If you missed out last time, here’s a brief overview of the current situation.
The Situation
- Problem: Tanks with preferential status are likely to get matched into dual or single-tier battles, where their status combined with combat parameters does more harm than good. In certain battles, they can’t compete with Tier IX and feel inferior against regular Tier VIII tanks.
- Goal: Improve the experience for preferential tanks while keeping the preferential matchmaking parameter and their unique characteristics intact.
- Solution: All-around vehicle rebalances on a tank-by-tank basis to improve their statistics combined with matchmaker rule revision. The latter is aimed at reducing instances of getting matched at the same position (top/middle/bottom) on the list for several battles in a row by fixing the current template distribution. Tanks that have the same base model, such as the WZ-111 and the WZ-111 Alpine Tiger, will get the same improvements.
As a side note, regular Tier VIII vehicles face a similar issue with matchmaking, amplified by the fact that they also compete against Tier X tanks. The underlying problem for these vehicles is too many battles versus Tier X. The matchmaker rules revision is designed to better the experience for them, too.
The First Stage—What Has Been Done
First, we will detail the steps we have already taken We started with making characteristic and statistical changes to ten preferential matchmaking tanks we currently have in-game to make them more competitive in same and +1 tier battles, without making them perform better than non-preferential tanks as they will see +2 tier battles.
All of this was done on the Supertest and that we believe we have gotten the desired result. Now, these special Premium vehicles are much closer to non-preferential matchmaking ones, in terms of combat effectiveness.
For example: The IS-6 has received buffs but will not eclipse the IS-3 as the IS-6 only sees up to Tier IX, but the IS-3 must be competitive against Tier X tanks.
The Iterations
The following changes were on available on the Supertest.
- First iteration: Level the preferential matchmaking tanks with each other
- Second iteration: Choose the parameters for improving the vehicle’s characteristics on a case-by-case basis
- Third iteration: Polishing these changes
Using statistics, it’s easy to see the big things that need changing. However, we also wanted to make minor changes and this is where your feedback is vital as certain things cannot be monitored so well with stats. For example, a request to improve the number of shells the IS-6 carries doesn’t affect its combat effectiveness but will affect gameplay and how players feel while commanding the tank.
The work has been completed for this step but we will continue to monitor the stats and feedback so if we see a need to make more changes they will be made and also delve into working with Tier VII and other preferential matchmaking tanks at a later time. Now onto the more pressing issue for these vehicles, the matchmaker.
Next Steps
After the release of 9.18, the new matchmaker was introduced (with the 3-5-7 format). The problem is that this system is not efficient for preferential matchmaking vehicles, after all, they aren’t as effective against their own tier and the tier higher. So, what can we do about this?
Our initial plan is to look at ways of changing the matchmaker and the control of distribution between all 6 template possibilities. The main issue is that we cannot improve the current system without a full rework of the architecture and this is planned for the future.
We are actively disassembling the current matchmaker, making important changes and then adding them to the new system. It’s a complex adjustment and our team will need time to do this without breaking anything. and we will share any details in the future, along with the current status to that point.
The matchmaker and the changes needed deserve their own articles because of the complexity of the issue. It’s a going to be complicated in comparison to the individual tank changes listed above as it will effectively require delving into the entire architecture of the matchmaker. We understand you want as much information regarding this as you can get so we will release this as soon as we can.
We hope you are pleased with the current and upcoming changes to these tanks and how it will help adjust the game for the better. Now, get out there and test these tanks out, you will be pleasantly surprised!
dejavu? it was posted yesterday
yeah but this time with stat pics
I mean they still all suck and are underpowered in the current meta, both against regular tanks of the same tier and above, and premium tanks.
Buffing the pen by 4mm or reducing the reload by 0.2s won\’t change anything. Those are still tanks with sub-200mm pen guns (sub-250mm pen gold) with 0.35-0.44 accuracy and overall poor mobility and protection, having to deal with stuff like the Defender, 50TP pr, heavies with 240mm weakspot-less frontal armor on corridor maps, etc…
The less mobile tanks in this bunch (like the KV-5) need a pen around 210mm and 250 with gold. The more mobile ones need better gold pen for when flanking is not an option, around 200mm pen and/or better dpm. And the heavies need REAL armor buffs. IS-6\’s UFP and turret should be just less strong than the defender\’s since the sides and LFP are much worse and the gun too. As for the KV-5, as long as the R2-D2 is sub-220mm effective, it\’s useless. The tank already has the cupola as a weakspot, and iirc they wanted to nerf its sides ? If the sides arent nerfed then it\’s fine as it is.
And the FCM50t is just pointless and needs a huge buff. A very big dpm boost would be good, or 220+ mm pen. It has no armor so a firepower upgrade would allow it to be relevant again.
They don\’t want to overbuff them accidently, that\’s why they try small steps. It could happen that a new Defender is created, and premium Tanks will not be nerfed once the buff goes on live servers. That\’s why E25 is still 25% smaller than the original Blueprint data. The only nerf of prem tanks I remember is T26E4, and it was a refund horror for WG.
P.S.: KV5 is a nightmare for Tier 6 and 7 Tanks, thats why it\’s hard to balance that Potatoemobil. IS6 needs to get the gun of IS5 and it will be ok tank. FCM is just bad, only a dpm of 2700+ can safe that rotting shit.
WG overbuffs tanks constantly… these small changes are not nearly enough
Kv5 is garbage, vs any tier tank, massive weakspots that are easy pens even with a tier 6.
Uber slow tanks with trash alpha are useless (Kv-5, Jtiger 88, t26e4) – even if they had 3000 dpm, which they dont, theyd still be meh.
Best meme is that jtiger 88 doesnt even have a turret, 240 alpha on a tier 8 TD with no turret and is incredibly slow. Not to mention german TDs arent even good other than skorpion g, so who needs a german premium TD for training crews…
nice….
KV-5 and Jagdtiger 8,8 are incredibly slow? What? Jagd can easily go 38 on flat ground, KV-5 can also get to around 35 easily. That’s in no way “incredibly slow”.
Just dont mind Motoko, hes always salty no matter what
Better than stupid 🙂
Kv-5 and Jtiger 88 will still be garbage after these changes…
I agree, slowness is the hardest thing to compensate for. You need really massive armor or an incredible Derp cannon. Just ask a TOG owner- if you can find one who still plays it.
Why would you bring up TOG2? It’s a great meme machine and a party tank, don’t insult him.
Feel slightly better for unskilled person like me. At least it turn better so I can face my enemy b4 I die. However, I’m totally agree with u it still need a better buff.
No need to buff armor they just need a buff in pen to counter play tanks.. That\’s it really.
Hmm don\’t think the T26E4 sucks. It needs a 4 skill crew, but then it is quite decent. There are always players who do well with odd tanks and will welcome these changes.
Speedy, WG really has to watch out with buffing any armor.
As it adds to the further downward spiral the game is currently in.
Like Kyros said the KV5 and IS6 armor has always been a problem for tier 6 and 7.
Buffing it will only increase the powergap problem even further and further increase the need to fire prem and increase/lower the tier throshold where players are gonna need to start to run prem acc.
Both scenarios are not wanted I think.
So IMO for the KV5 (excl R2D2) and IS6 an ammo swap would be sufficient to start with.
Make their apcr default and add in new prem heat round.
This pmm solution cannot be done induavidily without simultaneously addressing other issues of balance as well.
And the is again the FAULT wargaming is making with this.
Both Jagtiger 88 and Krupp-Steyr Waffenträger share same gun, 88 L/71. Would that pen buff affect both tanks?
That L71 is too small, they should have given it the L100. JTiger can\’t kill Defenders while Skorpions will penetrate it like a $2 whore. And that\’s just the tier 8 bad guys.
L100 would be nice XD The superestructure has enough room to fit Just give it to it Wg! Could be awesome with that gun Not Skorpion like but better than now!
Small pen buffs aren\’t going to help much. And they are deliberately vague about armor improvements. Of course their testers approve all sorts of wild crap so they are probably smart to take baby steps.
Small pen buffs aren\’t going to help much. And they are deliberately vague about armor improvements. Of course their testers approve all sorts of wild crap so they are probably smart to take baby steps.
Small pen buffs aren\’t going to help much. And they are deliberately vague about armor improvements. Of course their testers approve all sorts of wild crap so they are probably smart to take baby steps.
Small pen buffs aren\’t going to help much. And they are deliberately vague about armor improvements. Of course their testers approve all sorts of wild crap so they are probably smart to take baby steps.
Small pen buffs aren\’t going to help much. And they are deliberately vague about armor improvements. Of course their testers approve all sorts of wild crap so they are probably smart to take baby steps.
Small pen buffs aren\’t going to help much. And they are deliberately vague about armor improvements. Of course their testers approve all sorts of wild crap so they are probably smart to take baby steps.
Small pen buffs aren\’t going to help much. And they are deliberately vague about armor improvements. Of course their testers approve all sorts of wild crap so they are probably smart to take baby steps.
Small pen buffs aren\’t going to help much. And they are deliberately vague about armor improvements. Of course their testers approve all sorts of wild crap so they are probably smart to take baby steps.
Small pen buffs aren\’t going to help much. And they are deliberately vague about armor improvements. Of course their testers approve all sorts of wild crap so they are probably smart to take baby steps.
Small pen buffs aren\’t going to help much. And they are deliberately vague about armor improvements. Of course their testers approve all sorts of wild crap so they are probably smart to take baby steps.
Wz-111 can\’t pen any tier 8 heavy, what about vs tier 9-10??? It was a shitty tank and it will a worst shitty tank. 186 pen vs tier x … ridicolous
except it never see\’s t10…
Now… but when the preferential MM is gone and it will see tier x?
penet ap 186mm with damage 320/390 still can penet any heavy tier 8, if u know how to aiming and shoot the weakness all of them….. ^^
Any tier 8… ok.. and when wz 111 will see tier X because preferential MM is gone, how may tier X will can pen? And right now how many tier 9? It is a good tanks only if all 15 tanks are tier 8 o down. Infact wz 111 is one of premium tier 8 less played, if not the first in the list.
In which way is the FCM as a heavy better than a Super Pershing? I do not know why a Super Pershing is a medium tank, but a FCM a heavy. The FCM is probably the worst tier 8 premium tank. The easiest way to balance the FCM is to change its tier to level 7 and its category into a medium tank.
Well rejoice my dear Jagdtiger and FCM u are going to be buffed!! not enough tho but i at least is something