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Pilots,
Ever since the Closed Beta test we have kept hearing feedback from our community asking for the addition of another game mode to World of Warplanes. The suggestions were numerous and included such things as a bomber-escort mode, night-time battles or even airship wars! While we don’t want to rule out any of those suggestions for the future, you’ll find that, for today’s announcement, we chose to go with a different idea.
The developers are proud to present… the Anti-Aircraft-Artillery mode! Based on the idea of extending the reach of World of Warplanes by offering more diverse gameplay, the new mode promises to shake things up and bring new appeal for all kinds of gamers. Are you tired of having to follow the hectic goings-on of high-speed, air-to-air combat? Maybe you’re looking for a more grounded experience, keeping the same focus of WWII aviation but with the angle shifted slightly in favour of a more straightforward play style? Then the new game mode is just for you!
An entire, new tech tree will be introduced for each of the nations that are featured in the game. All tech trees will consist of two branches – one for stationary and one for self-propelled anti-aircraft guns – and will be made up of dozens of flaks, distributed among ten tiers based on their cannon’s calibre. Take control of a wide range of iconic war machines such as the modest U.S. M45 Quadmount (Tier I, 12.7mm) or the devastating Japanese Type 5 15 cm AA gun (Tier X, 150mm) to experience the game like you never have before.
Point your barrel to the sky and start taking out the enemy planes buzzing above you without having to deal with the constant strain of moving in 3D-space! Control the degree of difficulty that you will experience by opting for either the mobile or stationary models. Use the advantage of self-propelled AA-guns to relocate yourself defensively or rejoice over the additional punch of the static artillery models that can reload quicker and hit harder with every shot. For your comfort, use the adjustable aim-assist feature to further alter the level of the challenge, depending on whether you’re looking for an adrenaline-filled shootout or a laid back turkey shoot.
While the new gameplay will certainly create a new type of play experience, you can rest assured that many of the familiar elements of the classic World of Warplanes will carry over into the new mode. Expect to be raising the profile of your AA guns by upgrading them with modules such as the famous 1942 “Immelmann-Barrel Roll” 180 elevation angle-booster. This upgrade, affectionately nicknamed ‘The Little Im-Ba’ by artillery crews during its service, allows you to increase your gun’s elevation angle to 180° for the most comfortable surface-to-air-sniping.
Speaking of crews, since, historically, AAA’s were handled by multiple soldiers, you’ll be able to assign up to four crew members to your flaks in the Anti-Aircraft-Artillery mode too. Manage a Gunner, Loader, Commander and Morale Officer and train their individual Skills and Perks such as the gunner’s No Sweat ability, which reduces sweaty hands at the aiming wheel for greater accuracy. Although the Morale Officer, of course, does not actually operate any of the equipment, his role is vital, since he’s the one standing at the back, shouting encouraging cusses at the rest of the team to increase the overall productivity – a little bit like an Executive Producer on movie sets.
Of course, customisation options will be part of the party as well, allowing you to apply different paint schemes to the barrel and gunner’s seat of your anti-aircraft-artillery. Imagine a huge 8-metre-long barrel painted half-black, half-leopard-print for a more intimidating look to your machinery. If you’re looking for a little touch of humour, you can always paint your gunner’s seat purple or maybe even opt for the zebra-fur coating.
Naturally, the new mode will come with a new set of achievements too. Amongst these there will be easily obtainable ones such as No One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which is awarded for not having to fire a single shell throughout the battle due to the fact that no plane ever flew in your shooting zone. A more challenging achievement will be the Three for One objective that will require players to take out three planes with one shell by strategically placing it in the middle of a dogfight for the biggest splash damage.
The addition of this new mode naturally requires a larger pool of players per battle to fill up the extra 5 AA gun slots per team that will be placed on each map. Players will be able to place bids (in credits of course) during the queuing screen in order to determine where their artillery will be stationed/spawned in the battle. Since maps are much bigger in World of Warplanes, positioning will be an essential factor – regardless of whether you’ll be playing a static or mobile Anti-Aircraft gun. The player who has placed the biggest bid wins the slot – that way there is no random allocation and the players themselves get to influence who gets placed on the most coveted spots of each map.
As you can see there is a lot to say about the new game mode. We have barely begun to scratch the surface of telling you about all the neat quirks and features that await players in the future. The Anti-Aircraft-Artillery mode is still in development without a set release date. However, since we want our community involved with the project as early as possible, the developers would appreciate your feedback on the idea. Tell us what you think in the forums and stay tuned to the news for all the latest info on the upcoming Open Beta test of this new and exciting development.
Are you pumped for the Anti-Aircraft-Artillery mode, pilots?
