Mar 22, 2018

World of Warships - WoWS

A scouting report comes in: star fleet is ready to launch, and unique commanders have received their final instructions. Get your lasers ready!

In Update 0.7.3, the World of Warships fleet will leave the Earth for a while, and the battles will take place in outer space! For that to happen, a new temporary battle type—Space Battle—will be added, and now we will tell you all about its rules and details.

New Port

Before you enter battle, you need to go to outer space in your personal Spaceport. To find this new temporary port, click the anchor icon in the top left corner of the screen. Docks for spaceships, a vacuum, zero gravity, huge asteroids, flying saucers and, of course, distant stars that wait to be conquered by brave commanders. Are you ready for space and all the dangers it hides?

Special ships and commanders

To conquer space, you will need special ships: legendary Tier X ships have been made spaceworthy and tweaked for the pleasant economy of Tier VII ships. There are nine spaceships for you to choose from.

• Do you prefer a vehicle that is hard to spot unless you want it to be spotted? Then the FlyFire model would be a perfect choice for you. Among its noticeable advantages are the elegant design, excellent rocket armament, and awesome concealment gear. The American destroyer Gearing served as a prototype for this beautiful ship.

• Galaxy will suit those who like finding what is carefully hidden and surprise the enemy with its quantum-cumulative shells. And her black hole neutrino armament will come in handy in all other combat situations. This ship is based on the American cruiser Des Moines.

• Is controlling swarms of drones your forte? Then we recommend Hellcarrier. Conquer the most distant corners of space! The Japanese aircraft carrier Hakuryu served as a prototype for this ship.

• You want armor and speed combined? Try Paris! Soft shapes and shamelessly quick-firing guns! And don't forget about the unique ion thrusters designed specifically for this type of ship. With their help, you'll reach any star in the blink of an eye. Its original model is République, a French battleship.

• Floating like a star butterfly, beautiful like the blast of a thousand suns, menacing like a Talurian vacuum serpent—that's what you need to know about the elegant Zaya-class spaceship. This beauty is based on the Japanese cruiser Zao.

• A concealment gear with crystals from the planet Khetta, special turbolaser shells with a unique reloading system, and good ion rockets that obliterate all matter in their way. The Norma frigate is based on the British cruiser Minotaur.

• "Phantoms shall not pass" is the main motto of the engineers who designed the powerful and majestic cruiser Aurora. Remember these well-spoken words when you command this invincible titan. It originates from the no less majestic Soviet cruiser Moskva.

• One of the jewels of spaceship building is Alldestroyer. It is excellent all around—armor, number of guns, and small laser turrets. The only disadvantage is that she's the perfect prey for drones. But a skillful commander knows how to deal with this. The designers used the model of the German battleship Großer Kurfürst for creating this spaceship.

• Blue Aster is a good choice if you need to disintegrate another disintegrator so that it doesn't disintegrate your disintegrator. The sensors are sensitive to any oscillations in space and a salvo of eight excellent Chrysalis-type rockets will help you dispatch foes. Its prototype is the German destroyer Z-52.

Please note that you can’t mount camouflages on these ships, and only one upgrade can be mounted—Magazine Modification 1 (for the aircraft carrier—Air Groups Modification 1).

Your space fleet will be helmed by nine unique Commanders. They were all born to participate in Space Battles, and this is their destiny. Each Commander will come with 19 skill points and may be assigned to any special ships without retraining. Skills can be reset using Doubloons or the Elite Experience of the Commanders. Please remember that all Experience earned by a Commander with 19 skill points is instantly transferred to Elite Experience that can be used for retraining, changing specialization, or resetting the skills of any other Commanders!

Spaceships and their commanders are credited to players' accounts after completing a simple mission. If you win a battle on a Tier VI-X cruiser, four ships will arrive in your account—Galaxy, Aurora, Norma, and Zaya. For victory on a Tier VI-X destroyer, you'll receive Blue Aster and FlyFire. The mighty Alldestroyer, beautiful Paris, and elegant Hellcarrier will become available if you win on a Tier VI-X battleship or aircraft carrier correspondingly.

The new mode will be available for all players with at least Account Level 12 in their Service Record. Please note that you need to switch to Space Battles in the "Select a battle type" tab, and you can participate in them only on a special ship. Please note that Space Battles are not available in the Training Room, and special spaceships can't join Training Battles.

Attention! If for whatever reason space combat is not for you, you can hide the special ships, camos and unique Commanders in the filter carousel by unticking the "Space ships" field in the "Additional Content" section.

Space Map

A "Space battle" is an encounter on a special map in outer space with asteroids as your only cover and a vacuum instead of water. The prototype for this map is the familiar Hotspot map with two variants of key areas. You know one of them from Random Battles, and the other variant was used in Clan Battles.

The following rules will apply in Space Battles:
• Teams of nine players each helming special ships only.
• If there are not enough players, bots will be added after 5 minutes of waiting in the battle queue on the condition that there are more than 10 players in the queue.

To make space combat even more spectacular, we'll add weather events, a new mechanic you've already encountered in Operation Hermes. The only difference is that we've replaced the thunderstorm front with two new weather phenomena, each producing a different effect in battle. You can see the zone of each weather event on the minimap; it will be displayed as a grey circle. Also, a special indicator will notify you when you are approaching or within the Psy Field or Meteor Shower. Meteor Shower and Psy Field can't occur in one battle simultaneously.

Meteor Shower

Meteor Shower: moves leftwards from the right side of the map, producing the following effects on the characteristics of ships that enter it:
• The current detectability range of ships is reduced by 10% with the maximum detectability range of ships affected by a Meteor Shower not exceeding 15 km (by sea) and 9 km (by air).
• The spotting range will also be limited to 15 km.
• AA guns’ firing range will be notably decreased, too. Mid- and short-range AA guns will be disabled while the long-range ones will get half of their standard firing range.
We've also changed the parameters of squadrons affected by a Meteor Shower:
• The vision range of squadrons is limited to 6 km.
• Flight speed is reduced by 25%.
• Every 15 seconds, one aircraft is destroyed.

Psy Field

Psy Field: Moves leftwards from the right side of the map, changing the characteristics of ships affected by it as follows:
• The current detectability range of ships is reduced by 10% with the maximum detectability range of affected ships being no more than 12 km (by sea) and 6 km (by air);
• Maximum spotting range in a Psy Field depends on the type of ship: Aircraft carriers: 15 km; battleships: 15 km; cruisers: 14.5 km; and destroyers: 9.5 km.
• Fires will last for 1 second. The time of flooding won't change.
• The "Repair Party" consumables will be disabled.
• The Psy Field will have no effect on aircraft.

Space Rewards

Take part in Space Battles, explore the vast uncharted corners of the universe and earn valuable prizes! Complete special combat missions to get "space" containers, which may contain any of the following rewards:
• 3x Sci-Fi Space expendable camouflages.
• 3x Dragon signal flags.
• 3x Wyvern signal flags.
• 3x Ouroboros signal flags.
• 3x Red Dragon signal flags.
• 3x Hydra signal flags.
In addition to camo and flags, with each opened container you have a chance to get one of the five new dedicated patches. And even if space is not your thing, you can earn special containers by completing special missions in Random Battles.

New achievements dedicated to Space Battles are also on the way!

• "Shield Activator": bring down 33 aircraft in a Space Battle. Can be obtained more than once. Reward: 1x expendable Sci-Fi Space camouflage (can be obtained once per day).
• "Vacuum Cleaning": Destroy 3 ships while playing a Space Battle with an aircraft carrier. Can be obtained more than once. Reward: 1 expendable Sci-Fi Space camouflage (can be obtained once per day).
• "Not Overly Assaultive": Earn 999 of base XP without modifiers in a Space battle. Can be obtained more than once. Reward: 1 expendable Sci-Fi Space camouflage (can be obtained once per day).
• "Poekhali!": Deliver more than 1,961 HP of damage to the enemy with any armament in one Space Battle. Can be obtained only once. Reward: 10x expendable Sci-Fi Space camouflages.
• "That's one small step for a man...": Secure one victory with each type of ship in Space Battles. Can be obtained only once. Reward: 10x expendable Sci-Fi Space camouflages.

Unfortunately, Space Battles won't be around forever. When they come to an end, all special ships will be removed from accounts, signals and flags will be placed in the Inventory and the unique Commanders will be dismissed and head back to their planets. Their efforts, however, will not be wasted. All Elite XP they earn will remain on players' accounts.

Stay tuned and don't miss your chance!

Mar 22, 2018

Space Battles are coming soon!

World of Warships - WG_mngmnt

New Port

Special ships and commanders

• Is controlling swarms of drones your forte? Then we recommend Hellcarrier. Conquer the most distant corners of space! The Japanese aircraft carrier Hakuryu served as a prototype for this ship.

Space Map

Meteor Shower

Psy Field

Space Rewards

Mar 14, 2018

Work in Progress: Battle in Antarctica

World of Warships - WoWS

We are constantly searching for good scenarios to add in the game. Players will definitely recall the April Fools Day mode, in which they were able to spacewalk and control spaceships. This time, we’re introducing a new mode that is based on historical facts from Earth’s history. Nevertheless, this mode is as cosmic and mysterious as the previous one.
We are talking about the well-known battle of Antarctica, also known as Operation Highjump, during which, in 1946, U.S.A. Task Forces went to Antarctica to destroy the remaining bases of the Fourth Reich and capture a new unique armament—flying saucers. However, on March 3, 1947, the squadron was attacked by the enemy and forced to flee. The expedition failed, but 71 years later, players have a chance for a rematch: in the mode, a team of 12 ships will face 12 flying saucers.

Map

Maps with snowfields and glaciers already exist in our game, so for the new scenario we partly used the Islands of Ice map that is already familiar to players. Though, the landscapes and icebergs were slightly changed to provide flying saucers with cover from the ship attacks.

Flying Saucers

In the German archives, our researchers found drawings of the flying saucers series, with innovative electromagnetic gravity engines. In 1935, the Thule Society was looking for a location to test a new powerful armament. The Hauneburg testing ground in Northwest Germany was well suited for this. The project was referred to as the "Hauneburg Device", and later, for security, its name was shortened to “Haunebu”. The early Haunebu was 25 meters in diameter, held a team of 8 people, could reach a speed of 4,800 km/h, and its operation time was 18 hours. According to the documents, a few prototypes were constructed, but later disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Witnesses said that the Thule Society left Germany in March 1945 using "flying saucers".

Cruiser Minotaur fights against a flying saucer, the photo was provided by a reliable source

Based on those documents, we decided to design our own flying saucer with some balance changes.
To suit the balance, the flying saucers will be the size of destroyers. There were very few materials in the archives, so the designers had to make their own drawings to further create in-game models. Obviously, it was very difficult to avoid the common stereotypes about the exterior of flying saucers imposed by movies. Our designers did their best to create flying saucers that suit the game style and look natural, as if this type of craft existed in the game from the very beginning.

Game Characteristics of Flying Saucers

High Maneuverability
All flying saucers will fly at the same height, to make it easier to control them and monitor only the opponent's movement without worrying about keeping their flying saucers at the necessary height. On the other hand, moving in the same plane makes flying saucers easy targets for enemy ships, so we improved their maneuverability to balance it out.

Powerful Salvo
Instead of firing rounds of shots, the flying saucers will be able to make one powerful salvo at long range, which will require a long reload time.

Regeneration
If flying saucers avoid receiving damage for a certain time, they will slowly regenerate. After a flying saucer receives damage, the timer resets, and they will have to dodge enemy attacks again.

Mar 14, 2018

Work in Progress: Battle in Antarctica

World of Warships - WG_mngmnt

Map

Flying Saucers

Game Characteristics of Flying Saucers

Mar 13, 2018

Work in progress: Archimedes Death Ray

World of Warships - WoWS

Like PvE operations and ancient Greek history? We have great news for you! In a forthcoming new challenge called "The Siege of Syracuse", a team of 12 players will make a joint effort to confront a series of onshore military fortifications—Forts. The Forts are armed with special parabolic mirrors capable of focusing light into a laser beam that can easily cut through a reckless ship.

Historical Reference

Ancient Greek transcripts say that during the Siege of Syracuse, the Roman fleet was burned down by a large number of parabolic mirrors and shields polished to a shine at the order of Archimedes. This invention went down in history as the Archimedes Death Ray. Many engineers have tried to re-invent that weapon ever since. It was quite a surprise when one day, while we were working in the archives, we came across a document with design calculations for the original "death ray"! Thanks to this good fortune, our players will be able to see this unique invention right in the game!

An ancient Greek vase with a painting depicting the design and principle of operation of the "death ray"; Source: a reputable museum

We've managed to find additional materials based on the inventions of Nikola Tesla and Robert Van de Graaf. Unfortunately, there is every indication that the countries simply didn't have the required resources to build that weapon. But for our team, those materials were just enough to start sketching "death rays" for the game.

Let's be frank—the challenge we faced was a bit more complicated than the one Archimedes worked on because we're talking about cutting metal as opposed to simply burning wood. We, therefore, equipped our mirrors with all the required amplifiers to make the ray so powerful it can cut through anything it touches, including a ship's armor.

Map

The events of the grand Siege of Syracuse will unfold on the Hotspot map, a good location for comfortable maneuvering to avoid the deadly laser rays of the enemy. The Forts that generate the rays will be found on islands that are predominantly located at sea level. Such Forts will be vulnerable to torpedo attacks while mirrors can be broken with the help of aviation.

Gameplay Tips

If we simply added Forts that fired death rays, we would leave players totally defenseless against their attacks. To add some balance to the new operation, the following consumables will be available for players:

• Optical camouflage patterns;
• Ray reflectors and diffusers;
• Smoke screens with silver ions.

The Forts will attack with their lasers so the best defense would be to use consumables capable of reflecting light. The camouflages and reflectors are suitable for all ships. Only destroyers will also be able to set smoke screens filled with silver ions.

Mar 13, 2018

Work in progress: Archimedes Death Ray

World of Warships - WG_mngmnt

Historical Reference

Map

Gameplay Tips

Mar 12, 2018

Work in Progress: the Sealand Port

World of Warships - WoWS

A man without a dream is like a bird without wings!
E Mare Libertas!

It's no secret that our team loves to recreate historical ports in World of Warships. We already have the practical London, the organized Hamburg, the romantic Marseille, and festive Saint-Petersburg and New York in our game. This time we decided to raise the bar and recreate an entire country! We're going to the Principality of Sealand—a state that can't be found on official maps, but it exists nevertheless.
Very soon you'll have a chance to enjoy the new Port and study this unique place from every angle. For the time being, we would like to show you our groundwork and historical materials, and tell you about our creative process in the new episode of Developer Dairies.

Cruiser Mikhail Kutuzov extinguishes fire on the Roughs Tower platform; this photo was provided by a reliable source

The History of the Principality of Sealand

In 1942, the British Navy built the so-called Maunsell Forts, named after their designer Guy Maunsell, to protect the port of Harwich. A string of these platforms became a base for antiaircraft guns and armed garrisons, but in 1950 they were decommissioned and later occupied by "pirate radio stations" for broadcasting. The Roughs Tower platform was used for different purposes until 1956, when it was abandoned and gradually fell into decay. It continued until 1966, when Roy Bates set foot on it. This retired British Army Major saw the commercial potential of the platform and wanted to build an amusement park there. He had to fight against his business partners to gain control of the 4,500-ton structure using rifles, shotguns, and flamethrowers. As a result, Roy became the sole proprietor of the island in 1967; he proclaimed sovereignty and accepted the title of Prince—granted by himself, of course.

The Story of the Sealand Port Creation

Each Port in our game starts with an idea followed by the gathering of detailed factual data. The Principality of Sealand still exists, but that didn't make our task any easier. Gathering references was quite challenging, because outsiders are not allowed on the platform and it's protected by an armed guard at all times. It's very dangerous to cross the borders of another state without permission and we didn't want to cause an international incident, that's why we took all the photos of the platform that we needed from a safe distance using unmanned drones.

The platform looks very compact and minimalistic compared to a warship. We wish we could say that it's bigger in reality than it seems, but it's just not true. Sealand is really very small, but this fact doesn't diminish in any way its grandeur and symbolic value.

Roy Bates

To liven up the platform a little, we added an animated model of the retired Major Roy Bates, the founder and Prince of the Principality of Sealand. He will inspire players to show their best in battle.
We wanted to express our admiration for him—the fire burning in his heart, his adventurous spirit, courage, imagination, and skill are the qualities that every naval enthusiast should have. The Prince of Sealand is hereby proclaimed an honorary sea dog and we hope that players will enjoy the new Port and draw inspiration for new achievements from it.