War Thunder Thread

[Jarhead0331]

So I finally started playing this due to some beautiful screen shots I've come across lately. I'm sticking mostly to tanks for now and having a pretty good time. The biggest problem I'm having is figuring out the stupid UI when I'm in between matches. I can't figure out the research, upgrade, module and crew training system...the menus are just so cluttered and counter intuitive. I usually end up giving up in Frustration and just playing with the same stock equipment.

[W8taminute]

^Try using a microsoft pc controller for your gaming rig.  I do and it helps to make it easier to navigate the menu.  The menu is indeed not that intuitive to use but when you navigate it with a controller instead of a mouse it helps your brain to understand the correct path to take to get to the window you need.  Everything you want to do such as train a crew, choose a vehicle for that crew, research another vehicle in the tech tree, etc. is contained within popup windows.  Using a mouse to move around is annoying but using the game controller is less annoying.  This is assuming you're playing on your PC.

If you're playing on the PS4 and having trouble figuring out the layout I'll go into more details.

[Nefaro]

There are some annoying pop-up info windows when you hover your cursor over stuff in the hangar screen interfaces.  But you must still left-click on most of them to get the purchase options and such.


Be aware that the ground forces matches don't give you as many 'Silver Lion' rewards as the air force matches.  I'm not sure if that's intentional or not, but it well could be just because there are currently fewer tank types to purchase than aircraft.  It just means the progression down the tank trees is slower in comparison, but they're also smaller.

As for Crew Skill points I recommend putting a bit into most of them, but initially have a priority for raising Vitality.  It can be the difference between a crewman being knocked out by an extra fragment or two, although it's effect is more directly noticeable in aircraft pilot hits from cannon shrapnel and not quite so pronounced in tank crews.  I think the other couple good ones to increase early, for tank crews, is the driver's ability to make them shift gears faster and the gunner ability that helps them rotate the two turret axes for aiming more quickly.

Most of the other crew skills aren't big changes overall, but every tiny bit can help.  Just getting 20 or 30 points into the best ones (like the three mentioned above) can make a bit of a noticeable difference.

[bobarossa]

I never had any trouble with the UI on my PC.  I never use the "Menu" button at the top and don't even know what is in it other than 'exit'.  If you click on the "Research" bar at the bottom left, you get access to all the tanks that can be researched.  Clicking/hovering over the tanks that are available to research lets you select 'research' or 'purchase'.  Clicking on the tanks you already own, either in the research screen or on the bottom bar where your available vehicles are located, lets you access the modification, crew, customization, etc menus.

[bobarossa]

WTH is going on with WT's ground combat? I tried the arcade version, and that was merely "okay"...not any better than World of Tanks. So I went to play a simulator game last night, and after waiting for over 5 minutes, I gave up. Apparently nobody is playing the more realistic modes?

As far as wait times go, it varies with time of day, etc.  I've waited over 8 minutes for a 'realistic' match in EST evenings.  If you play in mornings or afternoons (I'm retired now), you can get much quicker matches (1 to 3 minutes).  Of course a lot of the chatter is in cyrillic.

[Nefaro]

WTH is going on with WT's ground combat? I tried the arcade version, and that was merely "okay"...not any better than World of Tanks. So I went to play a simulator game last night, and after waiting for over 5 minutes, I gave up. Apparently nobody is playing the more realistic modes?

As far as wait times go, it varies with time of day, etc.  I've waited over 8 minutes for a 'realistic' match in EST evenings.  If you play in mornings or afternoons (I'm retired now), you can get much quicker matches (1 to 3 minutes).  Of course a lot of the chatter is in cyrillic.

Tip for others:

There is a dropdown menu above the big red queue button at the top, which lets you not only select the type and difficulty level but also has a server selection at the bottom. 

I usually keep both US and EU servers selected there unless I happen to be playing on the weekend with high server populations then I may switch to just US for awhile. 

For Tier 2 and higher Realistic Battles of either type (and often Sim tank battles), I usually don't have to wait more than two minutes.  Often get in within about 40 seconds for Tier 3 stuff.

[W8taminute]

^I do the same thing and have similar wait times.  Select all of the servers and you get in fast.  The downside is you're going to play with a lot of people who may not be able to communicate in english.  They still get shot down though just the same.   >:D

[W8taminute]

So there I was flying my Do217 heavy fighter in an arcade match.  This plane for those of you who don't know is a beast to fly.  She can't climb well, she can't turn well, and she's not very fast.  But with 4 20mm cannon in the nose someone is not going to have a nice day.

I was at angels 8 at the beginning of the match.  I slowly started my climb to 11k while circling our airfield.  Since I was well behind friendly lines it was pretty quiet.  That is until I reach 10500 feet.  Then I saw an SB-2M bomber being escorted by a Ki-61 Tony.  I could tell the Ki-61 was eyeing me and was going to defend the bomber he seemed to be escorting.  I just knew it.  He was at least a thousand feet above me I all I could think was I'm toast.  The Ki-61 single prop fighter is going to easily out maneuver me.  So I took the bait and went in for a head on collision.  I also started taking pot shots from at least 0.75 miles away which is way out of range of my gun convergence settings.  I was basically praying and spraying hoping I'd at least nick him a bit before I died.  Instead much to my delight I pilot killed him from that range.  One shot, just one shot and he was gone.  Now I licked my lips and started to go after the bomber.

I figured since I just eliminated his escort a couple of burst of my 20mm's should finish him off quickly too.  There was no one else around for miles so I could enjoy this 'easy kill' without interruptions.  To my horror I proceeded to empty my guns of all of there bullets over and over and over again for the rest of the match and could not shoot that sob down.  I kept scoring critical hits to his fuselage, wings, and even set him aflame once.  He would not die.  Time ran out and the match ended.   ???

[endfire79]

After bouncing shots off the side hull armour of a Sherman Jumbo all night (almost point blank while shooting with an '88), I'm suspecting there is something not kosher here

[Nefaro]

I've been getting boned by the matchmaker due to my damn PvP ranking.  When it's high, you get shoved into higher Battle Rating matches much more often.   I've been getting sick of flying prop planes against jets and anything else rated as a better aircraft than whichever I'm flying at the moment.     I pray for the matches where my aircraft isn't the shittiest fighter on the team.

I really don't care much about having a high PvP rating.  I'd rather have balanced match-ups more often.  >:(



Having a high PvP rating is nice for bragging rights I suppose, but the effects just aren't worth it.  I have a suspicion that some pre-grouped people check the enemy Ratings at the start of matches to decide on whom to gang blast too.  This thing is giving me grief from the matcmaker, at the least:

[Dread Rlyeh]

After bouncing shots off the side hull armour of a Sherman Jumbo all night (almost point blank while shooting with an '88), I'm suspecting there is something not kosher here

What was the angle like?  Anyway, I've certainly seen some strangeness depending on the model of tank.  Jumbos are very tough, as well as the ZSU crazily enough.  You would think you could hit it anywhere above the tracks and oneshot, but that isn't the case.  I don't know if it is over penetration or what, I've been too distracted by the darn things to really take a close look at the hit camera.   

[endfire79]

After bouncing shots off the side hull armour of a Sherman Jumbo all night (almost point blank while shooting with an '88), I'm suspecting there is something not kosher here

What was the angle like?  Anyway, I've certainly seen some strangeness depending on the model of tank.  Jumbos are very tough, as well as the ZSU crazily enough.  You would think you could hit it anywhere above the tracks and oneshot, but that isn't the case.  I don't know if it is over penetration or what, I've been too distracted by the darn things to really take a close look at the hit camera.

I was pretty sure it was almost perpendicular, in the simulation mode.  I guess there's no point to complain, you labelled right away (comments like 'German tankers complain more', hah!) The forum's appear rife with the similar issues though. 

I am digging the simulation mode matches.  Long as you select multiple servers, you can enter them rather quickly.  I waited a long time if I only select North America.

[Nefaro]

The angle that your round strikes the armor provides a direct percentage calculation of the shell bouncing, AFAICT. 

So if it strikes at a high angle, it will always have some chance of bouncing.  The percentage varies by shell type, the exact angle of attack, and probably some kind of possible penetration magnitude influence.  For example, HEAT shells have very low bounce rates while Ballistic Cap AP has slightly less bounce rates than regular AP.

If you look in the tank preview, and turn on the armor view, you can place your mouse cursor over any point and see the angle and approximate 'effective' armor it provides from the camera viewpoint.  But I think the effective armor thickness is just for the extra pen bonus - the armor angle itself can still bounce shots if your shell doesn't easily beat that effective thickness.   So while that side armor may only be 40mm thick, it could've had an effective thickness far higher at a high angle of attack (which could also bounce the shot if the angle is high enough).

That's why you'll see people recommend "angling" your hull armor in a 1-on-1 duel with an enemy tank.  Use the armor view in the tank preview screen to find out the best angle on the tank you're using or where to aim for when someone else is doing it.

[endfire79]

Yes, I understand that.  I was pretty sure those hits  were straight on (perpendicular to a T) last night.  Hence my frustration.

I've been angling my Tiger (10-11-1 o'clock), and I've managed some decent deflections myself.  I can accept when I get hit directly in my side (straight on, perpendicular, the rear, and even my lower glacis).  But to see the same bounce off that Jumbo side, well shoot, it wasn't my lucky night I guess.

Which tech tree are you climbing, and how's your experience so far?

[Nefaro]

Which tech tree are you climbing, and how's your experience so far?

I've not been playing WT ground forces lately.