Published , by Sam Chandler
Published , by Sam Chandler
World of Tanks: Modern Armor shifts the iconic Wargaming series into a new direction on console as a new era of war comes into focus. Because it’s a new time period, new tanks are being designed, which means a variety of challenges arise. In this latest interview with Wargaming developers Jeff Gregg and Andy Dorizas, Greg Burke asks the important questions about how the PC and console teams and players interact and what it’s like tackling a new period of history.
When it comes to designing tanks, they’re inherently strong and powerful. What this means is that the team has to pay special attention to how it interacts within the sandbox. Lead Game Designer Jeff Gregg has a personal philosophy whereby he never nerfs a tank unless it is absolutely necessary, “I’d consider that a Jeff Gregg fail. I want to catch every single one of those.” Jeff would rather buff than nerf, and if the team is concerned, they’ll ease the tank in.
Jeff also touches on consumables in World of Tanks: Modern Armor. There is a new consumable entering the game in the form of a hull patch. Instead of fixing a critically wounded module, the hull patch will allow players to repair hit point damage. Players will need to weave this new consumable into their strategies.
As for designing new tanks, Andy Dorizas (Lead Artist – Concepts), has an interesting story about how the teams deal with accuracy. The console team had built a tank with a complex turret and believed they had gotten it right. It turns out this wasn’t the case. The console team contact the PC team in Minsk, who had actually had similar troubles getting the oddly shaped turret right. The Minsk team went and 3D scanned the turret of the real tank which showed that both teams were off, by a matter of centimetres, in their designs.
The interview also touches on the cultural sensitivities surrounding a game about war. Things like the names of tanks and even the labeling decisions behind “East versus West” are taken into consideration. Make sure you check out the whole interview for an enlightening look into what it takes to design a game like World of Tanks: Modern Armor. If you like what you see, there’s more to enjoy over on the GamerHubTV YouTube channel and the Shacknews YouTube channel.