Nuclear Escalation - Development update from BVV_d

[HoluhovskyCZ]

thank you BeeVV_d

[DasMoss]

“We have heard the complaints of AAA so we have added even more AAA” Insane work, which demonic god are we feeding all of this suffering to in the current year.

[scribeasta]

" * Player-controlled ships and air defence systems (in the longer term)" - Still trying to wrap my around this, is it going to be vehicles that we can bring or already placed SAM sites becoming player controllable?

[Macron-Spokesman]

@BVV_d

the Reds’ air defences are more effective in Escalation than the Blues’.

So when will you fix the Aster-30’s kinematics especially when the accepted reports are there showing it is significantly underperforming?

[DEV] Aster 30 Incorrect Range // Gaijin.net // Issues
Aster-30 missile does not meet required scenario // Gaijin.net // Issues
[DEV] Aster 30 Terminal Dart Incorrect Overload // Gaijin.net // Issues
[DEV] Aster 30 Incorrect Time to Kill/Travel // Gaijin.net // Issues
[DEV] Aster 30 First Stage Booster Modelled Incorrectly // Gaijin.net // Issues

[Deadsnake_war2]

@BVV_d

Besides Escalation, we’re also working on new modes that we plan to launch throughout the summer for both aviation and combined battles. This includes various historical events, as well as new modes and mission types. Details will be released when these events are announced. These events won’t be as large-scale as Escalation, but I hope they will also bring new or well-forgotten experiences.

OH cool, would love to see a new combine battles modes

[ACOMETS]

we should be able to bring lower tier planes such as su-25s tornados to the battle.

[panzerknoef]

This is key.
Nerfing reloads and makeup of red SPAA batteries is really just a bandaid to hide the fact that blue spaa is behaving completely wrong.

[Striker-Tarrask]

although i may not have time to test out these changes, i would like to thank you for providing an update on this, it shows that the issue is acknowledged and that work is being done on it.

and i would very much like to encourage you to do more of the same regarding this, as well as other parts of the game’s developement

[kensai16]

Are we getting closer to fully converged game modes? Like, tank maps as smaller maps inside the bigger maps where (multiple) matches can be spawned ad-hoc all over the map during long duration joint air+naval battle (with more modern ships) which have a greater scale by nature? Tank missions leading to captures/defenses or cut off resupplies while SAM players can finally spawn and be much further away from ground battle areas being part of the air rather than the land battle with much greater movement radius? Artillery could also finally spawn outside of the cramped ground battle locations and use their indirect fire and range as they’re inteded to. Helicopter would fit well into that too and air can intervene in multiple ground battles at once (with enhanced communication options to request air support by ground units). Integration of infantry would just be the cherry on top.
So much potential, so many possibilies. I hope you will use at least a fraction of that.

[Dr_Crixis]

Hey BVVD, thanks for the hard work. i cant wait until this game mode becomes more balanced and permanent overall.

[Macron-Spokesman]

@panzerknoef

Nerfing reloads and makeup of red SPAA batteries is really just a bandaid to hide the fact that blue spaa is behaving completely wrong.

Yeah, adding more SAMP/T and reducing Buks doesn’t change the fact that the Buk can nuke aircraft from 60km away while SAMP/T struggles to breathe after 20km.

[skittiee]

@BVV_d

hereplease

bvvd spelling mistake? this is a sign that were getting m1 CATTB next update confirmed

[Pipimer]

@BVV_d

– ​​the current top-tier, likely divided into two BR sets

yea i hope its 13.0-13.7 and 14.0 to 14.7 as i was saying from the beginning

@BVV_d

Further plans include, but are not limited to (there is no guarantee that all of this will be implemented):

• Moving Escalation to other existing locations.
• Developing the mode for earlier eras of aviation (the 1960s and 1970s).
• Creating a new location specifically for Escalation.
• Airfield recovery and capture mechanics
• Use of helicopters in this mode
• Player-controlled ships and air defence systems (in the longer term)

pls do all of this and even maybe allow players spawn Spaa in the place of bots

[Macron-Spokesman]

@ILuvAnneHathaway

Issues are more in its kinematics, the thing is not even a threat.

Classic Gaijin, Aster-30/SAMPT underperforming so they add more of it rather than fixing its performance while Buk which got reduced can still nuke planes across the map at over Mach 2 and 60km away.

[V_IV_Rusty1]

@BVV_d

Use of helicopters in this mode

peak ???

[Norm_Von_Dolbit]

@BVV_d

Each SAMP/T SAM site now contains two TADS and four launchers.

Issue with SAMP/T is not the amount of launchers/missiles but missile performance, you can add 6 more systems per site and nothing will change, missile is anemic past 20km. So the solution is to boost missile performance if possible, here are few reports that had been accepted:
https://community.gaijin.net/issues/p/warthunder/i/mJP5inly3Wx6
https://community.gaijin.net/issues/p/warthunder/i/bVELWnBO3kSU
https://community.gaijin.net/issues/p/warthunder/i/PYh1w0tPvHdi
Alternatively(or as stop gap measure), instead of 2nd SAMP/T add the Type 03.

Talking about SPAA issue in general - make frontline SPAA radars turned on always, it is basically impossible to kill those with ARMs unless somebody is “biting” it by flying upclose, not only that, even if you try to “bite” them by launching ATGM - they simply use manual tracking to shot down munition without ever turning radar on. Also AI should not be able to track players through ground, even more so they shouldn’t be able to launch radar missiles while not physically having radar contact with the player (BUK). Tunguska AI should be nerfed as a separate matter - just look at the following, it’s ridiculous.

@BVV_d

we don’t want to significantly nerf the air defences overall, as this could devalue teamwork in suppressing air defence

Players do not cooperate outside of squads, War Thunder for the entirety of it’s existance didn’t cultivate cooperation behavior nor has sufficient communication tools to do so, it is unreasonable and punishing to force cooperation in such conditions. I beleive the proposals I made above won’t significantly nerf SPAA powerlevel but rather will get rid of utterly bizare and oppresive behavior.

@BVV_d

We also plan to adjust the mission points (tickets) impact of destroying different types of targets , primarily by increasing the ticket impact for destroying large ships and long-range SAMs.

Very velcomed change, much appreciated.

@BVV_d

Besides Escalation, we’re also working on new modes that we plan to launch throughout the summer for both aviation and combined battles. This includes various historical events, as well as new modes and mission types.

Amazing news, thank you.

[TaseR]

@BVV_d

we decided to try to keep the asymmetry as an interesting feature of the mode for now, even at the cost of problems with balancing, but we are not ruling out this option (your opinion is also interesting hereplease let us know your opinion on this).

I understand that balancing Red VS Blue is a challenge, but I very much enjoy the Red VS Blue. It makes for a realistic engagement against OPFOR. Having it be “hodgepodge” would make it less immersive and fun, since it would mean players will often have to fight their own plane

@BVV_d

We expect that several combat rating ranges for aircraft will be available simultaneously in the next event – ​​the current top-tier, likely divided into two BR sets, and the Escalation mode launched on April 1st, with lower-tier aircraft

This is great! I was waiting for the lower BR to come back. And I think other people may prefer this lower BR. I have heard that the BVR gameplay in Nuclear Thunder is not how they want to play the event. Personally I do not have 13.0+ planes, so I will hope that I can bring my own F-111F, MiG27, or Mirage III

Thanks for the update, I am looking forward to more news about this new game mode!

[ACOMETS]

another issue, if you die you lose all your marks, this means GPS markings for bombs. im marking targets and it i fail to deliver I fail to redo cause markings are gone.

[SoyBeanInhaler]

Extremely rare

[amApollo-psn]

First of all, thank you for this amazing game mode, and thank you for being so transparent with the development.

@BVV_d

but we decided to try to keep the asymmetry as an interesting feature of the mode for now, even at the cost of problems with balancing, but we are not ruling out this option (your opinion is also interesting hereplease let us know your opinion on this).

I think you made a good decision keeping it asymmetry. A major selling point of the game is that it’s somewhat realistic, we’re not just flying “skins” of aircraft.

@BVV_d

1. The Buk M3 can no longer fire when the TADS was has been destroyed. Previously, to destroy one position, all three launchers had to be destroyed.
2. The BUK launcher reload time has been increased from 20 to 30 seconds.
3. Each SAMP/T SAM site now contains two TADS and four launchers.
4. Each SAMP/T SAM site is covered by an additional Ito90 SAM.

These are good changes, however I think one should be careful nerfing this stuff too much. Over time, players will learn and get better at the game mode, and dealing with these threats - and I’m afraid if they’re nerfed too much it’ll become menial.

I think something that would greatly help keep the pressure off the players, is to actually model the earths curvature, obviously I don’t expect you to actually curve the ground of the map, but rather make it impossible for radars to track targets that would be below the ‘curve’.

At 100km distance, due to the curve, the ground has ‘dipped’ 784 meters, at 50km it’s 200 meters, at 20km it’s 30 meters. Pretty substantial. I think this would also enable a fun gameplay element too in people ‘sneaking up’ on targets.

@BVV_d

We’d also like to point out that we don’t want to significantly nerf the air defences overall, as this could devalue teamwork in suppressing air defence groups and make the mode much less distinct from Air Realistic Battles with respawns. Currently, air defences are a prominent force that can change the course of a battle, and their destruction is a core objective that simplifies the game for your team. Our goal is to ensure that both teams are required to make equal efforts to achieve this objective.

Good.

@BVV_d

We also plan to adjust the mission points (tickets) impact of destroying different types of targets , primarily by increasing the ticket impact for destroying large ships and long-range SAMs.

Sounds good, however please don’t lower the mission length further. I really like having a long lasting mission, your contributions feel more impactful and it’s nicer when joining halfway through a match.

@BVV_d

• Moving Escalation to other existing locations.
• Developing the mode for earlier eras of aviation (the 1960s and 1970s).
• Creating a new location specifically for Escalation.
• Airfield recovery and capture mechanics
• Use of helicopters in this mode
• Player-controlled ships and air defence systems (in the longer term)

We’d be interested to hear which of the above you’d like to see first. This could impact development!

For me, creating new locations would be awesome. Keep the large scale (240x240km), however maybe add a cool element like a mountain range, or deep valleys stretching through the map?

@BVV_d

I also wanted to share a QoL feature in development that will make using the new aiming points more convenient and free up shortcuts used for weapon assignment.

This is awesome, however please add this to Console too! Currently on PS5, you can’t add aiming points through the map. The map is also in desperate need of a QOL upgrade on Console, zooming in and slewing around is slow and clunky, you don’t have time to deal with aiming points when flying around at all.

Please keep up the good work! The transparency and updates have been amazing lately, don’t let all the complaining bog you down.