Our thoughts and plan

When we first spoke about this feature in the initial Roadmap announcement, we mentioned that it would be an opportunity for armored vehicles that have limited amounts of ammunition for their main guns in order to try and mitigate this shortcoming.

However, during internal discussions we found it difficult to choose the criteria for vehicles that have limited ammunition. On one hand, not all vehicles with limited amounts of ammunition are able to quickly use it all up (for example, the Sturmmörser and Sturer Emil), and on the other hand, not all vehicles with a large amount of ammunition are suitable for advancing to capture points just to reload (for example, SPAAGs with small caliber weapons). Alongside this, some vehicles have several types of weapons of different calibers with different amounts of ammunition, and it’s not always possible to say what the main weapon is, how quickly its ammunition is consumed in battle, and how suitable the remaining weapons are for active and productive play.

Therefore, we’ve decided to expand and formalize the list of vehicles that can receive (based on voting results) this functionality. Vehicles include all Tank Destroyers, ATGM carriers (the type mentioned in the stat card, not any vehicle with ATGMs), all SPAA and SAMs, as well as ground vehicles with external rockets and bombs (such as the Calliope, M26 T99, RBT-5, Cromwell V (RP-3), Matilda Hedgehog, Magach Hydra). Tank Destroyers, ATGM carriers, SPAA and SAMs are often not suitable for storming strategic points and playing at the front of battle, but at the same time they provide important support to teammates from the rear lines.

We’ve decided not to exclude any individual vehicles from this mechanic, including those with a large ammunition capacity, since for them the new mechanics will not provide any significant advantage, but can diversify the experience with them to some extent. Additionally, Tank Destroyers don’t have the option to use artillery strikes, meaning these new mechanics could become their specialty. External rockets like those mentioned above are very limited in their use and therefore can also have additional ammunition to expand the tactical capabilities of the vehicles with them without affecting balance much.

What we propose

We’re now proposing new functionality for a huge number of ground-based vehicles for the vehicle types mentioned above: the construction of interactive objects and landscape elements. Different objects will have different restrictions on the reuse and the number of uses per respawn, which is needed for balance reasons as well as to prevent large number of objects in battle.

Constructing these objects

The construction of each object will take some time. When constructing, the player must remain in place next to the object, similar to replenishing ammunition at a capture point. While doing this, the movement of your vehicle is not stopped; you’ll be able to drive away if there’s a threat nearby, and then return to continue the construction. Below are the approximate values of timers and number of uses that may be changed during implementation, testing or evaluation of this functionality. The proposed objects will have a fully-fledged damage model, meaning they can be destroyed by a hit or ram, and the changed landscape would behave in the same way as landscape dug up with a bulldozer or that has been bombed.

Destroying objects

Objects will only be able to be destroyed by the player who constructed them and the enemy team. This is to avoid toxic behavior from teammates, who will not be able to destroy your objects, this rule applies to all game modes. However, any altered terrain will not be affected by these changes.

What can be constructed

In total, there are currently two types of objects for construction and one possibility of changing the landscape:

1. Ammunition Boxes. This object will consist of one or two types of boxes, depending on the number of weapon groups of your vehicle: separate box for guns and separate box for missiles/rockets. For vehicles with external rockets or bombs (such as the Calliope), there’ll only be one box just for the additional weapon. Ammunition for the main gun will have to be replenished at a capture point as normal. Each box will only contain as many shells, rounds and belts as you had at the time of spawning into the battle, allowing you to replenish the ammunition load up to this amount. Only the player who built the box can replenish ammunition from it. After running out of shells in the box, it will disappear. If enough damage is done to the box, the ammunition will ignite. The fire will not only destroy the box and the ability to replenish ammunition from it, but will also show its position with its visual effect and can cause damage to open-top vehicles if they fall within the damage radius. Ammunition boxes can be built again as many times as needed — including after being destroyed by the enemy — but will only contain the remaining unused shells. At the beginning of the battle, you effectively receive double the ammunition capacity and can manage it as you see fit by changing positions and replenishing from the ammunition box that is always at hand. The construction time is 15 seconds, and the cooldown to construct it again is 60 seconds.
2. Camouflage Net. This is a visual wall at ~6 m wide and ~ 3 m high that can help hide vehicles from the enemy. In Arcade Battles, the camouflage net will also help hide the player’s marker, but not forcefully and unconditionally. Instead, it’ll follow the game’s principles of marker visibility and concealment, simulating a solid wall of dense bushes. The color of the net is automatically selected depending on the location where the battle takes place; yellow for desert ones, white for winter ones and basic green for the rest. No more than four uses per spawn, the construction time is 10 seconds and the timer until reuse is 10 seconds.
3. Trenches and Mounds. Trenches and mounds in this case are not going to be a “preset” object that you can place on the map. This would not be very convenient due to restrictions on the angle of inclination and curvature of the surface, as well as restrictions on proximity and the inability to cross other stationary objects (buildings, stones, other trenches). Instead, we’re proposing to expand the surface modification capabilities. Currently, digging is only available when using a bulldozer blade if the vehicle has one. We propose to supplement the mechanics of changing the landscape by adding to vehicles with this new functionality (as previously mentioned, Tank Destroyers, ATGM carriers, SPAAs, SAMs and tanks with external rocketry) the ability to change the nearby landscape with a “brush” controlled by the mouse cursor or controller stick. To do this, the player will have to leave control of their vehicle, switching the crew to “excavation work” mode, select the digging / pouring mode, and then move the brush cursor with the action button held down. At the cursor position, the landscape will change in a given way, if nothing on the surface hinders this. This way, it’ll be possible, among other things, to complete the construction of other player’s trenches and mounds, built using both this mechanic and using bulldozer blades. The time spent preparing a fully-fledged position using this mechanic will be noticeably greater than when using a bulldozer blade. The number of uses per spawn is not limited, but each change to the surface costs “stamina”, which is restored over time.

Below is a video of how changing the landscape might look like. Please note that this is just an automatic demonstration that changes the landscape much faster than we’ve suggested.

Plans for Arcade Battles

The mechanics of replenishing ammunition from boxes would logically and technically conflict with the mechanics of reloading missiles in Ground Arcade Battles, which is currently activated after the missiles are completely used up. In addition to this, the arcade reload mechanic currently blocks the replenishment of missiles at capture points. In view of these factors, if we add the construction of ammunition boxes, we plan to remove the mechanics of arcade reloading, since replenishing ammo from boxes is — in our view — a more understandable and universal game mechanic.

Thoughts?

New functionality always has the possibility of changing game tactics and add more variety. Having said this, we understand that it’ll introduce even more objects to the map and may complicate the detection, identification and destruction of the enemy, and digging trenches and creating mounds with a large number of vehicles may complicate navigation and movement on the map. Therefore, we’d like to hear your opinion! Share it in the comments and vote for or against adding these mechanics we propose to the game. Your feedback here is important to us, and we want to make sure that any changes to the game are aimed at improving the gameplay and meeting the needs of players.

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