Review [Issue 5] Chernobyl

[skitee 555]

Looĸιng тнroυgн тнe average ѕerver, тнe lιѕт oғ тнe мapѕ υѕed can вe very мonoтonoυѕ... ѕιlence тнιѕ, ғorт ĸnoх тнaт, polygon тнoѕe, ĸυngυr тнere, ιѕland нere, вlaн, вlaн, вlaн, ѕaмe old, ѕaмe old, ѕaмe old. ѕaмe мapѕ нere, ѕaмe мapѕ тнere, тнe ѕaмe мapѕ all тнe тιмe. тнυѕ, ιn тнιѕ ғeaтυre, every arтιcle, ι wιll вe тryιng тo “dιg oυт” ѕoмe oғ тнoѕe мapѕ wнιcн ѕeeм тo вe overlooĸed wнenever people creaтe gaмeѕ...

In previous issues, I have run through the maps “Siege” and “Magadan”. Magadan is, in my opinion, the most beautiful map in Tanki, whilst Siege has very unique gameplay that makes it special. I would recommend any tankmen to try to check out those two maps, as well as any other old maps, and see if you enjoy playing battles there. Those maps are just two that are well worth playing if you are getting bored of the monotonous gameplay of Silence and Kungur.

But this issue's article is about neither of those two maps, which you probably would have gathered from the title. This issue is about Chernobyl, one of the lesser-known maps, despite a very famous name. As you should know, Chernobyl was a nuclear reactor in Ukraine (then part of the USSR) that experienced its famous core meltdown in 1986 and caused huge amounts of nuclear radiation to be leaked into the atmosphere, with the fallout killing thousands across Europe.

The map, created by Duke2.0 and released along with re-releases of Fort Knox and Wolfenstain back on February the 10th 2010, has been in Tanki for over two years now. Yet in these two years, it has hardly been played. You rarely see a map of Chernobyl in the servers. Why is this? Is it because it is simply a rubbish map, or, like with Siege and Magadan, has this ill favour from the Tanki community been misjudged?

To find out, let me first attempt to give a brief summation of how the map is laid out. The two flags are on elevated platforms on opposite sides of the map. The only way to access them is from the sides or back. Both flags have three routes from the “floor” onto the elevated platform where each flag lies. The following picture gives a bird's eye view, with each team's base coloured in its own colour.



The map layout is very similar whichever team you are on. The whole of the rear part of the base is at least a little bit elevated off ground level, as are most of the respawn points. Tankmen then have to drop down to ground level before they reach the “neutral zone” between the bases. To reach the neutral zone, they can take three routes into the enemy base. They can go up a ramp to the right of their base to get to a high zone. This area favours shafts and railguns, who can hide up here and fire into the enemy base.

They could also go through the middle of the map, a central “pass” with one or two walls in the way to make it look slightly more impressive. This is one of the best features of any map in Tanki, in my opinion, and is well-suited for tankmen trying to get into the enemy base quickly. However, Shafts normally camp in a position so that they can pick you off if you head through here, so a risk is involved when you travel through it.

Tankmen could also go through an underground area of the map, either to the left or right of the central pass. This is slightly longer than through the middle, but carries minimal risk of being sniped out by a Shaft. All of these routes are summed up in the following picture:



Obviously, tankmen should consider what routes they should take to capture the flag. My preferred route would be to go through one of the underground tunnels, take the flag, kill the shafts from behind, and then head back through the central pass without the threat of sniping shafts. Combined with luck and skill, a capture here only needs a nitro and might even be done without use of any drugs.

Anyway, what of Chernobyl's history as a map? Well, that's the thing. There isn't any. Unlike most other maps that are that old, Chernobyl has not been featured in many, if any, special holidays or competitions. Chernobyl was not selected for “Capture Card”; it is not an official ToF map; it has not been featured in too many quests, at least not prominently. Chernobyl has been left alone, and that, I think, contributes greatly to it's perceived ignorance from the community. This is not fair treatment to such an epic map.

After all, gameplay and tactics form a great part of play in Chernobyl, even in normal battles. Where should the Shafts be camping? Are Ricochets or Thunders more useful at capturing the flag? Hornets or Vikings? Isida or Freeze? Which route should be taken to nab that all-important flag? Which drugs? Where to mine? Which route into the base should you mine? Is going to the top tier important? Should you bother to kill the enemy Shaft? How do you avoid the Shafts? Is Railgun or Thunder a better sniping weapon?

A team with co-ordination in Chernobyl would be able to DESTROY a team without it, no matter how many M3-M3-Paints the other team has. Tactics are everything here. Tactics and Co-ordination, that is.

So why don't you go and give Chernobyl a go? You may find that you enjoy playing in this tactical map as much as you do in the more mainstream maps. You will never find out if you do not go and give it a go, after all! So go into your local server and hit that “Create” button and check out Chernobyl's special gameplay for yourself! See you in the game!

God bless,
~skitee~

Pictures by dimmmy (cover photo), WhiteKnight170 (tankstestingtool pictures) and koolwalky (bird's eye view pictures)

[unholysin1 3]

nice guide.. tactics are everything which proves why some people dont like this map

[r_atharva1230 1]

i want of fort knox III or sandal

[Warturtle1 3]

2014 WOOO!

[trombone_ftw 734]

2014 WOOO!

You mean 2042? :P

[fufususumumu1 240]

You mean 2042? :P

welcome to ban list u have been blocked! WHOOOOO :P 

 

CHERNOBYL looks a lot like any other map. maybe thats why. but i found highway to be one of those special rare maps to be actually interesting

[Warturtle1 3]

You mean 2042? :P

No I mean the year we are in

[fufususumumu1 240]

i thought this topic was in the archive.... :o