World of Warships | limited ships in Legion wars

In the previous article, we announced our decision to introduce a ship restriction system in Season 14 Team Wars and explained how it affected the game. Now, we would like to talk in detail about how and why we decided to restrict certain ships.

Why were boat restrictions introduced?

The vessel restriction system was originally introduced in version 0.10.1. The purpose was to break the "version of the answer" that had been formed at that time, so that the lineup of The Legionnaires became diverse again.

The formation of the version of the answer in Legion Warfare usually attracts each team to a few ships and a few strategies, which are generally more likely to guarantee victory. This phenomenon can lead to the fact that most of the battles throughout the season are similar. However, there are times when a season doesn't start with a single version of the answer, and we can see two or more different combinations of ship strategies on the battlefield before the player all falls to one single answer. The fact that this formation strategy and the state of uncertainty make union warfare more interesting, so in order to promote this state, we have introduced a ship restriction system, which allows us to decide whether ships are available or unavailable in real time with the version, so that the legions are constantly adapting to new dynamics and adopting creative new ways of playing.

How we use the vessel restriction system

How do we track the formation of the union warfare version of the answer? How can a vessel restriction decision be formed based on this?

Statistics

First, and most importantly, we analyze the statistics of the vessels. This is our main tool for determining what limits to set.

In general, we only start analyzing statistics two weeks after the new season. By this time, we were relatively certain that the version of the answer had been formed, and we began to study the data carefully and make adjustments to specific ships.

Immediately after the official application of the restrictions, we returned to see the new stats. If we see teams reacting by using new tactics and more diverse ships, then we think the restrictions imposed are effective.

Wins and appearances

Winning percentage and appearances are two of the most important statistics we have when making these decisions. Here our logic is relatively simple: if a ship has a high appearance rate and a high winning rate, we will limit it. This applies to almost all Legion Battle Segments. If a vessel has both a high win rate and a high playing percentage in one segment, then we probably won't limit it because it won't significantly affect the big picture of the entire season. However, if this is the case, we will pay close attention to the performance of this ship and will only introduce restrictions if its advantages spread to other segments.

It's important to note that we only consider appearances and win rates: if a ship has an unusually high appearance rate but doesn't have an unusually high win rate, or on the contrary, we don't limit her. Let's look at an example:

Suppose ship A and ship B stand out in our statistical analysis for two different reasons:

Ship A appeared in 90% of battles with a 48.9% win rate.

Ship B appeared in 10% of battles with a 60% chance of winning.

In terms of winning percentage, despite A's popularity, it doesn't bring a clear advantage in combat. This most likely means that players will eventually turn to different options. If we impose restrictions on ships based solely on appearances, players may not look for new, better replacement ships, but instead choose B outright. At this point, limit A will only speed up version of the answer formation, because B does not have a better replacement ship. Similarly, limit B is not very reasonable, although his winning percentage is high, but the extremely low appearance rate makes him not affect the whole too much.

In these cases, although the version of the answer seems to have been formed, it will be easy to change quickly, so we will not impose any restrictions. The situation in which we think there is a problem is this in the following example:

· A appears in 10% of battles with a 40% chance of winning.

· B appears in 90% of battles with a 51.1% win rate.

In this case, the version of the answer is clearly formed, and it is almost impossible to change naturally. B is more powerful than her replacement ship A, whose appearance rate is already high and will not decline again. As a result, we may choose to limit B and encourage the team to develop new strategies based on other vessels.

Of course, these are all examples of simplifying the actual situation, because there will always be more than 2 ships to choose from, and their alternative ships are more selective. However, this example effectively shows the method we chose to limit.

Other tools

Although the statistics are very precise, it allows us to quickly notice the slightest change in the version of the answer. We also don't just stick to statistics when we choose vessel restrictions. We are Legion Battle players ourselves, and we also go to watch live streams and upload replays and analyze player feedback from multiple platforms, such as regional forums, YouTube and Twitch. Feedback from players in the highest levels, such as hurricanes and typhoons, will also be particularly valued, because they are the hardcore and most loyal world players.

It's important for us to understand the dynamics of the season, not just through blunt, emotionless data. The physical feel and professional analysis of this season by our team and the vast majority of Team Battle players are all factors that must be taken into account in making the final decision. Referring to these allows us to corroborate or question the conclusions drawn from the statistics. For example, if the data shows that a ship is performing strong and has a high appearance rate, but our own and players' gaming experience reflects that the appearance of the ship does not bring any tactical advantage, we will not immediately restrict a ship but will continue to monitor it, because his appearance and winning rate may return to normal levels on their own.

Another important tool is the results of last season's legionnaire post-war survey. The person filling out the form is randomly selected from among the players who participated in the corresponding season. The survey is a final assessment of what players like, don't like, and what needs to be improved this season. The impact of these questionnaires spans a longer time span, allowing us to pre-determine the restrictions on certain vessels before the start of the new season. This was the case with Count Spey in Season 14 Legionnaires, who we chose to ban at the start of the season based on the results of the 10th Season Legion Post-War questionnaire. In addition, the survey also helped us decide what new features to introduce that would allow us to improve Team Warfare on a larger scale. For example, the introduction of the mercenary system, the cross-server room system, and even the vessel restriction system itself are largely the result of information obtained from questionnaires.

When is the winning percentage too high?

While a ship's popularity is a relatively straightforward indicator, its winning percentage is more subtle. We don't always evaluate it based on its absolute value alone, and other factors need to be considered as well. Let's look at a few examples.

1) Some ships have a 100% chance of winning, but only a few legions choose them.

Yes, that's the highest number possible, but if a ship has that number, it's only because the ship has been brought to very few battles throughout the season, so it's statistically unimportant.

2) A ship has a 55% chance of winning, and it is chosen by 15% of the legions in all alliances.

We already think that this win rate is high, because the number of legions in the sample is quite large, and the deviation from the 50% standard is obvious.

3) A ship is chosen by 90% of the legions in all alliances, while it has a 50.5% win rate.

Even such a seemingly insignificant deviation from 50% is already considered high. In this case, the vast majority of battles in the season will see the ship appear in both teams, but because of this, the outcome of the battle will not affect the overall win rate of the ship - in one team, the player of this ship will win, and in the other team, the player of the same ship will lose, so the statistics will tend to drift towards 50%. Although it is small, the deviation from 50% is affected by a very small number of battles in which the ship is only in one of the teams, correspondingly, giving it an advantage, which indicates that it is overly effective.

Why are some boats limited in number and others banned altogether?

In deciding whether to limit the number of a ship or ban it on battle altogether, we adopted the following principle: if a ship is too popular and efficient when acting alone in a team, then it will be prohibited, because in this case limiting the number obviously does not solve the problem. These ships included all battleships and aircraft carriers, as ships of these classes most often operated alone, with a maximum of only two in a team. Another suitable example is Count Spey in Season 10 of Team Wars. The ship was not only too effective and popular in the team, but also when fighting alone. Thus, when the ship restriction system appeared from the 14th season onwards, counts of Spey were completely banned in the VI class.

There are also ships that are overly efficient and popular in groups of two or more identical ships in a team. A good example occurred in season 12 of guild battles, when it was very popular to stack three or four Mogadors on a team. In this case, we do not pursue the goal of banning these ships altogether, but only limit their numbers. Usually, the win rate of these ships after the introduction of the limit is reduced to an acceptable value, and they alone are no longer so effective, therefore, not many clans continue to choose them. However, if the ship maintains a high winning percentage even if it remains alone, we can ban it completely by the next wave of restrictions.

There are also warships, in a group of two or more identical battleships in a team, that are overly efficient and popular. A good example is the 12th Season Ofs team battles, when it was very popular to stack 3 or 4 Mogadors on a team. In this case, we do not plan to ban these warships altogether, but only to limit their numbers. In most cases

A good example of this comes in Season 12' Legion Battles, when it was particularly popular to stack three or four Mogadors on a team. In this case, our goal is not to ban the ships altogether, but simply to limit their numbers. Usually, after the introduction of the limit, the win rate of these battleships drops to an acceptable value, and the individual battleships are no longer so effective, and accordingly, not many legions continue to choose them. However, if this ship continues to show a high winning percentage even if used alone, we will ban it completely in the next restriction.

Why did this season repeat the format of the previous season without adding new restrictions?

Season 16 of the Legion Wars began in the 0.11.1 update and took place in the same format as the previous season.

This is due to the fact that Season 15, as the Team Championship survey data shows, is one of the most successful seasons in terms of popularity and other indicators. We decided to host the next season in the same format and assess whether it would be as successful as ever. In addition, this will help us collect more statistics about Legionnaire warfare on X-class battleships – the most popular level of the battle type. Next season, regardless of the performance of Season 16, will be in a different format.

At the start of the season, we also didn't introduce any additional restrictions on the most popular warships of season 15: Ohio, Kremlin or Smallland, for example. As the statistics show, these ships, despite their popularity, are not highly efficient. Their presence or absence in the ranks did not have a significant impact on the winning percentage of these teams. This shows that the distribution of the most popular warships this season is not too concentrated, and the teams using different battleships and tactics are not lagging behind in the winning rate. Therefore, we decided not to restrict these ships at the beginning of the 16th season of the Legionnaires.

In addition, we would like to talk about Petropavlovsk. In the last season, as the statistics show, the ship was quite popular and effective. However, based on player feedback and our own gaming experience, it doesn't feel outstanding compared to other ships. Therefore, we are not in a hurry to ban Petropavlovsk, but to continue to monitor it. According to statistics and player feedback this season, the ship has become almost an indispensable thing for most teams — it's close to 100 percent popularity in all league battles, and it's fairly effective. So, as we announced earlier in the developer log, we have decided to ban the ship.

We will also continue to focus on the other vessels mentioned, but for now, they do not deviate significantly in terms of popularity and efficiency. If we plan to introduce more restrictions this season, we will publish them in the developer log.

Please note that all information in the developer log is preliminary and is subject to change during testing. These features may or may not be in full service. Ship and character translations are for reference only, and the final information is subject to the announcement of the game website.

Source: WorldofWarships Development Blog. Articles have been abridged and changed.

Edit: li02

Translation: Pigeon of the North Wind