Contest [Issue 32] Developer for a Day

[Pathfinder 1,690]

Our developers need to be analytical, forward-thinking, and creative. But do YOU have what it takes to become one of the leaders of our game?

So the challenge is this. Write a short statement, 500 words maximum, perhaps including (this list is not exhaustive):

• Identified problems with the game
• How you would address these problems
• What you plan for the future
• How you intend on increasing Tanki's popularity amongst gamers

You will also be judged on your organisation of ideas.

Prizes:

• 50,000 crystals
• 30,000 crystals
• 20,000 crystals

Good luck! You will be judged on both content and writing technique!

Entries will be accepted until 23rd March.

(Note that if you win you won't actually become a developer)

[Wishtaker97 62]

So, here is my Entry:

 This statement was released by Wishtaker97 on 12^th March:

We, the Developers are just a small part of an enormous crew of gaming specialists. Though we are a small one, our tasks are not limited. We represent the game and rule out any form of inconveniences. Any update, any problem, any situation, our team stays for hours together searching for a possible solution. Our job is to see the world of Tanki pleased and in harmony. The functioning of the game, its dynamics, and functionality, all come into account for a game to evolve at its best. The Devs at Tanki try their level best to keep the game up to date.

Talking about Dynamics, they are an important component of the game and its proper functioning plays a vital role in keeping the game’s popularity. Our analysts work day and night looking for possible faults and spend in some extra hours looking for the best possible solution. People may criticize about problems and the inability of the Devs to solve them, but trust me, we work day and night trying to better the game for you guyz, so, obviously patience bears sweet fruits.

Increasing the popularity of Tanki has been one of the major priorities on our checklist. We have tried many possible ways to increase its popularity. We held our exhibition at several places and to our expectations, the crowd came in huge numbers, awed by the very game itself. We set up gaming booths for players to try out the game and we got pretty positive feedback. In the near future we are planning to host grand exhibitions at places like Dubai, America and all over Europe. We hope to get good results and attain high soaring lofty heights. Addition  of new supplies is next on our checklist, followed by an efficient system of voting/ruling out annoying players. This is to be followed by enabling of players to add their birthdays which can’t be changed later.

Tanki has seen many ups and downs in the past and has managed to climb its way to glory. Our favorite game awaits further improvements which will be out shortly, including the addition of a new hull. Till then, Wishtaker97 signing out!.

Regards, Wishtaker97.

 

Edited March 13, 2015 by Wishtaker97

[BJBlazkowicz 20]

reserved :)

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

:excl: WORK IN PROGRESS :excl:

 

 

 

Firstly, I would like to highlight some of the updates that Tanki has introduced, most of them slightly for the worse. In fact, in recent times, the 'Format Battles' update has been the lone saving grace among the plethora of updates that most people consider....well... useless.

 

So, let us proceed with the minutes of meeting.

 

Problems identified

 

1. Well, perhaps the update that received the least appreciation from the players will be the new inclusions in the PRO battle pass. Any battle above one hour, format battles..... all these are almost essentials for a good game in... the game. Earlier, full-scale drug wars or marathon matches were a common sight and increasingly popular. Now..... one has to eke out 5000 crystals for any modicum of enjoyment, and this is especially a problem  among lower ranks.

 

2. The new updated parameters for Smoky and Railgun make it immensely difficult to reach the same level of parkour that one could achieve two or three months ago. Now, parkour relies much more on how well one is shot rather than how hard one is shot. Also, the flipping factor was a major decider during duels.

 

3. Some players are simply not liking the micro-upgrades system implemented in the game. Indeed, it seems a tad too strenuous to upgrade just one parameter in one category at a time, and painstakingly wait for the upgrade to complete, otherwise shell out hard-earned crystals for speeding up the process. It really is a slow process, and can be withstood only by the most patient. Most players cannot wait so long to upgrade their equipment.

 

4. The system of earlier battle finish. One that is majorly flawed. First, it took to long, then, it kicked in unnecessarily and now - it doesn't kick in at all. The so-called system of the 'evaluation of the past few minutes' is turning out to be a dud.

 

Resolving aforementioned problems

 

1. As was the case of the SMP, we can reduce the price of the PRO battle pass, perhaps making a change in the above criteria. Also, we can make separate PRO battle passes for different categories, For example PRO format pass, PRO marathon pass, PRO all-supplies pass. This will balance out the gameplay and will also save crystals for the players who want to try out the above battles.

 

2. We can perhaps remove the reduced parameters in parkour mode, increasing them to their normal capacity. Also, if the demand goes really high, we can reduce the weight of the hulls, so that one can still get the same effect without affecting the impact force, so that, at least on ramps, one can get the pleasure of flipping.

 

3. We will introduce a new system in which one can upgrade one unit of each category at one time, ie, damage, impact, turning speed, etc., so that people will not have to wait so long to see their refurbished equipment. And perhaps, we can reduce the price of speedups!

 

4. We will design a new format that evaluates the average time taken to capture a flag. If the gameplay of one team does not satisfy the evaluation, then the system will kick in, but the timer will start from five minutes, not three, giving the losing team time to recuperate.

 

Edited March 11, 2015 by TriNitroToIuene

[I.WalkAlone 548]

Awesome! Reserved.

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

 

(Note that if you win you won't actually become a developer)

 

 

Got a sense of humour eh, kirb? :lol:

[deadtoyou 2,502]

Incoming "Reserved" posts.... :ph34r:

reserved

[Pathfinder 1,690]

Got a sense of humour eh, kirb? :lol:

Muhahaha

[Superlative 500]

 

 

 

 

Work in progress. :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

Problems and how to tackle them

 

 

Recently, some of the updates the team had rolled out were not greeted as expected by the players mainly considering that these upgrades ruined the naturality of the game and prompted them to ask the inefficacy of the developer team in realising that they do not need to fix problems that do not need fixing.   Below you can read a series of problems with thought stricken solutions prepared and will be implemented by the developer team.

 

 

 

 

Updated rank list system

 

 

 

The best possible way to solve the problem is by conducting a poll, knowing what the majority favours.

 

 

 

Predictable drops

 

 

The best way to find a solution is by implementing a battle devoted to drugging freely. The reason we cannot remove Smart Cooldowns is because we see players using drugs frequently and hate to see it ruin the game's dynamics and diversity. 

 

 

Plans for the future

 

 

When a player creates a topic in the Ideas and Suggestions section, the topic is not posted then. It is sent to the I & S moderator who shares it with his group and concludes whether or not let the topic have the topic posted in the section.  If the topic is a duplicate of another topic or exhibit valueless idea, the moderator strikes the appropriate button, hits ‘okay’, the topic will not be posted, and a message notifying of this action is sent to the topic's owner. If an idea is valuable it is posted in and the owner is automatically notified. After posting, a specific  time would be given for the other players to have their say in this idea, after that the team again analyses and see if the feedbacks from other players are useful in helping the game, they send it to the community manager who would translate it into Russian and forward to the developer team. Ideas that come from the other communities through the same process is then again analysed and the most useful ones are enacted! In this way, Tanki would not have to face a mass exodus of its players. 

 

 

Methods to escalate player base

 

 

 

 

The system of Friends Referrals is mostly prompting players to create mult accounts for producing crystals through ranking to a certain level in that account. After that, they either leave it at that or create a new one to generate income for their main account, in the same way.  The correct way to get what you want is by making players post elsewhere, take a screenshot and send it to you as a proof, and then you can do your end of the deal by supplying crystals. In this way, players seeking more crystals are actually helping the team by publicising this everywhere. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

458  done! 

Edited March 21, 2015 by Superlative

[Jtipt.The.Killer 196]

Reserved. Will write a bunch if i get time.

[Superlative 500]

Doubts that needs to be clarified. 

 

 

 

1. Identified problems with the game
2. How you would address these problems
3. What you plan for the future
4. How you intend on increasing Tanki's popularity amongst gamers

Doubts: 

 

1. How many problems?
2. Whatddya mean? (Like expressing them, how you would say in your words?)
3. Alright. Making plans for future.
4. All right.

[beaku 2,656]

 

Developer for a day

Development of a free to play MMO game is a mammoth task. Players of all ages form a part of the community and everyone should be satisfied.

Obviously, the latest updates in TO have caused mixed reactions within the community. Today, I am going to talk about few of those problems.

Major Issues

1.      The Early Battle Termination system was not working properly. Inspite of the tweaks to the algorithm, the Early Termination timer did not kick-off when it should have and vice-versa. To avoid chaotic conditions we had to remove the system altogether until such time when it works as intended. Currently, the Early termination kicks in only when one of the teams is completely empty. The major problem in our algorithm was the basic principle on which it was based. We had programmed it to kick off when score accumulation rate of one team surpassed the other by a definite amount. However, we had forgotten to take into account conditions in which the losing team tries to take over the battle. In this case, their score grew faster and the system kicked in to their disadvantage.

2.       The Battle system Update: This Update removed ability to custom name the battles. This update was mainly intended to prevent people from names to battle which were insulting or against the rules. This update also updated battle list and made it more informative. We also reworked the rank limits for maps and all maps were unlocked at Warrant Officer 2. We also made private battles an exclusive PRO battle feature. This update was largely criticised by the community. The major complaints were that format battles could not be declared anymore, but we soon released official Format battles and Parkour mode. However, many players still disliked this update because of update making Private battles PRO feature. We intend to increase popularity of PRO battles. This also solves the ever present problem of excessive supply users who, according to many players, have an unfair advantage.

 

 

Our Future Plans

We are going to continue developing the game based on our plans and popular choice.

·        As of now, almost all of our resources are concentrated on developing the Unity version. We are creating new graphics and user interface for it. We are also trying to minimise the system requirements for running the game. So, most of the complaints regarding lag should be solved.

·         We are aware of increase in hackers and are actively working on updating the anti cheat system.

·        We intend to rework Cybersport in EN and DE community to make it more popular amongst the players. We hope that this will help in increasing the number of clans participating in Star Ladder tournaments from international community.

·        We are also planning to take attend more Gaming Shows and events around the world.  

·        We hope that you will continue helping this project grow and develop. :)

 

 

 

490 Words 

Edited March 23, 2015 by beaku

[Pathfinder 1,690]

Doubts that needs to be clarified. 

 

 

Doubts: 

 

 

• How many problems?
• Whatddya mean? (Like expressing them, how you would say in your words?)
• Alright. Making plans for future.
• All right.

1) there's a word limit, whether you wanna glance over many, or go in depth on one, that's up to you

2) how you would address a problem means how would you tackle the problem

[S.C.Y.T.H.E 1,072]

Reserved

[Superlative 500]

1) there's a word limit, whether you wanna glance over many, or go in depth on one, that's up to you

2) how you would address a problem means how would you tackle the problem

Okay, cool. Thanks. :D

[fayaz777 338]

Parental Control

Most of the players in tankionline were between age group of 12-16.By creating parental control system,parents can view the daily&monthly play times,chat history,etc.This restrict children from the probablity of getting hacked or from any abuse conversations.

I planed to post about this in ideas&suggestion topic and get more suggetions from experienced players.

We can increase popularity of tankionline by making albums or songs related to tankionline and post it in youtube,tv channels,etc because now a days people were more interested on hearing music & search it on youtube.

Edited March 19, 2015 by fayaz777

[Jboymark53 508]

ah, finally done :)

 

 

Identified problems:

 Most weapons are popular, thanks to the balance of Tanki online. But gun Twins is very unpopular. I only see one here and there, and not even that often, because most people like Ricochet more due to the damage.

 Another thing I notice is that a lot of players complain that PRO battle pass is expensive for lower ranks, 5000 crystals for even a sergeant-major or a warrant officer is a lot to spend, since a lot of people buy it for parkour they don’t make many crystals during the 31 days. Even if you play the PRO battles, the pass is still pricey. And lastly, many people who are in the same battles speak different languages, so teammates can’t send messages to each other that are understandable, such as passing the flag and when enemies are attacking and such      

How to address these problems:

I would tackle this problem of unpopular twins by increasing the range. Maybe a small increase on rotation speed too.                                                                                                                                                    The best solution for the PRO pass is similar to the score multiplier solution. Make one or two more passes. Keep the pass for 31 days, and make a pass for one week.

For the last problem, an in-game translator should do the trick. But since that would take a while, well the translator was being made, you could have several phrases that you could click that would appear to everyone in their own langue.  

What I plan for the future:

 I think a lot of players would like a little extra something for their birthdays, so we could make an update that you type in your birthday, and something like you get a bigger daily reward on that day, you get bonus crystals in addition to the daily reward. Also more game modes would be nice, such as “Star Collector” and “Last Man Standing” as discussed in the forum. Also as most of you know, the unity version (Tanki on mobile devices like iPhone, tablet, etc. )of Tanki is coming, and I plan for the unity version of Tanki to be just like on the computer. And lastly, another plan is to make a new hull. One that is a little slower than Hornet, but faster than hunter, with armor points for M0 modification in the lower 90’s.One more thing that I plan to develop is a new map, one with a flat plane and a few walls to hide behind, but has tons of underground tunnels.    

How I plan to make Tanki online more popular:

To make Tanki more popular among games, I would maybe do something like put Tanki on more websites (right now it is also on miniclip.com, not just on Tankionline.com.). Another way could be to encourage current players to tell their friends about it.

                                                                                                                                                                     -Jboymark53

 

 

word count: 468  and please up-vote if you like it!

Edited March 4, 2015 by Jboymark53

[fighter310 67]

                                A Developer's Vision 

 

 

 

 

  You know, communication is very crucial in the world of Tanki Online. Whether you want to tell someone to pass the flag, or simply share a basic 'Hello', you just need to communicate. In Tanki, different players use different languages to communicate. This is where the problem arises, and I believe I have the solution for it.

 

  If I were a developer for a day, I would like to address this issue by having an in-game translator! And if that is not enough, I will implement a variety of useful in-game emoticons!

 

  Ok, so first of all, it is important to note that working on a translator can be quite tricky. We have players from all around the world speaking different languages! To start off, I would like to give the translator 3 options to translate, which are the 3 of the most common languages spoken on this game: English, Russian, and Arabic. That,however, is only the beginning. I hold the belief that starting slow and simple is the key to success, as it is convenient and does not blow things out of proportion. 

 

  Here is how it works: go to the settings menu, and go to 'Translations', then select the languages you want to translate, and press T to activate the translation on the chat. The system detects the languages itself. This simple solution lets you know what your teammates or enemies are saying. I remember when I was challenged to a duel by a Russian player. While I understood that he desired to duel me, I did not understand the rest. As a result, we had to duel with supplies on, which is something I did not want! This, of course, is frustrating , and that is why we need a translator!

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

  So you might be thinking, 'what about the other languages, will it be too much?'. That is a good question. I have another solution that is similar to the icing on a cake. It is to add in-game emoticons! Handy emoticons include a question mark, or a laugh to express our feelings. Even though we all speak different languages, emotions are something we all way and it is a common way to express ourselves.

 

  As a developer, I can assure you that we have a bright future ahead of us! All we need is simply your feedback. We need you to share your concerns regarding, well, anything! As we work together on this game, sooner or later, we will be able to observe the effects of our hard work. Besides, how far can you go without putting in your best efforts?  As for now, let us see how the future goes! And, enjoy the ride too!

 

Tanki Online is, without a doubt, a journey. What is the significance of that? Well, a journey is something that makes games fun and entertaining, thus, usually popular. I plan to make Tanki even more of a journey by keeping track of personal achievements.  That is all! Good luck! 

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2015 by fighter310

[Shadows_3000 58]

~Reserved~

[irfaan12 4]

Problems and how to resolve them

 

1) In battles communication is very important it can mean the difference between a epic win or a humiliating loss. In battles there can be a communication gap between players speaking different languages . I suggest that an in - game translator should be introduced. The players can choose which language they want.

 

2) These days  the number of fly hackers is increasing at an alarming rate. I think a hacker button be must implemented. If you press it the next 15 second of battle can be recorded and sent for reviewing.

 

Tankers who help catch a hacker can be rewarded with 150 crystals, even a small amount will go a long way  :P .But people who misuse it will get a deduction of 150 crystals from their account.

 

3) Another major problem is with the current clan system. I agree that the current Star ladder is excellent but across various other games I have seen that the clan system is integrated into the game. I would be grateful if this is done in TO too. In the game a separate button should be there for clans like the Garage . In it anyone can join a clan or create a clan 

 

In the clan page you can view the members profiles and also give them positions. And also a server should be created where tankers of all ranks can join, so players can practice with their clan members and you can send a clan war invite to other clans (this function only works if at least 4 members of each clan are online)

 

4)In Tanki Online there is no system for sending messages , you can't send them messages if they aren't online and in same server. I hope an messaging system will be put up soon.

 

(hope you haven't slept by now   :D )

 

5) Another interesting problem is the introduction of Smart Cool downs. There is no doubt it was an essential,useful, amazing and interesting update, but there shouldn't have been the complete elimination of full - scale drug wars. A new mode can be created in PRO Battle for this purpose. Also the current price for the PRO battles passes is very high. I would suggest the same solution as the Score Multiplier Pass. PRO Battles passes can be split up and their prices reduced. This should increase the popularity of the PRO Battle passes.

 

Plans for the Future

 

Currently there wont be any attempts in the near future to introduce a new hull or a new turret. The plans for the near future are to make Tanki more popular, increase the player base and of course to fix some of the problems highlighted above.

 

Increasing Tanki's Popularity among Gamers

 

I will increase Tanki players base by making it participate in many game shows around the world. And of course I would like to introduce a mobile version for Tanki, this will help Tanki to reach many more gamers.

 

Exactly 500 words

Hope you enjoyed reading it

Please up-vote if you like ^_^ 

@irfaan12

 

 

Edited March 23, 2015 by irfaan12

[Raredust 454]

Problems -

 

Lag - This is a very consistent, irritating occurrence. Especially for people who have a slow internet.

 

Boredom - We all know that Tanki Online is very fun, diverse, and has a significant amount of variety. But we also know that it can become repetitive; especially in long battles.

 

Trolls - Unfortunately, people take this truly amazing game, and use it as an opportunity to troll. They can cause a team to lose a battle or to become handicapped. They're also just downright annoying!

 

Confusion - I feel that Tanki Online is very easy to control, but I believe it also lacks instruction. I feel like new gamers have a hard time figuring out all of the aspects of the game. Though this problem is not too serious, I feel like small improvements can aid people significantly.

 

Solutions -

 

Lag - I would replace the current servers with stronger, more advanced servers. Of course this would cost money. Therefore, I would focus on making Tanki Online more popular, encourage tankers to buy crystals, and devise ways for the company to earn the needed money (e.g. through advertisements).

 

Boredom - Well, personally, I would make Tanki Online even more diverse than it already is. This would include adding game modes, such as survival, racing, tag, crystal hunting, etc. It would also include achievements, miscellaneous updates, more intricacy, etc.

 

Note that these changes would be done gradually.

 

Trolls - I would focus on adding a kick system, strict rules, and more moderators. Trolls are serious problems, and should be a priority.

 

Confusion - To fix this problem, I would add instructions and indicators. For example, if you move your mouse cursor over a symbol, the symbol would be explained.

 

Problems and Solutions: Final words -

 

Please note that I, personally, don't think that there are problems that are very crucial in Tanki Online. Undoubtedly, it is an amazing game, lacking major problems. It is definitely worth participation, for anyone.

 

Future changes in Tanki Online -

 

Tanki Online is a wonderful game. Personally, I feel like there aren't any essential changes that should be done to it. I would, however, focus on continuing to add entertaining updates. I would also focus on making it even more popular, and promoting methods for the company to earn more money.

 

Tanki Online's Popularity -

 

Personally, I feel like Tanki Online is going in the right direction. Nobody can argue; it is growing rapidly, and people love the game. What I would do in the future to increase it's popularity even further, would be to put it on more gaming sites and other websites. I would also advertise it immensely. Another priority would be to notably encourage tankers to tell others about the game. All of these methods of spreading Tanki's popularity would keep it growing, and help the company earn more money.

 

I sincerely believe, that with the right decisions, Tanki Online can become one of the greatest and most popular games in the world.

 

Word count - 489

Edited March 9, 2015 by Raredust

[benjiblob 99]

Reserved, why not?

[Link_1119 183]

I'm not new new but new to the forum don't use it much as much as the game what does reserve mean send me mssge I won't come here looking for an answer again.

 

 

 

Got loads of ideas for this areadly.

Edited February 27, 2015 by Link_1119

[TankDestroyer890 135]

reserved

[greyat 2,972]

Ah, interesting.