Why don't we have an API for war thunder?

Community Technical Support
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The integration of an API (Application Programming Interface) into War Thunder, a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game that pits players against each other in PvP (player versus player) combat using military vehicles, could offer numerous benefits for both the developers and the gaming community. Let’s explore some reasons why an API would be a great addition to War Thunder.

Data Customization and Accessibility
An API would allow players and third-party developers to access game data programmatically. This means that customized apps or tools could be developed to view player statistics, progression, match history, vehicle details, and much more. Such accessibility could lead to unprecedented customization, enabling players to analyze their performance and refine their game strategies more effectively.

Community Development and Engagement
With access to game data via an API, the community could create websites, apps, and tools that engage other players. This includes ranking systems, competitions based on actual statistics, and platforms for training and coaching. Moreover, the possibility of integrating these tools with social media or streaming platforms could significantly increase the game’s visibility and engagement.

Content Creation Support
Content creators, such as streamers and YouTubers, could use the data provided by the API to create richer and more informative content. For instance, detailed match analyses, vehicle comparisons, and guides based on real data could be more easily produced, enriching the content ecosystem around War Thunder.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement
By providing an API, developers can collect feedback based on the actual use of the data, allowing them to identify areas for improvement in both the API and the game itself. Additionally, community-generated innovations can inspire new features and functionalities, promoting a continuous cycle of improvement and innovation.

Competitiveness and E-Sports
For games with a competitive focus, an API can facilitate the organization of tournaments and leagues by providing easy access to data for result verification and player statistics. This could position War Thunder more prominently in the e-sports scene, attracting sponsors, professional teams, and consequently, increasing the player base.

For finish. Implementing an API in War Thunder would offer a range of opportunities to enrich the gaming experience, strengthen the community, and open new avenues for content creation and competition. In a world where digital interaction and customization are increasingly important, making an API available would be a significant step in keeping the game relevant and engaging for its fan base.

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Just give the modders ability to mod and then, oh wait…

(I actually want something done in terms of mod support, such as sound mods with a compression and a file structure that would allow for easier importing of things of that nature. This would allow for more content to be made by players, and would make it easier for people to actually use them rther than having to follow a tutorial and hope that it works)

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Currently there are already sound and interface packs that some players use in War Thunder, but developing such packs ends up taking a lot more work than it would if there was an API…

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I know, but the broadness of making an API, then makes the game vulnerable to malicious makers.

Definitely though, something would be good, even for minor things to alleviate the skill needed to actually install something as small as a sound mod, or a text change for the messages in game and the like, and as you say, an external program that can show the match stats a bit more clear.

That localhost map has a fair bit sitting in there, but it is indeed limited.

There was even a guy a while back was sniffing the replays, grabbing them and breaking them down via the text in them. Dunno where that guy ended up, he seemed like he was getting some good info.

An API in that case would even help them, even if it’s as small as being literally just documentation and structure indicators.

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In addition to having things that do not interfere with the security of the game. For example, an API to explore the community, facilitate programs that collect player statistics. Nowadays many players use THunder skill which is an extremely outdated and I would even say abandoned site. Then you can say ‘this opens up a gap for ddos’ but simply limiting the number of accesses that a user locked by IP makes the game’s foundations. Finally, there were ways

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Nope, I’m specifically pointing to the stage where the API will be directly pulling information, live, from the client…

Because that would literally be one of the main factors in this.

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That’s it, a big game in 2024 without having a API and it’s normal…

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I support every effort to improve the game or game play experience.

But imho your proposal is based on rather bold assumptions like:

This would assume that players would be interested in things like game strategy, tactics or basic stuff like a game plan - short: Actual skill. If you see how the overwhelming majority acts and interacts with others during matches - it looks like you overestimate the willingness and (to a certain degree) also the ability to learn and to improve.

Furthermore - if you see the changes within wt in the recent years, you might agree that gaijin has implemented a lot of changes which made actual skill less important - the game became more or less an Arcade shooter and match results a random event. Best examples: Decreasing map sizes in Ground RB and 16 vs 16 nonsense in Air RB.

Imho gaijin’s developers never had a problem with a lack of feedback - imho the main issue is and was that players and gaijin have different goals.

So if a hell of very smart long term players gave hundreds and thousands of proposals to improve the game and the game play in itself - and gaijin has not acted, the only logical conclusion is that they have other goals and highly experienced (“battle hardened”) players are not their target group.

In addition: Data about WRs or actual combat effectiveness might be suited to question various BR settings or MM functions (just think about bias discussions) - imho this alone prevents a realistic chance to get more data.

As a summary: Nice job, but imho rather a waste of time for you.

In any case: Have a good one!

PS: Don’t feed forum trolls…

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The first thing I would do to with an API is multi-monitor support for something like this

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There already is an API that provides some information…
It’s served at IP:8111 e.g. http://127.0.0.1:8111.

But it doesn’t provide that much info, mostly current match’s.

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About players:

I disagree with the first point. Many players consult statistics to get an idea of how they are performing, as I said, the thunder skill is there, with players updating their statistics a lot to see their own performance (which does not change the fact that the thunder skill is abandoned by the their own developers)

About feedbacks

Much of the developer feedback comes from War Thunder’s own bug reporting site, which is provided by the users themselves. And that’s cool, the existence of that reporting site is very interesting. However, there is certainly a small fraction of the bugs that actually exist in the game, there are things that players don’t see because they are not noticeable to the naked eye (but that affect the game anyway) and that could be seen by an API with more immersive access to the game.

Conclusion:

Finally, as I said before, most large games have an API, this is a basic resource for a large game. I don’t even know why we are discussing ‘if it should have’ because it is a fact that it would be something useful. It’s useful in other games and I’m sure it would be very useful in War Thunder.

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Nice!, tx

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The reason I said what I said from the outset is the want for the API, and knowing what it entails.

Not every game has one open, and some groups have reverse engineered some to make an API for others to use.

I’m not a troll, I merely know what this entails comapred to the want, dunno why Wick is going about saying anything of the sort to be frank.

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Imho this looks like a misunderstanding - i never rejected the idea of having access to game relevant data. If you read my text again, you will find just 2 statements from me:

  1. The overwhelming majority of players is either unwilling or unable to improve their skills by using additional data which might help them. And gaijin lowers continually the necessity to improve as the game became more or less an Arcade shooter which does not require an advanced skill set to participate or progress.

and

  1. Gaijin is and was reluctant to provide any kind of data which would allow even such basic things like to get the total number of registered vs active users - i am not even talking about data like actual performance data of vehicles like WRs or up- and downtier ratios, etc.

So i would highly appreciate any kind of additional data, but it is more than highly unlikely that gaijin would even consider to think about providing such data.

If you just check the most popular forum topics: They are almost all connected to vehicle performance in the game, high WRs for certain nations and flaws in game mechanics & design. Reliable data suited to validate (prove or disprove) player claims or official statements are simply not in their interest.

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Who’d you call a troll, because quite frankly you made this confusion yourself, he’s referring to me talking about how the questioning is looking.

If you’re gonna throw out troll, then be sure to know what’s being said and who to, as it’s not that hard.

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I apologize, I believe I had misunderstood your intentions

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Can we can get current session ID along with some authentication (like a secret only only players in that match get) exposed at :8111? I am thinking about making some kind of minimap mod/tool that would allow players to draw arrows on the minimap, like one of the most popular WoT mods.

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This young citizen’s intentions reminded me of a meme I once saw

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I apologise for an off-topic response, but I’ve been holding it in since the first post…

…but…

Whadya mean no API, War Thunder has had API since the start…
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But in seriousness, do you have some examples of the type of data you’d be wanting? I know you’ve given some high-level scenarios, but they sound like they’d need quite a lot of detailed data. Some which may not be kept for very long.

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All of this data is kept somewhere, just not publicly available. The game wouldn’t function without it. We are only asking to have access to it, in a controlled way, so that we can create cool stuff for the game. Look at WoT, they even support modding (kind of). Best thing we have is ThunderSkill and I bet that uses some always-on-life-support scrapper to get it’s data. Some people have found and exposed API, but gaijin quickly caught wind of this and put authentication on it. Based on this I think Gaijin doesn’t want an open API. Happy to be proven wrong