Conquest Game Mode
In the newest World of Warplanes game mode known as Conquest. the victory is achieved through assaulting and establishing control over the fortified and defended key territories on the battlefield, in order to gain a tactical advantage over the enemy.
Controlling any such territory provides the team with a specific number of influence points if held for a specific timeframe. The team that gains the necessary amount of influence first — wins.
Generally, influence points are added to the team’s score once every 5 seconds depending on the number and type of territories controlled by each team. If one team gains control over all the sectors on the map, a superiority state begins where the frequency of influence accumulation is significantly increased.
Key territories
Every territory in the area of operation provides specific advantages to the controlling team:
Airfields
-
Forward Airstrip
- A respawn point (you can select this territory to respawn there after your aircraft is destroyed).
- Provides 3 influence points every 5 seconds.
- Repairs the aircraft and removes critical damage.
-
Staging Airfield
- Decreases the respawn timer by 10 seconds.
- A respawn point (you can select this territory to respawn there after your aircraft is destroyed).
- Provides 3 influence points every 5 seconds.
- Repairs the aircraft and removes critical damage.
-
Airbase
- Enables the controlling team to change aircraft model and class. Players can select and aircraft from their Hangar that is ready for battle and suitable for the specific battle level, once in the tactical screen.
- A respawn point (you can select this territory to respawn there after your aircraft is destroyed).
- Provides 3 influence points every 5 seconds.
- Repairs the aircraft and removes critical damage.
Manufacturing Facilities
-
Industrial Depot
- Provides 3 influence points every 5 seconds.
-
Refinery
- Provides 5 influence points every 5 seconds.
-
Mining Plant
- Provides 100 influence points every 90 seconds.
Military Installations
-
Garrison
- Provides 3 influence points every 5 seconds.
-
Military Base
- Every 20 seconds, conducts a missile strike at the adjacent neutral or enemy territory until it is captured. After that, it targets the next available territory.
- Provides 3 influence points every 5 seconds.
Command Centers
Field Headquarters
- Provides 3 influence points every 5 seconds.
Command Center
- Every 110 seconds, orders an Attack Flight of five bombers that assaults an enemy territory (except neutral territories). The Attack Flight approaches from outside the area of operation towards the targeted territory and bombs it, dealing significant damage. After that territory is captured by the allied team, the Command Center targets the next available territory. The Attack Flight can be intercepted and destroyed by the enemy aircraft.
- Provides 3 influence points every 5 seconds.
Capturing Territories
At the start of the battle, all key territories in the area of operation are neutral and controlled by their local defense forces.
In order to establish control over the territory, the team needs to destroy targets inside it (ground objects, air defense aircraft and enemy team aircraft) and earn capture points.
To initially capture a neutral territory, a team needs to earn 140 CP faster than the enemy team.
To recapture a territory from the enemy, a team needs to earn 160 CP.
Number of capture points earned per target:
- Small ground objects: 15-20 CP.
- Medium ground objects: 20-50 CP.
- Large ground objects: 50-80 CP.
- Air defense aircraft: 40 CP.
- Enemy team aircraft: 60 CP (only aircraft destroyed over the targeted territory count).
- Enemy team aircraft while defending: 40 CP (only aircraft destroyed over the defended territory count).
Local Defense Forces
Every territory is protected by its own defense system that can include:
- Anti-aircraft artillery (light and high altitude cannons).
- Air defense aircraft (light and heavy).
The defense system composition and numbers depend on the territory type. For example, the airfields have virtually no AA artillery, while the military installations are heavily fortified.
Each aircraft class is efficient in attacking different territories due to its ability to destroy specific targets and counter the local defenses.
Respawn
In Conquest mode, losing your aircraft does not mean the end of the battle for you. After a short pause you can enter combat again flying a new aircraft.
Every kind of airfield territory can serve as a respawn point. Once the allied team captures at least one such territory, you can choose a preferred target area for your next respawn in the tactical screen while you wait for your next aircraft to be ready for battle.
The minimum respawn delay is 10 seconds. Every subsequent destruction of the player's aircraft increases this timer by 15 seconds.
Every Staging Airfield controlled by a team decreases their respawn timer by 10 seconds down to the minimum delay.
After 7 minutes since the start of a battle a Thunderstorm gameplay event begins. After that, respawning will no longer be possible and the teams will fight until one of them reaches the required amount of influence or one of the sides loses all of their aircraft.
Aircraft repair
Partial Repair of the Fuselage
A heavily damaged player aircraft begins to slightly regenerate its HP once it reaches safety (not sustaining damage and away from enemies). The repair process is gradual. Its speed and maximum amount of restored HP depends on the aircraft class and amount of damage it had sustained. Critical damage cannot be restored in this way.
Repair
The airbase territories can contain a special object that can repair allied aircraft. This object is marked with a wrench icon inside a circle on the minimap. The circle depicts the area where the object is effective.
Once a damaged aircraft finds itself safely inside the object's area (away from enemies and not taking damage) the repair starts. It is much faster than the partial repair. Moreover, it fully restores the aircraft, repairs all critical damage, and removes crew injuries.
Replenishing Outboard Weapons
Once all bombs or rockets on the aircraft are released, a replenishment timer for outboard weapons starts. Once the timer expires, the outboard weapons will be replenished.
The replenishment time depends on the aircraft type, number of weapons to be replenished and how powerful they are. This allows aircraft of different types to adjust their gameplay and attack enemy ground targets many times.
If a player's aircraft is destroyed, the replenishment timer is not reset: when respawning with the same aircraft model, bombs and rockets will be replenished only after the countdown ends.
Bombers
A new aircraft type—bombers—has been added to the game. These high-altitude machines have very large HP pools, especially long boosts, and extensive bomb loads. The gameplay tactics of bomber pilots involve gaining altitude, approaching a bombing position over enemy territory, and precisely bombing ground objects. The bomb load is gradually replenished after it is dropped, and, coupled with the long boost and high altitude ceiling, this enables bombers to roam the area of operation in relative safety and influence the situation throughout the battle.
The bombs are dropped several at a time by pressing spacebar. For more accurate and natural gameplay on this aircraft type, a special bombsight mode is available. By activating it with the left shift, a player will find themselves looking down on a target through the targeting optics, and an autopilot will be engaged. The bombsight mode allows for more precise bombing and quickly determining a target’s type.
Also, all aircraft equipped with rear guns received a new feature—manual rear gun control. To enable it, press the T key. While manually controlled, the rear gun deals more damage to attackers. Additionally, a player can choose targets at their own discretion and focus fire on the most dangerous enemies or quickly destroy the most damaged ones to minimize danger to their aircraft.
Bombers operate from high altitude, diving close to the ground is not recommended. The main drawbacks of this type are low maneuverability and weak forward-facing armament that make it easy prey for enemies in a dogfight.
Economics
New economic mechanics have been introduced to the Conquest mode to calculate players' efficiency and their compensation after battles. Mastery points and combat points have been introduced.
Mastery points
Mastery points are awarded for:
- Team efforts (filling the influence meter by 25%, 50% and 100%).
- Series achievements while piloting the same aircraft before its destruction (for example, a series of enemy aircraft destroyed before the player's aircraft is shot down).
- Special actions (for example, destroying an enemy aircraft by ramming it or shooting it down with a turret).
The number of mastery points earned in a battle directly affects the amount of experience aircraft and crews earn after battle. If a player uses several aircraft in one battle, the experience is awarded to all of them and their crews based on the number of mastery points earned while piloting each of them. Victory awards additional experience.
Combat points
Combat points are awarded for:
- Dealing damage to and destroying enemy team aircraft.
- Dealing damage to and destroying air defense aircraft and Attack flight bombers.
- Dealing damage to and destroying ground objects.
- Participation in capture of enemy territories and defense of territories controlled by the allied team.
- Participation in a battle until its final resolution.
Combat points are retracted for:
- Dealing damage to allied aircraft.
- Destroying allied aircraft.
The number of combat points earned in a battle directly affects the amount of credits earned after it. Victory awards additional credits.
Aircraft repair
The cost of repairs for an aircraft depends on the number of times it had been destroyed in a battle. Consequently, saving the warplane and repairing it over the airfields controlled by the allied team allows players to reduce their expenses significantly. If a player uses several different aircraft in a battle, expenses for their repairs are calculated separately.
Ammunition and consumables
As before, the payment for using ammunition and consumables, whether in credits or Gold, is deducted after their first use in battle: the first weapon fired, bomb dropped, rocket launched, or consumable used. The ability to respawn and re-enter battle does not affect expenses—they are only deducted once per battle.
All consumable types have been changed on the following principles:
- Every consumable now has an unlimited number of uses per battle; but they are balanced with cooldown times between uses.
- Consumables available for credits are activated manually, have an unlimited number of uses and a delay of 90 seconds between uses. This delay is not reset when the aircraft is destroyed and respawns.
- Consumables available for Gold are activated either automatically or manually depending on their type, have an unlimited number of uses and a delay of 60 seconds between each use. This delay is reset when the aircraft is destroyed and respawns.
- Consumables available as rewards for completing Daily Missions are activated either automatically or manually depending on their type, have a delay of 60 seconds between each use, but can only be used a limited number of times during one aircraft's lifetime. The number of uses and delay between these consumables are reset when the aircraft is destroyed and respawns.
Since the outboard armament is gradually replenished in the new game mode, the first bomb dropped or rocket launched now costs the amount of full load of that kind of armament.
In the event a player uses several different aircraft in a battle, expenses for ammunition and consumables are cumulative.
Physics and balance
In the Conquest game mode, team victory is defined not by individual player skill or the capabilities of a single aircraft, but by the overall team’s ability to destroy territorial defenses, capture and control sectors, and fend off enemy counterattacks. Each aircraft class has a role in which it excels. Attack aircraft and other machines equipped with heavy armaments are crucial for the quick destruction of ground objects and securing territories. Fast air defense suppression and defense of controlled territories from enemy counterattacks is a task for fighter classes.
The general balance of classes and individual parameters of each aircraft have been tuned for the Conquest game mode. Every class has had its key features emphasized so that they are especially effective at their roles.
Every class has unique traits and capabilities:
- Fighters are nimble and dynamic warplanes designed to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft in a dogfight and provide cover to allied forces. Exceptional maneuverability, high thrust-to-weight ratio and armament that is easy to operate allow fighters to easily take advantageous positions in the air, and approach and follow targets to quickly destroy them.
- Multirole fighters are universal aircraft capable of supporting allies both in aerial combat and in ground attacks. They can be equipped with a small amount of bombs and rockets to conduct surgical strikes at ground targets. Fast, maneuverable, durable and well-armed, these aircraft can be employed in different roles, playing their part in air dominance or laying waste to ground fortifications.
- Heavy fighters are fast and deadly universal machines that wield a combination of powerful forward-facing armaments and, in some instances, are equipped with bombs and rockets. They are very efficient at intercepting enemy attack aircraft and bombers, and striking at territories from above. Heavy fighters deal astonishing amounts of damage to large enemy aircraft, can easily gain altitude, and take positions above enemies due to their long and powerful boost.
- Attack aircraft are extremely durable machines that can withstand surprising amounts of punishment from enemy fire. These warplanes are specifically tailored to deal great amounts of damage to ground targets while flying at low altitude. Powerful combinations of guns, bombs and rockets make them great attackers, while the defensive turrets generally equipped on these machines make them a dangerous target. The turrets can be operated manually by switching to the corresponding mode (press «T»), which makes repelling enemies on your six very effective.
- Bombers are speedy aircraft that have a very specific job: destroying ground targets from high altitude by bombing. These warplanes have large bomb loads and powerful defensive turrets. It is a completely new class with its own unique playstyle. Bombers can quickly relocate between territories and methodically lay waste to targets below from the relative safety of their optimum altitude. A special bombsight mode (press «LSHIFT») is designed to make bombing raids more effective. In case of danger from enemy fighters, a bomber can defend itself with turret fire, especially when using manual control («T»). This class will especially suit players who like to plan their actions ahead and play strategically.
Altitude mechanics
Game mechanics that define dependencies between an aircraft's flight characteristics and flight altitude have been changed and now provide for easier control over player's aircraft potential in any situation. Now flying at any altitude within the range between ground level up to optimum altitude means the aircraft will be at maximum maneuverability. Exceeding optimum altitude will bring noticeable decrease in flight characteristics, while approaching the altitude ceiling will decrease them further to a point when they will be sufficient only for level flight. The battle interface conveys this information through color coding of the numbers on the altimeter: they are white at optimum altitudes, orange when exceeding the optimum altitude and red when flying close to the aircraft's ceiling.
Shooting mechanics
This closed public test features a new approach to shooting forward-facing weapons. Primarily, the lead-compensating aiming point has been removed. This was done because we believe that, while shooting, a player should concentrate on the enemy aircraft, not the interface element. In order to shoot accurately, the player should constantly keep track of enemy aircraft to react to its maneuvers, so they can pick the approach trajectory and lead compensation correctly. Constant aim correction based on tracers and hit marks is also necessary.
Since projectiles have certain speeds in the game, the lead compensation mechanics are still present. In order to accurately hit a target, the shooter needs to correct their aim, considering distance, direction and flight speed, and preempt an enemy’s flight path.
Basics of shooting the forward-facing armament
Opening fire
Depending on the caliber and type of weapon, its effective range is different. The distance to target counter on its marker will turn red once you approach to effective shooting range of the main weapon. This means that shooting and hitting the target will be effective and deal damage.
Aiming
In all cases except head-on approaches or shooting from directly behind a target, the optimum aiming point is located slightly ahead of enemy aircraft. In order to make aiming easier, the tracers and hit marks on enemy aircraft were made more distinctive. This allows players to see the trajectory of their projectiles and the point where it connects with the enemy's flight path..
Evasive maneuvers
Standard evasive maneuvers are still effective and allow players to evade damage. However, they have to be executed immediately after the aircraft starts taking fire.
Modified damage system
The damage system has been improved and now allows the player to target specific aircraft sections. It has become much easier to deal critical damage to a crucial aircraft module. This is most effective when shooting large, highly durable aircraft: bombers and attack aircraft.
Battle interface
Standard and Advanced Interface Modes
The standard mode of the battle interface is configured in a special way that aims to distract players' attention from the action as little as possible. By pressing the left Alt key, the battle interface is switched to the advanced mode where the interface elements convey more information.
Battle Progress
At the top of the screen, there is a meter showing influence points accumulated by the teams. Next to the meter, icons of the territories that are currently controlled by the teams are displayed. The advanced interface mode also shows a precise number of accumulated points.
In the center of the screen, under the influence meter, there is an icon for the territory where a player's aircraft is currently flying and the status of the territory.
Mini-map and Radar
For navigation in battle, a minimap combined with a radar is available. The minimap includes the main navigation elements (cardinal points, markers pointing to the key territories) and tactical information (ground and aerial objects from the allied and enemy teams around the player). The minimap size can be changed with the + and - keys, and the display scale with the 9 and 0 keys. The minimap zoomed all the way out helps to evaluate the situation in the operation area and the states of the key territories, as well as understand the flight directions of allies and enemies. When zoomed all the way in, the minimap can be used as a radar to evaluate the situation immediately around the player’s aircraft.
Player’s Aircraft State
Aircraft durability is displayed as a bar directly below the aircraft. In the bottom center of the screen, there are indicators showing the number of mounted rockets and bombs (for aircraft with the ability to carry outboard weapons) and the indicator of the time required to replenish the rockets and bombs. In the bottom left, there is an aircraft layout showing whether there is critical damage to aircraft modules, how ready the mounted consumables are for use, and how overheated the forward-firing armament is. Besides this, the state of an aircraft can be quickly evaluated by the following graphic effects: smoke and sparks indicating damage, screen darkening, oily traces indicating critical damage, etc.
Target Markers
Every detected target is indicated by a special marker that allows the player to quickly understand the type of the aircraft (e.g., fighter or heavy fighter), the kind of target (e.g., an enemy team aircraft or air defense aircraft), type of ground target, etc.
Markers for aerial targets by aircraft types and kinds:
- Air defense aircraft (light)
- Air defense aircraft (heavy)
- Attack Flight bomber
- Fighter
- Multirole fighter
- Heavy fighter
- Attack aircraft
- Bomber
When approaching aerial targets, the markers start to show additional information: durability indicator, aircraft model, effective firing range indicator, etc.
Markers for ground targets:
- Small ground target
- Medium ground target
- Large ground target
- An installation for repairing in the airbase
- AA gun
When an aircraft is reaching its effective firing range, the compound parts of a ground target start to be displayed. To destroy a ground target, it is necessary to destroy all of its compound parts. AA guns can be suppressed without destroying a ground target completely.
Statistics Panel in Battle
When holding the Tab key, a panel with the battle information is displayed. The information includes team players' performance, a tactical map of the operation area, information about aircraft type-specific missions for the aircraft the player is flying, and the progress of the mission.
Graphics
Flight
The in-game camera has been completely redesigned. It is now more useful in conveying the state of an aircraft in battle. Moreover, it allows players to concentrate fully on their in-game situation.
Aircraft now move freely to the sides of the screen when performing turns, making maneuvering, and picking and tracking targets, and aiming in dogfights, significantly easier.
The camera moves back from the aircraft model when accelerating and provides a greater field of view.
Additionally, a large number of visual effects to improve the flight experience have been added.
Shooting
The visual effects that accompany shooting and hitting targets have been significantly changed. Critical damage and the destruction of enemy aircraft has become much more noticeable.
Now, when shooting a target, discerning whether it was hit or not is easier, which facilitates more accurate aiming.
Sustaining damage
Several visual effects have been added to convey information on such events as sustained damage to aircraft, critical damage, severe damage, etc. Now there is no need to constantly keep track of the HP meter—the screen itself shows the current state of a player’s aircraft.
Spectator mode
Upon destruction of a player's aircraft the camera will now switch to the enemy aircraft that had shot it down. It will allow better opportunities to analyze your tactical errors and coordinate with a team in battle.
The cinematic observer camera mode has been significantly changed. It now uses numerous new dynamic camera angles, as well and graphical effects that make this mode truly resemblant of a movie.
Maps
8 maps have been heavily modified for the Conquest game mode. Various areas of operations have been created based on them, which include different combinations and locations of key territories.
Maps and areas of operations:
- Old Fortress;
- Sea Gate;
- Scorching Sands;
- Archipelago;
- Asian Border;
- Plateau;
- Alpine Gambit;
- Northern Bridgehead;
- Polaris.