35 missions in... (now 300)

[_ENO_]

Just a quick update on experience so far...

 

Having come from the ultra fast pace "Blitz" style of play I have to admit this has been a refreshing change. Being a ship fanatic... the novelty factor has been extremely high. Two of my favourite ships when I was a kid were the Atlanta class and the Bismark... Had an RC Bismark that I just loved until my 3 year old brother turned it into a transformer (from RC model to junk.) Little [edited]that he was back then! 

 

Anyway... Needless to say I dumped some money into both of those and have kept them in the back locker until such a time that I feel I know how to play them. I got drunk one night and said "heyargh... whay not!?" and likely infuriated my teams in 2 coop battles... I got it out of my system. 

 

The game has been a lot of fun for me and some of our membership from Triarii. We're set up on a TS3 server so we have comms for our divisions. The cooperative aspect of play really enhances the game... Voice quadruples that uplift. Playing solo just doesn't interest me. There are 6-8 of us grinding through upgrades at tier 4... I think most of us are at tier 4 right now across various lines and really enjoying the contributions from the community. A couple mods out there (1000000x thanks to the guy who made the F key silence mod) and a ton of resource material that has helped us learn the game and be competitive. 

 

I run a pretty high end system and am able to run with settings maxed and keep a pretty solid 40-60 frames throughout the game so the graphics are exquisite. No complaints about ping (30's)... game loads up quickly and I have not experienced any crashing or errors. The interface is relatively intuitive and easy to get used to- though I have found that the "locked on bearing / sector" function is a bit too subtle... I may be alone when I say this but I think the warning banner indicating the guns are locked should be more noticeable. Right now it sits quite high above the sightlines... I think it should be red, or flashing... or lower so that it's closer to your focused field of view. I'm not going to have a tantrum about it... but I do constantly find that I fire off full broadsides into lucrative targets only to find that I'm STILL shooting off in some other direction. It's a miracle I haven't sunk any of my own ships that way. Is there a mod out there that highlights this? How hard would it be to move that text down? Just wondering. 

 

The maps are a bit repetitive at this tier but I haven't found them to be tediously so this new in the game. I'm still enjoying the dynamics that each map provides. I feel they're a decent size for the ships capabilities at this point. 

 

I've seen a few graphics / sound glitches that aren't game ending by any stretch but worth mentioning- 

 

1) When you zoom out from taking a shot, no matter how long after, your guns show the animation of firing... Seems like an easy bug to fix.

2) Some weird HP change that happens when vessels come into sight. It's like the damage had already happened but the animation waits until you can see it before it drops down. 

3) The end game announcements are... off. The game ends and the announcement is "Victory is in sight" or something like that. They just seem to be mixed up a little... probably an easy fix. 

4) HE is like Napalm or some other incendiary... still trying to adjust to the concept as I spend mission after mission on fire from stem to stern.

 

 

Certainly not an expert by any means but one thing I learned from my time in Blitz was to spend a bit more time working in the tiers instead of racing up. I grinded like a boss up to tier X in Blitz only to have an awful win rate at that tier. I was a true wallet warrior- converting XP like crazy to hopscotch through tanks and tiers. I'm finding I don't mind taking it slower this time around... converting some XP to get upgraded modules but not in the hurry to get into upper tiers. I know I share this with all Triarii in that when I'm out there, I want to be a benefit to the team... 

 

So to those of you who have helped generate the resources for us to learn the game... A huge shout out to you. Perhaps we'll see you out there soon!

 

[RightYouAreKen]

Good observations and insight.  I've noticed the points you mention too.  Glad you're enjoying the game!

[BlackBeard1987]

33 Matches in is a day of playing for some people here. Its nothing, I honestly dont think its nearly enough to make any judgement on the game,  play a few hundred more, then write about your experience.

[w4golf]

33 Matches in is a day of playing for some people here. Its nothing, I honestly dont think its nearly enough to make any judgement on the game,  play a few hundred more, then write about your experience.

 

I think first impressions are important however. Yes, to overall dev, balance, etc. it's not nearly enough.  First impressions however are often going to dictate if that person gets to battle 500, 2,000, etc.   So I think it is good to get feedback on the initial impression, even if final polish, balance, meta comments more relevant once there's more experience.

[iEaTDaGrudge]

33 Matches in is a day of playing for some people here. Its nothing, I honestly dont think its nearly enough to make any judgement on the game,  play a few hundred more, then write about your experience.

 

I have a 2,194 battles and i'm a dedicated Cruiser escort for any BB's who play aggressive..do i have enough knowledge  to make any judgement or experience on this game sir?

[Ambiroa]

I agree, first impressions are very important, it makes the player decide whether he/she will even play a hundred more or leave.

 

Glad that you like the game, hope to sink see you sometime in the game

[WideloadViking]

Welcome to the game!  Feel free to ask any questions you may have.  MOST of us don't bite...

[WideloadViking]

Also, say the word when you are ready to take the PvE training wheels off.  Better to do that sooner rather than later if you are thinking PvP.  Happy to help.

[BlackBeard1987]

 

I have a 2,194 battles and i'm a dedicated Cruiser escort for any BB's who play aggressive..do i have enough knowledge  to make any judgement or experience on this game sir?

 

Ay Captain 

[Mizzerys_Fate]

1061 battles since OBT, 900+ on CBT....

Game is very fun and easy to learn.

Graphics are sweet. 

Only issue is fail divisions.

[_ENO_]

Also, say the word when you are ready to take the PvE training wheels off.  Better to do that sooner rather than later if you are thinking PvP.  Happy to help.

 

Oh- they fell off already. We're all about randoms now... I'd read that coop can develop bad habits that are tough to get out of so once I'd learned the keys we moved off to randoms. Much more fun and reward available there and to be honest the bots weren't sitting ducks... but could be a bit more predictable in their engagement patterns. Anyone on the fence of coop / random- it's not an uncomfortable step up so what are you waiting for!?

 

As for not having the right to post an opinion so far what with my limited experience... apparently no community is entirely bereft of the inane snobbery of experience- Glad to see that WoWs is no different.

 

I know when I was on the fence I was reading a lot of disparaging reviews from people who had all manner of opinions- figured I'd post one that was less weighted on balance and more on the general subject. Guys who have 1000 matches write about the game at a level that people who haven't played it can't understand... I write at the level of the newcomer. 

 

I respect the experience of others and look forward to developing in the game with their help- but for the experienced to come in and say I'm not entitled to an opinion because I don't play 35 missions per day is, in a word, ridiculous. 

 

 

[BlazerSparta]

1) This isn't limited to the guns. If you look at the exhaust smoke and your ship's wake, you'll notice that those don't render in binocular view either, so when you zoom out to ship view, both of those will also magically start forming again, after a stretch of water with nothing.

 

2) This shows you the game only tells you about enemy ships when they're in sight. What's likely happening is that the client firs receives an update on the ship's position when you spot it, so the game shows you a full HP ship, then the game receives the data about the ship's HP, after which it drops.

 

A similar bug is when you hit an enemy ship with multiple shots, sometimes the damage to their health bar is shown in 'steps'. First they lose one chunk of hp then a second later they lose the rest.

 

3) 'Victory is in sight' comes on whenever someone goes over 800 points regardless who is actually winning. 'our team has taken the lead' is based only on bases controlled, nothing else. More bases > you're leading. It's dumb as hell, but that's what our great developer decided on.

 

All three of these issues are minor, and given how long WG takes to fix even major issues, you can expect these to be here for a looong time.

[WideloadViking]

 

Oh- they fell off already. We're all about randoms now... I'd read that coop can develop bad habits that are tough to get out of so once I'd learned the keys we moved off to randoms. Much more fun and reward available there and to be honest the bots weren't sitting ducks... but could be a bit more predictable in their engagement patterns. Anyone on the fence of coop / random- it's not an uncomfortable step up so what are you waiting for!?

 

As for not having the right to post an opinion so far what with my limited experience... apparently no community is entirely bereft of the inane snobbery of experience- Glad to see that WoWs is no different.

 

I know when I was on the fence I was reading a lot of disparaging reviews from people who had all manner of opinions- figured I'd post one that was less weighted on balance and more on the general subject. Guys who have 1000 matches write about the game at a level that people who haven't played it can't understand... I write at the level of the newcomer. 

 

I respect the experience of others and look forward to developing in the game with their help- but for the experienced to come in and say I'm not entitled to an opinion because I don't play 35 missions per day is, in a word, ridiculous. 

 

 

 

Every community has its bad members.  Those are the ones jumping into what I thought was a good first thread and posting their well rehearsed rants.  Again, welcome, and as long as you can ignore the bad actors, you will have a lot of fun.  It is a great game that most of us enjoy!

[Patton5150]

1) This isn't limited to the guns. If you look at the exhaust smoke and your ship's wake, you'll notice that those don't render in binocular view either, so when you zoom out to ship view, both of those will also magically start forming again, after a stretch of water with nothing.

 

2) This shows you the game only tells you about enemy ships when they're in sight. What's likely happening is that the client firs receives an update on the ship's position when you spot it, so the game shows you a full HP ship, then the game receives the data about the ship's HP, after which it drops.

 

A similar bug is when you hit an enemy ship with multiple shots, sometimes the damage to their health bar is shown in 'steps'. First they lose one chunk of hp then a second later they lose the rest.

 

3) 'Victory is in sight' comes on whenever someone goes over 800 points regardless who is actually winning. 'our team has taken the lead' is based only on bases controlled, nothing else. More bases > you're leading. It's dumb as hell, but that's what our great developer decided on.

 

All three of these issues are minor, and given how long WG takes to fix even major issues, you can expect these to be here for a looong time.

 

#1 and #2 will probably be around for a long long long long long time.

#3  may be fixed in a reasonable amount of time.  All thats needed is some tweaks in the messages.

[_ENO_]

Well 100 battles in now and novelty is wearing off a bit. I get a little boost of it with every new ship but I do find that every ship "feels" the same- of course they do though... I'm playing down the US BB line and all that is really changing is the amount of HP and how many tracers I see when I fire a full broadside. 

 

I'm starting to understand some of the arguments I see online about "destroyers being too OP" and can understand it from both sides. I've been eviscerated by a Farragut's guns while I was flailing against it at 6km in a New York- and torpedoed by destroyers I never see... and I raged and wanted to come in here and talk about how stupid it is... but short of just saying it happened clearly the subject comes up enough that it's not thread worthy. I've also cackled maniacally at dismantling destroyers with occasional volleys from longer range- they're not called "tin cans" for nothin.

 

The games and the maps in general remain dynamic and one thing that I'm having to adjust to is the strategy involved in who caps and who laps... ie: who is chasing down the enemy and who is focusing on cap points. I paid a lot of attention to gunnery and how to hit targets with a maximum probability of success but quite often the team could hit 100% of targets they shot at (hypothetical) and still lose because someone played the caps better than we did. Playing a BB- I'm quite certain it's not up to me to charge caps... usually it's destroyers zooming around at 30+ knots- so am I supposed to support them or just let that whole thing play out and concentrate on the capital ships? Still adjusting to that since my div loses a lot of battles based on cap alone. So 100 battles in I'm finding I'm looking up a lot more about individual map strategy and game types than I am about shooting and avoiding torpedoes. 

 

I was left reflecting about one of my old favourites- Task Force 1942 and while it was only USN and IJN ships available they had a different gun director screen between the two nations. Right now you could be in any type of vessel from any nation and not be able to tell until you looked at it from outside. I'm not saying there should be a different one per vessel but having a different feel on the scope you look through would be a nice boost to the "feel" of that nation's vessels and their particular strong / weak points. Again- just opinion. 

 

Matchmaker isn't worth talking about and in and of itself reminds me of the Blitz matchmaker- sometimes you're the lead dog and sometimes you're fighting your way up from tail end charlie... it's all a matter of perspective. Guys who are skilled at low tier smack their chops at the prospect of mucho XP while guys who are sailing their New Mexico for the first time cringe and assume a hybrid fetal position that allows them to keep their hands on the keyboard and mouse. 

 

I'm a wallet warrior... In Blitz I called myself "THE" wallet warrior since grinding the same tank endlessly to accumulate sufficient XP for upgrades gets boring for me very quickly and I find the same thing is more than true for WoWs. I'll play my elited ships and then convert the XP over for use on the upgrade path to keep things fresh and while I do have a tier 6 BB I think my skill level is still about a tier 3-4. 

 

I've had some great missions in the Atlanta in tier 7... a couple of reasonable ones in the Tirpitz but been flattened many times more in both. So my suggestion to those new folks pushing up the lines will be to enjoy the change of pace of higher tiers but stay aware of what tier your skill level is most comfortable. That way you know after a few frustrating defeats you can retreat to a comfort zone and "shake it off" as you start to want to blame the losses on DDs and aerial torpedoes being OP. I wouldn't be surprised if EVERYONE has a fully teched out St. Louis for this purpose. I've nicknamed mine "Lucy." 

 

Know what the role of your ship is in the bigger picture and while it seems everyone can see it's not a "team" game per se, each individual person (with a few rogues) will be playing their own game within the performance envelope of their own ship- moreso at higher tiers. In lower tiers there are a lot of inexperienced people who don't give a crap either way and are just sailing around in circles shooting at things so no promises. As you get further ahead (I'm seeing much more role playing in tier V-VI and up), the trick is to learn which piece of the puzzle you are in that map, in that game mode, in that ship. THAT is what I've begun focusing my learning on.

 

Don't expect that cruiser to support you in your BB... there's no XP in that for him- The trick becomes trying to be aware of where he is so that he's in a position to support you as he's doing his own thing. It may mean that you don't get to go to your "FAVOURITE" place on the map every time... but it may help keep you in the fight long enough to make a difference.

 

Anyway- just a few thoughts 100 games in. 

[_ENO_]

300 games in and my perspective continues a gradual negative trend. I'd have stopped playing if not for the guys I div up with. This is nothing alarming or new- I was the same way in Blitz at 300 games... still played about 7000 missions so this isn't a hit and run story. 

 

The same thing that was / is / always will be annoying in Blitz is apparent here... Sometimes, no matter what you do you're going to miss while sometimes you're going to hit. Sometimes you're going to have the best game of your life and lose- other times you could sink two of your own ships right at the start, walk away and still win. It really invalidates your sense of contributing to the result... since RNG rolls the dice on your behalf. Been winning a lot lately? Well- he'll put a stop to that and rough waters are ahead. Been on a losing streak? No worries... eventually you'll come across a bunch of dudes who have been winning a lot and it's time for RNG to work against them- no matter what you've done. 

 

I'm predominantly a BB guy- just like I was predominantly a Russian heavy tank driver in Blitz. Maybe it is a bit slower twitch... Maybe it is a bit more point and shoot- but that's my speed. But when I'm done, I'll be a pretty good player with a solid foundation of knowledge in the chosen platform. 

 

This latest AP debacle has reassured me that they're one more step to "getting there" but disenchanting since it's evidently a problem that has lingered for awhile. I played battleships yesterday and it became clear quite quickly that cruiser drivers know what's up... BBs are spamming HE at everything so everyone spends half their life on fire since napalm was evidently a key ingredient of steel back in the day. I got to wondering whether or not HE was going to be given some "low pen" damage potential instead of just the splash with 10% fire chance. In tanks it has phenomenally low pen potential but if you achieved it you got maximus damage potential.

 

Annoyed that the stupid announcements still come out of order or at ridiculous times. 2 minutes into the match I'm getting a "THE ENEMY IS ABOUT TO WIN" message only to look up at the counter and see that the score is like G:330 - R:331 / 1000. I'm just grouchy about that... sorry to keep ranting about it. 

 

Premium content is dull and the weekend incentives are just completely uninspiring. X2 XP on your first win, and repeat ad nauseam. No equipment sales... no slot sales no anything. Premium shop has the same crap in it from when I started... oh wait- actually that isn't true. Tirpitz isn't in there anymore. 

 

It's still very much every captain for himself- unless you're in a division. I did have a neat interaction with a player last night- a self proclaimed "old guy." I guess he was looking over my shoulder as we got down to the last couple ships and dying moments of a mission with about 530-550 on the counter. Killed a destroyer and didn't think he had time to get torps off... oops. Feathered my ship almost impossibly through his spread and we took the match. The guy looking over my shoulder sent me a kudos after the game. It was pretty exhilarating- and the game created that... so kudos to it for those moments. 

 

On the unfortunate side I played for 4 hours last night... and played 3 maps, and one of those maps was only once. Haven't seen any of the new maps yet... Played that new central cap game mode last night but it was pretty evident in tier 4 that nobody knew how to complete it. Looking around in game I could find no rough instructions on what the objective was. Maybe I just wasn't looking in the right place. 

 

It feels like we're still in Beta- of course when I say this I can acknowledge that bugs are a reality of the gaming world... it just doesn't feel like WG was ready to accommodate people who showed up with their wallets hanging out of their pockets and dollar bills falling out of them. Fundamental mechanics in the game are broken and the entire game has been balanced around these damaged 0s and 1s. It's like they used the letter O instead of a 0 and only now just realized the error. 

 

So 300 games is still just a flicker of a candle in the sun compared to some of you guys... and I think the most reliable way there is to concentrate on doing the most damage you can with whatever platform you're in. Don't expect anything from anyone... if a BB wants to park a boatlength from cap at a critical moment and get torpedoed by an invisible destroyer resulting in a loss on a X2 weekend with your 100% XP increase flag and credit flags up on the best game you've ever played in your life- rage all you want but pick yourself back up and go back at it. 

 

And if you can't... this game is DEFINITELY not for you.