Gamescom 2011: Wargaming.net reveals World of Battleships and World of Tanks trailers

@Stormscion

I wish they upgrade WOT graphics to this level someday...

@Godsafk

you can easily enjoy it with the f2p option. If you want to play it more than the "casual" gamer, then going premium would be a nice option. Its 10€/Month, thats with added tax so its prolly even less for US customers.

There is Premium ammo you can buy, it provides a big advantage but is so expensive that people rarely use it. Its usually only used in clan wars.

I'm playing it since a year, started at the very first beta day. I got huge ADD when it comes to games (and drop them rather fast if they can't entertain me), but I'm still playing this one.

@Godsafk My opinion you can play the low "tier" stuff and have a bit of fun, then you get higher and it becomes pay-to-win. Technically people say no you can play without paying, and technically that may be true but the grind for xp and money is so big as to be crushing. Also the fact that the wallet-warriors always seem to mysteriously prevail makes this a game I'll never give a dime too. Here are 2 forum threads you might find interesting where people are debating this game.

http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/322669/World-of-tanks-Worth-a-download-or-not.html

http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/317409/Fun-through-tier-3-then-.html

@Godsafk

I usually buy a premium for a week when I know there will be some free time to play hard. I have a Maus, some tier 8 tanks (King Tiger, IS-3) and top german medium E-50 (the best tank IMO) so far only to spend about 20$.

Not bad and yes there is no any advantage for you (or them) with premium on the battlefield (only if one has some gold ammo but this is so expensive that ppl usually save it for a clan wars occasion and rarely use it in random battles).

@Godsafk

WoT is grand fun and quite addictive. If you played with toy tanks and built models as a kid, you'll be in heaven. It's like your toys from 30 years ago have come to life.

I won't go so far as Saker and say it's "pay-to-win," but the grind after Tier VII can get a bit tedious if you're not on a premium account. However, if you choose to specialize in one sub-line after Tier VI, (e.g. - American heavies, or German mediums, etc.), it's very possible to play for free. You'll still have your lower tier tanks for making coin and can make reasonable progress toward a top level tank -- which is how the game is designed, by the way. You make your money at Tiers V and VI. That mechanic keeps the game from becoming World of Tier Ten Tanks, by insuring that a mix of various tiers are being actively played at all times. And quite honestly I find mid-tier and even low-tier play more enjoyable than the VII+ stuff, as you're not worried about losing coin on a match. There's also far less camping (and carping) at lower tiers.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll say that I have spent money on the game. However, it was by choice rather than necessity, since I wanted some premium tanks -- namely the British Churchill, French Hotchkiss, and French Char B.

I have also used purchased gold to convert "free" experience from my Elite tanks in order to speed up the grind a bit. As I say, it's a choice; you can trade time for money or money for time. I simply have a lot more money than I do free time. In my experience, a premium tank is always beat out by a fully-equipped "earned" tank in any given tier, so "pay-to-win" is a bit harsh. You can make up your own mind on that count, of course.

You've nothing to lose by giving it a spin. I daresay you won't regret it if you have any interest at all in the subject material.

@Godsafk The only true pay to win is the Lowe premium tank and maybe the KV-5. But in particular the Lowe which is the most expensive premium in the game. Most premium tanks follow the trend of being heavily armored, but not much else usually. The Lowe is heavily armored, but also heavily armed, it just murders things and makes anyone below it's tier scream bloody murder as shells ping off it.

The premium ammo only increases your chance to penetration, not your damage, so it's as big a deal as it seems. And for the amount you get, it isn't worth it.

@Tezcatli

lol at the Lowe being heavily armored...it really isn't.

@Tezcatli

Firstly, premium tanks like the Lowe are not "pay to win". They are in fact worse than standard tanks of the same tier (King Tiger, IS-3). The main advantage of getting them is a) they earn more credits and b) you get to skip the grind.

Secondly, premium ammo is both extremely expensive and not nearly as much of an advantage as people seem to think. It does NOT do more damage. Depending on the type of ammo it either has more penetration or more splash radius. Both of these are advantages that simply make it easier to damage your opponent if your aim is bad. This is easily overcome with player skill.

Thirdly, I highly recommend for people to try this for themselves. This is a very fun game and it will cost you nothing to try it and make up your own mind.