Guide [Issue 5] Control Points

[skitee 555]

By the time this article is published, the 1.100.0 update should have been released, and hopefully Control Points (CP) has been publicly exposed to the world. If it is not, you can get a good idea of CP gameplay here and join in the discussion here in this thread.



My aim in writing this article is to kick off some discussion about the new game mode, Control Points. Accompanying such a radical change to gameplay is a number of questions. Will CP be able to overhaul CTF as the most popular game mode? Will CP even be enjoyable to play? Will clans play clan wars in CP or CTF? Is CP harder or easier to win than CTF? Can one player win a game for their team if they have epic skills, like they can in CTF?

So many questions, so few answers right now. Even if 1.100.0 is released according to schedule, then I’m sure that when this article is published, a couple of days after, most tankmen will still not be able to figure all about what CP is like just yet.

So first of all, what is CP? I’m sure most people will know what it is by now, but there will still be a few tankmen who are still in the dark about this upcoming update. So, let me attempt to sum up what it is like. Firstly and foremostly, it's a team game mode. There are red and blue teams. Then, secondly, there are a number of points over the map called “Control Points”. Different maps have different amounts depending on the size of the map. For example, Sandbox has one, Solikamsk has six, and so on.

These points are the crux of CP gameplay. The two teams will be battling it out to be able to Control the points for as long as possible (Yes, the hint is in the name). By controlling them, one of the team's tankmen has to be standing at the bottom of the point attempting to be controlled for a short time in order to turn the point into their team's colour and giving them the points from controlling the point (I’m sorry if that is too confusing, you'll understand once it is released. Honest.). If the point in question was owned by the opposite team first, they will have to spend double the time in first “neutralizing” the point before capturing it for their own team.

Many things about it are still unknown to the public – how exactly the scoring system will work, what announcements will come up at the top of the screen, the location of the points in every map, whether and how much experience will be received by a tankmen capturing/neutralizing a point. This will make the debate all the more difficult, although hopefully we will know all these things once the game mode is released – after all, if we still do not know, there must be some mistake with the release!

But anyhow, that's enough with the introduction. Now onto the issues that need to be debated. First of all, will CP be an enjoyable form of Tanki at all? And will it be as enjoyable as CTF, the current most popular game mode, is?

First of all, I think that Control Points will be worthwhile to play. The whole aspect of a change in game mode to the simplistic TDM and CTF will be good to have. However, I suspect that the confusing nature of CP will set it back far enough so that it will not be able to overhaul CTF as the most popular game mode. To be honest, I cannot see CTF being overhauled by CP. The scoring system of CP, as well as the requirement for games to be at full capacity of the map for there to be interesting gameplay will count against it, I feel. What do you think? From what you have seen of CP, do you think it will be better than CTF? Or do you even think it might not even be any good at all?

Also, what about clans? If you are not in a clan, you might not be able to reach a judgement on this matter, but do you think clan wars will and should take part in which game mode? Is the seemingly random game style of CP better, or the calculated attacks and defence of CTF? Does the pro-offence of CP or the pro-defence of CTF involve more skill and tactics?

Personally, I think that clans should stick with CTF as a clan war game mode, for a number of reasons. The main one being, CTF will not be able to have dodgy scoring. Clan wars are heated matters, and losing clans will pick on any excuse to claim foul play from the other clan. I've heard things like hacking to cause connection closed for the other team, drugging in no-supplies battles, and equally ridiculous things. And I've only played about five clan wars. If clan wars are played in CP, inevitably clans will start arguing with each other over CP scoring, as well as the hundred other things they currently argue about. I don't see the point of adding another excuse to fight.

There are other reasons as well: Capture the Flag is simply a lot simpler to count, as well as rewarding shrewd tactical planning beforehand more than CP does. CTF also is “tried-and-tested”, whilst CP is a whole new gameplay style, which most clans will not like too much. On the other hand, that might be an advantage to CP if you look at it from the opposite perspective. And the aggressive nature of CP might be seen as an advantage over the defensive CTF. It all depends on your own opinion. What's yours? Is CP or CTF a better choice as a clan war game mode? Post below, and give your own reasons.

And what about personal playing in CP? How easy will it be for “takeovers” to take part in this map? And will one tankman with lots of drugs and skills be able to make his or her team win, like they can in CTF?

Well this, I think, is the biggest benefit of CP. Herein lies a game mode which will truly balance out a great team from a good team. Even if one person goes about with full drugs, they will not be able to make too great an impact on the score. (I say this having never played CP; I may be wrong) Only when the whole team works together to capture the points will a takeover be able to occur, and even then it cannot be as fast as it can happen in CTF: Even in the most one-sided of games, there will be times when inevitably the weaker side is getting points from the one or two control points that they are owning. This makes CP far more predictable to guess the result, however, and it might not be too enjoyable for people watching on a livestream to figure out the result.

What do you think? Do you agree that CP has a strength in this area? Do you think that the fact that a whole team needs to be working rather than just one person is the biggest strength of CP? Or do you think that there are other positives which are more beneficial to entertaining gameplay in CP? Like normal, post below with your opinions and reasons. What do you think will be the best bit of CP?

Are there any other things worth discussing about CP? If there's one thing that I'd like to know, it's who came up with the idea for CP in the first place and what was the purpose of CP. In the video, Alexey Khusainov also said that in the development of CP “it was hard to choose one” game mode to formulate. I would like to know what the other options of game mode were, wouldn't you? What other game mode would you like to see added into Tanki?

Anyhow, CP is going to be coming out any moment now, and I’m looking forward to the release very much! I hope that CP will be as good as CTF and DM currently are, and I am sure it will benefit overall Tanki gameplay very much. But what do you think on the smaller issues? Is CP better than CTF? Is CP harder to play? What do you say?

Edited July 31, 2017 by Hexed

[r_nuclearbom0 62]

CP is way more harder to play, I guess, and I also agree that: What is the point of drugs, if you have gotten to a control point, but the other team got it for 2 minutes, so you have to stand there 2 minutes as well, and you lose your drugs...

[Raphael2 3,263]

CP look awesome can't wait :D

[unholysin1 3]

cant wait till cp is released :D

[RicarteElit 0]

nuclearbom i'm sure you are wrong because you will not need to stand there that same time as the other team has been there you only need to stand there the double of the normal time that will probably be some seconds.

For Example: Imagine the normal capture time is 10 seconds.

If the point wasn't captured you would need to stand there for 10 seconds but if iot was captured by the opponents you would need to stand there 20 seconds.

[unholysin1 3]

nuclearbom i'm sure you are wrong because you will not need to stand there that same time as the other team has been there you only need to stand there the double of the normal time that will probably be some seconds.

For Example: Imagine the normal capture time is 10 seconds.

If the point wasn't captured you would need to stand there for 10 seconds but if iot was captured by the opponents you would need to stand there 20 seconds.

we will see when it is released

[skitee 555]

CP is way more harder to play' date=' I guess, and I also agree that: What is the point of drugs, if you have gotten to a control point, but the other team got it for 2 minutes, so you have to stand there 2 minutes as well, and you lose your drugs...[/quote']

 

I'm pretty sure there is a maximum, probably about 10-15 seconds.

[Meliora 1,652]

So basically all you have to do is stop enemies from getting to those 'point bases'?

[skitee 555]

Correct, that is "all" you need to do. You also need to be holding those point bases yourself, of course, if they are neutralized. However, it's not as easy as it sounds!

[r_razvan10 0]

When when are they out?

I personally think it will be a success! :mrgreen:

[r_atharva1230 1]

its a good game mode. A question when is going to come out :?: :?: :?: !!. another one is it going to be on test server for massive testing. :wink: :wink:

[evannn8jr 0]

one problem its already septemember not august when will it come tell us please

[jackieee 92]

i want to play the CP mode. when do it come ?

[Fjelstad1678 186]

i want to play the CP mode. when do it come ?

Later this week or next hopefully if the open testing goes well.

[chriswu 25]

Great and informative. :thumbup:

[datie9 72]

I will play CP!!! :P

[r_a12345z0 0]

cant wait :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[mes1 0]

good luck, sounds pretty fun..

[Raphael2 3,263]

I will play CP!!! :P

Me toooo

[r_Duirn0 0]

i think this will be more fun the CTF because you wont have those people that keep you from getting it

[skitee 555]

i think this will be more fun the CTF because you wont have those people that keep you from getting it

 

There won't be mults, you mean? That's one aspect of CP that I didn't touch on - CP is a lot harder to mult in. I guess that would be a really good thing about CP.

[scar0702 0]

Awesome I can't wait for the release CP and the new graphics mainly.

[WhiteKnight170 2]

i think this will be more fun the CTF because you wont have those people that keep you from getting it

 

There won't be mults, you mean? That's one aspect of CP that I didn't touch on - CP is a lot harder to mult in. I guess that would be a really good thing about CP.

How? They just dont kill the opposition and they stay away from CPs

[skitee 555]

That doesn't actively sabotage the team play though, does it? It's more "passive sabotage", which does not hamper a team as much as active sabotage does.

[r_Les_Alterman0 6]

where's my videos? hmmm...