Source: TollhouseFrank
Please remember that there are MORE answers to come in future answer batches. If your question has not been directly addressed yet, it is because WGNA is either waiting for a better answer from the Developers, or they are waiting till a more appropriate time to release the information (especially information related to future content).
I will be adding 1 question/answer from last time as a repeat at WGNA’s request. This is mostly just a reminder.
Every time there is a Question and Answer on any of the servers, the complaints come out that questions were ‘dodged’ or that WG is refusing to answer. Can you explain why there might be difficulties in answering some questions?
CM: In the immortal words of Bted quoting Kenny Rogers – “You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away.” I will try to offer a decent answer for any question I am asked (even when it gets me in trouble), but I think questions that get “dodged” generally have to do with controversial and sensitive subjects, or long term possibilities that have no immediate path to implementation. In these cases, people either legitimately don’t have an answer because the path forward has not been decided yet, or they cannot share what they do know because the path is not solid enough to walk on – too many things could change at that point to share any information publicly.
CM = CabbageMechanic
TL = TragicLoss
MHM = MeatHeadMilitia
RB = RatBat
TC = The Chieftain
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How does one go about becoming a Community Contributor? As a followup, do you have an updated list of NA CC’s?
TL: Generally, we are always on the prowl for hard working content creators on all platforms (YouTube, Twitch, and Forums etc.). We don’t have a formal application process, but we do check up on many active Creators. If you support a creator, I highly recommend supporting them in any way you can visibility wise. The streamers that we currently work with are SOFILEIN, Trobsmonkey, AirG, JunkersHiryu, OminousFyxen, Mountain_Man, and Goshism. I believe CM can expand on that list in terms of all the CCs we currently have.
CM: The CC program is currently invite only, but there are some great creators who are not currently part of the program that we are looking to add in the near future (and some others who may take a little longer). I am personally extremely invested in vetting our additions, and what I am looking for is regular content of a high quality that is constructive for our players and our community. As far as current CC’s, OverlordPrime, Unknown0ne, and XanderP in addition to Tragic’s list.
MHM: When it comes to content creators, I look for these things, but not all are required. Do they explain things in a way I can understand them? (I’m an idiot) Do they cover topics that range across all skill levels? How do they treat their community? Do they have fun doing what they are doing? I personally love constructive critism, so I look for folks who know how to channel their dislike for something and turn it into a conversation. I also personally like jumping into people’s streams or watching videos of people who don’t have a huge following, so don’t get discouraged if you’re not there yet. We’re always looking.
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Will there be updates or changes to how map rotation is handled, so that we do not see the same maps or similar style maps over and over in a row?
CM: This issue was brought up at the TankFest Contributor Q&A and I do think it has been recognized and will be considered as part of some longer-term updates to Matchmaker. In the short term, this issue should be improved by the inclusion of more HD Maps, of which several more will be arriving before the end of the year.
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The game is popular among veterans, so can tanks that they served on be added such as the M60A1, M60A2, and a proper Sheridan model?
CM: I read this after my earlier comment in Part 1 about what vehicles I want to see in the game, but suffice to say I want them as well. I think the long-term outlook is good on this front.
TC: I don’t see how M60A2 would really fit. A 152mm derp on a medium at Tier X?
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Is there any chance that there are more US tanks in the pipeline?
CM: Yes. More if the Chieftain and I can help it.
RB: The research team in Austin put together a solid list of premium US TD candidates for consideration. The suggestions range from tanks that should feel at home in WOT to some that are definitely unique. The list has been handed off to the team in Minsk and we’ll be following up to get an idea of what’s possible.
MHM: Man, I hope so. I need a new American anything. I believe it’s my most owned line haha
TC: I am advocating…
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Will we be getting larger maps in the future, and as a followup, will current small-sized maps be MM limited so high tiers do not see them?
CM: Both of these things are possible and being discussed, I think in the short term the focus is on increasing the amount of HD maps available and fixing the serious issues present in some of the ones that are out.
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Are there currently any plans to remove player names and/or clan tags while in match/the loading screen? As a followup, are there any plans to ban XVM from showing personal stats while in match?
CM: Not at this time.
MHM: I wish. Personally I’m not a fan of the way stats are or can be displayed in game. I’m there with you on this one. But as CM said, not at this time.
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Do you know when we will be getting the Chieftan Tank?
CM: Sadly, no.
MHM: Though Console has it, the stats of the vehicle were drastically reduced. I personally wouldn’t want the tank put into PC as nerfed as it was, but at the same time, it is most certainly OP for the tanks in the game.
TC: I, too, would like to know this.
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What are the plans for the Caernarvon Action X? Will it be part of the 2nd set of Campaign missions, or will it be sold as a premium tank?
CM: It will not be part of the 2nd set of Campaign Missions, it will be a Premium Tank, more details to come.
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When will we get British Light Tanks to tier 10?
CM: No information at this time.
MHM: Powered by tea and pudding? I would love this as well. Even though I’m absolutely bollocks in lights. I need more to play.
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When will we see more premium arty?
CM: No information at this time.
MHM: If someone gave me a Tier 8 US Premium SPG I would be over the moon and I don’t even have the SPG line for America…yet…I do have 6 Million Free XP to kill. But I digress.
TC: I want the 105mm HMC T88. We even had a 3D model of it, once…. Who knows?
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Does WG plan to release more French Tanks in the future such as from this link: http://forum.worldoftanks.com/index.php?/topic/580987-suggestions-new-french-tanks-to-add/ ?
CM: No information at this time, but I appreciate the effort and there are some cool vehicles in that post.
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What are the plans for the Grille 15 in the future?
CM: Balance is a never-ending process and vehicle performance is always being looked at, but at this time there are no immediate plans to make changes to the Grille 15 that I am aware of.
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Will we see a shift towards selling things like preset camo and other visual-only premium content, and as a followup, would such sales possibly allow premium tank prices to go down?
CM: I can’t speak to the long-term pricing structure or monetization model, but I think the team does see cosmetic items and customization as an exciting opportunity to put some really cool content into the game that we have just begun to really explore.
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Are we getting a new personal campaign season before 2019? If so, do you know when?
CM: Yes, the new campaigns will launch with Patch 1.1 coming in the near future.
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Are there any plans to change Template preferences from 3/5/7 to another preference?
CM: Changes to the template preferences are possible as part of the ongoing work on the Matchmaker, we will have more details on what that entails closer to their release.
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Is it possible that people who are mass muted by the players in in-game chat will become auto-muted in random games by the auto-moderator?
CM: It’s an interesting idea, we are always looking at improved ways to deal with toxicity.
MHM: I like the idea, powered by the community, but an idea like that leaves the door wide open for griefing issues. Especially if 100 people clans decide they don’t like one player for whatever reason. It’s a tough nut to crack, but I like the idea.
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If WG’s main office is correct and pref MM tanks are causing issues with MM, then why are they still being put on sale?
CM: I think we are responsible for this perception given the related article, but to clear the air – at no point did the development team think that Preferred Matchmaking vehicles were the singular issue causing discontent with Matchmaking. The primary motivator for addressing this issue was because of a perceived problem with the Pref. MM Tier VIII’s, in which they saw Tier IX matches at a higher rate than before the new Matchmaker rules. As for selling them, I think you make a reasonable point and will share it with the team.
RB: Just to add to the discussion around pref MM. Once the original announcement went live all regions gathered and shared what was very much unanimous feedback; pref MM was a key feature of these tanks. The team explored what else they could do if this feature would remain but we couldn’t share that we were keeping pref MM until we had some additional info on what else is being considered.
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What is being done to help make Tier 8 less painful and more enjoyable to play again?
CM: The Tier 8 experience is a primary point of concern for the upcoming MM changes, but I do not have any details at this time.
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Is the dev team working on or at least aware of the incorrect rock/terrain hitboxes introduced with the 1.0 map remodels?
CM: Yes, please keep reporting bugs and sending in replays but the team is aware of issues on some of the released 1.0 maps both technically and structurally and is working on them.
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What was the thinking by WG that lead to them giving SPG’s the Stun mechanic?
CM: I think this was laid out pretty well in the articles around 9.18 ( https://worldoftanks.com/en/news/general-news/918-spg-revision/ ), but tl;dr: Alpha striking artillery wasn’t very fun to play against and the Stun mechanic is seen as a way to move SPGs into more of a fire support role (more area control/debuffs in exchange for damage).
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During Frontline Mode, team damage was removed. Are there plans to remove team damage in the future in regular matches?
CM: It’s a topic that comes up, especially surrounding how to deal with people who do damage intentionally. There are several views on this subject, but for the time being I don’t believe there are any plans to remove it from Random Battles.
RB: My controversial take on this. WOT needs a permanent “fun” mode where there is no team damage. Lower risk would mean lower reward.
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Will the bug where you get hit but there is no sound be fixed?
CM: It should be fixed in the upcoming 1.1 Patch.
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What is the status of the crew skills overhaul?
CM: Crew overhaul is still happening, no details or timeline to share at this time. It will be a larger change than just re-working some skills.
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Is there any chance we get the “@” functionality added to the forums?
RB: Forum development is handled by a different team within WG so we don’t have as much visibility on their roadmap. Is or are there particular use-cases for the @ function you’re looking for?
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Is WGNA aware of the issues that a portion of the playerbase is having with Level3, and is there any way for WGNA to apply pressure on Level3 to fix the issues?
CM: Reach out to me at [cabbagemechanic@wargaming.net](mailto:cabbagemechanic@wargaming.net) and I will follow up with our team on the issue.
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Will NA get access to Supertest by having Supertesters again?
CM: Not in the immediate future, but it is a goal of mine.
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Why is it that several accounts – whose only function is to bash WG and WoT who often lie or play loose with the truth and constantly violate the rule about posting to create trouble – have not been banned yet?
CM: We don’t administrate the subreddit, if you are speaking about the forums, PM KRZYBoop with the results of your investigation.
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Is it possible to get a clearer breakdown on how XP is figured out?
RB: I’ll see what we can get from the team and hopefully have an answer when we share it with the rest of the DEV questions. If there’s something specific you’d like more clarity on that could help focus the question unless you are looking more ar general calculations.
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What is WG doing to make fun game modes for player who prefer to play solo?
CM: I hope that you find one or any of Frontlines, Ranked Mode, and the return of 1v1 tournaments fun, if you have something else in mind we would be happy to take your feedback.
RB: By solo do you mean PvE or is it solo player with AI? I wasn’t part of the team when last year’s Halloween mode was launched but that came about through a partnership with Certain Affinity. A frequent request is Chaffee Races and we reiterated that with the team in Minsk.
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For those of you on the ‘away team’, what is that like? What are some of the challenges?
MHM: Working on the away team is new to me. You need to stay motivated and self driven, more than normal…and try not to eat all the snacks in the house. For one, putting on pants in the morning is up in the air, unless I’m streaming that day, then I put on pants for the sake of not making everyone throw up. Challenges are simple, it’s quiet, too quiet. Even playing light background music while you’re working doesn’t help that there aren’t people running around, making copies, getting coffee, throwing ideas at each other, stopping by a desk to say hello, etc.
TC: The trick is knowing when to turn off the computer, stop working, and go back to the family. When you’re in an office, if you look up and you see the place is deserted, it’s a good giveaway your time is up. Very easy to overrun when working remotely. The other challenge is that this is a small family house with little room, so I work in what is basically an unheated, uninsulated, un-air-conditioned shed.
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Catch all Question for General Comments on 1.0
CM: We have a lot of questions on these topics that are interrelated and require a more complex answer. We hear player commentary on 1.0 and one of the common criticisms is that we focused on making the game prettier at the expense of the underlying game. I can appreciate this perspective, but upgrading the rendering was an essential task from a technical standpoint due to evolving hardware and software concerns. If you must upgrade the renderer, you might as well do it right and make sure the majority of your audience can enjoy it. I am incredibly proud of how good looking the final product the team delivered is (shell tracers and water physics especially for me personally), and while there is still some work being done I think 1.0 is a great step forward.
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Catch all Question for General Comments on Map Content
CM: There is a belief among some members of the community that maps were “removed” as a part of the switch to 1.0. While we all want more cool map content and the return of some old favorites, transitioning the maps to the new renderer is not a simple cut and paste job. The new maps must be rebuilt from the ground up and that adds a considerable amount of labor. Our map team is still hard at work at delivering new map content (including some coming in the very near future), rebuilding pre-1.0 maps to the new standard, and reworking the new iterations of some of the 1.0 release maps that need it. We hear you – more (and better) maps on the way.
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Catch all Question for General Comments on the alleged death of the NA Server
CM: Another thing we see is something along the lines of “soon the NA server will be shut down and merged with EU.” While there is no doubt NA is a smaller region, and that our population is not as large as it was, reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. The World of Tanks team is committed to the long term future of the game, releases like 1.0 and Frontlines are just the first steps. We look forward to sharing it with you in the years to come.
RB: I wouldn’t have relocated to Texas and joined the WOT team if I didn’t think I could make a positive contribution. WOT has a challenge called “”product market fit”” and NA is the land of consoles and FPS. Is the solution to turn WOT into Fortnite? Hell No! As the new guy on WOT i’m working to better understand our current playerbase and see where our opportunities are for retention and growth. I’ve got some ideas that are more longer-term in nature but i’m betting it will work out, not similar numbers to EU and RU but numbers that are appropriate for this game based on the NA gamer market. (I am curious what a tank dance emote would look like)
