In Action

Your first World of Warplanes experience might get rather bumpy with all the tricky controls and multiple head-up display (HUD) elements. In this section we will expand on the basics of playing the game and take a closer look at the Battle screen.

Getting ready for action

Before jumping into the heat of battle and wreaking havoc on the enemy, you need to decide which aircraft you are going to use.
All aircraft available to you are displayed in the Aircraft panel in the Hangar.

Scroll through the Aircraft panel to view all available aircraft.

You can filter the Aircraft panel content by aircraft tier, type, or nation if the panel becomes too long.

To select an aircraft, left-click the required aircraft in the Aircraft panel. The selected aircraft appears on the main screen.

To view the 3D overview of the selected aircraft:

1. Left-click the aircraft image.
2. Move the mouse while holding the left button down; you can use the mouse scroll to zoom in and out.

To set an aircraft as primary, right-click an aircraft in the Aircraft panel and select Set as primary. The selected aircraft will be moved to the front of your panel and marked with a yellow ribbon.

Make sure your aircraft is combat-ready before getting into action.

AIRCRAFT PANEL
Image	Description	Note
	Ready for battle	Your currently selected aircraft must be ready for battle to take part in the action.
	Primary aircraft	Marked with the yellow ribbon. A primary vehicle is moved to the front of the Aircraft panel.
	Aircraft in battle	This status appears when you leave an active battle, or your aircraft is destroyed. To join a new battle using this aircraft you will have to wait until the current battle is over.
	Repairs required	The aircraft was badly damaged in a previous battle and requires repairs before joining any new battle.
	Victory bonus	Winning a battle using this aircraft will bring you double experience bonus.
	Elite aircraft	Marked with a special icon (platinum aircraft icon and golden laurel wreath).
	Premium aircraft	Marked with a special icon (golden aircraft icon and laurel wreath).

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Battle Controls

The default control scheme for World of Warplanes is shown below. To customize your key bindings, or select an alternative control scheme, go to Game Menu > Settings > Controls.

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Game Modes

Now that you have selected an aircraft and tweaked the battle controls to your liking, either hone your skills in the training game mode, put newly acquired aircraft through its paces in the battle against bots or face real opponents in the standard battle mode.

 Training

The primary way of polishing your aerial skills is through the series of training sessions. World of Warplanes offers two training modes at your disposal:

  Individual training within tutorial.

  Team training battle against selected teams.

Individual Training

Individual training allows newcomers to learn the basic combat controls. It comprises of four tutorials:

• Gunnery Practice
• Dogfight Training
• Team Air Combat
• Ground Target Assault.

After successfully completing each tutorial you are awarded with XP, credits and gold.

Team Training

This mode enables you to join an already existing Training Room or set up your own.

To join a Training Room:

1. Select Team Training from the Battle menu.
   The Team Training window with a list of all current Training Rooms and Participants is displayed.
   
   
   
2. Select a room from the list and click Join.
   You have joined the room and appear in the list of undistributed players.
3. Wait for the host to assign you to the team and start the battle.

To set up a Training Room:

1. Select Team Training from the Battle menu.
2. Click Create Room in the top right-hand corner.
   A Team Training set-up window is displayed.
   
   
3. Select a map, battle duration and aircraft tier. You may also enter a short description to specify the skills that are going to be practiced.
4. Click Create. 

   The Training Room window appears.
   
   

5. Use the arrows to distribute players to the respective teams.
6. If necessary, add bots to the rosters for a greater challenge.
   Click Battle!

Battle against bots

Battling against computer controlled opponents is an excellent practice ground for World of Warplanes beginners as well as players wanting to test new aircraft.

A team of one to five players, supplemented by bots, plays against an all bot team in a 15 vs. 15 format. The aim is to achieve and maintain supremacy or destroy all enemy aircraft.

Battle type specifics:

• Free ammo and equipment resupply after each battle.
• No standard rewards, instead player receives a special reward for completing combat missions, such as destroying ground targets and enemy aircraft. Missions become more challenging upon completion.
• This battle type has its own missions and achievements.
• Battle results are not included in game statistics, except for achievements earned.

Standard Battle

Standard Battle mode features two teams of maximum 15 aircraft each. 

The main objective is to achieve and maintain supremacy or destroy all enemy aircraft.

Each battle lasts up to 15 minutes. The map and players are selected randomly.

See the table below for more details on the battle rules:

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Battle HUD

 Once the battle starts, the Battle screen is displayed. The Battle screen is your in-game hub, providing all the essential information you need during the battle.

 

  Allied Team Panel

A list of allied team members with brief information on each player:

• Player’s in-game name
• Current aircraft type
• Aircraft tier
• Flight unit icon (maximum two players).

  Team Panel Settings

Use the settings to hide or switch between Team Panel modes.

To access the Team Panel settings, press and hold CTRL and select the required mode.

  Superiority Indicator

Displays battle progress for each team. A team that achieves 100% superiority wins the battle.

  Radar Area

Displays the position of other aircraft in relation to your aircraft.

  Battle Time

Battle countdown timer; a battle lasts up to 15 minutes.

  Enemy Team Panel

Lists the members of a rival team, along with brief information on each player.
The information displayed depends on the Team Panel settings.

  Notifications

Notifications about various battle events.

• Ally killed = red
• Enemy killed = green
• Your aircraft = yellow.

  Minimap

Displays player positions and mission objects on the map. 

Icon	Description
	Your aircraft.
	Allied aircraft.
	Your flight member.
	Enemy aircraft.
	Locked enemy target.
	Ground objects.
	Enemy ground objects.
	Locked enemy ground target.

  Locked Target Window

Once a target is locked, its vital stats and specification icons are displayed in the window.

- Hit Points
- Firepower
- Airspeed
- Maneuverability
- Altitude performance

An icon turns green (your aircraft is superior), grey (minor difference), or red (your aircraft is inferior).

  Battle Chat

Open the chat to communicate with other players. While the chat can be seen to everyone in the battle, you can also change the mode to talk specifically to your team or only members of your flight.

To type a message in the battle chat, press Enter. To toggle between the chat modes, press Tab.

  Target

All targets are indicated with markers. Enemy targets are marked red, allies are green, and flight members are yellow. The markers of destroyed targets turn dark.

Marker display varies depending on the marker mode and parameters selected.

  Reticle

The reticle is displayed in the center of the Battle screen. Use it to aim the gun at targets.

Airspeed indicates the airspeed range for maximum aircraft maneuvering (at optimum altitude).

Altitude indicates the altitude range at which your aircraft is most effective, i.e. has maximum airspeed and maneuverability.

  Weapons and Boost

The panel displays information on the number and type of available ammunition, guns heat level, and a dynamic indicator of engine boost availability.

  HP Indicator

Displays information on your aircraft’s hit points.

  Aircraft Damage

Displays information on the critically damaged aircraft modules and injured crew members. Any damaged modules (highlighted in orange) operate at a reduced capacity.

  Consumables

The panel displays information on the number and type of the available consumables mounted on the aircraft.

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