"And the young one will know everything." Review of the beta version

Another week in the beta test is coming to an end. During this time, I've managed to single-handedly capture the enemy's flag in the fastest tank in the game, the A-20, hold the base when it was stormed by a squad led by the seemingly invincible IS-4, I've been set ablaze after being hit by shells from the gigantic artillery SPG SU-14, and I shot down many enemies while sitting on a Wespe. I rode a tractor to which the engineers mistakenly attached a turret, and controlled one of the best heavy tanks. I even got a chance to take a ride in the legendary T-34. And it seems the time has come to write my memoirs...

Worm of Doubt

When I was told in secret that Wargaming.net was going to develop an MMO, I wasn't exactly thrilled. I even stated aloud that our online successes were almost nonexistent. That was several years ago, just after the release of Operation Bagration.

Later, it turned out that Wargaming.net wasn't making an MMORPG, as I initially thought, but online tank battles. However, that didn't inspire me much either. Arcady rides on big metal beasts, especially in free2play, from those who had never dealt with network projects before. In the previous Bagration, hardly anyone played online...

Even when I saw the working version of the game at KRI, I was still very apprehensive. Not very beautiful tanks moving across vast empty maps from Order of War, shooting at each other chaotically while the developers were saying that everything would change, that the version was very early, and that in the final product we would get so much sweetness and joy that we would never want to look at orcs and elves again. And with all my respect for Wargaming.net — I continued to doubt.

I doubted when I conducted a global interview about the project, when I watched videos from the alpha version, when I got beta keys, when I created a clan for the game, and when I was entering my username and password. But now — I have no doubts. I know exactly what the game will be like. What will it be like? Let's talk about that.

Let me clarify. What you're seeing is not the final version; we are currently testing the very early beta, which lacks a huge number of features and characteristics that will appear either soon or immediately after release. Even the graphics will change. So for now, these are just impressions that came exclusively from battles with random teams without gaining new levels, without specializations, without a global clan mode, without all the tanks, and without a lot, very very much.

Engaging Tractor Building

“World of Tanks” begins in the garage. A small gray room where our first little tanks sit. It's very hard to call these things tanks. It's clear they have roots in tractors. Just the name of the German vehicle Leichttractor hints at this. And I didn't call them little tanks by accident; they are indeed very tiny. Even somewhat cute, funny.

And if we could just admire them — that would be great. The Soviet MS-1 resembles a tiny critter that you want to pet. However, it's not a souvenir; it's our tank, and we are going to our first battle with it.

When you're sitting on something so tiny, other players seem like giants. A self-propelled gun passes by, and if it had turned a little to the right, it would have surely crushed us. The enemy is also huge. And there's no way to penetrate them. So in the beginning, we just drive to the center of the field and die. Then we go out again and die again...

However, when you accumulate enough for the first weak but still somewhat playable tank, you start to get into it and see that in World of Tanks, it's not just a bunch of random players doing whatever they feel like; there's some overall tactic, strategy, someone takes command, others listen to them and follow rare but important orders.

And you realize that here, in a game about tanks, there are even classes and specializations. And that each player has their own role in battle.

We Walked Under God — Under the God of War, Artillery Covered Us

I ended up with an SPG. Initially, a very simple one, but later I bought a Wespe, then a SU-8, and enlisted in the ranks of artillerymen. The pilots of these machines can be compared to snipers sitting far away in the bushes, killing enemies with a single shot. Self-propelled guns deal the highest damage and can penetrate the thickest armor, but the problem is — they are incredibly slow and can be taken out by even light tanks, so they have to hide in the rear and monitor the battle from a bird's eye view (that's how their aiming looks).

One of the earliest SPGs. You don't really know how to play it yet, hiding it under a hill and not in bushes...

The sensations from the game are special. Since we view the map from above, it feels like we're not actually participating in the battle. Artillerymen observe their comrades, write in chat, and roughly look for where the enemy might be. However, while we can peek into any corner of the map, we can only see those enemies our allies can spot. If we successfully spot a light tank SPG in the bushes, we aim, wait a moment, and shoot. If we’re lucky — we blow it up; if not, we wait for a long reload and send another projectile toward the enemy.

Note: players have invented a term that means when one of the tanks spots enemies, and thanks to him, the whole team sees them — this is called “light,” hence “light tanks,” and “light sources.”

But that's in theory. In practice, the artilleryman is the one on whom almost all players on the team place great hopes. A light tank rushes to the enemy's base, wildly shouting in chat: “SPOTTING!!!!” and praying that the SPG blows up all those who are frantically shooting at him. Or when the team sees heavy and medium enemy tanks approaching — again, everyone thinks only about how the artilleryman does not miss his shot...

This is how an SPG sees the world. Very convenient, in fact.

A good artilleryman, unlike a novice, never wastes time. He knows approximately where the enemy is, understands how the scouting will go, and where the map will be opened, so the SPG “escorts” allies. They lead the aiming ahead of the scout and, as soon as they spot an enemy — they wait a couple of seconds and fire.

Note: the howitzer takes a long time to aim, and it rotates awfully slowly, and if you looked in one direction while the enemy appeared in the other, then allies will die three times while you aim at them. Therefore, you must know where you can spot the enemy.

Object of Desire. The best SPG in the game. Looks like a monster, for some reason reminds me of a steam locomotive...

It turns out to be amusing. While tanks are fighting “on the ground,” you’re fighting from “the air,” seeing the whole battle like a strategist playing an RTS. However, you can also fight a bit differently. For example, if the team is panicking and shouting that the enemy has terrible artillery that brings fear and death and we will all perish, you can hunt for it. You aim at the enemy base approximately at the center and wait for a kamikaze light tank to break right into the enemy lair and glow there for a few seconds like a Christmas tree. And now everything is in your hands — eliminate the enemy SPG, and you’re a hero, but if you miss, your comrade dies in vain, and your team may be left without scouting for the entire game...

However, artillerymen make up a small percentage of all players. There are often matches where one team has only one or two SPGs. Much more common are those who drive TDs. These self-propelled guns are closer to tanks. They have powerful guns, but no turrets, and their maneuverability leaves much to be desired. Therefore, players of this class also fight particularly. They are not as timid as their artillery comrades, but still prefer to hide. The main column of vehicles moves, but all the TDs trudge a little behind and, when they spot the enemy, jump for cover or bushes and begin to sow good with their powerful guns.

One of the most wonderful starting SPGs in the beta. Many started playing “seriously” from it.

Or during the attack on the enemy base while tanks are fighting up close and are almost at the flag, self-propelled guns fire from afar. The point is they deal high damage and can penetrate almost any armor. The SU-85, far from a top SPG, can take away about 10% health from a heavy IS-3 from the side, while the SU-100 can even take down an IS-4, as long as comrades distract the “heavyweight.”

Basics or How Tanks Win

Somehow, I strangely started the story about “World of Tanks” not with tanks. But the fact is these combat machines are very multifunctional and diverse. For example, a medium tank can serve as a scout, an assault force, a spy-catcher, and cover. Moreover, the class of “medium tanks” includes combat vehicles that differ greatly from one another...

Epic battle. Me and my friend tractor against a Tiger. After the little one fired round number fifteen at the enemy, he shouted in chat: “Tough, bastard!”

Therefore, I won't talk more about who does what. Let’s instead discuss how the battle looks in general.

After players are spread into teams and the waiting period ends, during which fighters decide what to do and who will command, the battle begins. You can win in two ways — either capture the enemy base (you need to stand in a small circle near the flag and wait a few seconds) or destroy all enemies. The battle commander determines how the team should act. For example, if the enemy has more powerful tanks, it's better to play defensively; if we have an IS-3 and the enemy doesn't — it’s worth moving forward ourselves. But this isn't even strategy; it's just the foundation for future tactics. Much can change in battle, but since in the beta you still cannot unite into clans, many plans are rather chaotic. However, after the release, everything will certainly be different.

However, even now, if an experienced team gathers together, it becomes very fun. And to not be empty words, I’ll recount a battle that, let’s say, happened today. I will choose one of the last five battles and describe it. I will deliberately not talk about the most memorable battle. Let’s look at a standard, shall we say, ordinary duel.

The reticle of all tanks looks like this.

Wedding Battle in Malinovka

I'll briefly describe the map. Two bases stand opposite each other. Both on a slight slope, where there are many bushes, several buildings behind which you can hide, and various natural obstacles. On the right side is a lake, near which is a swamp, and on the other bank is a village. In the center of the map is an absolutely clean field. However, to attack through it is absurd. If any slow tank shows up there, it gets destroyed in seconds. Self-propelled guns, howitzers, tanks - everyone starts to shoot. You can go through the swamp; it's somewhat lower than the field level and has abundant vegetation, making tanks practically invisible, but if enemy scouts discover such an incursion, then artillery will start firing relentlessly, and the attack will fail (the movement speed slows down there, making it hard to flee from fire quickly). You can make a detour and go through the village, but that takes longer and may be unsafe.

I hope this is clearer

In this case, both teams are not entirely equal in strength. The enemy has an IS-3, and we are without heavy tanks. Therefore, a decision is made to defend. Everyone hides in the bushes, self-propelled guns move deep into the rear, and “light tanks” prepare to show us the enemy positions so that we can shoot down a few tanks on that side of the field right from the start.

I am on the SU-100, going around the lake and positioning myself on a hill from which I can see the swamp and the center of the field well. If the enemy decides to take the shorter and relatively safe route, and our A-20 and BT (light tanks) spot them, I will be able to fire into the flank and even have the opportunity to take out the IS, and perhaps even more (though I can hardly expect to go unchecked; I'm soberly watching the fight: if I start taking out the main strength of the opponents, they will immediately focus on me — 2-3 shells will come flying at me from their artillery). Our others also took positions, and the order was given for scouts to move out.

My position. Our base is on the left, the enemy's on the right. In front of me is the swamp and the field

The A-20 starts circling in the center: the fighter drives to the middle of the field, goes for two seconds, and quickly dashes back. Active shooting begins right away. Our light tank is seen by all enemies, and therefore, about seven shells explode around the scout. Immediately, our artillery responds with volleys. One enemy self-propelled gun is already destroyed, our A-20 makes a second lap (the whole team stops seeing the enemy the moment the tank stops “spotting”). A few more shots from our howitzers are made, someone gets hit, but now enemy BTs are moving to the center, and it becomes total chaos for the speedy yet small combat vehicles — everyone is shooting, explosions are everywhere, the field is riddled, our A-20 has its track torn off, and then it gets hit by about five shells — already destroyed.

After the first battle, we have one scout left. Casualties so far have been minimal: an A-20 and a medium tank destroyed by artillery. What to do next — remains a question. The enemy clearly isn’t rushing to attack; they probably want to take out as many of us as possible before the main clash. Meanwhile, our last light tank is wandering through the village, trying to enter the enemy's rear in order to eliminate the terrifying SU-14 (the best artillery in the game). But things aren’t working out for him.

A few minutes later, the A-20 panics and reports: “IS-3 is coming through the village!” and immediately races back to base. I also need to get going. Because the enemy is just about to pass by. But while I’m turning my not-so-maneuverable SU-100, the enemy’s quick self-propelled gun turns out to be right beside me. It is so small that it only slightly damages my armor; I send a massive shell into its side, blow it up, and hastily head back to base.

Picture from another battle. This is how the A-20 circles around the center of the map

What to do? The enemy is flanking us, and if the IS-3 is well-covered, and nearby their SU-14 starts firing, it will be extremely challenging for us to withstand. I suggest a plan: three TDs and one fast medium tank stay at base, while all the others head through the field to the enemy base. If our SPGs can hold for at least five minutes, we will win.

That’s how we proceed. According to calculations, the IS-3 with its escort is somewhere in the middle of the detour, while our tanks begin to assault the base. There’s a defending group of the enemy remaining, but no matter how they scream in chat, the main force won’t have time to turn around. While our tanks push through there, we encounter the first enemy tanks here. The artillery, as expected, also goes in for the attack, swiftly knocking one fighter out of the game. The light tanks attempt to swoop in from behind and start to dismantle me for parts, but our medium tank scares them away — that’s why we kept him.

Another battle. Now we are chasing the IS and hoping to catch the enemy by surprise

When the giant IS-3 finally appears, our team is gradually capturing the flag. I manage to take about 40% armor off the heavy tank, but then their entire armada arrives, and we start getting hit from seven guns simultaneously. My SU-100, of course, couldn’t withstand it, but we won. The enemy base was captured just as they began to take ours.

Without Minors

And that’s just one simple battle. How many of these happen in a day? Even on a light tank, I find myself observing the fight and designing tactical schemes, while on artillery I concoct strategies for victory. I won't say that every single battle becomes a complex duel where one team strives to outsmart the other. No, there are times when weak players make up the team, and terrible mistakes happen right at the start after which you can only fall together with everyone. Even bloodless duels occur. The first team goes one way to the enemy base, the second goes a different path. They don't see each other, then capture flags. The one that gets there quicker wins.

“Tasty cake. Yum-yum”

However, battles like the one I just described happen more often than any others. And, you know, this is a wonderful feature of World of Tanks. A leisurely yet suitably dynamic gameplay that requires a lot of grey matter and an interesting setting.

Even now, in the beta, the game is incredibly appetizing. And we haven’t really received sets of new levels yet; there are no tank branches, no clans... But what will come next? Next — it will only get better. As I mentioned earlier, I know what kind of game this will be. It’s going to be wonderful.

And I hope that the free2play system will be similar to that in **[Battlefield Heroes](http://www.gamer.ru/games/645-battlefield-heroes)**, where you can play comfortably without spending a dime.

And finally, just a few more images. This will be part one:

Part two:

Final part: