Why are XP Battles so popular? [by GoldRock]

[conanthedestroyer 278]

This article has been written by @GoldRock.

 

Why are XP battles so popular?

Hold your horses! Does the term "XP battle" fail to ring any bells? Are you yet to discover what this unofficial battle mode is all about? Make sure you check out this excellent article on the subject first, written by my fellow Reporter, hogree: click me! Otherwise, feel free to read on!
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Many of you, myself included, routinely purchase the now-popular Pro battle pass each month. Your once-depleted supply of drugs collects dust in your Garage, forgotten alongside that Freeze M2 you bought a few sales back, left to lie next to your rusting array of heavy and medium hulls. You scroll down the battle list, looking for those light green stars down the left-hand side, which inevitably precede the all-important battle names. You spot what you're looking for - a 4 vs 3 Sandbox CTF, just about full, just about to start. Perfect. You enter the battle, your heart racing in anticipation of the intense combat to come...

The inevitable has happened - you've caught the XP bug.
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OK, so maybe that was a slight dramatisation. But actually, such a situation's probably not unheard of nowadays. Whether you're reading this as an avid XP player - an expert in the art of hit-and-run tactics - or whether you're still finding your feet in this challenging battle mode, this article should offer you an insight into why XP battles are so popular in the first place. So take a moment to cool off after that exciting XP battle you've undoubtedly just had, and read on to discover what gives this battle mode its distinguished reputation.

After much deliberation, I decided that ranking my personal top 10 reasons in answer to the question at the centre of this article would be the best way to make my points. "What's number 1?", I hear you cry. Well, you'll have to read through the other nine to get there. And no, scrolling past them is not allowed.

In at number 10...

10. AP and Mosquito battles
 

Picture Tanki in 2009. There were only four weapons - Smoky, Firebird, Twins, and the powerful 'Fear Machine', as Railgun was once known. There wasn't much choice in terms of hulls, either, with only four hulls too - Wasp, Hunter, Titan and Dictator. Some of you may remember the two 'tiers' which existed back before the Rebalance, with many of these particular weapons/hulls constituting the inferior 'Tier 1'. However, there was one combination which trumped the others - the dreaded Fear Machine/Dictator combination, or as we know it today, Dictator/Railgun. With the Fear Machine's high damage and Dictator's superiority in both health and speed, this was the must-have combo, particularly for those prepared to splash out some of the real money on this game in its early stages.

But then, the Tier 2 hulls and weapons came along. Some months into 2010, Thunder made an appearance, alongside Hornet, Viking and Mammoth, later followed by Freeze and Ricochet. No longer did the Dictator/Railgun combination reign supreme on huge battlefield, with fierce competition from these newcomers. But some players, nostalgic about the fearsome combo this once was, started playing Dictator/Rail-only battles with their friends, and a new unofficial battle-mode was born, known as "ДР" or AP battles, after the initials of the Russian name for the combination: Диктатор/Рель.

Similarly, another unofficial battle mode sprung up - Mosquito battles, which were basically Wasp/Rail-only battles. This particular battle mode was the pre-rebalance equivalent of XP battles now - it was quite popular amongst the community in its prime. So much so that in the summer of 2012, there was an official tournament testing players skills with such a combination. The tournament was a moderate success, with around 120 participants and significant prizes for the winners. It was probably so popular due to the fact that Wasp was almost always one-shotted by higher modifications of Rail at that time, which made for interesting duels. As well as this, the combination was relatively cheap compared to other weapons/hulls at the time, considering that Wasp was a ‘Tier 1’ hull and Railgun was considered somewhere between the two tiers in terms of its effectiveness on the battlefield. 

However, the rebalance changed everything. No longer did the two tiers exist, and players were left to get used to the new characteristics of their favourite combinations. Rumour has it that Dictator was made to be a hull both high in health and speed compared to other medium tanks on purpose, in preparation for a possible ‘AP craze’ – this was particularly noticeable at the M3 modification of Dictator, where it was superior in both health and speed to its popular counterpart, Viking. This was meant to encourage more dynamic gameplay with the hull, but eventually, it was realised that this hadn’t really taken off the ground. Gradually, this unique aspect of Dictator disappeared; first with the ability to MU hulls so that Viking M3 could now overtake Dictator in terms of health, and most recently with the balancing of turrets and hulls, where Dictator was made heavier and slower to better ‘fit in’ with the other hulls.

History lesson aside, how is this relevant to the rise of XP battles? Well, it’s actually extremely relevant. After the rebalance, the ‘Railgun-only’ group of battle modes died down for a bit, as players were busy adapting to the dramatic changes which had taken place. However, these battle modes were not forgotten - gradually, players picked up on the idea of a Hornet/Rail-only battle, further boosted by the increasing popularity of Pro passes (formerly No Supplies passes). And suddenly, new physics were implemented into the game, including the ability for Hornet to ‘drift’ when turning, with the added bonus of much smoother controls. Many of the players who had been around for the older Railgun battle modes put two and two together, and realised there was a viable opportunity for Hornet/Rail battles to really be a success. They started trying them out, quickly discovered that there was loads to like about the battle mode, and went on to spread the word. XP battles were born.

To this day, though AP battles may now be practically extinct, Wasp/Railgun battles can still be found in the form of ‘BP’ battles (the initials for the Russian translate of Wasp/Rail). These are battles in which only Wasp/Rail can be used – of course, the dynamics of this time-tested battle mode changed significantly, now that Wasp can withstand two Railgun shots. However, it just goes to show that Mosquito battles, once popular, have adapted to fit themselves around the rise of the XP battle.

9. All garages
 

This has proven to be quite a useful feature of XP battles. Well, there are two main aspects to this – the first being that if someone is short on crystals, then it helps that they can focus their efforts on one particular combination. Rather than having to worry about upgrading an ‘all-rounded’ garage, it’s now possible for players to direct their efforts towards investing in only this particular combination. This is mostly due to the fact that there are so many XP battles around nowadays. Coupled with both the close-combat and long-range aspects of the battle mode, only having this one main combination actually wouldn’t be that restrictive at all. Plus, Hornet’s known to be a versatile hull – you can pair it with most weapons and be successful, and it’s relatively inexpensive. Even you upgrade this combination and find that Railgun doesn’t really suit your gameplay style, you’d always be left with one very useful hull in your Garage.

The second aspect, and one which is particularly handy for a lower-ranked player such as myself, is that fact that you're not limited that much by the modifications of your Hornet/Rail combination. This means that even with my M2/M2, I often have a chance of finishing top of the winning team, ahead of respected Generalissimos, if I've practised hard and played to the best of my ability. Obviously, the higher rankers tend to be more skilled due to their increased experience, but the important thing is, you're not doomed here if you're skilled but have lower modifications of Hornet/Rail. This even comes in handy for some high-rankers, who may have purchased other weapons/hulls - they can still take part in XP battles with their M2 Hornet and M1 Railguns, and can go on to form a successful component of their team.

But what does this mean? For starters, it means that you don't have to rely on your garage, or on how deep your pockets are - it means that for once, non-buyers start at the same level as their fellow players who spend money on the game. For buyers, this may actually provide a welcome challenge, and a chance to show off the skills they've gained - for non-buyers, it's significant because you're put on a level playing field with those devoted players who keep the game up and running by investing their own money into Tanki. No longer would your hopes of earning a large amount of the battle fund be dashed by a drugging player taking over your game at the last minute. Instead, both groups of players can find something to gain from the equality XP battles, and have a greater opportunity to learn from each other and to improve their own skills.

8. Battle etiquette 
 

OK, so this is definitely important. XP battles have arguably been the best case for this - where battles are halted and started by their participants, where team-mates return to their bases and make sure everyone's prepared to play, where flags can be voluntarily given up in return for a previous 'unfair' flag capture. Well, looking at a basic outline of this, there are a number of basic 'etiquette' rules for XPs. These include the fact that an XP battle should only commence once both teams are full, ready to play, and in their own bases (the terms 'no 6', to indicate that players should return to their respective bases, and 'ro', to indicate that the game should start, are particularly useful). As well as this, an XP battle may be stopped by any participant by announcing 'cton' (stop) into the battle chat; this might be because one team has become one or two players short of being full, or because one or more players have become inactive. Generally, an XP battle should be stopped as soon as possible when this call is made, no matter the situation - although, of course, it would be acceptable to capture any flag which was on the verge of being captured anyway, or to finish a game off if it is already 14-0 to one team in a 15 flag battle.

But all XP players are aware of this visible aspect of battle etiquette. There are also less obvious ways in which battle etiquette is present in XPs, too; one of these ways being that you should acknowledge your opponent's team. If it's clear that one of your opponents is inactive, take some initiative and type a quick 'cton' into the battle chat yourself until he/she returns. It also pays off to look at their strategy, how they played and what impact they had on the game. Were they a cohesive team? How should you tackle their chosen style of play? Generally, a crushing 15-0 loss can be much more useful to you than an easy 15-0 win - especially if you take the opportunity to learn a thing or two from your opponents. Remember, learning about your enemies is the best way to beat them, as well as improving your own level of skills in the process of doing so.

Another significant aspect of battle etiquette is one that might seem fairly obvious to many players, and that's acknowledging your own team. First and foremost, find your place. It's destructive rather than constructive to play with players which you know are on a higher skill level than yourself; be fully aware that unless you're really very skilled for your rank, joining a Generalissimo-filled battle at a Lieutenant rank may not be the wisest decision to make, especially for your team. In addition, if you're asked to leave by one of your team-mates and your score or D/L isn't really up to scratch, then be considerate and do so. This'll enable that team to find a player more suited to the opponents they're up against, enabling them to have a higher chance of success. Equally, if someone in your battle isn't performing well, make sure you're polite if you choose to ask them to leave - manners would always be appreciated. On a similar note, if you know you're not playing very well (or you're just having a bad day), and it's contributing to your team falling behind, then show some thought and step out of the battle. Maybe you can go away and practise a bit on your own; this would benefit both you and your team more.

You should realise how skilled you actually are, and join battles which are more suited to that skilled level, which would be much better for your development as an XP player. Know your capabilities. Therefore, it's clear that this aspect of XP battles is important on both a personal level and in terms of showing thoughtfulness towards other players, and much of the battle etiquette found here can easily be applied just as successfully to a normal battle situation.

7. Importance of strategy

For you keen strategists out there, I’m sure XP battles are proving to be a haven in terms of strategy. Firstly, there’s the issue of attacking and defending. In most XP battles, gameplay is quite aggressive – they seem to work best when the concept of ‘attack being the best form of defence’ is followed. But which approach is best? Well, it seems that there is no one right answer for this issue – the approach should depend entirely on the situation, meaning strategy for XP battles has to be so much more flexible. To give an example, if your flag is taken and most of your opponents are focussed on getting it back to their base, it’s always a good idea to sneak in and nab their flag yourself in the confusion – it could mean the difference between a flag capture or a flag being returned. But obviously, if you’re opponent is on low health, is lacking support and is right in front of you, it wouldn’t make much sense to charge in the opposite direction just to try and take your opponent’s flag. Strategy in this case is reactionary; it depends completely on what’s currently happening within the XP battle, and so a particular tactical move is often decided upon in the heat of the battle. Those players with some practical, quick-thinking initiative tend to outshine others in this battle mode, purely because that’s the kind of strategy which XP battles require.

There’s always the issue of bonus drops, too. Knowledge about the actual map for the XP battle is vital here – will you be able to count upon picking up a First Aid as part of a daring escapade if you choose one route back to your base as opposed to another? Of course, some argue that bonus drops being present in XP battles (as they often are) bring an aspect of luck into the battle, and so could undermine skills – but what is lost in pure skill is certainly made up for in terms of strategy. What makes them so important in XP battles is the effect that they can have on the game – just one Double Power can wipe out the majority of an enemy team if used to its full effectiveness. That sudden ability to one-shot your opponents sure is useful in temporarily swinging a battle in your favour. Coupled with the rate at which an XP battle unfolds, and you’ll find that bonus drops seem to last for a surprisingly long time in such a high-speed battle mode.

In addition, an important factor to mention is prioritisation. Let's look at an example situation. You're up against a single opponent; you manage to get the first shot, and you pursue him/her, both of you on low health. However, a second opponent comes along to help the first. Though you may feel inclined to finish off the first opponent, strategically, the wisest thing to do here would be to switch priorities and get a hit on the second opponent, even if it neans you're then overwhelmed and destroyed. It's better to leave two opponents on low health rather than destroying one, only for him/her to respawn soon after. You might lose out on one kill, but your team will definitely gain when they next attempt an assault on the enemy base. In a similar way, it may be wiser to shoot an enemy flag carrier's supporter, instead of the actual carrier, if the carrier is on low health. This would mean you'd leave both of them on low health, which would give you a much better opportunity to return the flag than if you destroyed the carrier straight away. Otherwise, the flag would just be taken by his/her support whilst the carrier respawns.

Looking at more general XP strategy, it’s common knowledge that the most popular XP battle map at the moment is Sandbox. This map is interesting in that it’s almost symmetrical… but as any strategist should know, the important bit is the ‘almost’. Unless the map was symmetrical, it wouldn’t be completely balanced – so like any map which isn’t entirely symmetrical, Sandbox isn’t an entirely balanced map. Aspects such as what bonus drops fall where, the props located at the centre of the map, and that infamous house tucket away in the corner of the Red team’s base are all things to consider, and are all things which could prove game-changing. But Sandbox isn’t the only XP map, though it may be a popular one. Other XP maps include Bridges, Parma (one I particularly like), Cross, Sandal and sometimes maps such as Boombox, Duel (a personal favourite) and even Island can make for exciting 1 vs 1 battles. It's important to note that the strategy of each map can be altered dramatically when used for an XP battle as opposed to a normal one - suddenly, those walls along the edge of Parma become so much more important during frantic attempts to capture a flag, and camera-angling becomes highly useful when dodging your opponent in Duel.

6. Balanced combination
 

It's about time I looked at why Hornet and Rail work so well together in the first place. As mentioned before, there's the fact that Hornet drifts and has smooth controls, which makes maneouvring the hull both easier and more exciting - the new physics saw Hornet labelled as similar to a 'racing car' in quite a few ways, with some players finding it harder than others to get used to its more sensitive controls. But let's not forget the increase in speed which the new physics brought, either - the light hulls were significantly boosted in this aspect, meaning that Wasp and Hornet have become essential components of fast Railgun gameplay. Combined with the fact that the variety of protection paints generally enable all modifications of Hornet to survive one Rail shot but to be destroyed in two, and this meant that Hornet really is a very suitable hull indeed.

Statistics aside, it always pays to look at the actual features of hulls - such as their shape. If Wasp is faster, why isn't the Wasp/Rail-only battle mode more popular? Well, there're two reasons for that - one being the aforementioned 'smooth controls' which gives Hornet the upper hand in this scenario, but another being Hornet's shape. The hull is naturally compact but quite stable, unlike Wasp, which can quite easily be flipped. Also, Wasp can be much harder to control as a hull, let alone worrying about the complexities which Railgun as a weapon provides. Hornet is the easier option and the more obvious option; it provides a solid base around which XP battles have managed to spring up. Sleek but practical and fast but stable, Hornet really does suit Railgun well here, both in terms of its statistics on paper and how it works in action.

It would therefore make sense to consider the other half of the XP combination: Railgun. Let's not forget that there are two parts to any successful combination, and that as well as the hull suiting the weapon, the weapon has to suit the hull. For a combination to be balanced, the relationship between weapon and hull often has to be reciprocal in nature. So what is it about Railgun that sits so well on its trusted Hornet? Well, there's the hit-and-run side of things, for starters. Contrary to what may have stereotypically been the image of Railgun, it really isn't just a camping weapon, especially in XP battles where players often keep moving between shots. That extra speed can come in handy when exchanging shots with an enemy, whether at close range or long distance. Similarly, the recoil of Railgun is something which should be noticed - compared to its high-speed counterpart, Hornet can stay on it's tracks despite such a high recoil, yet skilled Rail players are still allowed to exploit this recoil by throwing off their opponent's aim.

Finally, the turret-turning speed of Railgun is pretty important, as well as the short time for which Railgun charges up between the spacebar being pressed and a shot being fired. When used with Hornet, the slow turning speed can be eliminated through intelligent use of the hull - this particular hindrance is dealt with. As a result, Hornet allows for a lot of scope when Railgun is 'charging up' before a shot; its speed and stability can enable someone to rapidly hone in on a target, or to fling their hull around to engage with an incoming enemy, all whilst in the process of firing. It's almost like there doesn't really need to be a separation of turret and hull - you don't need to wait until you've manoeuvred round a corner to take aim and fire, neither do you have to slow down your movement when you do so. Hornet/Rail removes these conventional barriers between turret and hull, in a sense, as the two instead form one unit. This 'harmony of motion' is pretty key to why the XP combination is such a success.

5. Teamwork and communication
 

XP battles are a real test of this factor. For starters, they've changed the way in which many of you would normally communicate in battle. Instead of indicating the combination of an attacker in the team chat when your flag is under threat, players can now just simply warn that the flag's in danger through a quick 'f' (flag!) typed into the battle chat. Of course, there's a difference between communication and good communication - it's always handy to your team-mates if you say something along the lines of 'f, left side, full/low health'. This would also indicate where the attacker's coming from/escaping, as well as notifying others whether they can risk charging in and returning the flag or whether they should instead focus their efforts on taking the enemy flag, depending on the health of the assailant. Good communication is also key in other areas; it's important to announce when an enemy has been flipped so your team can capitalise on a potential offensive opportunity right away, or to let others know that they need to be cautious about leaving your base undefended if you yourself have been flipped (which may be announced through a quick '-1'). Of course, it's vital that all this is said in the team chat, to avoid tipping off your opponents in such a circumstance.

So, I've outlined some commonly used methods of communication for XP battles. But what about teamwork? Well, this is especially important for success, and goes hand in hand with communication. One of the things which can tend to let teams down is actual flag capture tactics - such as passing flags between players, or ensuring that an attacker returning to your base with the enemy flag is still supported. More than once, I've witnessed failed flag passes, both on the part of the team I was on and on the part of the enemy team - where a player with low health drops the enemy flag without first checking to see if there are any opponents who might be able to nab in and return the flag, before someone from your team can take it. Similarly, if you're planning to drop the flag, you need to make sure that your nearby team-mates are actually aware of your intention, and that they will be able to react quickly enough to avoid the flag being returned. Blind flag dropping can lead to some embarrassing moments in XPs.

Also, there have been multiple occasions where a player low on health manages to get back to his/her base with the enemy flag. His/her team-mates, seeing that the player seems to have escaped 'imminent' danger, leave the player to capture the flag as they begin their next assault. But all it takes is one enemy player to get the lone capturer in his/her sights, and fire. Immediately, you're left with a situation where the flag is standing inches away from being captured, but with no-one remaining to actually do so - which makes it a huge waste of a successful get-away with the flag when the aforementioned enemy player nips in and returns it without facing resistance. The moral of the story here is that players need to make sure they're aware of their situation when they're holding an enemy flag, even when the coast is seemingly clear. Otherwise, it's so easy to be caught unawares due to a lapse in concentration by just one member of the team; meaning that the efforts of the team as a whole can go to waste. This is where good communication can really help a team to avoid such potential embarrassment, by keeping each other updated whatever the situation.

But let's go back to actual communication. It seems that the XP battle-mode actually leaves a large scope for improvement in terms of team communication, possibly in the form of 'calls' (where players of a team talk to each other using microphones via a service such as Skype during a battle). For starters, this would mean much easier and more rapid communication - but it may be particularly useful for the fast scenarios which XPs can often throw up, particularly if you've just been destroyed and want to communicate something vital, yet need to keep your hands on the controls for when you respawn. Calling really does make a huge difference to teamwork - experienced clan leaders watching a battle would be able to tell when a team is on a call or when a team isn't, since the level of communication steps up a notch. And it's a very visible step. So, the fact that there's still room for expansion in this area indicates to me that in the future, it wouldn't be surprising to see highly trained teams of XP players utilising these more advanced communication methods more often - and just imagine what XP battles could be like then.

4. Centred around skill 
 

For starters, everyone uses the same combination in XP battles. What distinguishes between players is how skilled they are at using it. XP battles are a combination of numerous factors, including controlling and manoeuvring one's hull. This can be used to great effect; simply by changing direction at the last second or by performing erratic movements, it's possible to make an enemy who's right beside you miss their shot, immediately giving you the upper hand. It also pays off when capturing flags during the heat of the battle to know that you'll be able to drive your way back to base whilst still aiming towards any pursuing enemies. Basically, XP battles are a good platform for displaying how skilled you are with actually controlling your hull, which is often neglected by newer players as they focus on developing their weapon-related skills. XP battles are proof that neither aspects of any combination should be neglected, and that someone who's mastered driving his/her hull will end up being more successful than other players, particularly when involved in the intense gameplay of XP battles.

As well as this, the XP battle-mode is an excellent arena for improving on another aspect of one's skills - accuracy. The first step that each and every tanker has to overcome tends to be the turning of one's turret and the aiming of one's shots. Therefore, it should be remembered that accuracy is something which continues to develop throughout your career. But in the case of XPs on particular, it can be summed up in a single phrase: practice makes perfect. You can do this by making sure you keep moving, trying to pull off hard shots and making a mental note on how to improve if a shot goes wrong. As well as this, it may prove useful to create an empty XP map, and to practice driving around it and shooting at certain props, as well as perfecting any 'angled' shots (shots aimed at targets on levels above or below). Doing this regularly would definitely help to increase your accuracy over time, as well as meaning that you can become more and more skilled in comparison with your actual rank. So if you're having trouble keeping up with all those other XP players at around your rank, practice alone in an empty map, or even get a friend to help you out. Accuracy is certainly something which can always be improved upon, whether you're new to the game or a battle-hardened veteran.

There is, however, a factor of skill which comes into play in higher level XP battles, and which can be out of your control - your reaction time. Some players just naturally react quicker than others if they spot something at the corner of their screen, and that's unavoidable as each player is unique - the challenge is trying to prepare yourself for such a situation, so you can continue to improve your own reactions. In doing so, you would not only be helping your progress as a player of XP battles, but this may also prove beneficial in terms of your overall reaction time; which actually comes in handy in many online games. But this is particularly important in XP battles, where events occur thick and fast, requiring fast thinking and fast responses to keep up. Though this may be less obvious upon first sight, reaction time really can make a difference in an XP situation, where all players are ultimately competing to outwit each other.

Remember, in terms of skill, your main competition is yourself. If you're having trouble with any skill-based aspects of XP battles, then the responsibility lies with you to practice, practice, and practice again if you're aiming to reach the highest skill levels which this battle-mode can provide. This can be time-consuming, but is definitely rewarding in the long run. As can be seen, skill is a major factor in all XP battles - and all skills gained in XP battles can be transferred over to Tanki in general. Those who have mastered the techniques which this battle-mode involves often dominate normal battle situations due to the wide-ranging and diverse nature of these skills, too. Plus, skills like a quick reaction time can always be useful when hunting for gold boxes - especially since gold box drops often involve a multitude of events crammed into a timespan of merely a few seconds, much like the atmosphere provided by XP battles.

3. Dynamic gameplay
 

It's about time I reached this point, what with all the references in this article to the high speed gameplay which XP battles almost always consist of. At number 3: it's dynamic gameplay. Well, what is it about the speed of XP battles which is so important? A lot, actually - XP battles are known for the fast pace at which they are played, which provides a different and unique atmosphere altogether. Many normal battles give people an opportunity to 'camp' at their base or somewhere in the middle of the map, with players able to take their time over the big decisions. XP battles don't offer that luxury. Instead, many choices made by players have to be made on the spur of the moment, which means that those who are better at making the right decisions as part of a team under pressure will be more successful. As for normal players, XPs help them to get used to this situation - though the fast-paced gameplay may already be familiar to many experienced clan war players, it can provide a unique experience for many others. An environment in which some flourish and others struggle, separating the average from the gifted and the experienced from the beginners.

Let's look at the actual positions which players can take within an XP battles. Will a successful team have campers, defenders, midfield players and attackers? The answer, though it may seem surprising, is no. A successful team needs to have players who aren't only good at one of these roles, but who can mix it up between multiple roles depending on what circumstances bring. There's no room on a successful team for a camper to just hang around at his/her base in the XP battle-mode; likewise, launching yourself repeatedly at the enemy base is not necessarily the best way to go. XP battles are great in that they test players' abilities in a variety of situations and roles - you may be in the process of supporting an attacker who's getting away with the enemy flag, when suddenly, you're sniped from behind and you respawn to find that you now have to play as a defender, your base swarming with counter-attacking enemy players. Because you're all using the same combo, there's no excuse as to why you can't switch positions with a defender on low health to allow him/her to go charging up the battlefield - in reality constantly switching positions actually makes practical sense. You may be strongest in one particular role, but the best XP players will be able to use their strengths and apply them to all roles, depending on the situation provided by an XP battle.

Equally, a successful player can swing the game on his/her direction, just by gaining control of the gameplay and using it to his/her own advantage. If you join an XP battle to find that your base is besieged by enemy players and one of them is getting away with your flag, try something unconventional - it might be that running down an alternative route, nabbing the enemy flag and then following the route back to your base that the enemy capturer is using could turn looming failure into surprising success. Especially if that enemy's unsupported - if, at this stage, the enemy team is walking all over your own team, it might be safe to assume that this is the case, and that any support has remained behind in your own base. So you cross paths with that startled enemy flag carrier, and before the enemy team knows it, you've returned the flag and are now charging down a clear route back for your own capture. Don't underestimate the ability of one player to swing an XP game in his/her team's favour, and so to dramatically alter gameplay. Though such players are a rarity, it's not impossible to attain to such a level of influence on XP battles - the key thing being that you should be able to switch between roles and tactics in the blink of an eye, and use your initiative to invent your own solutions to a problem being posed.

So by taking the right approach, it's possible for just one player to change overall gameplay, or for a whole team to work together to swing a battle in their favour. Gameplay is so fluid within XP battles that there shouldn't be a problem doing so - just be prepared to mix your playing style up in order to keep up with such rapidly altering gameplay, and to attempt to keep control of a situation by keeping on top of quick decisions and choices. XP battles offer a completely different form of gameplay, one which can change and fluctuate within the blink of an eye, and getting into the right mindset for this is key.

2. Difficult to master
 

The tension continues to build - I've reached the second point. Now this is really important - it's the reason why so many high-tankers continue to play and enjoy XP battles. There are so many possibilities in terms of getting better and better at such a battle-mode. Just to give an example, there's the aspect of double and triple hits. This is where you manage to hit 2 or 3 players with one shot, and this can prove especially useful if perfected. Look for openings, wait for the right moment... and wham, you've potentially destroyed two players in one shot, and maybe even damaged a third. You'd also need to keep this in mind when dealing with highly skilled opponents; don't give them an opportunity to line such a shot up. That's why when playing as support, using yourself as a shield between a main attacker and the enemy players may not always be a good idea, especially if this enables your enemies to use their initiative and try to hit both of you at once. This is equivalent to pulling off two shots in one, saving valuable time and possibly providing a huge advantage to a player if used successfully,

In addition to this, there's the fact that mistakes can matter so much in XP battles, especially in 1 vs 1 scenarios. Miss just one shot, turn one second too late or make one poor decision, and you could be allowing your enemy to clinch the win. Therefore, we can logically point to one way of looking at XP battles: the most successful players are those who make the fewest mistakes. Everyone will make mistakes once in a while, as mistakes are only human - it's limiting these mistakes which counts, as well as limiting their impact on the game where possible. Otherwise, you could find that your opponent starts to capitalise on your mistakes; and rather through winning through any skill of his/her own, you suddenly find the battle's over and you've been beaten as a result of your own errors. In a way, this fact places us all on a level playing field - it gives those who are less skilled the chance to overcome those who actually deserve to win, simply through damage limitation, or in other words, making as few mistakes as possible.

Lastly, those who are really serious about XP battles would probably want to get the best game experience possible, by reducing lag. Ah, dreaded lag. This is particularly important for XP battles, where one moment of lag can lead to a lost flag, significantly impacting the entire XP battle. Whilst this is not entirely in a player's control, there are thinks which he/she can do to combat it - such as running Tanki Online as a separate application (info about reducing lag can be found on the Tanki Wiki and the forum) and making sure he/she is using a good PC with a decent Internet connection. Because one thing which can really frustrate XP players is having to play with a player who jerks and jumps across the battlefield, simply due to a poor Internet connection. It's likely there'll always be some lag at points to an extent, but if you're playing at a higher level, you want to minimise this as much as possible in order to get the most out of your XP gaming experience. If you happen to be up against a lagging player, there are things you can do to 'master' this problem; you can make sure you concentrate, and predict where he/she will move next so that you can still land your shots on target. In a way, it's almost like another challenge offered by XP battles, albeit an unnecessary one... As for those who suffer from the problem themselves, if lag's preventing you from mastering this battle-mode, now's the time to get it sorted! 

Whether it's more advanced shots, basic errors or lag, I can safely claim that no player will ever become perfect at this battle mode. The only way to get as close as possible to mastering XP battles is to work on reducing problems such as a tendency to make mistakes in the heat of the battle, and to be open to further advancing your XP abilities. As players get better and better at this battle mode, even more advanced stuff could be unearthed. There might be a day when XP players attempt to charge around the battlefield one on top of the other, or try to launch themselves into the air to pull off crazy in-flight shots. OK, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but you get my point - the possibilities for XP battles are endless. One of my more skilled friends once confided in me that he always keeps his volume turned up when playing XP battles, so he can actually hear any opponents who are out of sight of his camera, and act accordingly - to me, this is something which sounds like a classic example of a difficult technique which is even more difficult to master. Who knows what the next advanced XP tactic will involve?

1. The 'psychological' factor 
 

And finally, we arrive at what I saw as the most important point here - the intangible and instinctive sense which many players associate with XP battles. Be it just having this split-second feeling that going down one route as opposed to another just 'feels right' at one moment in time, or that you instantly 'know' that you'll be better off going up that ramp to snipe your opponent from behind rather than attacking head on, this greatly affects the choices each one of us makes upon entering an XP battle. I know of quite a few XP players who describe themselves as relying on their 'gut feeling' at times, and it can be even more satisfying when it turns out that you would've been overwhelmed had you chosen the other possible route in a situation, and so your gut feeling was correct. Some players may say 'well alright, but you made that decision because of your knowledge of strategy' - however, I think it runs deeper than that, and that we're forced to make a high number of decisions based upon our instinct as soon as we enter an XP environment. You join, you spawn... but you had no idea where the enemy was, so what told you to go right rather than left at first? That's the sort of thing I would attribute to the psychological side of XPs, and it's a factor that's much more important than people realise.

Another important part of this is mind games. A simple example would be trying to get your opponent to shoot and miss when you're both behind cover - you'd want to poke your hull out just enough to entice your opponent to take a shot at you, but not too much, so you can return to cover and avoid the shot. In other words, you're trying to force a miscalculation from your opponent here. In its more complex form, this involves quite a bit of anticipation. In other words, the most skilled players are able to aim at targets which aren't in view, yet still hit them with their shot just as they come into range. This can be really useful, especially if you use it to turn a disadvantageous situation into an advantageous one. Let's take an example situation; you're out of cover, and your opponent is behind cover, about to shoot at you. You look up in the corner of the screen, see that he's just destroyed a team-mate of yours, and so that he must be waiting until he's fully reloaded. You count down a little... but it's a complete estimate, you didn't actually see him make the shot. But there's a moment, just when it feels he's about to come out of cover, when the time feels right to hit the spacebar. You do so, and amazingly, manage to hit him just as he jumps out of cover to fire at you, knocking his aim off completely. He had the upper hand, but your use of anticipation has just turned the tables. This is something which only the more skilled players can pull off, a moment of glory when the odds are defied, purely through the psychological aspect of XP battles.

The last important part of this would be the emotional side of XPs. Often, such battles can get really involving, but for some players, getting over-excited can cause them to fluff important shots. The important thing here is keeping your cool, even when under pressure. Adrenaline should be controlled and utilised in battle to get the most of XPs, rather than causing mistakes due to nervousness or excitement about a moment in the battle. Realising this in particular would enable you to keep in mind the fact that it's not only your head and your instinct which affects the decisions you make in an XP battle, but your emotions also affect this too. So, there are clearly a combination of different factors which can determine the choices of a player, though they become much more pronounced within this particular battle-mode. The point I'm trying to make here is that much of this is something that XP players at a higher level take for granted - we don't 'discuss' the strategy of gut feeling before a battle, nor do we consciously think about how our emotions might affect our playing style under pressure. We just end up playing without regarding this, as it's something which only natural ability, and a lot of experience, can really make a difference 
__________

I hope you found this an interesting read. Those were my opinions on what really affects the diverse battle-mode which XP has become, and there really was a lot to write about it - make sure you share yours on the forum, along with any feedback you have about this article; I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts and opinions.

 

Once again, I hope this has offered you a deeper insight into the battle-mode, and that you're able to take some of the info provided here on board when next entering the unique world of XP battles. *puts on a dramatic voice* GoldRock, signing out!

[GoldRock 6,165]

Special thanks to @Fen-Harel for his advice with this topic!

Hope you find this an interesting (if lengthy) read, guys!

[rokar123 11]

Nice work :)

[Xenophobia 457]

Good job :)

[doduobird 315]

Cool

[Luxury 315]

Nice..  ;)

[flae88 948]

Congrats on job back gold and nice

[Aero.v2.0 1,456]

Awesome gold rock. Welcome back!

[canadarules 1,938]

Good article :)

[GoldRock 6,165]

Thanks all!

[TriFerricTetroxide 15]

Good article Gold Rock by Sre123

[r_Accuracy5 94]

Great article, GoldRock. Welcome back! ^_^

[sebytto 53]

Nice article GoldRock welcome 

[mdit108 121]

Great article...

[Z3RO_DiM3NSiON4L 82]

Nice one...

Appreciate the time u've spent on this article :)

[hogree 4,179]

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. Awesome. And Number 1 is just beautiful. Albeit you may just have nicked the Longest Article in Tanki history role, I'm happy if its the quality of this.

[Eragon 13,876]

Goldrock is back as reporter?  :o Congrats man!

[HirunMeepage 763]

Look who's back, welcome back!

 

Way to go - this article was a masterpiece. ;)

Good Job!

Edited May 22, 2014 by HirunMeepage

[MyLife_MyReign 256]

Great read! Well written article Goldy ^_^

[stanzhang 3,291]

wow

[GoldRock 6,165]

Thanks, guys ^_^

 

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. Awesome. And Number 1 is just beautiful. Albeit you may just have nicked the Longest Article in Tanki history role, I'm happy if its the quality of this.

That feedback means a lot coming from an experienced Reporter such as yourself; and nicked by a couple of thousand words, I guess :p

[falcosenna1 8,320]

Awesome article. I play XP-battles a lot with a few friends. I love it. 

[LividTanki 7]

Nice article,but add some pictures to make it better.:)

[1m4u7s3 1]

XP has a quite different gameplay

[ExtremeKiller26 443]

Awesome article for a XP player like me, and as hogree said, I think you just wrote the longest newspaper article in tanki history.