Interview with Storm from Overheat.ro

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Special thanks to Mr.Popescu for providing the link and the translation of the entire article.

Source: Overheat.ro

Answered by Michael Zhivets, World of Tanks Producer

Hello and welcome to Overheat.ro. Thank you for accepting our invitation to the interview.

Hello and thank you for taking an interest in World of Tanks.

What can you tell us about yourself and the work that you do. Also, I think that our readers would like to find out how your career started. What can you share with us?

I was among the founders of the Minsk-based Arise studio that merged with Wargaming in 2005. It focused on real-time strategies and shipped several well-acclaimed niche projects with WW II setting. Having joined Wargaming, I worked on Operation: Bagration and Order of War until World of Tanks concept came up in 2009. Familiar with the mid-20th century warfare from my previous titles, I lined up into the team as a game designer. As the project grew and gained mass appeal, I became a producer and now overlook the development process, managing the content and features for new updates.

I heard that the future patches will be focused on the new HD client which will improve the graphics considerably. What about multicore support? Don’t you think that you should work on that first so the players would have an easy transition to the HD client?

Graphics isn’t the only major element we will enhance throughout 2014. Along with the game’s looks, we’ll revamp the game’s physics, allowing for a highly responsive gaming environment. Tanks will get dynamic suspension, blown-off turrets, and damageable small parts, whilst both core and meta gameplay will get a new mode each.

Back to graphics, the game will get a revamped graphics renderer, adding detail to vehicle models and providing for a more realistic gaming environment.

Each of the outlined new features is a significant step up for the game, and will take a lot of time and effort to prep and introduce. That’s what we’ll focus on in 2014. Once we’re done, we will proceed to other elements, including multicore support.

What new additions will the Historical Battles mode bring in comparison to the other game modes?

The Confrontation introduced in Update 8.11 is nation vs. nation combat, whilst Historical Battles, planned for 2014, will be a separate game mode centered on the most iconic WW II battles. It will allow tankmen to choose form a set of available legendary WWII clashes, and reenact the chosen battle fighting against real opponents.

Have you ever thought of offering the players more personalization options for their tanks such as extra armor, sandbags, tracks, etc?

Right now we are focused on enhancements, touching upon the very core of the game. Customization items are a secondary priority, and we will consider enriching their variety later on.

Do you plan to port the game on other consoles?

World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition has already made it to the market, and the development team is now gathering feedback from the community. The recently released game is no portation, though. Wargaming West took the World of Tanks concept, whereas UI and controls for the title were developed from scratch. We haven’t considered other consoles yet, as we’d like to watch the World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition performs before drafting any future plans.

Lately I noticed that you had some server problems. Why don’t you make your own servers instead of relying on other companies?

We’ve been working to enhance the server capacity throughout 2013. World of Tanks is now supported with120 server racks and 15 data centers (compared to 50 server racks and seven data centers at the beginning 2013). We will continue to improve on game’s performance in future.

Recently you have added the Japanese Tech Tree. What nation is next on the list?

Next up is the multinational European tech tree. Along with introducing new nations, we’ll add TD and SPG branches for the Japanese and the Chines lines.

Do you have something to say to our readers?

Roll out and get ready for the battle ;)

Thank you for your time. We wish you good luck.

Thank you.

25 thoughts on “Interview with Storm from Overheat.ro”

  2. “Next up is the multinational European tech tree. Along with introducing new nations, we’ll add TD and SPG branches for the Japanese and the Chines lines.”

    So this is basically just a PR answer? Since there is no news on the Chinese and Japanese SPG and TD tanks at all.

  3. Funny to see he ask about multicore support and he replies with they will improve physics

    • it’s like reading a reply from a politician – it has nothing to do with the question asked.

      Clearly, Wargaming,Net either can’t be bothered to look at mult core support or the game engines that they are committed to cannot support it. In either case it’s not going to happen.

  4. I heard that the future patches will be focused on the new HD client which will improve the graphics considerably. What about multicore support? Don’t you think that you should work on that first so the players would have an easy transition to the HD client?

    Graphics isn’t the only major element we will enhance throughout 2014. Along with the game’s looks, we’ll revamp the game’s physics, allowing for a highly responsive gaming environment. Tanks will get dynamic suspension, blown-off turrets, and damageable small parts, whilst both core and meta gameplay will get a new mode each.

    i see they avoided the question completely. no surprise there

    • Because in Soviet Russia multi-core support questions you! Hmm wait I think I screwed up something…

      • yeah…. Putin-core – the one and only rightfull core in Russia. No one needs any other core…

  7. The interviewer brings up an interesting subject of more tank customisation. Most f2p games have paid customisation features and it seems that WG is missing out on a huge potential for microtransactions. It’s relatively simple: give the players the ability to buy small, cosmetic gubbins (like sandbags, canisters etc.) and charge a miniscule amount of gold for them. Hell, allow players to mount them in whatever way they please (let’s say within a set area of the tank) and BAM, everyone will want to make their own, unique tank.

    If I’ve been able to think of this, how come WG hasn’t? It just seems like such a simple and obvious way to earn money and they’re ignoring it.

  8. >>we’ll add TD and SPG branches for the Japanese and the Chines lines.

    MUH CHINESE ;__;

    ME WANTS CHINESE TD MANTA RAY WITH ‘UGE BOOMSTICK :DDDDDDD

  9. “That’s what we’ll focus on in 2014. Once we’re done, we will proceed to other elements, including multicore support.”
    FU WG.

    “World of Tanks is now supported with120 server racks and 15 data centers (compared to 50 server racks and seven data centers at the beginning 2013). ”
    FU WG again, lag is still here(after more than a month). And EU only has servers in one data center, great idea that.
    Low efficiency(no multicore), high ping,jitter and packet loss, well done.

    • …except I, for one, have no problems with “lag, high ping, jitter and packet loss”. In fact my ping stays rather reliably in the 30-50 range and the game runs smoothly in general.

      Which sort of makes me inclined to believe it when WG peeps say the problem isn’t at the server end.

      • Except that WG admitted that problem IS on their side.
        If you do not have a problem it does not exist? Talk about having an inflated ego.

  10. Nice non-answer when asked about multicore support. Lousy gits probably don’t even know how to multicore and are too pansy-ass to admit it.

  11. B! Please! I already have a sort of muticore thing on WoT. Usually it uses only “core 0″ of my CPU. So I’ve opened task manager and unchecked “core 0″ from afinity and the process “moved” to the other cores. After that I’ve checked back “core 0″. It doesn’t cause any difference in performance if i check it back or not.. but it’s just “a dwarf”.
    So my fps is more constant now, my GPU doesn’t have any major “low load” times because the process can use more processing power, so the game runs smoother.
    But Shh, don’t tell that to anybody. It’s our secret. :*