I started playing the game about 5 years ago. Got hooked almost immediately and have been playing (far too much) ever since.
I've seen a number of changes come and go. But a constant through all that time has been the endless grind to unlock that next tank.
We've all been there, grinding a tank over and over again so you can unlock the next 'bigger and better' tank - whatever that is.
Finally last year I reached an end point of sorts. I had unlocked all the tanks in the game! No more grind time required!
What a liberation! For the last year I've been able to pick and choose which tanks I WANT to play! I still get a little bit of
the grind when new lines or tanks or added, the Swedish line for instance. But that is just a sideline that gives me something
else to do.
There are 2 big changes I've seen in the last couple of years that really shorten the grind.
First is the introduction of 'boosters' available through Stronghold play and the resources you can gain. In our clan the triggering
of these boosters can impact your grind overall by maybe 5 to 10 percent. We don't always have these triggered, but when
they are, they help.
The second, and bigger change, was the introduction of 'Personal Reserves'. It took me a while to get the hang of these and
to build up a good supply. Now, when I play, I ALWAYS have experience boosters going along with varied mixes of crew and
credit boosters. These things are TERRIFIC! I estimate that they reduce my 'grind' time by about 40%.
Overall between these two changes, I think today I can grind stuff about twice as fast as when I first started playing the game.
You newcomers don't know just how good you have it compare to the way it was 3, 4, or 5 years ago!
I still enjoy the game, more tanks to buy, a few Swedish tanks left to unlock. Back to the grind! Enjoy.