Seems quite nice - a grindable counterpart of Seafang - one of best premium planes.
Stock model lacks everything - a bit of maneuverability (Tempest Mk. V airframe make that even), considerable amount of speed (top engine reduces that difference to 10 km/h), and armament (top cannons again make that even).
Fully developed version is 10 km/h slower but dives faster, has 200 meters less optimal altitude.Has also worse roll rate and higher stall speed, although lower optimal airspeed suggests considerable dogfighting abilities.
Since stock plane flies ok, my first pick were cannons, to be able to reach stronger and harder - 115 dps at 760 meters instead of 100 at 720, probably better bullet velocity.
After that I think about engines, fuselage and finally bombs and rockets.
Placing plane developed in 1942 at the same tier as 1944 project is ridiculous, and as I earlier wrote - at tier VIII there should be Hawker Sea Fury.
Maybe one of reasons is that it is quite similar to Lawochkins (parallel evolution leas to 2 kinds of propeller fighters - bubble canopy and high power inline or radial engine), and it would show how poor Lawochkins are (La-11 in current meta is so weak that it was withdrawn from shop).
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Friday, December 28, 2018
Ki-102
Faster and seemingly more nimble version of Ki-45.
Also flies higher, which makes engagements easier due to better energy management.
High caliber main cannon is useful against bigger targets - heavy fighters and bombers high, and GAA low.
Also flies higher, which makes engagements easier due to better energy management.
High caliber main cannon is useful against bigger targets - heavy fighters and bombers high, and GAA low.
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Spitfire line
Supermarine Spitfire development was heavily influenced by German Focke Wulf 190 plane - it caused appearance of Spitfires mark IX and XVI - late Merlin powered variants as a stopgap while Rolls Royce Griffon powered variants were being developed.
This shows first problem - Focke Wulf 190 A-1 appears at tier V, and mature version A-5 at tier VI. Spitfire counterpart is Spitfire Mk. V, which in reality had been completely outclassed by Wurgers, and their real counterparts were Spitfires Mk. IX, which are at tier VII.
Another problem is the line ending.
In real life, final incarnation of Supermarine piston powered planes was Supermarine Spiteful, which navalized version was Supermarine Seafang - tier VIII multirole fighter. Before Spiteful, final Spitfire models reached number 24. In game, final Spitfire is Mk. XX at tier VIII.
Instead of Spitfire Mk. I at tier V, Mk. V at VI, Mk. IX at tier VII and Mk. XX at tier VIII it should be like Spitfire Mk. I/V at tier V, Mk. IX/XVI (with bubble canopy) at tier VI, matching Focke Wulf 190 A-5, then Rolls Royce Griffon powered Mk. XIV/24 at tier VII and Supermarine Spiteful at tier VIII.
Then they would match their German counterparts, and line would have more modern look - razorback fuselages would be replaced by bubble canopies, and tier IX Supermarine Attacker (in history it was worse than Gloster Meteor) would share more than just a company name - it utilized Spiteful wings.
This shows first problem - Focke Wulf 190 A-1 appears at tier V, and mature version A-5 at tier VI. Spitfire counterpart is Spitfire Mk. V, which in reality had been completely outclassed by Wurgers, and their real counterparts were Spitfires Mk. IX, which are at tier VII.
Another problem is the line ending.
In real life, final incarnation of Supermarine piston powered planes was Supermarine Spiteful, which navalized version was Supermarine Seafang - tier VIII multirole fighter. Before Spiteful, final Spitfire models reached number 24. In game, final Spitfire is Mk. XX at tier VIII.
Instead of Spitfire Mk. I at tier V, Mk. V at VI, Mk. IX at tier VII and Mk. XX at tier VIII it should be like Spitfire Mk. I/V at tier V, Mk. IX/XVI (with bubble canopy) at tier VI, matching Focke Wulf 190 A-5, then Rolls Royce Griffon powered Mk. XIV/24 at tier VII and Supermarine Spiteful at tier VIII.
Then they would match their German counterparts, and line would have more modern look - razorback fuselages would be replaced by bubble canopies, and tier IX Supermarine Attacker (in history it was worse than Gloster Meteor) would share more than just a company name - it utilized Spiteful wings.
Monday, December 24, 2018
Hawker Typhoon
Plane where few things happened.
First of all, it seems that Persha finally gave up with cross-plane equipment. Typhoon, initially armed with 12 machine guns, receives 20mm Hispano Mk. II and finally Mk V.
Both models are researchable on other planes - Mk. II on Hawker Hurricane Mk. II, Mk. V on Spitfire Mk. IX. Everything has to be researched from 0.
Plane itself seems to be average at best. Good rule of thumb is to compare with Corsair - decent multirole fighter. Tornado compared to F4U-1 has 20 km/h lower max speed, but has better dogfighting abilities (turn time and stall speed).
Typhoon comparing to F4U-4 is 40 km/h max speed slower, equal turn time, worse roll rate, higher optimum speed and only lower stall speed. Worse climb ratio and same altitude performance.
Necessity to harvest 28k experience flying with machine guns with really low shell velocity to mount cannons means, that grind is going to be pain.
Finally - it's a sign of lack of love to UK planes.
Exactly as Spitfire line is broken, the same way Persha broke Hawker line.
Tier VIII is the pinnacle of piston fighters design, or an advent of jet planes.
In case of Hawker line it's not.
Ultimate Hawker piston engine fighter was further development of Hawker Tempest - Hawker Sea Fury, as Ta 152 was development of Fw 190.
Instead of that, WG pushed Hawker Hurricane to tier IV and V, at tier V giving tier IV and a half plane OP armament of 4 cannons, that shred to pieces most planes they are point at.
Another screwup is tier VI - Hawker Tornado - failed plane due to engine failure. Same fuselage with different engine (Napier Sabre instead of Rolls Royce Vulture) was named Hawker Typhoon, and fuselage was designed at 1937/38, making planes from 1938 occupy tier VI and VII.
To be aligned with history, Hawker Typhoon should be at tier VI instead of Tornado, then Tempest and Sea Fury. Tier V is debatable, either late model Hawker Hurricane as it is now, or Hawker Tornado, handicapped by failed engine.
First of all, it seems that Persha finally gave up with cross-plane equipment. Typhoon, initially armed with 12 machine guns, receives 20mm Hispano Mk. II and finally Mk V.
Both models are researchable on other planes - Mk. II on Hawker Hurricane Mk. II, Mk. V on Spitfire Mk. IX. Everything has to be researched from 0.
Plane itself seems to be average at best. Good rule of thumb is to compare with Corsair - decent multirole fighter. Tornado compared to F4U-1 has 20 km/h lower max speed, but has better dogfighting abilities (turn time and stall speed).
Typhoon comparing to F4U-4 is 40 km/h max speed slower, equal turn time, worse roll rate, higher optimum speed and only lower stall speed. Worse climb ratio and same altitude performance.
Necessity to harvest 28k experience flying with machine guns with really low shell velocity to mount cannons means, that grind is going to be pain.
Finally - it's a sign of lack of love to UK planes.
Exactly as Spitfire line is broken, the same way Persha broke Hawker line.
Tier VIII is the pinnacle of piston fighters design, or an advent of jet planes.
In case of Hawker line it's not.
Ultimate Hawker piston engine fighter was further development of Hawker Tempest - Hawker Sea Fury, as Ta 152 was development of Fw 190.
Instead of that, WG pushed Hawker Hurricane to tier IV and V, at tier V giving tier IV and a half plane OP armament of 4 cannons, that shred to pieces most planes they are point at.
Another screwup is tier VI - Hawker Tornado - failed plane due to engine failure. Same fuselage with different engine (Napier Sabre instead of Rolls Royce Vulture) was named Hawker Typhoon, and fuselage was designed at 1937/38, making planes from 1938 occupy tier VI and VII.
To be aligned with history, Hawker Typhoon should be at tier VI instead of Tornado, then Tempest and Sea Fury. Tier V is debatable, either late model Hawker Hurricane as it is now, or Hawker Tornado, handicapped by failed engine.
B-17G
Successor of B-17D, covering the biggest flaw of D model - lacking defensive armament.
Tail gunner covering annoying dead zone in horizontal plane, turrets with wide fire arcs and greater firepower do the job against overoptimistic attacking planes, especially light fighters and lower tier targets. Also shreds enemy bombers, so specializing this version should be much easier than tier V.
Bomb drop the same, unfortunately 2nd load has to be developed for 15k exp.
Plane itself is similar to previous version, so nothing new about the tactics - fly high, pick packed GTs, carpet them.
There is only one issue - tier VII heavy fighters don't give shit about B-17G defensive armament - they just come, fire and go.
Comparing fire effects against attacking tier VI and tier VII heavy fighters, I suspect hidden modifiers to rear gunner efficiency when firing planes of different tiers - lower tier planes are being shred to pieces, same tier can survive, higher tier don't care.
Tail gunner covering annoying dead zone in horizontal plane, turrets with wide fire arcs and greater firepower do the job against overoptimistic attacking planes, especially light fighters and lower tier targets. Also shreds enemy bombers, so specializing this version should be much easier than tier V.
Bomb drop the same, unfortunately 2nd load has to be developed for 15k exp.
Plane itself is similar to previous version, so nothing new about the tactics - fly high, pick packed GTs, carpet them.
There is only one issue - tier VII heavy fighters don't give shit about B-17G defensive armament - they just come, fire and go.
Comparing fire effects against attacking tier VI and tier VII heavy fighters, I suspect hidden modifiers to rear gunner efficiency when firing planes of different tiers - lower tier planes are being shred to pieces, same tier can survive, higher tier don't care.
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Achievements
World of Warplanes has, as an addition to silver, gold and free exp, 4th currency - tokens.
They are obtainable for daily missions, that deserve separate article, and for epic achievements that can be achieved in battle.
In theory it's great, in practice - not so.
As almost everything, the chance to score an epic achievement in battle can be rigged at the start of the battle, in very easy way.
The most obvious, but not the most significant, is tier difference. Planes +1 tier have huge advantage over their handicapped -1 tier teammates, so are first to catch and kill targets.
The most significant factor in scoring achievement is time - it takes time to gather 14k personal points, or shooting down 15 or 20 planes, or ground targets... Time of the battle is determined by number of caps - 3 caps with low number of points required mean short battle. 5 caps - long and profitable one, with a high chance to get a token.
Surprise surprise - 5 cap battles are rare.
3 caps also provide limited number of targets, as there are less ground targets to attack, and less non player planes to shot down.
Time is also wasted by the size of the map - flying half a minute to contested area after a respawn means losing a considerable amount of battle time, that in case of smaller map would be spent on generating income.
Finally, obvious - time of the battle battle can be set up by bots and their behavior - masters of tactics or headless chickens.
Summing up - tokens are really close to fools gold.
They are obtainable for daily missions, that deserve separate article, and for epic achievements that can be achieved in battle.
In theory it's great, in practice - not so.
As almost everything, the chance to score an epic achievement in battle can be rigged at the start of the battle, in very easy way.
The most obvious, but not the most significant, is tier difference. Planes +1 tier have huge advantage over their handicapped -1 tier teammates, so are first to catch and kill targets.
The most significant factor in scoring achievement is time - it takes time to gather 14k personal points, or shooting down 15 or 20 planes, or ground targets... Time of the battle is determined by number of caps - 3 caps with low number of points required mean short battle. 5 caps - long and profitable one, with a high chance to get a token.
Surprise surprise - 5 cap battles are rare.
3 caps also provide limited number of targets, as there are less ground targets to attack, and less non player planes to shot down.
Time is also wasted by the size of the map - flying half a minute to contested area after a respawn means losing a considerable amount of battle time, that in case of smaller map would be spent on generating income.
Finally, obvious - time of the battle battle can be set up by bots and their behavior - masters of tactics or headless chickens.
Summing up - tokens are really close to fools gold.
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