As mentioned recently, we’re reinforcing our commitment to bringing Tech Trees up to speed with the game as it stands today. In 9.17.1, this includes smoothing the progression to the top tiers of the German, Japanese, and American lines in particular, plus tackling some balance issues and introducing several all-new tanks.

We’ve kept a watchful eye on battle stats and will introduce a series of tweaks to punch up underperforming vehicles and prevent their more powerful counterparts from upsetting overall balance:

We’re continuing to incorporate useful elements from your favorite third-party modifications. This time, the battle UI is getting a detailed "received damage" log. This includes ribbons for the damage amounts, shell type, critical hits, and the name and type of the vehicle that hit you. Conversely, we’ll remove ribbons that aren’t as useful: machinegun fire ribbons and detailed log messages will only display the total amount of damage caused by a series of shots.

Finally, 9.17.1 will introduce a new setting for adjusting the width of the dynamic damage indicators, signaling how much damage you receive or block. These additions will make it easier to evaluate ever-changing combat situations and quickly adjust your battle plan.

We heard your requests to expand the list of comparable stats, and we're pleased to say this is coming with 9.17.1. Soon, you can examine vehicles' mounted equipment, Crew Skills/Perks, consumables and camo.

With over 500 vehicles to choose from, it’s crucial to get the maximum information on each, whether it’s already in your Garage and you want the full rundown on specs, or you’re thinking about researching or purchasing it. In 9.17.1, we’ll build on the simple tech characteristics display to make it more informative. One-time cost equipment that affects combat performance (e.g., Binocular Telescope and Camouflage Net) will display their familiar icons. On top of that, you’ll see how much of a bonus they give you in solid numbers.

Also following your requests, we’ll be replacing the "Standard Shell Penetration" and "Standard Shell Damage" ranges with an average number for each, shown in the Garage and Vehicle Preview Mode. If you prefer the current range displays, they will still be shown in a tooltip.

Finally, you’ll be given more details when choosing ammo types. The default type will be marked in a tooltip on the shell. And you can see it compared to others, right in the tooltip, which will make it a lot easier to choose the most useful shell for the job.

A brand-new, simpler “Offensive” format will replace Battles for Strongholds. It differs from the old format in a few ways:

• Defeat doesn’t end in structures being pillaged. The winner’s earnings will depend directly on the level of their Stronghold
• You don’t need to defend a Stronghold every day. It’s up to a Clan to decide whether to engage in “Attacks” or not
• Matching is automated, so it’s impossible to choose a certain Clan to attack

Also, you’ll notice a new option for Skirmishes. When creating a detachment, you can open it for others to join, similar to Team Battles and Tank Companies. Whether you're new and want to try Skirmishes, or fought in a few as a legionnaire or volunteer, just browse through the list of available detachments in a special screen and choose.

If you love to go all unconventional with game sounds, it's time to celebrate! Starting in 9.17.1, audio files will be available to modders, while those using third-party voiceovers or sound packs can personalize their experience by tweaking almost every in-game sound.

Deeper under the hood, 9.17.1 also marks the transition to Wwise 2016.2.

Finally, a new bunch of maps get remastered minimap art: Training Area, Overlord, Stalingrad, Sacred Valley, and Fiery Salient.