I always play the less common maps, apart from the ones I despise (*cough Garder *cough* *cough* Valley *cough*). Farm is very popular. The reason peoplpe do not play less common maps, is because they don't want to test out a new style of gameplay. If they have found a big map they like (ie Kungur), they can't be bothered to test out a different map to see whether it has better gameplay. That is why often maps like Parma, Kolhoz and Skylark get ignored.

All the new reporters will be officially unmasked at the release of the newspaper on the 4th of October. Don't believe everything you hear.

Go play on Makarov if you want to waste drugs, you probably have 3k+ of each drug there already. Whats the reason to go on a dupe when you can play much more fun, hardcore battles at a higher rank, and you waste cash in the proccess?

Hichi go get a life, and stop wasting your cash on pointless drugs. Dats all Im gonna say.

Monthly Update Time. Happy Belated Birthday to applecome, Brainiac98-2, MusicJam19, Semyon Kirov, daboss123, JOWD, DarkSasuke9999, Theawesomecooldude, slobby_pig, Arctic_Lightning, cablaz, Tankidistroyer168, Galaxy_Peaguses, TRUNKS285345. smashman777, bydolord, DikshantTalwar, husto, slash1524, laserdart, 32clemente, asdf35, buster321, Nirmaleer, The_Ice_Drago, awkstremer, ninja.cow, justoriginal, HichigoShiro, Dihos, Gauti09, niknik655, GENERATOR2142, plucky, Pretty_Swagg, kammerslaier, superhero578, domxxe65 and mundee! Happy Birthday eduardos123!

Of all the paints in the game, Acid. Is. The Best. Deal with it haters.

After last issue's successful edition of "In the Community Spotlight" with lizerdgirl108, I decided to continue GoldRock's series. This edition we have interviews with the new reporter candidates. We have six new English reporters this issue with us, and I thought I would give them all a short interview to introduce them to you all. So here goes. ArchangeI hogree: Hey, ArchangeI. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and who you are? Archangel: Sure. My name is Ilia, I was born in Ukraine 20 years ago, but I've lived all over Europe and I love to travel. Naturally, I learned English a lot earlier than my mother tongue, which is Russian. I finished Cambridge College a few years back, with excellent scores in Language and Literature, but my passions were for the Arts, so I enrolled in Graphic Design. For the last few years I live in Bosnia – working as a volunteer, and a part-time Web Designer (since no one pays me for volunteering). My hobbies are photography, music (I play quite a few instruments), snowboarding and others, in which I frequently indulge. I like Tanki as well, of course, though more for the community than the game itself. I play on a Hornet+Rail, and I’ve never bothered to buy any paint, as I think anything cheaper than 150k is pretty useless on a light hull. Just days ago I was accepted into the Creative League by winning the Battle for Helios contest, which is an awesome honor for me. You can probably expect to see some of my work soon. hogree: Awesome. When did you join Tanki, and what made you interested in taking up the job of Reporter? Archangel: I joined Tanki over a year ago, having been invited by my best friend @michael_forsage, but I got bored quite fast and left. In June, however, I rediscovered TO, and this time it pulled me in for good. When the reporter recruitment came along, my attitude was closer to “better give it a shot than just give up”. I never considered myself a good writer. But apparently I am capable of a thing or two, and I was genuinely surprised by some of the pieces I wrote. But now that I’m here, I’m determined to put everything I’ve got into writing for the community. hogree: Neat. Now. if you could think of three words just off the top of your head to describe yourself, what would they be? ArchangeI: Three words? That should be difficult. Artistic, ambitious, lazy. To be honest, I don't know how the latter two go together, but at the same time they both describe me fairly well. hogree: Okay... what about if you could choose one super-power to have? ArchangeI: One super power? I've heard this question many a time, but I've never come up with an answer for myself. I think I'd like to be able to connect with people. It's a very difficult power to describe. It's not just telepathy or mind-reading, but being able to share soul and mind. I think so many amazing things could stem from that one power. hogree: Yup, that sounds cool. If you had to choose one of the reporters to be your mentor, who would you choose? ArchangeI: Probably Lham, as his style of writing is very close to mine. Though I want learn from all of you, I won't go as far as to learn to write in a new style - I'd rather strengthen what I already know. hogree: Okay. Lastly, as a new reporter, could you give us a sneak-peek as to what sort of articles you'll be writing in the future? Do you specialise in any sort of articles? Archangel: I've had plenty of ideas as far as what to write. Anything, as long as it's not a Novel or a Humor piece. I like writing tutorials on game play, on designing. I like to interview people. I like analysing game statistics, and summarising them for people to understand and benefit from them. I like to make educational videos. I also like to translate well-written Russian articles, and adapt them to be interesting for the English community as well. For the present time nothing much has been happening, and similarly not many ideas have popped into my mind, but there are a few - like interviewing some staff and respected members of the community about their opinion on the new physics, in order to get a well-balanced report. I'd also like to translate quite a few interesting Russian articles, and slowly publish them here - I think some players will find them interesting. hogree: Kkay. :) Thanks dude. Archangel: My pleasure. Vikingsrall hogree: Yo Vikingsrall. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and who you are? Vikingsrall: I am the infamous Vikingsrall. Most know me from the old clan DC and I am a Cybersport Commentator. I'm a tennis and baseball player. I enjoy listening/playing music. hogree: Okay. So when did you join Tanki, and what made you interested in the reporter role? Vikingsrall: I joined Tanki in the summer of 2011. I've been interested in a job as a reporter for quite a while and I've always wanted to because of the opportunity to write and create things for the community and I'm excited to be finally doing it. I hope I can contribute to the newspaper and community in a good way. :) hogree: Okay, great. If you could think of three words that best describe yourself, what would they be? Vikingsrall: Agile, Diligent, Unusual. hogree: And what about if you could choose one super-power to have? Vikingsrall: I would want telekinesis. It would make almost everything you do easier. You could multitask easier, save the glass of milk from falling off the counter, pick up tennis balls without having to bend over, go without discomfort you get from having to get up from where you are to get something on the other side of the room, etc. hogree: Good idea! Now, if you could choose one of the current reporters for a mentor, who would you choose? Vikingsrall: Hmm, I would choose Valletta as a mentor. I like his style of writing and I hope I can produce pieces as entertaining as his. hogree: Great. Finally, could you give us a sneak-peek as to what you will be writing in the future? Do you specialise in anything? Vikingsrall: I'm primarily focusing on writing stories, but I do hope to do some other things as well. I will be expanding on my entry for the reporter job, "Theft at the Factory", and be looking into how paints got their names. :P hogree: Okay great. Thanks for your time! Vikingsrall: No problem :) Fjelstad1678 hogree: Hi Fjelstad! Could you firstly tell us a bit about yourself and who you are? Fjelstad1678 Hi, Hogree! Well, I am a 14 year old living in Minnesota, USA. It's a little agricultural area and we don't see much action. I am currently a Freshman in high school and am part of the school's chess club. I spend most of my free time playing Tanki and doing some part time YouTubing. hogree: Neat. So when did you join Tanki, and what made you interested in becoming a Reporter? Fjelstad1678: That is a bit of a hard question! I technically "joined" Tanki way back in 2010. It was on an account that I no longer have. I had forgotten about the game for about a year after that. In the fall of 2011, I re-found it and made "Fjelstad1678". I feel that is when I joined Tanki. I have wanted to be a reporter for quite a while now. Back even since the Tanki English Newspaper's first days. I guess I really just liked the idea of entertaining others. Really neat to think about the people all around the globe reading your stories. :) hogree: Okay. Now, how about if you were asked for three words that would describe you best? How would you answer? Fjelstad1678: Not good at counting. :D Ok, now honestly: Kind and intelligent. hogree: Lolz. Well, if you could choose one super hero power, what would it be and why? Fjelstad1678: Ohh, classic one. Umm, I would probably have to go with… teleportation. It seems like it would be really cool to be able to get to any place on Earth or beyond just with the snap of your fingers. hogree: Right, now what about if you could choose one reporter to be your mentor? Who would you choose? Fjelstad1678: Oh man, I can only pick 1? Well, if I had to pick one, I would probably choose Valletta because he has helped me before and I enjoy his personality. hogree: Right. Lastly, as a new reporter, what sort of material can we be expecting from you? Is there anything you particularly specialise in? Fjelstad1678: I have a story that I was writing earlier that's main plot is during the WWII era. I have a feeling it is going to be a good one, so look out for it! I plan to write a lot of stories because I feel I am good at writing them. I may write some reviews and maybe a occasional contest as well. hogree: Awesome! Thanks for your time. Fjelstad1678: You're welcome! bdeck hogree: Hey bdeck, nice to speak to you today. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and who you are? bdeck: Hello. I'm a teacher, and my nephew introduced me to Tanki. Prior to that, I mostly played chess online. I'm married, I have two small children, and when I'm not online I like camping and being outdoors. Before starting teaching, I was a professional journalist for several years. hogree: Nice. So, when did you join Tanki, and what made you interested in the reporter job? bdeck: I started playing a few months back, and the reporter position interested me because it's just a natural fit for my skill set. Also, I'd like to contribute something to the community. hogree: Sure. Now, what three words do you think describe you best? bdeck: 3 Words: Daddy, Teacher, Journalist. hogree: Okay! Now, what about if you could have a super-power... what would you choose? bdeck: I would pick the ability to fly, assuming I also had super strength. It's the only way I'd ever be able to take the family on an international vacation. hogree: Lol. Okay. Finally, as a new reporter, could you give us a sneak-peek as to what sort of articles you will be writing? Do you have a certain type of article you particularly specialise in? bdeck: I'm best with interviewing people and writing straightforward news. I'd like to write about tournaments, and I'd love to interview a developer one day, although I don't speak Russian so it might be hard to do that. hogree: Great, thanks a lot for your time! bdeck: No problem. hithere1 hogree: Hi there, hithere! :P Could you tell us a bit about yourself, and who you are? hithere1: I am hithere1, you can call me hit - or hi there. I am a teenager who likes to play football and team sports and activities. I was born in England and I currently live in England. I started college this september, and my aim is to finish college and to go to university in September 2015. I am a helpful guy who loves to provide support for those in need. I want to be successful in life, just as many others would too! hogree: K. When did you join Tanki, and what made you interested in becoming a reporter? hithere1: I joined Tanki online whilst at school. It was in June 2012, during the Euro 2012. When I created my account, I only thought I would play Tanki Online just for that day. However my plan failed and I continued to play Tanki Online. It was so fun at that time, especially when I drove into a "gold box". I didn't realise that it was a gold box until I saw that my crystals increased around 10 minutes later! I didn't know there was a reporter team until a few months after I joined the forum. I've been inspired by the amazing talents from the reporter team. I always read guides and it helped me a lot. hogree: Lol cool! Now, if you had to choose three words to describe yourself, what would they be? hithere1: Loyal, helpful and trustworthy. hogree: Okay, now what about if you had to choose a superpower for yourself? What would you choose? hithere1: Superhuman speed, it’s always good to be fast. I’m a fast runner that’s the easiest reason why. But for deadlines I need to be fast and I need the ability to work hard and work fast. hogree: If you had to choose one of the reporters to be a mentor, who would it be? hithere1: I'm not sure, it wouldn't be fair if I chose one of my friends, but if I did I would choose loktinho or I would opt to choose hogree. hogree: Thanks. :P As a new reporter, could you give us a sneak-peek to what sort of articles you'll be writing in the future? Is there anything you particularly specialise in? hithere1: I will most likely be writing guides, or articles. The guides and articles will be about weapons, hulls, strategies and even gameplay. Enjoy! hogree: Okay great. Thanks a lot for your time. hithere1: Its okay, you're welcome. aojsd hogree: Yo aojsd. Nice to speak to you. Could you tell us a bit about yourself, and who you are? aojsd: My name is Michael, I live in the US and I'm 14 years old. My parents are Chinese, and as a result I know a decent amount of Mandarin Chinese. In school I'm learning French, and I'm able to speak some simple sentences in it. My best and favorite subjects in school would have to be both math, or maths in many other countries, history, and science. I'm not completely sure what I want to be doing once I graduate, but currently I'm quite interested in both astronomy and physics. My hobbies include math, chess, tennis, and fencing. I like to say that I'm pretty good at chess. I've been playing it for 7 or 8 years, last year I became the 8th grade champion in the state that I live in, New Jersey, and I also helped my school team win the National Chess Championship in the K-9 section at a tournament with more than 5000 people participating. Of course, I also enjoy playing Tanki quite a bit. Recently I bought Wasp M2, and I absolutely love it. The speed is quite addicting in my opinion. Currently my most used combo is Wasp+Thunder, although I plan on getting Smoky m2 in the near future. I almost always use the paint Rustle whenever I play. Other than that I don't have much else to say, other than that I'm extremely excited for writing for the newspaper, and I hope that whatever I write is entertaining for all the readers of the community. :D hogree: Cool! So, when did you join Tanki? And what made you interested in becoming a reporter? aojsd: I joined Tanki somewhere in 2011 (you can find out a more exact date by clicking on my profile) when I overheard some of my friends talking about it in school. What made me truly very interested in becoming a reporter was the opportunity for me to share and improve upon my story writing and journalism skills, seeing that I will soon be joining my school newspaper as well. Obviously the crystals are nice, but they're more like a, "Good job!" instead of being my main motivation. hogree: Right. Now, if you could choose three words to describe you best, what would you choose? aojsd: Receptive, Respectful, Intelligent hogree: Okay. Now, what about if you could choose a super-power for yourself? aojsd: I would choose extreme speed without tiring, because then if I were to be attacked I would be able to avoid them and escape or fight back without being hit myself. Also, I've always wanted to be able to do parkour, and if I was incredibly fast, I would have the momentum to allow me to do cool flips or wall jumps/runs and other things. hogree: Sure. If you could choose one of the reporters as a mentor for you, who would you choose? aojsd: This one's hard, before I would've chosen Goldrock, I absolutely loved his humor articles, but seeing that he's no longer a reporter, I'd probably say Valletta. I found his "Tanki-Tech and its Analogies" article quite funny, and I really enjoyed reading his stories which, unlike many of the other stories in the newspaper, involved both humans playing Tanki and characters in-game. hogree: Okay. Finally, could you give us a sneak-peek into what sort of stuff you will be writing in the future? Is there anything you specialise in particularly? aojsd: Currently I plan on writing an article based on my experiences coming back to playing Tanki after almost a year of inactivity. The character, if I decide to write it as a story, would go through the challenges and discoveries of the rebalance, and also see what it was like to see one's friends and former clan members at much higher ranks than before. As for the kinds of articles I particularly specialize in, I enjoy writing fictional stories, especially ones that revolve around a plot that I can relate to. hogree: Right, thanks a lot for your time!! aojsd: No problem. __________________________________________________________ And those, my dear readers, are our new reporters! Please welcome them with us, the reporter team, and wish them the best for their writing! Feel free to ask questions to any of them, and I'm sure they would be happy to answer. Who do you reckon will be the best reporter out of these lot? Don't be scared to share below! :ph34r:

Remember Update 123? Yeah. Rebalance? Hmm, yeah. Graphics Update? Just about... Shaft Release.. urrrr right at the back of my memory.. well, I'm sure none of you would have been around right at the beginning, right when the first changes were occuring in the game we play today. In this series of articles, I'm going to looking back over the game's history, and how it got to the situation it is at today. This issue's article will be going through the first part of 2011. ______________________________ Previous articles in this series: Read Part 1 Here (Beginning - December 2009) Read Part 2 Here (January 2010 - June 2010) Read Part 3 Here (July 2010 - December 2010) _____________________________________ It was now 2011. The New Year party had just finished, though the 25% discount had run on into January. Though it was still Christmas season, developers weren't taking a rest yet. Definitely not. New Year's Day. Chill out right? Well, tankmen were able to celebrate the new year in style, as not only was there the midnight party, but a couple of new maps hit planet Tanki too. Valley, arguably the least-played map ever was added to the game (I mean come on guys, who, apart from Tanki addicts, can remember what Valley even looks like, let alone remember playing it?), as well as Courage, which could probably be a good fighter for second place, especially since the map rank limits recently set put Courage as a map only playable for ranks General+. (Saying that, as I was writing this bit, I just popped onto the server, and saw a Courage. Oh well.) Though the first day of January signaled a release of a couple of maps, it was a relatively quiet month in regards to game news. However, a few things were updated such as the return of the “Search System” in the Hall of Fame, the return of the “Bonuses” button when creating a No Supplies Battle (allowing freedom in creating a NS battle as regards to allowing drops or not), an update on Battle Creation form, and problems were solved regarding email, private battles and referral links. On top of that, the end of the month signaled the release of the epic “Update 1.50”. To be honest, nothing really happened, apart from basic solving of lags. But it was still a good landmark for the devs to make. The month quickly passed as the cold of the winter kept people indoors playing Tanki, and the player base grew. So much so that the Hall of Fame began to store too much information, and the developers needed to change the searching system on the Hall of Fame on the 1st of February to help keep it running up to necessary speeds. The temperature was warming up (well, at least, in the West), and so too was the Tanki updates, as February arrived. A couple of days after the Hall of Fame changes, a big update hit the blocks for Tanki. Among this update were the typical reduce-lag-speed-up-Tanki updates, but also, a few relatively interesting things were added to the game. One of the more prominent updates of the day was the release of the “Buy” button. The “Buy” button at the top of your gaming screens before this didn't exist. I remember the days when there was just a tiny Shopping Cart, next to your crystal allowance for you to click when you wanted to buy. However, the developers realised that wasn't so visible, so they decided to add a clear “Buy” Button in replacement. As well as this came large updates to the rank-up process. Ranking up now would bring up a huge message on your screen, signaling your new rank. Before this, there had just been a yellow flash on your points bar, and no message on your screen. I remember the first time I ranked up after this update (at Master Sergeant), and the massive words that filled my screen! Later, the words were shrinked to stop hindering game play so much. I'm sure we all also know the experience of leaving a battle after ranking up and having a pile of weapons, tanks and hulls we can now unlock chucked at us in a list on the lobby. This list of “new stuff” was added on this day so that players could see what they had just unlocked. The days stretched past in the Tanki departments, as players started to get back to “Summer” mode again, as the Christmas decorations, flags and supplies were changed back to the original summer look. On the 11th of February, another few updates hit Tanki. Most prominent among these was the release of a new Daily Bonus gift for players. You probably can guess. The infamous Double Crystal Card. Though the release led me to get my first and only purchase of crystals in my entire Tanki career, it was greeted by mixed reactions by everyone, and still is. However, there's no doubt that its a very useful gift for buyers. Along with this was the release of a new holiday paint for the upcoming holiday Valentine's Day. My brother, skitee, co-incidentally was infatuated with this paint. You can probably guess the colour. Pink. Lags, once again, were reduced (you can tell the Tanki Tech support weren't holding back with their lag reduction at this point) and a few in-game glitches solved. Two days later, there was an introduction to the game that was something quite unique in the entire history of Tanki. Introduced into the game was a weapon like no other, a weapon of epic proportions. The greatest weapon ever, introduced into the battlefield. Some will know it, some won't. But we all know it as the one and only Smoky XT. To sum up Smoky XT in one word, it would be this – Over-powered. The weapon was brought out, with an alert that it would only be around for one week, however, and that there would be no refund for crystals spent on it. It had the damage of an M3 Thunder and the reload of a Smoky however, and its power was unbeatable. But the price tag of 3950 crystals (39,500 in today's currency – and remember that that many crystals in the old days were very special, especially considering the unlock rank of Smoky XT was at the minute rank of WO2.) steered people away from it. Only the few rich buyers decided to cash out on it. However, the developers noticed the problem, and two days later, upped the already over-powered damage from 16-36 damage per shot, to 26-46! Now people seriously considered getting the weapon. For a week, Smoky XT's everywhere dominated the higher-ranking battlefield in particular. To catch some game play of Smoky XT, watch a video here showing the power of this weapon. As a Smoky XT craze was passing through Tanki, the developers were changing payment systems slightly, and preparing for two main updates that were in their plans, and they had told the players were coming soon – the new weapon, Shaft, and Tanki 2.0. On the 17th of February, they also changed registration systems in the game and also on the forum, as now players under the rank of Gefreiter could no longer post on the forum. The 23rd of February celebrated a special holiday in Russia, the “Defender of the Fatherland” Day. In honour of the day, a 23% discount landed on Tanki (due to the date), bringing joy to most of the players, and annoyance to the noobs who wanted a 25% discount, and weren't happy with 23%. A new Holiday Paint also joined the game. There was also a new incentive for people to buy for the first time, as there would be a 100 crystal bonus for the first-time buyer. That may sound like very little, but for a noob rank who could pay only a minute amount for their first purchase and receive almost triple the amount they paid for, it was a very welcome update. This too, was an incentive, for me to buy crystals, so after this update, I immediately purchased some crystals, my only buy in my three years of playing Tanki. February passed by, after a busy month, and Tanki entered March as its player base grew. On the 4th of March, the Tanki developers realised that their player base was getting so large that they needed extra servers, so four new servers were launched. The same day held another couple of updates as the Nitro effect on frozen tanks was enhanced so that people under the effect of Freeze would be able to feel a speed boost, even before their freeze ran out. Also came the new Holiday Paint for the International Women's Day, which was coming up on the 9th March. Specially for the day, every tankman was given a Double Crystal Card. It was quite a novelty back then to get a DCC, as it was a rare Daily Bonus, so, believe it or not, there was a happy reception to the free DCC given out to everyone. Apart from that, March was a month of little activity as for game news. However, the build-up to Tanki 2.0 was reaching boiling point. Pictures had been released of the new look, and the people who would come with the tanks, and the likes of this. Also, the Google sketchup map-making was on a thriving at that time on the forum, as people began to create map ideas for 2.0 plans. On the 16th of March, Tanki celebrated their 2nd million player. Again, the lucky player was given a free T-Shirt and mug to celebrate the landmark they had made. Little would they know that only 30 months later, they would have reached nearly 35 million players! Towards the end of the month, minor updates to the registration form, and small changes to the map Courage were noted down by PNAU, but April quickly approached. The first things of notice occurred midway through April. Two main events occurred on April 11th. The one that is most significant and most prominent in Tanki News was definitely the release of a map like no other. Madness had been mad enough, but this was on a level of mad, which didn't even compare. Space Madness. Now, you guys might think, “Well, maybe its just a bit like Moon Silence, except its Madness.” You couldn't be more wrong. Space Madness. The game play was completely absurd. But fun! The zero gravity feel to it left many players kicking their keyboards in annoyance, but it was exciting in its own way too. And it made for some awesome kills. One of the best Tanki kills I have ever seen in my whole Tanki history recorded can be watched here – one of my best friends in real life videoed the moment. ;) However, this map was not around for that long, only a few months before it was taken down. Anyway, it wasn't for serious battlers, just for a bit of fun. Along with this, was perhaps a more monumental moment in Tanki's English history. The clan “Dare Devils” was created on April 11th 2011, that very day, by Molina, a pre Shadow Strikers members who had a vision that splitting up could lead to the first proper clan wars in the history of Tanki. Before this, it had only be Shadow Strikers as the sole clan. It was successful. DD flourished (probably because I joined right near the beginning :P) and clans begun to slowly grow in the Community. The next updates were on April 21st, as Massacre's player availability grew from only 3 players per team to 5 players per team, creating a more exciting gamep lay arena for the players. Many players started to play Massacre, as the flags in the centre of the map and having the enemy flag in your side made for quick captures and exciting game play. Also, a couple of glitches were sorted out, such as taking a flag beneath you from a level above (i.e. taking a flag on the ground from on top of it on a bridge.) May hit the scenes, and the excitement rose for the release of 2.0 on June 4th and similarly for the upcoming release of the new weapon, Shaft. On the 9th of May, however, another famous holiday lit up Tanki – the yearly Victory Day celebration was to be celebrated with a special new temporal drop box. The 50 crystal box was added to the game, which would drop each about every 200-300 fund. This was at the time of the 700 Gold Box, so it was great for players who didn't play such long battles to be able to get the chance to hunt down a box in smaller battles. Along with this came a neat-looking Holiday Paint to celebrate. Tanki progressed through May and the 16th of May held a big update to game rules, as moderators began to press on their dictatorship on Tanki. As the summer approached, another clan that has lasted through the years appeared on the scene. On the 20th of May, The Ironclads was created as an unofficial clan, by chriswu, and it lives on to this day, like Dare Devils. I joined from day 1 of IC, and still am in it to this very day. That's probably the reason why its still alive, to be honest :P This was during the influx of "Unofficial clans" on the forum, as people who were lower ranks and wanted a clan started to create clans and grow. Only a couple of the unofficial clans actually managed to thrive for a while - The Ironclads and C00kies Cr3w. All the same, Tanki in-game updates were getting serious too. Three days later, on the 23rd, a few large updates hit Tanki. Most prominent among these were the additions of two new maps. Atra II (Who even plays that), and Rift, both made by Flanagun, the Russian administrator, were added to the battlefield. Rift, in particular, in its first few days was extremely popular. Keyboard controls also had an update on this day, as the function of using “Q & E” as controls for camera view was added to the game for the first time. This was an extremely useful update, as many players had struggled to use Pg Up and Pg Down on their keyboards as a control for camera view. The following day, Tanki gained a fantastic award in gaining “Best Technology Award” for their AE3D8 engine, which they were using to create 2.0, at the Russian KRI 2011 Awards. A video showing the graphics they were planning for 2.0 can be watched here. The irony came when the news hit three days later... but I'm not going to spoil it for you. Read on. Now, for a proper update as you players might call it. A garage release was on its way, and players celebrated! 26th May, a couple of days later, was the set date, and it arrived right as planned. Three of the most renowned paints from before the rebalance, and still after the rebalance, entered the battlefield. They were each to give massive protections on the main three weapons of the day at the latter end of the ranks – Thunder, Freeze and Ricochet. Their names? Emerald, Inferno and Zeus. These paints gave a new sense of rivalry in the upper-rank battlefield - as the best paints in the game, there was suddenly a more intense battlefield, and the brilliant looks on them, particularly Emerald in my opinion, made for new paint goals in the future. The happiness of the news that they had three new paints only managed to last with many of the players for one day, as horrific news reached players' ears on the following day. The news on 2.0 had been quite little the previous month, so players were getting unsure about the release, but it was announced that the inevitable had happened. Tanki 2.0 had been postponed. The players disappointment was evident, as the delay stretched on for the 2.0 they had seen videos about, and looked forward to so much. However, to brighten up the players' spirits, Tanki released pictures of the coming weapon, Shaft, at the end of May - the weapon which was set to come out in June. Players' excitements grew as they waited to see the new game play it would bring. Another celebration came on June 4th, as it was Tanki's second birthday! The developers celebrated by throwing out double daily bonuses for three days, and even doubling the gold box value for the celebrations. It was a happy time for the players. Now, contests had always been few and far between for players on the English side of Tanki. There had been an interesting sort of competition during 2010 in the English side of Tanki, trying to get players to spread the news of Tanki over Forums, and the like. Players were given 300 crystals (3000 in today's currency) for each different forum they posted a topic about Tanki in, for up to a maximum of 10 forums each player. More information about this interesting contest can be found here. However, that had not been really any contest for the English players yet in 2011. The English players were envious of the Russians, who had epic contests such as Tanki "trailer" contests, and even the competition going on at that present time in the Russian side - the famous "Miss Tanki Online 2011". However, English people were to get contests soon, but not as yet... the first contest was in July 2011 for the English players, so there was still a bit more of a wait left... June speedily passed, as the player base grew in the game and in the forum. However, right at the end of June, just before the midway point of Tanki, a massive update hit Tanki. Most notable among the updates was the huge release of the ultimate weapon. You all know it. Shaft. Shafts release was exciting for many players, but to most it was a let-down. The power and ability of the weapon wasn't strong in comparison to the other M3 Weapons, and they were disappointed at the release they had looked forward to for so long. Tanki were to update the weapon later on in the year, but we'll find out about that in next issue's edition of "In the Beginning Tanki". Buried under the news of Shaft release came small updates. For one, Daily Bonus was edited so it could be given out to all ranks, right from the very beginning. Also, Sandbox was added for high ranks as well as low ranks, as previously Sandbox had only been a map for newbies. This was a big update, considering the way that Sandbox is all so popular at the high ranks nowadays, rather than the low ranks. And we close off this issue's edition of In the Beginning Tanki there, just a couple of days after the release of Shaft, as the second part of 2011 begins. To finish this historic article, I find it necessary to find a good video to show you about Tanki in this period. Though me and my brother made a video for a video contest right at the end of 2010 (you can watch THAT here), the second-position video was a fantastic example of game play in this period. I probably should have posted it in last month's edition, as it was published at the end of 2010, but its still a great video that relates to this period of Tanki as well. Note: I mentioned lots of Holiday Paints in this article. If you want to look at lots of the ancient holiday paints, feel free to check out this topic which shows many of the holiday paints in 2010 and 2011. Please comment upon what you can remember from this period, if anything, and feedback will be always appreciated!

Thats only if Drops are off in the NS Battle, and its rare to find a NS battle without drops.

He has a fair point, but the thing is that if Server 27 becomes famous, and is updated about on Tanki News, people will get passes at all ranks, and gameplay will be enhanced so that NS battles are limited to Server 27. I approve of this idea.

A picture of Madness.

Bump, cus epic.

Too much face-paint. :ph34r:

No, I'm not writing about how Fjelstad1678 was born. This was written by @Fjelstad1678, among our new reporter candidates! This was his writing sample written in his application to become a reporter! ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ “Birth of a Tank” There I was. I don’t recall how I got there, and I couldn’t tell you to save my life. I can tell you this however. Wherever I did come from, it was incredibly hot. That was all I felt as I was slowly moved forward to my unknown destination. Heat. Searing heat. I tried to open my eyes, but something didn’t let me. I tried to scream, but all that came was a massive grinding noise. With a sudden jolt, I found myself being lifted. This was the point when I had begun to panic. I was still burning hot and blind, and now I felt as if I was in mid-air! I was working my mind to pieces trying to come to some logical solution when I felt the tension suddenly release. With a loud swishing noise and a constant boiling-like noise, I felt myself get placed into some sort of incredibly unstable substance. I was brought to some relief, however, to find the heat begin to fade away. After a few more gratifying seconds in the substance, I was jerked up again. I suddenly realized how outstandingly loud the area around me was. There were lots of banging sounds and loud clanks and some noises that seemed like metal scraping metal, a lot like the grinding noise that occurred when I tried to yell. After a few more airborne seconds, I was quite obnoxiously slammed into another moving platform. A whirring clatter came from above and began placing circular mechanisms on my sides. While they were being violently attached, I began to realize exactly how outstandingly large I was. The platform I was on suddenly lunged forward. Something I past placed a long piece of flexible metal along my side. Shortly after, the platform screeched to a halt and almost flung me and my newly gained, what I assumed were wheels, off its edge. A large clank came from both sides of me and the long noodle-like straps were bound around the wheels, almost like the tracks of a large tractor. Wait, tracks? That got my mind thinking. What on this great Earth could be going on? With a loud bang, something hit me on the front with incredibly force. Once I recovered from the blow, I found that I could see! It was only a small slot of vision, like I was peering through some type of viewport. From what I could see, it was a huge, dimly lit hallway. There were all sorts of machines and devices lining the walls, ceiling, and floor. It appeared that most of the lighting in the room was being emitted from behind me. Sparks were also flying around everywhere, almost as if the floor was on fire, or, well, at least something was. The platform that I was on was actually some sort of conveyor belt, and it was moving me surprisingly quickly for how heavy I assumed I must be. At this point, I actually started to calm down for the first time since I could ever remember. Something inside me started to believe that everything was going to turn out and I would be out of this mess as quickly as I had gotten into it. Something still seemed missing however, and I felt I was rather… well, empty. I was suddenly shocked to see a shadow of a large object slowly getting lowered down from somewhere above me. The shadow appeared to be a large, almost like a square tennis racket shaped box. With a large clang, I felt a decent amount of weight get placed on top of me. A sudden burst of extreme pain erupt when what felt like a million bees began stinging me around the area of contact. I closed my eyes and prayed for the agony to end, and as quick as it started, it ceased. When I opened my eyes, I found that I suddenly had a substantially greater field of view and I seemed to feel higher up. It was like it had become part of me. Like an addition to a clean running machine. Only then did it finally occur to me. I was a machine. I had no idea what my purpose in life would be from that point on, but I knew I was a mechanical beast. But, if I was a machine, why did I seem to be so heavy? The platform began to approach what appeared to be a large engine block suspended from some sort of crane. Once it was out of view above me, the crane started to make a whirring noise. Once the engine was placed, it felt like they had slung on a rather heavy backpack. The conveyor line churned back to life, and I began to think once again. Why would a machine need such a large engine? I then remembered the tracks that they had placed a ways back in the line. Was I supposed to travel? I knew that some machines moved short distances to move things, but to move long distances? Vehicles such as cars or trucks moved long distances, but I was no standard car. What could I possibly be used for? As I moved along the belt, more and more devices were placed inside my back. Some things caught my view such as a cooling system, a giant battery, a green paint job, and a unusual looking computer system. A further ways forward, I began to see a dim light at the end of the long hallway. Could this finally be it? Am I almost done with this nightmare? As I continued to move along, the glow grew continuously stronger and I got more and more curious about what anyone would ever need something like me for. About 20 meters from the exit tunnel, I saw it. It was right then that it occurred to me. What I was. What I was meant for. What I would soon become. It was an ammunition rack. I was suddenly drained of all emotions but fear for the 30 seconds that followed. An ammo rack. I was a battle tank. A giant machine of mass destruction. It was all incredibly obvious when I think back on it. I guess I had always assumed I was being created with good intentions. As I reached the mouth of the tunnel, I was left with a feeling of impending doom. Knowing what tanks do, what can happen to one, and that you are one, does seem to leave a bitter taste in your mouth. The tunnel ended up not being as long as I had begun to hope. After about 3 minutes of being dragged along by the conveyor belt, I was partially blinded as I slid off the belt into a brightly lit room. Once I regained my vision, I realized the rest of the room was filled with other tanks much like myself. One that was slightly larger and had a more intricate paint scheme rumbled forward. It spoke to me in a very deep, mechanical voice: “Greetings, new soldier. Welcome to the Tank-I military program. Your serial does read 1678, correct?” I do not know how, but somehow, I just knew that he was correct. “Yes, sir.” I was surprised to hear my own voice. Something that was put in since I first tried to yell must have added it. “Very good then.” He said. “You seem confused and I must explain. You are in the largest tank producing factory in the known galaxies currently. You have been specifically built for the Tank-I military, one of the greatest in this world.” I was not incredibly surprised to hear that. The technology that was placed inside my tank looked absolutely amazing. “War has broken out on this planet once again” he continued. “The nation of Tank-I has ordered another 5,000 of your model, the Thundering Mammoth. It is one of the most reliable designs ever made.” I, again, was not surprised to hear that. “So sir, is there a high chance of my destruction?” I asked. “Not at all, 1678. You see, war is almost unending at this point in time. Once a combat vehicle is destroyed, it has a special computer system that you may have seen installed. Do not worry, it cannot be destroyed. That computer will disassemble your atoms, transfer them to a location a decent distance away from the main battle, and re-assemble them in the correct places. You may feel some pain when you get hit up a bit, but nothing too severe.” “Thank you sir, that is a relief.” I really meant it. Now that I knew I could not die, being a tank sounded kind of cool. “Now, lets get you started” the large tank said. A small arm appeared from the wall beside me and tweaked something deep in my internal compartments. Suddenly, the engine roared to life. I began to grin (well, as much as a tank can) as the turntable beneath me turned me to face a door to my right. I remembered I had a turret and turned it to face the leader. “Thank you so much.” “Thank me by fighting a good fight. Now move out!” As I rolled forward, the rest of the tanks in the room aimed up and fired a salute. I will never forget that day. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Written by Fjelstad1678, a new reporter candidate!

Mkkmkk999.

Cor, just noticed, 5k posts. Neat, taken me 3 years to get to it..

Give me one reason why you would be deluded enough to want to sell your crystals. Crystals are your money. Thats like me saying "Hey guys, I have £1, I want to sell it, any takers, bids starting at £1."

Is he back for good? :o

You da best! B)

http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=162890

Pfft, Miss Tanki Online always has and always will be primarily about looks, particularly in the Russian side (Since there are generally more older players on their side). Even the developers judge on looks.

Very Impressive Lham! :o

As I have said before, I like FBI as a guy. Just not so sure about him becoming a consultant administrator. Lets leave it at that.

#swag. Man, one day I'm going to take over Hamster's job at designing photos...