World of tanks is a dynamic complex online multiplayer game, that's changing regularly. The (provider) Wargaming is sending out updates of some kind regularly, besides the weekly resetting updates.
One of the later in-game features, meeting a new player, once the account is created, is a feature called "The Bootcamp"
This feature, instructs you as a new player on the most basic gaming mechanics.
This picture, is what will meet you, once you have created an account in World of tanks today. There isn't one player, of later dates, not getting through the bootcamp, (unless they go the illegal way, but then, their own fault!)
The botten is highlighted in the buttom of the screen, click on that.
No panic, just read what is written on the screens.
Some of those tips and advice even come from a previous guiding system. Those show you that turning your mouse from side to side to side, turns the turret of the vehicle. In the earlier, the first thing you were to do, was to turn the turret to an abulance at one side of you, and an armored vehicle to the other. Here, you are just to turn the turret in one direction; to one of the sides.
You have now got in on a map, called Airfield, and got an M4A1 Sherman Jumbo to drive in. Those American tanks have a gun that is well doing, with HE-shells. It is a bit much of information, for a player, just having started a new account, but more an introduction information, which you as player, will know more about later.
Nice! Mission complete. On to the next
How do I do that, you might ask? Well, by the help of these four keys. And those, are very good to keep in mind, because they are most common across games. (You can't jump in all games, but in those you can, it's the spacebar)
Frequently, during this set of tutorials, an arrow like this will appear on the map. When those shows up, you are to get your tank towards that position.
Now you have got to the location. Next step is to aim, like the tip says, on an enemy vehicle an fire. Which is done on the left mouse-button.
Point the gun on the target, and click.
BOOM!
Here in the lower tiers, the vehicles themselves are rather big weakspots, with paper thin armor. So as long as you just fire in the general direction of the red marked target, you're not doing much wrong.
First target's down, next one is very soon on his way to follow his fallen allied.
No worries. Those are just filling out bots. Not one of them will do things real players could dare be doing to you. Just focus on shooting the targets, you get some hits, your allies, (though just bots) get some hits in, and together, you bring the opponent down.
There. Second is down. Now, the third. The light tank out on the flank, begins to get scaringly close. Let's go for him.
First shot went in. The HE-shells, are dealing quite an amount of damage, though they don't even penetrate. HE stands for High Explossive. They explode, on the first hitting object they reach. And the splash damage, is enough to damage modules or injuring crewmembers.
And down he is. When you grow better at the game, you will be learning what to look for, in order to do a proper target priority, (which is a sort of a self-esteemed ranking of the opponents, made in your head, depending on which one is the biggest thread. To you, your artillery, your allies or your base) but as mentioned; all that, will come later.
You can enter what is called ”sniper-mode” in order to increase your chance of hitting your opponents. You can either do that, by the scroll of the mouse-wheel, if such exists on your mouse, or you can use your Shift-keys, either just below the big Enter-key on the right, in the left side of your keys, just above your left ”Ctrl”-key, and below the Caps Lock-key.
Well done. First battle of the Boot Camp-training process, is won.
This screenpicture, is the Bootcamp-result screen. A result screen picture after a real battle in this game, does look a bit different, and the details will be went through later on. But on this screenpicture, you will see, -as the name says, the result of the battle, your rewards and your physical and potential active performance in the battle.
This battle, has ended in a victory. The battle is won. There are two other outcomes of a real battle. It can end in a draw, where no one wins OR loses, or it can end in a defeat, where the other team, you have fought against, then have won.
On here we can see that there is a vehicle covered by a big sort of plast cover thing, (sry tank-enthusiats, for not using better and more specific terms) and there is a circle with some tanks in it. By first look, it might be looking like one tank flying. But it is one tank in the front, and one on each side of it.
Below are three symbols so far. The first, with the number of 4 under it, tells that we have destroyed 4 enemy vehicles. The next, symbol is resembling a reticle. That number, being below here, tells the amount of damage we have dealt. 1309 hitpoints of damage. You don't have to deal that much, when you enter the first time. As long as you have managed to deal some hitpoints of damage, have survived and won, you get to move on.
The third symbol, is a shield. That tells us the amount of damage that has been blocked by our vehicle's armor. Here, we haven't blocked a single point. The low tiered vehicles are as mentioned big weakspots on tracks. So aspects on weakspots isn't most important to begin with. That knowledge comes in handy later.
At this stage, we hear: ”Lesson 1. Recieving a new vehicle.” Since we started with the Sherman Jumbo, our next vehicle is also American. But we have the chance and option to ”Change” our ”reward”, by clicking on the little grey botton below the blue text.
Doing that, and we get to this screen picture. That shows us, three options of nations to chose. The US, the Germans and the U.S.S.R. The highlighted shown picture is of the first choice reward. We get this vehicle if we don't chose to change it.
Most of the American vehicles have the benefit of what is called gundepression. That is an aspect, which means you can hold on a sloped ground, and your gun can still be pointing straight at the enemy above the top of the hill slope, depending on how steep the ground is. The American artillery have a high rate of splash damage. Which means that if you're beeing close to a target, and an American arty on your team is landing a shell on that target, you will most likely also take some damage. Not necessarily because the arty wanted to shoot you in the first place, but because you were too close to the target.
Now, Germany is highlighted. This game is purely a game with tanks. So playing the different tanks doesn't have to relate to any view, that was represented during WW2. Though the Germans at that time, had a, what in the eyes of most of the rest of the world was a wrong view on people, they had a great insight of the construction of vehicles. The low tiers again, not too much to feel of each nation's strength, but the higher you grow in tiers, the more you get a feeling. The German tanks and general vehicles have the common benefit of a relatively good accuracy. The heavies does have a in the higher tiers at least, stronger and well angled armor. Meeting those vehicles later, and you'll learn what you are to deal with and how you deal with it.
The third option is the Soviet tanks. In the higher tiers, you are having a great introduction to some of the other aspects related to drive different types of vehicles, because the tanks have angled, sloped and spaced armor. But no reason to rush through the tiers, just to get to have those benefits. The more you learn in the lower tiers, the better you'll get in the higher ones.
Here, we chose the Soviet reward vehicle. Click the grey botton, and move on.
Our vehicle is now chosen and we are asked and requested to inspect it. Like the little animation will show you, click and hold down the left mouse botton, and move it to turn the camara in the game around the new vehicle.
Great. The vehicle is inspected, and seen properly from all angles. You are now ready to next part of the bootcamp-guide
The battle-botton now gets highlighted again. Click here, to get to the next battle.
While the next battle gets loaded, let's with these small icons and symbols, repeat, what we already know from now on:
Move the tank around on the keys W, S, A and D, turn the turret by moving the mouse to the sides, and fire the gun, by clicking on the left mouse botton.
Now that we have got that clear, let's click the battle botton, and enter the next battle.
This map, is called Abbey. In the real random battle, can this map, be rather tricky. When moving, where you get instructed to, in this battle, you can risk that tankdestroyers of the other team is "parked" and ready and waiting to shoot at whoever would come this way. The 1-2 line, have most the times been the heavies and other high tier vehicles have went here, to meet and fight the heavies from the other team. The plateau in the middle of this cliif-thing, going north-south does also give a position to shoot on enemy tanks in the Abbey in the middle. If those enemy tanks didn't already understood the art of taking cover in positions behind the houses, away from your gun.
Some tanks does also in the "real" random battles cover the water-line in 9-0 line, in the other side of the map. A minor plateau around the middle gives a decent spotting position, and you have better access from the waterside, than the Abbey-side. Some places, you can cross the water and get out to the islands in the outer side of the map, if that's needed. But be careful. You are pretty vulnerable in this position, and should ou be the last left on your team, you don't have many other places to get away to.
The battle, is about to start. This, the little box is pointing on the green bar, is marking that this, is your HP-bar. It's here you can see how much or little health you have left. Full health, is green. One shot, and your health bar becomes yellow, while half to nearly one, maybe two shots left of your helth, is orange. If you have less than 100 hitpoints left, then the bar will become red. If you achieve this low amount of health, a ramming or a splash from an HE-shell, will be enough to take you down.
Ok. The battle has begun. Along with some of your, in this case, bot-allies, you move forward, towards the edge of the little plateau you and your team have spawned on. Notice this. Later on, you will get to tanks with a feature called gundepression. That could be the ARL 44, in the French techtree, or a few of the American Heavy tanks. Gundepression means that you can have your tank standing on a slightly sloped ground, and your gun would still be able to point straight ahead on the enemy tanks. With luck, you can make the incoming fire bounce on your angled front or the turret-front's thick armor (incase of the American heavy tanks)
A bit closer to the edge, the first two enemy tanks will spawn and appear, as if they have managed to go up the water-road. As you get higher in tiers and more experinced, you and your team will get to see if opponents, approaches the base, before they get as close as those two bot-enemytanks have done. Along with your allies, you are now to shoot those first two bot enemies down, before you get to move any further.
Even before the above run-through boot-camp guide, you are of course you visit the website for world of tanks, where you download the game, suiting your Operative system.
Once you've completed the "Bootcamp"-feature, you'll find yourself in the garage. Here you find your tier one tanks, and hopefully, even before went to your first real random battle, you have got an idea from the bootcamp, how to manouvre around the map, in the heat of the battle. Same mechanics, as last battle on the Mines map in the Bootcamp, except in random battles, you have the full size of the map available. Use the lower tiers to if possible getting a look around on the map, fire your gun on those tanks marked with red(in colorblind mode, purple). Those, are your opponents.
In the garage, you will have tier one vehicle from each nation. U.S.S.R, Germany, USA, France, UK, China, Japan, Sweden, Italy and Poland, are the latest so far nations, you can choose to grind up.
This picture is from a forum-site on wargaming's website. To get out onto the battlefield, it's simple. Move your cursor/mouse on to the big red botton in the top-middle of the screen that says "Battle" and you're on your way to your first battle.
All tanks are lights.
To really get started, you have to enter the battlefield. In each battle you earn experience points, xp, and an amount of credits. These credits are only usable in the game, they are not to digtitally transfer anywhere else.
But how to control your tank?
Well, you do that by the keys in the left side of your keyboard.
W-forwards. To get over longer distances, the key's kept down.
S-backwards. The reverse-gear's on this key.
A-the left.
The tank turns to the left. To make a turn to the left, W and A is kept down at the same time. The A-key's released, once the manouver's made. Going backwards, it's opposite to make the same manouver. -It still makes some problems to me, as slight experienced player.
D-the right.
The tank turns to the right. Making a right-side turn, keep W and D keys down at the same time and release the D-key, once the manouver's made.
KEEP YOUR FINGERS FROM THE MOUSEBOTTONS
When I started playing World of tanks, I was used to World of Warcraft, which I have played over the past few years. And from that game, I was used to another way of moving the character, which is to keep both mousebottons down. That WON'T do in World of tanks.
The left mousebotton, the one that enters menus and checks things in Windows, or the system you are using, is in World of tanks as standard, programmed to fire a shot.
The right mousebotton, is programmed to lock the gun, either on a specific target, or just lock the gun-barrel, so you can be able to turn your tank around a bit faster.
Other keys, menus and functions
There are yet more keys and functions to know about, as a player of World of tanks.
One thing, is that you can make your tank roll slowly forwards. To do that, you press down the R-key, on the battlefield. (Unless you see a big timer on your screen, counting down. If that's the case, your tank won't go anywhere)
The same way you can go backwards with your tank. Here it's F, that's the key.
1xR-the tank goes forwards in the speed of 5km/h
1xF-the tank goes backwards in the speed of 5km/h
Rolling with a speed of only 5km/h requires some patience, but it will keep you undetected longer, than if you were moving normally on W/S
Still more functions.
SHIFT- (Bold arrows pointing upwards, above the "Ctrl" keys in both sides of the keyboard) is used to enter the aimingview. Now you can aim in the best possible way on a certain enemy, being closeby. To identify whether a tank is enemy or ally, see the silhouet. Red means "enemy"
TAB
Pressing this key down on the battlefield gives you a list of the teams, it tells you the name of the map, and if you have a modpack installed, you as well can see the percentage of the chances your team has to win. (Don't take this percentage too seriously anyway. What really matters, is the team's skills working together as the team they are). It's on this list also, you will find what kind of battle you have. we return to battletypes and modpacks later on.
Now, we return to the letter-keys. There are more functions on other keys, than just moving around and controling your tank.
E-unlocks the gunbarrel. Higher on this site, you read that right mousebotton locks the gun on a certain target. To remove the gun, from the target, you can press the E-key, unlock the barrel from a target, and choose a new one.
C-reloads the gun, with the standard settings. As you get higher and perhaps learn to drive autoloader-guns, you won't go wrong, by remembering this key. Most players of tanks with autoloader-guns, uses this key when they reload the gun. (Unless they have changed the settings to options that fits them better.)
T-marks a certain enemy target. depending on if you play light, mediums, heavies and tankdestroyers, or playing artillery, it's a different message that comes in the battlechat, when you press this key. The act is called a t-mark, and from lights, mediums, heavies and tankdestroyers, it sends out the message: "Requesting fire at....", when arillery marks enemy targets, the message goes: "Attacking..."
If you have artillery on your team, the players would be grateful, if you as teammates could take the tracks out on enemy tanks, in the reach of the artillery fire, and keep the enemies lit up, long enough for the artillery to fire on it.
Z-quick info-menu
This key shows some chatcommandos and messages around the tank, while being on the battlefield.
While we're on the chat-functions, here comes the most basic and important ones.
F5- "Affermative"
F6- "Negative"
F7- "Help"
F8- "loading" (...seconds left)/"Ready to fire"
Later on, you might will meet to many enemies, compare to what you can handle. Here's the function-key of F7 a good key to know, but don't over -or misuse it. You can try call for help on the F7-key, on the minimap your tank will now be shown to your teammates, with a green ring, and the letters "SOS". But it's not sure, your teammates, can rush to your resque just because you call.
As the part of a team you are, when driving random battles, it is recommanded though, that you keep an eye on your minimap. Does your teammates need assistance? Does enemies rushing uncovered flanks? All such stuff, is a part of playing for the victory, which all of you, do together.
As player I rarely follows players calling for help, when the battle begins. Neither players asking me to follow them, when the battle-begins. This is what I would call a misuse of the chat-functions.
You can use it, when you get higher, and only you and a teammate are left together, and your enemy requires fire from both of you, but I won't recommand to use it, in the beginning of a battle.
The function-key, F5-"affermative", can be used to respond an emergancy call. If you chooses to do it, then you have to go there. If you can't, use then the function key, F6-"Negative"
For the "Affermative" message, the checkmark comes on your tank, for a short while, if you refuse with F6-"Negative", it's shown on the minimap as a green circle with a / through it.
Remember that you are 15 tanks out there. Your common goal as a team is to play for the victory. It gives more xp, for a victory, than for a defeat. And to be honest, the game is a lot more fun, when you win.