Sandbox changes in World of Tanks

Wargaming announced some changes they are testing in the sandbox server:

Changing shot dispersion so that shells are more likely to land toward the outside of the aim circle
"Shot distribution within the aiming circle. The revised mechanic has fewer shots clustered closer to its center. As a result, hitting weak spots at range is more difficult for the guns that have bad dispersion (0.4 or more), while aim time, armor, and gun stabilization become more important. Those who participated in the first Sandbox iteration will find the new solution is nearly the same as then, but this time, the perception of this change is unaffected by other significant changes surrounding it."

Drop in penetration over distance
"AP and APCR shells penetration values begin decreasing at 50m (not 100m) and they lose 18% and 23%, respectively, of their initial values at 500m. This should facilitate action-packed, close-range engagements and make armor thickness more relevant, while maneuvering in the enemy's sight becomes safer with distance. We tested a similar solution in the first iteration, and found it too radical. Now we’re testing reduced penetration falloff to see if it’s enough to make maneuvering and flanking safer, without disrupting the fun."

Changing the alpha damage for some guns
"At the same time, we’re increasing the damage of 120mm guns to the damage rating of the 122mm guns (at the moment, this minuscule difference in caliber results in a 10% reduction of damage: 400 vs. 440). Their reload time gets increased as well, to keep the DPM intact"

Decreased alpha damage for some guns
"Currently, vehicles with very high alpha damage (the JagdPz. E 100, FV 4005, or FV 215b (183)) foster artillery-like gameplay. We’ll try to fix it by reducing excessively high alpha damage of very high-caliber (170+mm) guns, while also improving their reloading time to keep the DPM unchanged."

A new stun effect that's revised and improved after last year’s Sandbox test
"Implements the ability to reduce the stun effect and lift it completely with consumables, which are now multi-use
Added stun indicators that should help both teams quickly assess the situation and adjust their battle plans"

Revised ammo loads and shell and combat parameters
"No AP and HEAT shells for SPGs
Decreased penetration and alpha damage for HE shells, while also improving their accuracy, dispersion on the move, aiming and reload time"

Increased blast radius and revised the damage falloff within it

Introduced target area marking so that SPGs can show friendly vehicles where they aim

New alternate aim for SPGs to make artillery gameplay more engaging and efficient

GTX 1050 vs RX 460 World of Tanks FPS comparison results Part 2

Introduction:

After reading part one, some people asked if using the overclocked i7-6700K processor would give better results than a less powerful and older processor.  I decided to retest both graphics cards with an i3 processor released in 2012 on a socket 1155 motherboard.  In addition to that, I tested the effects of different game settings on FPS with both GPUs.

Method:

I used Fraps and a WoT replay of the M41 Bulldog on the Windstorm map to compare the GTX 1050 vs the RX 460.  Fraps recorded the minimum, average, and maximum FPS for the battle.  The RX 460 that was used cost $95 and the GTX 1050 that was used cost $100.  Both are models that don't use any additional power and get all their power through the PCI Express x16 slot.  Also, both cards have 2 GB of memory.

The computer used for the comparison had these specs:
Intel i3-3240 CPU
Asrock H61M-VG4 Motherboard
16 GB DDR3 RAM (8GB x 2 sticks)
500 GB Samsung 840 SSD
Seasonic 650 Watt power supply
Windows 10 Pro

The two graphics cards tested were:
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1050 Mini $99.99
PowerColor RED DRAGON Radeon RX 460 $94.99
Both graphics cards were run at their default clock speed.  Both graphics cards use a single fan and heat sink and have similar cooling designs.

As stated in part one, for smooth game play you want to keep your minimum FPS(Frames per Second) above 30 FPS.  Games can start looking like a slide show below 30 FPS.  Games tend to look smoother and are easier to play when you keep your minimum frame rates higher.  Generally 50-60 FPS is where games start to look much smoother to most gamers.  Some people with 60 Hz monitors prefer to have their minimum FPS never drop below 60 FPS then enable V-sync to reduce the visual effect called screen tearing.  Other players have monitors that are capable of 75 Hz, 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 144 Hz, or faster  refresh rates and want higher average FPS in game.  Minimum and average frame per second are a matter of both game play quality and personal preference and can be limited by the hardware.  Maximum FPS isn't as important for game play as minimum FPS and average FPS.

World of Tanks budget GPU comparison at 1080p resolutions

Introduction:

Many gamers play within a budget and don't have $350 and up to spend on a new graphics card.  With that that goal in mind, a test of graphics cards that can be purchased for $80-$120 was performed.

For smooth game play you want to keep your minimum FPS(Frames per Second) above 30 FPS.  Games can start looking like a slide show below 30 FPS.  Games tend to look smoother and are easier to play when you keep your minimum frame rates higher.  Generally 50-60 FPS is where games start to look much smoother to most gamers.  Some people with 60 Hz monitors prefer to have their minimum FPS never drop below 60 FPS then enable V-sync to reduce the visual effect called screen tearing.  Other players have monitors that are capable of 75 Hz, 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 144 Hz, or faster  refresh rates and want higher average FPS in game.  Minimum and average frame per second are a matter of both game play quality and personal preference and can be limited by the hardware.  Maximum FPS isn't as important for game play as minimum FPS and average FPS.

Another advantage of higher frame rates is less input lag and less game lag.  You may have a great ping and no packet loss, but if you are averaging 30 FPS it may feel that you have higher ping when you play because there is more lag in the game itself.  For example, if you play at 30 FPS, each frame is about 0.0333 seconds.  If you play at 60 FPS, each frame is 0.0167 seconds.  If you play at 100 FPS, each frame is 0.0100 seconds.  To many players, having higher frame rates feels and acts like having a better in game ping.  Some players feel that higher FPS in a game makes it easier to hit moving targets in game and to hit smaller targets in game.

Methods:

World of Tanks version:

World of Tanks 9.16 was used for this test.

There were no significant changes to the game engine between 9.16, 9.17, and 9.17.1 that have an effect on average FPS and minimum FPS.  Also World of Tanks 9.16 replays that play in 9.17 had no change in minimum and average FPS when played in version 9.17.  Therefore, these results can apply to future world of tanks versions until there are significant game engine updates.

Replay:

A World of Tanks version 9.16 replay of the M41 Bulldog on Windstorm map was used.  This replay was chosen because the M41 had battles in both the open areas of the map and in the city.  In addition to that tank battles occurred in and near water, there were tank fires, artillery near misses, destruction of destructible objects, a wide variety of tanks were in the battle, and the M41 drove a long distance through he map.

Hardware:

The computer used for the comparison had these specs:
i7 6700K overclocked to 4.6 GHz and water cooled.
32 GB DDR 4 RAM (8GB x 4 sticks)
1 TB Samsung EVO 850 SSD
Seasonic 750 Watt power supply
Windows 10 Pro

Graphics cards tested in the Desktop, the manufacturer's part numbers, and additional information:
GTX 1050 - ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1050 Mini (ZT-P10500A-10L) - The GTX 1050 is Nvidia's new budget GPU.  GTX 1050 graphics cards currently cost $100-140.  The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1050 Mini can be found for $99.99 regularly.
GTX 960 - EVGA GeForce GTX 960 FTW GAMING ACX 2.0+ (02G-P4-2968-KR) - A used 2GB GTX 960 equipped graphics card currently sells for $100-$130.
GTX 950 - EVGA GeForce GTX 950 SC+ GAMING ACX 2.0 (02G-P4-2956-RX) - The GTX 950 was replaced by the GTX 1050.  Used and refurbished GTX 950 graphics cards currently sell for $80-$120.
GTX 660 ti - EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti FTW Signature 2 (02G-P4-3664-KR) - The GTX 660 ti was released in August of 2012.  Currently, used GTX 660 ti graphics cards sell for $60-$100 on eBay.  Occasionally, you can find a pair of them sold together for SLI use for $120-$140
GTX 750 ti - EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti (02G-P4-3751-KR) - A new GTX 750 ti equipped graphics card currently sells for $80-$100 in the U.S.  Used GTX 750 ti cards can be found for as low as $60.
RX 460 - PowerColor RED DRAGON Radeon RX 460 (AXRX 460 2GBD5-DH/OC) THe RX 460 is AMD's current budget gaming GPU.  RX 460 graphcis cards currently cost $95-140. The PowerColor RED DRAGON Radeon RX 460 can be found for $95-$100 regularly.
R7 370 - XFX R7 370 1050M (R7-370B-CDFR) - The R7 370 has been replaced by the RX 460 and the low end RX 470 models.  A Used R7 370 equipped graphics card currently sells for $70-$000 in the U.S.
R7 360 - Gigabyte AMD R7 360 (GV-R736OC-2GD) - The R7 360 has been replaced by the RX 460.  A used R7 360 equipped graphics card currently sells for $60-$100 in the U.S.

World of Tanks 9.15 GPU Comparison and Analysis

Introduction:

World of Tanks updated to version 9.15 which added new technology to the game.  Now the game supports multi core CPUs and is not dependent on single threaded CPU performance.  This should allow for an increase in frames per second with the same hardware compared to earlier versions of World of Tanks.

For smooth game play you want to keep your minimum FPS(Frames per Second) above 30 FPS.  Games can start looking like a slide show below 30 FPS.  Games tend to look smoother and are easier to play when you keep your minimum frame rates higher.  Generally 50-60 FPS is where games start to look much smoother to most gamers.  Some people with 60 Hz monitors prefer to have their minimum FPS never drop below 60 FPS then enable V-sync to reduce the visual effect called screen tearing.  Other players have monitors that are capable of 75 Hz, 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 144 Hz, or faster  refresh rates and want higher average FPS in game.  Minimum and average frame per second are a matter of both game play quality and personal preference and can be limited by the hardware.  Maximum FPS isn't as important for game play as minimum FPS and average FPS.

There is a myth that the human eye can't distinguish any difference above 30 frames per second, so that having more than 30 FPS is useless.  In scientific testing, it has been proven that the human eye may be able to see differences in frame rate at over 200 frames per second.  One United States military test of pilots showed that they can be shown an image of an aircraft for 1/220th of a second and they can accurately and reliably tell what type of aircraft it is.  Other tests have shown that computer gamers can see a difference between 30 frames per second, 60 frames per second, and 100+ frames per second while playing computer games on newer monitors that have the capability of using refresh rates above 100 Hz.  The difference is noticed more by gamers who have previously played on 100 Hz and faster refresh rate monitors.  Also, some people say that television and movies are shown at approximately 30 FPS, so more than 30 FPS isn't necessary.  However movies and television shows often use motion blur to hide what would seem to be jerky movement due to being played at 30 FPS.

Another advantage of higher frame rates is less input lag and less game lag.  You may have a great ping and no packet loss, but if you are averaging 30 FPS it may feel that you have higher ping when you play because there is more lag in the game itself.  For example, if you play at 30 FPS, each frame is about 0.0333 seconds.  If you play at 60 FPS, each frame is 0.0167 seconds.  If you play at 100 FPS, each frame is 0.0100 seconds.  To many players, having higher frame rates feels and acts like having a better in game ping.  Some players feel that higher FPS in a game makes it easier to hit moving targets in game and to hit smaller targets in game.

Methods:

Replays:

I downloaded a replay from WoTReplays.com that had a combination of close range fighting around buildings and longer range and close range fighting around hills and trees. Its a T-54 replay on Murovanka.  The replay is available here: http://wotreplays.com/site/2713913

Computer systems used:

World of Tanks 9.14 GPU Comparison

Introduction:

For how popular of a game as World of Tanks is, I haven't seen many benchmarks comparing different graphics cards/GPUs to the game performance.  You might see one popping up every year or two with limited info about testing methods.  When I read that 9.14 was going to move the sound processing to another CPU core, I decided that after 9.14 was released, it would be a good time to compare different GPUs.  I'm going through the process of using different GPUs with the same replays to compare their performance.

For smooth game play you want to keep your minimum FPS(Frames per Second) above 30 FPS.  Games can start looking like a slide show below 30 FPS.  Games tend to look smoother and are easier to play when you keep your minimum frame rates higher.  Generally 50-60 FPS is where games start to look much smoother to most gamers.  Some people with 60 Hz monitors prefer to have their minimum FPS never drop below 60 FPS then enable V-sync to reduce the visual effect called screen tearing.  Other players have monitors that are capable of 75, 100, 120, or 144 Hz refresh rates and want higher average FPS in game.  Minimum and average frame per second are a matter of both game play quality and personal preference and can be limited by the hardware.  Maximum FPS isn't as important for game play as minimum FPS and average FPS.

There is a myth that the human eye can't distinguish any difference above 30 frames per second, so that having more than 30 FPS is useless.  In scientific testing, it has been proven that the human eye may be able to see differences in frame rate at over 200 frames per second.  Other tests have shown that computer gamers can see a difference between 30 frames per second, 60 frames per second, and 100+ frames per second while playing computer games on newer monitors that have the capability of using refresh rates above 100 Hz.  Also, some people say that television and movies are shown at approximately 30 FPS, so more than 30 FPS isn't necessary.  However movies and television shows often use motion blur to hide what would seem to be jerky movement due to being played at 30 FPS.

Another advantage of higher frame rates is less input lag and less game lag.  You may have a great ping and no packet loss, but if you are averaging 30 FPS it may feel that you have higher ping when you play because there is more lag in the game itself.  For example, if you play at 30 FPS, each frame is about 0.0333 seconds.  If you play at 60 FPS, each frame is 0.0167 seconds.  If you play at 100 FPS, each frame is 0.0100 seconds.  To many players, having higher frame rates feels and acts like having a better in game ping.  Some players feel that higher FPS in a game makes it easier to hit moving targets in game and to hit smaller targets in game.

Methods:

Replays:
I downloaded quite a few replays from WoTReplays.com and found a few to find what I was looking for. I ended up using three different replays that I downloaded from WoTReplays.com.  Two replays were used more than the third replay.

The first replay is a Comet on Serene Coast. Link: http://wotreplays.com/site/2546813
The second replay is a Type 64 on Abbey. Link: http://wotreplays.com/site/2536214
The third replay is an IS-6 on Kharkov Link: http://wotreplays.com/site/2544611

I used the Comet replay because a large part of the battle occurs near the water, has tanks driving through water, and it is a good replay to see how the water quality settings affect game performance.  The Type 64 replay was used because it has a wide variety of game play events, game environments, and was stressful to even higher end GPUs giving the lowest average frames per second and lowest minimum frames per second of all the different replays I tried.  I also used the IS-6 replay because I wanted to see how stressful on the graphics heavy tank play is around buildings.  It ended up that heavy tank play in the city is not very stressful on the GPU for most mid and high end GPUs.  Several other replays of heavy tank play on city maps showed that it seems to be less stressful and yielded higher FPS than other types of replays.  The IS-6 replay is more of a best case scenario instead of an average or demanding replay.  Because of this I didn't use the IS-6 replay to test many of the GPUs.

Computer systems used: