Testing new mechanics: twin guns in World of Tanks

Some players may recall the American level 3 LT MTLS-1G14, which was introduced into WoT back in 2011. This tank became the first owner of a twin gun, but in its case, firing was technically easier to implement due to the small caliber, which, in fact, was equated to machine-gun guns with a cassette.

The implementation of the two-gun system has been around for a long time, and now, after a long time, there is finally a hope to see this mechanic in the game. The developers are already developing the gameplay role of tanks with two guns, evaluating their features and options for use in battle.

Historical information

Previously, projects of tanks with twin guns were developed in the USSR:

in 1941, a project of equipment with three T-34-3 guns;
in 1941, the heavy assault tank KV-7, also with three guns;
in 1945, two projects of heavy tanks with two ST-I and ST-II guns were developed.

As a result, none of these projects reached mass production, and some remained only on paper. The reasons for this were the fact that the potential advantage that the use of tanks with twin guns could give was equal to the complexity of the implementation and production of such projects, while they were very expensive.
From a technical point of view, in order to use the second gun, it was necessary to increase the turret and increase the armor volume in order to accommodate one more loader and additional ammunition. And to install a large turret, it was necessary to replace the suspension and chassis in order to increase the carrying capacity of the machine and maintain mobility, and wider tracks to maintain cross-country ability.

In the conditions of the Second World War, such technical designs were an unaffordable luxury, because a lot of equipment was required at the front and it was irrational to spend resources on design innovations with dubious efficiency.

Why is mechanics introduced only now?

Several reasons kept developers from introducing the mechanics of twin guns:

Historical aspect. As mentioned above, two-gun tanks did not reach serial production, remaining only sketches and projects, which makes it difficult to create a high-quality vehicle branch.
Game design. The new vehicles should harmoniously integrate into the game atmosphere so that firing from two guns does not negatively affect the existing mechanics.
Technical implementation. With the introduction of Italian MTs, a mechanism for reloading shells appeared in the game, which now allows you to more functionally configure firing from two guns.

How the twin gun mechanic works

The developers, realizing all the nuances, paid a lot of attention to the creation of the first machine for testing new mechanics. This will be only the first test, and the decision to introduce two-gun mechanics has not yet been finally made. Ahead of us is a suitability test and the reaction of the gaming community will play an important role.

The first prototype will be a tier 8 tank. Previously, it was about ST-2, but it is not suitable for level 8, however, it has every chance to appear in the game in the future.

The new tank will have two cannons of the same caliber and three firing modes:

Cyclical. Standard firing, in which after the first shot one gun goes to the CD, and the sight switches to the second gun.
Consistent. It assumes alternate firing from two guns, i.e. do not wait for a full reload, but after a short delay (like a CD inside a drum) fire the second cannon.
Double shot. The main feature of this mechanic is the double shot. When both guns are ready to fire, a volley can be fired simultaneously. For a shot from two guns, you need to hold down the left mouse button to start preparation (charge), which will take a few seconds.

The double shot has several features:

the process of preparing a shot is displayed in the sight area;
if you release the LMB before the preparation is completed, the charge will be reset and not a single gun will fire;
after firing a doublet, both cannons are blocked, and reloading will begin after a while;
guns are reloaded in turn at the same speed;
the projectiles have the same direction, so they fly in parallel.

There cannot be a situation where one projectile goes up and the second goes down.

Characteristics of shells

Alpha strike and armor penetration will be calculated for each shell individually. Therefore, there is a possibility that one projectile will be "Penetrate", and the second one will simply be "Hit" or "Ricochet". It is also possible to "Unpierce" with two projectiles, or vice versa, both will deal damage, which will be displayed as the sum of two penetrations.

Features of gameplay

The most important thing in a battle on a two-gun tank is to navigate the situation in order to choose the right firing option. Each situation requires an individual approach, so sometimes single shooting will be more effective, and if you need to finish off the enemy, you can already shoot with a doublet. If the enemy inadvertently left, substituting the board, then again it is better to discharge two guns into it at once and hide for the time of reloading.

But still, more often in battle, you will have to resort to cyclical and sequential firing. Shooting with a doublet all the time is not a good idea. A two-gun tank stands out for its versatility, so one of its features should not be abused.

After testing the mechanic, it will be the turn to test new equipment and adjust the performance characteristics. The viability of the concept of twin gun mechanics will be tested to make sure that this technique will find its niche in the "ecosystem" of World of Tanks without violating the existing harmony.