Wednesday, November 13, 2013

WoT: World Of Tanks Review: Better than expected

So maybe I was a little cranky before. Perhaps a little too hasty to render judgement. And kinda harsh, even.
I did play WoT on XBox over the weekend. Not enough or during the right time window to earn a bonus tank reward, but enough to get a feel for it.
As a TC, I knew Victory and Defeat. I acquired several tanks and racked up some in-game points.
I like it.
Some tanks are very hard to maneuver, others are easier. I think the movement of the tank should be like driving a car on Forza Motorsport. In WoT, driving is done with the left joystick.
WoT does give one the feel, as much as one can get in a game, of driving a real tank, with the independent left and right track controls. If I turn the stick all the way to the left, then the left track moves, the right track stops, and the tank spins to the left.
Looking and aiming is independently done with the right joystick. This does simulate the independent ability of the TC to look in a different place from the driver.
Graphics and world design are good; it is what one might expect from a modern simulation game.
Battle and target ID and engagement are good and very playable.
In some battles, it didn't take too long for my tank to be destroyed. Tactics are realistic, and one quickly learns the lessons of cover, concealment, avenues of approach, overwatch, and stealth.
Communications in the game is an area for improvement. There are some controller oriented commands that I didn't take the time to learn. Audio comms using the pathetic Xbox headsets are irritating at best. I chose not to use them, and I prefer others not to, as I find hearing barking dogs or overly chatty players to be highly annoying. On the other hand, if players practiced good RTO procedures and communicated tactically, a quick voice command can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Overall, I liked the game, especially for a free beta download, and I would buy the fully fleshed out game when it's ready.
..._._

Friday, November 8, 2013

WOT: Ought to be WTF: You haven't been close to a tank.

World of Tanks: Great concept, good job on reaching out for "the bid weekend". I downloaded the beta release today. After downloading and opening the app, the first thing it does is update.
Really? The release I just downloaded wasn't up-to-date?
Reading through all the stuff as it downloads, I see I could get a reward tank if I play 5 battles tomorrow between 5 and 8 PM tomorrow, or some nonsense.
REALLY? I'm not going to rearrange my schedule just to some in-game reward. In fact, I probably will not be playing at all during those hours, so WOT, forget you. I'm bovvered by your game already, and I haven't even played it.