WoT: About The “Call to Mars” Event And The New Features Of It

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Wargaming introduced the new Call to Mars event for its popular multiplayer war game World of Tanks, and as the name itself suggests, the event will take us to Mars, which is a rather unconventional departure from the established gameplay, but it has its reasons. What kind? We asked about this directly at Wargaming in Prague, since this event was created there and it is the first event that was created from the concept to the final implementation in the Prague studio. We were able to take a look at the studio and talk to the developers, we also looked under the hood of the development of such an event, and we were also able to try it out. Michal Bartoň (Engineering Manager) and Alexandra Legenčenko (Lead Game Designer) took us from the studio, who at the end told us something extra not only about the event.

And what does it mean for the Czech branch that this is the first event that was created entirely there? It might not seem like it, but it’s a big deal. Michal said about it: “It is definitely a milestone for our Prague team. It’s something we’ve been trying to achieve since the opening of the studio – from small things, items, news or reworks of older things, we slowly tried to build trust in giving us something bigger, which we succeeded. There is now more pressure to distribute the work to the individual studios, because we no longer have one big center, but are spread all over the world, and Prague is starting to play a significantly bigger role. I think we managed to show that we have what it takes, we have quality people and the courage to do new things.”

It might seem that the team, which previously made only minor updates to the game, had to get really puffed up, but it’s not true. They more or less made do with the team that was there before Wargaming went through the changes. That way, he didn’t have to recruit new people or take over people from other branches, which he also owes to new technologies. ” We have been building our team for years. We’ve been training it on smaller things and we’ve actually now taken advantage of a lot of the new technology added to our engine that has helped us prototype faster, which has also helped the team get used to it quicker and we’re not as dependent on sharing knowledge from other studios. even though we used it, we were able to do most things ourselves, ” Michal added.

In his own words, Michal believes that “Call to Mars” will not fail, so we can expect more and bigger news in the future, which will come from the heads of Prague developers. But why did they go into space in this case? Saša has already brought this to our attention and, somewhat surprisingly, it was a supporting idea from the very beginning: “We were inspired by one of our previous events – Moon Mayhem, which didn’t take itself seriously, was based on fun gameplay and was loved by players. We also wanted to differentiate ourselves from other events that usually also have a war theme, such as Mirny or Waffenträger. And why space? Our players are also interested in various scientific fields, and space is one of the most interesting scientific topics. At the same time, we also appeal to fans of sci-fi films or books, especially from the past. That’s why we think this theme is suitable for our players.”

During the tour of the studio and the interview with the developers, we learned a lot about the background of the development, but I was interested in the information that such an event develops for a relatively long time – 9-10 months. That’s definitely not a small amount for something that players can only enjoy for 14 days. Yes, you will have to say goodbye to “Call to Mars” after 2 weeks. Saša explained why they put so much effort into something that only lasts so short: “This event is more about getting players more involved. It’s important to show that World of Tanks isn’t just about what we’ve been doing for the last 10 years, but that we can still surprise players and bring something different for them to enjoy. We want to bring new experiences and show players that they can look forward to other different activities. So that they stay with us longer, but maybe also take a break from the usual fights with something fresh.”

But it’s not just about that. In any such game, events are a great opportunity for developers to test something. Wargaming is no stranger to this and, for example, submarines in World of Warships first came in a limited event and only later saw their full inclusion in the game. Michal revealed that they are trying something new here as well, but it won’t be a Mars vehicle. Here they try things behind the whole game, for example, a new interface where you no longer have a hangar, but a nice menu full of information and dynamic elements: “Exactly. It is a beautiful test event in which there are a lot of new technologies that are not visible at first glance. There is a completely rebuilt interface from Flash to Gameface. Visual scripting is also fully running here for the first time. And one thing that we haven’t talked about much, because it’s not very visible, is the fact that this whole mode is created as an expansion to the game. So we’re not rewriting the basic version of the game, but we’re creating a kind of plugin that we can turn on and off whenever we want.” So we will see where Wargaming will continue to deploy these things, but according to them, they help the developers a lot.

And what next for Wargaming and especially the Prague branch? Saša couldn’t reveal much, but at least she hinted at something: “We recently brought a developer diary that was filmed here in Prague, and in it we showed what we will bring this year – from the point of view of events, Mirny and Waffenträger will return. Mirny will not return in the form of last year, but we will return to the original Mirny, but also with some news that the developers will bring. And as for us, maybe we’ll head for the stars again and bring something similar next year. “

We were able to try out Call to Mars itself in three fights, twice even against the developers. Modified physics works on Mars, thanks to which you can eliminate opponents not only with missiles but also by bumping them (and throwing them out of the crater). The map is smaller, but there can be up to 10 players on it, so there is no shortage of clashes and you must always be on your guard.

Three powerups that spawn around the map will help you in the fight, and you can use them to supplement your main weapon and Boost your ability. This is useful in a situation where you want to push your opponents out of the crater, or from the place where they are currently collecting points. This is gradually moved around the map so that players are not fighting for just one spot. Powerups give you more powerful shots, a shield, or a gravity well. The shield is useful in situations where someone is shooting at you, but also when someone is pushing you out. It will pin you to the ground for a short moment. The gravity well, on the other hand, represents the center of gravity above the ground, which will begin to draw tanks in and then throw them away. It’s worth waiting a while, using it, and quickly activating the shield if you have it.

It is already clear from the description that it will be a completely different gaming experience. The map has a lower gravity, so there is more flying and jumping. Impacts also feel a little different. Everything here is designed to be fast, simple, intuitive and fun. Don’t expect a tank experience and you will be pleasantly surprised. It won’t be long before you can try it yourself.