War Thunder: Difference between revisions
Added a reception section and added italics for every mention of War Thunder Tags: nowiki added Visual edit: Switched |
→Timeline: Removed insignificant content from the timeline |
||
Line 55: | Line 55: | ||
===Ground and naval forces=== |
===Ground and naval forces=== |
||
{{unreferenced section|date=April 2014}} |
{{unreferenced section|date=April 2014}} |
||
Gaijin has planned to add playable |
Gaijin has planned to add playable ground and naval forces to the game with players being able to play all forces types (Air, Ground, and Naval forces) in one battle. As of now, ground forces such as [[Armoured fighting vehicle|AFV]]s ([[tanks]]) have been added into the open beta with update 1.41. Currently, only two nations have ground forces, those being Germany and the Soviet Union. Ground forces are, however, planned to be added to all the remaining nations. The most advanced tanks within the open beta as of now for Germany are the [[Tiger II]] PzKpfw VI Ausf. B armed with the [[105 mm KwK 46]], the [[Panther II]], and the [[Jagdtiger]], with the Soviet Union getting the [[IS-4]]M, [[T-54]] mod 1951 and the [[ISU-152]]. |
||
Although naval forces are not currently available for player control, due to development, players can take off from carriers in certain 'Arcade' and 'Realistic' mode |
Although naval forces are not currently available for player control, due to development, players can take off from carriers in certain 'Arcade' and 'Realistic' mode |
||
battles.<ref>[http://warthunder.com/en/game/features/5/current/ "Naval Aviaiton"] War Thunder. Retrieved:2014-5-12</ref> Naval Forces are in development, but not much is known about them. What has been confirmed is that the main ships types are going to be [[Battleship]]s, [[Aircraft carrier]]s, [[Cruiser]]s, and [[Destroyer]]s. There is much speculation as to whether [[Submarines]] are going to be added with naval forces not. |
battles.<ref>[http://warthunder.com/en/game/features/5/current/ "Naval Aviaiton"] War Thunder. Retrieved:2014-5-12</ref> Naval Forces are in development, but not much is known about them. What has been confirmed is that the main ships types are going to be b[[Battleship|attleship]]s, [[Aircraft carrier]]s, [[Cruiser]]s, and [[Destroyer]]s. There is much speculation as to whether [[Submarines]] are going to be added with naval forces not. |
||
===Timeline=== |
===Timeline=== |
||
* April 1, 2011 – The ''World of Planes ''project is announced. Some game and broadcast media took this announcement as an April Fool's joke. However, [[Gaijin Entertainment]] confirmed the development of ''World of Planes'', which was planned to be a multiplayer simulation of military equipment (ships, tanks and aircraft). |
* April 1, 2011 – The ''World of Planes ''project is announced. Some game and broadcast media took this announcement as an April Fool's joke. However, [[Gaijin Entertainment]] confirmed the development of ''World of Planes'', which was planned to be a multiplayer simulation of military equipment (ships, tanks and aircraft). |
||
* June 6, 2011 – Applications open for the closed alpha test of ''World of Planes.'' |
|||
* June 17, 2011 – The official website of the project is launched. |
|||
* August 25, 2011 – The first official trailer for the game was published on [[YouTube]] – the video of [[DirectX 9]] benchmark alpha version of the game. The video shows the actual gameplay of early versions of the game, the American and Japanese fighters and bombers, and the Navy, including aircraft carriers. |
|||
* September 6, 2011 – A new trailer is made available, showing recordings of gameplay in the alpha version of the game. New video shows the Kuban air battles between the Soviet and German aircraft, tank and other combat vehicles, as well as aircraft strafing ground targets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/media/video/ |title=free combat MMO game | VIDEO |publisher=War Thunder |date= |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
|||
* October 6–9, 2011 – ''World of Planes ''is shown at [[IgroMir]] 2011. All guests were given the opportunity to play in the alpha version of the project at the stand. In early October, the closed alpha test was launched. Virtual pilots from [[Russia]], CIS countries, from [[Europe]] and [[North America]] took part in testing. Gameplay videos shot in the alpha version of some testers were allowed to be published by the developer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/8/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2011-11-06 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
* October 6–9, 2011 – ''World of Planes ''is shown at [[IgroMir]] 2011. All guests were given the opportunity to play in the alpha version of the project at the stand. In early October, the closed alpha test was launched. Virtual pilots from [[Russia]], CIS countries, from [[Europe]] and [[North America]] took part in testing. Gameplay videos shot in the alpha version of some testers were allowed to be published by the developer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/8/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2011-11-06 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
||
⚫ | |||
* October 10, 2011 – New trailer published. The video shows ground battles, ground attack, and ground and sea targets in the [[Battle of Britain]], the [[USSR]], and in the [[Pacific War|Pacific Theater]] of operations. First [[fighter jet]]s, [[F-86]] and [[MiG-15]], were shown. |
|||
* January 9, 2012 – Edition of the popular British game magazine [[PC Gamer]] includes ''World of Planes ''in its list of the "Best Games of 2012", in the category of [[Massively multiplayer online game|MMO]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/previews/the-best-pc-games-of-2012/ |title=The best PC games of 2012 |publisher=PC Gamer |date=2012-01-01 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
|||
⚫ | |||
* |
*January 24, 2012 – Game publisher and developer Gaijin Entertainment announce a change of name of the project to "<nowiki/>''War Thunder"''<nowiki/> due to the fact that in future the game world will be expanded beyond the flight simulator to make it possible to manage land and marine equipment in one battle (also to avoid confusion with the game [[World of Warplanes]] made by [[Wargaming (company)|Wargaming]]). On the same day, the official website was revamped.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/17/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2012-01-24 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
||
* |
* November 1, 2012 – [[Open beta]] test of the game begins.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/75/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-01-28 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
||
* March 30, 2012 – Closed beta test for ''War Thunder'' begins.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/26/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2012-03-30 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
|||
* August 10, 2012 – The game enters a new phase – an invitation-only global beta.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/WarThunder/posts/270137996430762 |title=War Thunder – Gaijin Entertainment, the developer and... |publisher=Facebook |date=2012-09-05 |accessdate=2014-02-08}}</ref> |
|||
* November 1, 2012 – Open beta test of the game begins.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/75/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-01-28 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
|||
* March 5, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' reaches one million players.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/91/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-03-05 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
* March 5, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' reaches one million players.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/91/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-03-05 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
||
* March 19, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' releases update 1.29. This update introduced customizable ammunition belts, a new economy system, a new interface, an updated damage model, new planes ([[B-25 Mitchell]], [[G5N]] and [[G8N]], [[Tu-2]]s, [[Do-217]] and the [[Gloster Meteor]] Mk. 8) and numerous other bug fixes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/22412-war-thunder-update-129/page-0 |title=War Thunder Update 1.29 – Updates (discussion) – War Thunder – Official Forum |publisher=Forum.warthunder.com |date= |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
* March 19, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' releases update 1.29. This update introduced customizable ammunition belts, a new economy system, a new interface, an updated damage model, new planes ([[B-25 Mitchell]], [[G5N]] and [[G8N]], [[Tu-2]]s, [[Do-217]] and the [[Gloster Meteor]] Mk. 8) and numerous other bug fixes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/22412-war-thunder-update-129/page-0 |title=War Thunder Update 1.29 – Updates (discussion) – War Thunder – Official Forum |publisher=Forum.warthunder.com |date= |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
||
* March 21, 2013 – ''War Thunder''<nowiki/><nowiki>'s US cluster is released.</nowiki><ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/103/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-03-22 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
* March 21, 2013 – ''War Thunder''<nowiki/><nowiki>'s US cluster is released.</nowiki><ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/103/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-03-22 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
||
* April 1, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' had a one-day event for [[April Fools]] in which players could fly around "little ponies", this was a reference to the large Internet fandom of My Little Pony: Friendship |
* April 1, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' had a one-day event for [[April Fools]] in which players could fly around "little ponies", this was a reference to the large Internet fandom of [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/109/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-04-01 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> It was removed the following day. |
||
* April 11, 2013 – All 5 playable nations are now available in historical battles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/121/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-04-13 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
|||
* April 19, 2013 – Added voice chat in squads.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/127/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-04-19 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
|||
* May 14, 2013 – Gaijin announce that the game will eventually be released on the [[PlayStation 4|Sony PlayStation 4]] "in time for the holiday 2013 season".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/145/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-05-14 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> On the same day, Gaijin released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming ground forces.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/144/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-05-14 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
* May 14, 2013 – Gaijin announce that the game will eventually be released on the [[PlayStation 4|Sony PlayStation 4]] "in time for the holiday 2013 season".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/145/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-05-14 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> On the same day, Gaijin released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming ground forces.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/144/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-05-14 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
||
* June 11, 2013 – Gaijin release the 1.31 Update for War Thunder adding in lots of new features such as Enhanced graphics and more.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/168/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-06-11 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
* June 11, 2013 – Gaijin release the 1.31 Update for War Thunder adding in lots of new features such as Enhanced graphics and more.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/168/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-06-11 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
||
* July 19, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' reach 3 records: one billion units destroyed, over 600,000,000 sorties flown, over 30,000,000 hours flown in ''War Thunder''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/212/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-07-19 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
* July 19, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' reach 3 records: one billion units destroyed, over 600,000,000 sorties flown, over 30,000,000 hours flown in ''War Thunder''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/212/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-07-19 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
||
* July 24, 2013 – Leaderboard and Player Profiles are now available on War Thunder's official website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/215/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-07-24 |accessdate=2013-08-16}}</ref> |
|||
* July 25, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' reaches 3 million players.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/216/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-07-25 |accessdate=2013-08-20}}</ref> |
* July 25, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' reaches 3 million players.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/216/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-07-25 |accessdate=2013-08-20}}</ref> |
||
* August 7, 2013 – Gaijin release the 1.33 Update for War Thunder adding in lots of new features such as new modification system and more.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/226/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-08-07 |accessdate=2013-08-20}}</ref> |
* August 7, 2013 – Gaijin release the 1.33 Update for ''War Thunder'' adding in lots of new features such as new modification system and more.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/226/current/ |title=free combat MMO game | NEWS |publisher=War Thunder |date=2013-08-07 |accessdate=2013-08-20}}</ref> |
||
* August 15, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' |
* August 15, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' is released for [[Steam (service)|Steam]].<ref name="joystiq1">{{cite web|author=MJ Guthrie on Aug 15th 2013 12:00PM |url=http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/08/15/war-thunder-now-flies-under-steam-power/ |title=War Thunder now flies under Steam power | Massively |publisher=Massively.joystiq.com |date=2013-08-15 |accessdate=2013-08-20}}</ref> |
||
* August 20, 2013 – ''War Thunder'' officially announced as a launch title for the PlayStation 4.<ref name="joystiq1"/> |
* August 20, 2013 – ''War Thunder ''is officially announced as a launch title for the PlayStation 4.<ref name="joystiq1"/> |
||
* September 26, 2013 – Gaijin release the 1.35 update featuring the new Events Mode, additional aircraft, new maps and other features.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/game/changelog/ |title=Change Log |publisher=Warthunder.com |date= |accessdate=2013-09-26}}</ref> |
* September 26, 2013 – Gaijin release the 1.35 update featuring the new Events Mode, additional aircraft, new maps and other features.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/game/changelog/ |title=Change Log |publisher=Warthunder.com |date= |accessdate=2013-09-26}}</ref> |
||
* At Igromir 2013, Gaijin |
* At Igromir 2013, Gaijin releases a demo of ''War Thunder''<nowiki/><nowiki>'s Ground Combat that visitors could try out.</nowiki><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reddit.com/r/Warthunder/comments/1nq4q9/19_minutes_of_ground_forces/ |title=19 minutes of Ground Forces : Warthunder |publisher=Reddit.com |date=2013-10-04 |accessdate=2014-02-08}}</ref><nowiki/> |
||
* November 13, 2013 – Gaijin announced that closed beta testing of ''War Thunder''<nowiki/><nowiki>'s Ground Forces would start next month and released in-game challenges to select the testers.</nowiki><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/11/15/war-thunder-tanks-next-month-with-ground-forces-beta/ |title=War Thunder Tanks Next Month With Ground Forces Beta |publisher=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |date= |accessdate=2014-02-08}}</ref> |
|||
* November 29, 2013 – Gaijin releases ''War Thunder'' for PlayStation 4 as a free to download game in the EU region. U.S. release will be at a later date TBA.<ref>{{cite web|author=David Jenkins |url=http://metro.co.uk/2013/12/16/war-thunder-4-ps4-review-free-flying-4232105/ |title=War Thunder PS4 review – free flying | Metro News |publisher=Metro.co.uk |date=2013-12-16 |accessdate=2014-02-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2013/12/20/war-thunders-north-american-release-date-on-ps4-is-hopefully-in-january-2014/ |title=War Thunder's North American Release Date on PS4 is 'Hopefully' in January 2014 |publisher=PlayStation LifeStyle |date= |accessdate=2014-02-08}}</ref> |
* November 29, 2013 – Gaijin releases ''War Thunder'' for PlayStation 4 as a free to download game in the EU region. U.S. release will be at a later date TBA.<ref>{{cite web|author=David Jenkins |url=http://metro.co.uk/2013/12/16/war-thunder-4-ps4-review-free-flying-4232105/ |title=War Thunder PS4 review – free flying | Metro News |publisher=Metro.co.uk |date=2013-12-16 |accessdate=2014-02-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2013/12/20/war-thunders-north-american-release-date-on-ps4-is-hopefully-in-january-2014/ |title=War Thunder's North American Release Date on PS4 is 'Hopefully' in January 2014 |publisher=PlayStation LifeStyle |date= |accessdate=2014-02-08}}</ref> |
||
* December 4, 2013 – Gaijin starts their closed beta testing for Ground Forces.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/355-Ground-Forces-closed-beta-starts-en |title=War Thunder — Open Beta Test Registration – Ground Forces closed beta starts! |publisher=Warthunder.com |date=2013-12-04 |accessdate=2014-02-08}}</ref> |
|||
* December 18, 2013 – Gaijin release the 1.37 update. A new interface, aircraft, point system, and game mode names changes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/game/changelog |title=War Thunder — Open Beta Test Registration – Change Log |publisher=Warthunder.com |date= |accessdate=2013-12-28}}</ref> |
* December 18, 2013 – Gaijin release the 1.37 update. A new interface, aircraft, point system, and game mode names changes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/game/changelog |title=War Thunder — Open Beta Test Registration – Change Log |publisher=Warthunder.com |date= |accessdate=2013-12-28}}</ref> |
||
* March 8, 2014 – Women's Day Event was organised in which players could win up to 600 Golden Eagles (Premium Currency) in 2 days<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/479-SPECIAL-International-Womens-Day-en |title=Next-Gen MMO Combat Game for PC, Mac and Playstation4 | Play for free now! – [SPECIAL] International Women's Day |publisher=War Thunder |date=2014-03-07 |accessdate=2014-04-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/480-International-Womens-Day-en |title=Next-Gen MMO Combat Game for PC, Mac and Playstation4 | Play for free now! – International Women's Day |publisher=War Thunder |date=2014-03-08 |accessdate=2014-04-15}}</ref> |
|||
* April 1, 2014 – Gaijin release the Gaijilla Snail Monster on the April Fools event. Players can destroy it to get 1 million Silver Lions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/514-New-Japanese-war-machine-in-War-Thunder-en |title=Next-Gen MMO Combat Game for PC, Mac and Playstation4 | Play for free now! – New Japanese war machine in |publisher=War Thunder |date=2014-04-01 |accessdate=2014-04-15}}</ref> |
|||
* April 14, 2014 – Gaijin release the 1.39 update.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/537-Update-139-released-en |title=Next-Gen MMO Combat Game for PC, Mac and Playstation4 | Play for free now! – Update 1.39 released |publisher=War Thunder |date= |accessdate=2014-04-15}}</ref> |
* April 14, 2014 – Gaijin release the 1.39 update.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/537-Update-139-released-en |title=Next-Gen MMO Combat Game for PC, Mac and Playstation4 | Play for free now! – Update 1.39 released |publisher=War Thunder |date= |accessdate=2014-04-15}}</ref> |
||
* May 15, 2014 – |
* May 15, 2014 – An open beta for Ground Forces is announced with Update 1.41.<ref>http://warthunder.com/en/news/587-Update-141---Ground-Forces-OBT-en</ref> |
||
* June 3, 2014 – ''War Thunder'' is released on PSN in North America and is announced as being [[cross-platform]] between PS4 and PC.<ref>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/30/war-thunder-cross-platform-play-coming-soon-on-ps4-pc/</ref> |
* June 3, 2014 – ''War Thunder'' is released on PSN in North America and is announced as being [[cross-platform]] between PS4 and PC.<ref>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/30/war-thunder-cross-platform-play-coming-soon-on-ps4-pc/</ref> |
||
Revision as of 01:14, 17 August 2014
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
War Thunder | |
---|---|
File:??????? War Thunder 2013-06-17 12-19.jpeg | |
Developer(s) | Gaijin Entertainment |
Publisher(s) | Gaijin Entertainment |
Composer(s) | Zakhar Antonov Jeremy Soule |
Engine | Dagor Engine |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows Mac OS X PlayStation 4[1] |
Release | Microsoft Windows November 1, 2012 (Open Beta) PlayStation 4 Mac OS X September 16, 2013 (Open Beta) |
Genre(s) | Action,
Realistic Combat flight simulator to Arcade-style Combat flight simulator, Realistic Tank Combat Simulator to Arcade-style Tank Combat Simulator, Planned to be added Realistic Naval Combat Simulator to Arcade-style Naval Combat Simulator |
Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer MMO |
War Thunder is an online multiplayer combat game developed by Gaijin Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and PlayStation 4. It is currently in the open beta testing phase with players able to give feedback on any bugs before initial release of the full game.
Gameplay
The game is set to contain aircraft, armoured vehicles, and ships from the Spanish Civil War to Korean War time period. However, the full game currently only contains aircraft and a limited number of ground vehicles, with further aircraft and ground vehicles, as well as ships, to be implemented later. Most maps in-game are either directly or indirectly based on real-life battles of the era.[2]
The average size of maps in the game currently range from approximately 65 km x 65 km to 100 km x 100 km to 200 km x 200 km, although the engine powering the game is likely to achieve larger map sizes in the future. Estimates are said to be about 300 km x 300 km.[3]
Arcade battles
In arcade mode, the game draws two teams of players (up to 32 people) with planes from different nations of similar level. It is possible to see vehicles of the same type on different teams. Damage and physics are greatly simplified (e.g. in very high speed dives planes do not have their wings ripped off and are still controllable), but retain some realism (e.g. bombers are not as maneuverable as fighters, limited ammunition but able to reload midair). Multiple views are available, from third person view, cockpit view, gunner view (if the aircraft has a gunner) and virtual cockpit view (if the aircraft does not have a cockpit model the virtual cockpit will be used). Arcade Mode games are played in either "Ground Strike," where in order to win players must destroy all enemy ground units, shoot down all enemy aircraft, destroy the enemy airfield and bombing points, or "Domination", which consists of seizing enemy airfields by touching down on them for about five seconds, causing the enemy team to lose points. Also, to help simplify aiming, a 'leading marker' appears when an enemy plane is in range. This shows where the enemy plane will be by the time the bullets arrive if the plane continues its current trajectory, greatly improving accuracy.
Realistic battles
Previously called "Historical Battles", this mode is designed for more advanced players. More realistic damage models makes long-range "sniping" difficult, and there is no 'leading marker' to assist with aiming. Also, due to realistic g-forces, making tight maneuvers at high speeds can cause pilots to black out or their planes to rip apart, and the views available are the same as in Arcade Battles. Once ammunition is used up, players will have to return to their airfield to reload and repair. In this mode, unlike arcade mode, players are selected for each team's nation, making it possible to recreate a real scenario, such as the Battle of Stalingrad between the Soviet Union and the Third Reich, although this possibility has decreased after several patches due to the introduction of premium prototype planes and alternate history setups as well as the match-up between planes determined by their "Battle Rating" rather than historical date of operation thus the name of the game mode was changed from Historical Battle to Realistic Battle.
Simulator battles
This mode is based on the more realistic simulation settings; only the first-person view in the cockpit or external turret gunner views are allowed, and flight physics are at a somewhat more realistic setting. The story mode is similar to the realistic battles – two teams of different nations are fighting each other for dominance in the sky, but the realism of the game at this level is slightly higher. Full Real setting also requires players to play with a joystick as opposed to a mouse and keyboard, whilst still possible to play with a mouse and keyboard it would be very difficult to control the aircraft under such circumstance.
Development
The development of the game as World of Planes began in 2009. Gaijin Entertainment used its experience with its previous flight games such as IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey, Apache: Air Assault, and Birds of Steel in its development. The name was later changed to War Thunder due to confusion with the similar competitor World of Warplanes, as well as other reasons due to Gaijin wanting the game to not just be focused on aviation anymore.[4]
Nations
There are currently five nations available to choose from in War Thunder. These nations are: USA, Germany, Soviet Union, Great Britain and Japan. Each of these nations have planes that flew in their air forces (some planes within War Thunder are prototypes or so called paper aircraft, such as the J8M, known in game as the Ki-200, a prototype copy of the German rocket interceptor, the Me 163 Komet) in the mid 1930s to the late Korean War era, with the most advanced planes in the game being the F-86 Sabres from the USA. With the recent 1.39 patch, variants of the F-86 can be used by Germany and Japan and the MiG-15s from the Soviet Union can also be used by Germany. All of these nations are available to all players, and they can be switched between at any time.
Ground and naval forces
Gaijin has planned to add playable ground and naval forces to the game with players being able to play all forces types (Air, Ground, and Naval forces) in one battle. As of now, ground forces such as AFVs (tanks) have been added into the open beta with update 1.41. Currently, only two nations have ground forces, those being Germany and the Soviet Union. Ground forces are, however, planned to be added to all the remaining nations. The most advanced tanks within the open beta as of now for Germany are the Tiger II PzKpfw VI Ausf. B armed with the 105 mm KwK 46, the Panther II, and the Jagdtiger, with the Soviet Union getting the IS-4M, T-54 mod 1951 and the ISU-152.
Although naval forces are not currently available for player control, due to development, players can take off from carriers in certain 'Arcade' and 'Realistic' mode battles.[5] Naval Forces are in development, but not much is known about them. What has been confirmed is that the main ships types are going to be battleships, Aircraft carriers, Cruisers, and Destroyers. There is much speculation as to whether Submarines are going to be added with naval forces not.
Timeline
- April 1, 2011 – The World of Planes project is announced. Some game and broadcast media took this announcement as an April Fool's joke. However, Gaijin Entertainment confirmed the development of World of Planes, which was planned to be a multiplayer simulation of military equipment (ships, tanks and aircraft).
- October 6–9, 2011 – World of Planes is shown at IgroMir 2011. All guests were given the opportunity to play in the alpha version of the project at the stand. In early October, the closed alpha test was launched. Virtual pilots from Russia, CIS countries, from Europe and North America took part in testing. Gameplay videos shot in the alpha version of some testers were allowed to be published by the developer.[6]
- December 24, 2011 – The developers announce the beginning of the World of Planes project to be started in the first quarter of 2012.
- January 9, 2012 – Edition of the popular British game magazine PC Gamer includes World of Planes in its list of the "Best Games of 2012", in the category of MMO.[7]
- January 24, 2012 – Game publisher and developer Gaijin Entertainment announce a change of name of the project to "War Thunder" due to the fact that in future the game world will be expanded beyond the flight simulator to make it possible to manage land and marine equipment in one battle (also to avoid confusion with the game World of Warplanes made by Wargaming). On the same day, the official website was revamped.[8]
- November 1, 2012 – Open beta test of the game begins.[9]
- March 5, 2013 – War Thunder reaches one million players.[10]
- March 19, 2013 – War Thunder releases update 1.29. This update introduced customizable ammunition belts, a new economy system, a new interface, an updated damage model, new planes (B-25 Mitchell, G5N and G8N, Tu-2s, Do-217 and the Gloster Meteor Mk. 8) and numerous other bug fixes.[11]
- March 21, 2013 – War Thunder's US cluster is released.[12]
- April 1, 2013 – War Thunder had a one-day event for April Fools in which players could fly around "little ponies", this was a reference to the large Internet fandom of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic;[13] It was removed the following day.
- May 14, 2013 – Gaijin announce that the game will eventually be released on the Sony PlayStation 4 "in time for the holiday 2013 season".[14] On the same day, Gaijin released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming ground forces.[15]
- June 11, 2013 – Gaijin release the 1.31 Update for War Thunder adding in lots of new features such as Enhanced graphics and more.[16]
- July 19, 2013 – War Thunder reach 3 records: one billion units destroyed, over 600,000,000 sorties flown, over 30,000,000 hours flown in War Thunder.[17]
- July 25, 2013 – War Thunder reaches 3 million players.[18]
- August 7, 2013 – Gaijin release the 1.33 Update for War Thunder adding in lots of new features such as new modification system and more.[19]
- August 15, 2013 – War Thunder is released for Steam.[20]
- August 20, 2013 – War Thunder is officially announced as a launch title for the PlayStation 4.[20]
- September 26, 2013 – Gaijin release the 1.35 update featuring the new Events Mode, additional aircraft, new maps and other features.[21]
- At Igromir 2013, Gaijin releases a demo of War Thunder's Ground Combat that visitors could try out.[22]
- November 29, 2013 – Gaijin releases War Thunder for PlayStation 4 as a free to download game in the EU region. U.S. release will be at a later date TBA.[23][24]
- December 18, 2013 – Gaijin release the 1.37 update. A new interface, aircraft, point system, and game mode names changes.[25]
- April 14, 2014 – Gaijin release the 1.39 update.[26]
- May 15, 2014 – An open beta for Ground Forces is announced with Update 1.41.[27]
- June 3, 2014 – War Thunder is released on PSN in North America and is announced as being cross-platform between PS4 and PC.[28]
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | PC: 82/100[29] PS4: 76/100[30] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Eurogamer | 9/10[33] |
GameSpot | 8/10[34] |
IGN | 7.2[31] |
PC Gamer (US) | 78/100[32] |
Publication | Award |
---|---|
Gamescom | Best Simulation Game (2013) |
At release, War Thunder was well-received with generally positive reviews. It was praised for its variety of airplanes and high-quality visuals.[34]However, the user interface was criticized for being "overly abundant and cumbersome" in contrast to the "sparse in-battle HUD".[31]
Since the 1.37 patch, the game has been criticized by the community, pointing at a disorganized tech tree[32] and excessive usage of the in-game premium currency to the point that the game can no longer be played properly.
The Ground Forces update was negatively received by PC Gamer, calling the tanks "plodding and fussy. ... War Thunder consistently overestimates my interest in managing a tank's manual transmission. It's like coaxing a slug."[32]
See also
References
- ^ 5/14/13 7:35am 5/14/13 7:35am. "War Thunder Is Headed to the PlayStation 4". Kotaku.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "free combat MMO game | ABOUT". War Thunder. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "free combat MMO game |". War Thunder. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ Reahard, Jef (2012-01-25). "World of Planes renamed, evolves 'beyond pure aerial combat' | Massively". Massively.joystiq.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "Naval Aviaiton" War Thunder. Retrieved:2014-5-12
- ^ "free combat MMO game | NEWS". War Thunder. 2011-11-06. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "The best PC games of 2012". PC Gamer. 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "free combat MMO game | NEWS". War Thunder. 2012-01-24. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "free combat MMO game | NEWS". War Thunder. 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "free combat MMO game | NEWS". War Thunder. 2013-03-05. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "War Thunder Update 1.29 – Updates (discussion) – War Thunder – Official Forum". Forum.warthunder.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "free combat MMO game | NEWS". War Thunder. 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "free combat MMO game | NEWS". War Thunder. 2013-04-01. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "free combat MMO game | NEWS". War Thunder. 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "free combat MMO game | NEWS". War Thunder. 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "free combat MMO game | NEWS". War Thunder. 2013-06-11. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "free combat MMO game | NEWS". War Thunder. 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "free combat MMO game | NEWS". War Thunder. 2013-07-25. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
- ^ "free combat MMO game | NEWS". War Thunder. 2013-08-07. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
- ^ a b MJ Guthrie on Aug 15th 2013 12:00PM (2013-08-15). "War Thunder now flies under Steam power | Massively". Massively.joystiq.com. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Change Log". Warthunder.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
- ^ "19 minutes of Ground Forces : Warthunder". Reddit.com. 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2014-02-08.
- ^ David Jenkins (2013-12-16). "War Thunder PS4 review – free flying | Metro News". Metro.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-02-08.
- ^ "War Thunder's North American Release Date on PS4 is 'Hopefully' in January 2014". PlayStation LifeStyle. Retrieved 2014-02-08.
- ^ "War Thunder — Open Beta Test Registration – Change Log". Warthunder.com. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
- ^ "Next-Gen MMO Combat Game for PC, Mac and Playstation4 | Play for free now! – Update 1.39 released". War Thunder. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- ^ http://warthunder.com/en/news/587-Update-141---Ground-Forces-OBT-en
- ^ http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/30/war-thunder-cross-platform-play-coming-soon-on-ps4-pc/
- ^ "War Thunder for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic.
- ^ "War Thunder for PC Reviews". Metacritic.
- ^ a b Saris, Shawn (20 June 2014). "War Thunder Review". IGN. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ^ a b c Zacny, Rob (7 August 2014). "War Thunder review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ^ Lorenzi, Matteo (17 October 2013). "War Thunder - review". Eurogamer Italy (in Italian). Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ^ a b Todd, Brett (8 July 2014). "War Thunder Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 17 August 2014.