Updated.

If you look outside your window and notice a flock of people looking down at their phones and seemingly walking nowhere, one can assume they are playing the latest and greatest game to become a smash hit in the industry: Pokémon GO. It is the latest game to be released around the virtual world of fictional animals that are kept as personal pets and used to battle each other. It's also the latest in virtual reality games that aim to bring such games within the bounds of our lives - and as I am about to explain, it has infiltrated a macro audience. I'll round off this article with my thoughts on the quality of the game itself. Pokémon GOsphere In order to obtain viewing from those who haven't played and those who have, I'll briefly explain the game and explain its reach between generations along with some unintended drawbacks. Then I will give my critique of the game. Lets get started. The Game Itself It’s simple: “you gotta’ catch ‘em all!” It’s simple in theory, but it can be difficult depending on a player's situation. To break it down to layman terms for those that are unfamiliar, you walk around collecting the Pokémon and train/evolve them, earning XP from this to level up. Upon each level up, you receive different rewards - such as Pokéballs (used to catch Pokémon), potions (to heal them), revives (to do as it says), etc. As you progress, new items are made available to you. When you reach level 5, you can go to a 'gym' and select a team. The game consists of three teams; Mystic (blue), Valor (red), and Instinct (yellow). They each have a mascot, each with one of the three legendary birds: Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos, respectively. They also have team leaders, Blanche, Candela, and Spark; characters that stand for different kinds of training that can point out strengths in your Pokémon. Gyms are places in the game that a team claims and leaves Pokémon at to defend. Teammates can battle there and earn points for the gym and opposing teams attack to reduce the points for the gym and take it over. Positive Impact Men, women, and children far and wide have downloaded the game. People who you wouldn’t suspect are gamers at all have given it a shot. The game is set to unite people in completely new ways; much like how social media keeps us connected through what we post, Pokémon GO is a great topic of social conversation in which we compare each others progress, and eventually, battle each other directly. Those two things also have come together in the form of memes and comedic content in the form of videos. In areas of large population, trainers can clump up in search of Pokémon in the same area. Videos have surfaced on social media of eyes-glued-to-phone zombies walking around, barely paying a nod's worth of attention to their surroundings. A prime example would be in New York City where a flock of people were after one of the rarest Pokemon named Gyrados. This garnered attention not only because of the infamous serpent, but also because our beloved baby-faced pop star Justin Bieber was there and went unnoticed. What I mentioned is how it was reported. That flash mob of trainers could have been there for a simple Pidgey for all I know. And I’m sure a few people that were not a part of Bieber's crew noticed him; I still have some faith in trainers being attentive. This game allows people to step into a different skin, one that is not defined by social status. I want to show you another isolated example in a more high profile event. This time, US State Department Spokesperson John Kirby in a press briefing spots the trainer, a reporter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nlF-3NQNJQ He should have known the signal was bad; a good trainer knows to check the building before settling in. He also should not have had it out during Mr. Kirby’s introduction. But it shows that this game has reached across generations. You have to explain to the grandparents what the "Pokemans" are; kids who are old enough to have a phone are training; and everyone in between! Console and PC games keep you inside and out of the elements, but Pokemon GO gets you outside and forces you to walk around in order to play the game. You can walk, jog, or ride a bike in order to get to the nearest Pokéstop (places in the game (based on landmarks) where you can collect items). There is a genuine case for a child to make to his /her parent or guardian that it is possible to game and exercise at the same time. A teen that is glued to the monitor may go for walks with a mobile phone. Playing the game requires regular movement, and that is always beneficial for the body. Unlike portable versions of the game for Gameboy or DS, the mobile game engages you in an entirely different way. It’s also more accessible and convenient, since you don’t have to carry another device. It means many of the players are not only novice to the GO game but the Pokémon game itself. It also brings people with bad intentions into the mix, which I will get to in a moment. Although, it can lead to slightly less horrible discoveries, like a fresh corpse. Additionally, young people might notice that a building is on fire before the adults do and call for help. Negative Impact On the other hand, a few bandits have figured out how to use it to their advantage not long after the game was released. A group of four teens were able to stake out a high traffic area for Pokémon Go players, and got caught. The group of locals of the O'Fallon, Missouri area were caught and are set to receive punishment. The three individuals you see above were charged with Robbery in the 1st degree and Armed Criminal Action. The fourth suspect was a minor and was sent to a local juvenile center. When your visual attention is inhibited by a screen within your palm, accidents are bound to happen. Injuries are not uncommon, as this Reddit user can a test to. It was awful kind of her to edit the post clarifying who is at fault. As the first comment to the post says; "You were the trainer in the loading screen walking into a Gyrados!" These types of incidences are probably what you've heard more about, since the nature of the news is rarely positive. As with all the new fads, like "Candy Crush" and so on, you feel like you're forced to download and play something because everyone else is. This binding social stigma is called "the fear of missing out." Its very reminiscent of grade school, back when you have to have the coolest lunch box; you have to stick your tongue on the cold pole to hang out with the cool kids; or you have to look a certain way to hang with them, etc. etc. This also translates into more adult things as pointed out in the article I linked, and it ultimately afflicts Pokémon GO. You might have also heard of instances where former churches are still being recognized within the game and have Stops or Gyms on them. This is particularly objectionable when new residence are on site and receive unnecessary traffic nearby. Just down the road from my house is a sort of landmark, a unique building, which is recognized as a PokéStop. It serves no use because this building is too far away from the road to be reached and is on private property. Fortunately, it is possible to request it be removed. Overall Review Although the impact sounds beneficial for people, it’s another question as to whether the game is of fair quality and worth playing. I’ll take a contradictory stance (on the content and conclusion) below. At this point, I’ll explain less of the game specifics; this is more for those who have at least downloaded the game and want to share their thoughts. Intuition This will seem self-explanatory to some, but to the novice player, it can be hard to get going in the game because it doesn’t tell you what to do. There is no walk-through or training simulation. There is a “tips?” button in the top left by the settings, but a minimal amount of information is given to you by Professor Willow. Apparently, you are supposed to learn as you go just as Ash did in the anime. I suspect this was overlooked, as you’re bound to figure out how to play or ask around, eventually. Perhaps shows a little too much confidence by the creators in the reach of the game. Functionality The game interface is comfortable and easy to use. It is a nice feature to have your Pokémon arranged in various ways, “recent” and “combat power” seem to be most helpful to me. Selecting favorites could also be helpful. I favorite Pokémon that I want to evolve soon. I keep a good amount of those in reserve and use a Lucky egg and rack up XP. Renaming your Pokémon allows for additional creativity. It also has a purpose when it comes to the cute cuddly Eevee (If you don't know already, look it up). I think the menu could be more interconnected with itself because there is no way to go back to the menu from any of the 4 sections. You’re forced to close the menu to go to another part. It would be nice to have a link to the Pokédex from your Pokémon and vice versa. Also, to link from your items to the shop, and vice versa. The one example of inter-connectivity is in the egg screen, when you press the incubator button at the bottom right, there is a path to the shop. This might all be a trivial blunder having to X out of something then tap twice to where you want to go, anything that makes the players life easy adds to quality. Gameplay Finding and catching the Pokémon is alright in my eyes. A traditionalist might not like that the sighting of the wild animal does not interrupt your game and force you to address it, or that you cannot battle the wild Pokémon. Although it does make sense for them to only appear to you if there are other Pokémon nearby, I don’t see why we cannot attack them. Hopefully that is an update to the game in the future. The special awards of XP for Great, Curve, and Excellent throws is kind of annoying. While extra experience is nice, its a small amount and the act of trying for that XP is distracting when trying to time a throw between a Pokemon's jumps or hits. Gym battles are a mess. In this case, I feel like more like a traditionalist. It is not turn based attacking, it is mindless, spammed tapping. It… it’s just bad. I’m sure this is a fun new approach to the combat system for some, but it’s really difficult to master; in part because the matches are quite laggy. There probably is some strategy involved too, if you have the cat-like reflexes to do it, but it feels like it involves less strategy because you’re jamming your finger into the screen really fast. Biggest drawback of the game hinges against people who live in a rural setting. Pokéstops, Gyms, and Pokémon themselves spawn around cities more often than not. This potentially prevents someone from playing the game entirely. And to highlight the progression through the game; collecting stardust and candies is dependent upon your exercise of the game in places where Pokémon are located in gross sighting. If you don’t live in a city and only visit one with a sizeable Pokémon GOsphere occasionally, then there is significantly less value in the game for you. Unfortunately, due to the stardust and candies setup of the game, the point of catching Pokémon is to transfer most of what you catch in order to progress. You can't be fortunate enough to grow a bond with all of your Pokémon, only your top few; which eventually will be put aside because you've obtained a stronger Pokémon. Its not optimal in comparison with the anime and previous versions of the game, but it must have been necessary to keep people searching for stronger Pokémon, thus playing the game. Room for Debate The lack of in-game communication is a complaint by many which I don't feel is necessary. The impromptu interaction between people you see playing the game and the players you find at your team's local gym should suffice. If everyone in an area (within their team) would coordinate an assault, the gym ruling would be more insane than it is. Gyms with a lot of strong Pokémon stay that way for a while, and if people were able to communicate with teammates, that whole situation would be worse. It would accomplish getting strangers together though. The lack of direct player combat, however, is a worthy point. Although less common for previous versions of Pokémon games, the probability of you finding someone with the game is more likely, since its simply an app for a smart phone. The combat would feel less artificial (and probably more lagged) if both players were determining attacks. Perhaps this feature is on the way, but it seems like an odd thing to overlook. Conclusion Pokémon GO is an immersive augmented reality game, though it has its flaws. I kept mentioning the word “traditionalist” in relation to the gameplay to show how much of a contrast there is between the game and its previous portable versions. I am not a huge Pokémon guy, to be honest. I believe I played some of Crystal and all of Gold (represent!) and loved it. That was a long time ago, though, I still found this to be a refreshing return to the Pokémon world in an entirely new way. Even so, the game seemed incomplete in many aspects that I covered. Although I live in a rural setting, I only live a mile or two from town so I can bike there to play the game. As is, it’s more of a toy for the city folk. Boy, If that wasn't a mixed review, I don't know what is. Should you try it? I am, in no way, suggesting you play this over Tanki; in my view, Tanki has much more “replay value” than Pokémon GO. Although, I do suggest you try the game out if you haven’t. If you want to stay out of the fray because you’ve heard its criticism, such as what I've explained, that’s fine. If you don’t want to play because it is not made by Nintendo, then you’re simply missing out on the experience. When you walk around town, throwing Pokéballs at Pokémon, it feels like you are in the mindset of a trainer. If you end up disliking the game... you know you like Tanki, so get back to battling! As this Real World Phenomena series continues in upcoming Issues, a variety of events worthy of attention shall be covered. Pokémon GO was destined to become a hit, but completely turns around the classic style of the games. What do you think? Real World Phenomena or a new class of drown-me-now? Let me know. Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed.

Added^

Welcome back folks. Everything, for the most part should be updated. I added some names in reverse order by accident, so that is not as accurate within some countries. I got rid of the pictures because most of them broke and decided to go with links because those don't break. Also added Club links so there can be an avenue in which to converse with your native tongue. Thanks for choosing this topic to represent yourself in!

It is time to construct the great Pyramids of Tanki! Ladies and gentlemen, the time to unite is now. Grab your friend, brother, sister, cat, dog, and assemble a pyramid shape with your tanks. The best three pyramids that rival the greatness of Giza, Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan will be rewarded in riches to be shared with its constructors. See how to participate bellow! Rules: 1. Plagiarizing entries is absolutely outlawed. Attempting to plagiarize will result in repercussions barring entry into future contests. It is, however, possible to take a previous idea and modify it to make it your own. 2. Entrants must keep their posts within the bounds of the forum rules. No vulgar language, flood, mat, trolling, etc. 3. A tanker can only enter in the contest within a group once. You cannot be a participant in one group then participate in another group or post your own entry. 4. Entries must include at least 3 different angles of the tank pyramid from 3 different players in the form of screenshots that are uploaded to an image hosting site. The photos should be tucked under a spoiler in an entry 5. "Ctrl+Shift+K" spectator mode screenshots are permissible. Actual spectator mode screenshots are not. 6. Edited screenshots will be discarded and not judged. 7. Each entry must feature a minimum of 5 tanks in the screenshots. 8. All participants must be listed in the entry, preferably from top to bottom. Judging A brief explanation as to what is expected in entries. Following this religiously is not required. Proportion: As one can deduce from seeing the shape of a pyramid, larger tanks would generally fit better at the bottom and smaller tanks at the top. We are not looking for randomly situated towers of tanks, we are looking for proportionate tank pyramids. Engineering: The way in which the tanks are organized and positioned to form the pyramid plays a role as well. A minimum of 3 sides to the pyramid is expected. 2 sides is not at all ideal. Sides are determined by looking at the sides of the bottom tanks. Theme/Showmanship: Although not required, positioning of turrets, use of paints, placement within a map, etc, can help the entry stand out among others. A description of the pyramid also wouldn't hurt. Prizes 1st Place: 40,000 Crystals 2nd Place: 30,000 Crystals 3rd Place: 20,000 Crystals Consolidation prizes in the amount of 10,000 crystals are possible. The pool is to be split among participants of said entry. It is up to the entree's author to determine how the pool is to be divided. If the winning entrants author does not reply with this information promptly, the pool will automatically be split as evenly as possible. Get to sculpting! The window for entries closes at 23:59 UTC on September 30th!

I question who it is about in two ways, first; "the Most Interesting Man in the World". I don't mean any disrespect toward DragonOfStorms, you are an interesting person. As the interviewer, Abbadoom, it is your job to make the interviewee appear to be the most interesting man in the world since you billed it that way. You did not succeed. You may think the hyperbole is gonna make something great, its simply going to make you look dishonest. Second; this is distracting. I thought I was reading the comments of Abbadoom, not Lucifer. If you want to do a comedic interview, make it clear that is such and have the content reflect it. That is fine. Don't mix it in with serious content of the great DragonOfStorms

...Who was this interview really about? I couldn't quite tell.

I dislike your style of starting with the casual opening to straight answer questions. I used to do the same thing (see season 1 of Behind the Tank) but my questions were more "round", they were questions that warranted a sizeable, content-filled response; I essentially agree with Zenith. Although, you did pick a good interviewee.

Another month, another "Behind the Tank" interview for your reading pleasure, the series that removes the veil of this cybernetic world to shine light on the person controlling the tank. For the fourth and final episode of season 3, I talk with one of our very own English community helpers, Nikk! Player Profile Game Name: Nikk Nickname(s): kate (tho I do not really like it, I still get it a lot tho) Real Name: Nik Age: 17 Gender: Male Country: Slovenia Preferred Combo(s): I do not have a preferred combination, I do enjoy playing XP the most tho. Viking: Hello Nikk; Welcome to Behind the Tank! Nikk: Hey, honored I can take part in this interview! Viking: It's most certainly earned. So please, tell us about yourself. Nikk: My name is Nik, I come from a small country in the middle Europe called Slovenia (which is TOTALLY DIFFERENT than Slovakia, just saying). In my free time I do not do much, but I do like to cycle, and I am a volunteer firefighter. A lot of my free time is invested in this very game, I am trying to do my best to benefit the community (you can not see everything yet, stay tuned ;)). Viking: Slovenia... Slovakia... four letters and loads of history makes them different. So have you completed, or are you attending school/university? Nikk: I finished my second (out of four) year on a High School. Viking: Nice, is that in a general or technical course? And what subject do you like learning the most? Nikk: I am doing a technical course, Mechatronics to be exact. I like most of the technical subjects, but if I would have to pick one, I'd go with CNC (Computer Numeric Control). Do not ask me why, but I guess the teacher is the person that can normally make classes either good or bad. Now, just to point out the main difference between a general and a technical course: The general one focuses on general subjects (your mother language, math, English etc.); while a technical course focuses on the subjects that educate you about your profession. Viking: Very interesting. Mechatronics isn't a word I hear often, at least in my world. Do you think its beneficial to be dual educated in electrical and mechanical engineering? Nikk: With combining both together well, you get a big field of things you can do. I am looking in the future (maybe not the best thing to do, but hey, every person looks at it from his own view), and it looks like this education will be pretty useful. I am happy with the education I have chosen, and I would recommend it to others too (if you have some interest for it of course, not everyone can have the same interests). Viking: Being able to see how your education is applicable to the future is always a plus. I agree with your point about the teachers and how they play a crucial role in whether you take to the subject. From your perspective, what are some things you like and dislike about teachers? Nikk: I like teachers that build a nice relationship with students, communicate with them, and listen to their advices, suggestions etc. On the other hand, there are some teachers that do not pay attention to their students at all, do not explain the subject well (or in a way that would keep you interested in the subject), and those teachers I dislike. Viking: Well said. You mentioned you like cycling, do you do this competitively or as a hobby? Where do you like to go? Nikk: I do it as a hobby. To cycle, I do not really have to go anywhere, I live up in the Alps, and here is some great terrain to cycle on. Viking: Oh I see. Who taught you how to ride a bicycle? Were you a quick learner? Nikk: Well that's a hard question. Honestly, I have no idea who taught me, neither how quick I learned how to ride it. It was very early in my childhood, that's all I know. Viking: That's quite alright. So what led you to become a firefighter? Nikk: If we would be in a movie, the answer would be: "my grandfather was one, my father was one, and so I decided to become one too". Well, it was not so in my case. I always wanted to help others, and this is a great way to do so...also, in a small village like the one I am living in, there are not a lot of people, and quite few of the ones I am a good friend with are firefighters too, so it adds a bit of fun to the job (well, more like hobby, to be exact). And in the movies, firefighters are there to clean up the mess left from conflict; but that is unlikely in your case. There is also the rescue-cat-from-tree stereotype. Have you had to respond to a substantial situation? (not that cats aren't substantial) To be honest, here we only have a bunch of exercises... As I kinda mentioned before, I live in a small village, so we don't really get a lot of emergency calls. There are only a few per year, and even those are the usual chimney or meadow fires. Viking: Okay, those are still substantial to the small community. Sometimes its good to give the city folk some perspective. So Nik, where did you get the nickname katekizem from? Nikk: Huh, that's an interesting story. I was getting ready for my Confirmation (googled that word, never heard of it honestly), so I had a book called Katekizem (English - Catechism) next to me. A friend suggested me a new game, I downloaded it, and when I was thinking about a nickname, I picked katekizem (very original, I know). So, when making a new account on Tanki, I picked the same nickname (yes, this is my second Tanki account, my first one got hacked in the old days by the rank of WO5). Viking: Ahh, I see. I never thought to google your nickname but its fitting to have it of your native tongue and something significant to you. I notice you are currently a forum moderator and our eSports cameraman for the English community, how and why did you decide to take on these jobs? Nikk: There again is an interesting story behind it. First of all, I would like to thank a great friend @Issho_Fujitora, he helped me the most in this amazing journey, and I believe that without him, I would still be a normal player. Now for the story: It all started when I got spectator mode, and started working a lot with it. I got used to it fast, and after a while, I got invited to take part in the @TankiOnlineSpectator project (this information was never revealed before, but after it all went down about half a year ago, I think I am allowed to speak about it). There was a small team working on the project, but soon everyone became inactive, and I was the only one going on. Our "leader" made me meet with Issho, and together with him, we organized the last 2 Helpers vs Players battle, all alone. That was the moment when more helpers recognized me, and that helped me a lot in the future. Soon after that, I joined the Forum moderators crew, as I thought it would be the best way to help more players in need, and work on my plans that I always had (Events & Parkour). ESports cameraman position was actually "offered" to me, but I won't reveal that story. Now for anyone else thinking about what I mentioned above, yes, events are returning to our community! I know you have been waiting for a long time now, but unfortunately there was no other way. Do not worry tho, they have been re-made, and they will be even better than before. Make sure you follow the notifications on Forum, social media, and in-game notifications ;) Viking: Ah, that's a nice story. I once worked with the eSports crew commentating; whether I was any good is up for debate. I'm sure they, along with the forum mods, are happy to have you. This journey seemed to provide you with open doors pretty easily, was it like that in training to become a firefighter? Nikk: Even if it sounded easy, it was a lot of hard work to get me where I am right now. As for the firefighters, it was a long, hard training, but I am happy I took part in it. It lasted for around 3 months (two times per week, from 4pm till 9pm of theory, and 3 full weekends of practical education). It was far from easy, but it is necessary to have it, and it's right that way. Viking: Of course, both positions took raw, hard work. Lastly, what would you like to say to the readers, your fans, or colleagues alike? Nikk: Be friendly, work hard, and you'll be able to achieve your dreams! That's all from my side, hope you all enjoyed the interview, and maybe learned a little bit more about me. Thanks for reading, and thank you, [member=Vikingsrallentando] for having me here. [Completed 25 July, 2016] It was a pleasure to talk with you, Nikk, and I thank you. Good luck with your academic and firefighting endeavors. Season 3 MusicJam19 MagisToR RustyNail Season 2 splitterpoint dogm45 Season 1 conanthedestroyer MadDog21 Keep tuning in each month to learn more about the people Behind the Tank. Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed.

As promised, new "Behind the Tank" interviews are shooting off the shelves at a faster rate than you're used to. I understand if its a little much for you, I'd suggest leaving your thoughts in the comments to help ease the weight. Folks, I have a good one for you this month. He is a veteran of the game with an inclusive heart that is guaranteed to inspire. Here is MagisToR! Player Profile Game Name: MagisToR Nickname(s): Mag, Magis Real Name: Arjun Pradeep alias Antroo Age: 27 Gender: Male Country: Born in Russia and grew up in India Preferred Combo(s): "Most favourite would be Railgun/Hornet/Wasp & all-time combo is Thunder/Viking" Viking: Hey MagisToR, how are you? Magis: I'm doing well, thank you for this honor and how are you doing? Viking: I am doing well, thank you for asking. Speaking of asking questions, can you tell us a bit about yourself? Magis: Sure, I am 27 years old and I'm currently living in Adelaide trying to complete my higher studies as my area of study is Engineering. I have two siblings - one sister & one brother along with 4 cousins. My sister Lakshmi Pradeep is an excellent singer who's currently participating in Airtel Super Singer which is an Indian reality singing show and she has participated in other singing shows as well & won too. My family and I enjoy outdoor activities such as fishing, family picnics to spend time with our cousins & relatives, trekking and rarely mountain climbing with my siblings and cousins. All of us love pet animals and I have two pet birds. My family is the greatest gift that I've ever received in my life and I'm very much affectionate towards my sister & brother listening to their advises. In short, it's like the picture perfect family with loads of happiness. My hobbies are reading books, singing, photography, listening to songs, playing games and now I'm learning to play piano, guitar, flute, etc. I'm a national level champion in Football, volleyball, and basketball and pretty much good in college when it comes to kick-boxing and rest of the sports. And I also spend my time playing Tanki and visiting my friends whenever I have the time. Viking: Well, you certainly have a lot to be proud of when it comes to family, good for you. We'll get to them in a moment. What experience or influence lead you to the field of Engineering? Is there any specific sector of the field you're interested in? Magis: Yes, certainly I am a lot more than proud when it comes to family and sure we get can to that later. Everyone around me including my family, friends and teachers pointed me that I have the determination, skills and a lot of interest in learning everything about computer as I have spent half of my time in that. There's another reason for my pursuant - each and everyone in my family is working in different fields, so I thought of pursuing Engineering as it gives me new experience, increase my skills and yes, makes me look unique in my family. This influence lead me to this field. Yes, I'm interested in the field of Software Engineering. Viking: If you take to working on computers, it only makes sense to go into Software Engineering; good choice. I also have a sister who enjoys dancing and I'm proud of what she has done. What moment during Lakshmi's appearance on the show did it hit you that she has really accomplished something? Magis: The day when she was selected for the Grand Finale was the happiest day of my life. It was the first time actually where she gets to perform before a lot of people in the grandest stage of them all. Both of her final performances were absolutely amazing & melodious. As a result she received lot of great comments for her performances by the judges and the contestants from Season 1-4 who are now playback singers. This is one of the reason & the other reason is that she had a warm wholehearted welcome by the people. I was left in awestruck by the support she had by her fans. It was so special for both of us and it was the moment during her appearance on the show which had showed me that she had accomplished far more in her musical journey including filling everyone's heart with a sweet joyful music. That's what I thought. Wow, it's really good to hear about your sister's dancing skills and I wish her good luck in everything mate. Viking: Thanks for that, I appreciate it. To focus more on your family, you said you were born in Russia and grew up in India; could you explain that dynamic of your life? Magis: Sure. My parents had been living in Moscow along with my grandparents and most of our family relatives stayed in India as they preferred to live there. At first, everyone in my family had thought of making us complete our studies in Russia. Later everything changed as my father had been transferred to India due to promotion and to be honest when I joined schooling [in Russia], it just didn't feel good for me. That's the reason which led me to come with my parents to India and complete my studies, otherwise I would've been staying with my grandparents & would be working right now. I have completed my schooling and B.E in India. Then one of my cousins suggested me to take UniSA in Australia and I asked permission from my family. Everything turned out to be good and now I'm on my way to completing my M.E. Viking: How often do you visit with family? Are you still close with your grandparents back in Russia? Magis: I visit my family much often whenever I have the time. When I'm in college and much precious day approaches like my sister's birthday, then I'll try somehow to visit them giving them a surprise visit. I could say I'm lucky to visit them even during college days. Yes, I am still close. We are thinking of visiting them again when I get holidays and who knows, maybe we'll convince our grandparents to come along with us to India and stay there. Viking: That would be a great revelation and an exciting one for the family. Now lets talk a bit about your hobbies, as you've mentioned you sing and are learning to play several instruments, could you walk us through that experience? And what kind of music do you enjoy playing or listening to? Magis: Yep, I did.. Like everyone, I just started singing just for entertainment purpose when I feel bored/much happy. Later on, it became one of my hobby/I could say passion. Even my sister and myself will sing duet songs when she prepares for her performances. I can sing well but not like my sister as she's the best. In learning music it was another wonderful experience for me amidst my busy schedule with school. Piano was my first instrument that I learned to play and we would be having choir in schools & colleges. I used to be the guy playing piano with my friends. It took me almost 2 years to complete it and I moved on to flute, mouth organ, violin. I'm trying to learn new things after I complete one and this time it's Guitar. I like to play and listen to classic but I love instrumental, pop and rock genres more as it's pretty much easy to remember the lyrics and sing/play them. Music will come out of us much pure when we understand the soul of the song & sing it from our heart with a feel along with emotions needed and that I learned from my sister. Viking: Music is also a very important part in my life and music played from the soul is the best kind of music, no matter what genre it is. As a guitar player myself, I'm sure you'll enjoy playing it. Could you name a popular song you play for fun? Magis: Well said,Viking. If I visit you one day, maybe you should teach me some of your guitar skills. It's pretty hard to choose for me as I love to play & hear every song I can. Anyway my most favourite songs which i used to play are Justin Bieber's Baby & Never say never, Michael Jackson's thriller & Don't stop till you get enough, and Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. Those songs would mark the start of the day for me & if I'm free my practice continues with a list of 8-10 songs a day.When it comes to Tamil songs ,there's no limit and I always used to play & sing with my sister. In tamil songs the lyrics are easy to remember and music is much melodious. Viking: I don't know if I would be a very effective teacher of guitar, but I can teach you from more of a hard rock perspective. I do love me some MJ though. For those that don't know, could you explain what you can hear in tamil music? Magis: Sure, I guess all I need to do is to visit you when the time comes. Well, the songs I hear are mostly classical, instrumental, pop and rock genres. About the instruments [in tamil music] it'll be piano, guitar, violin, veena [classic Indian guitar], drums and flute according to the songs I heard. Tamil music is made up of a Ragam Talam Pallavi (Raga, Tala, Pallavi). They are the equivalent to chorus, bridge and verses as in English songs. Pallavi is like the sprout or bud of a song which is the first section and it sets the mood. It is followed by Anupallavi which is the second section which enhances the mood. Lastly, its Charanam, the foot of the song is the ending portion. Now, the lyric part is much easier as most of the lyrics consists of the tamil words everyone uses and we can sing it with the flow without any chance of forgetting. I'm sure that once you hear them, you would just keep singing it all day long. I love every singers and music composers but my most favourite would be A.R.Rahman. Viking: Wow, you covered everything pretty well. I could go on and on about this stuff, but I gotta wind this down. To get this on the record, how did you come up with your nickname? Magis: Hmm,well I've been asking myself the same question.It all happened when I was playing a Russian game called "call of gods" with my friends and during an alliance war I mistakenly typed the name in our ally chat & it sounded good giving quite a proud feeling,so I've been sticking with that name ever since. Viking: I feel the same way. I said "Vikingsrall" one day when I was younger and thought it was a good nickname. Why? I have no clue. Of course I've expanded it to give it actual meaning. Yours looks and sounds good so, you made a good choice. It's getting to be an old one too, you joined the forum in 2009. We've both seen a lot of people come and go.. what is your view on that? Magis: Exactly,it looks like we both had the same thought at that time. Thank you for the compliment and yours looks more "Viking". Yes,maybe it might be old but it's still a very precious name for me. Well, first of all, I'm much grateful that I've met and made so many friends in here. You can feel the difference in our forums, it looks like a bit peaceful environment and it happened because of every admin and people in here. Like everyone I've had good days & bad days. With Bruce as our CM,that was the start of our golden age and I've seen everyone much happy and eagerly waiting for everything. At that time, there was much harmony even in little forum posts and not much rule breaking. My view is that everyone I met in TO had been a great friend, a brother and a sister to me. They are like my mentor helping me in every part of the game and even in my life giving great advice. In that way I've found a very special person. Her name is Mikaela Habgood and her nickname is Athena/Alexandra. She had been like a sister to me, taking care of me and like the wise "Yoda" she taught me everything she knows, kept encouraging me to reach great heights in life, stop being lazy and asked me to listen to my heart & family during the sad times. Her patience and caring is what I love most & she's the main reason am around in forum. Totally, I would say there's much more to than just simply playing. This is a great environment to make good friends and cherish every good moments like a family. We all got each other and when we all accept it, there's only happiness everywhere. I'm sure that at least once everyone would've thought that the people here had been like a family to them helping them till the end. This is my view about my TO life. Viking: That is such a unique view, and I love it. Its only fitting that you view the people you come across in the Tanki world is also considered a relative. Mikaela is a lucky girl. I could keep going on this subject all day; unfortunately, I have to wind this down. What would you like to say to the people who have read through this, who have got to know you? Magis: Yep, I do and the truth is I'm the lucky one to have found so many good friends, bros & sis. This is the place where I made so many good memories and learned many great things. We can make this game better by supporting and helping each other instead of saying any kind of words which would hurt them. Even if the player seems to be inexperienced, you can maybe try to teach him everything. Sometime we might not love certain things, so we must learn to overcome them without losing our hope. Totally, what I would like to say to the people is to enjoy the game and with our friends in the side even the so called "boring" battle will turn entertaining in an instant. Finally, I would like to thank Viking for giving me this opportunity to share about myself with the TO community. Like everything else, this game teaches things which are related to our life like strategic planning,tactics, learn to never surrender and history knowledge too. Take care and I wish good luck to every bros & sis. See you out on the battlefield! Your beloved brother, Magis :) [Completed 17 July, 2016] Much love and thanks to MagisToR for partaking in the interview. You have morals to be modeled after; Good luck at the University of South Australia and enjoy your time with family and tankers alike. Season 3 RustyNail Season 2 splitterpoint dogm45 Season 1 conanthedestroyer MadDog21 Keep tuning in each month to learn more about the people Behind the Tank. Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed.

After a long, long hiatus from "Behind the Tank," it's finally time to explore our fellow tankers' lives that are unseen to us. This time you can expect more interviews regularly within a classified "season" of articles. For historical context, season one included MadDog21 and conanthedestroyer, and season two included dogm45 and splitterpoint (links below). For the inaugural episode of the third season, I speak with a tanker who you might recognize from the forum, RustyNail! Player Profile Game Name: RustyNail Nickname(s): Rusty Real Name: Nick (Nicholas) Age: 50 Gender: Male Country: Greece Preferred Combo(s): Hornet/Railgun or Smoky Viking: Hello RustyNail, thank you for coming onto Behind the Tank. Rusty: Hey Vikingsrallentando, thanks for choosing me for an interview, it sounds really interesting doing this with you. Viking: Oh you're too kind. I hope you enjoy it as much as I will! To start, could you tell us about yourself, so we get to know you before we dive in? Rusty: Ok, let's see... What could I say about me? I am a guy from Greece, I studied Biology and due to my adventurous nature I managed to accomplished a wide range of professions, among which a pharmacautical salesman, a teacher of Biology and a self-employed small time businessman. A bookaholic since childhood, lover of traveling - but who isn't LOL - and a mild ecologist when it comes to certain aspects of life (sustainable environment management in regard to energy and preservation of biodiversity). I also love fast cars, spicy food and mountain climbing. Viking: Lol, books can be an understandable exception for some, but traveling? C'mon, its always a yes. You certainly have an interesting resume, how did you progress to each job in your career? Rusty: In regard to the order of my professions, I started as a pharmaceutical salesman right after the Degree. After five full successful years in the Market I quit for family reasons and returned to my homeland. There I got a job as a professor of Biology at a private school. I also taught History of sciences and was in charge of the Greek team of an umbrella project for Migration, Minorities and Prejudice, a project in which participated schools and colleges from 5 European countries. The goal of this project was to promote understanding and familiarity between different cultures and religions, so that they could all co-exist peacefully. Teaching was fun and I enjoyed being with young people but it did not pay well. So I left that job after three years and was hired in a small chemical company that produced liquid fertilizers for different needs. I got the QM supervision and responsibility for maintaining a DIN EN ISO 2001 protocol. Viking: Ooo I happen to like history myself (but science is a different animal for me though). I'm curious, which countries participated in the umbrella project? Was it successful in your eyes? Rusty: European Migration, Minorities and Prejudices was a 3 years project under Socrates – Comenius, Action 1 (European Educational Project). The main purpose of it was described as follows: The new information and communication technologies - especially the Internet and the WWW - offer a good chance to create a better understanding of other cultures and ethnic groups by having a look at people in the own as well in other countries and the reasons why they had to leave their hometowns or the process on integration takes place... In addition, students and pupils from one country have the chance to communicate with students and pupils from different European countries in order to gain a better understanding of different cultures and to minimize prejudices. The participants were from Germany, UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Norway, Greece and Spain. There was a number of colleges and public schools, i.e. from Greece there where two private schools. Those years (15 years ago) Internet and global communication was not what it is today. It was relatively primitive, yet a good chance for people to come to know other cultures, understand the reasons for migration and eliminate prejudices. Judging from recent events with Syrian refuges, I'd say that this goal was very hard to achieve and it certainly took more than what such projects could offer. But it was better than nothing. Viking: Ahh, it was some time ago; imagine what could be done now. The Syrian refugee crisis is certainly an unforeseen, as was the economic crisis in your country. How did this effect you? Rusty: After the chemical company job I took a risk creating a company that distributed commercial softwares, me and four other friends of mine. But financial crisis came closer and the company faced problems. The result was me and two more of the initial partners to break the partnership and leave the company. At this time and while crisis is fully developed in Greece I have a part time job and help a couple of pupils with their lessons of biology and maths. I am also planning a small domestic enterprise that will be based on bee products (propolis, royal jelly and pollen)... but it's too soon to talk about it. Viking: An unfortunate state of affairs, for the country and you and your friends. Getting to your background in Biology and Ecology, why is the environment important to you? How should we treat our environment in the future? Rusty: Environment is not important to just me. It is essential for all of human life, as well as for all other living organisms. Why? Because, we practically LIVE in the Environment (and this part is called Biosphere). I mean, it's our habitat, we can't live without it. It is said that we live in our technology. That is also true, in a very matter-of-fact way. We have our homes in cities (or villages), which are a product of our technology. We produce food and energy using our technology. We surround ourselves with clothing, shoes, hats, glasses, tvs, mobiles and tablets, that all are pieces of our technology. So, we forget the Environment. Environment is a huge bubble that surrounds the smaller bubble of technology that surrounds us. But in reality, we eat, drink and breath Environment. All our raw materials for our technology are pieces of the Environment. So, we must respect Environment the way we respect a doctor who keeps us alive. We can't eat mobiles, we can't drink the internet, we can't breath money, When all the air is polluted we are going to get sick and die by the millions. When all the waters are polluted we are going to get thirsty and sick and die like the flies in the winter. We annually spend thousands of tons of oil that took millions of years to be created. When this is over, no new oil for another millions of years. You get the idea? We see a large table full of food and we fall upon it like locusts, but when this is over, it's really over. No way new food can be cooked within the span of human life. When this hour comes, technology can't save us. So, Ecology is really a healthy, sustainable way of treating all other life. The only way there is. Viking: I couldn't agree more, and I like the bubble of technology point. I think many people now a days let that bubble grow too large, which limits their experience in their environment. You phrased the situation well, hopefully action will follow. Now to lighten up the conversation, I know I've been hard on you; whats your favorite "fast" car? Rusty: Piece of cake. I loved a series of Peugeot cars, the line of 205 and 306 (that later became 307 and even later 308). Lot's of fast memories back in the '90s and '00s ;) Viking: I can't say I recall seeing a Peugeot in my country (not really any French cars in US) but it looks like it would be a fun drive. And you said you like spicy foods; what comes to mind as the hottest stuff you've eaten? Rusty: Mexican food, when I was a young man. My first time in a Mexican restaurant with a beautiful girl, no previous experience of real chili pepper, and voila! the disaster! I remember thick tears rolling down the cheeks while my throat was on fire, a glass of beer being consumed in seconds (but to no relieve) and my lady friend trying to not laugh... lol. Accidents do happen. Viking: Wow, thanks for that story. I also love Mexican food but steer clear of the pepper. Now lets bring this full circle to Tanki: What is your nickname derived from/what does it mean/how did you come up with it? Rusty: Well, that's an easy one too. I came to know Tanki from a nephew of mine, and I knew that most players are young ones. So, compared to them I am a bit rusty. But as a driver I have skills and thus this rusty one can be dangerous too, like a rusty nail. I find that a successful nickname. Viking: I agree, it is a classy meaningful nickname. Many people may recognize that name in the forum, where you've been vociferous in regards to the game's balance. I want to get your overall take on this in your words. Rusty: Well, I would like to start by saying that Tanki is a remarkable concept and despise my here and there objections / difference of opinions in regard to other players/mods/developers, I really like and consider it a very good game. In my honest opinion however, Tanki is suffering from a bunch of issues that might seem different but in reality they all share a root, called “monetary system”. It’s the system that provides a single currency both for in-game evolution and company income from buyers. By selling only power in various aspects (tanks’ modification, variety of weapons, Micro-Upgrading, paints, supplies) and since there is only one currency, top buyers tend to accumulate too much power, making the game extremely unequal for the totality of its players. As a result we see one-sided battles that often turn into spawn killing and early battle finish due to many players leaving. That, obviously, is not satisfactory. As a result also we see an increase of complains in regard to drugging (definition: the constant use of supplies), mults and toxic behavior in the battles. Unfortunately, my various ideas are spread all over the forum and it’s hard to remember where I have written what, but one can see many elements of my ideas (even coming from other players) here. But what I want to conclude to is that Tanki could be more balanced, less competitive and more rewarding, and in order to be that, it has to change the monetary system, so that it can develop alternative (to power selling) income sources. Such as premium accounts, but these accounts could access more facilities, not more power (compared to the free player). I hope that Tanki will eventually be free from past mistakes and develop a new monetary system that will make players want to spend money and not feel they have to do so. Viking: I won't hide the fact that I agree with some of your suggestions. Hornet/Railgun battles attract people because the issues you discuss are virtually nonexistent. Very rarely will you catch me in a regular battle. Alright, here is the last question. To tie back to some of your work experience, do you draw parallels between your what your company did and what Tanki has done and continues to do as they develop Tanki X? Rusty: Only to a very limited degree, because every company wants to have satisfied customers and in this we where alike. But there was a very big difference between my company and Tanki, and that is we sold a set of commerce products, set for standard needs and legal regulations - whereas Tanki develops a game, and has the ability to radically alter the content of its product, if a new, improved concept is being conceived. In other words, game-developing companies have a much bigger degree of freedom in regard to what they can do, compared to other companies that have to comply with different commerce and legal regulations. Viking: Well, radically altering a product requires more monetary support and effort, as we see with the developers and the new game, but it could also be seen as a downside. There was once a project called Tanki 2.0 where if I understand correctly, they went overboard and made something that was difficult for consumers to use. But I have a feeling they're gonna get this one right. Anyway, that is all I have to ask, I leave the last word to you, Nick. Rusty: Many things in an evolving game can be questioned or debated and not all players have to agree, as they see things from their own perspective. But one thing we should all agree on is that the game should bring joy and fun to all its players. And we should keep remembering that we share a game, in the same way a company of friends could play a game of football. In this fictional football, we should be fair to the opponents and take actions so that everybody is having fun, whether they win or they lose. No need at all to humiliate the opponents, to crash them, or to laugh at them. That's a golden rule for virtual games too. Just because we don't see the other player does not mean we can use them without restrain. Politeness and fair play should be a standard in all the battles in Tanki. That's what I would like and ask from all the players, especially the top buyers who, being OP, they tend to dominate the battlefield and create one-sided battles. Thank you Vikingsrallentando, for the interview and the opportunity you gave me to express my way of seeing Tanki. I hope players will find it interesting and stimulating and I surely hope that Tanki X will have a more fair monetary system so as to secure a greater level of fun for all its players. Best regards, RustyNail :) [Completed 06 July, 2016] A huge thanks goes out to RustyNail for participating. I hope readers take to heart your request for kindness and we wish you luck with your new entrepreneurial venture! Season 2 splitterpoint dogm45 Season 1 conanthedestroyer MadDog21 Keep tuning in each month to learn more about the people Behind the Tank. Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed.

This was different, but I loved it.

Hmm... I'm conflicted.

Not bad. I agree with Daren's point on the tagged [ ] nicknames, its redundant to have them next to every response because its 1 on 1. Its understandable with 3 or more people. I like the conversational style and you did it well.

I play trumpet, guitar, and percussion. :ph34r: I'm looking forward to that 26 19 days from now :D There is also Nikolai and Evgeny of the TO crew who perform in Greenpills, noted in this old topic.

Its a bi-product of a different approach to writing, with an increasingly busy schedule, I've expanded my realm of what I an pull off in a short amount of time. Keep in mind, I keep it serious with my interviews Behind the Tank. I understand your point and appreciate the criticism. I think there is a stark difference in the goal of this article between what the column had. The column was consistent at poking at different aspects of the game, This article was to aim at the stigma behind the gifts and break it down more aggressively. I miss the Column too, perhaps it will return sometime.

We all have a generous side to our personalities in some form or another, whether we are a fan of giving gifts or not. Regardless of your preference, there can be some humility in how we approach the allocation of our resources to deliver a message with some virtual item, right? Let us not prop up the aspect of the game that we have been waiting for since its launch, the condescension of our interactions. Please, let me explain what I expect of you if you so choose to spend your crystals on me. Badge I don’t want your 200 crystals worth, patronizing stamp of approval that is a badge. I know I am a tanker, I’ve been at this for almost 5 years now, why do I need it to establish my tankerness? If you dare send one my way, please try to include some sort of title to go with it. Best Viking of all time? Least active reporter? Something. Anything without such classification will be deleted, post skim-read. Like I didn’t know the interface of a game could be turned into a pseudo-social-media outlet. Understandable to show your satisfaction with my skill in battle, but I don’t need your thumb in my face. Where they are undoubtedly justified is upon the liking of my forum posts, not limited or subject to my articles. Not like I do this for anything else. Dislike The “perfect answer to ANYTHING you don’t like”. Really? In that case, send it to as many tankers, staff, opposing clan members, etc, as possible. Tell them how they are doing their jobs wrong while you dramatize the slightest poke at your ego. Tell them how their clan couldn’t possibly beat you when you don’t show up to practice. And please, tell me how much you dislike my destroying you repeatedly while I chuckle behind a screen. Bro Brahs, Bruhs and Bros: attempt to come up with a message that is original but not abbreviated or slanted with slang that is unrecognizable. My coolness is already +1,000. It was bad enough with the thumbs used in two directions. Giving me a statue implicating a spec of what I already obtain is pointless. I already use my powers to type out this roast of an article in record time. Helmet Who has ever played this game by the mantra “safety first”? Not ME. I’m not like the others who play the game hours upon hours a day, for many consecutive days, who are all in. Without boundaries. Without restraint. Well those people need some head protection, not me. I picked up this mantra called mod-er-a-tion. Not the act of cleaning your tongue in the chat, the concept of living. Teddy Bear I really can’t complain with this one. I mean, if you believe in online dating that is. Can’t say I do… well this is awkward. Obviously not for me but for you. Sorry dudes and dudettes. Your dream of winning a strong Viking such as myself has been ruined. I can’t complain about your desire, but I can about the flirting in the chat. GET A ROOM. Claws Do you want me to strangle my keyboard for you? I mean I know keyboards can get wonky, but I assure you it’s NEVER my error, it’s the keyboard's error. For your case, it is NEVER the keyboard's fault, it is only your own; therefore this gift is not fitting for my +1,000 coolness fists. Tangled Turret How appropriate is it that the gift’s icon features my favorite combination…and what kind of person would wish such a thing upon my brow? Right, the losers who are always better than everyone else they come across. The only time you can legitimately give this in correct context is if you were on my team and you outgunned me fairly, and even then I will complain that you’re being a brat. Golden Wrench So if I do the math correctly, if it were a gold plated wrench, it would be worth at least 5 times the amount it is equivalent to in crystals. Might be a too 'real' approach, I assure you I wont be for the next item. You think you'd add to my "sophisticated style?" I already turn my bolts with diamond wrenches. While I'll take the compliment of my elegance, you're better off saving the $8 worth of crystals for supplies to use against me. Blue Sphere Yep, this is it. First, we had the green pyramid, now this. Well...not saying this is anything big... but it must be the secret to the universe. How this could even be possible is beyond human comprehension. If I had to speculate, it is the works of Godmode_ON. I'm serious. Perhaps if you send it to him, you will unlock his true identity, hmm. But don't spend that much on me, I don't think you're that foolish. Thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed. Disclaimer: TO Newspaper does not condone the harassment of staff members; please be civil and contact their administrator should you have any questions or concerns. I hope you picked up on the sarcastic tone of this... take it or leave it.

A glimpse of the latest battle mode named Assault was gifted upon us for the holiday season. Now that the mode has been removed, we can only begin to reflect on its impact and its ingenuity. My colleague sonofchrysalis3 has already reviewed its good and bad aspects while in the moment. I’d like to expand on his points within the same platform of spotting the positives and negatives, but with a more reflective and predictive state of mind by means of which to review, along with some refuted/refutable concepts to be discussed. You can argue among yourselves as to what update given during or just after the holiday events is the best, but before you do, let us look at some Positive Points in reflection of how the mode operates. Role Specificity Unlike traditional team battles, Assault is very black and white; you either attack or defend. There is no middle ground between roles like there is in other team battles. CTF and CP modes (not as much for TDM) can have frequent role changes within the heat of battle. You might be attacking, infiltrating the enemy base and being continuously knocked down to a point where you are forced to join the defensive forces. In Assault, there is no flip flopping from offense to defense based on how, when, or where the enemy is attacking from. Your team’s goal and action is more streamlined and less complicated, which should be a relieving thing. I don’t mean to explain this in a way that degrades the other battle modes. I understand people genuinely love playing CTF and CP and appreciate their current status, but after considering what those modes entail, you have to ponder the effort it takes comparatively with this new mode. I love the thrill of taking a flag or point from the enemy, but there is extra baggage along with what it took to do accomplish the task. Assault is more simplistic; you prevent a capture, or you strive for capture, without worrying about your role. You can deduce your own preference when and if Assault returns. True Teamwork A consensus between SOC3’s article and I’s is called for! In order for a team to win an Assault match, each player has to work for the common goal, generally without there being distractions. If you can imagine a match with everyone 100% focused on the task, you might find true teamwork. As was the theme of the last point, roles are clear and cut. This allows for more effective allocation of work among a team, who otherwise would be split between different roles. The mode is on two extremes of a spectrum; full attack or full defense. The tactics reflect them most essentially. Players know how to use their weapons (wow who would have thought) and can allocate their efforts to heed to the tactics. You may have observed a team with nearly full defense in a CTF before, they are tough. Surely this can transfer over to Assault quite easily. e-Sports? Aside from predicting the modes return to the game, couldn’t its potential be used in grouped competition? This proposal coming from an almost habitual XP player, certain formats might be interesting. I don’t think Hard would fit the bill, but Medium and Light may. E-Sport participants know what true teamwork is and are capable of redefining it in an Assault Match. I’m more comfortable with this thought than predicting the mode become an absolute hit. I have previously been associated with e-Sports, whether it be in a clan or commentating; though years ago, I may be out of touch. But I’ve always thought what cannot be done in a general server with strangers can be done with a group of close friends who understand the task and can perform their duties to exponential levels. Certainly anyone who would be interested in Assault would want to watch it played by the best of the best. I digress, leaving it up to you, e-sporters, whether you believe the mode is a viable medium of competition. There is much to consider moving forward, but it wouldn’t be a compare and contrast article without some Negative Points associated with the mode and where it lacks certainty. Fight for Flags – Sabotage? I want to test the limits of this discussion as it’s been assumed that a clash for the flag is sabotage, or in some way more harmful to a team than the inactivity of a player for example. I don’t deny that a dispute over who should bear the flag is a draw back in the case of the red team, but I don’t think it is as bad as its made out to be (I am trying to keep you thinking about the mode, y’know). This is a common occurrence in CTF already, but understandably exacerbated by the task of the red team. Madness is an example, already highlighted, but it’s unlike other maps in terms of flag placement geographically. In the New Year map, the flag point was in the red team's own base, and being the only objective of the team, lead to a lot of pushing for the chance to take the flag. It was also in the open, leaving tanks pushing for the flag as easy targets for the blue team, so when being pushed, or pushing yourself, both you and your teammate were easily destroyable, being a detriment to your team. I point that out because it’s a struggle within a team, generally acted with the motivation to better ones score, rather than conspiracy to prevent the participant’s team from gaining points in order to help the opposition. In the event that it can be proven true, when the player is taking the flag and preventing it from an attempted capture, then I see it as true sabotage. Let me show you what I mean within the context of the rules. “2.1.5. Sabotage — Any acts or omissions aimed at creating obstructions for the team where the User is a member, including in CTF, TDM and CP modes, fighting against the team of which you are a member (intentional selection of weak equipment, frequent pauses, inactivity or intentional failure to comply with map’s or game mode’s requirements, imitation of issues with internet connection), damaging/destroying an ally’s tank, fighting in the interest of the opponent’s team (conspiracy);” Although it doesn’t list ASL for obvious reasons, as long as one is taking the flag downfield to the blue base to capture, they are following the action required to win. When someone takes the flag and hides in a corner, or you actively block the player with the flag, they/you are sabotaging the team effort. An issue no less, which contradicts the point of the mode, but not technically sabotage. I suspect that with more adaptation to the mode, people automatically step aside for those more worthy of the flag. Hopefully. Lack of movement/Predictability There is a seemingly underestimated defect that occurs by accident or on purpose. You only have so many routes from which to carry a flag to victory; but when those routes are used consecutively, it becomes more degrading to the offense than changing it up. Not that this isn’t an issue in CTF, but it’s even worse because the opposition bases its action on where the enemy is coming from. Coincidentally, this could lead to poor action from the blue side as well. When you sit in the same sniping spot after every respawn, the enemy is going to know just how to approach you. And believe it or not, the name of the game for the blue team is to control as much of the map as possible. You may have thought that because there is a castle wall around the point that is all you have to defend. Hopefully you saw that it is also beneficial for the team to deploy players in the middle between buildings to inhibit the opposition’s effort. You genuinely have to remain open to variance. When I saw players who lacked that willingness, they didn’t perform as well as those who were. Funds? No, the Map I don’t play for funds, thus I don’t want to go there. Since I do have some two cents about maps, I would rather influence the debate on whether or not the mode is suitable for other maps. Is it possible to put it on every map? Yes, but on some, it generally won’t work. It would work best on maps that have similar advantages for the red team and similar defensive advantages to the map we saw the mode displayed on. Silence and Noise are easier names to throw out, as there is distinct differences in height, but I mean, could you play a Rio ASL and still get a good amount of enjoyment from it? I think it’s entirely possible. I don’t think it’s where the mode would be at its most potential. An interesting thought for the future of the mode. I would be most enthusiastic about the addition of maps that suit the mode better. What to take away? Like with any new activity; the good sticks with you, and so does the bad. But fear not, the mode is only meant to enhance gameplay positively. Disregarding the impact Assault would leave you on the short side of a new direction for the way we attack and defend. ASL ranks high on the list of favorable gifts (excluding the festive billboards and discounts) added soon after the introduction to a new year. It certainly should on yours too. Do you think ASL gameplay was as good as I thought it was? What did I get wrong? Please continue the discussion of Assault Thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed.

I don't like the premise of the private chat being in the same box as the main chat of the server. I liked being able to send a message to a specific person that might be helpful to other tankers as well. In a lot of cases it should be public as its the public chat in the lobby. It can make a staff members job that much harder. If you would create true private chat system (which I think players desire more), you'd alter the current layout to make a private chat box and separate public interaction entirely. I give you more credit than it seems by this response, you're working on the new version and I hope you actually hit the nail on the head in the new game as far as chat goes.

Welcome to the new year! I hope it is treating you well so far. Its about to get much better for the winners of our Holiday MapMaking special, where participants took a shot at making a new years themed map. The amount of participants was slightly better this time, but I plan (cant guarantee) on cracking out a few guides before starting another contest like this. So if you're interested in the following maps, stay tuned and share your thoughts about map making! Lets see what they came up with this time... First place - Evergreen - 30,000 crystals to happy_creepers_42 Second place - Snowflake - 15,000 crystals to returning champ NOT-Insane Third place - Valdez - 10,000 crystals to Royalworld Consolidation: Crater - 7,500 crystals to LazerShark Noel - 5,000 crystals to eragon33 Kingdom - 2,500 crystals to Hell-Hell Thank you for participating, and remember practice makes perfect. Keep working at it, and maybe you'll earn something big next time.

The window for submissions has closed. Thank you to those who have participated. Results will be out at the end of the week.

Well I've been getting submissions from people so its likely to work for some. Did you try installing it again? I'm not in your seat, so I don't know what you're looking at. What led up to this? You successfully installed AIR, did you put the AIR folder that contains the AE app onto your desktop?

Press "M" Ignore that Error message, you should have all the props you need.

3 years of Map Making Minutes ago, this topic turned three years old! Unfortunately we don't have anything planed for today or tomorrow, but we will try and get some maps out for new years. In the meantime, you can participate in the mapmaking contest going on in the press section. Happy Holidays