How does the Damage Control mechanic work?
In the Spearhead major update, we’ll be introducing a new Damage Control (DC) mechanic for every naval vessel in the game. In this updated form of damage control, you’ll be able to pre-select three different action presets that replace the basic manual repairs: firefighting, module repair, and water pumping. After receiving damage, all three DC processes begin automatically, and you can adjust the priority of which area you want to focus on. The need to repair the propulsion systems of the ship has been removed, this will always be carried out automatically by the crew as long as it’s possible to do so.
Every ship will have an individual DC coefficient, which will be affected by the size of the vessel, crew count, and generation of the ship. The newer the ship, the more advanced and effective its damage control process will be. A high crew count will improve this further, and relative to the amount of crew it will also be more effective in general on smaller vessels, as the damaged areas can be reached by crew faster. The coefficient reduces the time penalty for the second and third DC processes in the setup you’ve selected, but not significantly. So in short, your ship will be repaired automatically, as long as there are crew resources for it!
How did repairing work previously?
Previously, some players deliberately did not repair knocked-out modules and compartments with the intention of “saving” part of the crew that remained in those areas. For example if the engine was destroyed, fewer crew would be there, and so less damage would be taken. This is no longer possible with the new system. The ability to do this was a consequence of the old system, but not an intended one. This “tactic” was not intentional as the advantage it gave was antithetical to gameplay and the intentions of the mechanic. We did not consider this a critical “exploit” for lack of better words, as this crew saving was not particularly impactful. For example, the combat crew of a gun turret or an ammunition elevator on a battleship is 10-20 people out of a total crew of, say, 1000 in total.
Fundamentally, the key issue with deliberately not repairing certain areas of the ship was that it was unfair to the player shooting at it. The most important modules are typically protected by the strongest armor, and to defeat this you need to pick the right shell, set the right range, and lead the shot accordingly. If a player does everything “right”, besting the defenses of an enemy ship, they should be rewarded for successfully carrying out that action. The unintended ability to lessen the reward for the player landing their shots harms gameplay overall.
Rounding off
We understand that DC may be seen as taking away agency, but this decision is in favour of fairer gameplay across the board, and rewarding the active player in the engagement. You penetrated an enemy ship in a critical spot? Excellent, you’ll be rewarded for that. You got hit by an enemy in a critical spot? Then they deserve the reward for that. This old system let a player reduce the reward gained by another player arbitrarily, and at the same time, engaging with a critically damaged ship does not exactly make for engaging gameplay, as it reduces the ability to move and fire.
This new system will keep ships in fighting form more effectively, and make battles more dynamic and, importantly, fair. This will also mean everyone can put more concentration into combat and action. Thank you for reading, we hope this has clarified everything for you! Please leave your feedback and suggestions on the forum and War Thunder’s social media pages. Thank you for being with us, seven feet under the keel and good luck on the waves!