Gaijin Entertainment announced today that the next content update to its vehicular combat MMO War Thunder will introduce French Ground Forces. Following the addition of the French Air Force early in November with Update 1.73 “Vive la France”, the French Army will enter the battlefields of War Thunder with dozens of armoured vehicles available from rank I to rank VI. New technology peculiar to French tanks, such as oscillating turrets and drum-fed autoloaders, will open new tactical opportunities to players.
On the early ranks, French tanks are generally well-armoured, which will provide good protection for the small crew of only three men. Most outstanding here are the heavy tanks, the Char B1bis and Char B1ter, which are not only exceptionally well protected, but also offer a large crew and powerful armament. Their low speed and maneuverability however leaves them vulnerable whenever rapid movement is required, e.g. to position correctly against the most powerful cannons or evade airborne attacks. To avoid rockets and bombs, players of the early French heavy tanks will have to pay close attention not only to the battlefield itself, but also to the situation above it.
Starting with the medium ranks, several French tanks are equipped with automatic loading devices. These autoloaders allow for a number of shots to be taken in quick succession, followed by a very long reload time. This allows players on more modern French vehicles equipped with this technology to push fast aggressive armored assaults against the enemy.
Post-war vehicles of the French nation feature yet another characteristic new to War Thunder – oscillating turrets. These turrets are divided into two sections, with the upper responsible for cannon elevation and the lower for turret traverse. This ingenious engineering solution significantly reduced the size of the turret, making it a much more difficult target.
The first two tanks in War Thunder that combine both of these new technologies are the AMX-13 SS.11 and the M4A1 FL10, with the latter being a modification of the American Sherman tank. The turrets of both vehicles are equipped with an autoloaded 75mm cannon featuring two six-round drum magazines, allowing each to take a series of 12 shots in quick succession. Due to the long time required to change the two drums, finding a safe place after an attack is important. However the AMX-13 S.11 is also equipped with four guided anti-tank missiles, so even being spotted during reload does not necessarily mean game over.
For more information about these vehicles and other upcoming French tanks, follow the War Thunder Developer Diaries page.
To download War Thunder, please visit the official War Thunder website.
