Other [Issue 10] Best Of Tanki: Simplicity yet Complexity

[hogree 4,179]

Ever thought of what's the reason you still play Tanki? This newspaper series that we have this issue explores some of the reporters' favourite things about Tanki, that started them to play, and keeps them playing this wonderful game.


The subject I chose upon at hearing these series lies on the basic gameplay Tanki works around. I can easily imagine you guys muttering under your breath that my title is a contradiction in terms, but let me explain what I mean in a nutshell. I'm going to write about Tanki's aspect of how easy it is to learn the game, but yet how many things can be fit in in such a basic yet encapturing fashion.

The Simplicity

My love of Tanki that keeps me staying through thick and thin – or even that started me off playing – depended so much on the simplicity of driving my tank and shooting. The gameplay was so easy to understand. It was just the most easy game to get your nose stuck into. Once you load in the game, a simple “control” feature pops up, and you know everything. Im just going to split this up into different sections, for easiness to read.

Gameplay:

The way Tanki can make such an impressive game so simple in the gameplay basics is just – well, impressive. I bet if you left your six-year-old brother to the computer while you were in the middle of a Tanki battle, it probably wouldn't take more than five minutes for him to know the aim of what he has to do, and how to control his tank.

Gameplay is definitely the big deal on simplicity in Tanki. This is the main point of Tanki where simplicity is key. You see, Tanki being so simple in gameplay gives such a lift to the playerbase of the game also. Have you ever experienced scrolling through internet games and coming across one of those games that takes over an hour to learn how to play. There may be exceptions, but generally, those games are decidedly not my favourite. Its always a relief when you come across a game where you don't require to use over-powering brain knowledge to start the game and know how to play.

For example, there's just four simple game modes to understand. Deathmatch – kill people. Team Deathmatch – Kill people on the enemy team and try not to die. Capture the Flag – Capture flags and kill people. Control Points – capture points and kill people. Easy enough, right? Its not as though you need to run about, do this task, run about, do that task, blah blah blah. The gameplay in its basics is simple, whether you like it or not. Of course, what makes Tanki so good, is the extensive different types of gameplay you can have, in different lines of attack etc. But we'll get onto the complexity part later.

Controlling:

Another simplicity feature that I find so relieving about Tanki is the controlling of your tank. How easy it is to drive is just another added bonus of the wonder of the game. Now, I guess you can take this for granted – of course its easy to control, if the game was good. But yes, I still think its worth a bringing up here. The simple swift controlling regarding the tank driving, the simple physics movement, the simple shooting features – yeah, you've probably got the point – its simpile.

I personally prefer its controlling over using the mouse. I find arrow keys and simple turret turns with your keyboard buttons way easier to use rather than a random moving about on your mouse. Requires more skill, gains more fun – win, win, in my opinion. On top of that, a simple difference for changing your camera view – and pow, your set. Turret, Tank and Camera – as easy as that. Its so good to be able to focus solely on your keyboard.

The good thing though, is that Tanki does not finish there. Think of it if Tanki was just that - a simple game. If there was no complexity to the game, you may as well be playing a minigame on Club Penguin (at least there's less lag there). However, Tanki is not all simple, you'll be glad to hear. As you can see, Tanki is not a completely decrepit game – but rather, a brilliantly complex and simple game. Both compliment each other, lifting it up beyond anything a plainly complex game could hold.

The Complexity

Now, we get to the more serious stuff. What has stuck me in this game for almost 30 months, is partly due to the beautiful complexity of the game. I'm going to split up the complexity into two simple small sub-sections.

Variety:

Yep. Variety in Tanki also counts as a complexity that is simple to learn, and much more fun for the players. The mass differences between maps like Opposition and Island, and Dusseldorf and Desert – not to mention the whole complete gameplay differences between a Shaft and a Freeze, make for a variety that is so key for a game of this calibre.

And, variety counts up to the amount of combos you can hold too. Just think of all that range of combinations for differences on the battlefield. As Raphael2 pointed out in my article last issue regarding the Beauty in Tanki, there are, upgrades included, 80,640 different combos a tankman can choose in the game. Now that is a pretty large amount, you got to admit. The amount of variety adds to a complex game, with the mass amounts of options for people to play in.

Of course, the key is the weapons variety. I personally think the amount of weapons Tanki has, is a pretty perfect amount. Not enough to confuse people, but enough to make people understand differences and have, of course, a touch of good standard variety involved in the game.

Gameplay Enhancers:

Now, I bet your thinking Im contradicting myself here. If gameplay is simple, then gameplay can't be complex as well. No, rather, what I'm talking about is parts of gameplay, what I would like to call gameplay enhancers. Gameplay in itself is simple. Gameplay enhancers make it complex, so the minds of those who get bored easily will be given food.

Included here are drugs, speeds, and the mass amount of damage effects, that enhance the gameplay in Tanki. For me, drugs are just epic. Without them, tanki would just go bam – I know a lot of people disagree with me. But they enhance the gameplay so much, making it a lot funner. Mines give a different sense of skill, in blocking escape routes for defenders and attackers of the enemy team.

The damage effects enhance the gameplay too – as a team, particularly in clan wars, its often different tactics to choose a Firebird or Freeze in attack. The question running through the organiser's mind is whether a tad more damage and burn people is more useful or whether freezing people to minimal speed is. This gives an enhancing to the gameplay – the complexity and different approaches anyone can take is good.

The Physics also play a part in the setup of the complexity here. Having the ability of turtling, jumping on top of enemy tanks, falling of heights – boy, its really amazing when you start thinking about it. Im not sure whether I would say it is complex in of itself, but its also an enhancer that makes the game a lot more complex and fun for us.

Conclusion

Just a couple of important points before I close:

-These are MY opinions – do not feel you have to agree that this is your favourite part of Tanki. Disagree with anything – feel free to mention in the comments below!

-If I haven't driven this home, Tanki being solely simple or solely complex would be decidedly poor. What I want in a game is where the basics are easy to understand but the lesser details are more complex and variable. And that is practically the definition of Tanki.

Thanks for reading!

Edited September 26, 2017 by Hexed

[Raphael2 3,263]

My YouTube channel make me stay too, as my partnership with machinima last 3 years.

[Lankbouv 6,347]

Hahhahaah, 1 comment

*2

[jazz20 1,181]

Nice :D

 

 

My YouTube channel make me stay too, as my partnership with machinima last 3 years.

Well.....you're gone now :/

[r_GaIaxy2 8,611]

So True

Well donw