Non-Toxic XVM Usage – A Guide

If you are prone to tilting and raging at video games just ignore this guide as it's not for you. XVM doesn't have to introduce negativity but it sure can amplify it!

0. What is XVM?

XVM AKA "eXtended Visualization Mod" is a mod allows you to see a player's stats while in battle (it also offers some QoL improvements but a lot of those have been properly added to the game). It is a useful tool that has had a very poor reputation within the community for a long time. I think that this is a shame as XVM can make you a better, more situationally aware player. Instead of using XVM to think less and make quick assumptions you should use it to be more analytical and think more. If you want to know how then continue. I will make some assumptions as to your knowledge on certain topics but if you have any questions feel free to ask.

1. Why XVM?

But before I start, a word of warning! Using the "Winrate Calculator" is moronic and should be avoided. It's the most toxic aspect of XVM and in actuality it is very misleading. The reason why should become obvious later on. Also XVM stats should always be taken with a grain of salt! Use your brain and look at the way a player is behaving not just the colour of their stats. Now that that's out of the way let's talk about what XVM can do for you.

The reason why you use XVM is to get a rough estimate on the skill level of your enemies and you allies. Armed with this knowledge you can make more informed decisions on whether it's safe to depend on an ally, whether it's wise to push a certain flank or take an enemy on 1v1.

As an of using XVM for decision making we can assume that good players or players with a lot battles (and thus credits) are more likely to spam gold, run food, use bond equipment and they may have all the field mods unlocked. In that case you should avoid a 1v1 unless you have backup.

XVM should also benefit new players as paying attention to the positioning of experienced players and following them around is a decent way to improve your game knowledge. Even if you aren't new you can learn from your mistakes. Unicum light tank spots you from a weird bush? Copy them next time.

2. Gathering Information

This is the colour scheme that I use. Just looking at the the WN8/WR is going to do you no good unless it's red or purple. Anything in between is debatable! Reason being that players improve faster than their overall stats. Those first few thousand games are a permanent mark on your stats! The recent stats of a player are usually significantly better than their overall stats. Unfortunately you can only fetch the overall stats. But with some thinking you can deduce the recent skill level of a player.

I will now show you some images and explain my thought process. This style of panel is common and I found it on Aslain's Modpack, it is shown on the battle countdown. But first I will have explain what the numbers mean.

From left to right:

• Average Overall Tier – This is useful for finding out if a player is a seal clubber. A low average tier degrades the significance of good overall stats at high tier gameplay.

• Overall WN8 – A very rough indication of skill. As I said you should take it with a grain of salt unless it's on the extremes.

• Overall Winrate – Same as WN8 as those two usually stay consistent with each other. The higher the WN8 the higher the winrate and vice versa.

• Battles in Current Tank – Not really useful but it can be funny to see who plays their Leafblower a bit too much.

• Winrate in Current Tank – SUPER useful as it acts as a recent winrate. Start paying attention to it if the player has put in 100+ battles in that tank.

• Average Damage in Relation to Tank HP – Also very important! Acts as a recent average damage indicator.

Take a look at this player. Overall their stats are very poor but in the M10 and at tier 5 they are certainly dangerous! Don't underestimate this player because their stats are "orange".

Now let's take a look at how you can use XVM to decide what flank to push! This is an image from my most recent replay.

Take a look at this platoon. These are genuine AFK bots. The enemy team effectively had 2 less tanks and I wouldn't know that without XVM! The heavy flank is an easier fight thanks to the enemy having one less heavy and the bushes around the map could be worked easily thanks to them not having a light tank.

Now we assume that you are in a medium tank and the enemy team has two unicum players driving meta medium tanks while your team is lacking in the medium tank department. A toxic XVM user might assume the game is a lost cause. Instead try and take this as a hint to change your strategy. Assume a defensive position or bolster the heavy flank, prevent the good players from overrunning and flanking your team.

With this info I decide where to push to win as I can predict what kind of opposition I will be meeting and what support I will have. It's kinda sweaty but I like to think more when playing the game.

3. Defeating the Anonymizer

Something you will notice when you use the mod is that some player names are greyed out and it appears as if they have no stats. This is the anonymizer at work! It works as it hides your stats but it is anything but a be all end all solution to XVM focus. You can gauge the skill of a player simply by observing their behavior and appearance. But as a rule of thumb there two types of anon players, embarrassed people with <48% WR and quasi or actual unicums.

A simple and easy way to tell if an anonymized player is good is to use a feature of XVM's OTM that puts their marks of excellence next to their tank's name (It's in Aslain's modpack). If the enemy has two or more MoE then they are dangerous.

If that's not an option then it's time to look at the way they play. Are they using a meta tank? Are they in a platoon with a good combo? Are they rushing into a meta/aggressive position early? Are they using a lot gold and do they have a rare/CW camo? There are many hints to help you tell if a player is a threat but those are some of them.

TL:DR – Don't be simple minded moron that looks at a color and thinks that it means much, there is more to deducing player skill on the fly. Use XVM to take better more informed actions instead of being disappointed that the enemy team is slightly darker shade of green.