Other [Issue 41] Journey of a Tanker

[greyat 2,972]

 

Starting Off

 

 

Everyone’s been here. You’ve just entered your registration information, and loaded automatically into a short battle, such as a Sandbox DM for the unusual duration of 10 minutes, your crystal count at 500. Popup messages indicate that for completing tasks, like leaving and rejoining a battle, or purchasing something in the garage, you get a one-time bonus of a small amount of crystals.

 

 

In the battle, you have an unusual contraption, a Green-clothed Hunter-Smoky M0. Figuring out the basic controls, you are able to drive and shoot - but not turn the turret (that skill will come later); until then, you rotate the tank to adjust your aim.

In the garage, you find a wider range of equipment; intrigued by one or the other, you buy them. Using them, the skinny green bar at the top of your screen  gradually fills up - until, all of a sudden, a radiant beam of light rises above your tank, along with a message of congratulations; you’ve ranked up!

The battle ends, and you see that you’ve been rewarded; an impressive 50 crystals have been added to your wallet.

As you participate in more battles, you realize that certain boxes that you pick up are good for you - the red ones, for example, seem to make enemies die faster, while the brown one makes you die slower. Picking up a green one restores you to full health!

While in a battle one day, a loud siren sounds, scaring the heck out of you. Refocusing, you see the text, ‘Gold box will be dropped soon’. Wondering what that is, you continue your normal activities, until you notice an unusual symbol on the ground; it’s white and looks promising. Sitting on it for a while, eventually a white box spawns and drifts onto you.

You’re excited to discover that it added 1000 crystals to your wallet.

 

And so your days continue - earning battle funds, and every so often, adding a gold box to your possession. Monotony is warded off by the variety of modes and maps that are available, as well as the daily mission rewards.

 

Forum

 

 

Then one day, you find that the game has changed. An update has occurred - you follow the link on the homepage and, in this manner, discover the forum.

You find a sign-in button near the top of the screen, and entering your credentials, log in. After doing so, you find out that you can comment on topics. Browsing for a few hours, making a few posts here or there, you discover a vibrant community thriving within the forum, filled with multitudes of different characters.

Daily, before you enter the game, or while a battle is loading, you take the time to check the forum for updates on interesting topics, such as Photo of the Day, or the gold box topic.

By this point, you’ve perhaps procured several in game friends. Searching them up on the forum, you find that many of them are in a group - a clan.

Browsing the clan’s forum topic, you find that your rank and garage are compatible with its requirements. You decide to apply to join the clan. Filling out the indicated form, a few days later you find that you’ve been accepted.

Finally, the eagerly awaited clan practice - the first for you - arrives. During it, you find out that your skill level is among the upper echelons of the clan (by now, the art of turret turning has been mastered by you). Your friends and clanmates are impressed.

More stability settles in your life - play a few battles every day, catch a gold box every few days, clan practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Every so often, your friends and clanmates organize a clan war; most of these events end in victory. In this way, your level of experience gradually grows, as does your rank and equipment.

M2s slide by, and you soon find yourself purchasing your first M3. The glory of that moment fades away as more M3s are added to your garage. Finally, you reach the pinnacle of all moments - your experience bar now reads 1399990/1400000.

 

Final Rank up and Afterwards

 

 

At your final rank up party, a few annoying tankers are present, who attempt to ruin it. The battle happens to be a CTF, and they try to drop the enemy flag on you, so that you return it and rank up. You see the attempt coming, having previous experience with them, so you create a new private battle; they are not invited. The rank up is concluded in accordance with plan, and messages of congratulations fill the chat afterwards.

With no more ranks to strive for, you grow somewhat bored of Tanki. True, there are always clan practices, and getting crystals for upcoming sales, but you’ve nearly seen everything. Searching for a way to continue being engaged in the game, you finally decide to apply to be a member of the staff, with the recommendation of a close friend, who’s already a moderator. You’re well qualified for most positions, with karma only blemished by a few five-minute flood bans, and are fairly active both in-game and on the forum.

 

 

You apply for one of the positions, and are pleasantly surprised when accepted. You pass your candidacy period with flying colours, and you’re rewarded by an avatar on the forum and a special paint denoting your elevated status. More engaged than ever in the community, with that friend as a mentor, you soon grown into one of the most distinguished moderators of the community. Almost all have heard of your name; you’ve started your own clan, and hold the record for the most upvoted post in the community. You’ve helped multitudes of less experienced moderators fit into their new roles. For that, you are among the most respected of all the members of the community.

 

Now

 

Now, over four years after starting, you’re facing a crisis. Life has caught up with you, and you no longer have the time for your duties, or Tanki. Most of your original friends have already quit - including the fellow moderator who helped you start off; though you are not lacking in friends, you desperately miss the old conversations that you’ve held, the good - and bad - times that you’d been through with them.

First, a few closer friends are notified. Then, the rest of the community finds out via a farewell topic - you’re leaving for good.

 

Though you’re gone, the legacy you leave is great. You’ve been a mentor to countless players, many of which are now staff. Some of them, like you, are destined for greatness, being blessed with both the maturity and available time it takes to achieve that. And when they look back on their careers, they’ll think of you, just as you thought of the past when you reflected on your career.

 

They’ll remember:

 

If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

~Sir Isaac Newton

Edited July 29, 2017 by Hexed

[greyat 2,972]

.

Edited September 27, 2017 by greyat

[rothro3 50]

Very touching Grey Cat.  Sounds a lot like my story, and countless others as well.  Hope you don't plan on leaving soon.  :P

[fightermalikio20115 374]

The exact story of most tankers

[Quarks 2,255]

Very well done, good job, only critique, you forgot to post your signature.

[MandolinMarc 874]

It's a cycle, really. Your friends leave, causing you to feel lonely and leave, causing your friends to leave, causing their friends to leave, etc.

 

But that's the natural way of things. Nothing great can last forever.

[lukey0 27,543]

Very nice. :)

[r_Arabiannoble0 1,756]

A slight correction to an otherwise outstanding piece.

 

You post a leaving topic and cause a big drama, then come back tomorrow.  Then over time slowly you grow bored of the game until you never log on again and forget about it.

[NewbieCake 3,067]

 

 

 

 

Forum

 

 

Then one day, you find that the game has changed. An update has occurred - you follow the link on the homepage and, in this manner, discover the forum.

 

I didn't hear about the forum until I was a Major. ._.

[Thug 3,435]

Nice

[TheBuiz 0]

When I came to this game I didn't start with Hunter M0 and Smoky M0. I started with Wasp M0 and Smoky M0. Who here remembers that? Hornet was the fastest hull in the game, pressing 2, 3, and 4 was very common, viking had more HP than dictator, rail would OHKO a wasp of its modification at almost any range, Firebird had blue and purple flames and didn't have a burn effect, shaft M0 and zeus were unlocked at WO5. It's been a long time

Edited October 3, 2015 by TheBuiz

[m6ttetu 288]

Very touching Grey Cat.  Sounds a lot like my story, and countless others as well.  Hope you don't plan on leaving soon.   :P

[viratno2 146]

problem is if you want to be a mod, and don't have any mod friends like many tankers, and you are the last rank and you get bored. like hell.

[P_E_R_S_I_A_N 246]

sounds good and nice :)

[MJROCKS05 428]

Nice piece of writing, very emotional

Umm, but I think u forgot to add smthing, after becoming a gissmo you create a new nub account and finish all those private's off with your amazing skills and experience those hulls and turrets and all of the other things you've always wanted to do ;)

Edited October 4, 2015 by MJROCKS05

[Ordinary_Blood 66]

It depends if you want to take an active role or not. Majority of the people won't and would remain the same after 4 years. *shrugs*

[Indra_Otsutsuki 329]

The feels you have created in my heart is...is...I don't know the word for it...I will edit this post once I know what word to use :p

 

 

[hotshotshooter 343]

touching, respect

[greyat 2,972]

A slight correction to an otherwise outstanding piece.

 

You post a leaving topic and cause a big drama, then come back tomorrow.  Then over time slowly you grow bored of the game until you never log on again and forget about it.

(That's Remult's job to write about)

[turboturret_2014 0]

a very touching story but dont leave tanki unity is coming!

[Amateur 829]

Wow! What an article! The only thing that affected me is the original friends section. The one who told me about tanki played only for 2-3 months and then left me alone in this game. I still remember my moments with him when I was a weak tanker and he was winning all our matches.
In fact, these were the best moments in tanki. Even though I have a lot of friends in this game, no one can replace my original friend. Without him, game is absolutely boring.

[bunnybot3001 0]

That was really amzing and much like my story but i think that you missed one thing. Once you reach a high enougf rank you create a noob acount to play with your newly intrduced friends form scool and such, and then with your amazing amount of skill you manage to blow all of them away like a BOSS!  :D  :ph34r: PS. This is my first comment  :rolleyes:

Edited October 5, 2015 by bunnybot3001

[master_crafter 420]

I didn't hear about the forum until I was a Major. ._.

I found it when i was WO1

[Dusk 1,629]

Wow! What an article! The only thing that affected me is the original friends section. The one who told me about tanki played only for 2-3 months and then left me alone in this game. I still remember my moments with him when I was a weak tanker and he was winning all our matches.

In fact, these were the best moments in tanki. Even though I have a lot of friends in this game, no one can replace my original friend. Without him, game is absolutely boring.

We all have those OG friends who quit :), my friends name is @gmaan

 

Edit: He was on yesterday O.o. He did quit though :/

Edited October 6, 2015 by Dusk

[Ash_Kenton 7]

 

 

 with karma only blemished by a few five-minute flood bans, 

 

 

 

 

Nice.right here I dont get warning and straight away get banned for a day