WoT 1.14 Update: The Safe Haven Map

Source: EU Portal

Update 1.14 will introduce the Safe Haven map to World of Tanks. This location, set in Japan during a period of immense economic growth, features novelties related both to gameplay (which may become “double-decked” in one spot) and to visual design. Let’s take a closer look at Safe Haven!

Look and Feel

Basking in the warm sunlight of a summer morning, Safe Haven features many elements that knowledgeable players will easily recognize as Japanese. While there’s no direct real-world prototype for the location, its topography is based on the Chūgoku region in southwestern Honshu—specifically on the area adjacent to the Seto Inland Sea. The area is visibly populated, with countless patches of cultivated land, a fishing village beyond the playable area, and a landmark site atop a hill as an embodiment of the spirit of the entire location. The site is indestructible and cannot be accessed by players.

The modern age is represented on the map by the massive structures of the seaport. The vast complex, featuring two covered drydocks and coastal defense bunkers, used to be a navy facility. It’s now demilitarized, with two large barges moored in long deep-water quays, ready to be loaded with goods. A tall crane of a traditionally Japanese design towers over the area, ready to perform the task. Another iconic Japanese industrial-age structure is the truss bridge in the hills.

Smaller unique features designed specifically for Safe Haven include cars, road markings in Japanese, and traditional houses in the old village on the coast beyond the playable area. Alas, there’s no perfect harmony between the old and the new here, as the commercial port infrastructure is encroaching upon this peaceful idyll.

Gameplay

Safe Haven is a spacious map (1,000×1,000 meters) that is available only for Standard Battles in Tier IV–X vehicles. Gameplay-wise, the location can be divided into two large zones. The concrete-clad harbor suits well-armored heavies and assault TDs, offering them good (and, in some places, nearly complete) protection from artillery fire, plus a number of chokepoints to brawl for. The low hills farther inland form a large and picturesque green area which favors faster and less-armored vehicles. Ambush TDs and SPGs will also find some cozy positions here.

Music

The soundtrack to the Safe Haven map is the result of collaboration between the World of Tanks audio team and Akira Yamaoka, renowned composer of Silent Hill fame. The interesting twist is that Mr. Yamaoka had delivered a tanks-themed, Japan-flavored suite well before the map took its shape. Therefore, one could say that the spirit of the location was born and, for a time, existed in a purely musical form (like in many a creation myth), only to later unfold completely into a place where you can show your battle prowess against a beautiful backdrop.