From TMAN, community manager:
Salute WWII Online Community! Today's update will cover changes to the capture timers which have gone into effect today; two top players awards, some veteran tips and advice for surviving a bit longer in-game, and of course World War II Online's 18th anniversary is coming June 6th, and we'll have some events to announce here shortly which will include player prizes - WOOT!
NEW CAPTURE TIMERS: giving the game back to squads
Recent in-game polling has shown that a huge proportion of our active players were looking for faster capture speeds. We decided to take this opportunity to support real squad-based actions:
we have accelerated capture speeds up to 50% for 2+ capper teams. The capture speed for a single capper remains the slowest with 240 second, since we don't want a town to change side within the first few seconds of a battle.
You'll notice we do not go beneath 60 seconds as a maximum capture speed.
Balanced capture timers remain in-effect (here's how balanced capture timers work - article). Which means if you're underpopulated, you'll have a bit faster capture speeds, and if you're overpopulated there will be a little bit slower capture speeds.
These changes are in effect from now on. We will closely monitor its impact on the game.
IN-GAME POLLING MATTERS
This is a clear demonstration of how your feedback is being incorporated into actionable solutions, whether that is features or fixes. Thank you for your participation in our in-game surveys and those which are e-mailed. It is always important to participate in them and pay close attention to them.
TOP TWO PLAYER AWARDS THIS WEEK!
Announcing the Top Killer for the Allied side so far in Campaign #163 is:
MATAMOR with 2,321 kills and 2.88 K/D. A powerhouse for whatever side he plays on. Great numbers mata!
Announcing the Top KD ratio to a player with a minimum of 150 sorties so far in Campaign #163 is:
SMOOTHIE with a KD of 60.33. Yeah that’s right… 194 sorties and 181 kills with only 3 deaths. Most of Smoothie’s kills come from hi well aimed sniper rifle!
Congrats to both players who will receive a wwiionline custom mouse pad.
TIPS N' ADVICE FROM VETERAN PLAYERS
Towns Taking towns is part and parcel of the WWIIOL experience. It's where 99.9% of the really meaty action takes place, and it's often where most of our squads play out (mostly) friendly rivalries with their pals on the opposing side. Whether you're fighting to liberate Europe or popping over to the "dark side" to change history, towns are a critical element of the warfighting experience. Here are a few things that happen when you're on an attack objective (AO):
You will be found.
Nine times out of ten, someone, somewhere, has an FMS being deployed in what may look like the most insane of positions. Early deployment is going well, you and your squad mates are spawning in one-by-one, and you rally up for the first charge into enemy territory - and BANG - you've all been dropped by the LMG gunner who saw the truck coming in and thought, "Well I'm having some of that!"
Top tip: Don’t drive to an AO alone. The more trucks you have going in multiple directions, the more chance of getting your FMSs up and your team into town before the enemy can react.
Realizing that this really isn't going to be easy.
Ever been in that position where you've faced ridiculous levels of resistance merely getting into that spawn CP in the middle of the biggest fight of the night? Frustrating, isn't it. The spawn is the lynchpin of every attack and taking one, two, or even three can swing the balance decisively in your side's favor. If you don't move quickly to lock it down, it'll slip from your grasp and signal the knockout blow to the attack. Don't be afraid to commit everything you have, and give everything too. Sooner or later that resistance will crumble and you'll want to be there to claim the glory for capping the spawn.
When players get desperate, they spawn tanks. Tanks are curious little things. They look cool, do some severe damage and provide some much-needed spice to an attack that would otherwise get bogged down very quickly. But they're also a serious defensive multiplier. If you're pushing a town and you start seeing calls on your chat saying that tanks are spawning in then it'll be pretty safe to assume that the defenders are either very nervous or very annoyed. WWIIOL is famous for the emotion and competition it elicits, and there's no other game like it. No one wants to lose, but if you've got an entire armored battalion coming at you, it pretty much means squeaky bum time for this AO.
Top tip: Anti-tank guns are the bane of any tank commander's existence. It's one thing to grab one in a hurry, but another thing entirely to bring the right one for the job. A powerful and well protected Anti-tank weapon will help you maintain control when you need it most.
Forward Bases are more vulnerable than you think.
You've landed FB duty. It's cool, though, because someone's got to do it, right? Same idea with attackers. You don't have to be "good" at it, you just need the sheer nerve to sneak up on an FB with a couple of your squad mates, watch the other side spawning kit, hit them with everything you've got. Forward bases are at their most vulnerable when the attacking side is committing to the bunker rush to finish off a town. A well-executed counter-attack from the rear will either catch the opposition completely unaware (it's the SWEETEST feeling to kill off an FB at the 11th hour if you didn't already know), or do just enough damage to lure the bulk of the attacking force back to the FB and thereby buying your side some breathing space. Try it on the next attack, you might find yourself a new in-game hobby. Don’t forget bombers can now be used to help destroy the vehicle spawn at FB’s. Expect more bombers and more AAA to greet them!
See you on the battlefield
S!