We're here to share some information about new content that will be landing in-game in the near future.
In the last issue of Waterline, we discussed submarines in Ranked Battles and World of Warships' Anniversary, alongside some already announced game modes and some upcoming novelties that will be covered in more detail.
New Ships
In Update 0.10.9, the new branch of German battleships revealed.
They represent a class of battleships that can be considered battlecruisers.
Their definitive distinction from standard battleships is a thinner hull plating but better main battery accuracy, low detectability, and good speed. The new German battleships also have powerful secondary armament, are equipped with long-range torpedoes, the Hydroacoustic Search, and the Fast Damage Control Team consumables.
Regarding ships to be rewarded for in-game activities, we first have the tier VI battleship Novorossiysk — the modernized version of the Italian battleship Giulio Cesare, transferred to the USSR as reparation after WWII.
This winter, the new Dockyard commences. This time, players should get ready to build the British Tier IX battleship Marlborough. One of the intermediate rewards for advancing through the construction stages is the famous British tier VI battleship Repulse — one of the Renown-class battlecruisers which took part in WWI and WWII, ultimately sinking at the Battle of Kuantan in 1941.
Superships in Ranked Battles
In World of Warships, players are able to fight not just aboard historical ships — plenty of the in-game designs were either planned in real life but never constructed, or constitute our own 'What-If' guesses.
In Update 0.10.5, we held the 'Grand Battle' event, dedicated to the super battleships: a hypothetical development of the large artillery ship concept.
In real life, creating this magnitude of steel giants became pointless due to the developments in naval aviation; however, during this event in World of Warships, players had the opportunity to feel and enjoy the awesome power of these ships in battle, which we appreciated immensely.
To us, Superships became not just a unique approach to portraying the natural evolution of the history of shipbuilding, but it also allowed us to try a brand-new mechanic — Adjustment Fire.
The incredible potential of the superships and players' interest in them made us consider the fate of these steel behemoths in our game. We decided that the unusual gameplay supplied by these ships could diversify previously-existing battle types. Therefore, at the end of this Fall, players shall be able to sail back into battle aboard superships; this time, in a special season of Ranked Battles.
Aside from two familiar Superbattleships Satsuma & Hannover, we are planning to add several more Superships; among them, French & American cruisers and the Japanese & Soviet destroyers.
These ships are going to have access to special mechanics that differ from the Adjustment Fire present on the battleships. We will share the details about these ships and their special mechanics as well as the information about the Ranked season closer to its start. Stay tuned!
Graphical Improvements
We are constantly working on improving the visuals in World of Warships.
This Fall, you can expect one of the most significant graphical updates the game has ever had.
Water simulation will be completely reworked. That means new realistic waves that constantly change their form and height, swaying ships, dynamic sea foam, all-new wake effects, and other visuals.
Along with water, the terrain in the battle maps will be renewed. Landmasses will receive new highly-detailed textures as well as a whole bunch of new animations. The process of updating maps is a long and laborious one; for that reason — similarly to when we switched to a new lighting model — the maps shall be updated gradually.
We will begin with the Philippines port and the Two Brothers and Hotspot maps.
Flora on islands will also be updated. There are new models for trees and underwater vegetation that will be added, and the overall quantity will be increased. This will allow us to create highly detailed forests and make the underwater world richer.
Please note that all information in the development blog is preliminary. Announced adjustments and features may change multiple times during testing. The final information will be published on our game's website.