Preliminary patch notes for 8.6

• Changes in SPGs:
• USSR SPG line has been reworked:
• New SPG added: SU-122А (5 level), SU-14-1 (7 level).
• Following SPG has changed their levels: SU-8 is level 6, SU-14 is level 8 and S-51 is level 7.
• German SPG line has been reworked:
• New SPG added: G.Pz. Mk. VI (e) (2 level), Pz.Sfl. IVb (4 level), G.W. Tiger (P) (8 level).
• Following SPG changed their levels: Sturmpanzer I is level 3, Sturmpanzer II is level 4, Sturmpanzer 38(t) Grille is level 5, Hummel is level 6, Gw Panther is level 7, Gw Tiger is level 8 и Gw E-100 is level 10.
• USA SPG line has been reworked:
• added new SPG: M44 (6 level), M53/M55 (9 level).
• The following SPG level has been changed: M40/43 is level 8 and Т92 is level 10.
• French SPG line has been reworked:
• Added new SPG: AMX 105 AM mle. 47 (4 level), Bat.-Châtillon 155 55 (9 level)
• Following SPG changed their level: AMX-13 F3 AM is level 6, Lorraine 155-50 is level 7, Lorraine 155-151 is level 8 and Bat Chatillon is level 10.
• For testing purposes supertesters received the following tanks:
• German premium TD E-25 (Level 7).
• Chinese premium heavy tank 112 (level 8).
• Added new camo for nations:
• USSR: 1 winter and 2 summer.
• Germany: 1 desert and 2 summer.
• France: 3 summer.
• inclanation and declanation angles of Matilda Black Prince has been increased.
• Collision model of the following tanks has been improved: SU-8, SU-85B, Cromwell, Comet, Matilda Black Prince, SU-5, SU-76, Т95, Т92, M12, M41, M7 Priest, T57, G.W. E 100, G.W. Tiger, Hummel, Pz.Kpfw. V/IV, ИС-6, Pz.Kpfw. III/IV, Object 268.
• VK 16.02 Leopard tank model has been sugnificantly improved.
• Visual models of the following tanks have been improved: Matilda Black Prince, SU-85B, SU-14, SuperPershing, G.W. Panther, SU-26, Hummel, Е-100 (turret has been shifted a bit), SU-18, Object 212, Т-54, BТ-2, АТ2, Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. G, Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf. C.
• Corrections has been made in names of french tanks and their modules.
• New map added "Sacred valley" (Korea , Winter/Spring).
• Graphics has been improved on the following maps : Murovanka, Widepark , Airfield.
• Visual changes has been made on Ruinberg.
• Balance changes has been made on map Fjords. Also one-storey wooden house can be destroyed.
• Balance changes has been added to the “assault” game mode on Westfild.
• Encounter battle has been added to the following map: Mines, Lakeville, Redshire.
• News birds have been added to Ruinberg and Lakeville
• Reworked additional absorbation bonuses for Spall Liner:
• Small Spall Liner - 15%.
• Medium Spall Liner - 20% (was 15%).
• Large Spall Liner - 25% (was 15%).
• for heavy tanks more than 80 tons added superheavy spall liner with additional absorbation coefficient 30%. New rules of HEAT shells work:
• HEAT shells will start to ricochet if the impact angle is greater than 80 degrees. (please note that every shell can have slightly different settings). The armour penetration after ricochet will remain the same.
• After penetration, a HEAT shell cannot ricochet inside the tank (as the shell is transformed into a continuous stream.)
• After penetration, the HEAT shell will lose 5% of armour penetration force for each 10cm of travelling distance
• After penetration, the force with which the HEAT shell continues to travel through the armour will take into account the angle of impact between the armour and penetration spot.
• Suspension also counts as spaced armour Changed mechanism of camouflage calculation when using camouflage pattern and camouflage net:
• From now on, the values for vehicles and camo pattenrs and camo net will be cumulative. This means that now the camouflage net and camouflage pattern will provide fixed bonuses which will only differ based on the class of the vehicle (for example, TD's will receive the highest bonus)
• To avoid side-effects with having nearly invisible TD's, it was decided to decrease the overall camouflage bonuses provided by bushes and fallen trees.
• Full rebalance of SPG’s was made (full list will be available closer to the update)
• Overall velocity of SPG’s shells decreased (10-15% for regular guns and 50% for short ‘mortar’ guns)
• Most of SPG’s receive an increase in reloading time by averagely 10-20%
• Rebalancing of premium shells has been performed (the full list of changes will be available later in a special appendix):
• Price adjustments have been performed according to the efficiency value, which was calculated for each type of shells taking into account its penetration value and damage.
• The price for some APCR/ACRP shells has been increased and for some of them reduced.
• The price for almost all HEAT shells has been increased because they turned to be cheaper despite the same efficiency as for APCR/ACRP shells.
• Almost all premium HE shells remain without any changes except of some HE shell types.
• Increased income for high tier tanks (the full list of changes will be available later in a special appendix):
• For tier 10 vehicles (except of SPG) income increased in average by 10%.
• For tier 9, 8, 7, 6 vehicles (except of SPG) ) income also increased but not as much as for tier 10 vehicles.
• Tracer has been temporary turned out:
• All types of tracer have been temporary turned out for all types of vehicles except of SPGs (visible and invisible).
• The area in SPG aiming mode where tracer of invisible vehicles are being shown has been reduced.
• Sound improvements:
• Sound processing module has been reworked. Now its possible to play more sounds without sound distortions and taking less system resources.
• Changed mechanics of ambient sounds placement on the map. Removed ‘dead zones’, increased volume of wind in SPG-mode of view, created new events for water, industrial objects and fire
• Decreased amount of sounds of tank ground hits, while driving though curvy area
• Increased distance of fire sound, changed dependence of sounds from camera position, added physical model of hearing sounds from distance
• Increased distance of other tank sounds to added ‘Doppler effect’ to increase reality of two vehicles moving side-by-side
• Increased variety of tank hit sounds
• Changed sound of tank destruction
• Added 3D parameter. All players, who have 5.1 multimedia system, realism of the game will increase greatly.
• Changed the mechanism of shot accuracy calculation. Now amount of shells falling on side of the aiming circle will decrease by 20%. Shells will fly more accurately and closer to the aim center
• Changed the mechanism of calculating damage and penetration. The extreme numbers will be seen 5% less, while the average amounts will be seen more often
• Removed decreasing coefficients of XP received from dealing damage on TD an SPG. TD’s will receive 33% XP from damage, while SPG owners will notice 50% boost in the same parameter
• Added ‘assist’ bonus for tracking enemy: if you track enemy and enemies deal damage to it, or even destroy it, you will receive an XP bonus. Mechanism will work similarly to current damage on spotted vehicles mechanics
• Shell normalization of all ACPR and ARCP shells decreased from 5 to 2 degrees
• Mechanism, which allows to determine what bonuses (XP, credits, frags count) who shall receive for damaging or killing tanks using physics (pushing to water or from the cliffs etc.)
• Added compensation mode for vehicle moving in Sniper mode (can be enabled in setting by selecting ‘Use dynamic camera’ option)
• Improved after-battle statistics
• Reworked list of WoT achievements on login screen
• Reworked mechanism of informing about memory lack
• Added an automatic quality regulation system of tuning special effect depending on resources usage and system performance, which will reduce quality of effects (explosions, smokes and fire) automatically, if fps drop is detected
• Removed following inscriptions: "Popeye", "Mickey Mouse", "Betty Boop". All players with this inscriptions will receive compensation corresponding to the way of purchase (credit or gold) and term remaining (in case of inscriptions purchased for credits)
• Small improvements of special battle screen (display of nation, type or Tier limitations)
• All new accounts will now receive Tier I tanks with 100% crew
• Rebalanced Tank Company requirements for different type of tanks. Now all ‘divisions’ will have same requirements for Medium and Heavy tanks, TD’s and SPG’s. Limitations for light tanks will still be in place
• Fixed the low turning speed of some vehicles on bridges
• Added small corrections to battle and video tutorials
• Fixed collision models of small objects
• Reworked animation on base flag
• Fixed errors and improved display of dynamic shades.
  
  
  Apart from the things we knew already - the repricing of prem shells is new, the economy boost for high tiers is nice the 100% crews for new accounts is definitely nice, the reworking of Spall liners is new. Super heavy tanks will definitely benefit from it - 30% from arty damage can be a very noticeable drop. The model revisions though, might be a hidden booby trap. Lets hope there are no nerfs hidden in there.