Yuri Pasholok Q&A

Hello warriors,

Yuri Pasholok (WG historical consultant) made another "interview" with FTA VK community. Here's what he said:

- Regarding the KV-4 and its rework to HD: the KV-4 project in the game is historical, it was proposed by a designer named Dukhov and it's goal was to use as many elements of KV-3 as possible in order to speed up the KV-4 production. The preliminary historical parameters of the vehicle can be found here: http://yuripasholok.livejournal.com/2653499.html - they are preliminary but as you can see, this KV-4 version is lighter than the others. It would make no sense to change the vehicle into some other project in HD, especially since some KV-4 proposals resemble SPG's more than tanks.
- When reworking vehicles to HD, WG is using materials collected during last couple of years as much as possible;
- There's no point in replacing T110E5 with MBT-70;
- "Several dozen" well armored hightier vehicles are available for implementation but whether they will be implemented is another matter. Yuri Pasholok states that not spamming new regular branches is the right approach. According to him the game needs principally new game modes instead. New tanks implemented should be interesting or at least unusual - there's basically enough of those amongst hightier vehicles;
- It's theoretically possible to build a Sturmpanzer branch but whether it will be done is a question for game designers;
- There are almost no data on IS-4 based tank destroyer. There was a whole bunch of vehicles based on Object 701 (including Object 712, a bridgelayer), but there's no drawing available for the TD, only some schematic of 152mm guns mounts developed by the design bureau of Plant No.172, it's possible they are related;
- Swedish tanks are fine, they can build an entire branch. Italians are a bit worse off but principally they can build at least an entire MT branch;
- When asked whether "fast" Japanese light tanks exist, Yuri Pasholok replies that those tanks are basically the ones already in the game (Ha-Go, Ke-Ni, Ke-Ho). Ha-Go for example is originally a cavalry tank. The Japanese tank design school is very specific. It was heavily restricted by the vehicle weight requirements because the marines received the same tanks and their assault landing ships had the carrying capacity of 16-17 tons. The Japanese tanks were principally not bad, they were very comfortable from the crew placement point of view but the Japanese focus on navy and air force was noticeable.
- There are historical plans for another French light tank (Char 13t - 75) but there are no plans to put it into the game;
- There won't be a third Soviet heavy branch ("there were two main design bureaus, hence two main branches");
- The French heavies without autoloaders that were previously planned are "at least unusual". Yuri Pasholok is of the impression that the French in fact infected the Germans with their megalomania. The French had three projects of 150 ton weight category for example and two actually had full-scale mock-ups built. The number three means that three different companies made them - FCM, ARL and AMX.
- It's theoretically possible to introduce Shashmurin's KV-4 design as a TD (as well as two other designs that would fill that role);
- Regarding the ingame Borsig and WT Pz IV designs - most of it was just paper but the six-roadwheel Borsig type suspension was built;
- Whether M4 with FL10 turret will be implemented is a question for game designers not historians
- Chinese TD's are based on Soviet vehicles and their Chinese copies. However there are some unusual vehicles as well.
- Implementing the T58 Heavy Tank  would make no sense at this moment;
- E 10 will "not come before than Strv 103";
- It's possible to introduce the ZiS-30 TD into the game from historical point of view;
- Apparently the Object 726 would be too overpowered for WoT.