Tanki Online
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Tanki Online | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | АlternativaPlatform |
Engine | Alternativa3D 8 |
Genre(s) | Massively multiplayer online action game |
Tanki Online is a massively multiplayer online game based on Adobe Flash technology. It is playable directly in a web browser without any special software or downloads. As of April 2012, it has approximately 10.5 registered players[1], and the number is growing quickly.
At the beginning of 2009, the game received prestigious Russian КRI Awards 2009 in nominations "Best game without a publisher" and "Best technology". Another award won is Russian Flash Awards 2009 : "Technical achievement".[2].
Gameplay
Gameplay is organised into matches called battles, in which players each command their tank to accomplish a set goal. The game features three game modes - Deathmatch, Team deathmatch, and Capture the flag. Players may enter or leave a battle at any time. However, entering a battle late usually results in a lower score and fewer reward crystals. Battles begin immediately when they are created, whether or not the teams are balanced and/or the battle is full of the maximum allocation of players.
Battles take place across a variety of "maps", most of which are player-created. Each map is distinct and creates a different style of gameplay. Different maps also favor different weapons e.g. the smaller maps favoring the close-range weapons. Most maps come in both a "summer" and a "winter" mode, each mode using different buildings and landscapes. A number of the maps also have a "space" mode, which features vastly reduced gravity in the entirety of the map.
As with many shooter MMOs, the game features frags, with players respawning only a few seconds after they get destroyed. In team matches, players cannot destroy their own team members unless "Friendly Fire" is turned on. Each battle has a certain limit - either kills, flags, or time - and the battle ends when the allocated limit is reached. At that point, the Battle Fund - consisting of crystals - which has been increasing throughout the time of the game is given out to the players, with the players in the higher positions in the standings at the end of the game getting more battle fund. Any players who have been in the battle during its duration but left before the end of the battle does not receive any of the battle fund.
Garage
Between battles, players can buy upgrades and bonuses in the "Garage", with an in-game currency called "crystals". Crystals are normally obtained by getting a high position at the end of a battle, which is judged by the amount of kills players have (Deathmatch) or the amount of experience points the players earned in the battle (Team Deathmatch/Capture the Flag). They can also be collected them on the battlefield, in the form of boxes that drop regularly, or by being purchased with real money. Upgrades include improved firepower, upgraded health and speed, alternate turrets and/or tank bodies, and supplies or power-ups which can be used during battles. The garage is also used by players to alternate between weapons, tanks and paints that they have already bought - this cannot be done in-game.
Tank Features
In a battle, every player must be equipped with a turret, hull, and a paint. These are bought in the Garage for different amounts of crystals, and every player is given the simplest and weakest turret and hull when they begin to play, as well as a plain "Green" paint. As time goes on, players tend to buy and upgrade new, more powerful, hulls, paints and weapons.
There are 9 turrets, 7 hulls and 50 paints, which can be interchanged to create a tank that suits the player's gaming style. The weapons and tanks are divided into "tiers". Each tier's weapons are balanced in terms of Damage Per Second, range, and special features, so the "perfect" tank hull-gun combination can never be obtained with just one setup. The more expensive paints have damage protection from certain weapons, which gives the user of these paints an edge when facing off against those turrets.
Each turret has numerous features that make it different from each of the others. One of the turrets, "Freeze" has the ability to slow down other tanks' movements; Another turret, "Ricochet", can fire bullets that ricochet of walls and buildings into other tanks. Other weapons have other features, such as splash damage, a sniper's scope, the ability to heal teammates, and the ability to fire through tanks and hit numerous tanks at once. Each weapon also has different limits of range from other weapons.
The tanks all vary in speeds, sizes and health. On the whole, the slower tanks tend to have more health, and the faster tanks less health, which makes sure the game is fairly balanced. The slower tanks are generally bigger as well, making them an easier target for an enemy sniper.
Ranks
Another feature is a rank system, which determines the upgrades that are available, and allows players to organize evenly-matched battles based on skill level. The ranks are based on a compilation of army ranks from around the world. There are twenty-six different ranks, ranging from "Recruit" to "Marshal". A new rank is achieved when the cumulative number of points scored reaches a certain amount - for example, 100 points gains players the rank of "Private" whilst players need 1,000,000 to reach "Marshal". A symbol of players' rank is shown next to the player's username when you are in a battle, and every game is limited by rank, resulting that only people with a similar rank to each other can be in the same battle. Each of the twenty-six ranks has a different symbol. [citation needed]
Community
The game has a number of ways in which players can communicate with each other in the game. Each battle has an built-in game chat, as well as there being a general chat for the whole of each server for every player in that server not in a battle to communicate. The game also has an official forum, which includes a clans feature where players can interact and organize times to play battles together.
Tanki Online 2.0
For a long time, the developers have talked about bringing out a new version of the game, called "2.0", which is run on Alternativa Platform 8, rather than the 7 used by the existing version. Tanki Online 2.0 was initially planned for late 2010, but a series of delays has led to the current release date still unknown. It is expected to be social-network integrated and have numerous extra features that the present version does not have, such as shadows from buildings and "Night" mode for the maps.
Development
Tanki Online was created in mid-2008 by AlternativaPlatform, located in Perm, Russia[3]. The game was used to showcase Alternativa's Flash 3D engine for the web, which was considered cutting-edge technology at the time.[4]
The continuing development has caught the attention of Adobe Systems, and the companies have jointly used the game to promote the 3D capabilities of Flash.[5]
References
- ^ http://tankionline.com
- ^ http://flashflex.com/alternativa-company-announces-new-licensing-terms-for-its-innovative-technology-alternativa3d-7/
- ^ http://www.appappeal.com/app/tanki-online/
- ^ http://www.flashmagazine.com/news/detail/alternativa_3d_will_blow_you_away/
- ^ http://blog.alternativaplatform.com/en/2011/10/04/alternativaplatform-demonstrated-its-technologies-in-the-adobe-max-2011/