World of Tanks Optimized Competition Settings

Developer: Wargaming.net LLC
Video Game: World of Tanks
Platform: Microsoft Windows PC
Price: Free to play / Premium account

World of Tanks (WoT) is a free-to-play MMO-action video game by Wargaming.net that is loosely based on World War II-era tanks from the Soviet Union, Germany, USA, China, Britain, France, and Japan. Players can open either a free or premium account, and earn their way up a tiered ladder by competing against other online players in random battles. World of Tanks is developed for the Microsoft Windows PC platform, and is designed to be played using a wide range of computer hardware: from portable laptops with integrated graphics to high-performance desktop computers with discrete graphics. Benchmark Reviews recently published our World of Tanks 3D Vision Game Review for enthusiast gamers wanting life-like realism and effects, but for this article we concentrate on the best video settings for competitive play and share helpful game play tactics.

World of Tanks is a free game available to the public, world-wide. This means that your chance of winning is at the mercy of anonymous players who probably lack skill and understanding. World of Tanks gives players a comprehensive guide with every game installation, located at C:\Games\World_of_Tanks\World of Tanks Game Manual.pdf. Even better information is available at wiki.worldoftanks.com, with an excellent explanation of tank camouflage/detection located at wiki.worldoftanks.com/Battle_Mechanics, and a healthy supply of tank tactics located at wiki.worldoftanks.com/Tactics. I've seen top-tier tankers make tragic rookie mistakes covered at length in the WoT Wiki, proving that by reading it you'll have a better chance of surviving, earning more credits, and winning. Read the WoT manual and Wiki, along with the tips and tricks shared in this article, to gain an edge over other players.

Competitive Settings

When it comes to game and video quality settings, most gamers merely turn up the graphics options as high as they can until the frame rate drops. This is certainly a good way to achieve the best visual effects and graphics quality without sacrificing video frame rate performance, but it doesn't give you a competitive edge. The settings we'll discuss in this section are designed to offer competitive gamers an improved chance for landing shots and getting the win. Please keep in mind that not all computers are created equal, so some settings are dependent on the video card and system hardware you own.

To change game options, simply open World of Tanks and go to Menu → Settings. We begin our fine tuning with the 'Game' settings tab illustrated below:

Of the many 'Game' tab settings, those outlined within the red boxes will yield competitive benefits. It's up to gamers to decide the ideal transparency level and whether battle recording interest them, but it's suggested to disable 'Enable post-effect in Postmortem Mode' and 'Enable vehicle vibration in Sniper Mode'. By unchecking these boxes you'll keep a full-color view of the battlefield after your tank has been destroyed, but more importantly you'll avoid crosshair bouncing and shaking while in sniper mode.

By enabling all 'Vehicle Markers' options, you'll be able to view enemy equipment types and strength, as well as see where each destroyed remains on the map. Experienced players who press the Left ALT key during battle can quickly determine the strength of an enemy deployment by seeing where destroyed tanks and their vehicle tier remain on the battlefield. If you press Left ALT and see that the strongest enemy tanks were destroyed taking a hill, for example, you'll know there probably isn't very much strength remaining in that particular area.

Moving to the 'Graphics' settings tab, there will be several options that depend on the power of your video card and computer. While most Graphics Quality settings are fully-dependant on this hardware, some make a significant impact on viewing the enemy when exposed or seeing beyond trees and bushes. Please concentrate on the areas marked in the illustration below:

Shadows make an enormous impact on frame rate performance, and in many cases make it difficult to contrast an enemy from their surroundings. For the sake of graphics performance and seeing a defined enemy outline, it's suggested to turn all shadow effects off. Realistic water is a nice visual effect that adds to realism, but in the game it creates shimmering reflections that distract players while sapping away video game rates. Turn water effects to their lowest settings, or off entirely. Off all the effects that can make it difficult to see clearly in World of Tanks, trees and bushes are the most onerous. It's recommended to turn Foliage Quality to its lowest setting with Flora Density turned off to remove flowers and brush while restore valuable frames per second (FPS).

Draw Distance is a setting that displays the mapped world into the distance. This has no effect on enemy spotting or visibility, but rather it draws trees, hills, and surrounding terrain features along the background. Systems with limited video card memory as well as system memory may improve performance by turning this feature down, while others may find it convenient to know about terrain features in the distance. Object LOD (level of detail) is another setting that can steal away frames and slow down performance, but can also provide detailed outlines of enemy tank features that appear far off. Close targets aren't affected, but distant targets viewed in Sniper Mode may lose some detail unless set to High. Extra effects are available to add impressive realism, but come at the cost of graphics performance. In competitive battle you want the highest FPS possible (at least above 35 FPS at all times), so it's advised to turn off unnecessary settings.

Check-box items such as grass in Sniper Mode and dust effects from wheel tracks are really nice features to have if you're just playing the game for enjoyment and want some added realism, but these items all distract the player and reduce graphics frame rate performance. Track traces, on the other hand, uses very little graphics card memory and helps an experienced player determine where a camouflaged tank may be heading when it disappears.

In the next section, I offer a few useful game strategies for World of Tanks...

World of Tanks Game Strategy

Unlike most games that allow you to put nearby enemies in your sights and fire on them, World of Tanks uses a camouflage system that hides tanks from view even if they're out in the open or nearby. The inexperienced player, especially those who haven't read manual or wiki, will cry foul and claim an invisible tank is hacking. As your crew gains experience you can train them to deliver better concealment, as well as purchase a camouflage net that improves concealment when stationary. So long as you're stationary and not within 50 meters of an enemy, you'll be hidden until you fire. Camouflage is a huge aspect of WoT, because even skilled tankers won't risk revealing themselves by shooting what they cannot see. Learn to find a good defensible position, remain stationary to promote camouflage, fire at enemy and relocate to evade long-reaching artillery (SPG) fire.

After playing nearly almost 10,000 matches in World of Tanks, I might possibly be considered an experienced tanker. I've learned that each map has its own natural plan designed into it, with distinctive paths for attack, cover, and concealment. Some maps are built to promote aggressive game play over defensive, or vice versa, so it pays to spend time in non-ranked training matches to learn these key variables before a team depends on your performance. Because you're only given one chance to win, the best way to play World of Tanks is by switching into survival mode and waiting to ambush the enemy as they reveal themselves. This is a challenge few WoT players accept, and you'll often see the majority of tanks rushing out by themselves only to be consumed by a greater number of enemy tanks. The object is to remain operational and work as a team, because even a slow and badly damaged tank can fire the final shot that ends a battle.

Speed is of the essence, in World of Tanks. A slow-moving tank is an easy target for enemy tanks, especially powerful artillery damage from a SPG. So it's up to the player to determine the best route to travel, as some surfaces yield better traction and speed than others. Additionally, upgraded suspension and engine modules will deliver quicker acceleration (suspension) and faster top speed (engine/driver). Sometimes speed is all it takes for a fast tank to out-maneuver a slower much heavier and more powerful tank, especially if damage is directed towards the less protected rear of the tank.

Heavy tanks depend on medium tanks for flanking support and sustained spotting of nearby enemies, which tank destroyers can snipe from a distance. To the same extent, light tanks with little chance of inflicting damage are intended to be the scouting eyes for heavy-hitting SPG artillery fire. Some novice World of Tanks players forget that SPGs need them to the very end, and rush into the enemy base only to be quickly destroyed. While the light tank receives points for spotting enemy, they also earn extra points for remaining operational throughout the battle. Alternatively, the enemy light tank is a SPG's worst nightmare, because it can pass through friendly tanks and destroy artillery. The scouting mission of the light tank is not one that should not be taken... lightly.

Tactics will never be the same, and change depending on each map and which side of the map you start from. The initial deployment is critical, and often overlooked by inexperienced players. One of the most annoying things you'll experience is having teammates who deploy to places on the map that won't intercept the enemy, essentially hiding from the battle and leaving fewer tanks to fight. Another tactic that regularly fails is when most the tanks on your team go in one direction, which leaves those few remaining defenders to be rolled over by greater enemy forces. My point here is simple: displace to where you're needed most. It's a good idea to be near to other tanks, as they lend support and their radios relay positions down the line, but don't get it set in your mind that one spot is prime because World of Tanks is a game where you must relocate often.

The mini-map is a helpful tool in determining where the battle is taking place, and is a critical tool for SPG artillery fire. Use the + and - keys to increase or decrease mini-map size. When playing with an SPG, I find that reducing the size of the mini-map and player roster helps me see more of the battlefield, and potentially spot the tracer of an enemy battery after they fire.

Concealment helps a camouflaged tank ambush an approaching enemy, but once that first shot is fired you're exposed in all directions to the opposing team. Cover is your friend, and by using buildings, rocks, the slope of land, or even a destroyed tank to block enemy fire, you're guaranteed to survive much longer into the battle. In the image below you can see that a windowless building allows for peep-hole shots at the enemy, and by using sniper mode from a distance a skilled tanker can effectively fire through the window and hit enemy tanks from a distance. Be forewarned that when using cover your tank must move out beyond protection to take shots, and suffer a delay to focus sights on the target that your enemy won't have to wait for. It's a good idea to move your sights in the general direction of the enemy tank beforehand, and lock sights/turret in place by holding down the right-mouse button.

World of Tanks utilizes physics mechanics that calculate how effective a round can penetrate armor. Tanks wear thick armor in front, and by facing the enemy there's less chance their attack will penetrate your armor. As in real life, angles matter and even the thickest armor can be penetrated with a direct shot. Ricochet shots are very common in WoT, and while they create a frustration for the attacker they can also become a survival tool for the veteran tanker. Rather than facing directly forward, angle the tank slightly away from the enemy. This will create an increased chance that their attacks will bounce off your armor with little more than a scratch. Alternatively, when in battle against other veteran tankers it's wise to search out the most perpendicular panel of armor to increase your odds of penetration with each shot.

Of the many pearls of wisdom I've shared, my most important is to never rush a shot. World of Tanks depends on randomly generated variables to determine the outcome of actions within battle, and the last thing you want is an added factor working against you. Always face your tank towards the target and make patient, focused shots directed at sides and rear of enemy tanks. Armor is thickest in the front, so if you're forced to fire head-on aim carefully to hit for the underbelly. If you're engaged in battle out in open space where SPGs can rain down supporting artillery fire, hit the tank track for critical damage to make that enemy tank into a stationary target. A team that can focus fire one tank at a time will quickly eliminate the enemy.

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