First and foremost, I appreciate all the donations so far, thanks guys. I think it’s best not to publish any particulars, but you know who you are and I am grateful to all of you.

As you all probably know, tomorrow the second round of 8.7 test starts, with following changes:

- Fixed the T-50-2 tank conversion error. Now the equipment from T-50-2 transferred to the depot and the remaining modules (turret, suspension) are sold by a purchasing price.
- Fixed some errors and mistakes on the “Belogorsk-19” and “Highway” maps.
- Changed the icon in the Battle Score Panel for the Bishop SPG
- Changed the price for the E-25 Premium TD. Now it costs 6700 gold.
- Switched off the Assault mode on the Westfield and Malinovka maps.
- Corrected errors in the ‘Sniper’ and ‘Lucky’ achievements receiving description.
- Fixed collision-models of some buildings and object.
- Reworked voiceovers. Some of the game actions received new voiceover texts. Now the sounding of the events will become more vivid. Also reworked the “radio effect”.

Regular Q&A:

- for now, there are no plans to introduce wheel-cum-track mechanism itself
- there actually was a Soviet artillery vehicle with autoloader, it was a competitor to the Msta design, but it won’t be implemented to the game (SS: too new I believe)
- the historical documents about the MT-25 mentioned a mysterious 47mm gun. There is no such gun on the ingame MT-25, as SerB thinks it’d definitely a typo, the drawings clearly show (specify) a 45mm gun, Soviets didn’t have ny native 47mm guns and trophy 47mm guns were not available in sufficient amounts
- the problem with the wheeled vehicles in WoT was the turning mechanism. Developers were working on one Havok option apparently (“pushing” static objects – namely trucks) and “accidentally” made a mechanism allowing the implementation of wheeled vehicles
- Q: “Mines, encounter – the upper spawn is closer to the target base!” A: “How terrible…”
- no plans to introduce consumables, that would increase crew gained XP (2x, 3x), but the developers are thinking of another, yet undisclosed, option
- Havok will bring more features to the game than previously announced (SS: which was turrets getting ripped by explosions, parts of tanks flying off, realistic detracks, destructable objects and houses), SerB will even demonstrate, but later

As some of you probably noticed, the new EU Q&A issue is out. The only interesting thing in it is that:

- in 8.8, there will be national crew voices

As always, take it “cum grano salis”, this guy was wrong it the past, several times in fact. I’ll doublecheck it via Russian Q&A.

Another piece of info from the Russian server is that Wargaming is currently looking for closed-alpha testers of World of Tanks Generals. At least the game wasn’t scrapped or something.

Now to the regular Q&A:

- Object 212 too expensive, when comparing it to S-51? “Don’t want it? Don’t pay” and “Most of the vehicle properties are published in vehicle description. It’s possible to test it on the test server. No need to whine about the price here.”
- SerB doesn’t like the Sixth Sense perk and wants it removed. Whether it will be nerfed or how, he will warn players in advance
- there will be no rule about balancing TD’s in teams (SS: the player probably means either a hardcap on TD’s, or the rule that both teams have to have the same amount of them), SerB states: “I predicted that the next whine target will be the TD’s :)”
- in 8.7, the MM will be modified so both teams have the same amount of scouts
- SerB doesn’t like “mirror teams” and is even against forcing MM to give the same amount of scouts to both teams, as it is possible that with the reduction of arties in the game, this rule will become pointless
- tier 6 heavies have roughly the same balancing weight as tier 7 meds and TD’s
- T-50-2 player statistics in 8.7 will remain on the MT-25, “because MT-25 is a direct replacement for the T-50-2″
- devs are not issuing FAQ posts, because noone reads them
- SerB says he doesn’t appear in public (in media) more (apart from the Wargaming business) because he’s not interested
- there is a developer idea to actually give each clan player some new points (as in currency), which could then be turned in for tanks. But no guarantees, promises or details.
- there will probably be more “special high level content” vehicles such as TD’s (SS: I think there will, SerB is unclear here), such special arties are not planned for now
- tier 4 light tanks too weak? “Don’t play light tanks”
- if you have FPS increase in 8.7, it’s probably because you updated your graphic card drivers, not because of game optimization
- the rule where HEAT shells lose penetration when penetrating (the first layer of) spaced armor, when traversing the gap between the spaced and main armor does not apply to other types of shells
- analysis of patch effects data usually starts after 2-3 weeks from its introduction
- Brummbär and Sturmtiger were considered as a part of new separate German branch
- SerB didn’t get any offers from (Russian) national TV (SerB: “Thanks Cthulhu!”), he appeared only once on Belarussian TV one and half year ago
- WoWp: there will be premium tier 8 planes, but not soon
- for now, Wargaming won’t disclose the configuration or pictures of WoT servers
- the engine sound, running on neutral gear (when you stop), has no influence on camo factor of your vehicle
- captured T-34 in German tree? “When it’s done it’s done”
- new pictures for crewmembers? “When it’s done it’s done”
- will the Panther changes influence all Panther-based vehicles? “That’s a question for Zlobny, he’s doing that”
- SerB himself is testing the Xbox WoT, he owns a Xbox360 Development Kit, but he’s generally not a console player
- actually, there is a (theoretical) possibility, that flamethrower tanks will make it to the game
- also, SerB was surprised to find out that thanks to some sort of Havok implementation, WoT could theoretically have wheeled vehicles
- it’s theoretically possible to implement minefields on some maps, but SerB doesn’t think it’s needed, because it’s stupid to die by a mine and not by enemy fire
- it’s possible that within a month or two, SerB will publish the data on tier 10 Japanese heavy
- currently, the developers are “pulling” one of the O-I Japanese heavy variants to tier 9
- SerB himself didn’t test the MT-25 yet, because he didn’t like its predecessor T-50-2 either
- SerB won’t buy consoles for his relatives (kids), because he thinks that PC is more versatile
- free camera in replays and other additional replay functions? “When it’s done it’s done”
- XboX WoT will probably not have its account integrated with WoT (due to some Microsoft conditions), mobile WoT (blitz) apparently has really easy gameplay

- apparently, Wargaming actually did a survey to find out, where is the best location for the garage “battle” button (up or down)
- Skill MM: “There will be no skill MM. If you improve your skill, you will have the right to pwn”
- SerB explain the “free to win” Wargaming concept, compared to “free to farm”: “Free to win is a system, in which all the combat options (including gold ammo) are available to both paying and not paying players. Free to farm is a dream of noobs (SS: literally “freeloaders”), who don’t want to farm neither in the game, nor in real life. That won’t be implemented.”
- according to SerB, the autoloader tanks are not imbalanced. Although realistically in real life they actually had to stop to reload the shell magazine, this won’t be implemented because the game would become too static
- the tier 6 British arty size is correct (it’s not too small) – according to SerB, British designs were typically compact: “Take Matilda and Churchill as example. Everything is correct.”
- Q: “Will you introduce high penetrating premium tanks?” A: “How about a ‘pwn everyone’ button?”
- Superpershing sale for gold: “When it’s done it’s done”
- T54, T69 and VK3601 further gold ammo changes? “If needed, while taking historicity into account”
- Q: “Autoloader tanks are overpowered!” A: “How terrible. Get one autoloader too and pwn. Of course, skilled players will destroy you while you reload your drum and you will start whining again – too bad, in this case, medicine is powerless.”
- Foch 155 overpowered 1v1? “This game is not about 1v1 combat. Flank him, catch him when he’s reloading.”
- it is known that a newly researched (!, not bought) tank has a certain number of battles with preferential MM after its unlock (preferential as in – you have lower chance to drop to hightier battles), this also applies when for example the tank is bought one month after it is unlocked. It is however possible that during low server population hours, MM overrides this rule.
- Q: “I have too little FPS!” A: “Upgrade your abacus at least to calculator, clean it up inside, update drivers etc.”
- Foch 155 disadvantages accoding to SerB: “Long reload, thin side armor”
- if you have the elite status on KV-1S, it will stay elite even after MT-25 is introduced
- Q: “Arty was overnerfed…” A: “Oh my, we forgot to ask your opinion when we did it :( But yes, your opinion is very important to us.”
- T2LT nerfed MM? “Don’t play T2LT”
- light Soviet assault tank with short 76mm on tier 5? “Short barrelled 76mm on T5? How terrible…”
- the plan is to remove unhistorical Panther/E-50 engines, while improving the terrain resistance, so the vehicle mobility will remain the same
- if your T-50-2 tank commander has radioman perks (since in T-50-2, commander was serving as a radioman also) and he gets transferred to MT-25, his radioman perks will stay (in other words, it will be possible to have TWO crewmembers on MT-25 with perks exclusive to radioman)
- the amount of arties after 8.6 was “reduced three times, compared to pre-8.6″
- no plans to limit the number of TD’s in battle
- according to SerB, there were attempts by players to sue WG, but none have made it to the court room: “Apparently, he who has enough time for a trial also has enough money for lawyers, who then advise him not to put this in front of a judge, because the whole claim is futile.”
- MT-25 getting a new crewmember, screwing up the T-50-2 4-man crew with Brothers in Arms perk? “How terrible” and “The switch was announced a year ago, you could have chosen another”
- it’s possible that grinding the E-50 to elite status will be easier, as the top engine to grind will be removed
- according to SerB it’s technically not possible to introduce free consumables and shells for training rooms
- new detracking sounds are planned apparently
- it’s theoretically possible that Object 430U (Object 430 with 122mm gun and other improvements) will appear as a tier 10 Soviet heavy, but there is a problem with the branch leading to it
- SerB is not aware of a player-mentioned Japanese “Type 100 Te-Re” tank, he states the name itself doesn’t fit the Japanese naming system
- it’s possible that free XP will be shareable between WoT, WoWp and WoWs

- the Soviet Gavalov’s light tank project doesn’t fit tier 5, according to SerB it’s a tier 6/7 tank
- originally, clans were supposed to be named “brigades”, but the developers didn’t implement it in the end, because they didn’t want to explain all the time that a brigade = a clan
- the new tier 9 Batchat arty is called Battignoles Chatillon, even though it has nothing to do with the Batchat medium tank (it’s based on the M47 hull), since the name Battignoles Chattillon is the name of the company it was built by
- China tree was never planned to be built around one vehicle (SS: as in a minitree with several variants of one tank)
- Nahuel will be implemented apparently at some point (either as a premium tank, or as a part of the Argentine minibranch)
- crews get huge penalties for driving a tank they aren’t trained for, because “they get lost in the tank, that’s unknown to them”
- Q: “There are a lot of people noticing that the patches suck and the balance is bad” A: “There have been people noticing this ever since the game went public. The game is ‘dying’ for 3 years already, we can’t live like this anymore!”

- Q: “Some people think that premium tanks will be removed from the sales, because there are too many of them in battles and the balance goes to shit?” (SS: literally “to ass”) A: “I would tell you what to do with your ignorant (in many senses) opinion… but it would be very rude to refer you to the last word of you “question”. So I won’t do that.”

(SS: this is a bit difficult to translate, because “to go to ass” (literally) in Russian means “to go fuck yourself” – I am sure you get what SerB means…)

(Poznámka pro Čechy: tady to je naopak jedna z věcí, co do češtiny jde přeložit lépe než do angličtiny. Něco jako “Nestáhnete premiáky z prodeje, protože je jich moc a balanc jde do prdele?” “Řekl bych ti, co máš s tvým hloupým (v mnoha smyslech slova) názorem dělat odkazem na poslední slovo tvé “otázky”, ale to by bylo velmi sprosté. Takže to neudělám.”)

- apparently, Sentinel is also planned, just like Nahuel. Unlike Nahuel, Sentinel will probably be a part of the British tree
- there are no plans to introduce the “spectator” function for public to clanwars, due to espionage
- too much RNG in some vehicles’ damage spread? “How terrible…”

There was an answer on flamethrower tanks. I am not sure of its meaning, so I am consulting that with my Russian friend, it will appear tomorrow.

- in order for a little known (but real) tank to be implemented into the game, the developers need the photos and projections (drawings, blueprints). If there are no blueprints od drawings, developers will build it according to available data
- apparently, Russian players are moaning that they didn’t get some events/free stuff for the US Independence Day
- there was a rumor that as a part of “free-to-win” business concept, some premium tanks will be available for credits. It’s just a rumor, they won’t – SerB explains that the premium tanks are for farming, not for winning and the game model is “free to win”, not “free to farm”.
- dynamic tank characteristics in garage: “when it’s done it’s done”
- apparently, the T-44-122 indeed will be a part of the Soviet 2nd medium branch, its appearance does not mean the regular T-44 loses its 122mm gun
- apparently, SerB shares V.Putin’s idea that the breakup of USSR is nothing worth celebrating
- apparently, Chaffee will be rebalanced just like the other tier 5 scouts were (no guarantees about anything tho)
- the developers do have the idea to unify WoWp and WoT clanwars via clan consumables, such as “air strike”
- WoWp airplanes earn too little XP? “How terrible…”
- no plans to rebalance the WoT farming mechanism
- a player was complaining that when you train your crew for example from 75 skill to 100 skill for gold, the price is the same as if you train from 95 skill to 100 skill for gold and suggests the XP you pay for should transfer to perks. SerB answers: “It doesn’t matter how well you for example can drive – when you go to driving school, the price will be the same”
- if your T-50-2 crew had for example 75 skill, when it gets transferred, it won’t automatically recieve 100 skill on MT-25, only the new crewmember (radioman) is added with 100 skill
- althought the Ersatz Panther had the US stars painted on the front hull and on the turret roof, according to WW2 photos, those won’t be added to the WoT vehicle
- Ersatz Panther metal sheets (“fake armor”) don’t act as spaced armor, they are too thin for that
- the fact that Ersatz Panther doesn’t have a muzzle brake is historical
- the reason Ersatz Panther doesn’t have better camo factor than regular Panther (despite the “camouflage”) is that this “disguise” didn’t work in real life either, the tanks were spotted, recognized and destroyed
- new ingame soundtrack will slowly be added, according to the possibilities of WG sound department
- the intended Panther rebalance is made to make the game more historical, Panther mobility will remain the same, only unhistorical engines will be removed
- trollplatoons won’t be limited
- the WoWs multiturret mechanism has nothing to do with the WoT one (eg. WoWs multiturret development won’d influence the WoT one)
- the gold consumable reduced price (10k atm) is active only until 8.7 comes out
- SerB considers the situation where T10 mediums and TD’s penetrate T10 HT frontal armor “normal”
- the T-50-2 XP points will transfer to MT-25, T-50 XP points will transfer to KV-1S
- multiturret mechanism, bigger maps and historical battles are all planned and will eventually be introduced
- E-25 price 7000g? “If the price seems too high to you, it of course means the tank is not worth buying” (SS: in other words, it’s not just a test price, it will stay probably)
- on his T-44, SerB uses wet ammo rack, rammer and stabilizer
- no plans to reset player’s statistics
- after your tank is destroyed in battle, on the damage panel all modules appear as destroyed, even though ALL of them count as destroyed only during ammorack explosion or drowning. This is so that players aren’t confused, why some of their modules are not destroyed while their tank is dead
- new Soviet medium branch is going to be starting from T-34 in 8.9? “No comment”
- for now, there is no candidate for tier 5 Soviet light tank
- ingame FV4202 does correspond to real life data the developers have, apparently there will be no FV4202 changes
- FV4201 won’t appear in British medium branch, because it wasn’t a medium tank
- WoT: Generals will probably be available for mobile platforms too
- you get a XP bonus by detracking the opponent, but not by destroying his engine
- SerB states that WoWp balancing is better than it was in WoT, when WoT was brand new
- SerB states not so many people play WoWp, because WG doesn’t need crowds of people to play WoWp at this stage, they are still testing stuff. When they desire crowds, they will put more emphasis on PR. Generally, WG expects only one fourth of players WoT have to play WoWp, because 3D space is more problematic than 2D
- fallen trees without leaves (on winter maps) don’t give any camo bonus

- WoT Generals account MIGHT be unified with the WoT one
- for now, the option to disable certain maps you don’t want to play won’t be implemented – on one hand, the developers have more serious matters to attend to, on the other hand, there are more variants how to solve this
- on the 8.7 matchmaker fixed: “No comment for now, because the final patchnotes aren’t written yet”
- SerB thinks that the most “esthetical” (prettiest) tank is T-44
- neither SerB nor Storm watch Golden League streams
- 112 was delayed till 0.8.8
- Superpershing changes were also delayed till 0.8.8
- KV-1S D-2-5T 122mm gun is historical
- SerB doesn’t fear that the British arty will be too unpopular
- the moving and shooting penalties to your camo do add up to one another
- in far future (when Wargaming does some other game), SerB will probably stick with new evolution of the BigWorld engine, he said that even now, the only thing left from the BigWorld WG started with is the rendering of dynamic objects
- World of Tanks doesn’t have (apart from China) the so-called “luxury segment” (SS: whatever that is in games), because (apart from China) it’s unprofitable
- Q: “Is it true that the T-50-2 was removed, because it was causing butthurt to one of the developers?” A: “No. Judging by your questions, one of the developers is obviously not the one with butthurt. I suggest you put a ventilator under your chair!”
- it’s theoretically possible that if one tier 10 tank tankes two tier 1 tanks into a platoon and those tier 1′s do nothing else but detrack, they will recieve a lot of XP due to the detrack assist bonus
- it’s not possible to show how much exactly XP you earned during the battle, because a part of the XP award is calculated after the battle itself
- Q: “Is the T-90AM equal to Leopard 2A6, or already 2A7?” A: “War will show”

First, to all American readers: Happy Independence Day!

Anyway, before the 8.7 gets downloaded on my comp (if I manage to log in, I’ll post pictures/stats of all the new vehicles), a quick Q&A session:

- in 8.7, the gun accuracy will be the same as in 8.6
- 112 was removed from patch 8.7, because it needs further balancing
- since 0.8.6, the Fjords map winrate of both bases was 50 percent (no disbalance)
- there were rumors that the new Soviet branch will bring a Maus-style Soviet heavy tank (SS: no idea where the Russians got this from), those rumors are false
- the three most important factors for WoT’s rating system are winrate, average XP per battle and average kills per battle
- the IS-6 ingame has mechanical transmission. A player stated that the mechtrans IS-6 had historical maximum speed of 43km/h instead of current 35 km/h, SerB will investigate
- 8.8 patch tier 10 Object 430 will not have the 122mm gun (Object 430U)
- other premium vehicles in the past were not possible to sell for gold, because they were never changed seriously enough
- when counting cover, two fallen trees count as one (their camo bonuses don’t stack), but two bushes in one line do stack – however, one bush and one fallen tree don’t stack
- the VK100.01 is a real project, based on one German book, allegedly, Yuri Pasholok was one of the first people to get that book in the former USSR
- regarding the Panther changes: “Expect a small buff to tiers 7,8 and 9 of that branch”
- WoT won’t have for example completely destructible all objects, there would be a problem with server synchronisation and load
- in order to pay for itself (without no profit), WoT has to have at least 50 thousand players around the world
- during the hull unification, T-34 and T-34/85 apparently won’t be unified, T-34/85 and Type 58 will both stay on tier 6
- the reason various trees of various nations don’t have the same tech order (for example one tree has arty branch on the top, while another on the bottom) is to make transitions between branches better visible
- both 112 and 113 have 68 degrees frontal armor slope
- apparently, WoT Generals account will also be unified with WoT

Just a reminder, guys, the 8.7 test apparently starts tomorrow. On one hand I am surprised that almost nothing has been leaked about it, on the other hand, the source of this info is very reliable.

- links from and to the British arty branch? “Wait for open test”
- IF the E-50 tanks are unified (definitely not sure), E50M will simply become a hull option for the E50
- a “Wittman-like” medal (for a big number of kills) won’t be implemented specially for lower tiers, because the developers don’t want to encourage experienced players to go hunt newbies, tier 5 (Walters-Radley medal) is already not sealclubbing/pedobearing
- the rule that “weak gun = limited MM” applies only for premium tanks
- if Sturmpanzer Bär was introduced into the game (SS: SerB emphasized the “IF“), it would most likely be a part of Sturmtiger’s branch

SS: Sturmpanzer Bär was a superheavy (120t) 1943 self-propelled mortar project,armed with a 305mm mortar. The project was basically rendered obsolete by the Sturmtiger project and cancelled. This is how it would have looked:

- with the introduction of researchable hulls, GW Tiger P won’t become an optional hull for GW Tiger, because otherwise there would be a hole in the respective tier
- lowtier tanks, previously leaked from supertest (such as AMR P103, LTP etc.) won’t be introduced at once, but at different times for each
- new British and Chinese tanks? “will tell when the time is right”
- SerB doesn’t know yet what the Japanese tanks’ base color will be
- JagdChieftain (CTR) in WoT? “No comment”

Jagdchieftain:

- SerB won’t disclose the exact mechanism, how XP points are gained from combat, he only states that the XP gain is judged by active participation in the line-of-sight tank battle (as in, tanks have to see each other)
- no plans to give additional XP/credits for protecting allied tanks with your tank’s hull
- it’s too early to tell, what impact the 8.6 had on medium tanks
- SerB states that while the statistics are yet to show, arties are unlikely to be directly buffed. Instead, devs have ideas about some new artillery gameplay elements, which would raise the arty effectivity, but the concept is not finalized yet.
- SerB states that while he doesn’t remember whether the IS-6 in the game has electrical or mechanical transmission, you can check it yourself, if the vehicle can turn on the spot, it’s electrical, if not, mechanical
- the German 50mm L/60 gun module is too light in the game, it should be heavier, but this has low priority
- terrain passability is counted according to the point, located in center of the hull (SS: if the center is located on the road, while one track is located on rough terrain, the game will use the passability of the road)
- Russian players started massive whining about the T-44 being underpowered after 0.8.6, it was dismissed as… well, whining.
- StuG IV in WoT? “No comment”
- SerB believes he does have the T92 light tank documents/drawings, because The_Chieftain (US forums history expert/developer) sent him a lot of stuff
- SerB considers the “miniquest” (combat task) principle okay, but its implementation was a bit off.

Well, I am sure a lot of you have heard already, so… the 8.7 open test starts this Thursday (unless something happens that is)

- T57 Heavy nerf? “Will nerf, if needed. If not needed, I won’t nerf.”
- there is exactly one difference between Chinese tanks 111 and 112
- according to SerB, autoloader tanks didn’t break the battle balance
- Object 263 has subcaliber shells instead of HEAT shells, because the developers haven’t found historical HEAT shells.
- tier 8 heavies fighting too often in T9/10 battles? “How terrible…”
- SerB wants to have a close look at Churchill GC and reduce its tier by 1
- Japanese top arty will apparently have a short range 300mm caliber gun, Chinese top arty has not been found yet
- it’s possible that the VK4502 Ausf.A and B will be united as one tank in the future (specifically, both will become hull options for the VK4502), developers already started to work on this feature
- as a part of the aforementioned feature, it’s possible that the T-50-2 hull will return as a T-50 hull option, IS could recieve a streamlined frontal armor as its second hull option and the US T23 medium might appear as another tank’s hull option also
- removing of the top unhistorical Panther engines apparently does concern other vehicles on their bases (Jagdpanther I and II), they might get an improved terrain passability, “if needed”
- the fire damage is tied to the projectile it was caused with. In other words, if someone sets an enemy on fire and that tank is spotted by someone else, the fire damage that “ticks” while the vehicle is spotted will not count towards spotter’s XP
- regarding the hull module impementation (as mentioned above), Centurions and Panthers will most likely not be unified as one vehicle…

But…

Okay, you will like this:

- there is an idea (SerB emphasizes, just an idea) to actually push the E-50 to tier 10 (and to unify its hull with E50M) and make the “Turbopanther” a new tier 9 (SS: apparently a GT101-equipped Panther is meant – for those who don’t know, GT101 is a JET turbine, hehe)

- one of the hull module variants for Panzer IV is one with additional side armor (“schürzen”)
- SerB is thinking about implementing visually different suspensions (for example narrower tracks)
- visual implementation of camo net is complicated, according to SerB, the developers haven’t figured out how to implement that yet
- premium tier 8 Centurion is highly unlikely
- apparently, the leaked tier 7 T-44-122 will be a Soviet medium tank in the 8.8 second medium branch (SS: interesting)
- Panzer 38H (“Micromaus”) at the bottom of the team all the time? “How terrible…”
- SU-152 152mm gun has higher damage than the KV-2′s one, because “it uses different shells in the game”
- Q: “How much money would I have to bribe you with to return the 122mm gun to SU-26?” A: “For that you don’t have enough”
- Q: “And if all the SU-26 drivers pooled their money together?” A: “Even so it’s not enough”
- the camo factor in 8.6 still does depend on whether you move or not, no matter how little you move
- Q: “M48A1 is underperforming?” A: “Don’t see its pluses? Don’t play it.”
- limited MM spread is applied only to tanks with weak guns
- under equal conditions, fallen coniferous trees do not give better camo bonus than fallen trees with leaves, but under some circumstances, they might (if their silhouette is big enough)
- the developers considered a mode where each side would have more than one base, but it was rejected, because it’s too complicated for players
- 15 vs 15 random format was selected, because it was considered optimal, when it comes to server load
- basically, if I understood this comment correctly, SerB thinks that the Gaijin’s plan for War Thunder to unify ships, tanks and airplanes on one map is BS.
- the beginning of the shell trajectory curve lies in the axis point of the gun, the position of this axis can change, depending on the turret rotation
- the shell accuracy is not influenced by the level of zoom in the sniper mode
- SerB states that in this situation, there is no camo bonus difference between both cases, but if the tree is small and has a complicated shape, it’s easier to be spotted because one “tank visual checkpoint” (SS: for explanation, see wotwiki, spotting) might not be covered by the tree
- the abovementioned mechanism was not changed for ages, but it might change (not anytime soon), if the developers decide to implement bonuses for only partial vehicle cover
- Foch 155 needs nerf? “Don’t play Foch 155. Or vice versa – play it, noone will mind”
- T-44 needs buff? “Don’t play T-44″
- PVE contant is not being worked on at this moment
- China is the only WoT region, in which it is required by law for the game to force players to take breaks (even by bans)
- if I understand this correctly, it’s theoretically possible to build a Maus branch with VK4502P and Maus prototypes on tiers 7-10, VK100.01 would be typical tier 9
- premium tanks will not be rebalanced (as a whole category) and they won’t be hardcapped per battle

First some info from the developers from a recent post on the RU WoT blog:

- apparently, the fact that The_Chieftain did measure the mantlet of the T29 to be thinner than what Hunnicutt suggests does not imply that the T29 mantlet will be nerfed, it will be re-checked eventually
- IS-4 (SS: frontal) armor was not nerfed in 8.6, according to Storm

Regular:

- it is confirmed that there will be NO tier 5 Soviet light tank after 8.7: T-50 will remain at tier 4 (SS: it was leaked earlier that it will lead to T-34) and the MT-25 will move to tier 6 (SS: and will be unlockable from KV-1S, to which the T-50 experience will be transferred in 8.7 apparently)
- KV-1S 122mm gun nerf? “Penetration will stay, it’s historical. Other characteristics of the gun can be nerfed or buffed if needed. And we decide what’s needed.”
- Storm confirms that weight of the ammo does not count towards the tank weight (SS: ammo simply has no weight in WoT)
- the possibility of retraining crewmembers to different roles: when it’s done it’s done (but not soon)
- when considering what modules to take for a scout, the module weight does play a role in the vehicle’s maneuverability, so it is worth considering
- it is actually possible to shoot a tank straight thru (the shell penetrates, goes thru the tank, penetrates again and goes out on the other side) as long as the 10 caliber rule is observed (SS: a shell that enters the tank travels inside only the distance of its caliber*10, eg. a 150mm shell will travel 1500mm inside)
- when asked about a possibility to introduce Soviet tanks with improvised armor (skirts, for example), he stated that later tanks had overloaded frontal wheels even as it was, so any “normal” vehicles with screen armor are the late (postwar) ones
- VK4502P won’t become a T8 premium tank
- the prototype Maus design viable for T9 comes from one recently published German book

SS: you can read about the Maus prototypes here:
VK100.01P – This is how Maus started
Typ 205 – Porsche Unleashed
Typ 205A – Porsche Unleashed II

- actually, SerB states Wittman’s medal was removed at German request
- while camo factor for vehicles is assigned manually (and not automatically, based on their dimensions), width of the vehicle does play the biggest role
- Q: “Arties are overnerfed” A: “How terrible…”
- according to Storm, the piece of information that German Panther tanks lose their top engines in supertest is garbage, however – SerB later confirms it: Panthers will lose unhistorical top engines and possibly gain new historical ones, he states that overall the top configuration gameplay won’t change
- T92 lost its top engine, since “it doesn’t need it”
- developers don’t get free tanks for their personal accounts, they buy them – both SerB and V.Kisly (owner of WG) do. Only journalists do get free tanks for their accounts and only temporarily
- vehicle repair price is not tied to its performance, it’s set independently
- more detailed tank models? “when it’s done it’s done”, even object models will get improved
- the tank horn idea was scrapped
- unified account silver apparently won’t be shared between WoWp and WoT
- new tier 7 premium heavy tank? “Not anytime soon”
- the difference between 112 and WZ-111 is “hull shape”
- WZ-111 and Type 62 will most likely come to the shops (SS: the question is aimed at RU server, but I doubt it would be any different for other servers)
- the T-50-2 will not turn into a premium vehicle
- new tier 8 premium vehicles? “Will tell when the time is right”
- night battles are still planned, SerB will tell more (for example on how the lights will work) when the time is right