[World of Warships] News/Screens/Videos/Infos

[Galien]

The ins and outs of Closed Alpha – Expectations vs Reality

Captians!



In “The ins and outs of Closed Alpha” series of posts we’ll be hearing from 3 Alpha Testers from all three regions to find out their initial impressions of World of Warships. Expect battle reports, heaps of praise, and maybe the odd harsh truth, as we hear what it’s like to be actively involved in the testing of World of Warships!


Action Stations!


Questions asked during this session:

What is your in-game nickname?
How long have you been a World of Warships Alpha Tester?
Expectations vs Reality – What did you expect to see in World of Warships before becoming an Alpha Tester? Have those expectations changed since you have been an Alpha Tester?

European region

0ptImuS_Pr1mE (for players in Russian region known as Kazablankasrb)

I’ve been playing World of Warships since November. I expected another great, fast, easy and detailed game from Wargaming. World of Tanks and World of Warplanes don’t have too much detail on the tanks and planes so my biggest doubt was how the graphics and designs of ships would look but all these doubts fell away when I become an alpha tester.



Csatahajos - In Closed Alpha since September 2013.

I have to say that, while I had a pretty good idea about the graphics even before I joined alpha, it was still a surprise how good the actual product looked (and it’s gotten even better since then). Gameplay wise, I’ve got pretty much what I expected based on World of Tanks, in some respects a bit more, in some a bit less, but overall it’s pretty enjoyable already.



EvolGrinZ - In Closed Alpha for about 2 months now.

I tried to enter the alpha stage without having too many expectations: if you expect too much, you will probably end up disappointed, but since I also play World of Tanks and World of Warplanes I expected a game in the same style with the same feeling but with ships.

As an early alpha tester of World of Warplanes, I remember how basic everything was – hardly any menus, no chat, no plane preview etc – so I was quite amazed to see how far the game had progressed already when I entered the World of Warships alpha. It has a ship previewer, menus, a chat and even the graphics aren’t really bad either.

I thought the gameplay was going to be quite slow but it’s not really that slow. Well of course, it’s slower than World of Warplanes and World of Tanks but still fast enough to make it interesting and fun to play. It doesn’t take long before you engage in combat and you hear the shells whistle as they fly over you, making big towers of water as they land all around your ship with you trying to manoeuvre, trying not to get hit.

North American region

Mourneblade – 4 weeks in Closed Alpha

I have been an Alpha Tester for other games before so I had few expectations. I can say the game is quite polished for an Alpha. It actually feels more like a closed beta in my opinion.



BaconClapper (in Russian region), Skygunner (North American region) - In Closed Alpha since the very beginning

I expected a game with ships that shoot each other, in that regards I couldn’t be disappointed. What I got was so much more that naturally my expectations started to rise, and so far WoWS has continued to either meet them or show progress toward any unmet.



Quaffer - In Closed Alpha since November 2013

I expected the interface to be much less refined than it is. It’s actually very elegant and the graphics are an order of magnitude more advanced than I expected.

Russian region

sauvage77

I have been fond of the navy since my childhood, including games with a maritime theme such as Silent Hunter and Steel Monsters. So before receiving access to World of Warships I knew what I wanted to see, and since receiving my invitation to the alpha test I have not been disappointed at all. I was surprised and pleased with the thorough and meticulous attention to detail, which shows that development team has been working hard on the models. Moreover, as a longtime navy fan, I was pleased to see the so-called “paper” ships in the game. These ships have only existed in the form of drawings or sketches, but in World of Warships you have a chance to take command and fight in combat on par with ships that were actually built.



Shantaramka

I’ve been involved with World of Warships since the first focus test, so I have a special relationship with the project. Since that time I have seen the content improve, new features developed, and the gameplay mechanics refined. When I first got to alpha, I noticed how the game had changed since our last meeting. First of all, I was pleased with the dock. Although the layout is similar to the garage from World of Tanks, but still it looks very fresh and original. In addition, the ship’s controls have significantly improved since the time of the focus test, and with every patch the system becomes more convenient.



Kolovorot13

I started preparing myself for alpha a few months before it started. I was studying books about the navy and speculating on what will be in the game. I love aircraft carriers, so as soon as alpha started I chose this class of ships for my first battle. In this battle, I realized that it was exactly what expected – intense and dynamic ship fighting.

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/the-ins- ... s-reality/

[Galien]

How do you level up a ship? Research in World of Warships

In modern PC games there are numerous ways to research and develop your player character. You are free to develop certain skills or perks, making your character stronger, quicker and tougher. So what actually happens when you level grind in our game? Well, the main heroes in World of Warships are the ships themselves: battle units that possess nothing resembling dexterity, magic or ability to forge items. On the other hand, they do possess features like powerful engines and armaments, armour and numerous technical elements.

Researching these things, as on real life ships, is far from an easy task. You cannot simply add an additional main caliber turret without affecting the overall construction and / or superstructures. You also cannot simply increase the vessel’s deadweight by several thousands of tons and completely ignore the preservation of its flotation features and travel speeds.

World of Warships is devoted to WWII era warships, that’s why the in-game research system is based on the actual evolution principles that the biggest maritime countries were governed by in those days. The Washington Naval Treaty, signed in 1922, defined the maximum number of fleets or units, and their gross tonnage, that a country might possess. The limitations of this treaty was the reason why engineers decided to improve the existing ships by any means possible. In some cases they were lucky enough to increase battle performance without essential changes in a ship’s construction. A good example of such transformations is the Japanese destroyer “Tatsuta” that underwent only 2 modernisations during its service time. During the first upgrade, which took place in 1926, the foremast was replaced by a tripod mast. The second one (in 1940) gave the ship enhanced engines and her 13 mm “Type 93″ machine guns were replaced by 25 mm “Type 96″ cannons. The ship’s exterior had not been largely affected, yet she had become faster and now had improved AAA sites. It is this is the exact same path that we have prepared for our players in order to enhance their vessels in World of Warships.

So how do the developers themselves see this process? We had, in fact, considered several possible variants for the research system before the project had even been started.

The first thing that came to mind was the possibility of players being able to replace modules locally with ship’s hull remaining unaffected. However this is not appropriate due to the numerous connections between modules and other on-board systems. Realising this, we came to the idea of “research presets” that imply the simultaneous replacement of several interrelated modules. This approach turned out to be no better for much the same reason.

The ships that historically underwent many modernisations were the most complex to assess. The most vivid example is the USS New Mexico. As of 1918, her hull was protected only by belt armour. Consequent modernisations (between 1931 and 1933) granted the ship bulges so as to increase rigidity and torpedo protection.

USS New Mexico battleship, modification as of 1918.

In 1933 it was decided to change the construction of the main caliber turrets in order to increase their elevation angles. AAA cannons were mounted and directors and range finders were replaced.

Battleship USS New Mexico, 1933.

These innovations demanded changes in the ship’s superstructures and the consequent mounting of ‘Bofors” AAA cannons again demanded repeat modernisation.

Battleship USS New Mexico, 1945.

You may see from the images that the exterior of the USS New Mexico altered considerably in the course of several decades. It would have been strange to add main caliber armaments from 1945 to the original 1918 hull without replacing the range finders and fire-control tower which could easily have been done during the period of construction.

Taking all of this into consideration made us implement a third variant – the separate research of each version of a ship. We make 2 – 4 hull modules per each ship, with authentic superstructures, masts and other details. The armament relevant to each period is mounted further on, of course. We may say that the USS New Mexico has easily set a record in this: In order to visually reflect all real modifications of this ship we had to introduce 5 models with dozens of configurations.

Of course there are other interesting exceptions like the USS Lexington. Initially this ship was planned as a battle cruiser but consequently rebuilt as an aircraft carrier – that’s what would a historian would say anyway. However, the World of Warships team sees the Lexington as two different ships, with separate models and production cycles. They even may theoretically, meet each other in a battle.

Working on models essentially requires digging into blueprints and photos provided by our historical consultants. Of course, interesting gameplay requires more than historical performance data. Together with game designers we develop individual configurations of vessels for each tier. This ensures optimal game balance.

Therefore, research in World of Warships reproduces all possible historical realities and gameplay requirements. Every change in a ship’s construction is being accounted for, of course, if they actually happened. However, do not forget about the so-called “paperships” – the vessels that were never built and existed only as blueprints and documents. The research of these kinds of vessel is a different story altogether and one that we will cover in future articles.

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/how-do-y ... -warships/

[Galien]

Busting the Myths of World of Warships pt. 1

Captains!

During World of Warships’s development many myths and conspiracies also sprang into existence, many of which were established amongst the fans. You know, sometimes there are situations, when even we forget if we’re actually going to add submarines or night battles to the game or not. So let’s sort it out together! To restore the peace, today we’re going to recall and destroy the most resilient legends about World of Warships, hopefully, without bringing to life any new ones.


Myth #1. Submarines in World of Warships. A wish or reality?

The World of Warships project is dedicated to large-scale, naval warfare involving dozens of military vessels. Unfortunately, submarines do not fully fit here. They are slow and bulky and are essentially helpless on the surface and their underwater position renders them useless for battling as part of a team.

In addition to this, the introduction of underwater vessels will complicate the game’s mechanics. The team would also have to design underwater landscapes, develop interfaces and build whole 3D gameplay models. Submarines undoubtedly are material for a fully-fledged, independent project, but if included in World of Warships they are going to destroy the balance and twist the backbones of the gameplay. So, at the risk of annoying the community, this is not something that we want to get involved in.


Myth #2. “Yamato” battleship is invulnerable

Even though Yamato, along with her sister ship Musashi, were the biggest and powerful battleships in the whole of fleet history, neither of them have managed to seriously affect real life warfare. Both these ships were saved on numerous occasions, for use in further battles, through the continuous avoidance of direct contact with enemy ships. Consequently they were both sunk by hits from US aircraft carriers. The Japanese super battleships never had a chance to live their moment of glory.

In World of Warships you may find a number of decent opponents that can withstand Yamato attacks. For instance Tier X of the US tree provides the USS Montana – a “papership” from a series of 5 super battleships that were never built. Having a deadweight over 70000 tons, bearing 12 406 mm cannons, she is a great match for the Japanese giant in sea clashes. Of course, you shouldn’t forget about aircraft carriers that will also be a real threat for any battleships caught in their vicinity. There is no place for invulnerable units in our universe!

Myth #3. Torpedoes are for destroyers only.

Well, this statement is a bit faulty both from a historical point of view and from the point of view of our game. During the first half of the 20th century, torpedo launchers were mounted not only on destroyers but a significant share of cruisers got them as well. The Japanese fleet was quite distinctive for this fact, as they were known to have the most sophisticated torpedo armament of those times. Moreover, certain battleships were also known to bear these weapons on board, although with little effect. This is why we aren’t going to mount them in the game, luckily their artillery armament will suffice instead.

Myth #4. Battleships = heavy tanks, destroyer = light tanks, aircraft carrier = artillery, cruiser = AT-SPG …

Though initially this approach may seem reasonable, and even logical, essentially it has nothing to do with reality. Naval warfare is ruled by completely different concepts and features unique specifics so that World of Tanks and World of Warships are relatives only through ideology and general gameplay principles. For instance, scouts in the game are represented by recon aircraft and common AT-SPG tactics cannot be applied on the sea at all – the water surface simply cannot hide a static ship, rendering her an easy target.

Interaction between classes is also arranged to a very different scheme. So, say, in World of Tanks, light units can hardly damage heavy tanks, whereas in World of Warships a destroyer may require only a single lucky torpedo salvo to make a battleship or an aircraft carrier stare up at surface from the depths, or at least cause sufficient damage to the modules by heavy blows from HE shells.

Myth #5. Players may switch between all weapons on board.

A warship is a huge and complex vessel that usually possesses a number of weapons on board. So as not to overburden the gameplay, we have decided to make only major caliber guns, torpedo launchers and aviation directly controlled by the player. AAA sites and auxiliary calibers are operated by Ai directly, although players may also affect their behavior indirectly, for instance, by researching certain modules and approaching targets from certain angles. We’ll try our best to save precious minutes for players who would otherwise waste time switching between dozens of cannons in the heat of the battle. Trust us, you have a ton of a work to do on the high seas with aiming and shooting being only a negligible part of it.

Read more about Myths of World of Warships tomorrow April 4th!

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/busting- ... ships-pt1/

[Galien]

Busting the Myths of World of Warships pt. 2

Myth #6. You will be able to see members of the crew on the decks of ships in World of Warships.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to see crowds of sailors walking on the ships in World of Warships. First, according to procedure, when there is a combat alarm, most of the crew leaves the deck and goes to their posts. Secondly, it was decided not to model crew for both ethical reasons and in order to optimize the game – rendering dozens of miniature figures would put a lot of pressure on system resources.

But even though you may not be able to see them, the crew will significantly affect the gameplay. Their presence will be visible through the skills that can be researched. It is not necessary to develop each sailor individually – the whole crew will be split into combat units, and each unit will have skills to research.

Myth #7. It will be possible to control planes from aircraft carriers as the aircraft pilot, as in World of Warplanes.

No, although the gameplay for carriers will differ a lot from other ships, you will not be able to jump into the pilot seat of your planes in World of Warships.

Players will be controlling whole squadrons of planes, not individual aircraft. There are four types of aircrafts which are present in our game: scouts will be responsible for detecting the enemy, fighters will target enemy aircraft, and dive bombers and torpedo planes will be used to destroy enemy ships. Players can set goals and routes for each of the squadrons, and the gameplay will feel like a classic RTS (real-time strategy).

Myth #8. Weather in World of Warships will be changing dynamically and will influence the gameplay.

Influence of weather and terrain objects on gameplay is under active consideration, but we can share some general principles right now. For example, fog and smoke screens will affect visibility and spotting mechanics. The location of islands and shoals are used to direct the player’s maneuvering and route planning on the map. We will implement seas, but you should not hold your breath waiting for stormy oceans – no one fights in such weather.

Another interesting idea that might appear in the game is night battles, which were often an advantage to the Japanese fleet at the beginning of World War II. Darkness imposes its own unique rules of battle, the key point being detection of the enemy. The combat aircraft will not be as useful as they are during the day, while artillery and torpedoes will have a more difficult time finding their targets.


Myth #9. Wargaming will unite its trilogy into one game mode.

No, as we think such a union is impossible in principle, and will do more harm than good. Each of the projects has its own dynamics, character, and style of gameplay. Attempts to combine such different projects into one place would be difficult from the development side and would complicate game mechanics. It would force each project to lose its own face and become a gray project.

This not only deprives them from individuality, but it would also affect the quality of the projects and destroy the game balance – developing the game mechanics for one game would break the other two.

As a result, instead of three bright, high-quality projects, the user would get one, gray, almost unplayable project. So we have decided not to unite them, but to leave three great games to stand on their own.

Myth #10. Enemy ships can be destroyed in a single hit.

Yes and No – destroying enemy with a single hit is possible, although very, very difficult. In order to do this, you would need to damage the magazine. It has happened, for example, with the famous British flagship, the battleship “Hood.” As ships are always very well armored, players will have to acquire a powerful major caliber, a keen eye, and a fair amount of luck.

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/busting- ... hips-pt-2/

[Galien]

Closed Alpha Test in Numbers – April Update

Captains!

With April beginning we’d like to share with you some updated statistics from the Closed Alpha Test!

Over and out!

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/closed-a ... il-update/

[Galien]

Five questions for Artur Tokhtash, Head of Sound at Wargaming Saint Petersburg

Artur Tokhtash, a classically trained musician, tells us about how he got into the gaming industry and about making a perfect soundtrack for World of Warships.



How did you get into the company?

It was a life-changing coincidence. Four years ago I came across a job vacancy that immediately appealed to me. I’ve always liked computer games, so I knew what I was in for despite the fact that I’d never worked in the video game industry. I immediately realized that I wanted to commit myself to this company and that we would develop and succeed together; and it turned out well. During the last four years, I’ve grown a lot as a professional, and our company has evolved from small Lesta Studio into big Wargaming Saint Petersburg.

How did you go about creating the music for World of Warships?

First I needed to come up with an overall vision for the sound of the project. To do that, I watched and listened to a huge number of reference videos, movies, and video game soundtracks. I defined several “moods” that lead into one another as the game unfolds. One kind of music is good for sailing in search of the enemy, but when the battle begins, the soundtrack should change completely to reflect the player’s mood. This concept will evolve in the future. The music will change according to the player’s style, actions and lots of other things. This musical responsiveness will be in many ways unique to the Wargaming universe.

The audio content production group at Wargaming Saint Petersburg: Aleksandr Kozlov, Artur Tokhtash and Vladimir Gorbunov.

When composing, I rely on my classical music education and knowledge of many techniques. My favorite is “stream of consciousness”, or pure improvisation. I tune into a particular state of mind and listen to the themes that emerge from within; the best ones go into the soundtrack. Sound effects are just as important. I almost never use samples and create sounds myself out of anything that is at hand. For example, I recorded shell splashes in the bathroom and then added white noise and created the main caliber roar by overlapping several layers of shots. We use the most unbelievable artifacts to record “difficult to access” effects like ship engine noises. It’s hard to imagine, but realistic ship sounds can be created using seashells found on vacations, cat scratchers and even branded World of Warships metal cups.


How many people at Wargaming Saint Petersburg participate in creating the sound for World of Warships?

We all have our talents; I often discover these when talking to my colleagues. For instance, it turned out that Dmitry Kuznetsov, copywriter for the Video department, is a classical singer with a wonderful bass voice. We’ve used his voice in the new version of the World of Warships main theme. The soundtrack also features the recorder and the ocarina played by Vladimir Gorbunov, our sound-designer. Aleksandr Kozlov, audio programmer, used his main instrument – the guitar – to imitate the drum, which produced a very unusual sound as a result. At least ten Wargaming employees took part in recording the phrases used in the game.

I often jam with my colleagues during lunch breaks and we improvise together with different instruments. At those moments you get a special feeling of unity in the company.

This is how music is born.


Do you have an opportunity to use your musical talent on other projects, apart from World of Warships?

We contribute to all of the projects our studio makes. We compose music and record sound effects for game trailers for games produced by our studio as well as record sound for virtually all corporate videos made at Wargaming Saint Petersburg.

World of Warships E3 2013 trailer featuring music and sound effects by Artur Tokhtash.


What are your plans for the near future?

My main and very important goal is ensuring that the World of Warships soundtrack gives a steady “Wow!” effect. We will certainly show the world what really cool sound means to a video game.



Here is a music sample from World of Warships! What do you think about it, Captains?

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/five-que ... etersburg/

(Das Musikbeispiel lässt sich leider nicht so verlinken, daher müsst ihr die Seite besuchen um es euch anzuhören. Lohnt sich auf alle Fälle.)

[Galien]

The ins and outs of Closed Alpha – First Impressions

Captians!

In “The ins and outs of Closed Alpha” series of posts we’ll be hearing from 3 Alpha Testers from all three regions to find out their initial impressions of World of Warships. Expect battle reports, heaps of praise, and maybe the odd harsh truth, as we hear what it’s like to be actively involved in the testing of World of Warships!



Action Stations!


Question asked during this session:

What were your impressions after your very first battles? Do you recall what impressed or surprised you the most?

European region

0ptImuS_Pr1mE (for players in Russian region known as Kazablankasrb)

Since I was involved in the World of Warplanes alpha test almost from the beginning, I am pretty impressed with how much has already been done in all aspects of the game. Game mechanics work perfectly, the interface is cool, graphics are perfect…I almost asked myself why they needed alpha testers at all


Csatahajos - In Closed Alpha since September 2013.

My first impression was that I got killed in my big BB in no time I did not even recognise what hit me from where, there was so much going around. Also I could not take my eyes off the awesome ship graphics.


EvolGrinZ - In Closed Alpha for about 2 months now.

I did not expect the game to be so advanced already. I also found it really easy to get into and to pick up the game and just play. No need to study a manual for an hour or more just to understand how to play your ship. For long range shooting it helps a lot to have experience with playing artillery in World of Tanks. A look at the controls will not harm you as there are a few buttons in the game that will make your life a bit easier.

North American region

Mourneblade - 6 weeks in Closed Alpha

I was impressed by how well the game played for an alpha test and I liked how much the game seemed to create a real naval battle.


BaconClapper (in Russian region), Skygunner (North American region) - In Closed Alpha since the very beginning

The first match was glorious. I blindly charged forward until I ended up in my own smoke bank, rammed up against an island and stuck in front of two opposing battleships. Fortunately their aim was lousy and I was able to get a few torpedoes into one before being annihilated. The rest of the match was spent ogling my wreck. It was surprising to see how far along the game was.


Quaffer - In Closed Alpha since November 2013

I think what impressed me most in my first battle was coming out of the smoke cloud and getting cut in half by a team mate. It wasn’t even my smoke cloud. When I sank I actually split in half and the forward end rolled over while the stern sank on an even keel. With such attention to detail, none of the testers cared if they sank or not. We all just wanted to experience everything.

Russian region

MilitarySurgeon (RU, has been in the alpha test since its launch)

My first impressions flooded me as soon as I entered the dock. I was surprised by the view from there – you see a beautiful seascape, a wharf, planes flying overhead and a huge warship slowly rocking on the waves. So first, I spent some time turning the camera around the ship, just looking at it from different angles and focusing on all the smallest details.

When the battle began, the first thing I was surprised by was the control system. It generally resembled World of Tanks and World of Warplanes but differed from what I had expected. I devoted the first fight to learning my ship – learning the control mechanisms, this kind of thing. I do not think I was useful for my team and didn’t cause a lot of damage. Fortunately, the control system is implemented quite well and after a few battles I had completely honed the necessary skills.


Savage77 (RU, has been in the alpha test since January 2014)

The first fight was rather chaotic for me. Before I started the game, I wanted to learn at least some general information about tactics and understand how to operate the ship. So my first battle was “monkey see, monkey do” – watching other players and imitating their actions. This had its desired effect and after a few battles I understood the basic principles of interaction with the team, shooting the main calibre weapons and manoeuvring in different conditions.

Manoeuvring is a very important thing. For example, an archipelagic type of map does not allow for a linear order of ships, so you have to improvise and try to come up with a new tactic and actively manoeuvre between the islands


Haales (RU, has been in the alpha test since January 2014)

Although I’m not a very big fan of history, I had heard a lot about the famous Japanese battleship “Yamato”. So when it was time to choose a ship for the first fight, my choice was obvious. I love operating battleships; these huge military machines give you a pleasant feeling of strength and unsinkability. My first dozen fights were devoted to this class. Later I switched to destroyers – their speed and dynamic gameplay are closer to me in spirit.

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/the-ins- ... pressions/

[Galien]

The Very First World of Warships Tournament

Author: special correspondent of World of Warships



Greetings, dear testers/forum posters/readers and other nice people! I am excited to share some impressions about the first official alpha test tournament. If I had to summarize the experience in a single word, it would have to be “unforgettable!”

The alpha testers were very active, revealing impressive fighting capabilities and skills developed during testing. But not all the teams were native; the event also featured participants from Europe. We can call this tournament not only the first, but also truly international. In total, there were 18 teams that fought their way up the ranks all day long on April 12.

Organizing and preparing the teams happened quickly, powered by positivity and enthusiasm. Speaking on behalf of all who participated, we’d like to wish the developers, “Fair winds and following seas!”

The team line-ups:

Iron Storage

- CHEGEWARO – Aircraft carrier
- Zheleznodorozhnic - Battleship
- MadDoger - Battleship
- EL_Tratrone - Battleship
- Rasberg - Battleship
- getfun - Cruiser

Merry company

- BLACK_SAILS - Aircraft carrier
- Fleget - Battleship
- Marschig - Battleship
- loriner - Battleship
- ShadowHellboy - Battleship
- Tarki_Tau - Destroyer



I witnessed the battle from the view of the first team, so my commentary may be a bit lopsided.
As mentioned, setting up the teams was quick, and there was neither nervousness nor delay, as far as I saw. The mood was excited and positive. Folks were prepared for great fun, and that was the right mood to be in.

The countdown ended and battle began. Almost instantly, my destroyer received several hits from my teammates, and one of them, Rasberg, finished it off by tearing the hull apart.

From then on, I was a true spectator ready to follow all the events on the sea. I never asked the team about the setup chosen; apparently they were inclined toward an encounter battle, possibly in a linear array followed by active defense from enemy airplanes by cruisers.

Iron Storage began its movement and took a linear formation, covering their aircraft carriers while their cruiser advanced forward.

The skies became crowded by recon aircraft and fighters. Somewhere in the clouds, they clashed with enemy attackers. After that, the surviving planes changed direction and advanced towards an expected confrontation with Merry company. Our team got incredibly unlucky and failed to discover enemies by means of their scouts. This along with a number of other factors led to an unpredictable outcome. On the opposite side, Merry company was quite effective and continuously kept our ships spotted, at least to me — unfortunately, I was still just a silent observer.

“My” team continued, with their cruiser advancing forward to meet enemy planes and torpedo carriers. All AAA sites began to shoot relentlessly. Ultimately, we spotted the enemy aircraft carrier surprisingly advancing in front of her team. Planes were launched from the decks of our “Zuikaku” operated by CHEGEVARO, but it seemed the right moment was lost — the opponents grasped the advantage and we needed to make corrective moves urgently.

Meanwhile, our team managed to repel incoming torpedo carriers and bombers under wise commandership of getun, our cruiser captain. It was only the cruiser herself that got her hull insignificantly damaged. Not a big deal considering the scale of the whole team.

But what was actually happening here? Our team had successfully passed the map’s mid-line, repelled some aerial attacks, and failed to discover any enemy ships except that awkward carrier… So where was the rest of them? Were they hiding, fearing the inevitable clash, hoping that “Zuikaku” planes will sort it all out for them? Anyway, there seemed to be no other options for Iron Storage but to keep moving forward and capture enemy base.

It was minute eight of the battle when our scout finally succeeded in spotting the rest of the enemy ships who were about a minute away from our own base! On the other hand, we needed about four minutes to get to theirs. It turned out that our enemies chose a tricky “capture” plan. Quite unexpected, to be frank. Luckily, the opponents were within our firing range, so our ships turned their cannons at the enemies and started chasing them. “Fire!”

We were ready to fight to the last shell! Zheleznodorozhnic, MadDoger, El_Tlatrone and Rasberg, a bit behind, all formed an “armored fist” ready to drop its might on any ship within their range… but, they seemed to have forgotten about the destroyer from the opposing side that was supposed to (in our minds) attack heedless units. Instead, she was now only 15 seconds away from our base. Moreover, several seconds later we lost our spot on enemy battleships that managed to destroy our only scout in that region. Where were the recon planes? Nope, none of them were nearby. Everything went wrong… Our team was chasing the enemies approaching our own base. Recon groups took off too late. We even spotted enemy the aircraft carrier once again, but it was of no use to us — the groups were headed to our own base now. Several pot shots were fired from major caliber cannons in the hope of resetting capture progress. The final result was inevitable, as we saw the bar grow rapidly, boosted by the increased amount of ships within the circle. There was nothing that could be done about it now. We missed our opportunity, so the opponents were lucky enough to take advantage of their “capture” plan.
The game was lost at minute ten, without any serious casualties on either side – not even a clash or anything of the sort.

want to thank the whole Merry company team for the interesting battle and tricky play that caught us completely unaware!

I’d also like to thank Iron Storage for their positive approach, funny atmosphere and sincere desires to drown some ships!

We also appreciate the contribution of the developers to the organization and running the tournament.

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/the-very ... ournament/

[Galien]

Automation in World of Warships: Laboratory Bots

What is bot? It is a script

A script which looks like a player

As in other games, we are using bots to help test World of Warships. Bots are a useful and constantly developing tool, they simulate a player and can perform actions programmed by scripts. Our bots are special versions of the game client without any interface or graphics, so they are lightweight and many of them can be launched simultaneously on the same machine, each one controlled by a script.

Bots are good at resolving problems where massiveness is needed or tedious testing of situations that have clearly described boundaries or parameters. If we need to test the statement that “a full torpedo salvo from the destroyer Shimakaze should sink any ship” they will be able to handle it. An additional benefit is that bots can work at night, when the developers are tired and sleeping, and then in the morning they will provide you with results. Bots are primarily used to test servers, their capacity and how they are going to work under pressure, but sometimes they are used for development purposes.

And the last important detail: since we work in a subdivision of automated QA, we call our bots “Autobots”.

Crazy firing bots!

One of our bots’ goals is collecting statistics of guns firing from different ships. As we have historically accurate guns, armoring, trajectory and shells, game designers decided that it would be nice to have a tool that allows them to see how well ships will survive under different gun salvos. Bots were the perfect solution for these tests – ships are subjected to fire from different distances and guns, and then the collected statistics can be grouped in convenient tables and sent to the developers.

The process of data collection can be seen on first picture. Here is its simple description: bots line up on a special, completely blank map, where there is only water. Opposite from them, somewhere around 1 km ahead, their targets are placed in a line. Next, the bots fire one after another at their targets and once they’ve finished firing, the statistics are gathered and stored in tables.

It is quite interesting that the results from the bot tests were very similar to real armor penetration tables. This allowed us to go further and configure “paper-ships” and “paper-guns” – objects for which we did not have any info about penetration and armament.

Bots invade the servers

Our colleagues from the Stress Testing Department also love using bots. They can easily generate the required server pressure by using a number of bots whose actions are predictable, and when you have a lot of work to do you can easily write a script in advance, simply by programming “in a half an hour send all the bots to the game.”

Our first and longtime task was to check server queues. This scenario is very simple: use as many bots as possible to try to log into server and check what is happening to server. During the first test, the server could not handle more than 500 bots, so we reconfigured it and now server works as required.

Preparing for Alpha

Such testing was useful in preparation for the Alpha Test when we were testing our future server to see how many random battles it could handle at once. 1500 bots swarmed onto the server, selected ships and went into battles. In these battles, the bots were actively trying to discover each other and then immediately destroy the target. Our first prototype of smart bots learnt not just how to shoot, but also how to maneuver, as well as to search for the enemy in such places where other bots have not passed through.

The first test was quite artificial: it tested only an ideal scenario of players’ behavior, but as we know, live testers play in unpredictable ways. But this version also gave us information to work with: bots were logging in and logging out from game, entering battles and fighting almost like humans. The server passed its tests with flying colors when real Alpha Testers arrived. And as we have said before, such a mass sprint helped us to discover several issues, which we immediately began working on. After all, some issues can only be found in long-term operation.

Automation of routine

Another interesting and necessary task for bots is the automated testing of in-game logic. We definitely need to make sure that our ships do move, anti-aircraft guns do fire, and torpedoes do drown other ships. Testing all these features would be quite hard to organize, especially in the long term. Arranging each ship for manual testing would mean choosing which ship to go to the battle, checking what you need, and then repeat the same process on next ship. It would be unrealistic to attempt to organize manual testing when we come close to the release date, as we will have lots of different ships and tech trees.

For tasks such as these, bots come to the rescue. During nights, while the development team is asleep, different parts of game logic is being tested by bots: usage of weapons, ability of all available ships to sink in the game, correct movements, equipment and etc. Most of the work is done by bots, but selective control is done by humans. And only the combination of automatic and manual control gives the best results.

They are also used to run quick smoke tests – it’s like buying a new gadget, turn it on and checking if there is any smoke coming from it. In this case, the bots quickly start a prepared battle scenario with checks like “well, looks good, nothing is broken” for a few minutes. Such tests can be used for any new functionality before it is send to manual checkup. Right now we are trying to extend the usage of bots and find new ways that they can help us test the game.

Other types of bots

Of course, despite all the benefits bots provide, they are far from perfect and have their own limitations. They cannot see the game to give feedback regarding wrong textures, bad colors used etc. They also cannot behave as humans, especially in the area of interface tests such as pressing buttons or locating information in the GUI. And that is why we have second type of bot with a special “heavy” client with the full interface and graphics. We call this bot “client bot”, and we use it for a variety of different types of tests.

But that’s a story to tell on another day.

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/automati ... tory-bots/

[Galien]

Closed Alpha Test in Numbers – April-May Update

Captains!

With April ending and May beginning we’d like to share with you some updated statistics from the Closed Alpha Test!

Over and out!

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/closed-a ... ay-update/

[Galien]

You ask, We answer – round 3

Captains!

We’d like to share with you a short video with World of Warships Devs answering some of your questions

Actions Stations!

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/you-ask- ... r-round-3/

[Galien]

The ins and outs of Closed Alpha – Game Development

Captians!



In “The ins and outs of Closed Alpha” series of posts we’ll be hearing from 3 Alpha Testers from all three regions to find out their initial impressions of World of Warships. Expect battle reports, heaps of praise, and maybe the odd harsh truth, as we hear what it’s like to be actively involved in the testing of World of Warships!



Action Stations!



Question asked during this session:

How would you describe World of Warships at this stage of the game’s development?

European region

0ptImuS_Pr1mE (for players in Russian region known as Kazablankasrb)

At this stage the game is one step closer to Closed Beta. The development is going fast and smooth.

Csatahajos - In Closed Alpha since September 2013.

I think the game is in pretty good shape for an alpha stage – it’s playable, has no major/critical bugs, the graphics and engine work fine. Of course there is a lot more to be added gameplay wise and some aspects of the game are lacking. In my honest opinion, carrier gameplay is the sore point for now.

EvolGrinZ - In Closed Alpha for about 3 months now.

Freaking awesome already and I can’t wait to see this game further developed!

Seeing how the game is progressing, I am sure I won’t be disappointed.

North American region

Mourneblade - 6 weeks in Closed Alpha

Game play feels ahead of schedule, though I have not seen a tech tree, experience, or modules so I cannot comment on those.


BaconClapper (in Russian region), Skygunner (North American region) - In Closed Alpha since the very beginning

I’ve seen finished games with more problems than the current WoWS build.



Quaffer - In Closed Alpha since November 2013

The basic battle interface seems very solid. It needs a few tweaks and there are a number of systems that aren’t in the test build yet (such as crews, upgrades, and consumables). A big part of Tanks is the joy of finally earning enough to improve a system or to purchase the next ship.

Russian region

M_u_x_a_Jl_bl_4 - In Closed Alpha since December 2013

In short, World of Warships is not a fast or dynamic game like World of Tanks and World of Warplanes, it is a more tactical game – a thinker’s game. With each update the game improves in several ways. I don’t just mean in terms of game balance or game mechanics or even about modeling but also in terms of its player community. I have been in the alpha test from its very beginning. There were not a lot of skilled players at that time, so we used to run aground, shoot each other or even ram each other. However, with time, we developed our skills by studying in-game mechanics and game rules. So when the second wave of testers arrived, it was easier for them to start playing because we were helping them. You could almost say that the World of Warships community is in development in parallel with the game.



Military_Surgeon - In Closed Alpha since the very beginning

I like this game because it encourages team play. For example, good teamwork can help you win almost any losing battle if the enemy remains uncoordinated. I also like that each class of ship differs in its gameplay and characteristics. Each class offers unique playing styles: destroyers are fast and dynamic, aircraft carriers are cautious and like playing at a distance, battleships are intense and rapid and cruisers are a more versatile and balanced class. So I guess new players will easily find their own playing preferences.



Haales - In Closed Alpha since January 2014

I would describe it as a diverse and easy-to-play game. I like the atmosphere in-game and amongst the community. It is friendly and I would even say it is more professional. Most of the alpha testers take the game very seriously and are doing their best to help the developers.

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/the-ins- ... velopment/

[Galien]

World of Warships – New Promo Page!

Captains,

We recently decided that it was high time to give World of Warships a fresh coat of paint and so we proudly present to you our brand new promotional page!

The page is structured on a horizontal plane, presenting a panoramic view of an epic sea battle! Take a look at the snippet below but you’ll have to visit the site itself for the full picture!

Along with links to World of Warships on social media, the website also features all you need to know about the game and its features, as well as a fan kit and, of course, the stars of the show: the ships themselves.



Let us know what you think of the new page! Action Stations!

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/world-of ... romo-page/

[Galien]

How New Game Maps are Designed in World of Warships

Game environments, contrary to what people might think, are not simply static spaces. A game environment is a kind of mini-universe where all components must be balanced for the map to function as intended. What the specific function of a particular map is only the developers can tell but the goal of every map is the same: to immerse the player in the gameplay with the help of its external appearance, special effects, level geometry and the tactical opportunities that the map provides.

In World of Warships, it’s not just a case of pouring water in and throwing rocks around. We are creating game environments based on the specific characteristics of our game.


Think twice!

The process of creating game levels is a very complex one and requires a specific set of actions. Of course it may undergo some dynamic changes in structural and technical terms as well as in concept. In a World of Warships project, our approach involves the cooperation of several departments working on game maps which gives us a better opportunity to plan and set our goals.

Each map begins with a concept that sets its key parameters. Here are the 4 pillars of game map design.

The game-design department generates the initial idea and the technical basis of each map e.g. its geometry, landmarks and characteristics. At this stage, it is really just an unpolished skeleton of the future map. Is shows the structure of the level and its key objects like straits and islands, hills and shallows as well as interactive elements with their own gameplay features, such as cover objects and bases.

At this stage, we determine what we want to get from this map – how it should look, what feelings it should give the player. Each time a player gets into a new map there should be unique gameplay and a wide range of tactical chances on offer.

For the specific needs of the level, we choose a setting. In our case, it usually comes down to choosing a geographic region with characteristic features. Despite the fact that battles in World of Warships take place at sea and our players will not be able to go ashore, the use of landscape detailing helps us to create a special atmosphere for the game.

Strength in Details!

After this, the artist carefully studies the chosen settings and determines the external specifics of each landscape and its geometry which may also affect its design and gameplay. When all the ideas have been brought together and an element of fantasy has been added, the concept art can finally be drawn, including pictures of real locations and artists’ sketches.

In the last stages of preparation, we add detail to the concept art, selecting which landscape components we need and how many of them there should be. Finally, we create a map of the required content which gives us a vision of the final version. Based on these original creations, our studies, real-life sources and sketches, the level now goes into production.

A set of natural objects and structures is being prepared for the map. Eventually they will be used for the enrichment of terrain. Due to the climatic features of a selected setting, the amount of details (stones, trees and etc) may vary greatly and the set of textures required is unique for each map.

Water is everywhere!

After all the key features have been defined and any issues or disputes have been resolved, it is high time to take up the tools. Work begins on the detailed geometry of the landscape and the map of heights. In professional language we call this Hi-Poly modeling. We use programs which generate and detail high quality surfaces of landscape in a step by step manner. If necessary, the geometry can be adjusted to the desired results by artists using tools like Zbrush or Mudbox.

Step by step Creation

Upon completion of the geometry and landscaping, we start with the texturing process. This step determines the colour components of the location and also helps to achieve the desired degree of texture and realism with the help of masks taken from height maps.

It can be a rocky surface, a sandy place, an area rich in vegetation or many other natural elements depending on the selected terrain type.

The final level of detail is to add small textures like grass, sand, land, stones and other tiny elements which can only be seen at close range. If a player wants to see sand grains on the nearby coast, then it can easily be done without performance loss.

Landscape Design!

The map is almost ready to go and all that remains is to diversify its appearance by adding natural objects which, in the game-development world, we call “props”. Once again we refer to the geographical signifiers of the chosen map style. We animate our map, place rocky barriers, plant trees, scatter stones and construct buildings. We understand how big the World of Warships universe is, so we try to add only significant and large groups of objects which will be visible to the player and which will not be lost against the background of massive ships.

Maps at your disposal!

Of course, the map-design process does not end when there is simply land and many cubic metres of sea. The map is given to other specialists whose job is to breathe life into it. They add realistic water movement, sounds, and a lighting system as well as various interactive and special elements. By doing this, the map turns into a gaming universe where players can immerse themselves in the atmosphere of sea battles!

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/how-new- ... -warships/

[Galien]

Interview with Sergey – Head of Technology

Captains!


One month has passed, so it’s high time for another round of our Q&A session with developers!


This time we’ll be hosting Sergey, Head of Technology at Least Studio. This very enigmatic title encompasses many responsibilities. He makes sure the dev team has the latest tools and tech available, that servers are running and with the right builds, among other things. He is the man behind the curtains who makes sure that the show goes on and on… and on.

This Thursday, May 22, Sergey will be answering your questions! All you need to do is to enter your question(s) as a comment to this post.


Do you remember our visit aboard USS Salem? Sergey was the only one from our team who managed to climb up the mast:

The most interesting questions will be answered by Sergey this Thursday, May 22. The interview will last one hour: from 16.30 GMT to 17.30 GMT (17.30 CEST to 18.30 CEST).


Previous sessions of “interactive interviews”: Petr “PPK”, The_Challenger, Ev1n, Danny, Andrey, Mikhail, Pavel


See you all on Thursday!

-> http://blog.worldofwarships.eu/intervie ... echnology/