Dear players,

Another round of questions and answers, with War Thunder producer Vyacheslav Bulannikov!

Q. Is it possible to include a mechanic where the airborne aim-assist goes off for top-tier AA guns only in aiming view?

A. We're planning to change the current mechanic for how radar works for top-tier SPAAs in order to provide a more detailed simulation of how awareness and targeting works.

Q. Should we expect an increase in the reward that light tanks get for marking an enemy who is then killed by allies? It's a great feature, but the game doesn't reward you as much as it should.

A. We think that the reward is appropriate to the effort expended.

Q. Will there be more top-tier SPAAs with radar or self-propelled AA guns?

A. Yes, we're planning more SPAAs, self-propelled AA guns, and AA artillery guns are certainly possible.

Q. Are new PvE modes planned for ground vehicles? It'd be interesting to overcome defensive lines with cannons, pillboxes, etc.

A. We're not planning anything like that in the immediate future.

Q. Is there any chance you might add the AMX-30 AUF1's 155mm SPG put into service in 1977?

A. It's not outside the realm of possibility. High-ballistic howitzers on a fully rotating turret could offer unique gameplay opportunities.

Q. Some of the vehicles that are already in the game had laser beam exposure notification systems. Do you think you might introduce this mechanic in the near future?

A. There are currently very few of these vehicles in the game. But we agree that it could be an interesting mechanic, and we'll examine the prospect of adding it if it becomes necessary.

Q. How soon can we expect you to reevaluate weapon loadouts and rebalance top-tier subsonic aircraft? Many of the vehicles that are already in the game could carry more modern types of weapons. For example, the FJ-4B (VMF) could be armed with six Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

A. We're planning for this to happen in update 1.87.

Q. Which requirements will there be for aircraft to get into rank 6: supersonic speed, guided missiles, or creation date? For example, are the G.91Y or G.91YS (which is capable of carrying Sidewinders) worthy candidates for rank 6? What about post-war light subsonic assault aircraft such as the AMX International?

A. At least one of the factors that are noted above. For fighters, it's flight characteristics and guided weapons, for assault aircraft, it's an arsenal that includes air-to-surface weapons and the capacity for self-defense using air-to-air missiles.

Q. Will the sight on the MiG-15bis ISh be upgraded? It doesn't currently correspond to its designation as an attack aircraft.

A. The MiG-15 ISh used a regular sight for aiming at ground targets that was upgraded to allow the pilot to make corrections based on flight altitude. We're aren't currently planning to add manual targeting indicators for aircraft, but we are considering the possibility of implementing this option in the HUD as a modification of the rocket or bomb sights. Another option would be to change the actual pylon models — the construction of rotating pylons made it possible to deploy the first pylons in the direction of flight.

Q. For some reason all the maps in aviation RB are flat as pancakes, while in Arcade mode there are maps with hills and canyons. Do you have any plans to introduce multi-level maps with hills and canyons in aviation RB?

A. This is one of the main distinctions between aviation Arcade and RB. We use the maps of real theaters of war for RB, but for Arcade we use all sorts of highly varied landscapes, including some that are invented.

Q. In connection with the introduction of naval battles and the future introduction of the Japanese navy, I'd like to ask you a question. Can I expect any vehicles such as the Yokosuka B4Y (a torpedo bomber) or the Aichi D1A2 (a dive bomber) to be added to the game for rank 1? I really enjoy destroying high-ranking enemy vehicles in light biplanes.

A. We're not planning to introduce any of these aircraft in the near future.

Q. Will the KA-50 and Mi-28 be added? It's just that the Mi-35 from 2004 is already in the game, but they aren't.

A. Keep an eye on the announcements. Right now all we can say is that we're planning to introduce more helicopters to the USSR/Russia branch.

Q. What do you think about further developing helicopter battles? Are you getting ready to add new objectives for helicopters?

A. We're planning to expand helicopter Confrontation as a general purpose mode for helicopter battles. A large number of changes and improvements are planned that we're going to gradually introduce to the game servers. The first thing we want to do is shift the emphasis in battles to objectives that are more appropriate for helicopters, as well as make the process of destroying ground targets more interesting. In addition, we're planning to add new Confrontation mechanics especially for helicopters. Aircraft Confrontation is also getting improvements and changes this year. Both Confrontation modes will get both general changes and new features, including some that are unique to only one version of the mode.

Q. I'd like to get a more exact time frame for when the Japanese navy is going to be added to the game and find out which premium ships you're planning to add to their branch.

A. We're not quite ready to reveal the list of premium ships yet. As for a time frame for when they're going to be introduced, right now all we can say is that you should expect them in the first half of 2019. Yes, we do have concrete plans with very exact time frames, but sometimes they get moved. So we try not to give out exact time frames in order to avoid disappointing the players.

Q. Should we expect a Confrontation mode in which all the different types of vehicles available to the player will be available? For example, it could be on an island map where the islands are connected by bridges for moving ground vehicles around.

A. We're not planning anything like that. We are planning other improvements and enhancements for the aircraft and helicopter versions of Confrontation.

Q. Are you planning to improve the graphics in 2019? For example, are you planning to introduce raytracing, DLSS antialiasing, or realistic new graphical effects?

A. We're constantly working to improve the appearance of the game and keep up with new technologies and our own capabilities.

The War Thunder Team