Source: http://worldoftanks.ru/ru/news/pc-browser/1/lets_comfort_3/

Hello everyone,

according to the news post, published on RU portal, Wargaming, using new improved bot-detecting procedures, banned recently over 8000 botters from its servers.

Well, at least that’s what they claim.

I’ve heard however a different, interesting version of this event as well – some claim that Wargaming in fact forced legally the bot creator to reveal the names of accounts, that use bots and banned them all. Not sure which is worse for the botters themselves, but if either option is true, botters on EU/US servers are in for a nasty surprise…

Hello everyone,

player Crazytony0 was recently in the Bastogne armor museum – we already had pictures of that on FTR I think. What is however very interesting is that he got into the “garage”, a place where tanks are being repaired and restored and is not normally accessible for public. Enjoy!

The vehicles currently in (hopefuly) running condition there are the Cromwell, the M16, Stuart, both Shermans, the Patton, the IS3 (altough not in great shape), and the green Renault UE.

For me, the most interesting part is the disassembled StuG…

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Hello everyone,

so, yesterday, I got asked several times: “what is the super secret tank, awarded for the Fury competition”? Well, unless it gets leaked by the “Insider”, we won’t know for sure of course, but it’s not that hard to guess.

- it is something that is in the game already or was developed previously (competition end might not line up with new patch)
- it is something that was already supertested (which means it is something that we have seen before)
- it is not something EU server exclusive (WG does not work that way)
- it is something lowtier (current policy is that hightier tanks are not given out as rewards, only lowtiers do)

Well, basically there are only two options and one is much more likely. SU-76I and Grosstraktor – and given the fact that a Soviet tank destroyer is in no way related to the movie and it was tested ages ago (years, really), I think it’s going to be the Grosstraktor, which is… not a good tank, to put it mildly.

Edit: hmmmm looks like I might have been wrong with my guess. On it.

By the way, at first I was actually thrilled by the competition – not that I want to participate (even if I was Steven Spielberg himself, I wouldn’t win anyway) but the first prize is very exciting (a paid trip to USA – you don’t have the option to win that every day) and I thought we’d some some very creative things.

Then I checked the rules and damn, they are pretty strict. Pretty much no creativity is allowed, I think that all you will get is a bunch of videos showing a Sherman shooting at a Tiger with the “allowed” clips in the background and then a big “Fury” title and that’s it. How will it be decided which clip is better, I have no idea. But who knows, maybe I will be surpised.

Called “Reload time”

Source: VK Wotleaks community

Statistics (with 100 percent crew, elite tank)

Price: 2440000 creds
Weight: 25,625 tons
Hitpoints: 1200
Viewrange: 400
Radio range: 745
Engine: 630 hp
Power-to-weight: 25,625
Terrain resistance: 0,767/0,863/1,534
Maximum speed: 80/24
Traverse of hull: 44 deg/s

Top gun: 90mm Rheinmetall DM1
Penetration: 190/250/102
Damage: 240/240/320
Depression: -5,8/18
Rate of fire: 10,092
Reload time: 5,945
Accuracy: 0,345
Aimtime: 2,01
Turret traverse: 45,9 deg/s

Hello everyone,

today, we are going to talk about one prototype, that could become an European (Czechoslovak) tier 3 premium medium tank, the ŠP-IIb prototype.

ŠP-IIb, as its name suggests, was a cooperation attempt between two major rivals of the Czechoslovak armed forces industry, Škoda and ČKD (Praga). During the thirties, both companies were unsuccessful during the “IIb” (infantry support tank) program (Praga with its P-IIb, Škoda with its Š-IIb) and as a result, both firms agreed (reluctantly) on cooperation on the next attempt to design a tank for this category. The cooperation contract was signed on 30.7.1936 and the army was not against such cooperation, so the project recieved a green light.

The initial hope of both companies was that the prototype would be ready in July 1937, but this proved to be too optimistic, as there were frequent disagreements between both companies and the specifications of the vehicle changed constantly. Originally, the army was interested in a 13 ton tank with 25mm armor all around and a 37mm gun. After the disastrous results of the Škoda Š-III and Tatra T-III designs, this was changed to 16 tons, 32mm of armor and a 47mm gun by Škoda, which however did not fit the IIb category anymore, such requirements corresponded more like to the category III (“heavy”/medium tanks).

Continue reading →

Source: http://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20140821_01226857/cromwelltank-vandaag-weer-in-antwerpen

Thanks to Rudy Maes for this one.

Looks like the city of Antwerp has a new pride and joy. A Cromwell tank monument, previously rusted and unkept, was restored to its former glory. This Cromwell was given to the city by the British in 1947 to commemorate the advance of 11th Armored Division, that passed Antwerp on 4.9.1944 and since then it stood as a monument at various spots.

It was not the first time the vehicle was actually restored – it happened once already in 1971. The vehicle was restored from late 2011 until today by the military factory at Rocourt, called “Competentie Centrum Rollend Materieel en Bewapening”, a company that previously restored the famous “Bastogne” Sherman.

The vehicle now bears the “Black Bulls” crest of general Roberts from the abovementioned unit, that liberated Antwerp.

Source: http://www.zeit.de/digital/games/2014-08/wargaming-net-ceo-interview

Hello everyone,

recently, there was an interview with Viktor “Big Boss” Kislyi in the prestigious Zeit magazine (and its online version). Thanks to all (many) people, who sent me the link!

From the interview:

- former members of Soviet Union are (according to VK) proud of Soviet tanks and the victory in WW2
- Russians are proud of the T-34 as a war-winning symbol
- VK hopes Russians are proud of Wargaming
- initially, the concept of World of Warships was basically to just transfer WoT gameplay to ships, it however will be “much more complicated” and therefore a different experience
- for WoWp, developers are working on PvE tutorial, where players will learn to use bomber planes in fights against PvE opponents
- the WoWp game is not as successful as WoT, it’s more complicated to play and skilled players can shoot down new players very quickly, which can make the game frustrating fast
- the game is not historically realistic, because simulators are played only by a few people, while WoT is for the masses and realistic gameplay would not appeal to many people
- WG has a seat on Cyprus, because Cyprus is a “business island” and a suitable location for trading with both EU and US
- WG is not a company from Belarus anymore, VK considers it an international company
- Belarussians are very patriotic and VK is glad he was born in Minsk
- VK does not mind that Belarus is a dictatorship (“show me a country where politics are perfect”), he states that Belarus had one of the best education systems in the world when he was studying
- VK is worried that the situation between Russia and Ukraine escalate into war, he states the current situation with embargo is bad for everyone. He adds they had, during the Maidan riots, a plan to quickly evacuate the Kiev office (WoWp) if needed
- VK states that started with game industry after he convinced his father that the computer games are the future
- VK’s father now owns a large share of Wargaming, he deals with the documents, taxes and deals with banks, he supported Wargaming when the business did not go so well, even financially. Everything the Kislyi family had was invested into computer games.