I don’t even… no comment. Okay, it’s stupid, but made me giggle.
Patently Absurd – Part V: Germany Reloaded
Author: Vollketten
Part I – France: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/11/05/pate … -i-france/
Part II – UK: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/11/07/pate … d-kingdom/
Part III – Germany: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/11/14/pate … i-germany/
Part IV – USA: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/11/20/patently-absurd-part-iv-usa/
So, the first part of Germany had some rather nice tanks, but perhaps they are the cream of the crop of the designs, which didn’t make it. If we delve further into the barrel, there are some more designs of interest. In this edition, we shall concentrate on the Nazi era of 1933-1945. This is not all the nazi Germany has to offer, but just the 8 for now.
Tank with Trench Digging Device
Okay, so it’s not a grave digging device like the google suggested, but google translate can produce some amusing results. It’s actually an idea from the pen of Freidrich Wiele in May 1937 that there is enough spare capacity on a tank that it has time to run not one but two trench diggers separately, driven by the tracks to provide cover for the following infantry. Small problem to me would appear to be the extremely shallow nature of the ‘trench’, which is little more than a shallow ditch and doesn’t even look wide enough for a soldier to lie in. Perhaps ‘shallow grave digging’ tank is accurate afterall.
Today’s Advent Offer (4.12.2014)
Hello everyone,
today’s advent offer for EU server includes:
- Tetrarch + slot
- 8250 gold
Price: 37,30 USD (29,99 EUR)
Meanwhile on Russian server, today’s offer is Type 62 + 7500 gold for 50,4 USD
Tidbits from 9.5
Hello everyone,
a few screenies from the 9.5 KTTS video. The individual mission selection screen – as you can see, the stages will unlock as you progress.
December Mission List is Invalid
Hello everyone,
it turns out that the leaked December/January mission list is invalid – WG simply made a bogus one and they did let it leak. Happens. The upcoming missions are quite different from the leaked ones. What was leaked:
6.12.-9.12.: “Winter Wolfpack”
- x3 XP for first victory
- 30 percent discount on tier 6-7 regular medium tanks
- 50 percent discount on tier 5 regular medium tanks
- 30 percent discount on Panzer IV Schmalturm and M10 Panther
- deal at least 1000 damage in battle while surviving in a tier 4+ medium tank, get 50 percent crew XP bonus
- destroy at least 1 medium tank in battle in a tier 4+ vehicle, get 50 percent crew XP bonus
- destroy 50 medium tanks (repeatable) in a tier 4+ vehicle, get 10 gold repair kits, 10 gold medkits, 10 gold extinguishers
What is actually coming:
6.12.-9.12.: “David and Goliath”
- deal 1500 spotting damage and survive in a tier 4+ light tank, get 50 percent crew XP bonus
- deal 1250 damage in a tier 4+ heavy tank, get 50 percent crew XP bonus
Too bad – considering the previous mission leaks were reliable for months now, I was really looking forward to it, mea maxima culpa. But then, we should have not expected Wargaming EU to be THIS generous :)
3.12.2014
The option of T-34-85M actually NOT being the EU Christmas marathon tank rose once again, as Ectar made a snide remark of me “starting being known for posting false info” (referring specifically to the Insider articles), thus it’s completely possible the list of December missions was (unlike last months) loaded with placeholders in case of a leak. We’ll just have to see. But then, leaks never came with a guarantee, it is what it is.
Just to be sure, let me just explain you how this works real quick, so there is no misunderstanding. The Insider has access to developer conversations. It’s thus completely possible that he gets the wrong idea from some conversations, or connects the dots incorrectly (the female crews info turned out to be right, but were first thought to be a part of the recruit program and not the individual missions). Unless it’s an official statement by WG RU people (Storm, SerB, Evilly and others) or a supertest leak (those are so common now they are hardly leaks at all), there’s always a chance that the info is wrong or mixed. Even though I do my best to verify stuff from other sources, you’d be surprised of how much I did not post because it was simply unverifiable – a borderline example would be the recent Insider post, but since that particular insider was not the only source I heard the same piece of information from, I decided to leave that part of the Insider post there. On the other hand, you have WG staff claiming the opposite, so in the end, it’s only a choice of who you believe, nothing more).
I sort of hoped I wouldn’t need to explain all this again, but… okay. I think most of you guys understood even before this post, but just to be sure.
Now, to news.
Just in case you missed it – 9.5 common test comes tomorrow.
- SerB states he cannot comment on the company monetary policy of tying the prices to USD (SS: a player was complaining about price increases on RU server, caused by sharp ruble drop compared to USD)
- SerB states that the three caliber rule is not a myth, it works
- T37 hitpoints are given by “complex of characteristics” (a balance parameter)
- more lowtier Soviet tanks are not planned for now, it’s possible some will be released as some sort of reward/event tank
Reaction on the Hall of Shame Apology
Last post about the Hall of Shame, I promise :)
Player Der_Mittelfranke, who was insulted by the apologizing HoS ex-member contacted me with his reply to the matter and I was asked to – if possible – publish it. Why not – both sides get to talk. I think it’s an important example altogether of how things should really go. Thanks to both sides for settling this.
English translation (not mine):
Yes, I was the one who submitted those pictures (“Der_Mittelfranke”, EU-Server). I am certainly not a shy guy and when my nerves are stressed it might happen that I call other palyers “noobs”, “idiots” or “assholes”. I also understand other players, who occasionally lose their temper and write some insults in chat to their team. Everyone has a bad day every once in a while, gets bad teams or is trolled by RNGesus. If someone calls me an “idiot” or “asshole” I’m not going to make a screenshot of it or report it etc. I just don’t care enough to be arsed to do so. But what I can’t stand are those anonymous internet-warriors, who threaten you in RL by death or who make racist comments. I am sorry, but as a German, I don’t have any understanding for such actions, no matter how angry someone is at that very moment. The player in question is German himself. He should know that racist remarks regarding this period of our history are intolerable. No matter if it was a insult in a game or in RL. I have Jewish family members which could tell him some not-so-funny stories from that period of time.
Nevertheless, his apology is a step into the right direction. I accept his apology and hope, that he learned something from his misbehaviour so he doesn’t insult like this again in the future. For me this whole matter is closed.
Fixing the Panzer 38t nA in HD
Hello everyone,
some time ago, I wrote a an article about how Panzer 38t could (should) be fixed, because currently, it’s very unhistorical in the game. Today, we are going to have a look at Panzer 38t nA.
A little history first. The official vehicle name (factory one, anyway) was TNH neue Ausführung (n.A.), PzKpfw.38(t) n.A. was the German designation. It was a prototype vehicle, based on the original 38t, but – unlike its predecessor – it was designed specifically for the scouting role. The vehicle development was ordered by the Germans by the end of July 1940 (ČKD was the developer of course) and the first prototype was ready in December 1941. Five prototypes were made in total, with the last one being read in April 1942.
KTTS/ASAP 9.5
For now, only in Russian :) And yes, 9.5 CT will be tomorrow.
Inside:
- British tank branch: first half are US LL vehicles and Sherman Firefly, second half will be British tank destroyers with FV4005 Stage II as tier 10, it has a 183mm gun (analogical to the FV215b 183)
- the difference between FV4005 and FV215b is that it has much less armor, but good mobility
- as a part to make them different, FV215b frontal turret armor was significantly increased
- Panther 88 will also be added, it resembles Panther II, but is more comfortable
- Individual missions (see video for interface), they will be activated after 15.1.
- new maps (Ghost Town for team battles, symetrical map, Mittengard)
- some maps were smoothened (hills made flatter) to make life easier for tanks with bad depression
- improved minimap (tank names, place where the tank was spotted last)
Wargaming Acquires More KongZhong Shares
Source: http://top.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/01/12/2014/5478c633cbb20fd7cfb35ff4
Thanks to Maiorboltach for posting this in RU LJ community.
Wargaming excercised the option of buying 1 million KongZhong ADR’s (American Depositary Receipts) worth 5,94 million USD. For those who do not know, KongZhong is a Chinese company, exclusively producing World of Tanks for the Chinese market – according to Chinese law, you need a Chinese company to do that and so Wargaming partnered with KongZhong. This partnership was by the way the main (perhaps sole) reason for the introduction of the Chinese tank line, which is unsurprisingly popular over there.
Currently, Wargaming controls 4 million ADR’s, which equals to 160 million KongZhong shares. This transaction increased WG’s share of Kongzhong from 6,7 to 8,6 percent. The earlier 6,7 percent was purchased in 2012 (when WG gave KongZhong the exclusive rights for Chinese market) for an estimated sum of 17,8 million USD. Wargaming has the option to buy the 1 more million ADR’s until 2018, which would increase its share in KongZhong to 10,1 percent.
Wargaming of course has the right to recieve dividends from the shares they bought, which in October 2014 was 0,88 USD per ADR. For 4 million ADR’s, that makes 3,5 million USD.
According to the article, Wargaming was looking for a partner in China for quite some time (back then, Chinese gaming market went through some sort of crisis). The main Wargaming goal was to diversify its business and KongZhong, WG’s partner, was one of the largest Chinese game developers, founded in 2002 by Nick Young, a venture investor. The company’s estimated worth currently is cca 298 million USD.