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Mouse

This is the control scheme that’s selected by default when you first enter the game, even if you have other devices plugged into your PC. Despite its name, this is obviously not just a mouse-only option. This input method includes the use of your keyboard as well and has a lot of the most commonly used commands mapped to buttons around the classical WSAD-position.

In this first mouse control-option you steer your plane by rotating the camera around it, leaving it to your plane to automatically find the best way to turn its nose in the direction that you’re looking. The advantage of this method is that you never lose sight of your target, even if you have sometimes to wait for your plane to finish its rotation before you can open fire. On the downside, this means that with the camera rotating constantly, you may lose track of where the horizon is or how close you actually are to the ground. So make sure you follow your on-screen instruments closely to avoid a crash!

Mouse Version 0.4.1

This is the alternative Mouse + Keyboard input method, which gives you a more direct control over your aircraft. With the 0.4.1 version, you “pull” your plane in a certain direction by moving your mouse, indicating with your cursor where the plane’s nose is supposed to be aiming. The main difference to the classical mouse control is that with the 0.4.1 you never actually rotate the camera around the plane. The view stays fixed on the tail of your aircraft, looking along its body whilst always maintaining the plane’s nose pointing towards the centre of the screen.
The big advantage of this method is that your guns are always in position, so that you can actually instantly shoot when your target is in the middle of your screen in front of you. You also always see exactly where your plane is in relation to the ground, because you see it conveniently from the same angle at all times. On the downside, this same fixed view may cause you to lose track of your target more easily. You’ll need to use the ‘Snap to Target’-button to tilt the view and check the position of your currently locked plane or ground target.

Keyboard

 In this control scheme, all necessary commands are mapped exclusively to your keyboard. This means that rather than just playing with one half of the keyboard when using the mouse, you’ll need to have both hands on your device to execute all the manoeuvers.
Some players prefer this input method because it allows them to be more “accurate” in their movements, rather than depend on the exact positioning of their mouse, which can sometimes be tricky and requires a very strong hand-eye-coordination. If you’re short for space, or playing on a tiny desk or a laptop without an external mouse at hand, this option is best for you. It takes a little more time to get used to, but once mastered it can produce results as good as any of the other control schemes.

Joystick

 Often the ultimate first choice for all hardcore aviation game-fans out there, this input method certainly proves its worth when put to good use on the battlefield. Revered for its precision by some while dismissed for a long adjustment period and learning curve by others, the joystick may not the best option for players who are still learning the ropes of World of Warplanes. However, once you’ve gotten the hang of the game, and leave the keyboard for a stick, you’ll be able to start noticing the supreme ‘in-air-feeling’ and characteristic handling that comes with using this device. The game supports all kinds of joysticks (regardless of the brand or amount of buttons on it) with the option to adjust its axes from within the game. Use it on its own or in combination with the keyboard for total control!

Gamepad

 A lot of players are used to playing with this input device on their consoles already, and so it comes very naturally to them to use a gamepad for World of Warplanes as well. Like the joystick, it may be a little harder to achieve instant success with it while you’re still starting out. However, if you take your time and customise the mapping of your gamepad to your particular needs, this input method can become very effective, whilst allowing for the definitely most laid-back way to enjoy the game. If you’re playing on a big screen and have the liberty to sit further away from the screen, this option probably works best for you. The gamepad can also be used in combination with the keyboard, in case you run out of available buttons. If you have the hardware, you should consider giving this control option a try and experience the game in a completely new way!

When you play a Standard Battle in World of Warplanes, the game mode you encounter will always be ‘Superiority’. This means that when you shoot down enemies or take out ground targets, what you are actually doing is playing for points that fill up your victory meter (seen on the top of the battle screen). The first team to either shoot down all of the enemy team’s planes or to fill up their own victory meter to 100% achieves ‘Superiority’ and wins the game.

When you shoot down an enemy aircraft or destroy a ground target, your team receives one victory point (or three if you destroy the enemy team’s HQ). Gaining these points is required to fill up your victory meter. Every point difference that you have over the opposite team increases the rate at which your victory meter fills up. At one point difference (when your team has one victory point more than the opposite team) your team’s meter fills up at a rate of 0.4% per second. Every additional plane or target you manage to take out gives you another victory point, increasing the difference over the enemy team and thus speeding up your team’s victory meter rate by an additional 0.2% per point.

Always keep an eye on your Victory Meter on the top of the screen (left) and the Combat Log (right)!

However, since this progress is based on the difference in victory points between the two teams, it can be countered by the enemy team gaining and matching the number of points to zero the difference in the score. This causes both victory meters to stop filling up until one of the teams manages to achieve an advantage again.

There’s also another way for a team to impact the opponent’s victory meter. Whenever a team scores a kill or takes out a ground target, a percentage of the enemy team’s current victory meter progress is taken away from them. This means that in addition to the obvious impact on the victory point difference, taking out an enemy plane will make the enemy team lose 60% of their current victory meter progress. Destroying a small ground object will reduce the enemy team’s current victory meter by 20%, while destroying a big ground object (HQ) will shave off a total of 60% - the same as the loss of a plane.

All of this creates a system which leads to one team winning either by destroying all of its enemies, or by filling its victory meter to 100% to win ‘Superiority’. As you can see, the characteristics of the ‘Superiority’ game mode allow for an exciting continuous back-and-forth-action. All players have multiple ways to contribute to their team’s win, and in the end they will have to find the right balance between concentrating on taking out planes, and keeping an eye on the victory meter situation.

First of all: Don’t panic! Everybody – even ace pilots – can find themself on the wrong end of a dog fight at some point and there’s nothing unusual about that. It’s not always easy or even possible to get away from a chasing attacker on your rear. Just imagine how ‘locked in’ you feel on the other side when you’ve got somebody in your sights and you desperately want to add them to your kill-list. You won’t give up on the target – no matter what else may be happening around you.

If you're being caught in enemy fire, it's time to react immediately!

In order to increase your survival chances, you need to put yourself in the role of the attacker and think about what you can do to make it harder for them to hit you. The first rule of defence is to keep the attacker more occupied with the chase than with aiming at you. For example, an attacker who’s struggling to keep up with a target whilst trying to avoid an unfortunate crash is an attacker who can’t actually shoot at the same time. Distract your opponent by using all of the moves in your arsenal and think about using the terrain to make them commit an error or even to give up chasing you by switching to an easier target!

One of the most important things that you have as a defender (that means being the chased plane) is your kinetic energy and speed. Keep it up at all cost! New recruits tend to slow down when they get heat from their six, thinking that they can force the attacker to overshoot. However, if you do that and the attacker knows what they are doing, they’ll end up having an even easier time targeting you than if you had kept your speed up and tried to out-turn them. A slower target is an easier to aim at and hit.

Don't forget to always watch your six!

Don’t forget that each team has a base which is always guarded by strong AA-guns waiting to take opponents out if they dare enter home-territory! If you simply can’t shake off an attacker on your own, use the NPC-assistance of your AA-team members on the ground to take out or distract your chaser. Flying in circles above your own base can seriously damage your pursuer and could even result in you being able to turn the tables and get some revenge!

One key ingredient to surviving seemingly deadly situations is to use your surroundings. Duck around the scenery, over the mountains, into the valleys. You can even try to use your enemies against each other! Try attracting the attention of another enemy plane. While this tactic may sound dangerous, if the attackers pick up your trail at the same time, they could actually get in each other’s way whilst following you, preventing either of them from firing at you for fear of hitting the team comrade.

Lastly, the one thing that saves the biggest amount of lives in the sky is always teamwork and communication. If you can’t handle a pursuer on your own, don’t hesitate to ask for help from a team member! Press ‘F7’ to ask somebody to clear your tail and communicate actively in the chat, to make sure your team-mates are helping each other out, rather than just hoping to duke it all out in a one on one-fashion. The sooner you lay out a strategy, find wingmen and prioritise the order in which ground targets are to be taken out, the less times you’ll actually have to apply any of the defence tactics mentioned above.

From the Hangar screen, click on the ‘Tech Tree’ tab at the top of the screen. This will take you to a window where you can browse all of the planes of a particular tech tree and filter them by nation. Switch to the nation of your choosing.

You will notice how some nations have ‘Premium Aircraft’. These are planes that don’t need to be researched and which can only be acquired for Gold (Tokens in the Open Beta). However, all the other ‘regular’ planes will need to be researched with XP and then purchased for regular credits. In order to research and buy a plane, you will first have to collect sufficient XP (experience points) and credits, both of which are obtained as rewards for flying and being successful in battles.

Always keep an eye on your tokens, credits and XP!

In order to research something, you’ll need to click on the plane you want in the tech tree. This will lead you to the detailed view of this aircraft, showing you its research price (in XP), purchase price (in credits), its characteristics and available modules. To be able to research a new aircraft, you’ll first need to have researched the key module and concept of the preceding plane in the tech branch. If you check the diagram in the middle of the screen, you’ll notice that modules are researched from top to bottom, and that one of them always features a brighter arrow leading to the very bottom of the screen where the plane’s successor is displayed. The module that this brighter arrow leads down from is the key-module for the current plane that you’re viewing. In order to unlock the plane you want, you’ll first have to research the key modules and plane concepts of all the planes in the branch leading up to it.

Research your plane from the Tech Tree directly...	...or by individual key module.	Don't forget to purchase the plane to add it to your hangar!

Research is completed in two possible ways. The first way is to wait until you have enough XP and credits, then go to the plane’s detailed view on the tech tree and press the big ‘Research’ button. This will automatically research the chosen aircraft concept and the required key module of the plane’s predecessor. Alternatively, you can enter the detailed view of the predecessor to your desired plane and start clicking on the modules in the diagram one by one in order to research individual modules as you go without having to collect the entire XP and credit sums at once. Of course, this means you can use these modules if you want to fly with your desired plane’s predecessor. Either way, you cannot ‘skip’ planes when researching and aircraft have to be unlocked one by one by following their chain in the branch. This means that if you want to have a Tier X plane, you’ll need to unlock all the concepts of the branch’s Tier II to Tier IX planes first.

Premium planes are a little bit different. Unlike regular aircraft, they don’t require research and can be purchased immediately (as long as you have the Gold for it), without having to follow a chain of other planes to get to it. Premium planes earn you more credits in battle, usually don’t require any kind of module re-configuration and come with Elite-status equipped from the start. They can be a great investment if you want to ‘jump ahead’ and get the feeling of a high-tier plane early, even if you’re still at the very beginning of the regular tech tree.

As far as ‘What plane is the best?’ is concerned, there is no real answer to that. All the planes in World of Warplanes are balanced out before their release and constantly monitored afterwards so that they measure up fairly against other models of the same tier. Of course every plane will have its own little specifics, which will give it a unique feel and character. This is not to say that any one of them will be superior to any other of the same tier on paper alone. It will be up to you to make the best out of your plane’s capabilities and find the plane that corresponds best to the kind of game style you want to play and the role you want to take on in a battle. Depending on what exactly it is that you’re after, any plane and every plane can be the best for you.

There are four types of planes in World of Warplanes – Fighters, Ground Attack Planes, Heavy Fighters and Carrier-Based Fighters. Each of these classes has individual strengths and weaknesses.

First of all, you need to know that regardless of the class, each plane belongs to a certain tier. There are ten tiers in the game with Tier I being the lowest (for the weakest planes) and Tier X being the highest, reserved for only the most exclusive and powerful planes in the game. In every class, you’ll find that all the planes are divided into these ten tiers. When comparing planes, you need to focus on their tier (which is the main indicator of their proficiency level) and secondly on their class. While the tier tells you how good the plane is at something, the class shows you what speciality and battle role the plane excels at.

Fighters are the core units of each nation’s air fleet. They are light, quick and highly manoeuvrable planes that carry medium-sized weaponry. They are mainly designed to engage in close one-on-one dogfights, defend slower allies and intercept hostile machines. If you’re looking for high-speed adrenaline-pumped battles chasing other equally quick machines through the skies, then a fighter is the best choice for you.

Ground Attack Planes are only available in the Soviet tech tree and are very unique planes. Due to their increased size and mass, they lack a Fighter’s agility and tend to be played in a more calm manner. As they are not manoeuvrable enough to out-turn or outrun a lighter attacker, they often depend on assistance from other players to keep them alive while they carry out their assignments. These consist of mainly taking out ground targets with heavy weapons and bombs. However, while Ground Attack planes may seem like an easy target, they are actually very sturdy and will take a great deal of effort to take out due to a great deal of armour and a dangerous rear gunner.

Heavy Fighters can only be found in the German tech tree and are a bit of a mix between the two aforementioned classes. Their heavy armament is more like that of a Ground Attack plane, while their sophisticated engineering gives them an almost Fighter-like agility to be effective against targets in the sky as well as on the ground. While they will still not beat any Fighter in a high-speed racing contest, they can stand their ground against any possible incoming attacker and can be used both for offence and defence to help you achieve greatness for your team.

Carrier-Based Fighters are the fourth and final class in World of Warplanes. These can only be found in the American and Japanese warplane fleets. They are excellent machines for intense dogfighting and can produce formidable results against ground targets due to their ability to carry rockets and even light bombs. However, this increased firepower and mobility usually comes at the expense of hull armour, which is why Carrier-Based Fighters need to watch out and not to get hit during their flights.

A team will usually consist of planes of all kinds of classes, so it will be up to you to carry out the role of your plane as best you can. Remember, ‘think teamwork’ to be successful both on and above the battlegrounds.

World of Warplanes is a game about gaining an advantage over your opponent – no matter how small this advantage may be or where it comes from. Every module, equipment piece or consumable can help you to achieve this advantage, step by step, piece by piece, manoeuvre by manoeuvre – until you’ve got your opponent ‘on the ropes’ and can ultimately defeat them.

When developing each warplane, the engineers constantly looked for ways to improve the core performance by upgrading its parts periodically as the technology evolved. This is represented by modules in the game. You will be able to improve particular areas of your aircraft stats by upgrading the corresponding module – the engine for thrust, airframe for armour, machine guns for firepower (both front and rear-mounted), and outward weapons such as bombs and missiles for improved ground attack capabilities.

Transform the stock version of your plane...	...by way of using your researched modules...	...to boost its looks and performance!

While it does cost a lot of XP and credits, a plane with fully upgraded modules can become significantly stronger than its stock version and thus give you an advantage over any kind of player using the same type of plane who did not take the time to improve it. Sometimes upgrading your plane through its better modules can already make you feel like you are playing an aircraft of a higher tier. Often choosing a different module configuration will change the profile and hence the in-air behaviour of your plane. In any case, checking out in the ways you can improve (or rather customise) your plane’s performance by using modules is definitely a worthwhile thing to do.

Likewise, equipment parts and consumables also aim to give you that small advantage over your foes. Equipped through the same menu as the modules, additional equipment parts can be expensive (especially the complex ones that you cannot uninstall easily). However, you’ll be glad to have spent the credits on them once you start noticing the benefits of a 10% accuracy, speed or resistance bonus whilst in battle.

Use additional equipment parts to improve your accuracy, speed and durability!

Consumables are available for all planes in the game, although they may vary in name or appearance in the interface depending on the nation. However, every plane can be equipped with some sort of consumable that gives the same kind of boost to your airplane as another consumable of the same type (with maybe a different name) for a plane of another nation. The difference with consumables is that, unlike modules or equipment, they  are ‘one-time-use’ objects, designed to be triggered or consumed at the right moment in combat. This can help you take out your foes more effectively or undo a harmful situation for yourself (such as a hurt crew member or fire aboard your plane). After being used in-game, the consumable disappears from your plane’s inventory, and will have to be restocked if you want to use it again in a future battle. This is why you find the consumables in the ‘Service’ tab of your hangar, because you will have to resupply any consumables you used in the previous battle, the same as you would with any special ammo.

All in all, all of these – modules, additional equipment and consumables – will help you to gain a little advantage which if used correctly, may give you the decisive edge you need over your opponent’s plane.

You will have noticed already, that every battle is carried out by two teams consisting of 15 players each. When you hit the ‘Battle’-button, the matchmaker automatically pairs you up with matching players in the waiting queue to form even teams. Within these teams you can connect with up to two other friends in ‘Flights’ to form a unit of players that always enters matches together.

To do this, you simply have to click on ‘Create Flight Battle’ next to the big orange ‘Battle!’ button in the hangar. This will open a menu with a search field, in which you’ll be able to enter the name of the player or friend that you want to connect to. Press the button with the magnifying glass to launch the search and pick the players you were looking for from the list that shows up. A click on ‘OK’ confirms your selection and sends those players an invite to team up in a flight.

On the receiving end, an invited player will see a notification pop up in the right hand corner of his screen. At the same time a list with all already invited players to the flight shows up on the left in the Flight-menu with a button saying ‘Accept invitation’. Hitting it will make the invited player join the flight and add him to a flight-internal chat which opens at the bottom of the hangar menu.

When all the players you’ve invited (you can add up to two friends) have joined, the flight leader, that is the person who gave out the invitations to the others, will be able to launch the fight by hitting the big ‘Battle!’ button from the hangar. The team mates in your flight will be shown with a little shield and the flight’s corresponding number in the players table during the loading screen and later on in the game itself.

When you want to disband the group to go flying on your own, you can click on ‘Dismiss Flight’ from the Flight menu on the top left corner in the hangar. Only the flight leader can dismiss a flight. However, if you’re member of a flight and want to leave it individually, you’re able to do so as well by clicking ‘Leave flight’ from the same flight menu in the hangar.

There are two types of accounts you can have in World of Warplanes – a regular free account and a premium account, which has to be acquired using Gold (Tokens during Open Beta). In the current stage of the Open Beta, every player gets to play on a premium account for free.

Having a premium account gives you two bonuses – 50% more credits and 50% more XP after each battle. This allows you to advance through the game a little quicker, but it does not give you any advantage over the free-to-play players in battles. An active F2P-player can achieve the same level of success (or misfortune) as any Premium-player.

This means that having Premium does not give your plane some kind of magical boost. It will not make you fly faster, turn quicker or shoot more precisely. All it does is giving you the ability to level up a little bit faster, so you can reach the plane of your dreams in less time than if you had to grind your way through the tech tree without any assistance.

If you want to boost your progress to unlock planes and modules from the different tech trees quicker, then you should consider going Premium. After all, the top-tier aircraft are very expensive and will take a lot of time to reach, so getting a little help by earning 50% extra credits on all of your battles can go a long way to making the game more enjoyable for you.

Don’t forget that even though you’re already playing an Open Beta version, World of Warplanes is still in development. That means that parts of it may not be final and that you even may encounter the occasional bug or client crash from time to time.

If you encounter a bug (which is a glitch or error in the game) during your playing sessions, we would like you to drop us a line about it to Customer Support. Alternatively, you can also visit the dedicated section on our official World of Warplanes forum to tell us all about your findings there. Please use the search function before reporting though! With thousands of gamers actively playing the Open Beta at the same time, it may very well be that a fellow tester has already seen and reported the specific issue which you meant to alert us about.

In the rare occasion that you encounter a client-crash (which means that your game stops in mid-play and you find yourself back on your Windows home screen with an error message), please head over to the dedicated Customer Support Page where you can find instructions on how to contact us and what information to include in your crash report.

Finally, please keep in mind that one of the main purposes of the Open Beta is to test our product before its final release and to enable the developers to find the right balance for a multitude of game features by fine-tuning gameplay details. It is therefore of the utmost importance that you take a timeout from testing every once in a while and tell us what you think about the game. Your feedback is crucial to us so that we can make the final tweaks and changes to the game before the servers go live for the grand opening. Please don’t hesitate to browse and post in our forums to discover subjects that are being discussed amongst other testers and to share your own views with us as well. Our host of Community Managers and Community Coordinators will make sure to answer your questions and to forward your feedback to our developer team.