How to get better at spotting?

[WrenAndPeter]

It feels like I hardly see anybody most matches till its the damn kill cam. There are a few maps I have figured out but majority of my playtime its complete guesswork on where the ♥♥♥♥ anyone is.

Doesn't help when people have those ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ shubbery decals

[Wandering Flare]

No easy way about it, gotta keep playing and gaining experience along the way. You'll start to notice areas of activity based on where your teammates are shooting, common places people go to, colours sticking out of their surroundings, etc.

[bastion of pragmatism]

just keep playing. you will learn the flow of maps more as you get experienced more. you are going to die as you learn. you will start dying less as you learn. PAY ATTENTION. use your binoculars and third person. watch for movement. dont drive in blindly. third person around corners in cqb before you drive around the corner. PAY ATTENTION. listen for engines. watch the minimap. watch for scout markers. watch for hit markers. PAY ATTENTION.

[WrenAndPeter]

How long is that supposed to take? Because its been a bit now and I really only tend to get kills when the enemy team is being super aggressive. Bit disheartening and frustrating to play 3-5 matches and be lucky if I get a 1 or 2 kills in any of them.

[WrenAndPeter]

My positioning has improved somewhat but its been a steep learning curve. Doesn't help that the German tanks have felt paper thin. "But you get better shells!" Not a bonus I've personally experience in using them. "Use them at long range!" I've heard but this goes back to the spotting issue.

Best maps I've had tend to be urban ones - except the contemporary one with all the damn parks.
Wish the stats showed my enemy kill assists which average much higher than my kills as it would make this less embarrassing.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3236660270

[nuke]

Originally posted by WrenAndPeter:

My positioning has improved somewhat but its been a steep learning curve. Doesn't help that the German tanks have felt paper thin. "But you get better shells!" Not a bonus I've personally experience in using them. "Use them at long range!" I've heard but this goes back to the spotting issue.

Best maps I've had tend to be urban ones - except the contemporary one with all the damn parks.
Wish the stats showed my enemy kill assists which average much higher than my kills as it would make this less embarrassing.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3236660270

...it would take a while, i only started spotting ppl reliably at about 50 hours of playtime

[magazine2]

Continuing to play brings map experience which will help. It may take time with this game.

I highly recommend to always use your binoculars (default key on PC: "B"), these give you a zoomed in view while in your tank, using it often will make it become second nature and will greatly help spotting enemies.

[WrenAndPeter]

Originally posted by magazine2:

Continuing to play brings map experience which will help. It may take time with this game.

I highly recommend to always use your binoculars (default key on PC: "B"), these give you a zoomed in view while in your tank, using it often will make it become second nature and will greatly help spotting enemies.

I've been trying the binoculars. Its helped but rarely do I know *where* to look. Its like being given a hunting rifle with a scope but having no idea where the deer are lol. Except in this case the deer shoot back and have much more playtime than I do lmao

Is there a faction you'd recommend as the most "new player" friendly? I keep hearing that Russian is the way to go but I assume this is mostly high level players talking about metas way beyond anything I'll ever play it for a long time.

[magazine2]

Originally posted by WrenAndPeter:

Originally posted by magazine2:

Continuing to play brings map experience which will help. It may take time with this game.

I highly recommend to always use your binoculars (default key on PC: "B"), these give you a zoomed in view while in your tank, using it often will make it become second nature and will greatly help spotting enemies.

I've been trying the binoculars. Its helped but rarely do I know *where* to look. Its like being given a hunting rifle with a scope but having no idea where the deer are lol. Except in this case the deer shoot back and have much more playtime than I do lmao

Is there a faction you'd recommend as the most "new player" friendly? I keep hearing that Russian is the way to go but I assume this is mostly high level players talking about metas way beyond anything I'll ever play it for a long time.

From my personal subjective view and experience after 11 years as a player, US and Germany are probably the most friendly for new players. The early ranks have a good mix of armor, firepower and mobility. Specifically the Stuarts, M22, M10, M18 for the US, and Pz.III's and IV's, Marders, StuGs for Germany. Both nations have good lineups too at all ranks, the USSR is also in the same boat. But if you had to go with 1, then Germany.

[Inoxia]

Just a few tips i am by no means good at playing tanks and spotting enemies is also one of my gripes but here goes.

Play the objectives. As in go for the caps but not in a straight line and flank the position. (unless its on your side).

Stay with your team.
Learn to use the map and mini map. Look for pings and places where people clump up this is usually a point of contest.

Play light tanks for a bit and get accustomed to spotting again following the heavy's in your team instead of go off on your own. Playing support helps you to learn the maps.

Don't drive around with no plan either go to a point to cap or defend or team up. Drive from cover to cover and avoid large open spaces.

I think the first few minutes you should focus on staying alive and get into position. Pay attention to how your team is doing if the first wave fails fall back and try another assault. If your team did the job setup a defense for the next wave and if successful push out toward their spawn.

Hope these help.

[Wandering Flare]

Originally posted by WrenAndPeter:

Originally posted by magazine2:

Continuing to play brings map experience which will help. It may take time with this game.

I highly recommend to always use your binoculars (default key on PC: "B"), these give you a zoomed in view while in your tank, using it often will make it become second nature and will greatly help spotting enemies.

I've been trying the binoculars. Its helped but rarely do I know *where* to look. Its like being given a hunting rifle with a scope but having no idea where the deer are lol. Except in this case the deer shoot back and have much more playtime than I do lmao

Is there a faction you'd recommend as the most "new player" friendly? I keep hearing that Russian is the way to go but I assume this is mostly high level players talking about metas way beyond anything I'll ever play it for a long time.

Look for areas near enemy spawns and routes leading from them points, you will often find someone there. One way to use binos is to look at an area for a second, turn a few degrees to see a new area, repeat. Eventually you will almost instantly pick up on any movement in your sights as it can only be an enemy.

Russia is good for new players because T-34 tanks have good shells and survivability thanks to most people at those ranks not knowing about their weak spots, US has Shermans that at low speed can maintain their sight's position thanks to the stabilizer, and Germany has decent 75mm Pz. IVs. It would be better to tell you which nations to avoid while you're new, which are: France, Japan, Italy, Sweden. China is kind of an exception because it's just a bunch of different nations thrown together.

[Akagi]

Whenever you spawn, watch where your team is going as it is very likely that next time you spawn at the same map but opposite side your enemies will take similiar, if not the same routes as your teammates from previous.

Also try making use of the minimap. If one of your teammates scouts an enemy his position will be displayed on the minimap. If an enemy got hit he will usually also flicker on the minimap for a short time (not to be confused with him being killed, that will also be displaed on the map but additionally flicker with a skull icon)

Binoculars is also usefull like others mentioned. If you use binoculars or are in gunner mode, the minimap will show a slight "cone of vision" where you are looking at rn on the map. That helps with directing your view towards a marked target.

Then there are visuals that can give stuff away an enemy. Do you see a tree falling randomly? A broken piece of wall maybe (bonus points if there are fresh tracks). A firing gun will both make a sound as well as create a dustcloud.
Speaking of sounds, especially in cities it's very beneficial to listen for engine sounds. After all, you don't want to get jumped from behind, amirite? If you are skiled enough you can even tell apart the engines which might tell you wether the thing around the house is a T-34 or a Sherman without seeing it first.


Oh and a last sidenote: In the settings you can turn of the display of grass when in gunner view (and binos? idk) which can give you the edge for peeking over hiils. Don't ask why Gaijin made this a thing, it's bs

[Wandering Flare]

Originally posted by Akagi:

Oh and a last sidenote: In the settings you can turn of the display of grass when in gunner view (and binos? idk) which can give you the edge for peeking over hiils. Don't ask why Gaijin made this a thing, it's bs

I missed the update when they added it and thought it meant hiding grass from bushes strapped on your tanks, so I kept the display on because I don't use them anyway, what the hell.

Also a sidenote about the sound - it will sometimes have weird directions, like for example you will hear an engine to your left when it's actually on your right, and volume levels, like for example you will hear your teammate half across the map but an enemy right next to you will be completely silent.

Another sidenote - sometimes you will experience enemy tanks appearing seemingly out of thin air where you just looked or were actively looking, that's normal, the anticheat is just crap and screws over both wallhackers and regular players by unrendering enemies the game believes you can't see because a twig or a wire fence is in the way.

[[MadTs] Phyrys]

I'm surprised no one mentionned it : if you were shot at/looked at by a light tank recently, assume you're spotted. Everyone and their grandmother knows you're here, so be extra careful (especially when crossing roads)/hunker down and don't move for a while. Your probability of being ambushed by someone who cut their engine knowing for a fact you exist increases by 500%.

[Toblm]

Originally posted by WrenAndPeter:

It feels like I hardly see anybody most matches till its the damn kill cam. There are a few maps I have figured out but majority of my playtime its complete guesswork on where the ♥♥♥♥ anyone is.

Doesn't help when people have those ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ shubbery decals

Best way to do it is to practice.
Just take out some light tanks for a while and practice using binocs and scouting.
This gets you points, and it also lets you observe map flow and common shooting locations.

[JMC067 Lewis]

Originally posted by WrenAndPeter:

It feels like I hardly see anybody most matches till its the damn kill cam. There are a few maps I have figured out but majority of my playtime its complete guesswork on where the ♥♥♥♥ anyone is.

Doesn't help when people have those ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ shubbery decals

And keep in mind it might not be you. This game has some ♥♥♥♥ awful rendering problems recently, it will literally not render someone you are looking right at, then suddenly they appear after the shoot you.