Tanki Online

Tanki Online
Developer(s)	AlternativaPlatform
Platform(s)	HTML5 (2020-present) Adobe Flash (2009-2020) Android
Release	June 4, 2009
Genre(s)	Vehicular combat Action MMOG
Mode(s)	Multiplayer

Tanki Online (TO) is a browser-based multiplayer free-to-play video game created and published by AlternativaPlatform. It was released on June 4, 2009. A remake of the game named Tanki X was released on April 20, 2017.

History

The game was presented in May 2009 at the KRI 2009 conference, where it won "Best Non-Publisher Game" and "Best Technology" awards. "Tanki Online" used the company's own game engine, Alternativa3D. The release took place in the same year. In 2013 and 2014, the project became the winner of the "Runet Prize" in the "Popular Vote" category. It is considered the most popular game of the company, bringing $7 million in annual revenue with 2 million players per month (of which 90% are from Russia). In 2013, the number of registered users in the game reached 20 million, every day there were about 90 000 battles played totaling more than 700 000 game hours, and the maximum number of players online was 60 000.

Further Development

There was a new version of "Tanki Online" (called Tanki X), made by the same developers, however now they used the Unity engine instead of their own. Work on the game began in mid-2014. “Tanki X” was being developed in parallel with “Tanki Online”, but in the autumn of 2019 it was announced that the project was closing. The game shut down in early 2020. Some features were transferred to “Tanki Online”.

Game engine change

From the September 12, 2019, due to the end of Adobe Flash support, the server and network client of the game are based on HTML5. The new version has an updated interface and some other visual components. At the end of 2021, the Flash version of “Tanki Online” was discontinued, leaving HTML5 as the only playable version.

Gameplay

The gameplay of "Tanki Online" has some parallels with the famous classic game Battle City (1985). However, unlike Battle City, the basis of the gameplay of "Tanki Online" is a PVP system - player versus player. Players compete with each other, every destroyed tank counts a frag and the player who made the frag receives experience points. The game has several battle modes (including teamplay-based modes), a system of military ranks and a lot of options for tank customization. Instead of choosing a tank from a premade list, players are encouraged to assemble their own battle machine, combining turrets, hulls, protective modules, drones, and decorative paints, according to their preferences. When the player is finished with customizing their tank, they can enter into a battle with other players, where, in addition to experience points, they can earn one of the game currency - crystals. Moving up the career ladder, they open up access to new options and products. The players can strengthen their tank on the battlefield with the help of supply drop boxes: increased damage, increased armor, nitrous and the repair kit. The fifth drop box is the “Nuclear Energy”, which when picked up recharges the Overdrive – a unique hull ability. Players also can purchase the supplies in the garage and use them on the battlefield anytime. There are two currencies in the game: crystals and Tankoins. Crystals are used to purchase equipment (turrets, hulls, protective modules and drones) in the garage, augments for turrets and supplies. Crystals are earned by playing in battles, completing challenges (Battle Pass), opening weekly and regular containers, opening coinboxes, taking Gold Boxes (drop boxes that contain 1000 crystals), exchanging Tankoins, using promocodes, and participating in contests from the game helpers and developers. Players can buy regular containers, coinboxes, crystals, sets, skins, paints, the ability to change their nickname, a clan license, and Gold Boxes for Tankoins. Tankoins are earned by completing challenges, opening weekly containers, opening coinboxes, purchasing them with real money, using promocodes, and participating in contests from the game helpers and developers.

Gamemodes

There are two types of battles in the game: matchmaking and PRO battles.

Matchmaking modes:

• Team Deathmatch [TDM] - the objective is to destroy the players from the opponent team. The team with the most frags wins.
• Control Points [CP] - the objective is to capture the opponent's points and defend your team’s strategic points on the map. The team with the most points wins.
• Capture the Flag [CTF] - the objective is to attack the opponent base, bring their flag to your base and protect your flag from the opponents. The team that captured the most flags wins.
• Assault [ASL] - playing on the defending side, the objective is to defend your base from the attacks of the opponent. Playing on the attacking side, the objective is to deliver your flag to the enemy base. The team with the most points wins.
• Rugby [RGB] - the objective is to pick up the ball in the center of the map and bring it to the opponent base. The team with the most goals wins.
• Juggernaut [TJR] - the objective is to attack the enemy Juggernaut and defend the team’s Juggernaut. The team with the most successful eliminations of the opponent’s Juggernaut wins. Any player can become a Juggernaut.
• Siege [SGE] - the objective is to keep control of the point, not allowing the opponents to approach it, and to move to a new point after a successful capture. The team with the most points wins.

Matchmaking also features a "Quick Battle" button that connects the player to a randomly selected mode.

During the holidays, one of the solo modes called "Special Mode" can appear in matchmaking. These modes are available for a limited time:

• Deathmatch [DM]
• Solo Juggernaut [SJR]
• Arms Race [AR]

Ranks and progress

The game implements a system of ranks, which gives the player access to new features: purchasing new turrets and improving existing ones; purchasing new paints; purchasing supplies; access to maps and modes. The next rank is assigned to the player automatically when a certain number of "experience" points are accumulated. Reaching the next rank is rewarded with 1 regular container.

Combat experience is awarded for the destruction of opponent tanks (including the Juggernaut), and for the healing of allied tanks. In Capture the Flag mode experience is awarded for delivering the opponent flag or returning the allied flag, in Control Points mode - for capturing a point or for recapturing a point previously captured by the enemy, in Assault mode - for delivering the flag, in Rugby mode - for delivering the ball, in Siege mode - for capturing a point.

If the player loses a flag/ball in Capture the Flag, Assault, and Rugby modes, an allied tank manages to pick up and deliver it, experience points are still awarded. Experience points are also awarded for helping to destroy an opponent's tank. That means if the player caused damage to the enemy, and a teammate destroyed it, then points are awarded to both players.

Garage and tank modifications

Buying items in the garage allows the player to increase the fighting ability of the tank. The garage is also accessible from the battle, allowing the players to change equipment directly in combat.

Turrets, hulls and protective modules have seven stages of modifications (abbreviated as Mk). With each modification, the performance of a certain piece is improved. The next modification becomes available when you reach the required rank. Purchases are made using crystals.

See also

• Tanki X

• Russian Game Developers Conference