Video Q&A with War Thunder Game Director Viacheslav Bulannikov!

Official News, Development Blogs and Updates
169

One question that was dissapointing for me to hear the response to as I feel it was worded poorly or they missed the point of it was the one about Heli PVE modes.

Many helicopters especially at the lower-to just under top ranks that are not premiums need certain mods to work effectively, however grinding these mods In ground battles take an astronomically long time and given some of the stock loudouts for these vehicles feels like playing them engaging in a futile activity.

Now the fix for it would be to go play helicopter PvE some would say, which is fair enough, but the mode tends to be filled with premium and or fully spaded higher vehicles that take things before you can reach them, using the mode for easy SL and RP gains. Moreover the mode takes forever to play so it may not be feasable for casual players who say for instance, work a full time job or have other obligations.

As for solutions I would put forward either making mod costs for helicopters reduced by a major amount, or simply do what you’ve already for the overall tech tree but for mods. Allow Ground or Air Vehicles in Ground modes to research the mods for Heli’s so they are not dead air.

It is a shame to see these lovely vehicles this way as I’d love to play more of them, and i’d wager aformentioned issue is one of the main reasons most of them are not played in ground RB at least.

Tldr:

  • Stock vehicles and mods are the issue.
  • Pve is catered for spaded vehicles that use it for Xp/Sl grinding.
  • Give us a way of spading stock vehicles for the modes they need the mods for.
  • Alternatively reduce mod costs for Heli’s please.

Ty for reading.

6 Likes
170

This.

I think the sim community could really appreciate some communication from the devs or Viacheslav regarding their thought process for the future of EC simulator battles. The latest update was great but only really scratches the surface. It’s hard to stay motivated and making the time investment of playing a game mode that has not received a new map for over 3 years and could be gone any update.

When speaking about RB EC, Viacheslav mentioned it wasn’t received well in an old RB playtest and that they’re working on a new mode for the people wanting something fresh, namely “Aerial Warfare”.
Is this new mode something they’re considering for simulator as well, or will simulator stick with EC? Any insight into what’s planned for simulator would be amazing. (even if nothing is planned and it’s sticking with EC, it would be great to know that) @Smin1080p_WT

RB players get consistent updates and communication regarding balancing and the general direction of the game, the “community updates” is a great place for this. Could simulator please have something similar? I don’t think simulator has even been mentioned in any of the 9 community updates.

1 Like
171

1764307017126477

14 Likes
172

su25 early?

173

Why does the WT community have to be so insufferable all the time? Like 80% of what he said is great.

2 Likes
175

There is a mountain of interesting ww2 content to add. From unique vehicle, modifications to unique ammunition like German HEAT-FS and SAPHEFSDS. Not to mention you all forgot to add the WWII part of the Hungarian ground and air.
So there is plenty of actual content to add, but adding 5x M44/M55 is not 5 vehicles but a single one.
Your updates for the past years did not bring in a lot of new vehicles; you added plenty of premiums and c&p assets, but not so many new vehicles.

The Heli PVE and PVP answer is just a pure demonstration of disconnect and the refusal to take responsibility.
Heli PVP was tainted by low br helicopters having to fight Ka-52s and such. That was not a game mode, but a haphazardly thrown-together concept that naturally failed, and you got rid of it.

PvP could be a fun game mode, but it needs a purpose. Like transporting AI troops to take territory, creating the sense of war instead of a mindless go-go gadget vehicle combat. Ultimately, PVE and PVP could be one game mode with proper matchmaking to avoid the imbalance that we already experienced once.

Albeit the ability to grind helicopters with tanks has eradicated the need for a helicopter-focused game mode, in my opinion.

White rock fortress…great to see it coming back, hopefully its not bad or unoptimized, however, at the end of the day its not a new map.
This game needs more purpose-built maps. Forcing high-tier to play on maps like Japan and Port Novorossiysk is lunacy. One map can’t accommodate 2.7 vehicles, main battle tanks, and 40+km missile ranges.
Heck, some maps don’t accommodate the multi-vehicle SPAA vehicles, as there is no place to hide them. That’s something you devs still need to address.

And regarding naval improvements that you are constantly making, how about not allowing Cold War missile defense ships to be in the same battles as ww2 battleships and ww2 bombers?
It kinda kills all the fun when you are playing Naval EC, get your Fritz X’s, but die to a bot/player sitting in spawn all game in his anti-air missile defense boat with zero effort or skill.
But who am I kidding, when you guys destroyed naval aviation by making gun-based anti-air, be an unrealistic aimbot laser beam up to 6-8 km. Not to mention AI ships and their anti-air.
Your recent improvements have been a catastrophe. Both arcade aiming and the repair system nerf. Thankfully, tho, that’s only optional.

12 Likes
176

Soon™ (iirc it’s been an entire year since we were soon going to get low tier Hungarian air)

3 Likes
177

It’s already pretty strange that there’s no map selection menu in a multiplayer game in the year 2025. BVVD, in his infinite unquestionable wisdom, expresses his concerns that multiple map bans could render the game more repetitive, with only a few maps receiving attention? It’s almost like he knows most of the ground maps in the game have very obvious flaws that the playerbase detests.

Keep in mind that this is a game where the game modes haven’t really changed in about 12 years. It’s clear that the developers don’t care about repetitiveness at all.

9 Likes
178

New and Unique SPH, Wespe and Hummel? :D

3 Likes
179

Bvvd has decided, copy paste M110 will be the only new TD

1 Like
180

Nah, they are unique :clown:

1 Like
181

They probably won’t even add the German specific M110A2 G

182

No he sayed, C&P wherever possible, but that doesnt mean unique ones wont come.

183

Still with the minimal ww2 attention I wouldn’t be surprised if the excuse of having a M109/M44/M55 would be used to deny another vehicle.

4 Likes
184

let’s agree to disagree,…

i don’t insult the facts he’s been giving on Anti-radiation missile or Strategical bombers,…
or the Damage model change he intends to give for bombers

but all the MAIN aspects questions he have been asked on, his answers were : “Lol, no LMAO, you thoughts that we will help you guys?”

and those are as unsufferable as the community is about him,…

the question about tank objectives - he said that there is no reduction of players to the capture point objective gameplay → IT’S THE ONLY GAMEPLAY WE HAVE FOR TANKS,… there can’t be statistics about others Gameplay types since there is NONE.
do you see now?

the current proportion of good things he said is about 15% in the whole video.

6 Likes
185

rely at all - lol

186

There are still a lot of well used tanks missing e.g. “Wespe” or the US “Priest”

4 Likes
187

I dont think researching modifications with another vehicle would be a good solution. But youre absolutely right, it is basically impossible to spade a stock heli in ground battles. I just think it is a good thing to actually spade the vehicle by playing it, get used to how it handles, what it can and cannot do and by training that also unlocking the modifications.
Which is what heli ec does. Training in a controlled environment. But where some helis especially in mid tiers with very limited loadouts -in general: not the russian ones- which on top are slower not only because they are stock compete with premium helis with 5 times their armament, and long range armament at that for RP. But in the end, even if you do well and can solo some objectives (Bases…impossible if you dont have the high number dumb rocket loadouts of some russian or high tier apaches) you research 10 to 20% of only one module. Its one the most tedious processes in war thunder (which says a lot, the competition is strong and most of the times it feels like they hope you will just whip out your wallet because of how long it takes and how boring it is, at which point im like: especially not now snail. I pay money for a good product and have for wt in quite big amounts but not for an annoying one wtf what kind of signal would that send?

IMO it just needs a more engaging gamemode or rework of heli pve with reasonable rewards and missions for all helis. Like how and why the f should a gazelle at 9.7 with 4 hot 2s compete in this gamemode with mi35s? or even ka50s??? Spade that thing on stream bvvd and then maybe you would catch a glimpse of why people dont play heli pve…and then tell me why in the world, after spading the gazelle, would anyone come back and play THAT with a spaded heli?

1 Like
188

He s Exactly correct on your bias. Situation with 2s38 and mi28nm whining proves it it’s impossible to ignore so it found it’s way into answers

189

images (7)

1 Like