May is here and it brings some significant changes to how Wargaming handles On Tracks (AKA "Top of the Tree" for our EU/RU bretheren) in World of Tanks.
On Track changes
There are three big changes I wanted to highlight:
Three at a time
In the past we had one On Track start on the 5th of the month and run to the 5th of the next month. Another would start on the 20th and run until the following 20th. Now what they're doing is starting the On Tracks on the 1st of the month, and running THREE of them simultaneously.
So yesterday, May 1, the WZ-111 5A, Progetto 65, and T110E3 all went On Track simultaneously in World of Tanks.
In a way this is better because it's less likely that an On Track will start and you'll already have the top tank in that tree (or not want it) then have to wait a couple of weeks for the next tank to come up. I already have the WZ-111 5A (Chinese HT), but I don't have the T110E3 (U.S. TD) or Progetto 65 (Italian MT) yet so I have something to work on during May.
And if you're chasing more than one of them you have an alternate tank to grind during your session when your primary tank dies before the battle is over.
One downside, though, is that you don't get the long notice we used to have for the second tank of the calendar month. We'll probably only find out what the June On Track tanks are around May 28th, for example, which doesn't give much time to prep or plan.
Multipliers
The On Track multipliers are gone now. In the past (and still, for the Sheridan and BC-25t which are currently On Track from April) you'd get x5 for your second win of the day in any tank on that line. Not anymore. Now we have cumulative rewards where, depending on the vehicle you're playing, if you get a certain level of base XP you earn between 2,000 and 25,000 bonus XP.
Remains to be seen if this system turns out to be better than the x5 multipliers were.
Lower discounts
The one that might affect me the most...the credit discounts for purchasing tanks in the tree have been nerfed. Used to be you got 30% off the Tier 9/10 and 50% off Tier 8 and below. Now the discounts vary by tier but it's only 15% off Tier 8 through 10, 30% off tier 7, etc.
As I'm in the habit of using the On Track/Top of the Tree sales in WoT for backfilling the tech tree in my garage this is going to be a negative for me.
Detrimental Matchmaking
I'm only half-joking when I say that I think the IS-M must get detrimental matchmaking. The last half dozen battles I played in it before unlocking the Obj 705 were ALL bottom tier, often Tier X battles, with multiple arties. And pretty often they were hilly maps that aren't well suited to the poor gun depression of the IS-M.
"Why are Russian tanks the happiest tanks? No depression!"
It's pretty frustrating having to brawl S. Conqs, Obj 268.4s, and Concept 1Bs on hilly maps in an IS-M. Fortunately managed to get it finished.
Crying in the corner
If you follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/wot_guy) then you know I've had a frustrating couple of days. Seems like more stomp losses than usual - last night I played just 3 games and all three were fast 4-15 losses.
The ROFLStomp losses are more frustrating than the stomp wins are fun which is probably why it feels like the losses are more plentiful. But if we check the stats we'd probably find that the wins/losses tend to balance out for the most part. It just doesn't FEEL that way.
For all my frustration, though, it has been a productive weekend. I've unlocked three or four tech tree tanks and added the Char Futur to the garage.
What's it like to play the T95?
You drive for 4 minutes just to get to the fight, by the time you get there half your team has died, then you get tracked, flanked, and shot in the butt by multiple enemies. Assuming arty didn't kill you on the way to the fight.
I'm half-kidding, though that has been my experience this weekend. I have a 71% WR in the T28, but for some reason I can hardly get any wins - or even any good games - in the T95.
Here's Skill doing significantly better in it.
GLHF!
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