World of Warships - Quarterly Review: First Quarter 2023
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- čas přidán 5. 07. 2024
- The latest in our recurring series of quarterly reviews of the state of World of Warships: what's gone on in the previous 3 months, as well as a look at how each server is faring population-wise in relation to each other and to historical numbers.
00:00 - Opening
00:08 - Intro
01:23 - Update 0.12.0
04:42 - Update 0.12.1
09:42 - Update 0.12.2
13:06 - Server Populations
World of Warships API Statistics - stats.wotapi.ru/stats/wows/na...
Quarterly Review, Fourth Quarter 2022 - • World of Warships - Qu...
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Played daily on the ASIA server since late 2020. Skipped the occasional period (hospital, tired, etc.). Play exclusively in Co-Op to grind all the tech tree lines. Once done, will return to Random and Ranked. Lately, in the past three months or so, noticing a lot of players just sailing from spawn to map end and not contributing to match play apart from self-preservation. Growing blacklist of these credit-farmers. When they show up, I steer clear of them and try to co-op play with others who will participate. Thanks for this video. Nice to see the state of the game from someone heavily involved in the game.
I hate it when I'm desperately trying to get map control while the rest of my team is just at the edge of the map farming at the edge of their range
@@thelogicmatrix I try to put that frustration aside and concentrate on playing my own game to an optimal or better level. Not always possible because I'm just average. It does make for some humorous moments in-game. But, yeah, the frustration is real and can put a downer at times. But there's always the next game. Hope springs eternal, so they say.
Thanks SeaRaptor. Your videos are always informational and entertaining. I really like that you summarize the changes introduced during the updates. Keep up it up!
Thank you for taking the time to produce these videos. I really like them.
Glad you like them!
Thanks for these! I love seeing the data. I can't wait to see the more current data and how preception (the game is dieing) versus relatility! One thing for me is that I log into the game almost daily, but I almost never play a match, maybe 1 or 2 a month.
Thanks SeaRaptor for this video series o7 I appreciate your work on this 🙌 (Feedback at end, spicy thought at the end for consideration).
Concerning tokens and early access. (1) Tokens: I do not remember EVER having so many tokens in the game especially compared to last summer. The NA clan I am a part of this does come up periodically in our discord server as we simply can't keep up and the common phrase I would paraphrase as being, "Sheesh! Another temporary event with more tokens! How many do we have now in the armory?" Generally they are getting at the monetization which has just seemed rather "greedy" in forcing so much content down our throats in the form of tokens in temporary events as being another way to get money from the player base. It is a bit sickening to me personally and the reaction it has had on me is being less willing to spend money on the game. Granted, the CC Exodus/treatment of LWM and Chobitsu led me to begin closing my wallet as I have hardly spent any money on the game over the last year (less than a $100 as that was primarily for a 1,000 subscriber giveaway). I notice this talk of monetization in being critical of it much more on the NA server than I do on the EU server with the clan I am with there. It could be a bit of a cultural and societal thing perhaps in the U.S. because I get a sentiment even outside of the game that "people are fed up." I do not know on that thought with certainty, but it makes me curious.
(2) Early Access: Yes this has been another issue and topic of discussion in my NA clan because it seems so unnecessary to pump out so many new ship lines in early access. Several of us are regularly confused at times if a certain ship line is out of early access now or if it is available to grind. Particularly during the first quarter because of the overlap. For myself in playing the game almost 3 years now, I still do not have all the ship lines in various tech trees so I feel a bit of a pressure to grind more lines in every 1-2 month cycle to be ahead of all the new ship lines coming into the game.
Spicy Thought: Now, I am also a WoWs Content Creator and I have been paying attention to some talk in the EU in restriction of loot boxes, gambling and "digital coins." I am planning to do a video on this at some point. However, I have been aware of this more so because I live in Norway and have for the last few years since moving from the U.S. There is talk if there are changes and more regulation through this goes through it would probably take place sometime in 2024. Here is my spicy thought/tin foil hat moment: I would like to believe WG is very much aware of this (would be shocked if they didn't) and have concerns in how this could impact their game financially in the future. There is nothing per say concrete of what would be implemented in such future regulations, but if the ways you as a gaming company are potentially going to be increasingly regulated and limited on how you are able to sell digital content in your game... does it not make sense to get as much money now as soon as possible out of your customers before any type of regulation comes into practice that will greatly restrict loot boxes, gambling mechanics (random bundles) and "digital coins" in your game? 🤔
An example from one article in July on this: "The Dutch said an area of concern was increasing digital coins usage for paying in an app or in videogames, with children as the most vulnerable to this practice. "When a consumer makes a lot of purchases consecutively, it is difficult for them to maintain oversight of the total amount of money they have spent in the game," said the paper shared with the Commission and other EU countries on Wednesday.
"This is exacerbated by the fact that software developers can change the value of digital coins and can offer different digital items in one app." - U.S. News & World Report
Now I know Norway has been a bit heavily invested in facilitating this conversation. My main thought is this regarding the spicy thought: I believe we are seeing an increased amount of tokens in the game via temporary events and such because WG is wanting to make as much profit as possible before any potential regulations and laws come into place in 2024. Perhaps a rather tin foil hat observation, but I do not believe it is out of the question by any means. Especially when majority of companies in this industry are always prioritizing how to earn more profit in attending conferences and workshops on how to earn/increase profit from your player base. I am sure there are these types of ongoing conversations by the entities that are aware of this in wanting to be ahead of the curve in finding new solutions in ways to monetize games if these regulations were to go through. To not think ahead would be a rather economic blunder and fail for a company like WG not to be aware of. Perhaps other factors are at play in this as well for the increased tokens, but not easy to tell from the outside.
Wow, much longer comment (essay) than I intended to write 😂🙈
Best Regards,
FLT
This is a really good conversation, and one that we don't have a lot of visibility on from this side of the Atlantic. I know the... Belgians, I think... came out with some fairly strenuous regulations about the loot boxes recently, and I know WG was well aware of them and on top of adapting to it (there was a somewhat lengthy conversation on the CC Discord about this when it occurred). It's possible that they are pushing out a lot of content using their current model for early release and such in an effort to get as much of it out the door before any new regulations come down the pipe; they also might have plans to split such events so that they happen differently on EU than on NA/Asia. If that is the case, I think it would potentially do them even MORE harm with their existing player base in terms of good will.
@@SeaRaptor For sure, I need to do some more research and look into this again as the last time I read up on it well was earlier in the year. Not sure what all has elapsed in the last 6 months since my looking into it, but I at least see conversations of implementing regulations is still ongoing. Yeah Belgium and I think maybe there is one other country where they cannot push out all the random bundles/loot boxes and other things as you already know. Yeah that is a good point, would be interesting to see what differences could incur between EU and the NA/Asia servers. Yes I would think so as well especially if they are going to focus on monetizing more out of NA and Asia if they are able to do as much with EU soon next year as an example. I would like to think players can only stomach so much long term, however newer players will not know or notice this difference so much at first, but I am sure will pick up on it as time goes on.
Best Regards,
FLT
Double thumbs up for the improved rewards for Spotting Assist Damage!! My DD games have always been toward the Passive side and because of this change, my low damage, high Spotting Assist games are more fruitful.
Like most NA players, I too ignore all the different tokens now... I cant keep up! So, I just play "Shooty Botes" and forget all the other crap.
This is kind of where I've finally landed. I just log in and play, and occasionally look over and see what I can spend whatever the token(s) of the month on.
I haven't played a match in WoWs in several months. The reason are numerous but mostly Disgust from WGs actions and burn out from dealing with the BS of WGs actions.
Really wish they put EU and NA together I want to play with my euro friends and because of the stupid server shit I can’t
It is not 'many things' and it is mostly submarines. The monetization stuff is much more recent than what this graph is really showing and people would just pay less rather than stop logging in/playing if that was the problem. It is balance and gameplay issues that stop people from logging in/playing almost completely that causes such drops.
I would disagree. The overly-aggressive monetization issue has been highlighted by many players/commenters since before submarines even entered the testing phase. The "research bureau" is the modified form of what was originally sold to the community as the "naval training center" in mid-2019 and has always been about extracting resources out of the economy.
@@SeaRaptor But even your own data in this video rather clearly suggests otherwise.
This being the worst Q1 on record right after sub release and the clear drop/absence of any holiday bump in player numbers at all for the first time ever follow in the immediate wake of sub release very strongly suggests subs are the prime mover here. In fact to pretend it isn't almost seems completely disingenuous almost as if you were at pains to follow WG's agenda on the matter who clearly don't want to admit subs are a massive problem.
The recent surge in complaints about monetization weren't there months ago and were never what was at the top of the official forums or reddit posts for months during Q1 this data is mostly about. Subs were. And still are really on reddit and would be on the official forums if not shut down to hide it by WeeGee.
Again, it simply does not make sense people would stop playing in response to monetization issues especially veteran players who mostly have all the stuff they really want anyway. (and other data suggests it is in fact the veteran player who are leaving at higher rates than ever before and likely driving the player decline) Ancedotally so many people have noted the quality of play has been in decline since subs released even if they aren't trying it to subs causing the veteran players to leave. Gameplay and balance issues are what drive people to want to stop playing altogether much more consistently especially long time players who have much less need to buy stuff after years of accumulation anyway. Yet they are the ones leaving.
Probably the majority of people just don't pay any notable amounts anyway and are free to play anyway. You could just still enjoy the game without paying them anything. What is more, that the increased monetization is likely just a symptom of players leaving/paying less because of subs.
Is it mere coincidence after the game existing 8 years its just now after sub release they dial up the greed to a whole new level or is it more likely they are trying to make up for lost revenue from lost players? It just seems very odd to pretend that all this stuff that happens in the wake of subs, worst Q1 ever, first time no holiday player bump, and a massive uptick in WeeGee greed are not related to subs which are simply the biggest change in the gameplay ever in the game's history really. And a change for the much much worse.
@@SeaRaptor More broadly; how does anyone contest subs are not broken? DDs have torp spread, have to deal with radar, CV spotting, even hydro spots them from twice as far at a minimum from subs, yet subs often have more DPM torp damage and don't have to deal with any of that stopping them from torping a ship with 6/6 torps at 3 kms with a 30 second reload for the next one...
Like WHY does Radar and CV spotting and DD torpedo spread exist at all if the subs doesn't have to deal ANYTHING like that to be able to torp from even closer more broken range?
A sub is a paulo emilio that is 10kts slower but cannot be spotted by radar, can only be spotted at 2kms or so by hydro, can't really be spotted by CV, and there isn't even a smoke cloud on the map to show you it is coming, with a 64,500 dmg in a single torp slavo at tier 8, 30 sec reload (I-56), and unlike a Paulo which is constrained by the CD of its exhaust smoke the sub can use its dive at will whenever, proposing if need be, and recharging it whenever not in use. It sounds inherently broken because it is. Homing torps and pings are broken too but in reality subs are SO busted mechanically they can actually be so much deadlier without even using those because their concealment and shotgun ability is broken as all hell. You can't depth charge a sub that doesn't ping.
Even with CVs at least things like AA ships exist; literally NOTHING counters a sub. The only real counter play to a sub that didn't misplay/isolate themselves, ie any sub that isn't an idiot, is to run away ie not play the game.
Agir / Azuma / etc.
...are available for coal now.
Aye, I remember seeing them added back recently.
I think the lack of a bump at Christmas is a bigger deal that I would have liked you to delve deeper into. That's a huge source of revenue for WG, and it serves to generate interest in the game. No bump would seem to indicate that people who have put the game on the back burner aren't interested in coming back, even for all the rewards offered. I took a break last fall but came back for the holiday rewards season and then kept playing, but got tired of the game again after a few months. I haven't played in almost 4 months now, and do not intend to return for the Anniversary Event, Black Friday, or Santa Crates.
For future reference, what would have constituted "delve deeper" in your mind?
@@SeaRaptor I'm mostly looking for your thoughts on the lack of a bump. Why do you think there wasn't a bump this year? What does that really mean for WarGaming? Is it a big deal, or not really? I have my ideas, which I briefly mentioned, but you have a much better finger on the pulse of WOWS and have demonstrated a balanced perspective in the past, which lends a lot of credence to your arguments.
@@Gladius-XC Hmm, okay.
I'm honestly not sure why there wasn't a bump. Historically there is. Why wasn't there this year? It's tough to say. Probably some if it is the overall frustration level the veteran player base has with the game. Usually a lot of veterans will log in for extra time over the holidays to be sure they get their crates and what not. Some of it might have been that folks felt the holiday rewards were lackluster, though I genuinely don't remember what they were off the top of my head as I sit here and write this reply. I'm inclined to lean more towards the former. I think the steady population decline on NA and Asia represents a general disgust with the state of the game and the design choices that are being made (and, based somewhat on the replies to this video and the sentiment I've seen in the CC Discord and elsewhere, to a lesser extent the volume of content being pushed out).
I used to play in Asia server but then in back 2020 or 2019 I think Indian players were offered better performance in EU server so please note that most of us Indian players DONT PLAY ASIA SERVERS but Play in EU server as there is special economy for Indian players in EU server and wargaming storngly encourages every Indian player to play in EU server , so we all migrated in EU with all our ships but the account in ASIA is also there but I don't really play it
I think match maker is more or less guttered in asia, recently games in t7-9 have been horrible as basically since we arent getting too many new players, there is no bulk of "middle" level players, which has resulted in many games where you get like one/two t8 ship on each team, when the rest of the team is t10
Its just been really sucky and its not fun to consistently get up tiered every single game.
Appreciate the info. Looking at the average population numbers, Asia *should* be suffering some of the same MM problems we are having here on NA. I was curious if it was the case.
Before I used to look forward to new ships, camos, captains etc... But now days they spam new things in a crazy rate, it's hard to keep up and It make the game experience more stressful. I have more and more lost intresse in the game . It's also decrease the value of what you play for due to that will be a new shiny thing next week that is basically the same thing.
The issue with population stagnation is basically a rejection of WG's core monetization strategy, I think.
The ever increasing grind, the ever reducing rewards, the ever increasing pain applied if you don't play to WG's preferred events and meta...makes the game less fun.
...and when the game is less fun, people find other games.
I dunno Raptor. Don't take this personal but you seem to have this weird need to put a positive spin on certain things where there is otherwise pretty much unanimous consensus about bad shit, and submarines are among that shit. I know they've made ME take 2 long breaks, and I also know of quite a few other players. You are of course correct that it was not exclusively subs, but they absolutely, more than anything else, showed how WG does not give a fuck about what players think and want. Subs are the straw that broke the camel's back for a lot of players who otherwise would not have left, or not taken long breaks.
I am not happy with seeing players leave, but I do think WG deserve it. I don't suffer from fatigue (just yet) but a few days ago I had back to back games with 2 CV's and 2 subs. Fully 1/3 of the enemy team I don't get to shoot at but who do get to shoot at me. I am just there to serve as a pinata for THEIR entertainment. THAT will make me quit for the night, and make me choose another game the first few times I'm thinking about Ships again.
Otherwise a great video. I totally agree with the crazy monetization schemes, it's getting ridiculous.
I hope the next video in this series won't be in 2024! 😄👍
Valid criticism is valid; I try to stay positive, but doing these videos makes it tough. There's not a lot of positive to talk about, and the player base is reacting pretty demonstrably to the decisions WG has made. It probably feels like I have a "positive spin" simply because I don't have a negative one. Ultimately, the success or failure of Warships doesn't impact me. It doesn't pay my bills. It's a fun hobby, but I have other games I play and other things I would enjoy doing with my YT and Twitch channels (which remain a hobby and not my primary source of income).
Ultimately, what you said is 100% correct: WG has to live with consequences of their own decisions. I no longer believe that the server populations of NA - and, based on some of the comments below - or Asia are healthy with the current MM algorithm, and that's a result of years of WG decisions, IMHO. I'll talk more about that in the 2Q23 video, where I think it's MUCH more evident.
@@SeaRaptor Can't wait to see it. I may not have made this clear but these videos are unique and valuable.
The success of WG does impact me. If it's up to me I'm in this game for the long haul, there's really only one other game I play. So to me it would suck if they went out of business, and yeah, I have a bit of money in it as well but it's really the uniqueness of the game I would sorely miss.
Understandable in what you are saying Dany in what we discuss on my channel as well.
However for myself, I appreciate that SeaRaptor does not "foam at the mouth" in rage or immense criticism of WG (because its not worth it) or the decisions being implemented into the game. Because honestly I do not think it is needed and SeaRaptor gets the points across rather clearly in just looking at the facts and what information he gathers from the community such as the CCs. Again, for myself that has been one of the redeeming qualities that draws me to the content here (specifically for this video series) because honestly I hear enough constant negativity from others that makes me appreciate a sense of a "positive spin" as you say. Perhaps just one of SeaRaptors real life character qualities 🤔🙌 And I know you know Dany that I am not a WG fan by any means because of their decisions over the last year with monetization and poor implementation of certain mechanics in the game 💀
Simply put, for me in just listening and wanting to get at the facts and a clear presentation that more or less leaves us as the viewer to form our own opinion positive or negative. Granted this year is a lot of negative conclusions in what I gather from the majority of the community based on WG's decisions and consistently terrible Public Relations. This year in particular, I have never been more concerned about the health of the game as I am now and I do not see a favorable future for the game. i want the game to be healthy, but I do not believe WG is capable of making that happen unless they "implement a massive rework on themselves" 😂
Just wanted to add my thoughts to the mix here o7 Have a good weekend 😄
Best Regards,
FLT
@@FlimsyLunchTray I don't expect anyone to 'foam at the mouth.' I do kind of expect the WoWs 'celebrities' as it were to try and help shape the opinion of the player base, which with the recent Reddit storm has shown it CAN have an impact. I don't expect everyone to be the same, or to be like Flamu, but I get the strong feeling that some WoWs content creators and/or CC's have way more outspoken opinions than they actually express. I would hate for that feeling to be correct, the world already has too many mice in it. scared to express an outspoken opinion, and the ones who do all seem to be on the wrong side of the issue. 😂
You have a good weekend too, in spite of the weekend super potatoes. And thanks for weighing in. 👍
@@dany1441 For sure. Yes I would agree on that in terms of the way more outspoken opinions than they actually express. Especially when WG clamps so much down on it though I know PQ as an example has had discussions with Boggzy on this subject last winter I believe it was 😅
Thanks and Concealed Maneuvers has been the place to be despite weekend warriors, haha.
Best Regards,
FLT
I have been feeling a lot of burnout, but the funny thing is, it's not anything WG has done. I still mostly like WG product, and they are doing things that would make me want to play. My burnout is due to other players. It's the dark side of multiplayer games that has been burning me out. Now I will say that WG has made some recent decisions that really piss me off, as the solution to most of my multiplayer ills are better communication, yet WG is actively making communication more difficult. Honestly, it has all had me playing other things and investing my limited gaming budget in other games.
i think RU players are unfortunately "otherwise engaged"
I doubt that's had a major impact, RU's been on the downslope for like 5 years now.