With update 6.5 of the in-house Dagor engine, War Thunder looks even more beautiful. With realistic explosion shockwaves, GPU-generated grass, and wind effects, the atmosphere in the game is expected to improve even more. However, for many players, this is completely irrelevant. Here on MeinMMO, you can find out everything about the new update 6.5 Wind of Change.
What kind of game is this? War Thunder is a military vehicle MMO. You engage in battles with tanks, planes, and ships. Sometimes even on the same map in epic battles across all dimensions.
Highlights of War Thunder include the different levels of realism. These range from a relatively simple arcade shooter in the style of World of Tanks to an extremely complex simulation where you practically need a pilot’s license to take off without crashing.
The strong focus on realism has already led military personnel to multiple(!) strictly publish secret documents of real armed forces to win a discussion about the game.
War Thunder has always impressed with its detailed and beautiful graphics. These are now getting even better.
This is why many players won’t notice the new update
What changes? With update 6.5 “Wind of Change” of the utilized Dagor engine, the game becomes even more beautiful and atmospheric. New vehicles and aircraft are also being introduced, including the legendary A-10. According to the developers’ blog, the following changes are occurring:
- Grass is now rendered in the GPU, improving performance
- Shockwaves from explosions blow everything away
- Dynamic wind effects blow dust and smoke around
- Improved shadow effects create more atmosphere
However beautiful all these things may be: Many players intentionally play on “Ultra Low Quality” (ULQ), which is the ugliest graphics setting imaginable. So they miss out on the great new graphics entirely.
What is the problem with ULQ? ULQ has been a controversial topic in the War Thunder community for years. Because when playing the game in ultra-ugly mode, it looks like a shabby mobile game from 2015, but you gain substantial advantages.
Due to the lack of details and reduced effects from grass and bushes, players can see enemy vehicles much better and from further away. Especially light vehicles that rely on cover and camouflage face serious disadvantages.
Unfortunately, the problem has not been solved with the graphics update, as the improved grass effects can still be disabled in the sniper view. This, in turn, bothers many players on reddit, and they see it as a wasted opportunity by the developers. A representative opinion on this states:
Why are they promoting this crap? They might as well say: “You better not use our fancy new graphics, or you’ll get your butt kicked.”
So much for War Thunder and its unknown top graphics. Meanwhile, at the competitor World of Tanks, there has been a change in leadership: Studio behind World of Tanks fires Creative Director after he supported the Ukraine war
