Diablo's Thoughts on Light Tanks
Sept 14, 2016 0:38:27 GMT
heg82, google the picture using Bing, and 5 more like this
Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2016 0:38:27 GMT
Short Version: I love light tanks. If they weren't in the game I wouldn't play. That being said, in my opinion there are some issues with how they are currently implemented.
Long Version: This isn't going to be some bitchfest about matchmaking or how anything a light can do a medium can do better. This is going to be my thoughts and opinions on why light tanks are currently in the state that they are in.
My street cred: Many of you have played a match or two with me. At no point do I claim to be a great tanker. I'm decent at the game and have a pretty good idea of how it is played. I enjoy playing light tanks and I think I can confidently say that I'm in the top 15% or so of the people who play them (based off of MoE progress for what it's worth). I currently have and play the Chaffee(2MoE), AMX Chaffee(2MoE), T37(2MoE), Bulldog(2MoE), T49(2MoE), LTTB(none
), and the RU(1MoE).
To me the light tank is the most rewarding tank to play. I take great enjoyment in going into a match 2,3, or even 4 tiers down and then excelling in that position. It's fun to see my tier VI AMX Chaffee at the top of the leaderboard at the end of a tier X match. It makes me feel like I have accomplished something in the game.
Unfortunately there is a mindset among some players that the current light tank matchmaking is unfair and should be changed. I couldn't disagree more. A well driven light tank is more than capable of making an amazing contribution to a match no matter what tier match it is placed in. That being said the complaints are real and they don't seem to be going away.
Light tanks seem to be Wargaming's least loved class of tanks. Many of the maps we see are corridor type maps that make the light tanks job a bit difficult. This coupled with the extreme view ranges of some higher tier tanks mean that a light tank that is spotted in the open is quickly a dead light tank. Light tanks have the smallest margin of error. Just one mistake can leave you as a burning wreck on the battlefield.
So when you look at from the view of some players you can see where playing a light tank can start to seem like an uphill battle. Just look at the obstacles that they have to overcome. Matchmaking, corridor maps, high tier tank destroyers, bad teams, low HP pool... some folks just don't have the intestinal fortitude to stick it out and learn how to play the class.
Now I'm going to get to the meat of what I want to discuss.
It is my opinion that Wargaming's current formula for balancing tanks is fundamentally flawed and that this flaw has affected light tanks more than any other class.
We've all heard it before on the live forum. "Based off of in game performance we have decided to make adjustment "X" to tank "Y". Wargaming's insistence on solely looking at in game statistics has led to multiple questionable decisions but light tanks seem to have gotten it the worst.
You have two types of light tank players.
Group 1. This group loves light tanks and plays the hell out of them. You'll see these players at the top of the end game leader board often. They play lights and the play them a lot.
Group 2. This group sees group 1 doing amazing things in light tanks and wants to be like them. They fail grind their way through a line and then when they reach the endgame and they aren't amazing they quit the line. Light tanks are not Tank Destroyers. You can't fail your way to the top and do well.
So "Group 1" continues to play (and kick ass in) their light tanks while "Group 2" quits. Sure more people are always joining both groups but "Group 1" is the group that is really driving the statistics that Wargaming is looking at when it comes to "balance". That is why you see the Bulldog get a nerf while other (arguably more broken) tanks remain untouched.
I believe that going solely off of the raw statistics has disproportionately affected the light tank class as a whole. To remedy this Wargaming should seek advice from a wide ranging group of knowledgeable players and that their input should be taken into account in addition to the raw data.
TLDR Version: Bad light tank players give up because they are bad. Meanwhile the good light tank players continue to play and dominate in light tanks. This leads Wargaming to make poor balancing decisions (the Bulldog nerf and absolutely atrocious gun handling on the T49 come to mind).
Long Version: This isn't going to be some bitchfest about matchmaking or how anything a light can do a medium can do better. This is going to be my thoughts and opinions on why light tanks are currently in the state that they are in.
My street cred: Many of you have played a match or two with me. At no point do I claim to be a great tanker. I'm decent at the game and have a pretty good idea of how it is played. I enjoy playing light tanks and I think I can confidently say that I'm in the top 15% or so of the people who play them (based off of MoE progress for what it's worth). I currently have and play the Chaffee(2MoE), AMX Chaffee(2MoE), T37(2MoE), Bulldog(2MoE), T49(2MoE), LTTB(none
), and the RU(1MoE).To me the light tank is the most rewarding tank to play. I take great enjoyment in going into a match 2,3, or even 4 tiers down and then excelling in that position. It's fun to see my tier VI AMX Chaffee at the top of the leaderboard at the end of a tier X match. It makes me feel like I have accomplished something in the game.
Unfortunately there is a mindset among some players that the current light tank matchmaking is unfair and should be changed. I couldn't disagree more. A well driven light tank is more than capable of making an amazing contribution to a match no matter what tier match it is placed in. That being said the complaints are real and they don't seem to be going away.
Light tanks seem to be Wargaming's least loved class of tanks. Many of the maps we see are corridor type maps that make the light tanks job a bit difficult. This coupled with the extreme view ranges of some higher tier tanks mean that a light tank that is spotted in the open is quickly a dead light tank. Light tanks have the smallest margin of error. Just one mistake can leave you as a burning wreck on the battlefield.
So when you look at from the view of some players you can see where playing a light tank can start to seem like an uphill battle. Just look at the obstacles that they have to overcome. Matchmaking, corridor maps, high tier tank destroyers, bad teams, low HP pool... some folks just don't have the intestinal fortitude to stick it out and learn how to play the class.
Now I'm going to get to the meat of what I want to discuss.
It is my opinion that Wargaming's current formula for balancing tanks is fundamentally flawed and that this flaw has affected light tanks more than any other class.
We've all heard it before on the live forum. "Based off of in game performance we have decided to make adjustment "X" to tank "Y". Wargaming's insistence on solely looking at in game statistics has led to multiple questionable decisions but light tanks seem to have gotten it the worst.
You have two types of light tank players.
Group 1. This group loves light tanks and plays the hell out of them. You'll see these players at the top of the end game leader board often. They play lights and the play them a lot.
Group 2. This group sees group 1 doing amazing things in light tanks and wants to be like them. They fail grind their way through a line and then when they reach the endgame and they aren't amazing they quit the line. Light tanks are not Tank Destroyers. You can't fail your way to the top and do well.
So "Group 1" continues to play (and kick ass in) their light tanks while "Group 2" quits. Sure more people are always joining both groups but "Group 1" is the group that is really driving the statistics that Wargaming is looking at when it comes to "balance". That is why you see the Bulldog get a nerf while other (arguably more broken) tanks remain untouched.
I believe that going solely off of the raw statistics has disproportionately affected the light tank class as a whole. To remedy this Wargaming should seek advice from a wide ranging group of knowledgeable players and that their input should be taken into account in addition to the raw data.
TLDR Version: Bad light tank players give up because they are bad. Meanwhile the good light tank players continue to play and dominate in light tanks. This leads Wargaming to make poor balancing decisions (the Bulldog nerf and absolutely atrocious gun handling on the T49 come to mind).
).
