Sandbox 2021: HE Shells and Artillery Combined Test Incoming!

First, we’d like to express our gratitude to all the engaged and dedicated players who participated in testing the reworked HE shells and complex changes for vehicles and artillery. Thank you for your interest, commitment, comments, and feedback. You’ve done a tremendous job, and we highly appreciate it!

But now we need to brace ourselves and determine the format in which the reworked HE shells and changes for vehicles and SPGs will be added to the game. We’re entering the final stretch and launching the most important, combined pre-release test. At this stage, all our previous suggestions will be put together and take their almost-final forms. This is a decisive moment, Commanders—we’re counting on your support and engagement!

TEST!

If, by the end of our collective testing, we conclude that the changes can go live, you will likely be able to see them around May during the Common Test. They will be added to the game simultaneously as a single update. Now is your chance to make your voice heard and influence the way the new mechanics turn out!

As always, all active test participants will receive valuable rewards as a sign of our gratitude for their contribution. More on that below.

HE Shell Rebalance: Let the Final Test Begin!

Upon analyzing player surveys from the two previous tests, we can safely say that both Sandbox iterations showed good results. This is further confirmed by our statistics: for instance, after the testing of the reworked HE shells, more than 70% of reviews from players who played on the Sandbox were positive.

Test participants formed a diverse audience. Many of them played in vehicles other than HE tanks, including popular heavies. These players came up with several important questions regarding not only new mechanics, but also the performance of specific vehicles. We’ll now try to answer the most frequently asked questions.

The Statistical Performance of Vehicles Using HE Shells as Standard Ammo

A number of negative reviews during the test addressed the performance of specific vehicles. Some players communicated on the forums and in surveys that gameplay in vehicles that use HE as standard shells became worse. What do the Sandbox statistics have to say on the matter?

We share this well-founded concern, and to verify it, we took test data concerning the most popular HE tanks (Type 5 Heavy, FV4005/FV215b (183), KV-2/KV-2 (R), Sheridan, T49) and carefully analyzed their performance on Sandbox. Let’s take a closer look at each of these vehicles.

Type 5 Heavy

The average damage caused by this tank’s standard HE shell dipped a bit, while the damage caused by its alternative HE shell slightly increased. The statistics show that the Type 5’s damage was redistributed: the vehicle caused less damage per non-penetrating shot, but at the same time, there were more penetrations. If we consider both types of HE shells—standard and alternative—in aggregate, the average damage remained the same. There were no significant changes here.

Thanks to the new mechanics, the survivability of this formidable but slow tank has increased. Even though it’s not easy for the Type 5 Heavy to hit a weak spot, it is now able to fire and penetrate with HE shells more often, just like other vehicles. This effectively contributed to a small increase in damage caused by alternative shells.

In general, the vehicle’s battle performance remains the same. As it stands, there are currently no reasonable grounds for rebalancing this vehicle.

FV4005

The average damage caused by this vehicle’s standard HE shell remained practically the same, but at the same time, its average damage per shot with alternative HE shells slightly increased. The higher penetration value of the latter resulted in a greater number of penetrations.

Despite a small dip in survivability, the overall battle performance of the FV4005 didn’t change, which also indicates that there is no need for urgent changes.

Sheridan and T49

Thanks to their good dynamics and an ability to better realize the potential of the new HE shells, these vehicles now enjoy a significant increase in penetrations with both standard and alternative HE shells. However, the damage of non-penetrating shots naturally decreased, as was the case with other tanks. The average damage per shot increased, but at the same time, their survivability slightly worsened. Overall, the battle performance of these two vehicles didn’t change significantly either.

KV-2/KV-2 (R)

The statistics showed a small decrease in the damage of non-penetrating shots for these tanks. A general decrease in the average damage per shot can be observed, but less so than with other vehicles. Just like the Type 5 Heavy, the KV-2 now boasts better survivability in battle. Consequently, these tanks can fire more shots per battle, which compensates for the decrease in damage for non-penetrating shots. As a result, their average damage values remain largely the same.

Panhard EBR 105

The Panhard EBR 105 now deals more HE damage per shot, but at the same time receives much more HE damage to itself. The survivability of this wheeled tank worsened, but this is in no small part due to the general nature of Sandbox battles, not solely to the specifics of the new HE mechanics. The overall battle performance of the Panhard EBR 105 also didn’t change significantly.

If the new mechanics are introduced into the game, will vehicles with good gun depression/elevation angles and tough turrets gain an advantage?

There is another widespread opinion that players shared. Some tankers suggested that the new mechanics will worsen the performance of lightly armored vehicles, while those with well-armored turrets and good gun depression/elevation angles will gain an advantage. When fighting an enemy in a hull-down position, you could at least damage it with HE shells, which will become way harder to do with the new mechanics.

Let’s take the Super Conqueror as an example—a well-known heavy with a sturdy turret and gun depression/elevation angles of up to –10°. On the main server, HE shells account for 11% of the total hits this tank receives. Indeed, changing the HE damage mechanics may influence the outcome of a particular battle where this vehicle will use terrain. But considering the overall impact on game balance, this won’t affect the vehicle’s performance significantly. Regardless of how much the HE damage input on the Super Conqueror changes, it won’t influence its gameplay and battle performance in any meaningful way. In the end, it will be marginal in the statistics for this tank’s received damage, rather than a compelling argument for potential changes. Hence, as is the case with HE tanks, there is no need to implement changes to the characteristics of the Super Conqueror or other similar vehicles.

Why were types of shells other than HE allowed on the Sandbox?

During the test, it was important for us to see how a specific tank would interact with a specific shell type (HE), while ignoring other factors. We didn’t focus on characteristics and blocked damage from specific vehicles, their survivability, win rate of a specific player, etc. Instead, we were evaluating the effectiveness of the new mechanics and the general interaction of vehicles with reworked HE shells—screen penetration, revision of HE damage behavior, etc.

We wanted players to decide for themselves which shells to use in which situations, thus bringing the testing as close to real conditions as possible. That’s exactly why we didn’t restrict the choice of ammunition, reduce vehicles’ ammunition capacity, or introduce artificial changes to battlefield conditions.

Why were the T95/FV4201 Chieftain, the Object 279 early, and other rare vehicles absent from the test?

These vehicles are indeed very rare and highly coveted by any Commander, and their availability is limited in the game. We don’t want the focus shifted from testing new mechanics to learning the unique gameplay of these rarities, which is why we didn’t add them to the test. The upcoming Sandbox won’t have these vehicles either.

We considered the results of the previous test and plan to launch the final iteration in which we will assess how the new mechanics operate in a single ecosystem with artillery changes. We will be simultaneously conducting an HE vehicle supertest for a more in-depth examination of their battle performance. If required, we will selectively tweak these vehicles’ characteristics based on the supertest results, but there is no need for that before the upcoming Sandbox.

Tank and Artillery Changes for the Upcoming Test

Most of you welcomed the complex changes that were tested on the Sandbox server, and this positive perception didn’t depend on whether you played in SPGs or other vehicles. The hottest topic you discussed was changes to arty shells and their characteristics, as well as the effectiveness of specific SPGs and the mechanics of the Sound Detection feature.

Changes to SPGs

• Preliminary statistics show that the idea to introduce three types of tactically diverse shells works, and SPG players used or learned to use all three types of shells.

• The average damage per battle remained about the same. When calculating the damage, we considered that the battles on the Sandbox take place a little faster than on the main server, so the artillery didn’t have time to reveal its full potential. In addition, the tools for counteracting SPGs also had their impact.

Counteracting SPGs

• Based on your feedback and the survey results, our suggested tools to counteract SPGs received general community approval. The effectiveness of these changes should be evaluated over a longer testing period than just the 7 days of the Sandbox test.
• The modified “Intuition” perk received the most positive reception, and not only among artillery players. According to our statistics, you began to change the type of shell much more often, especially when playing in SPGs.
• The Sound Detection feature became a topic of hot dispute and raised questions in the community because it is a new and unusual mechanic that takes some time to get used to in battles. You need time to use it consciously and effectively. However, your feedback showed that this mechanic affected the amount of damage received after artillery shots, and the idea itself received your general approval.
• Brighter shell tracers were also well received. According to your feedback, they helped you to better determine the direction of artillery fire and use this information to plan further actions. At the same time, we didn’t detect any changes in the behavior of artillery and didn’t notice an increase in the effectiveness of counter-battery fire.

Considering all of the above, by the start of the final iteration, we decided to make the following changes:

• Standard shells are designed to support allies and contain enemy groups of vehicles through their combined ability to stun and inflict damage. At the same time, during the first iteration of the Sandbox, they showed a damage efficiency similar to the alternative shell. To highlight the tactical component of the standard shell in comparison with the alternative one, we will slightly reduce its damage on some SPGs.

Rewards for Participation in the Test

During the test, you will have access to a chain of 5 simple daily missions. Completing each mission will reward you with 2 Tokens. Once all five missions are complete, the sixth and final mission in the chain will become available to you. To complete it, you only need to play one battle—you will be rewarded with 20 Tokens. You can complete the entire chain of missions three times during the test. The rewards for completed missions will be added together if all conditions and restrictions are met.

Tokens will be transferred to the live servers sometime after the end of the test. All unused Tokens will be compensated at the rate of  10,000 per Token.

How to Participate

Anyone can participate in the test!

• Download the Sandbox launcher.
• Install the Sandbox client by launching the downloaded file. If you’re running the Game Center for the first time, you’ll have to authorize and restart the downloaded installation file.
• Wait until the Sandbox client is downloaded and installed.
• Open the World of Tanks tab, select World of Tanks Sandbox, and click Play.