[Issue 48] Tanki Mini Games - Clubs, Shows and More

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

 

 

Author's Note - Coddle me with your elbows all you want; tell me that I don't keep my word till your tongues wear out. I'm back. Retirement is boring.

Look at me, sounding like a senior citizen already.


So, mini-games. Where do I begin? Well, I guess I'll have to bore you with some dictionary lingo. So, according to dictionary.com (visit it now for the most fantastic, detailed synonyms and definitions you'll ever see!) Thisarticleissponsoredbydictionary.com

MINI-GAME (NOUN)
A minor or incidental game within a larger video game.

With that being said, let's discuss mini-games in Tanki.



HISTORY OF MINI-GAMES

So, I can safely guess that the first mini-game played within Tanki was parkour. I mean, climbing buildings is a kind of game. But, parkour became so popular that it's now a game mode and has its own cult. So, no-one can really tell when mini-games first cropped up, but they have to be as old as creative thinking, right?

Let's see. Fire-Wasps may be considered mini-games, but then again, not. So, what can we actually call a mini-game?

The precursor to the mini-games we have here today was started by a well-known gentleman called Ilia Alexanderson. We know him as Ilia.ArchangeI. Yes, I mean, he did found TMG, but then, remember those good old Facebook events? Mammoth Rush, Mine Hunt, all those things that we rich tankers with PRO battle passes love doing in our free time?

Anyway, those were the first publicly popular mini-games we know of. Suddenly, everyone was into it. Everyone was forming teams of their own and going to random maps and doing pointless stuff trying out tricks of their own.

Here is what those Facebook events look like (they're still around, just that they're not posted as frequently as before).

Shooting Ranges and Mine Hunts are common. This Mammoth Rush is from 2014, and it used to be pretty popular in its heyday.

But, like all things, heydays come and heydays go. Everyone started lapsing back into XP/BP fever, and it looked like Mini-games were set to be buried.

That is, until a bunch of stuff happened.



MINI-GAME ASSOCIATIONS
 

Finally, sick of playing mini-games alone and getting bad-mouthed in battles and turning to Facebook events, only to find out that the timezones didn't match, some tankers formed groups of their own to explore the hidden joys of Tanki Online.

These clubs ranged from purely recreational to deadly serious, with Skype groups and YouTube channels dedicated to mini-games increasing exponentially.

And finally, the largest public mini-game organization we know today, the Mini Games Club was founded by @rsully11 on the 17th of September, 2015. With a simple requirement of being above the rank of  this club was an instant hit.

And now, the chat boxes were filled with messages: "Can we mine hunt?" "Private battle now." "OMG Shooting Range!!!!111!111111!!!1" "Will you go on a date with me?"

Wait, I'm not sure how that last one fits in. Oh well, better do my research.

One of the first events ever hosted in this club (at least according to my pathetic history knowledge) was Freeze infection. Now, I have no idea how that works, but this club then proceeded to belt out many innovative mini-games like "Can you flip me?"

I joined this club the moment I became a Major, but alas, since almost all events were on Sundays, I couldn't join most of them. (Well, maybe an occasional STG!)

This club still maintains its original popularity, but with one slight change - leadership has now been transferred to @Omar_Enze. If you feel that you have a penchant for doing random stuff that would otherwise get you kicked out in normal battles, just head over their page and join! If you fulfill the requirements, that is.

Now anyway, moving on, we move into an era of commercialization. A YouTube channel, exclusively devoted to playing mini-games.



TANKI MINI GAMES
 

On the 20th of September, 2015, Tankispace was taken by storm. A radical new trailer, promising to grant the players of TO their due share of entertainment out of "underground events". While this came out a mere three days after the Mini-Games Club was founded, people wondered if this was simply a YouTube extension of that organization.

Oh boy, did it turn out to be so much more.

The trailer boasted of public participation in the "coolest events ever" and promised a reward "equal to ten gold boxes" to the winners. Although initially only played by the members of the Game Show, this channel quickly made events available to the public as well.

The best part? It was hosted by @Ilia.ArchangeI.

 

View the amazing trailer here -

 

 

Just eight days after this announcement, the Mini-Games Show released their first video - Death Race. While this has been a much suggested game among the forums, the thing that made it really refreshing was the amazing video FX and the running play-by-play commentary by Ilia.

 

The first publicly attended mini-game by this show was supposed to be 'Burnout' i.e. the one where people queue up to be shot by one big lazy Vulcan. Jeez, can you imagine? But, as Ilia put it, none of the lucky participants showed up, and therefore the first publicly attended game was "Wrestling", a game where participants equipped Twins and Wasp and attempted to flip each other. Six people qualified for the game and it was won by @Omar_Enze.

 

But after all this hype, the TMG became kinda inactive. Only two events followed up, and people lost interest. Believe me, the Club has much more variety, but one thing it lacks is proper coverage - and that's TMG's trump card - it also happens to feature on TO's Facebook page, which is a HUGE plus. We'll all be waiting for another episode of the game show to come out. (Won't we?)

 

 

POPULAR MINI-GAMES

 

Is there really any need? Mine hunt. STG. The end. You can invent the rest of it yourselves :lol:

 

 

A FINAL INTERVIEW

 

To wrap up this article, I've managed to secure and interview with none other than the leader of the Mini-Games club, @Omar_Enze! One big hand! He's come all the way from the internet, after all.

 

***

 

Hello there Omar, thanks a ton for consenting to this interview. As you and I know, you're the leader of the biggest organization that does "underground stuff" in TO. Tell us more about the mini-games club.

 

Hello! 

First of all the club founder rsully11 created this club, and his idea about it was to gather a group of players who are interested in playing mini games. The club offers them extreme enjoyment of organised mini game events, rather then Tanki's normal battles.

 

Okay, that's very nice! Could you tell us how many active members turn up for your events on weekends?

 

On weekends and holidays we get more active members than usual; That's why we do all our events at these specific times. For example, during the last mine hunt, about 12 players came to the event!!! I'm trying to do all the events at a time that suits most members so we get more players enjoying our events!

 

Wow, that's a big figure for something not yet fully mainstream like parkour! There are so many things that you guys do; but what are the most popular mini-games trending in your club right now?

 

To be honest, there is nothing specific trending right now. While the members enjoy all our events, one of the coolest events that we all like - in fact, I like it myself - is the Partner race. Click here to see more information about it, including pictures and videos.

 

Hmmm, really like that video! On the same track, is there any plan for creating a YouTube channel for your club?

 

Currently, no,  but we have a few spectators in our club (Including myself and [member=williew] ) to take awesome videos,  we might create a channel for the club soon.

 

What skills do you think mini-games provide that tankers can employ in battle?

 

Some events help players get more skills that can be helpful in the battlefield; take for example the mine hunt I usually lay mines in hard-to-reach places, and to get them you need help from a friend -  otherwise you won't be able to reach it. So this way the players will learn some parkour skills and the art of working in a team.

 

Thank you so much for those words of advice. All the best to the mini-games club!

 

You are welcome and thank you for this awesome interview. By the way, everyone is welcome to join the club, so feel free to leave an application to me in PM if you are interested in taking part and enjoying mini games!

 

***

 

I think we've found out all we need to know about mini-games with that expert advice!

 

 

So anyway, that was the history of mini-games packed into a nutshell. While there are no guides for actually playing mini-games, all you gotta do is hack your way there play sensibly and above all, be patient! Keep practicing to improve your skills, because mini-games can be addictive if you know them well, and above all, have fun!

 

This is TNT, exploding out. See you on the battlefield! (If my computer makes it. IF.)

 

Big thanks to @Omar_Enze for the interview and the permission to use TMG's photos.

 

 

 

Epilogue (Meanwhile at TNT's end):

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2016 by Lhamster

[Zenyth 6,494]

Nice article! 

Mini Games are definitely worth a try once I reach Major. :)

[DragonOfStorms 2,706]

I will definitely check out mini-games when I get to major... Someday...

[omrot 2,327]

Still waiting to be a major  <_<

[marc.jp_44 20,837]

+1

[Podey_the_Buster 87]

Haven't got there yet but sounds fun! Great article, really blew us up eh?

[13rilliant 8]

Welcome back! ;)

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

Welcome back! ;)

Thanks :D

[Omar_Enze 846]

You are welcome :D btw nice article ;)

[rsully11 1,115]

Thanks a lot for mentioning MGC Means a lot to me & club members, and as usual amazing language style :)

Edited February 11, 2016 by rsully11

[AkiliW 210]

Ohmygoodness. This looks great. I need to rank up and get this going again.

Edited February 11, 2016 by AkiliW

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

You are welcome :D btw nice article ;)

 

 

Thanks a lot for mentioning MGC Means a lot to me & club members, and as usual amazing language style :)

Thanks guys, after all, MGC is the premium Mini-Game Organization, keep going as you are, guys :D

[BlueDragon_tamki 3,204]

OMG this is hilarious :lol: and cool B)

[r_snowleopard0512030 66]

Welcome back TNT :D

[ArconZ 9]

Mini games are so awesome... Need to be Major but i will come there soon i hope...