Closed test results: Support Carriers (Stun Bombs Abandoned)
Here are the results of our Support aircraft carriers concept test.
Last week WG announced the beginning of concept testing for support aircraft carriers equipped with stun bombs and special consumables. Now WG are ready to share a summary of our first experience testing these new mechanics.
Stun Bombs
The main purpose of these new squadrons in the initial concept was to help allies damage enemy ships with fires and floods, as well as to block enemy consumable uses.
The base idea of an armament that allows you to help your allies deal damage while simultaneously having that damage reflected into your own stats was liked by the test participants. However, many players found the mechanics of stun bombs to be unsuitable for our game, which was further confirmed by the actual test results.
The main problems with stun bombs were their excessive effectiveness in combat against low-mobility targets, as well as the lack of any mechanisms to counteract the effects of these bombs. This made battles where players were up against stun bombers an unpleasant experience for most.
Taking into account both the test results and your feedback, WG decided to abandon the current stun bomb design and begin developing alternative mechanics and interactions for support aircraft carrier squadrons.
Smoke Generator and Chaff consumables
The support consumables received mostly positive feedback as they proved to be effective tactical tools and greatly increased carrier interaction with other ships on the same team.
However, the current concept of the new consumables is still quite unpolished and will require further tweaking and improvements before they can appear in the live version of the game.
For now, support aircraft carriers will return to the drawing board, where we will continue to improve their mechanics, as well as look for new ideas for their squadrons and consumables. We'll keep you updated on the development process and share more details as they become available.
March 24, 2022
- Stun bombs deal little to no damage on impact and have a very low chance of setting fires.
- When they hit an enemy ship, Stun bombs will temporarily block the use of certain consumables by said ship, such as Damage Control Party, Defensive AA Fire, or Smoke Generator.
- The amount of time the consumables are disabled depends on the number of bombs that hit — ranging from just a few seconds if only one bomb hits, to several minutes in the rare case where all bombs in the drop land on target.
- Fire and flood damage done to a ship while under the effect of Stun bombs, regardless of which ship caused the status effect, will also count as damage done in the statistics of the Support carrier player.
- These Support squadrons are also equipped with special consumables to protect allied ships:
- An aerial smoke screen can be deployed, which works similarly to the Smoke Generator consumable present on some surface ships.
- Chaff can be dropped to hinder or nullify the effects of a Surveillance Radar consumable use. If any ship enters a Chaffed area with the Surveillance Radar consumable already active, the Radar will immediately stop working and begin its cooldown phase. If ship is inside the Chaffed area when an enemy Surveillance Radar is activated, it will take longer than usual for it to become fully visible to the rest of the Radar ship’s team.
