As an attacker by instinct, I always prefer attacking from the Blue team, but conversely I always prefer defending on the Red team. What I like about Tribute is that, however, is that the map is completely equal (in my opinion) - both teams are very different but there is minimal advantage. I might write about my strategy in Tribute when I get a decent bit of time.

Magadan. /thread

Silence (the original) is more balanced then the sequel, but the red team does have an advantage in an ordinary (drugging) battle. When no drugs are involved, the blue team then has the advantage as they at least have an opportunity to take the flag. Silence II is just imbalanced in Blue's favour, /thread. But let's talk about a better map, say, Kungur. The thing about Kungur is that once the red team takes the flag back to their base, even if the Blue team is holding the flag, the red team have captured. It is practically impossible for the blue team to return their flag if the red team has one guy with ricochet. Even a shaft behind the building is practically impregnable. That's what I dislike the most about Kungur - once the red team takes the lead, in theory they can win the game for sure by getting one guy up onto the side with the Blue flag. Doesn't happen much, because everyone is selfish for the experience which comes when capturing a flag, but yeah... In terms of strategy for the map itself, it's one of those maps where, when attacking, you have to avoid all defenders and just try to get in and out of the enemy base (with the flag) as quickly as you can. I always like to have a decoy attack beforehand, going down the expected attack route, to check where the defenders are. Then I work out a route where I can avoid as many defenders as possible (especially avoiding any freezes) and go. It's also best (especially when you are playing as blue) to watch the enemy defenders and attack just when the key defender (normally a freeze, sometimes a thunder-mammoth) is destroyed. Timing is everything when capturing a flag in Kungur, more so that in other maps. That's what I most like about it.

Would like to point out, if anyone is interested, there are currently NO correct entries to the "So you think you know the Tanki maps?" contest. Easy crystals for some of you if you work together. :3

7, definitely. Everything else is either: a) really really ugly (2) or b ) The same as an existing paint (4, 6) or c) boring and unoriginal (8). 7 is the only one that's any good, but it is very good. :)

2 is the only one that isn't anything like an existing paint (Hohloma, Carbon, Rock and Champion...) but it's also the only one that doesn't look good. The others are good-looking but very similar to existing paints. 2 is original but butt ugly. My opinion.

As you would probably have realised by now, here at the newspaper each of us is writing about one aspect of the Tanki game which we find “the best” - whatever, of course, “best” is philosophically meant to mean. So what will I be writing about? Well, for me, what I find to be the most alluring part of Tanki is the speed of the gameplay. Not the game management, the garage items, or any other part of the battle play, it is this which I find is the most attractive part of the game and the one which appeals the most to me and attracts me towards the game the most. Why is this, and why do I believe that the speed of the game is the best part of Tanki? Well, before I begin, I will explain why I think that the “best” part of the game will have to be some part of the gameplay. After all, it is a simple fact that a game with boring gameplay is not worth playing. Call it stating the obvious, but we all know that we wouldn't be here playing this game if the play inside the battles was boring. The gameplay is pivotal to the allure and the success of the game, and I believe that it is the fast-paced and exciting nature of the games which brings the most into Tanki Online. You may, at this point, be confused and uncertain. What are examples of this “speed of the game” which I am talking about? Well, for instance, let me point to the speed of the tanks in Tanki. Some would continue to call the speed that they drive at too slow, which I do understand, but in comparison to other, more realistic, games (and real life!) the speed of the tanks is relatively high – extremely high, in fact. And so is the amount of kills, deaths, points, and flag captures which take place every few minutes – if the game was translated (somehow) to real tank warfare, the real tank warfare would be far slower. Far slower. (That would probably be a good thing, actually. It would not be great if there were as many deaths in real life in ten minutes as there are in Tanki. Unless respawning was possible?) Well, that is what I mean by the “speed of gameplay”. Examples of this include how quickly players respawn once destroyed, how quickly a flag can be captured (particularly in the smaller maps) and how short a decisive game can be (no more than 15 or even 20 minutes is required for a decisive clan war). Why do I love this so much, and why do I argue that this is the best part of Tanki? Let me explain. I've already outlined why the actual playing of the game is the most important aspect of Tanki, but there are, as you all probably know, many aspects of this gameplay in Tanki. So why choose this one as my favourite? The main reason for that is that I would believe that without the fast-paced games that we have, what we know as Tanki would not be Tanki. It would be a completely different game. A vastly inferior game. Imagine Tanki where the gameplay was slower. What would the game become? Would it be interesting anymore? Would it even be unique? Would there even be anything about the game to attract anybody to playing it? I would believe and argue that without this integral part to Tanki, Tanki would be no more. What would the attraction be to our game if we no longer had the exciting fast-paced game that we love? I don't know about anyone else, but I wouldn't enjoy it. Or if I did, it wouldn't be Tanki. The game would be disfigured out of recognition. What would there be to like? Yes, Tanki has many good things about it. But I would argue that nothing apart from the thrilling fast-paced gameplay does have the “X factor” in our game. So, in short, I believe that the fast-paced gameplay in Tanki is the best part of the game which we all love. Without it, as I have already said, Tanki would be a boring game, with very little to interest players. The fast-paced gameplay makes Tanki what it is. I can't imagine a Tanki without it. Can you?

Can I have a consultant's answer please? Anyway, F7's is the best so far. :3

Please look up "irony" in the dictionary. Then eat the dictionary. :)

I can assure you that that is not true. As much as I would love to have Godzilla as a parent, it unfortunately is not true. As for Oprah Winfrey, I am overjoyed that I have never met the poor woman.

Most maps that can't make a revival never were alive in the first place and IMO not worth reviewing as they are useless.

Hate to disagree with you, but IMO that's a very stupid way to play. The best way with Firebird and Freeze in Polygon, from what I've experienced is to sit on one of the two high-up parapets in the map. Use a double power and destroy everyone who respawns there. Don't get exposed and forced into a situation where you have 3 people shooting at you (which happens if you go into the middle), ensure you stick to 1v1 battling, where Freeze and Firebird has a huge advantage. The OP makes a wise point, even if his/her positions are not the best. Firebird/Freeze charging out into the middle is a lottery. Yes, you can get four/five kills in a few seconds, but you can just as easily get 0. In the long run, it is normally more useful to stick to the shadows and destroy people in 1v1 battling.

Thumper is your homie huh? When did you last see him bro?

About Silence II or Kungur? Silence II, that's easy. Drive straight, use drugs, get the flag, get back to your own base. If anyone gets in your way, shoot them. Kungur.... a bit harder.

Huh?

Some people took this far too seroiusly, lol.

Kungur I've always found a bit of a meh map. I don't figure why people love it so much. Bridges, Tribute, and so forth are far less boring, with far more attacks at the flag and so forth. Bridges is a cool map, although the lack of a clear base and the giant weird building right in the middle will always count against it, unfortunately. The rest of it is awesome though.

Thank you very much my dear sir. Unfortunately I had already submitted my assignment in and received glowing praise but I am sure that your content would have been nearly as good. One problem I would have sir: Have you actually read the book?

I really like it now. Previously, it was too tacky and meh, now it's smooth and gameplay can flow. I like it now.

I am very interested in this. One thing - do we have to create the texture ourselves or can it be "discovered" off the interwebz?

Well done, you have passed Level One in my "Simple Observation Test". Come back for the next edition sometime in the future! What if you put on some skin in your shed?

I've done all of the things mentioned in the OP.

I lol'd.

I thought so too at first view but watch closely at the end the players' spell "IC" on the ground. ;) I found that very creative. :) As for BEE, anyone could do that, it's a nice concept but I personally dislike it. I respect the fact that other people do like that though. ;) For me, BEE, WRS, IC, DS and DW were the only ones with decent ideas, and DW kinda messed up their second bit... I'd say: #1 WRS #2 IC #3 DS. I don't get any of the other videos except those five, they seemed to be lame and were a real lack of creativity.