I agree totally, Slowly but surely Tanki is making it impossible to play without paying. They have made components and upgrades so expensive that you have to pay if you want to stay competitive. The one nice thing that was left is that you could earn enough in battles to pay for the drugs you might use in battle. At this point lets just be honest, whether you are a hard core druggy or a puritan everyone at some time uses drugs. The main difference now is that you will have to pay hard cash for it now or use your crystals for the piddily little 100 packs at no discount. So I will take it just one more step than scottish_mayhem....Lets be honest with ourselves, Tanki is now a pay to play and we should expect that we are going to get squeezed in every possible way to get money out of us.

You are quite right, but take note of these facts. Before the re-balance there use to be over 100,000 players on the servers during peak periods. And with every controversial update that number keeps going down. With this latest update average number of players on the servers during peak times has yet to break 50,000. Before the update it consistently would get in the upper 50's to low 60's. At what point do you think it would be wise to roll back some of the more unwise updates, when the game can no longer break 40,000 or 30,000 players? Waiting for the developers to fix the poor updates doesn't work. It's time for them to really listen to the community if they want to save the game. If things continue as they have then at some point the game will get to a point of unsustainability and then all the controversy and players will go away permanently. Oh, and the developers will be looking for new jobs too.

Paint with glitter and new shop with glitter, once again a pointless update as the number of players keeps getting less and less

Can it get any worse...... Golden Star paint 750,000 crystals, Frost 650,000 for just pretty colors that mean absolutely nothing in the game other than whoever buys it is insane. The developers have gone mad or are they purposely destroying the game to force everyone to go to Tanki X when it is finally released.

I hate being right about this. Before the update the peak average number of players used to be around 60000, now it can't break 50000. It's been mostly in the mid to low 40's. 3 years ago it was over 100000, now it's in the mid 40's. The Reason - A series of bad updates guys. Fix what is broken don't just put band-aids and glitter on the problems. If you really want to do what you said you were trying to do, that is give us freedom of choice, first of all do what you did when you re-balanced the game awhile back. Refund all the crystals spent on paint (not including speedup costs) and start from zero and let everyone rebuild with the new system. Then sell empty modules and let us fill them with what we want. Let us upgrade each protection separately then place them in the module. Set a limit on the maximum that each protection in the module can have. For example maximum protection in the single slot module 60% (Anyone willing to run around basically naked to everything else should be rewarded). Double and triple slot modules 50%. Then you could even add a 4 slot module at 35% or 40% maximum, or even more modules with lower protection levels. Of course all dependent on maintaining game balance. Then individual protections could be micro upgraded to 60% (the proposed maximum of single slot module) then when placed in a module it would automatically be adjusted to the max of that module if it's protection level is over that amount. Otherwise, if it is below that max then it would just stay at that level. So then each person would have the freedom to customize their protections to exactly what they feel they need for each battle by removing or adding specific protections that fit what they are facing. If you had put in such a simple system (even without the refund) I think people would have been more open to it. All you had to do was do what you said you were going to do instead of putting in the complicated monstrosity that you did. What people hate is being forced to buy certain protections over and over again with other protections that just don't make sense. To see all their hard work and effort be devalued tremendously. If you really want to make us happy and have us stay then do updates that make sense. Make it simple, make sure it allows real choice and is affordable. Also quit pricing paints at such ridiculous levels. I mean, REALLY, for example Africa going for 400000 crystals with no protection. That is just a stupid price for any paint. Also you need to reduce the ridiculous wait times for an upgrade to go into effect. Some upgrades are up in the 2 week wait time period area. That just promotes irritation or it's an out right play to get someone to spend crystals on a speed up. You keep saying that we need to trust you. But you also need to trust the community. Listen to it before it is too late. 40000 and dropping. How low does it have to go before you have to close up shop and go looking for another job?

Ask any long time player. I am sharing over 4 years of experience and observations here. Better yet just keep your head buried in the ground. You should apply as a developer, you would fit right in.

Evidently you are not completely reading my posts to this thread. But I will explain it to you one more time. Just a few years ago average peak players on the servers for Tanki online was over 100,000 players. With each silly update you have seen a steady decline in active players so that now the average peak players is in the mid 50,000 to low 60000 range. That to me means people are leaving the game. Yes daily graphs didn't change much on a day to day basis but over time there is an alarming trend of declining numbers of players taking place, and with this current heatedly disliked update it could possibly mean the end of the game. At the very least you will probably see another drop in average peak players. People who have spent so much time effort and money on the game are not going to put up with their efforts being devalued so drastically. You are now basically going to having to spend a lot more time effort and money to just stay competitive again, and especially with the ridiculous prices they are charging it is just going to far. This is an overly complicated and unwieldy update. Why couldn't they just let you see what protections and upgrades players have before entering a battle instead of being constantly distracted by having to hit "R" during a battle to see it. Evidently it was too simple though it accomplished the same thing. They said it would simplify and make it possible to pick what protections that you wanted. Not true, we still have to pick from the combinations that the developers have chosen for us, and they made it even more complicated. Just give us the empty slots and let us fill them. Once again to simple. They said said you can have the look you want. What they didn't say it would be ridiculously expensive. This is a terrible and not well thought out update that is going to drive even more from the game. At what point will the losses of people make the game unsustainable? It will soon reach that point if trends continue.

You are so right!

I do use real and easily checked facts. I wasn't aware that you could still access the player usage graph and would be greatful for your guidance in how to access it. But that being said the hard fact is that there is steady decline in the number of players of the game. The cause of that decline is the often pointless updates, like the current one, that detract from the game instead of improving and enhancing it.

It kept repeating because of the daily rotation of the earth and during certain times of the day more people play because that's when they are up, so peak time is usually when people in Europe and the US are awake. Don't ignore the facts just because you don't like them. If you like just graph the player numbers on the sign in page. It looks exactly like the graph they use to post but with much lower numbers than just a few years ago. If the numbers keep falling you will eventually get to a point of unsustainability and the game will die. And one of the main reasons is that no one is listening.

Peak players going from 100,000+ players down to 60,000's. They don't post the player graph anymore because it shows that Tanki is dying. They hide the games you can't play because of rank to show that the servers are empty. I remember times when 5 or 6 servers were full and couldn't be gotten on. Wake up

It has become plain to me that Tanki management and programmers really don't want to fix the real problems in the game. This update is purely a move to milk the dwindling number of players of tanki of the last bit of money they can squeeze out of them before the game finally goes belly up. I began playing over 4 years ago and truly enjoyed the game. It WAS at one time one of the best tank games out there. I have gone through many updates but this is worst one of all. It is confusing , unwieldy, and has made almost worthless the time money and effort that people have put into the game. I don't have to list all the problems with this update, just read through this thread. Most hate it, most never wanted it and most made those feelings known when the update was first announced, but these feelings were ignored. Many good ideas were put forward in those threads but none were listened too. So now we have this abortion that will, I think, finally bring this once great game to it's end. To get any benefit from the new paint scheme you are literally going to have to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on it. Many have worked hard to build up their garages and have seen it either destroyed or greatly reduced in value by this update, and I think most are not going to keep sinking money into this growing money pit to restore what they have lost. Game players used to number over 100,000 during peak times when I first started playing 4 years ago, now the average is in the 60,000 range. Where do we go from here 50, 40, 30 thousand or even lower? They keep taking away the things that made the game fun and give us pour ideas in return. They took away all the good spots that gave light hulls a chance against heavies. They screwed up the game mechanics from realistic physics in favor of flying, flipping, and climbing tanks so that battles now look more like dogs humping each other than actual tank battles. They keep messing around with everything and fix nothing so that we are now at a point that the game is no longer fun to the normal player. So have fun hackers, have fun bullies, and shame on you developers for ruining a once great game. Now I pass this last wish to those those who still dream of the fun tank game that tanki use to be - I truly wish for you that some developers will finally listen to you and save this game. So Good-bye and Good-night Tanki community I sadly leave hoping that someday that the developers will finally realize that success depends on keeping your customers happy and offering them a consistently good game that is enjoyable and not a pure money pit. Also where game problems are solved not just covered over by money grabbing updates.

I'm glad you got your medic kit at a reduced price, but please read my previous posts in this thread to understand the point I was trying to make. This was noted and understood by the thread monitors as is shown below. They understood what I was trying to say.

Thank you for the feed back. It's good to know that someone is monitoring these threads and takes notice. Just want you to know I still Love the game , That's why I'm still around. Oh and I do appreciate the Double Crystal bonus too. The only time I have bought is when I have gotten them.

WOW! I'm still getting a 50% sale. Over the last 4 days I've gotten 3 double crystal bonuses if I were to buy. Hmmm, I wonder why I wasn't getting any in the 2 week run up to the Tanki birthday sale? Interesting isn't it?

I would have to agree with your point. Yes I should be more diplomatic in my tone, but it is so irritating when so many are just drinking the koolaid. I do disagree with you on the point that double crystal bonuses just help a few. It would have helped all those people who normally do not buy. With the sale in combination double crystal bonus it would have made upgrades tremendously more affordable for the many who normally can't afford to buy, thus allowing them to be more competitive in the game. Everyone loves a sale, but when it really isn't a sale it kind of gets under may skin. So to those to whom I may have offended I would like to say sorry and also to ask you to always look behind the curtain to make sure that you are actually getting what you think you are. Well, I do make one concession. It was a good sale for those who had saved up their crystals that they had earned in battle, and I'm glad for them. And yes I am appreciative of the sale for them. But for most, it really wasn't a sale when you take into consideration a wider view of the purchasing economy of the game.

Another one who doesn't get the point and just drinks the Koolaid. The 50% off sale is really nothing without the double crystal bonus being given out. It's the same deal that you would get with a double crystal bonus. The only difference being is that you see a double crystal bonuses far more times during the year than you do sales. So this sale was nothing special. It's all smoke and mirrors. Also after looking at your profile page it looks like you seem to be a buyer too. No problem with me. Plus I would gladly put my skills up against yours anytime. Feel free to invite me anytime.

Guess what I got today. Yes the day after the sale is over. Yep I was right, I got my double crystal bonus. See, the sale was worthless. It didn't mean a thing. I could have bought crystals at the regular price and gotten the same 50% off value as I would if I were to buy crystals now with a double crystal bonus. The sale was only offered to make you think they were doing something ever so special. It only benefits those who just happen to have some crystals laying around. I guess they weren't interested in making money.

What you say is true except for a couple of outstanding facts. (1.) I haven't seen a double crystal bonus for over 2 weeks. So no pre-planning was possible. (2.) The powers that be only gave us a last minute notice as to what the sale would be and whether it was going to be worthwhile to purchase crystals. I was wanting to spend, and I was going to spend quite a bit. But I wasn't going to spend blindly. This sale should have been advertised a month ago with a huge build up. Then people would have planned 2 steps ahead. Lately the powers that be at Tanki seem to be ever so reluctant to do things that really benefit their customers. Yeah, whoopee, yeehaw! A 50% sale, but who did it really benefit? Not nearly as many as it could have. Also the developers more than likely missed out on a boatload of money that they could have made if more forthought had been put into this so called celebration. So no offense taken, but you should really think through what you are going say by really reading my previous posts before giving an opinion and see that what I'm critical of is the way that this sale was done so that only a few could benefit, and that it was just a show so that they can say - "Look at what we did, we gave you a 50% sale, see how wonderful we are." I get the same exact deal whenever I get a double crystal bonus. So how great of a sale is it really if double crystal bonuses are withheld?

Like I said 50% sale is meant to reward players and to celebrate the games anniversary. And with the way they seem to limit or withhold things, such as double crystal bonus, which they normally promote (like I said I normally get double crystal bonus at least once if not twice a week) to get you to spend money, It kind of makes that gesture of a 50% sale meaningless. Like I said If I normally get 50% off using a double crystal bonus, and I know most people who are smart wait for a double crystal bonus, what benefit do I get from the sale If I never see a double crystal bonus to go with that sale. None, nodda, zip. So I throw it out there, because maybe I've just been unlucky the last 2 weeks, Who has gotten a double crystal bonus to go with this sale?

I don't live to play the game I play to relax, so I've been a little slow ranking up. Sorry to disappoint. I have only really started to rank up in the last year and only started to buy this year, So when I buy something I want it to count, and when I notice a possible scam taking place it makes me a little angry

What makes me mad is when a sale isn't really a sale, and the current 50% sale for the Tanki birthday is a joke, unless you've already got a boatload of crystals laying around. Which most don't. I only buy when I get double crystal bonus. I haven't gotten one in 2 weeks for some strange reason. We didn't even know what the sale was going to be until just a few days before it started, so you really couldn't plan ahead and buy crystals with a double crystal bonus (if you had gotten one) for it because you didn't know if it would be worth it or not. Especially with the new changes to paints that were just announced. For me, with what is going on with this sale, it's no different than a double crystal bonus, which I usually get once or twice a week. I had plans to Micro upgrade a few things and buy a new hull. But with no double crystal bonus the sale is worthless to me. I know I know you're saying - " Awwww the poor buyer", but that is the whole point of the 50% sale, to get you to buy crystals, and to reward those who have supported the game (which I have for almost 4 years now). Well all I got to say is this - "If the developers have withheld double crystal bonuses to everyone or even most people they have missed out on a lot of cash for being so stupid." I would have even been happy to have gotten it on the last day of the sale, because the micro upgrades were what I really wanted to do. I waited until the last day of the sale to post this for that very reason because I have occasionally gotten double crystal bonuses during sales in the past. I bet within the next 3 days I get a double crystal bonus, but all I got to say to the developers is - "I'm so sorry this buyer is a buyer no longer, and you can kiss the money for a premium account good-bye too."

The 50% sale is a joke, unless you've already got a boatload of crystals laying around. Which most don't. I only buy when I get double crystal bonus. I haven't gotten one in 2 weeks for some strange reason. We didn't even know what the sale was going to be until just a few days before it started, so you really couldn't plan ahead and buy crystals with a double crystal bonus (if you had gotten one) for it because you didn't know if it would be worth it or not. Especially with the new changes to paints that were just announced. For me, with what is going on with this sale, it's no different than a double crystal bonus, which I usually get once or twice a week. I had plans to Micro upgrade a few things and buy a new hull. But with no double crystal bonus the sale is worthless to me. I know I know you're saying - " Awwww the poor buyer", but that is the whole point of the 50% sale, to get you to buy crystals, and to reward those who have supported the game (which I have for almost 4 years now). Well all I got to say is this - "If the developers have withheld double crystal bonuses to everyone or even most people they have missed out on a lot of cash." I would have even been happy to have gotten it on the last day of the sale, because the micro upgrades were what I really wanted to do. I waited until the last day of the sale to post this for that very reason because I have gotten double crystal bonuses occasionally during sales in the past. I bet within the next 3 days I get a double crystal bonus, but all I got to say to the developers is - "I'm so sorry this buyer is a buyer no longer, and you can kiss the money for a premium account good-bye too.

I think the main problem with this update is the BIG HUGE question of how Legacy paints are going to be folded into this new system. I think that that dog has been beaten nearly to death, with the best Solution being that from AbsoluteZero. Now as to a positive aspect of this update. I love the idea of being able to customize you protections. I don't know how many times I've tried deciding on a paint and the big question is what will give me the best protection with the least amount of compromise. It seems to me with the new system you will be able to maximize the the type of protection you want to have, and not to be forced into compromises because of pre-made paints. That is a huge plus. Now the next question is cost. Like has been mentioned before, it always seems with each so called improvement the costs go way up. Hopefully that won't happen with this one. If it does I think a lot of people are going to quit. Lastly a note to the developers, If you really want to improve things too, reduce the ridiculous wait times on upgrades, that would reduce the frustration level immensely around here. We pay for it, we shouldn't have to wait a week to get a really MINOR upgrade to a piece of equipment.

I would have to agree with AbsoluteZero on this well thought out plan. In order to unify the new paint protection scheme with the 3 and 4 turret protection legacy paints this is the plan that should be adopted because, as far as I've seen or even thought of on my own, it seems to be the most equitable and fair plan. It both unifies the paint system, and for those who have spent long days upgrading their paints, gives them an equitable solution that maintains game balance and doesn't make it seem they're getting ripped off and fleeced for more money.