Beginner's Player Guide to WoWSby Dirty_Deeds

Version: 0.5.0 Release Version

Change log:

Added a change log

Removed the tutorial First Encounter

Added account level 9 information (Ranked battles)

Expanded research and XP information

Added info about 4 signals only on CV's

Fixed error concerning roles of Damage Control Party and Repair Party.

Expanded the section on Commander Skills and Training

Port This is the central location when you are not in battle. On the Port screen, you will see all the ships youcurrently own at the bottom. If there is a star with a number beside the ship, that indicates there is a daily bonus still available for this ship. You get that bonus on the first win of each day and it refreshes at 8:00PM EDT currently.

• Options screen (Servers, Help Menu, Settings, and Exit the game)• Player Menu (Service Record, Summary page, Achievements and Ranks)• Server Name• Server Population• Create Division (Tactical units with 1 or 2 other players in a group)• Battle (Press to enter a queue for the next battle)• Game Mode (Select the type of game mode you wish)• Doubloons Balance (Below is the purchase Doubloons option)• Credit Balance (Below is the convert Doubloons into Credits option)• FreeXP balance (Below is the convert Elite XP into FreeXP using Doubloons option)

On the right side of the screen you will have the summary of your currently selected ship, showing the name, tier and type of ship, the ship XP and a breakdown of the various aspects from that ship. Also, when you reach the proper account level, you can access the Captain Skills page here as well. You can expand each section under the summary to see more detailed information about that particular feature and in Patch 0.4.1, they changed it so that when you add equipment or captain Skills, the details will now reflect those changes. For example, if your ship detection range was 10.0km when stock and you added the 3% cammo, the range would now show it as 9.7km.

TIP: When in Port, you can expand the summary items on the right and have the camera move to each item you want by clicking the little camera icon. For example, want to see where the secondary guns are on your ship? Click the icon beside their name and the camera will zoom into the closest battery. Click it again to go to each of the separate locations they are located.

Account Levels When you first start the game, you will only be able to access Co-op games which are battles where a group of human players fight against a group of AI Bots controlled by the server. As you gain combat XP, you will start to unlock higher Account Levels and that will open up more options for you to use.

Currently there are 9 account levels.

• 1. Allows player to fight in Co-Op battles (PvE) • 2. Allows players to access Random Battles (PvP) and a 25,000 credit bonus • 3. Unlocks Daily Missions • 4. Unlocks the use of Free Experience and a 3000 freeXP bonus • 5. Unlocks Ship Commanders Training and 50,000 credit bonus • 6. Unlocks Upgrades for your ships and a 75,000 credit bonus • 7. Unlocks Signals and 1 day of Premium Time bonus. • 8. Unlocks Camouflages and 2,000,000 credit bonus.• 9. Unlocks Ranked Battles and a 3,000,000 credit bonus

TIP: When playing Co-Op, you will earn less XP and Credits then a regular PvP game. I highly recommend that new players spend time in Co-Op with all their new ships until they gain basic skills and feel comfortable in full out PvP battle.

Researching and Advancement In addition to the Account Levels above, you also have a standard Tech Tree of ships that you need to gain experience on to research new ships and modules and advance through the tiers of each Nation you decide to play. To understand how this works, you need to understand key elements first.

Base XP: This is the basic amount of XP you earn from a match in the game. It is calculated on several variables such as amount of damage done, kills, achievements and base defense and capture points. You see this total on the after battle report, Team Score page.

Ship XP: Is the Base XP plus any bonuses you may have active at that time, such as a Premium account, a Premium ship or a daily bonus. For example, a Premium account earns you 50% more XP and a Premium ships earns you another 50% as well. The Ship XP total isthen added to your ship and can be used to research upgraded modules and the next ship(s) on that Tree. Once you have researched all available modules and the next ship(s) you then “Elite” that ship and all further XP is now Elite XP (see below). You seethis total on the after battle report, Personal Score page.

Elite XP: This is XP that is earned in regular ships that have reached Elite status and is also the normal XP earned in Premium ships. It accumulates in a pool and can be converted to Free XP using Doubloons or used on any future ships that might branch off of that ship when the game expands.

Free XP: Also called green XP, this is XP that can be used for researching any module or any ship in the game. When playing normal ships, you accumulate a small amount of Free XP every time you earn Ship XP. The rate is 5% of your Ship XP. You can also “buy” Free XP by using your Doubloons to convert Elite XP.

Crew XP: This is the XP your Captain earns towards gaining special abilities to use on your ship. Itis currently 100% of the Ship XP (for normal ships) or the Elite XP (for Premium Ships).At this time, there is no way to advance crew training faster, like in WoT.

Credits: Credits are the currency of the game. They are earned based on your Ship XP and are used to purchase new ships, upgraded modules and various consumables in the game to help with your progression. Above tier V, credit management becomes very important asyou can start to have games where you do not earn enough credits to even pay for the upkeep on your ships.

Doubloons: The “Gold” currency in this game. Purchased with real money normally. It can be used to buy ships, demount modules, buy upgraded consumables, buy premium time, converted to credits and finally to convert Elite XP into Free XP.

Sample Tech Tree:

When you have a ship selected, click your Modules tab and you will find the main interface for researching upgraded modules and new ships. To advance in the tech tree, you will need to earn Ship XP in battles and then spend them on either modules or new ships via this menu. First you research the module with Ship XP, then you buy it with Credits and mount it on your ship. When you mouse over the different modules available, you can see what effect they have on your ship and some modules are mandatory to upgrade before you can advance to the next tier of ship. If you don't have enough normalShip XP for a module, you might still be able to buy it using freeXP. The game will always use Ship XP first and only draw on your Free XP after you have exhausted your Ship XP.

TIP: When you research and purchase a new module, the old module will go into your depot. Some modules can be reused on new ship types. Also, on Carriers, your modules control what type of aircraftyou are using so you have to select which module you want before each battle. At this time, there is no way to access the depot like you can in WoT.

Upgrades

At Account Level 6 you unlock the ability to purchase upgrades for your ships. You can find the upgrades under the Modules tab. The amount of upgrades you can purchase depends on the tier of the ship and they can be purchased for credits and then mounted on the desired ship. When you sell your ship, you have the option of demounting your upgrades for Doubloons and putting them in your depot for use on another ship later or selling them along with your ship.

TIP: When you go to sell a ship, it will ask you if you wish to demount the equipment modules using Doubloons. You do not need to do that. You have the option of selling those modules along with the ship for credits, in which you will get back 50% of the current credit value of them or you can go to the equipment window itself and destroy a module. Useful if you wish to change to another module and don't have the doubloons to demount it.

TIP: I also wrote a handy guide to Equipment Upgrades and this url ...

http://forum.worldofwarships.com/index.php?/topic/40226-guide-to-equipment-upgrades/

Signals

At Account Level 7 you unlock the use of Signals which are consumables in the form of a banner you can fly on your ship masts. Signals last for one battle and you can fly up to 8 different ones at a time except on Aircraft Carriers, who can only fly 4 Signals. They are similar to the consumables like chocolate and coffee in World of Tanks, however there is no current way to purchase them in game. Instead you earn Signals when you get various achievements. For example, for getting First Blood in a match, you will earn one Zulu Signal flag. You can only earn Signals once per 24hr period for each achievement. Also, they sometimes go for sale on the Premium Shop at wargaming.net.

To use Signals, select the Exterior tab on your Port screen and then chose the ones you want. If you want to automatically mount certain Signals, then you can select the Auto-resupply option and the game will automatically load those Signals after each battle, until you run out of them or select that option off.

Camouflage

At account level 8, you unlock the ability to apply camouflage to your ships. It can be accessed from the Exterior tab after you reach level 8. Camouflage is a consumable that you can purchase for credits and must be reapplied after each battle. Use the Auto-Resupply function if you want this to happen automatically. Currently there are only two types of camo for each ship, a 12,000 credit version that gives you -4% to enemy accuracy when they fire on you and an 8,000 credit version that gives you -3%to your detectability.

Ranked BattlesFirst Season Starts: Sept 17, 2015

At Account Level 9, you unlock the ability to participate in ranked battles. Available for this first "season" in Tiers VI and VII ships, these battles have a few different rules, including a maximum team size of seven and no more then one carrier and two battleships per team. Wins and losses affect your ranking (You earn and lose stars) and there is three main groups. The first group is for beginners and you can't lose stars but groups two and three make it possible to lose stars with a loss or draw so it's very competitive to advance. The reward for reaching higher ranks is in game items such as Signal Flagpacks and credits to assist your battles.

Ranked Battles FAQ:

http://worldofwarships.com/en/news/common/ranked-battles-question-answer/

Ranked Battles Video:

https://youtu.be/1E9EMgE0Wmg

Map Types There's three basic types of maps currently in WoWS but this may change as the game develops. In each type there are circular zones marked on the map and in the water with buoys that are called capture zones. To “capture” these zones, you need to move your ship inside the circle. That will start acapture that takes a variable time depending on the ratio of ships in the circle and the type of map it is. If a defender enters a zone while it is being captured, the the progress stops and damaging a ship in the capture zone will also “roll back” the capture a certain amount.

Standard Map:

Each team has a single capture area. Green is yours and red is the enemies. You can win this map by either capturing their area or killing all their ships. Of course, you need to defend your own area from capture as well. Time to capture for a solo player is 3 mins. For two players it's 1:30 and anymore in thezone won't increase the speed but just spread the points around. Base XP is earned from the amount of capture points and defense points you earn on this type of map.

Domination Map:

There will be 1-5 neutral capture areas between the two teams and the goal is to capture and hold more zones then the enemy. Every 4 seconds, each team will get points for each zone they either hold or have in transition. Killing enemy ships will also take points away from their total and add points to your total with Aircraft carriers earning the most points and Battleships the next most.. You can win thistype of battle in any one of four ways... either kill all the enemy ships, get your team's points to 1000, decrease the enemy points to 0 or reach the end of the match timer and have more points then the enemy. This is important to know since you can win very quick by just capturing a couple of zones andkilling a few ships and you can also pull a win off at the end even if your team is almost dead. You do not earn any Base XP capturing or defending the zones in this type of map.

Encounter Map:

In this mode, there is a single large capture area that either team can capture. Like a standard battle, you win by either making a full capture or killing all of the other team. A solo capture takes 4 mins andtwo players can capture in 2 mins. Base XP is earned from the amount of capture points and defense points you earn on this type of map.

TIP: All game modes have time limits and if you fail to achieve a win before the timer runs out, then you end up in a draw on Standard maps which basically means both teams have lost. As well, Domination battles can be over very quick if one team doesn't try and take as many zones as they can right at the beginning. Work together and be aggressive on those type of maps!

TIP: The speed at which you can capture a zone will only be increased by two ships. Any more then two ships will not increase the speed at all, but just spread the points around (Standard and Encounter modes only)

Ship Types

Cruisers

The Cruiser is the workhorse of the navy. They do almost all jobs well while not being overpowering in any one thing. They are fast but have some armor. They have good main guns but not as many as a battleship. They provide excellent anti-aircraft fire for battleships and carriers and some of them even have their own torpedoes.

Destroyers

The destroyer is the hunter of your navy. Able to sink any ship in the game with torpedoes, it relies on it's superior speed and stealth to stay alive as it is lightly armored. A destroyer can quickly move into position, then deploy smoke to hide it's position and unleash a devastating salvo of torpedoes upon the enemy. It takes a skilled player to use this ship effectively and also stay alive long. It's also the most effective ship you have for making captures.

Carriers

Do you like playing artillery in World of Tanks? Then the carrier might just be for you. A carrier can deploy squadrons of aircraft that can travel anywhere on the map and either engage other enemy fighters or attack ships with torpedoes and bombs. A good carrier captain can control the air over his teams ships and it takes a lot of skill to both control your ship as well as manage several squadrons of aircraft.

Battleships

The BIG ship. This is the punisher that can destroy a lesser ship in a single salvo of it's massive guns or pound the enemy from miles away. Massively armored to survive intense battles, this ship requires careful thought and actions as the guns have a long reload time and the turrets rotate very slowly. Theywork best when together with a cruiser or two to provide AA support and defense against fast moving destroyers.

TIP: If you are new to ships, you may be confused to see in chat people using terms like "DD" or "BB". What they are referring to is the code that the US Navy developed to classify different ship types so they don't have to write out the full name all the time. In WoWs, there are just four simple codes - CA for Cruiser Armored, DD for Destroyer, CV for Fleet Aircraft Carrier and BB for Battleship.

Basic Controls

When you finally get into your first battle, do not panic if you can't remember everything. Hit F1 and you can bring up the command screen that shows you everything you need to know about your new toy.

Now lets take a look at the basic Battle Screen.

Starting at the top, you have frame rate and ping information on the left. In the middle is a pictorial representation of your two teams with colored icons representing the various ships. Green is your team, red the enemy team. On the right is the match time clock. On each side of the screen are the team lists. In the center is your aiming reticule. On the bottom left is the chat window and below that isyour ship display showing health, damage, compass direction, gun and torpedo launcher positions, engine speeds and the auto-pilot icon. In the bottom middle is your main battle options for the type of ship you have. Cruisers generally only have 2 ammo types for the guns and a repair function. Right above that is the status indicators for each individual gun. When a gun is ready to fire it will be full green. On the bottom right, you have the mini-map.

You control your ship movement with the WASD keys like most games. W will increase engine powerforward and S will decrease it to STOP then into full reverse. Remember, these are ships and not tanks. Everything takes time and the bigger you are, the slower you will make changes. A and D will move your rudder left and right respectively while you hold them and the keys Q and E will lock them in those directions if you want to stay in a turn while doing something else.

Hotkeys are as follows:

• 1. HE shells for your main guns* • 2. AP shells for your main guns* • 3. Torpedoes (if equipped) • 4-9. reserved for Carrier squadrons • R. Activate Damage Control Party. • T. Is either Smoke in destroyers, launch scout aircraft, activate defensive AA, Hydroacoustic

Search or Repair Party (Battleships only). • Y. Is Boost Engine Speed or Defensive AA for Destroyers or the Repair Party on Battleships

where T is already in use.

*NOTE: on Carriers, there are no controllable guns so the 1 key selects the ship and keys 2-9 are for the various squadrons

There's other more advanced controls but these are the basics and all you need to get started. Look through the Controls options in the Settings menus for a look at all commands and to change the key bindings if you like.

TIP: Some controls are not listed in any official documentation (like the option to designate a target) so be sure to look through the Controls part of the Settings to see what is available to use.

Tactical Map

When in battle, hitting the “M” key will bring up a tactical map. Your ship will be in white and clicking anywhere on the map with the LMB will set a way-point and activate the autopilot. Then using SHIFT-LMB, you can add successive way-points up to a total of 5. Very handy on large maps with slow ships and for Carriers where you have to pay attention to the aircraft squads. Just remember that the ship may not follow the path exactly as it still needs time to accelerate and decelerate and doesn't turn on a dime. You can use the A and S keys to accelerate or decelerate while in autopilot but moving your rudder at any time will cancel the autopilot.

Aiming your Guns This game uses true ballistic trajectories for your main guns. That means that the further away an enemy ship is, the longer a shell will take to travel to them and the higher an arc it will go. So to aim properly, you need to “lead” targets that are moving and anticipate to an extent which direction they will turn. Hitting the SHIFT key will bring up binocular mode and then using the MOUSE WHEEL will allow you to zoom in and out to assist firing. Use the HUD display markers and as you get more experienced, you will start to intuitively know where to aim to hit a moving target several km's away.

For example, in the screen shot below, I am firing on a cruiser that is 8.2 km away and moving Northwest. As you can see, I am leading him about 1 ship length and I also raised the gun up from the waterline to about his middle, since he is traveling away from me on a NW heading.

Click LMB once to fire only one battery at a time, Double-Click LMB to fire all your batteries or hold LMB down to fire all batteries in succession. Also, to change ammo types, hit the selection twice and you will reload.

Alternate Battle Interface (ALT key)

Hitting the ALT key when you are in battle will display a lot more detailed information such as distances to other ships, the distance to your cursor and the shell travel times to the point you are aiming. Learn how to use this information to make very accurate calculations on how to lead your targets and hit them more often.

TIP: Under the Game Settings under Control, you can check the box beside “Alternative Battle Interface Mode” to display all this information without having to hit the ALT key. It may impact your framerate slightly on some systems

TIP: Use the CTRL button and then LMB click on a target to make it the priority for your secondary armament and/or AA. (planes or ships)

TIP: When you want maximum effect from a battleship, direct all main turrets to one side of the ship and fire a salvo in unison upon a single target. This requires you to orientate the ship with the side towards the enemy and is called “broadsiding”.

TIP: Just because there's an island between you and your target doesn't mean you can't hit him. Try this... lock onto his ship with "X" then in binocular mode, try zooming in with your mousewheel and if the trajectory of your shells is high enough to go over the island, then your camera will move forward and up so you can see the enemy ship and be able to adjust your aim. Even if you can't get a good view,your shells may still be able to arc over the island and hit them. Just make sure they are selected as yourtarget.

Using Torpedoes

At tier II you get to try your first destroyers. Destroyers also have small main guns and they operate exactly the same as above but the real weapon of this ship is, of course, it's torpedoes.

The first thing you have to know is the configuration of your torpedo launchers. Some destroyers have launchers that can rotate and fire on either side of the ship while others have banks on port and starboard that can only fire in arc on that side. This is important to know because you have to be awareof the need to wait for a full reload or the possibility of firing all torps on one side then swinging your ship around and firing the torps on the other side.

Selecting “3” will switch you to torpedo mode and you will see a green arc showing on both sides of your ship. This is the permissible area of use for your torpedoes and it's usually limited to the sides of your ship so you have to turn to be able to fire on the enemy. Notice also that the green band will have a line close to the ship which shows the minimum distance for a torpedo to arm so you can't just fire right into a ship that is basically bumping hulls with you.

Once you've selected torpedoes, you then have to target the enemy you wish to kill. Normally, the targeting system will select the target you look at but if it's crazy and you are maneuvering all over, youcan mouse over the enemy ship and hit X to lock target on them. Your launch cone is a smaller band that is either green (ready to fire) or yellow (still loading) and shows where your torpedoes will go. Hitting the 3 key will change the width of this cone to either concentrate all torps in a narrow band or spread them out. This is called the spread. Very handy if you need to blast a close enemy with all torps or send a salvo off to discourage ships from entering a certain area of ocean you are defending.

The other thing that comes up when you target an enemy with X is a grey targeting cone similar to the launch one. This is very important because it is the suggested area to aim your torpedoes based on the targeting computer. So what that means is, that you need to try and line up your green firing cone on the grey one until they overlap then fire your torpedoes. If the enemy ship makes no adjustments to their speed or heading after you fire, then it's pretty much a guaranteed hit. Of course, we know they will be dodging so you have to anticipate which way they may turn and lead or lag the torps as needed. One really good tactic if you have multiple firing launchers is to send a spread just forward and anotherspread just behind the grey arc to cover the enemy going in either direction. As you gain experience, you will intuitively know where to set the cones for maximum effect and accuracy.

Smoke

One extra bonus destroyers get is the ability to lay down a smoke screen to hide themselves and their allies from enemy detection. Use the “T” key to start a smoke screen while you circle an area of ocean and you will create a dense fog of smoke where you can remain hidden while firing torps out of. It is also very useful to help you escape once you are detected.

TIP: turn off your anti-aircraft defenses using the “P” key when you are trying to hide in smoke to help keep you from revealing your location.

TIP: When hunting a destroyer that has hidden in a smoke screen, use the Hydro acoustic search abilitywhich, for a short time, will boost the range that you can detect ships and torpedoes, even when hidden by smoke.

Aircraft Carriers

Aircraft Carriers are almost a game within a game since you have to manage not only your own ship but also several squadrons of aircraft that can attack anywhere on the map. It's a fairly complicated class to play and you won't be able to get your first one until tier 4 so I won't be covering them in this beginner's guide.

Look in the guide section of the forum for some really good videos and guides on how to use aircraft and manually drop torpedoes.

Essential Game Skills

Dealing with damage When you take enemy fire, you can have several things happen. You might just lose health in the formof HP's which are indicated by the green on your ship's icon or you can take damage to various modules on your ship and even catch fire or start to flood. All of these situations are bad but you do have a means to fight them.

All ships have a Damage Control Party which are activated by using the “R” key. When activated, Damage Control Parties will repair any damaged modules, put out any fire or stop any flooding that is happening when you activate them and for a short time after. They will not recover HP's though... onlystop the damage from continuing. After they have been used, there is a cool down period before you can use them again, so it's very important that you use them wisely. The cool down period can be reduced with certain captain skills and also some consumables such as Signals. As well, when you have an active emergency, you can hit the “ALT” key and over top the damage icon at the bottom of thescreen you will see the time remaining before that damage fixes itself. For example, in the pic below, the propulsion system will be offline for 1:56 more and the fire will burn for another 53 seconds. This is important to know when deciding if you need to use your Damage Control Party right away.

Battleships also get a bonus feature where they can actually repair light and moderate damage to their ships and recover some HP's. This option is called a Repair Party and is usually controlled with the “T” or “Y” key. It can only be used a set number of times though and has a long cool down period. And like the repair crew, the cool down can also be shortened with captain skills and signals.

TIP: Sometimes it's wiser to wait before you use your Damage Control Party. For example, if you get a fire on board but there's still enemy fire coming at you, then it might be better to wait and lose a few HP to the fire until you know you won't take anymore serious damage from the rest of the enemy stuff coming at you. It really sucks when you just repair then the very next shot takes out your rudder and you are dead in the water for a full minute or more waiting for the refresh to happen.

Avoiding Torpedoes

When there are torpedoes coming near your ship, you will start to hear a pinging noise. When you hearthis, immediately look around until you spot them. Enemy torps will have red icons above them while team torps will have white icons. Either ones can sink you so always be aware! The best way to avoid torpedo hits is to either turn into the torps or turn away from them and let them pass harmlessly by on either side of you. For enemy torpedo bombers, always try and turn into them as they approach you andbefore they drop their torpedoes.

TIP: The tier three Captain Skill called “Vigilance” will increase the range you can detect torpedoes by20%.

Aircraft

As you gain tiers you will eventually start facing the dreaded carrier in your matches. These ships can launch fighter, torpedo bombers or dive bombers and you need to be constantly aware of the map and where these aircraft are flying. Fighters are no danger to ships but they can be used to spot you for the enemy and your AA defenses are put to good use if you can get under them close enough. Dive bombers drop a spread of bombs in an oval pattern and the best defense against them is to zig zag as they approach. Often times, they will miss with several of their bombs, They don't do a lot of damage but they can start annoying and dangerous fires. Torpedo bombers are the greatest threat to your ships. When you see them approaching, the best tactic is to turn into their approach which gives you the best chance of dodging the spread. Of course skilled CV drivers will come at you from two different directions and it takes a lot of skill to position your ship to avoid them. And don't forget you little scoutplanes. Many cruisers and battleships get a scout later in the game and when you launch them they willrandomly maneuver around the map and spot any enemies within their viewing range.

TIP: The consumable called Defense AA Fire, when activated, will attack any aircraft within range andwhile also doing more damage, will disrupt their attack approach making it much harder for them to complete their attack accurately.

Commander Skills

Upon reaching Account Level 5, you unlock the ability to select, move around and train your individualCaptains with special skills that enhance your battle performance. The Commander Skills page appearson the ship summary in the upper right hand side of the Port screen after you have reached level 5. Click on it to open the full menu page.

It's possible to earn up to 18 skill points as a Captain. The chart below outlines the Crew XP needed foreach level. If you want to reassign your points, then there as option to do so using doubloons.

Training and Retraining a Captain

A Captain has to be trained for the ship he is commanding. Once trained for that ship, he can no longercommand another ship unless he undergoes retraining. When you are first starting out with a new type of ship or a new Nation, you can Recruit a new Captain with three cost options.

• FREE - no points included

• 10,000 credits - 1 skill point included

• 25 Doubloons - 3 skill points included

After you have played a while and you are ready to move to buy the next ship in the Tech Tree, you have the decision to make of whether you will keep your Captain in your current ship and recruit a newone for the next ship or transfer that current Captain to the new ship. At low tiers this is not much of anissue but as you gain in experience and Tiers, your Captains become very valuable and it's in your best interests to transfer and retrain them for their new ships.

When you transfer a Captain, you get three more options for retraining. For the first two options you have a penalty that you are required to pay off by earning Ship XP. The third option is to pay for the retraining in Doubloons which has no penalty and let's you start playing with all skills and XP intact.

Note: the “penalty” amount is determined from your Captain's current number of skill points. Using the table above, if we had 10 skill points, for example, then the XP required for the 11th would be 53,000. The penalty is based on 50% of that number, which is 26,500 XP in this case. Using this example, our three retraining options would be as follows...

• FREE – 0/26,500 XP. Skills at 50% while you earn the required Ship XP

• 200,000 Credits – 13,250/26,500 XP. Skills at 50% while you earn the required Ship XP

• 500 Doubloons – No Penalty. You start earning full Ship XP and Crew XP and 100% skills.

TIP: A Premium ship of the same nation is a handy way to help with training and retraining captains. A captain from any ship in that nation can pilot a Premium ship with no penalties, so agood method of retraining is to purchase your new ship, retrain the captain for it using the Free or 200,000 credit option, then moving that captain into the Premium ship where he can earn the XP he needs to finish his retraining and still use his skills at 100%. He also gets the benefit of an extra daily XP bonus for the first win each day in that Premium ship.

The Skills

There are 22 new skills that cover four point tiers with six main categories (Artillery, Secondary Armament, Ship Survivability, Concealment and Acquisition, Aircraft and Special Skills)

○Artillery:

Expert Loader (1 point)

-30% reload time when shell type is switch

Aiming Expert (2 points)

+2.5 deg/sec to aiming speed of guns with caliber of up to 155mm

+0.7 deg/sec to aiming speed of guns with caliber above 155mm

Demolition Expert (4 points)

+3% chance of a fire on target caused by a shell or a bomb

Last Chance (5 points)

-9% to reload time of all armament if ship's HP is less then 20%

○Secondary Armament:

Basic Firing Training (1 point)

-10% to reload time of guns with caliber of up to 155mm

+10% to AA efficiency

Torpedo Armament Expertise (2 points)

-10% to reloading of torpedo tubes

-10% to servicing of torpedo bombers

Advanced Firing Training (4 points)

+20% to firing range of guns with caliber up to 155mm

+20% to AA defense firing range

○Ship Survivability:

Basics of Survivability (1 point)

-15% to time of repair, fire extinguishing and recovery from flooding

Fire Prevention (2 points)

-7% to chance of fire

High Alert (3 points)

-10% to reload time of the damage control party consumable

Last Stand (4 points)

The ship remains able to move and maneuver with the engine or steering gears critically damaged

Preventative Maintenance (5 points)

-34% chance to incapacitation of modules.

○Concealment and Acquisition:

Situation Awareness (1 point)

An indicator is displayed when your ship is spotted by an enemy ship or aircraft.

Incoming Fire Alert (2 points)

Indicator of long range incoming artillery fire (shell travel time more then 6 secs)

Vigilance (3 points)

+20% to acquisition range of torpedoes

Concealment Expert (5 points)

-10% to detectability of destroyers

-12% to detectability of cruisers

-14% to detectability of battleships

-16% to detectability of aircraft carriers

○Aircraft:

Expert Rear Gunner (1 point)

+10% efficiency to self defense armament for aircraft with rear gunners

Manual Control (2 points)

Allows you to manually select an attack point for your attack squadrons (L ALT key)

Dogfighting Expert (3 points)

Improves the combat fighting performance of your fighters if their cruise speed is lowers then the enemies fighters.

Aircraft Servicing Expert (4 points)

+5% to aircraft survivability

+10% to servicing time for all aircraft

Air Supremacy (5 points)

+1 fighter

+1 bomber

○Special Skills:

Superintendent (3 points)

+1 additional charge to all consumables mounted to a ship

Jack of all Trades (5 points)

-10% to reload time of all mounted consumables

What Next?

While this guide was intended to get new players into the game with a basic level of knowledge, there are many other good guides and tutorials on the official forum for when you get more experienced. Here's a short list of ones I think would be particularly helpful to the intermediate and experienced players.

Tedster's (updated and expanded) where to shoot guide:

http://forum.worldofwarships.com/index.php?/topic/32522-tedsters-updated-and-expanded-where-to-shoot-guide/

How to Carrier:

http://forum.worldofwarships.com/index.php?/topic/32520-how-to-carrier/

Torpedo Basics:

http://forum.worldofwarships.com/index.php?/topic/32511-torpedo-basics/

=== END of Guide ===