I'm no Chinese expert, but that does seem like gibberish rather than actual Chinese... In fact, that looks like it's in a Nordic language more than anything. Maybe it's Nordic gibberish.

Now that's a cool way to say the word Chinese.

+1 to joost, I've already had this discussion with canada on numerous occasions previously, lol. And what @Canadian_Eh has been saying here is well-reasoned. In any case, a clan who cannot turn up to a default time is not likely going to be a clan which is going to win. If we had half of our clans in the top 16, then I'm sure default times would reflect the non-Russian timezones more - but until then, we need to stop finding excuses for our incompetency compared to the Russians, and crack on with improving ourselves.

First time I've really played Parma; turns out it's a hard map, but definitely fun ^_^

Chinese isn't actually as hard as it looks... Learnt it at school for a couple of years, but dropped it because the teacher gave crazy amounts of homework.

Well, in my view, there'd always be a better alternative in that situation - if possible, the combination should be used in a map where one can stay near cover. So, rather than trying to attack such an opponent at all, I'd get behind cover as quickly as possible. Then, you could pick out another target, or find a way to reach that opponent without exposing yourself for too long on the way. Trying to charge down an opponent from distance and rely on burn damage wouldn't be worth it - even if you do burn the opponent enough to destroy him, there's a good chance someone will steal your kill. But yes, if you really have no other option whatsoever, then charging down an opponent to try and obtain a single kill through burn damage would be better than a futile attempt to run and being destroyed in the process. Thanks for the feedback! Yes, it's likely the score would be higher for this particular combination if I were to review it now - since I wrote this before the recent "2nd Rebalance", which has made Thunder more powerful.

No, it can't. Sorry that you missed it, but there goes your opportunity >.<

Some great XPs...

Guess it'll be interesting... But coursework preparation definitely isn't.

I'm making this post from an English coursework preparation lesson... Got school till the end of next week, then a week of work experience the week after .-.

Welcome then... xD

Thanks! I knew someone would point that out - my general point was that it doesn't really work in the majority of battle situations, for that's what I was considering here. But yeah - Wasp/Shaft works well in a Polygon DM to get to a sniping position, for example. But generally, the combination isn't that effective, especially from the perspective of a team game. As for the suicide attack point, that isn't the best way to use Firebird, IMO; more often that not, your kills would just be stolen. Firebird at lower modifications is dangerous enough - the best way to use it is therefore in a situation where you sustain as little damage as possible, especially if you have a lower modification of Wasp and so lower health. Thanks for the feedback ^_^

Awesome issue, guys! Have fun reading it, people :P

Describe This in 100 Words! Greetings, readers! For this contest, all you have to do is describe the below picture in 100 words or less: You can write what you like, however you like and in whichever way you want; as long as your entry describes the above picture in 100 words or less, it will be considered valid. Be creative! The prizes are as follows: 1st place: 30,000 40,000 crystals. 2nd place: 20,000 30,000 crystals. 3rd place: 10,000 20,000 crystals. Small consolation prizes of 5,000 10,000 crystals may be given if an entry is worthy of credit. Be warned, however - the following will be taken into account when judging entries: - Overall quality (tone, atmosphere, effect) - Originality - Writing technique - Spelling, punctuation and grammar So, this might provide more of a challenge than you think! Entries only should be posted in this topic - PM me if you have any questions about the contest. The closing date for entries is 20th July - the topic will be closed at midnight (UTC) at the end of that date. Good luck!

*mindblown*

They wipe our memories. That's the first inexplicable thought which comes to my mind as I spawn, and almost as soon as it came, it passes. And then I realise who I am. I turn to the left, a mechanical whirr accompanying my movement, and the view of my surroundings changes. And then I discover I can see. A hazy blur of greys and greens and browns, obscured by a dim fog of smouldering fumes. And then I realise that I heard myself turning. This realisation brings with it a powerful blast of sound, juddering explosions and gunfire which shatters the ear-splitting silence which enfolded me. And then I feel what I hear. Searing waves of heat pulsing from blazing metal skeletons as they lie fallen. And then I feel fear. Adrenaline kicks in, and I suddenly surge forwards, weaving around craters in the charred earth as I charge for cover. Instantly, my senses fuse and my focus sharpens, and I know where I have to go and how to get there. But the charge seems endless, the craters innumerable and the distance too much to cover... They'll spot me soon enough. I start to stumble. A column of smoke drives through the air, the missile which spearheaded it narrowly missing me. I've been found. I continue my charge as I turn my turret to the left, and I find them. At least half a dozen, positioned beside crumbling walls and partially concealed behind dense foliage. They observe me, a cold collective stare, as I accelerate across the terrain. And then, in unison, their turrets begin to glow. I then discover there is a very peculiar sensation reserved for moments of life and death, and I am struck by it now. My senses disconnect, my thoughts disintegrate, trivial. Emotion rushes into my mind, both enfolding and paralyzing, rendering me helpless, useless, defenceless. And multiple columns of smoke start to drive through the air towards me as time itself slows down. I feel a single missile slam into my side, flipping me across the ground. Then the ground slopes, and I skid downwards as a series of smoke columns criss-cross overhead. Debris flies off the side of my hull, shards of metal scattering across the ground as I slide to a halt. For a moment, I feel nothing. Then the pain kicks in, unbearable, and I black out. ______________________________ They wipe our memories. That's the first inexplicable thought which comes to my mind as I regain consciousness, and almost as soon as it came, it passes. But it's only a ghost of a thought, this time. And then I remember where I am. I feel pain shoot across my side, slightly dulled, and I groan. How am I still alive? As I start to regain my senses, I rephrase the question. How am I still alive if they all fired simultaneously? Now that is something I don't have the answer to, and I suddenly want to find out. I look around; the terrain is less damaged here, though I can see the ground slope upwards ahead, and hear their missiles pierce the air and explode beyond the slope. I turn again, and then I see them. Right in front of me. And then I realise I can speak. "You're..." I begin, but I'm interrupted. This one has a larger hull, and a turret I don't recognise. "No, we're not 'them'. Can't you Recruits try asking something a little more original for once?" he chuckles, his voice deep. "Recr..." He interrupts again. "We call all tanks which survive Massacre that, you're one of them. It's lucky you escaped, you're the first one we've had in weeks now. I suspect one of ours had a hand in that." "But if you're not... them, then who are you?" "We're just like you, just that we got of that that hell-hole a while back. Looks like you must've had to take quite a few tries at that!" he laughs, as if he just shared an inside joke. "You look pretty beat up, too. We'll get you patched up, though, and who knows - you could be alright once we've trained you up a bit. Welcome!" He turns and starts to drive away from the slope, and I instinctively follow.

^Mr. , post what you've written above in the CyberSport/FAQ section pls... Seems like necessary reading for clan leaders in our community, to me.

^Yes, he is ^_^ Haha, so was I... That moment when Chile hit the crossbar during extra time. So close to losing the chance to get 50% of the crystals I've spent during the World Cup back (which, for me, is equal to at least 100k so far)...

^And I've already got those, two - bought them within the last few days xD Well, my favourite out of those has to be Railgun, though Smoky's pretty awesome too.

None of them, unless I was going to rank anytime soon... Already got all of 'em at M2 :c

It's a bad record, all I have to do is call Mr @KitsTester over here and then stanzhang won't be so happy. It'd practically be a staff-held record, if not a buyer-held one...

Looks good, I can see you've put a lot of hard work into this - good luck!

I generally like to read those books which contain writing in a human-readable format.

Welcome, readers! Many times in the past, the newspaper has focused on the weapons which make our game so dynamic and versatile. But what about the other half to these weapons? Yes, hulls - without the right hull, many weapons can be rendered useless. But if you can find that right combination, regardless of whether it's extremely popular or hardly seen, you can be sure to dominate all of your battles. So, here's the first in the series; I'll be taking a look at Wasp, and what weapons can work best on this deceptively undersized hull. Wasp/Smoky. Powerful in the right hands. Now here's a combination that looks simple, but can be pretty effective. This combination shouldn't be overlooked - especially since as a result of the previous balancing of hulls and turrets, Smoky is now more of a close-range weapon. Charge into the battlefield, circle your enemies and pound them with a series of rapid shots; or just hide behind cover, knocking out enemies from greater distance. Though hard to use, this combination really can work well. Plus, though this is just my own opinion, its looks are just classic... and that speed... and those critical hits... Overall effectiveness: 7.5/10 Wasp/Firebird. A true serial killer. Well, let me start by pointing out that this can be amazingly effective, especially with Firebird's recently-increased burn time. The best way to use this sounds easy - set your enemies ablaze whilst avoiding as many of their shots as possible, and then make use of a quick escape. In practice, this is actually harder than it sounds. There are also limitations: this combination can be taken down from distance, and players would need to consider tactics more when using this. But these issues can realistically be overcome by those players with more experience, making this combination extremely deadly indeed. Overall effectiveness: 8.5/10 Wasp/Twins. Maybe this isn't quite a match made in heaven. Well, this combination leaves a lot to be desired. Put simply, it doesn't work. Twins' high knock back really proves more problematic for a user of this combination than it does for any enemies. Not to mention the fact that many players would find this combinations a rather comical sight if seen roaming around a battlefield. Twins isn't made for Wasp, unfortunately; whilst it could be fun to mess around with this combination, it probably won't be very effective. Overall effectiveness: 3/10 Wasp/Railgun. It's difficult to ignore this challenge to Hornet's superiority. This combination is becoming increasingly popular - it has its own game mode, for example. Whilst not quite as popular as XP battles, it certainly does make for some skilled gameplay. And there would be some experts which this combination out there who would argue this is amongst the best combinations there is - and their skill with this combination would probably speak volumes for that claim. Though this is hard to use (and it's easy to flip), it can be very effective if used by a clever and experienced player. Overall effectiveness: 8/10 Wasp/Isida. High speed and short range; a no brainer, really. I would personally argue that these two are made for each other. Wasp's high speed makes up for Isida's very short range, with Isida's health-stealing ability making up for Wasp's low health when in the heat of the battle. Plus, Wasp's speed means you can always keep up with friendly attackers and heal them as they get away with flags. Surprisingly, despite this reasoning, there aren't so many of these wandering the battlefield, with Hornet/Isida more popular at lower ranks. Overall effectiveness: 8/10 Wasp/Thunder. It can work, but not always that well. Actually, this can be an effective combination. I've played against players who used this, and they were pretty dangerous at the time. One problem - the recent balancing of turrets and hulls means that Thunder is decidedly better used at a longer range, since it is now outclassed by some of the shorter ranged midfield weapons. Therefore, this combination really doesn't reflect that change. Not to mention, it's extremely rare, considering many Thunder users find that the turret can work better with more health. Overall effectiveness: 6/10 Wasp/Freeze. A solid combination, though now overshadowed. Once upon a time, this was a more desirable combination. The first (and previous) Light M3 kit consisted of Wasp and Freeze, and with good reason - Freeze M0 was known to be able to compete with M3s, let alone it's ultimate modification, due to its infamously frustrating freezing effect and a generous reload time. However, it's recently been out shined by the new kid on the block: the new and improved Firebird, and its after burn effect. As many experienced clan players know, how can you compete with that level of effectiveness? So, for now, Freeze is best used with other hulls. Overall effectiveness: 7/10 Wasp/Ricochet. Just for parkour? Not necessarily... A particularly uncommon combination, Wasp/Ricochet is well known (and well used) as a parkour combination, but not many have given it a go in actual battle situations. So, how does it stack up? Well, this can actually be fairly dangerous, especially if you keep on moving and firing, taking advantage of Ricochet's rebound effect. However, it's definitely not straightforward to use, and Ricochet does have a pretty strong recoil; which can prove troublesome when trying to keep this speedy combination level and under control. Overall effectiveness: 6.5/10 Wasp/Shaft. There isn't much logic behind this one, I'm afraid. Now, this combination can work very well, if you can find good camping spots in the maps you usually play. However, for me, this raises the question: if you're planning on using this for camping, why sacrifice health for speed? Of course, the speed may be useful in getting out of sticky situations, and for finding new sniping places from which to pick off enemies - but let's be honest, you won't be rushing into battle any time soon. Whilst some speed is necessary for Shaft to be effective, this combination just doesn't seem to be that balanced. Overall effectiveness: 5/10 Overall rankings: Wasp/Firebird - 8.5/10 Wasp/Isida - 8/10 Wasp/Freeze - 7/10 Wasp/Twins - 3/10 Wasp/Ricochet - 6.5/10 Wasp/Smoky - 7.5/10 Wasp/Thunder - 6/10 Wasp/Railgun - 8/10 Wasp/Shaft - 5/10 So there you have it - my educated opinions on each of the combinations involving Wasp, from the perspective of the hull itself. Next up will be Hornet, just to ruin the suspense for those of you who hadn't already guessed. :P Thanks for reading! Feel free to let me know your feedback below, or to share your own thoughts' it's all appreciated! See you in the battle!