*Warning, very picture heavy, proceed with caution*
First, the login bonus. War Thunder did away with a X2-X5 Daily bonuses long ago and replaced that with a roulette wheel of goodies. This move, after all this time, is still a bit of a controversy and I have accepted it for what it is, still missing a reason to play all my other nations and collecting Silver Lions and experience for them.
Next, comes my tank selection. Unlike my experience in World of Tanks, I haven't gone on a premium asset spending spree here. I have given a lot of thought to the direction I wanted to go in with each nation that currently offers tankplay, America, Germany and Soviet Russia and picked up premium tanks that I think can help me out the best, on a tighter budget.
For my Soviet choice, I went with the copy-paste premium version of the Rank III T-34-57. Other than a more powerful gun, I saw no reason to spend anything extra on the Rank IV version with the 100mm cannon. Everything else was the same compared to the Rank III version, except for the Silver Lion and experience modifiers. And, the opponents it would see, after MatchMaker was done with it and me.
Another thing I am not overly fond of is the, for a lack of better terminology, dehumanizing of the crews ingame. In World of Tanks, along with Armored Warfare, the crews maintain their humanity, with portraits and names. Here, nothing more the extra numbers, added to the equation. One of many things that makes Ground Forces so different from the other tank titles.
I select an Arcade battle and wait for the countdown. No a long wait and was greeted with the load in screen. With three choices for re-spawn to be had, I started off with my premium tank first.
Oh joy, not really. Based on previous outcomes that I have been a part of, I didn't get a good feeling about where this could be going. Most times, when maps pop up that have more than one capture point, I have seen the dance of the chaotic tank zombies. Of all three titles, Ground Forces seems to me, the hardest to rally up teamwork. Sure, there is communication, but I think it either goes mostly ignored, or players are fighting the game itself it get anywhere.
See, Ground Forces has....realistic driving conditions, to use that term. Tanks slide around when turning at higher speeds, they don't stop on a dime and to aim at an object through the scope, all of this can be very frustrating. Some have mastered this environment, I am not one of them.
One of the cool features about Ground Forces I do like; kill cams. If I take out an enemy asset, or they take me down, I can see just where they hit me and what kind of damage their shot accomplished. Since Ground Forces doesn't display or openly use a hitpoint system, this is the answer as an alternative.
Needless to say, my experience was ended rather quickly in my T-34-57, so I broke out the mighty, Rank III KV-1 ZiS-5.
Did my rolling wall of Soviet Steel turn the tide? Nope, after foolishly charging in, guns blazing and no support, I was just ended.
My last kick at the can, so I took a few seconds to think things through. I carefully selected what I thought would be the best ammunition from my unlocked stocks and loaded in. For a final time, this fool was removed from the battlefield, this time from an enemy who was playing the field in their favor, all hidden behind debris, using cover to their advantage.
I left the battle, after my third and final death. On my way out, I quickly paused and glanced at the team roster and battle didn't bode well in our favor. Much to my surprise, in my absence, they must have finally rallied and avoided what I had written off to be a certain defeat.
So, where and what went wrong? First off, I just jumped right in, totally forgeting about themajor differences in game mechanics Ground Forces have over WOT and AW. I should have spent some time in Test Drive mode, getting used to how the game feels, after playing the other two titles for so long.
Second, I should have selected the better ammunition right off the bat, something I wait till the last tank to do. The up side is I did distribute some skill points to the crews, before I clicked the Battle button.
Thirdly, slow down. I shouldn't have just rushed in, guns blazing and where Angels fear to tread. Taking my time, reading the map and watching the flow on the battlefield would have gone a long ways to maximizing my time and contribution potential during this and future sorties.
Best part of all of that, I am bound to forget most of my good advice, the next time I load up.
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