Armored Warfare - Obsidian User Thread

[C2B]

Matt Festa speaks

 

Welcome, Armored Warfare forums!

 

 

 

 

I was pleased this morning to see that the AW team here at Obsidian finally got the book cart we've been requesting so I snapped a photo of a few of our reference books to post for you forum-goers. It was unpleasant to have to haul huge stacks of books back and forth from our offices to the conference room each we have a vehicle research meeting.

 

Since we first started working on Armored Warfare back in the dark ages, the team has been firmly committed to creating the most realistic vehicles that we possibly can, in terms of the visual elements, the parts and equipment, and the armor configuration. Obviously there are limits to what we can learn about the most modern vehicles due to the security concerns of the manufacturers and nations which have these vehicles in service, but one big upside when creating vehicles for a game like AW is that we can continue to improve the fine details and mechanics as we learn more about the real world analogues.

 

While I'm sure many of you are hungry for information about the AW vehicle tree, we can't release too many details just yet. What I can say is that we've spent countless hours scouring our resources and iterating on the vehicle tree - we know how important it is to get it right for our players. While we will be starting out with a large set of mostly well-known armored vehicles, we've also got plans for some very unique and less common vehicles from countries and manufacturers around the globe. Our current plan will take us out for quite a long period of time post-launch, and in some ways we're still only scratching the surface of what's out there.

 

Finally, I also wanted to say that the design team on AW has enjoyed reading many of your posts. We take the suggestions and opinions of our community seriously and appreciate your passion for our game. We're quite busy with development at the moment, so unfortunately it will be difficult to comment in most threads, but know that we keep an eye on the things going on in here. In particular, I have recently really enjoyed the threads with suggested vehicle progression schemes like Bauris' possible tank tree and British tank tree posts, as well as Paps_Lv's USA Tank Line post. It's very interesting to see how the community imagines the vehicle progression might end up. All the vehicles suggestion posts are pretty neat too - let's just say we're excited about a lot of the same stuff that you folks are.

 

See you on the battlefield!

Edited March 26, 2014 by C2B

[sorophx]

if this game has actual internals of vehicles, where you can look around inside your tank, and not just a cardboard cutout type texture plastered across the screen to substitute for proper first-person view, it will be the best thing since forever

 

but I have a feeling it will be third-person only 

Edited March 26, 2014 by sorophx

[Agiel]

I have the game for you:

 

 

M1A1 (HA) TC's station

 

T-72A/M1 Gunner's station

 

Leopard 2A5 TC's station

 

Game is Steel Beasts Pro: Personal Edition. Be warned, you'll have to pay $125 for it (though I suspect a lot of WoT players have paid a similar sum if not more).

Edited March 26, 2014 by Agiel

[sorophx]

looks awesome.

 

you'll have to pay $125 for it

 

whoa! that's a bit too much

[Humanoid]

Yeah, for that kind of money I'd expect the dash to be appointed with mahogany and leather trim at the very least, and at least a few more cup holders.

[Agiel]

Some newer beasts:

 

 

Leopard 2A6 Commander's station

 

M1A2 SEP Abrams TC's station. Note that the brand new CITV and IVIS screen over the M1A1.

 

M1A2 SEP Abrams gunner's station.

 

M1A2 SEP Abrams, Commander turned out: "Drive me closer! I want to hit them with my sword!"

 

CV-90/40 Commander/Gunner's station.

[C2B]

[C2B]

http://www.siliconera.com/2014/04/03/anatomy-tank-obsidian-entertainment-creating-detailed-tanks-game/

These design nuances sound like they’re in line with your desire to recreate these tanks as realistically as possible. How do these latent stats fit into that mold?

 

 

 

Yeah, so, like I mentioned before about taking damage, the damage you receive is filtered through not only those ten stats you see, but about 40 or 42 stats total. It takes into consideration the architecture of the tank. If you can damage their treads, for example, you can prevent them from moving. If you can get behind someone, you can shoot a round right into the vent in the front and totally mess up the gears and such inside.

[C2B]

http://aw.my.com/forum/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=717

[Walsingham]

My absolute favourite tank game was Red Orchestra (1). Rolling around in a steel rattletrap, bullets spanging off the armour, shouting at other crew members over the noise.

 

...Or just holing up in a barn with a bolt action rifle and a cigar while waiting for tank commanders to stick their heads out of the cupola like adorable nazi meerkats.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Walsingham

[C2B]

 

Of course I have loads of questions, but I'll try to stick with ones you can publicly answer.

 

• You showed the game at GDC this year. Did you get any interesting or useful feedback from the media?
• When do you expect you'll have another larger reveal?
• Without saying why, which game system (e.g., vision/spotting) are you most excited about right now?
• What are the top 3 selling points of the game?
• Can you talk about Obsidian's approach to balance and historicity? It's nice when they coincide, but what about when they don't?
• Is a goal with AW to make it approachable for non-enthusiasts of tanks?
• If your competition is any indication, you will have tankers of all skill levels. Is the plan to have different things all of them will find interesting and fun?

If you can find the time to answer, that'd be awesome. Either way, thanks for your time.

• The press we interacted with at GDC were fun to talk to. While I had expected the Co-Op side of AW to garner attention, I'll admit I was surprised at how genuinely excited the press were about that aspect.
• There's a few videos being worked on right now but I don't have ETAs for their completion dates on me.
• I'm most excited about the armor mechanics, especially in terms of add-on armor and what it means for gameplay choices.
• Top 3 selling points? Hm... well, I've never been very good at marketing, but for me, I would say: it's going to be fun to play, it's going to look good, and it's going to showcase some really awesome modern armored vehicles.
• For me, the key to balance verses historical accuracy is that when it comes to hard stats, like projectile velocity and caliber, armor thickness, size of the vehicle, power to weight ratios, etc., we need to be as accurate as we possibly can. Balancing can be focused on areas that don't really come out of a technical manual, like how much damage a shell does to a target and other aspects that have to be quantified in terms of game mechanics.
• We want the game to be approachable without dumbing things down. We feel one way to handle this is to be informative to players about what the stats of their vehicles are and what the game mechanics are. We aim to communicate this information through a clear user interface and good feedback for players. The mechanics themselves can be complex as long as they're presented and explained in a way that is approachable. AW should be approachable for players who enjoy team-based strategic PVP as well as players who just like blowing things up with cannons (that's what Co-Op is for ). Being a tank enthusiast should just make it even better.
• We want the game to be fun for players of all skill ranges. We feel part of meeting this goal will be to provide Co-Op content aimed at players who enjoy the chance to collect and control armored vehicles but who might not find the intensity of PVP to be to their liking.

 

Thanks for all the info! )

 

Will there be something like "Premium Ammo"? (please tell me there won't, it is one of the worst things about that "other tank game")

 

Edit: ...oh, and if possible please tell us a little more about the game modes and different roles for various classes of vehicles )

There will not be Premium Ammo. There will be a range of ammo available for each vehicle based on the time period of the vehicle and the ammunition its cannons actually fired. Different shells will cost different amounts of credits while offering different advantages and disadvantages.

[C2B]

 

Also the game is confirmed for E3.

[C2B]

[Hiro Protagonist II]

I hope they go with the style of the old WoT tank tech trees. I really dislike the new ones they're using in the game, not that I play WoT anymore. The old ones were so easy to view and follow.

[C2B]

^New trailer

 

[mkreku]

Looks very good. I just wish it wasn't online and had a single player story.

[C2B]

How will vehicle progress be reflected in the game?

To access better equipment and more advanced armored vehicles, you will need to gain experience. Unfortunately, you will not be able to begin the game with the most advanced modern vehicles and gear. We’ll go into more detail about progression in a future article!

 

 

What equipment will the game have?

The game will have various armoured vehicles, tanks and artillery.

 

 

Will there be mod support, since the engine has a generally accessible SDK?

Although the CryEngine does allow for modding, we will not allow this until the developers are convinced that mods are safe for all users, and are not detrimental to the play experience.

 

 

Will player combat statistics be tracked and displayed?

The game will have a statistics screen. More will be revealed about it later, as this feature is currently being developed.

 

 

How many players will there be on the PVP map?

This number is currently being determined. The developers are selecting the number of players to ensure a comfortable situation without making it a burden. We can only say for certain that the number will be more than 10.

 

 

Will the physics be arcade-like or more realistic?

The developers will aim to maintain a balance between these styles. It is important to ensure that even a beginner can easily start the game, while maintaining room for improvement and expertise through advanced features, tricks and strategies within the game. We can say for sure that it will not be a simulator.

 

 

How will damage to vehicles be represented?

The game will have hitpoints. The reason for this is simple: hitpoints provide information that enables players to easily evaluate risks and make strategic decisions on the fly. For example, should you remain under cover or can can you afford to come out and face the enemy.

 

 

How will the damage system work?

Different parts of the tank will have different armour and, correspondingly, different vulnerability. As such, simply landing a hit on a tank will not be enough to incapacitate it in most cases. When hit, different modules can be damaged.

 

 

Is there any chance of ricochet or non-penetration?

Yes. Ricochets are possible and much will depend on the type of armor.

 

 

How will ballistics work? Will projectile flight time be calculated individually?

Yes, flight speed and trajectory will depend on several factors, including weapon and type of projectile.

 

 

Will there be any targeting assistance when firing?

Yes, there will be a slight autocorrection for shooting ease.

 

 

To what extent is the environment destructible?

Almost everything in the game world will be destructible. For example, houses (even stone buildings) will not provide reliable shelter against enemy fire. Given enough damage, they will be destroyed. Trees and bushes will also be destructible. This serves to create a tactical environment for the game. However, not everything can be destroyed (you can’t raze a hill, for example).

 

 

How will vehicles cross water hazards?

Most vehicles can get navigate shallow water. However, if a vehicle enters very deep water, it may sink.

 

 

Can a machine get stuck in combat, for example, in the sand?

In order to alleviate excessive frustration, getting stuck will be difficult. However, vehicles might fall into areas where they cannot escape due to their innate characteristics (such as falling into a ravine).

 

 

What will happen to vehicles when they are struck by enemy fire?

Depending on their level and armor, vehicles will suffer various degrees of damage.

 

 

How will terrain affect tank speed?

The type of surface will determine speed. Of course, much will also depend on the type of vehicle in question.

 

 

Will there be battles on maps based on historic locations of conflict?

No, there are no plans to directly reproduce any real historic conflicts. Of course, some maps will be inspired by real-world locations. Some maps will be based on images from space, but the goal is not to duplicate those places.

 

 

How will the surroundings change during combat?

Apart from the destruction caused by the players themselves, your surroundings will be dynamic. This means that at certain times there may be events that the player cannot influence, for example, a bridge could blow up, an airstrike could take place, or some other event could occur. These environmental elements can have a significant impact on combat and tactics.

Edited May 30, 2014 by C2B

[kirottu]

To what extent is the environment destructible?

Almost everything in the game world will be destructible. For example, houses (even stone buildings) will not provide reliable shelter against enemy fire. Given enough damage, they will be destroyed. Trees and bushes will also be destructible. This serves to create a tactical environment for the game. However, not everything can be destroyed (you can’t raze a hill, for example).

Like it should be in a tank game(I'm looking at you WoT).

[mkreku]

(you can’t raze a hill, for example).

 

Whaa..? But that's the main battle tactic of the S-Tank! You use the front hull blade to dig the tank into the ground so the only thing that's visible is the gun..

[C2B]

[C2B]

Some preview stuff

 

See, unlike World of Tanks and War Thunder’s heavy emphasis on endless repetition of PvP grind and tank upgrades, Armored Warfare is coming at the genre from more of what you would expect of a console title. There’s going to be a backstory about modern struggles for limited resources and terrorism. And players will be able to queue up to take on this progressive storyline in 3+ tank missions complete with voice acted objectives and secondary objectives. Completion of these missions is just as valid of a progression method as PvP, and can net the player experience points for upgrading their crewmembers as well as unlocking or upgrading tanks in their garage. A nice little addition is the challenge missions that let you truly show your mastery of a PvE mission by letting you do something epic on the battlefield. Thankfully these challenges aren’t randomly assigned and actually based on the type of tank you’re driving, so you won’t have to worry about ramming through the enemy’s front barricade with artillery.

In terms of tank types, they offer a simplified but rather effective three category system. You’ll either be riding in a full-fledged tank, a supportive artillery, or a fast and stealthy recon.

And while the developers were extremely pensive about mentioning anything about the crews, the early stages of the UI made it clear that they will gain experience over time and that there likely will be four members of your crew.

Though the economy system was hardly in place, there was a clear distinction between gold, silver, and reputation on the rewards screen after matches. When asked, the representative shared that gold would be the cash shop currency, silver the in-game currency for purchasing tank upgrades, and reputation a currency for advancing one’s tech tree to acquire new and more powerful tiers of tanks. I have to applaud the stat keeping after the matches as well since you are clearly shown how much each member of your team contributed. Points are appropriated and bonus currency offered based on how active you were in taking objectives, how many kills you scored, as well as assists, damage dealt, number of tanks spotted, and points accrued from base captures.

Even though the demo didn't let me customize my tank, the option to visually change so much-- from camo to personal satellite defense systems-- made me feel like my tank could be mine, as long as I made it play as its class role. That may sound restricting, but as someone new to the genre, I wanted something I could understand, and as a modern MMO player, I understand classes. It certainly made it easier for me to figure out what to do during the battle, as did the objectives list that I got specifically for my role. An artillery satellite view made things feel almost like an RTS, but in a good way. Other players spotted for me, and I blasted from afar.

[C2B]

Notes by Anthony

 

This is a pretty accurate write up. A few notes.

 

The backstory for the PvE scenarios is sort of a near future world where resources are fought over by hired Private Military Corporations.

 

When we demoed the game, we explained how there are roles for the vehicles. We explained three roles for this demo, Tank, Artillery, and Recon.

 

Tanks:

Challenger 2

Leopard 2a5

 

Artillery:

M109a6 Paladin

 

Recon:

M1128 MGS - 'Stryker'

Wiesel 1

 

Crew sizes depend on the vehicle. The Wiesel has two, the Paladin has six.

 

Like he stated, we haven't demoed vehicle upgrading or customization yet.

[C2B]

We’re excited to let you all know that My.com and Obsidian Entertainment will be attending Gamescom in Cologne, Germany from August 13th to 17th! While we’re there, we’ll be giving everyone a lot more information about Armored Warfare’s progression system and the beta.

 

We’re sure you don’t want to wait until Gamescom for some of that information though, so today we’re going to share a little bit about how you’ll acquire new armored vehicles and how you’ll progress in Armored Warfare.

 

In Armored Warfare, you won’t represent a nation. Instead, you’ll take on the role of an independent private military contractor. You’ll be able to acquire technology from a variety of sources, who won’t be beholden to a particular nation, ideology, or even side of a conflict.

 

Acting as Commander of your own private military companies, you must conduct business with influential Arms Dealers in order to succeed and prosper. These Dealers are the brokers between defense contractors who manufacture armored vehicles and you, the player, who wants access to the latest and greatest technology on the market.

 

More information on dealers will be presented at Gamescom, but here are brief introductions to two of the dealers you’ll meet in Armored Warfare:

 

MARAT SHISHKIN

 

Known Aliases: The Iron Badger, Grandpa Numbers

Current Location: Nizhny Tagil, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia

Specialty: Shishkin believes strongly in the adage “Might Makes Right”, and prefers vehicles that deal a lot of damage. His particular favorites are the T-series, which he has much experience with.

 

SOPHIE WÖLFLI

 

Known Aliases: @mumstheword, Chocolatgesetz

Current Location: Zürich, Switzerland

Specialty: As part of the UN Joint Task Forces, Sophie’s job is to coordinated peacekeeping operations around the globe. She tends to prioritize the safety of troops and civilians over all-out destruction. Her industry contacts are mostly European manufacturers who allow import/export through Swiss channels.

Edited July 24, 2014 by C2B

[C2B]

[sorophx]

looks like Alpha Protocol but with tanks instead of humans. like a spy thriller Pixar animated movie.