World of Tanks - Free to play Panzer MMO

I'm a lucky memeber of the closed EU beta, any other orgahs also playing?

For those who may be interested, more details are here on the Game's home site.

Suffice it so say that this is plays a bit like a more tactical FPS, except everyone is in a tank :happy:. I am very happy to report that it is NOT a twitch fest, although that option is probably also available if you fancy it.

There are 5 classes of vehicle which you can use, unlock each through research, enabled by gaining experience from battles and killing stuff.

The classes are: Light tank, Medium tank, Heavy tank, Self Propelled Gun (indirect fire arty) and Anti Tank Gun (direct fire, also self propelled of course). Each class has a fairly distinct battelfield role and the reward (xp, credits) system is optimised to encourage class-like behaviour, e.g. Light tanks scouting, arty firing on targets the light tanks reveal, medium tanks attacking, heavies defending, ATs defending/supporting.

The tank tech tree is split between USSR and Germany, with a few other Allied tanks thrown into the mix too. You start at the early days of tank time (well, the tanks of the 1920s) and work your way up through to the vehicles of 1945.

To start with, you are kind of limited to some funny looking things that might have seen action in the Ukraine or Spanish Civil War, but which are rapidly out-gunned, out-maneuvered and out-armoured by newer vehicles.

The battle balance doesn't throw low level tanks and players in with Veterans though so its still fun pootling around in an armoured lawn mower with a turret mounted pop gun.

You also get to improve your tanks, adding modifications and improvements: better guns, bigger engines etc. Each of these add ons has a battle field effect too, from better recon/comms to lethality.

I'm Eightball in the beta, playing German tank destroyers (currently on a JagdPanzer 4). This game is incredibly addicting, because it's an MMO that makes grinding fun.

I've played nearly non-stop the last week.

Looks pretty good. I signed-up, but knowing my luck I won't get accepted.

cool, I'm also "alh_p" in WoT, nearly ready to go from and AT-1 to an SU75 or a PzKwII to either a Wespe or PzKwIII... still not sure. Not played arty yet either so might buy myself a Bison and train up my skills in the recruit matches before deciding how to graduate to playing with the big boys (and their big tanks).

Quite enjoying the AT or Medium Tank role so far.

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Originally Posted by Psychonaut

Looks pretty good. I signed-up, but knowing my luck I won't get accepted.

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There are a few games news sites with beta keys. I found one that gave me a key in return for giving them a junk email address.

Still haven't gotten a beta key. :/

I try not to play MMOs.....but self propelled artillery won me over. Signed up.

I applied for the beta but since I'm a bot, I failed entering the correct letters from the picture two times...

You can "purchase" a code here. Since it cost 0$ all you need to do is fill out the information with a correct email address. Then you goto your email, get the key and register it here.

Man, arty in this game is so over powered right off the bat. I could be moving in a zig zag and it will hit me dead on for an insta kill.

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Originally Posted by Veho Nex

Man, arty in this game is so over powered right off the bat. I could be moving in a zig zag and it will hit me dead on for an insta kill.

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Arty is definitely overpowered with the lower tier tanks. Combine that with a game-matching system that often gives both sides 5 artillery and it seems really unfair. But your tanks will get better and if you play a while, there seems to be less artillery in the higher-tier fights. Use cover where available and if you're a light tank, make sure to spot for your overpowered arty :P

To add to ATPG's advice, try to stay in cover -behind buildings and other obstacles, this will shield you from Arty shots. Unfortunately, zig-zagging in the tier 1 tanks probably doesnt improve survivability much as they are so slow. Tanks get faster and harder with each tier, the MS-1 and Leichtractor are particularily fragile and ponderous. Get yourself a BT-25 and you will cause people no end of headaches trying to land a shot on your speedy tank.

I had a go at playing arty and it is very frustrating. Reloading is so slow, the vehicle so weak and the need for an escort/defense so acute that it can be painful.

I rolled nazi for my first teiring run through. Just 5k points shy of my p3 light. I would already have it but I accidentally bought the luchs instead.

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Originally Posted by alh_p

To add to ATPG's advice, try to stay in cover -behind buildings and other obstacles, this will shield you from Arty shots. Unfortunately, zig-zagging in the tier 1 tanks probably doesnt improve survivability much as they are so slow. Tanks get faster and harder with each tier, the MS-1 and Leichtractor are particularily fragile and ponderous. Get yourself a BT-25 and you will cause people no end of headaches trying to land a shot on your speedy tank.

I had a go at playing arty and it is very frustrating. Reloading is so slow, the vehicle so weak and the need for an escort/defense so acute that it can be painful.

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It's hard for light tanks to take cover; if they're really laying low they aren't doing their job :P But as a TD, I live and die by cover. :3

And arty's counter is pretty easy, once you their position is given away. I have a BT-7 I mess around in sometimes, and on one map I found an unguarded SU-8 (high level soviet arty) and just circled it for a good five minutes. It took about 30 shells to bring it down (low tier gun vs. high tier armor) but it couldn't turn fast enough to face me. I think if I was that arty guy I'd throw my monitor across the room.

Looks pretty cool, Gonna have to try it out.


Edit: not bad, although I personally stink. I don't think I am cut out for a light Tank........

I got the code and I am going to give this a shot for the "lolz". Know nothing about the game, but from what I seen in thread, I hope there is a T-34 with my name on it.

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Originally Posted by Beskar

I got the code and I am going to give this a shot for the "lolz". Know nothing about the game, but from what I seen in thread, I hope there is a T-34 with my name on it.

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I hope so too, although i should warn you it'll take a little while to get it.

You'll have to cut your teeth on motorised biscuit tins first... ;)

Got the code just now!!
I'll download the client over-night and then start tomorrow morning.

Got my code as well and was playing until a few minutes ago, when the battle was laggy and the connection to the game servers was lost.
And I just earned my new PzKpfW 35(t) or what it's called...

Got my PZ III/IV yesterday. Feels nice to be able to at least damage the higher tiers. I figure a Panther will fit me pretty well, so I am moving towards that. Well see if I get it before the Beta ends and the wipe happens :tongue:

Took a whirl in a Bison as well to get a feel for Artillery. Its is a lot more difficult than I expected, and I feel a lot less like complaining about how overpowered it is :tongue: The Reloading truly is agonizing. And I realize that when I have been moving full speed I need to stop moving in straight lines. Straight lines are Artillery's friend :beam:.

The PZ4 and all the VK(whatever numbers) before the Panther are ace, too. The PZ4 with all upgrades is unreasonably dangerous, mostly because it's got a Panther turret on it. :P

Currently I'm doing well with my JagdPanther, finally got the suspension upgrade and the first (slightly better) engine, so I can at least turn to shoot at light tanks.

Forget Artillery, Track damage is by far more annoying! I swear, every time I am hit I end up immobilized and a sitting duck. Man is it frustrating. Always at the worst possible time too.

I finally got my BT-2, but it keeps dying, doh. But what is really weird, my MS-1 is now killing things.

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Originally Posted by Beskar

I finally got my BT-2, but it keeps dying, doh. But what is really weird, my MS-1 is now killing things.

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Could it be your crew? Once you get a decent crew on a tank things get a lot easier with it, and you also probably have all the upgrades for the MS-1. Hence for now it might seem like the MS-1 is better :tongue:

Yeah, if your crew is 40% or higher on a tank and you get the next tier tank, you should transfer the crew over. Take the crew out of the new tank, put the old ones in, then retrain them on the new tank.

A good crew makes a huge difference.

And Drizzt, at least you have a turret to swing around if you're immobilized. As a TD driver all I can do is cry. :P

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Originally Posted by Alexander the Pretty Good

And Drizzt, at least you have a turret to swing around if you're immobilized. As a TD driver all I can do is cry. :P

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Good point, I don't envy you.

I've kind of lost interest in this game over the last few days. Untill there is a fix for the non recruit battles to be tiered, and not feature 10 Tigers apiece while I am driving around in a Luchs...

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Originally Posted by alh_p

I've kind of lost interest in this game over the last few days. Untill there is a fix for the non recruit battles to be tiered, and not feature 10 Tigers apiece while I am driving around in a Luchs...

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I hear you. Farming credits in a Stug is tough when you're facing off with multiple IS's. I was fortunate to cut my teeth in the beta early on, so I was driving mostly comparable TDs.

There should be a big patch (hopefully with tiers) sometime in August, Wargaming.net is testing it now but they're being vague about what's in it and what isn't.

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Originally Posted by alh_p

I've kind of lost interest in this game over the last few days. Untill there is a fix for the non recruit battles to be tiered, and not feature 10 Tigers apiece while I am driving around in a Luchs...

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Once you hit Tier 5 it gets a lot better. Your are still up against tigers, but if you are smart you can get some damage on him, and a pack of tier 4-5's can cause some major headaches for a heavy. Its all about working together. (and hoping they aren't working together) The Luch's or Aus is garbage on wheels, You just need to find a way to get out of it ASAP.

They are saying that the next patch may have a way to form small groups of friends that would be on the same team, and I think that once that happens tactics are going to be a lot better and we will see a lot more working together. Which will be good.


Have to say, the Clan wars mode for the Full release looks awesome, I am really looking forward to that.

I can't see that there is a thread about this game.
Husar mentioned it in the "what are you playing" thread, and I had to go and have a looksie.

The game is just about to go public beta, but they will still hand out invitations for the closed beta as I got one yesterday.
I spent an hour or two playing last night, and my first impression was: Oh noes, it has a Travian system with gold, that can buy advantages.

Second impression: Oh, this is going to take time playing.
You start out with a choice of three crappy tin-cans (USSR: MS-1, Germany:Leichttraktor, US: T1 Cunningham).
Playing standard games will give you experience and silver to research upgrades and buy them.
I thought that I wouldn't spend any on the crappy tin-box and rather wait until I had the money to buy a better tin-box -> like the Pz II, but you just aren't able to earn enough being cannonfodder in a slow and crappy box with tinfoil wrapped around it. You need to upgrade your Leichttraktor (my choice) to make any form of real progress. I got all the upgrades including the 20mm rapid shooting cannon (default is a 37mm 47 shell slow cannon) and I suddenly got some points and silver.

Not sure about how this game will be. I suspect that it will be down-loadable for all, but it will have a monthly fee like MMORPG's.
When I finally had enough money to buy the PzII, I realized that you need a steady income to support your warfare. If you tin box is shot down (it will happen) you have to pay for the repairs. You will also pay for the ammunition and other hotfix objects that you can carry with you to the battlefield.

On the battlefield you start on one of two teams. The tin boxes are mixed (US, Germany and USSR on same side). The object of the game is to either shoot out all the tin-boxes on the opposite team or take their home base.
There is a tier system that ensures that you are not playing against PzV's while in a Leichttraktor. You opponents are of similar stock. Getting a better tin box will lift you to a higher tier and other games.
I guess in the lowest tier there is room for a few better tanks, since I saw a few PzII and Pz35 in addition to one or two medium tanks (US: T2). Getting the PzII I was put into a game with tank destroyers and moving artillery which killed me instantly. Second game in the PzII was back in familiar maps with the crappy tin boxes.

This is a first impression and I might have misjudged many aspects of it, but I just love tank games. My favourite was Battlefield 1942 and the all tank desert map.