"Front Line" returned again and started on February 11. This mode has been pointwise changed, while maintaining a unique gameplay. Balance edits have made the Front Line even more comfortable and interesting. The mode has become more optimized. Unlike last year, it will consist of episodes that last a whole year. Now mode events will start every month and last a week. We talk about all the changes and features of long-term goals.
Frontline Schedule 2019 in World of Tanks
Exact start and end times will be announced later.
general description
- Fights take place between two teams of 30 players each.
- Battles in the mode are only played on Tier VIII vehicles.
- To participate in the mode, all Tier VIII vehicles available in the Garage are available, as well as special Tier VIII rental tanks.
Goals
Each team has its own task:
- The attack team must break through the defense front and destroy at least 3 out of 5 long-term firing points in enemy territory.
- The defense team must hold off the attacking side until the combat time expires.
The fighting takes place on a map with a total area of 9 square kilometers, it can be conditionally divided as follows:
- First line of defense, sectors A, B and C are the starting points for the attacking and defending teams.
- Second line of defense, sectors D, E, and F - combat operations are transferred to this part of the map after the capture of one of the sectors of the first line of defense.
- Third line of defense - a section of the map that is not divided into sectors, where the final part of the battle takes place. It is here that the main targets are located - large-caliber guns, the destruction of which leads to victory. These weapons are immobile and do not fire, and the attackers must destroy them in order to win.
The start of the battle is accompanied by the automatic distribution of 10 tanks to each of the three sectors of the first line of defense.
Each sector of the first and second lines has a base. When the attacking side captures the entire sector, the next one in the vertical is opened for attack.
For example, when the attack team captures a base in Sector A, they only get to capture Sector D.
Capturing at least one of the sectors of the second line opens up access to the third, thereby making it possible to attack the main targets - the towers of large-caliber guns.
If the attacking team manages to gain a foothold in the sector and start capturing the base, it is carried out according to familiar rules, but with some additions:
- The capture from the tank is knocked down only after it is destroyed.
- Dealing damage to a tank or module suspends base capture by that tank for 5 seconds.
- The more bases of the first line are captured, the less capture points will be required to capture the second. If one base of the first line is captured, then 450 capture points will be required to capture the base on the second line, if two bases are captured, then 250 capture points will be required. Capturing all three first line bases will reduce the required number of capture points to 150. Remember: 1 capture point equals 1 second in the circle.
- It is impossible to return the captured sector back.
If the sector is lost, the defense team must have time to leave the sector in 1 minute. Those tanks that did not have time to leave the sector in a minute will be hit by aircraft.
The attacking side will also find itself in the same situation if it enters the sector of the second line of defense without capturing the previous sector - an attack from the air.
After the attackers capture at least one sector of the second line, it becomes possible to destroy the main targets.
The main targets include five large turrets of twin large-caliber guns:
- The durability of each target is 3200 units.
- Frontal Armor / Turret: Cannot be penetrated or damaged by HE shells.
- Side armor: 165 mm.
- Stern armor: 90 mm.
- Vulnerabilities: doors (70 mm) and vents (25 mm).
The base duration of a battle in Frontline mode is 12 minutes. This time can be increased due to the successful actions of the attacking team:
- Capturing sectors A, B, C adds 2 minutes to the battle time (for capturing each sector).
- Capturing sectors D, E, F also adds 2 minutes to the battle time (for capturing each sector). Capturing the last zone adds 4 minutes to the battle time.
Overtime
- The overtime system is activated in situations where, after the expiration of time, at least one player from the attacking team is in the circle of capturing the base.
- Overtime will continue while the base capture is in progress. The time limit is 90 seconds. If this time was not enough to capture the base, the attack team loses. In a situation where overtime lasts, and the base capture is reduced to zero, the attacking team loses, and the extra time ends ahead of schedule. It also turns off when no one from the attacking team captures the base.
Description of other game mechanics
The regime will have the ability to restore tanks in battle, service areas and combat reserves will be equipped here, the use of which will positively affect the combat situation.
Respawn in battle
- At the beginning of the battle, each player has one vehicle to respawn.
- Every five minutes after the start of the battle, the player receives one additional respawn opportunity, however, he cannot accumulate more than two respawns.
- The total number of revivals is not limited.
The sector in which there are already 12 allied vehicles becomes unavailable for revival. One sector can place only one self-propelled guns. Playing with this vehicle, you will not be able to respawn in the sector where there is already an SPG. After the tank has been destroyed and you have the ability to respawn, a screen will appear that will indicate the available vehicles and the respawn point in any of the zones controlled by the team.
The huge size of the map served as another innovation that will help you quickly change direction in battle. This can be useful, for example, when you've been finishing off an opponent's resistance on a flank by capturing the last sector of defense, and now you need to quickly move to the other flank to support the onslaught. By pressing the O key (in the English layout it is J), you can switch to the vehicle selection mode. Yes, in this case the tank will self-destruct (after a short countdown), but sometimes such actions can lead to victory.
combat reserves
There are six combat reserves available in the mode. Each class has a certain number of slots in the Garage for them:
- One slot for medium/heavy tanks.
- Tank destroyers have two slots.
- Three slots for light tanks and self-propelled guns.
Thus, each piece of equipment will be able to influence the development of the battle. For example, light tanks can be more than just good scouts, now they will become a unit that affects the outcome of the battle and can work more closely with the team.
Combat reserves are selected only in the Garage before the start of the battle.
Combat Reserve slots are located in the same place as regular consumables.
Each combat reserve has five levels. They are pumped with the help of Combat Reserve Points. They, in turn, are earned for progress in the levels of the regime.
The principle of operation of combat reserves (indicators for the maximum level V):
Service zone
Each sector has a service area. It restores the tank's durability, damaged modules, relieves shell shock of crew members and replenishes ammunition.
- If the player takes damage while repairing, the service area will be blocked for 5 minutes.
- After the tank is restored to 100%, the service area becomes inaccessible for 3 minutes.
At the end of the battle, the player will pay the full cost of the restored durability service area, but not more than 100% of the vehicle's durability.
For example:
- The player has repaired three times 20% of the vehicle's durability - he will pay 60% for repairs.
- The player has repaired 40% durability three times, but at the end of the battle he will pay not 120%, but only 100%. This rule will apply even if the player's car was destroyed during the battle.
- Thus, repairs that exceed the strength of the tank are free.
At the same time, if the number of spent shells exceeds the capacity of the ammo rack, the write-off will occur for the total number of replenished shells from the total income for the battle.
Consumables work on the principle of random battles: they will be deducted for a single use in a battle, regardless of how many times the consumable has been used.
Rental cars
We note right away that all rented cars are available only for the "Front Line" mode. You will not be able to participate in them in other game modes.
To take part in the mode, each player needs to have at least one Tier VIII vehicle in the Garage.
For a comfortable game, you need as many vehicles as possible, because after the destruction of the vehicle in battle, the vehicle will be unavailable for selection for another three minutes. And if you have another suitable vehicle, select it, wait for a half-minute rebirth and reconnect to the battle.
In the event that your Garage does not have the necessary Tier VIII vehicles, you can always rent them: for one episode or for the whole year at once.
Rented cars are copies of existing cars with similar characteristics.
In each episode, three cars will be available for rent. There are 11 cars in total.
The base vehicle for this mode is a replica of the researchable Soviet medium tank T-34. This tank will be available during all episodes and will not be replaced by another vehicle. The remaining ten vehicles are copies of existing premium tanks. Two cars will be available in each episode, and after the fifth event, rental cars will begin to repeat.
Rental tanks will be equipped with "virtual" slots, and they will remain in your account until you manually delete them. Accordingly, you will need to remove all equipment, shells, consumables, crew, etc. manually if you plan to remove the tank.
Vehicles that are given for rent will be available even if your Garage already has the original version of the vehicle. Thus, your account can have two identical tanks - T-44 and T-44 LF.
You cannot rent the same car twice. For example, you can only have one T34 FL on your account.
The total number of vehicles is not limited; thus, your account can have up to 11 rental tanks.
There are 4 types of lease:
- Rent for one episode when you rent a car for the first time. In this case, you get the car along with the crew.
- Rent for one episode when you have already rented a car and the rental period has expired. In this case, the vehicle remains in your Garage and the rental period can be extended, while the cost of the extension will be lower than the original rental price. This operation is possible even if this car is not available for rent in the current episode. In this case, the crew is not issued again.
- Rent for all remaining episodes. In this case, the car will be available for all episodes, and the cost of renting a car for a week will be the most profitable. The rental price decreases with each completed episode*.
- Weekend offer. Two days before the end of the episode (Saturday and Sunday), if this is the first rental, the car will be available for rent for the remaining two days plus the entire next episode. The total rental period can be 8 or 9 days.
*This option will be unavailable from episode 6 for the T-44 LF tank and from episode 8 for all other rental vehicles.
This offer is perfect for those who prefer to play on the weekend.
With each season, the cost of rent is reduced by 10%. The T-44 tank is rented with a 75% trained crew when renting for a week, and with a 100% trained crew when renting for the entire 2019 season.
Premium cars are rented with a free crew trained up to 100%.
It is also possible to transfer existing or better trained crew to rental equipment.
End of weekly rental
At the end of the weekly rental period, the vehicles remain in the Garage, but will not be available for battles. You can extend the lease, you can remove it from the Hangar.
To do this, right-click and select the desired action from the menu that opens. The warehouse also has such an opportunity.
The rental can be extended even if this car is not available in a particular episode.
So, all 11 vehicles can appear in your Garage after 5 episodes.
Discounts on original versions of rental cars
spent on rent golda will be deposited in a separate account. Funds from this account can be used to purchase original versions of rental cars at a discount.
The period and type of rental equipment do not matter, all gold, that you spent will be saved.
The size of the discount is determined by two factors:
- The amount of gold that has accumulated in the account
- The cost of the original version of the car
The amount of the discount depends on the amount of gold that was spent on rent. Thus, the more gold is spent, the more discounts are expected later. Discounts are calculated in gold only.
By the way, if gold is not used to receive a discount, it will accumulate on this account until the end of the season.
Economy
The main aspects for which experience, credits are accrued and the cost of shells is written off:
- Repairs are paid for each destroyed tank: no matter how many times you are destroyed in battle, the cost of repairs will be written off once.
- Payment for consumables and shells is also debited for everything that was used in battle. Additional payment is charged only for replenishment of equipment.
- Credits are awarded according to similar formulas as in random battles. There is a slight difference: due to the long battle time and the potential to enter the battle with a large number of tanks, we have introduced corrective coefficients that will save you from going into a complete loss of credits in most cases. The mode is interesting, and we want to give you the opportunity to immerse yourself in it without fear of going broke.
- Experience is accrued in the same way as in random battles, plus additional coefficients for ranks. Experience is distributed among all tanks that participated in the battle, depending on the results that you showed on each tank.
- Bonuses from personal reserves, clan payouts (30%, as in random battles), from premium vehicles - all this works in Frontline.
Please note that profitability adjustment coefficients only work for those players who remained in the ranks until the end of the battle. Thus, the developers are going to encourage tankers who fight for their team to the last, despite the situation in the battle.
If you leave the battle before it ends, the profitability will be canceled, and the cost of all forfeited repairs will be written off in full. Those players who left the game for a technical reason will be able to return to it within five minutes. Once returned, no adjustment coefficients will be applied to the player.
Disabling fire on allies
The developers have tried to carefully study player feedback related to disabling damage to allies after the launch of the Frontline mode in 2018. It was clear that this idea not only appealed to the players, but also had a positive effect on the gameplay of the mode. That is why this feature is not expected to be enabled.
Rewards for successful actions in battle
For certain effective actions in battle, players can receive rewards.
Long-Term Goals and Valor Mechanics
As it became clear, this year's "Frontline" is a long-term game event consisting of 10 episodes that will last almost the entire 2019.
For success in combat operations in the mode, you will receive a number of rewards: credits, consumables, pre-combat instructions, personal reserves.
The most active and successful players will receive reward tanks, bonds, in-game gold and a unique Tier IX secret tank.
Season 2019 Episodes
Each episode is one week in a calendar month. Those weeks when the mode will be available will be called "Front Line". The mode will be unavailable between episodes. A total of 10 seasons are expected, lasting from February to November 2019.
The exact dates and times for the start and end of the episode will be set as the season progresses.
Frontline experience and your development in battle
This mode has a ranking system. There are six of them: from private to general. The rank earned in battle depends on the amount of combat experience, which in turn depends on the effectiveness in battle.
Your main goal is to capture/defend the zones and destroy/defend the main targets. The total experience earned on all vehicles that participated in the battle is counted. The more experience you earn, the higher your rank will be.
The rank is obtained right in the battle, so that everyone can track their development. Earned rank determines the coefficient to your experience.
Frontline levels
During the battle, each tanker earns ranks. At the end of the battle, frontline experience is accrued, which directly depends on the rank.
Frontline Experience levels up in the Frontline mode, and also participates in development in the 2019 season.
Valor Mechanic
Once Frontline Level 30 is reached, each player will be able to use a special Valor mechanic.
After using this mechanic, your level in the mode, as well as the levels of combat reserves, are reset to zero. Thus, you get the opportunity to go from the first to the thirtieth level again to collect your rewards.
Valor levels and development in the 2019 season
When using the valor mechanic, the degree of valor increases.
There are 10 valor levels available in total. As you reach each level, you receive rewards, including bonds, gold, medals and stripes.
Access to degrees opens as you progress through the episodes. The maximum valor rating in an episode is always equal to the episode number + two ranks.
So, being in the first episode, the maximum possible degree is the third. In the second - the fourth. Thus, in the eighth episode, the most active tankers will be able to win the tenth degree of valor.
On the other hand, progression through Valor levels is not limited by time or episode schedule. For example, you start the game in episode 5. You can catch up on Valor levels (from I to V, and even to VII (V + II)) at any convenient time, starting from the first degree of Valor.
This mechanic will allow you to plan your game activity throughout the season. For example, you can catch up on your Valor progression and skip one or two episodes of "Front Lines" when you can't take part in any of the stages of the mode.
It is important to note that your progress through the levels of the "Frontline" within the same degree of Valor remains unchanged and is not reset. For example, if you complete an episode at level 25 of Frontline, you will start the game on the second episode at the same level.
In addition to the main rewards, each level of Valor earns you Valor Points, which can be exchanged for a premium tank. After reaching the maximum possible degree of valor, progress through the levels of the "Front Line" stops, it will not be possible to upgrade to the 29th or 30th level again and reset it immediately with the start of a new stage.
Awards
The 2019 season is expected to receive numerous awards:
- Rewards for reaching each level of the front.
- Rewards for reaching each level of Valor for those who want to reach all levels in each episode of the game event.
- And finally, the prize technique for the most persistent and skillful players who repeatedly proved their skills throughout all 10 episodes of the season.
Exchange Valor Points for Premium Vehicles
Each degree of valor received brings a certain number of points. So, the higher the degree, the more points it brings. Valor points can be exchanged for a premium car. In total, four cars will be available for exchange.
- STA-2 — Tier VIII premium tank well known to everyone. Good mobility, firepower and excellent gun depression make the STA-2 an excellent support vehicle.
- WZ-111 - Chinese heavy tank with high damage per shot, good protection and rational armor angles. Able to give a worthy rebuff to both medium and heavy tanks.
- EMIL 1951 is a Tier VIII premium tank, which is currently only available as a front line reward.
- Secret car IX level. Its name, type, nation, performance characteristics and other features are classified. This car can only be obtained if you reach Valor X and accumulate
The cost of all cars is different, and their availability is determined by an increase in personal indicator.
If your account already has STA-2 or WZ-111, you will not be able to exchange Valor Points to get them.
At the end of the season, it will be possible to exchange Valor points for bonds or gold. This will be done if the points are not enough for any car. The exchange rate will be announced later.
By the way, count your points, because the total amount of Valor points is only enough for two cars.
Points and pumping combat reserves
In addition to the reward for reaching each level of the front, you earn special points that will be used to upgrade combat reserves. Opening and modifying combat reserves is an independent matter for every tanker.
Performance in mode
The card has been optimized to provide the most consistent performance possible. If you compare this figure with last year, you will see an obvious difference.
Frontline battles require more device resources than random battles. This is due to the huge size of the map, and with a large number of objects and equipment on it, and with the activation of combat reserves.
Thus, FPS drops and texture quality issues are expected in some cases.
Read on:We draw your attention to the fact that the 2019 season of the Front Lines mode is for the first time a full-fledged event, in which there are a lot of mechanics, balance settings, variable values. That is why during the season there may be situations when it is necessary to make adjustments in order to balance the regime. Such edits may appear throughout the season.