Review [Issue 45] The Philosophy of Supplies

[Contradiction 1,242]

Last issue, there was an article written by my colleague, sonofchrysalis3. It was titled 'The dumbest anti-supply arguements' of all time!". Many tankers were not fans of this article. The purpose of this article (The Philosophy of Supplies) is to now fully explain both sides of a controversial subject: supply use. This is not an article explaining how to effectively use supplies; see Night-Sister's article on that subject. This is also not an article advocating for or against supply use, I am striving to keep this article fact-based. If you are interested in a logical opinion and review of the "drugging epidemic" and "supply ethics", continue reading.

 

What is drugging, what is supply-use, and what is the difference?

 

The first thing I would like to do is define the subject. 

Over the past months and years, there has been a battle raging among members of this game. The community is divided among this topic: Is supply use unethical and should supplies be further restricted? Or do supplies contribute to the quality of gameplay? Furthermore, do 'druggers' lack skill and should they be shunned among battles? 

 

Another definition I would like to declare is meaning of a "drugger" and "drugging". Everyone can have their own definition, but essentially, a drugger is someone who overuses supplies. A fun fact is that the health kit supply used to resemble a hypodermic needle, which coined the term "drugger". In my mind, there is a distinct and large difference between drugging and using supplies. Here is a more specific definition of a "drugger:

One who activates at least a supply or two for each time he spawns.

 

Supply Use and Drugging is completely different from taking boxes.

 

Another thing to note is that supply use is completely different from taking drop boxes. Drop boxes are dropped and distributed fairly throughout the battle; they do not grant specific tankers advantages against others. Anyone can take a drop box, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this.

 

In fact, drop boxes add a new layer of strategy to gameplay. It makes certain areas that drop supplies more risky and rewarding to control, and introduces another aspect of timing and tactics into a battle. Drop boxes enhance gameplay rather than inhibit it. 

 

In this article, using supplies is only qualified as pressing buttons in order to activate a supply. This includes using supplies attained through daily missions as well as supplies bought in the garage. 

 

What is wrong with 'drugging'?

 

One could go on and on about the negative effects of drugging. The key argument, however, is that activating supplies gives you an unfair advantage over other tankers. Here are a few main points against drugging:

 

1. It gives you an unfair advantage over others.

Druggers who actively use supplies are at a nearly constant advantage. No matter what, you can use a health kit for every spawn, which allows you to live about twice as long as a non-drugger. This sounds powerful enough, but the advantages provided by drugs are even more extensive. One can always use either a double-damage or double-armor along with a health kit, even if you only live a few seconds after you spawn. Double damage renders your turret twice as damaging. Most M0 turrets using a double damage is equivalent to the M3 turret's damage, and an M0 hull using a double armor is about equivalent to an M2 or M3 hull, depending in which one you look at. So, any drugger using an M0 hull has equivalent health to an M2/M3 hull, because activating a health kit can effectively double your health without even using the double armor supply. If you use double armors and health kits, then it will quadruple your health- giving an M0 hull as much armor points as an M3 hull. If you use supplies to their full advantage, it will give you massive benefits in the game.

 

2. Druggers take crystals from non-druggers.

This is a more abstract concept, but I will do my best to explain it. Battlefund is distributed among participants of a battle by an unknown equation, but what is known is that the winning team always receives significantly more crystals than the losing team, even if the losing team barely lost. Also, the top members of the battle will receive a lot more crystals than the player in second, even if their score was very close together. As I described above, druggers are very powerful in the battlefield- a drugger can easily make the difference between a win and a loss for his team, and he can easily pass up a non-drugger in the scoreboard. If you go to an average Polygon CP, the top player will almost always be a hardcore drugger- and the team that wins will have been the team that activated the most supplies. Because druggers do so well, they will achieve better standings in battles, thereby earning more crystals. These crystals would have otherwise been rewarded to non-druggers, if the said drugger had not activated supplies. 

 

3. Supplies are simply not how the game should be played.

Battlefund increases nearly twice as slowly if everyone uses a health kit each time they spawn. This means that one will receive twice as fewer crystals if everyone actively used supplies. And, plus, it isn't very fun to constantly need to worry about throwing on supplies. It doesn't give you any sense of accomplishment to destroy someone solely because you used drugs. Have any of you participated in the test server? Everyone constantly uses supplies here, and everyone has an equal number of crystals and supplies. But, do you find gameplay in the test server to be as interesting as the real game? I know that I don't. This is why I find arguments such as "supplies aren't bad. If everyone had an equal number of supplies, there would be no problem" to be absurd. Crystal rewards and gameplay enjoyability is notably diminished, even if everyone is allocated an infinite number of supplies.

 

4. You might say that Tanki encourages one to drug, and that everyone has a fair amount of supplies.

On the subject of the developers encouraging you to use supplies, this may be true, but this does not mean that drugs are good. Tanki is obviously quite worried about balancing the game's economy- and tankers purchasing supplies certainly provide the game makers with a lot of profit. In my opinion, this is why keyboard-activated supplies are even in the game. And, it is simply not true that everyone has an equal number of supplies. A drugger will use multiple supplies for each time he spawns. If I were a drugger, I would at least use a health kit for every time I was destroyed. Looking at my statistics, I can see that I have died a total of six thousand times- this means that if I had been a serious drugger, I would have used about six thousand health kits. Now, I can assure you, I have not used six-thousand health kits, and I have not come even close to being able to afford this. I don't know any first lieutenant who can afford to purchase that many supplies and also buy decent equipment.

 

5. Furthermore, only players who choose to spend real life money in the game can afford to constantly drug.

Let me make this clear: I am not against buyers. They are essential to the game's existence. Don't take this as an insult against buyers. But it isn't very balanced for someone to be able to spend real money and acquire a massive advantage​ against other players. Obviously, any free-to-play game needs to be slightly unbalanced in order to motivate players to spend actual money. But I am of the personal belief that druggers in Tanki Online (and buyers in general) are offered advantages that disrupt the game's balance too extremely. One might be saying, "but those players earned that money! It is perfectly fair." Yes, they may well have worked hard and earned the money to afford all these supplies. There is nothing wrong with this. But it still isn't fair to players of the game. It is like going to a bicycle race and spending your money to buy a motorcycle rather than your own muscles and race on a bike. Then, when other participants say that this is unfair, you claim that you honestly earned the money to purchase the motorcycle.

 

6. It is a constant cycle of power- the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer

​I believe that I have made it clear that those who use supplies are at a significant advantage, and thereby earn many more crystals than non-druggers. This makes it so that those who drug get more crystals, hence affording more supplies. They can then drug more, and earn more crystals, and buy more drugs, and-- well, you get the picture. Those who do not use drugs do not earn very many crystals, and are thus unable to afford the purchase of supplies.

 

​7. Supplies can replace skill

​We have all heard the generalization that druggers are "skill-less noobs". This isn't always true, but I have to say that those who make this argument have a bit of a point. From personal experience, I can see that actively using drugs can lead to a decreased skill level. I remember seeing a tanker well above my rank who had no idea how to turn his turret, or even play, but constantly banged on supplies, hence performing moderately decently on the battlefield. He did not come in first, but he didn't come in last, either. This tanker did not realize the need to learn to turn his turret, because he could simply use supplies. Tanki Online has a fairly steep learning curve. Unlike some other games, the controls are hard to master, and it takes some effort to fluently use your keyboard. If you don't have the motivation to try, then you won't learn the essential tanki-skills.

 

What is good about supply-use?

 

As you can probably guess, I am not a fan of drugging. But, I don't have many problems with infrequent supply use. Everyone uses a supply from time-to-time, and supplies do have their use.

 

 1. It helps us take​ the Goldbox

Everyone throws on a few supplies when they see the adrenaline-inducing Gold Box alert. Supplies are often times crucial​ to being able to take the Goldbox. Most of us have attempted to take golds in no-supply pro battles, and it isn't that fun. Enemies usually destroy you, giving you very little chance at taking it. There is a good deal of luck involved in taking a goldbox in pro battles. But, if you use supplies, this can minimize the randomness factor of gold-hunting.

 

2. ​Sometimes it is necessary to be able to capture a flag

Some maps are almost impossible to take a flag unless you use supplies. ​​For example, the map Monte-Carlo. It is extremely difficult, sometimes impossible, to take and capture a flag in this battle unless you are using a few supplies. Supplies actually enhance gameplay in this map, because it makes it possible to capture flags. The same thing occurs in a few other maps. Silence, from time to time, can turn into a furious camping battle where it is practically impossible to approach the flag without being destroyed, and even if you do succeed in damaging an enemy clustered around their flag, Isidas will immediately heal them.​

 

3. I​t can help balance unfair matches

It is very frustrating when you are trying to play a fun game, but no matter where you go, there are unbalanced teams. If you are playing in a game that is 5 vs 8, then supplies can be very helpful in holding your own. In this case, using supplies is not giving yourself an unfair advantage- it is equalizing an advantage held by the opposing team.  ​

 

4. Occasional drugging can be relaxing.

This may be a bit confusing to some of you, but drugging occasionally can be surprisingly relaxing. Going to a match and ruining by using supplies is fun, when done sparingly. I am not guiltless when it comes to drugging. I would not be at the rank I am at if I had not used supplies. There is something strangely tension-releasing to destroy others using supplies. I am sure that some of you can relate.

 

5. They are essential to parkour tricks.

Those advocating the complete removal of drugs clearly are not putting parkour into the equation. Parkour is possible without supplies, but almost every parkour trick relies upon using mines and speed boosts. Parkour would not be completely pointless, but it would be changed for the worse if supplies were entirely removed from the game. It would definitely not make a parkourist happy if supplies were removed ​or further restricted.

 

6. At times, massive drug battles can be very engaging.

In the past, clan wars were often fought with supplies. There is still a large population of generalissimos who enjoy playing massive, high-stake battles where supplies are a key role in gameplay. This is one of the reasons why the update that restricted players from putting on all supplies at once was despised by many tankers. Pro battles still have the ability to remove these restrictions, and these battles are quite common. ​​I don't like the meaningless drugging that occurs in the test server. But, when you are working together with familiar friends in a team, supplies can be used frequently and also very tactically.

 ​​​

Is Drugging Unethical?

 

Short answer: No, it is not unethical to drug or use supplies.

 

It is not against any rules to use supplies, and there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of things that are meant to be used. One can use supplies however, wherever, and whenever he wants, and he should not feel guilt or be punished. This does not mean that supplies contribute to gameplay.

 

But, if you are going to use supplies, the fairest way to use them would be to use them for the benefit of your team. If it is blatantly obvious that your team will win, then don't use supplies. If you have no chance at winning a battle even if you do use supplies, then it is also useless to use supplies, as the crystal reward will be very limited. If it seems like using supplies will genuinely benefit your team and mean the difference between winning and losing, go ahead and do so.

 

It is not your responsibility to worry about game balance, or try to make the game as fair as possible. This is the developers' job. After all, the only reason we play this game is to have fun. It doesn't accomplish all that much to waste time arguing about a few negative aspects of the game. Many of us get preoccupied with all the bad of Tanki, when, in reality, it doesn't matter. This term may be a little cliché, but I will say it nonetheless. It's just a game!

 

​I hope that this article was intriguing. Do you have a different opinion on the philosophy of supplies? Was I completely wrong? Don't hesitate to post your thoughts, opinions and feedback in the comments below.

 

 

​​

Edited July 29, 2017 by Hexed

[DragonOfStorms 2,706]

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on supplies. Great job!

[Quarks 2,255]

Great job contra, my one suggestion is to highlight, bold, or change the color for each sub point, as it makes it easier to read and understand. I am still envious of you being a reporter and not me...

[Supernatural 2,053]

Great job contra, my one suggestion is to highlight, bold, or change the color for each sub point, as it makes it easier to read and understand. I am still envious of you being a reporter and not me...

Exactly what i wanted to say. The text itself is well-written,  it's awesome and objective...as it should be. :)

[KillerGnat 3,135]

Noob article. Contra is always talking to us as if we're nothing but pack animals. "Shut up and take your medicine" that's what he's saying to all the druggers out there. 

I'm kidding of course. I'm just trying to show what some of you were like towards Stratus's article: immature kids who whined and cried. I thoroughly enjoyed your article Contra, I hold almost the exact same views as you do on this subject.

 

 

 

Edit: A noticed a small bit of bad grammar in there though. You said: Everyone can have their own definition

But according to the current rules of grammar, although they are changing, it should be: everyone can have his or her own definition. I've seen more and more new books doing it your way though, and I think it's becoming widely accepted as "good grammar"

Edited December 19, 2015 by KillerGnat

[Contradiction 1,242]

Edit: A noticed a small bit of bad grammar in there though. You said: Everyone can have their own definition

But according to the current rules of grammar, although they are changing, it should be: everyone can have his or her own definition. I've seen more and more new books doing it your way though, and I think it's becoming widely accepted as "good grammar"

Ah, you have stumbled upon another furious grammar argument. Linguists have such exciting lives. 

The correctness of using 'their' as a singular possessive and 'they' as a non-gender singular is debatable, but it isn't necessarily incorrect. Oxford Dictionary agrees with me.

I tend to side with the more rebellious side of the grammar world, for example, I generally use the Oxford comma.  

Although, on the subject of they vs his or her, I simply try to vary the sentence structure in order to keep my writing more interesting.

Edited December 19, 2015 by Contradiction

[viratno2 146]

Good article, at least it does not have a crazy amount of bias. Also, it is relaxingly written, but try to make it more attractive, that is, more colours, pictures and maybe some humour. Good job on taking on a controversial topic.

[KillerGnat 3,135]

Ah, you have stumbled upon another furious grammar argument. Linguists have such exciting lives. 

The correctness of using 'their' as a singular possessive and 'they' as a non-gender singular is debatable, but it isn't necessarily incorrect. Oxford Dictionary agrees with me.

I tend to side with the more rebellious side of the grammar world, for example, I generally use the Oxford comma.  

Although, on the subject of they vs his or her, I simply try to vary the sentence structure in order to keep my writing more interesting.

You're a rebel huh? You sound like most of my friends. Well, I suppose when someone is proven wrong by the Oxford Dictionary, they must admit that they are wrong. Now I can no longer be a grammar nazi about that anymore. Curse you ever-changing English!

[Lord-of-the-Snipers 1,620]

Funny that a fellow reporter who wrote an extremely biased article about supplies in the

last edition of TO 's Newspaper seems to "like this" this article which is quite the opposite:

probably a result of not reading at all I guess? -_-

 

Well informed, unbiased and truly objective that 's how I look at this article.

Superb job @Contradiction!

 

Like every Tanker knows, this writer doesn 't deny the truth that supplies do give an enormous

advantage: in many cases too much.

He gives a definition of a "drugger" in which many will agree: on the same time he doesn 't

condemn the use or abuse of supplies/drugs.

 

quote: "It is not your responsibility to worry about game balance, or try to make the game as fair as possible.

This is the developers' job. After all, the only reason we play this game is to have fun.

It doesn't accomplish all that much to waste time arguing about a few negative aspects of the game.

Many of us get preoccupied with all the bad of Tanki, when, in reality, it doesn't matter.

This term may be a little cliché, but I will say it nonetheless. It's just a game!"

 

I think that 's the best way to look upon the use of supplies/drugs.

Imo and if I 'm not mistaken the writer 's opinion supplies are simply "there" and

it 's impossible for an individual player to choose the right and fair "supply/drug use path".

 

It 's a fact that every Tanker has a different take on this matter.

So in the end we can all agree that we will never agree about fair supply/drug use. ;) 

 

Personally I do think that supplies are an essential part of TO 's gameplay,

they do give an extra dimension and that they shouldn 't be removed:

however I also firmly believe that supplies should be less strong than they are today.

 

Nerfing supplies to let 's say half of their current strength won 't stop Tankers from using

them imo because supplies would still give an undeniable advantage. 

So TO 's economy wouldn 't suffer from it and in the worst case would ultimately result in a small group

leaving TO because they lack the basic skills to play the game properly without supplies.

 

On the other, much more positive end, we would see much more balanced battles because

50% nerfed supplies would be much less capable of "game changing":

supplies should be "game enhancers" and not "game changers".

 

And balanced battles are imo and many other Tankers the best.

You will still have winners and loosers, but at least the loosing party will leave the battle field without

the bitter feelings that unfortunately have become way to common in nowadays TO 's battles. <_<

 

TO, you simply need more happy Tankers, buyers and non-buyers, than you have nowadays.

Or did you, TO forget that happy Tankers are the ones that enthusiastically recommend this game to their friends?

 

quote: "It is not your responsibility to worry about game balance, or try to make the game as fair as possible.

This is the developers' job."

 

Hopefully TO, it 's devs and especially the people in charge

will do a much better "balancing" job in the new Tanki X.

Edited December 19, 2015 by Lord-of-the-Snipers

[Yisroel.Rabin 16,224]

An article of truth, I must say. Many times, you'll find a person that will write why supplies are good, even if the write truly believes it's bad. Therefore, I appreciate that you stuck with both sides, instead of just one. It helps bring out the facts more, you know?

 

Anyways, wonderful article.

[canadarules 1,938]

I think that this thing of calling people druggers has gotten out of hand tbh: What is drugging

First time i used supplies people said i used drugs and i was quite offended as many supply users are probably also offended. It is called supplies not drugs -________-

 

Anyways, supply usage has gone down a lot due to the need of a pro pass from what i had seen. hardly any hardcore supply battles with all supplies on. Speed of the game and intensiveness has gone down -_-

[Spit_Fyre 334]

If this article were a tank, I'd say it would be a Titan+smoky on DD with all the critical details ;)

 

Well done!

[r_snowleopard0512030 66]

Really balanced, and the only argument in the comments was about grammar :lol:

Great article Contra, I think I'll start reading your articles more often

 

 

P.S. It's hard to find a font that is good for everyone, and this one is unusual too. You should use it more often :)

[anuclearbomb 220]

 

giving an M0 hull much more armor points as an M3 hull. If you use supplies to their full 

 

​​

 

it should be then, not as, unless i've been taught wrong.

muahhahahahahhahahhahahhahahhahahahhaha

great article, will find more mistakes soon

[comandobob 15]

great read. in my opinion you are a very smart and tactful writer as this is the same topic as a previous article but it has not yet brought up so much controversial disagreements as the afore mentioned. over all an intriguing article i'll be looking forward to your next one!

[Sleek 43]

Yup that's how I got to Marshal. xD JK. By logic of everything you've said in the article, it would appear that since people who don't use supplies even though they have them complain about "druggers" in-game, they end up still complaining about druggers, being wealthy enough to afford drugs but still don't feel the need to buy them.  These people are well known by society as hypocrites :D They also gather them from Daily Missions even though they know they'll never use them. You probably can't relate to that because I'm a crying noob who has so many drugs and yet refuses to use them  :P  I think the OCD's kicking in  :ph34r: 

Edited December 22, 2015 by Sleek

[momy950666 960]

awsome *clap*

[13rilliant 8]

Great article.  ;)

[Cor7y 13,862]

A reporter agreeing with the players? Waaaaaait.....

[Doexl_pro 0]

there should be a map for trolling  :D  :D  :D  :D  :D  :lol:  :lol:  ;)  ;)  ;)

[zaintahir 458]

this is one of the reasons pro battles were disgined,for non-druggers!

[Bugs.meeny 1,013]

this is one of the reasons pro battles were disgined,for non-druggers!

Maybe they should make it the other way around, druggers need the pro pass