Tanki Online
| Tanki Online | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | АlternativaPlatform |
| Publisher(s) | AlternativaPlatform |
| Engine | Alternativa3D 7 |
| Platform(s) | Adobe Flash |
| Release | 2008-09 |
| Genre(s) | Massively multiplayer online game, Third-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Tanki Online is a free massively multiplayer online game based on Adobe Flash technology that was created in mid-2008 by AlternativaPlatform. It is a browser-based game in the third-person shooter genre. As of February 2014, it has 41,000,000+ registered players.[1]
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 was Russian Flash Awards 2009 in the category: "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 four game modes: Deathmatch, Team deathmatch, Capture the flag, and Control points[disambiguation needed]. Players may enter or leave a battle at any time, via the main lobby. However, entering a battle late usually results in a lower score and fewer reward crystals. Battles begin immediately when they are created, regardless of whether or not the teams are balanced and/or the battle has the maximum allocation of players (however, the countdown in a timed match does not begin until at least one tank joins the battle).
Battles take place across a variety of "maps", most of which are player-contributed. 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, and vice versa. Most maps come in both a "summer" and a "winter" mode, each mode using different buildings and landscapes. One map previously had a "space" mode, which featured vastly reduced gravity in the entirety of the map, but was removed due to hackers exploiting the low gravity to use flying cheats without the server detecting the cheating. In addition to selecting the map and mode, battles, which are user-created, have another setting called "PRO." This setting lets you turn on and off such settings as "friendly-fire" and "auto-balance".
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 enabled. Each battle has a certain limit - either kills, flags, control points score, or time - and the battle ends when the allocated limit is reached. At that point, the Battle Fund, which has been increasing throughout the action of the battle, is given out to the players, with the players in the higher positions in the standings getting more crystals. 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, encouraging players to stay for the duration of the game. Scoring in the game is allocated thusly: 10 points for every frag, and 10 * (x number of players on opposing team) points for every flag captured.
Garage and Currency
Between battles, players can buy upgrades and bonuses in the "Garage", with an in-game currency called crystals. It is currently being considered to add more turrets,hulls and paints to the garage.They can also be used to micro-upgrade turrets,hulls and also paints.
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, accessible once a certain rank is reached, feature where players can interact and organize times to play battles together with members of their own clan.
Contests
Periodically, the administrators of Tanki Online create official contests and competitions, where players have the ability to participate in battles, create videos, or produce fan art, all for internal prizes for the first, second, third, and sometimes fourth and fifth places.
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]
Early in development, the gameplay was much more strict and simplistic, and was limited only to a few turrets and hulls, being heavily biased towards a certain combination. Later on, more new weapons and hulls were introduced into a "second tier" of equipment, which were much stronger and were available for a higher price. Promises of a "Tanki Online 2.0" were made heavily in 2010-11, although the project was later scrapped in favor of slowly adding new features to the first version.
In mid-2012 the graphics were drastically improved, with "update 1.100.0" bringing a deeper and brighter color scheme to initiate a friendlier and more realistic atmosphere. Control Points were also introduced. Over the next few months, testing of "version 114" was complete, and all equipment in the game was rebalanced to be equal in strength. A new paint was also added. The rebalance remains in effect to the present, although tweaking of the exact specifications of equipment is still being done.
The continuing development of Tanki Online 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/