Battle of Wits and Skill

Formulating Concept

The idea to create a collectible card game (CCG) was conceptualized long before the first prototype of World of Tank Generals emerged. The most peculiar thing about the original concept was that it was a fantasy game with elves and spells and did not include tanks. The initial idea, turned concept, turned prototype might have grown into a fantasy CCG if it hadn’t been for Wargaming VP of Product Vision Slava Makarov who was determined to stay true to Wargaming’s classic WWII setting.

The combination of tank combat and CCG seemed a new, but fascinating concept that we hoped World of Tanks and CCG fans would both enjoy.

Identifying What Works

The game’s concept has seen two major iterations.

The transition from an “elf game” (first concept) to a “WWII game” (second concept) occurred in the early stages of development. The second shift occurred in June 2014 and was a result of in-depth research and several rounds of testing.

The redefined concept proposed that World of Tank Generals would be a meta-game that offers players the opportunity to delve deeper into tank combat strategy in a new one-on-one format, while staying within the World of Tanks gaming universe.

The idea sounded good on paper, but turned out to be extremely challenging to implement. Looking back, creating an accessible user interface was probably the most difficult part.

The collectible card game genre appeals to a very niche audience: elements that were familiar to gamers with vast knowledge of CCGs were complicated to those unfamiliar with the concept. We overlooked this issue at early stages; the majority of testers that applied for Closed Alpha weren’t new to the CCG genre and appreciated the initial UI setup.

The first noticeable problem appeared after we ran a focus test inviting World of Tanks players with no knowledge of the rules and mechanics of collectible card games (Group 1), as well as CCG fans not familiar with World of Tanks (Group 2).

The World of Tanks Generals button was located in the main menu of World of Tanks so all testers could see it. Group 1 (World of Tanks fans) wouldn’t notice it, because the menu was familiar to them and the new element was not an out of the ordinary. Group 2 (CCG fans), on the other hand, noticed it right away.

This led us to redefine the game’s positioning once more.

According to our internal research, the World of Tanks Generals target audience would consist of gamers that play, or used to play World of Tanks.

The idea to use the unified Wargaming.net ID arose from the necessity to register in World of Tanks Generals. We thought that putting the button within the game’s menu would trigger them to try it out, but it didn’t work. So we decided to create a standalone website for World of Tanks Generals separating it from World of Tanks (PC).

The idea of implementing the unified premium account service and integrating the games through shared economical system was rejected as well. It distorted the World of Tanks Generals progression mechanics. There was little sense in earning credits and experience points in CCG while using recourses from World of Tanks (PC) made for much faster progression. Plus, this integration would have prevented us from creating a multi-platform browser game.

The issues concerning the projects’ integration solidified our decision to build a standalone game that would inherit some of the World of Tanks’ elements while offering a whole variety of original features. It was designed in a way that would appeal to both CCG enthusiasts and those unfamiliar with the genre. These points became the core of the third and final game concept.

Making Feedback-Driven Changes

Here’s how the user interface has changed during development:

Initial layout:

The interim variant:

Current version:

Going Beyond CCG Framework

World of Tanks Generals is very different from the other Wargaming projects. There’s no team to back you unlike in World of Tanks, World of Tanks Blitz or World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition. Instead, it requires the player to test their skills in one-on-one duels.

The game doesn’t exactly fit into the classic CCG design either, because it has no boosters (sealed packages of cards, designed to add to a player's collection).

Players have clear understanding as to what card they need next to build a strong deck, and the game offers a specific way of getting it.

As strange as it might sound, World of Tanks Generals rests upon a number of contradictions:

• It fits into our concept of free-to-play online games about legendary military warfare, but there’s no teamplay
• It’s a card game, but it’s not about collecting units. It puts tactics first.

This makes World of Tanks Generals an in-depth experience, because you must think critically before making any move.

There’s a real-life opponent that’s waiting for you to make a mistake, thinks just as hard as you, and, most likely, has a couple of proven tactics up-his-sleeve.

There’s a variety of units with their unique objectives and peculiarities: nations (USSR, Germany and USA) each with a list of unique features each.

• Three types of headquarters (HQs): Assault (firepower), Rear (resource growth), and Consolidated (durability).
• Headquarter: the main card in the deck. Once a player loses their Headquarter, they lose the game.

During alpha testing, Assault HQs were the most popular, as they provide a more dynamic gameplay. However, the experienced players prefer Rear and Consolidated HQs that are more challenging to manage.

• Units featuring five vehicles classes: light, medium and heavy tanks, tank destroyers and self-propelled guns.
• Orders that are similar to spells in classic CCGs.
• Squads that are infantry formation cards that support HQs in combat.

There are three ways to win a battle in World of Tanks Generals:​

• Destroying the enemy’s Headquarter
• Growing recourses to 25 points
• When the opponent runs out of cards to play

In a nutshell, World of Tanks Generals is all about creating a variety of decks each created with a specific tactics in mind and using those wisely in battles.

What’s Next

The game is currently approaching the final stages before moving into Closed Beta testing. Once it goes live on PC browsers, we’ll focus on releasing the mobile version.