships for ranks ranging from 10 and above. If you’re valiant enough to reach Rank 1, you will be able to make it to the League of Sea Wolves where battles will unfold between ships of Tier VII.
The same standard season rules will apply. There are a total of 23 ranks and your achievements for the preceding season will be taken into account. Battles will take place in the 7v7 format. Team line-ups are mirrored in terms of ship types and tiers. If you lose a battle, you won’t lose a Star if you’re the top XP earner on the team. Irrevocable ranks remain nearly the same: 23rd to 17th, 15th; 1st, and 10th instead of 12th. This will let players stay in the First League without frustrating drops to the league below in case of a loss.
UI Improvements
In Update 0.7.4 we continue our work on improving UI both in battle and in the Port.
Let’s start with changes we’ve made to the UI elements in the Port. In response to numerous requests from players, the special skills of unique Commanders will now be marked with a dedicated badge making it easier to find out how a particular Commander stands out among others.
More to that, all characteristics of upgrades, signal flags, etc. will now be coloured green if they produce a positive effect, or red if their effect is negative. We hope this change will let you get a better understanding of the numerous modifiers available to you in World of Warships.
We’ve also made certain changes to the battle interface. Two new counters—for potential damage and damage dealt upon their spotting—will let you check your combat efficiency right in the heat of a battle. Both counters may be enabled in the Settings menu.
Moreover, we’ve added Detailed Ribbons for bombs so that you know exactly how accurate you are at dropping your bombs at enemy ships. The ribbons will show penetrations, non and over-penetrations, ricochets.
Good news for ace combat fans! Update 0.7.4 will bring in two new achievements:
- “King of the Air”
- “Expert AA Gunner”.
The former is specifically designed for Aircraft Carriers while the latter is available for the other ship types. Both achievements are issued for knocking down a fixed number of aircraft in a single battle: 55 and 40, respectively.
For excellent anti-aircraft defence against enemy air forces, players get 10x November Echo Setteseven signals. The previously available “Clear Sky” achievement will no longer be available for earning, and all references to it in Campaigns will be substituted. But if you’ve already completed those tasks or have the relevant tasks in progress, you won’t have to complete them anew.
Kronstadt Port
In observance of the approaching Victory Day, a new port—Kronstadt—will appear in the game. Enter it to see the daunting view of Fort “Peter the Great” and Fort “Alexander”, with Fort “Konstantin” rising up a little farther. On the opposite side, you can see Fort “Kronslot”, and at a distance, two more forts stand out—Fort “Emperor Paul I” and Fort “Count Milyutin”. Try and pick out the silhouette of the city and the Naval Cathedral!
The new Port will be lit with fireworks launched at regular intervals, and an air squadron that will be conducting an honorific flyover across the sky.
Active Bots in the Training Room
Due to numerous requests from our players, we have enabled them to use active bots in the training room. Please note that the functionality is introduced experimentally and, for now, only as part of the test. But if player’s reactions prove to be positive, we are likely to make active bots available on the live server.
Maps and Locations
Improving the maps continues, and many changes occur based on your feedback. Therefore the latest changes to the ‘Tears of the Desert’ have improved the balance and comfort on the map in general, but raised questions about the coastline location in the North-Eastern corner, which explains its change.
- The coastline of the islands located in the North-Eastern corner of the ‘Tears of the Desert’ map is moved beyond the map borders. Now players have equal opportunities for movement, regardless of the point where their team is spawn.
- The ‘Northern Lights’ map is given back aurora borealis visualization effect.
- The ‘North’ map receives a wider strait between the two large islands in order to make navigation there more comfortable.
