[Issue 46] In Review: Assault Mode

[sonofchrysalis3 3,719]

 

In addition to the fun and festive bonuses we all enjoyed during the holidays, Tanki’s players were treated to a fresh new team game called “Assault Mode.” For the entire holiday period, adventurous tankers thronged the holiday map to try this new mode, including yours truly.

 

Assault Mode daily mission in hoof, I grabbed my trusty Twins and Hunter combo and set out to learn the ins and outs of Assault.

 

 

 

The Good News:

 

1.) Nice to have a new mode.

 

The four usual modes are fun, but they are as old as dirt. Tankers who have grown bored with the game (how is that even possible?!) can appreciate Assault more than anytanki else.

 

2.) Genuine feeling of teamwork on the defensive side.

 

When I enter a team battle, I expect my team to work AS A TEAM. Often I find that the opposite happens, such that I am the only one trying to win while every other “team member” is galloping blissfully around, licking a lollypop and getting his butt blown to Kingdom Come by the enemies.

 

Life’s tough when you’re the only good player.

 

Anyway, in Assault mode, the blue defending team always knew just what to do. Mammoths and Titans would crowd the fort, Railguns and Vulcans would sit on the towers, and Isidas would swarm around the damaged tanks. That wonderful team mentality got in everytanki’s head, and previously hostile tanks became friendlier and more productive for the team.

 

3.) The mode is balanced very well.

 

After six hours of testing an update to gameplay, you usually find some sort of problem that needs tweaking. Here's what I expected to see from the Assault games: one team would win a lot more than the other due to improper balance of geography or scorekeeping. You know, kind of like how the blue team never, ever wins in Serphov CTF at my rank….

 

However, after all that time, I found that both sides won equally as often. The blue team’s score grew at just the right pace, so that a flag or two could put the red team ahead (unless they sat around looking goofy, which would gradually push them further behind).

 

 

 

But alas, there were a couple of details that made Assault mode less than perfect. So, here’s the Bad News:

 

1.) Frequent sabotage on the red team.

 

I never play CTF at Madness unless a.) a friend is playing there, b.) the opponents are of a lower rank AND I need to rank up fast, or c.) I have completely lost my mind.

 

Why, you ask? Oh… you didn’t ask… well, I’ll tell you anyway (so HA). Madness CTF is the worst team map in Tankionline. The matches always, always, ALWAYS play out like this: one team is utterly clueless. They have no business getting out of their little infant beds and messing around with their mommies’ computers. They sit in the upper levels, firing at enemies, doing absolutely nothing to capture flags, or even stop opponents from capturing any.

 

The other team captures about ten flags in… eh, about three minutes. Around that time, a fight breaks out at the losing team’s flag post. No, a member of the losing team didn’t just obtain a brain and started to play as he should: the winning team is fighting to see who carries the flag next. Eight or nine tanks will be piled up at the flag post, pushing and shoving. If one tank gets the flag, the others will usually try to push him off the edge of the map so the flag will return. And so, after eating flags so quickly, the winning team’s progress comes to a screeching halt due to a behavior that, to the uninvolved bystander, would be considered sabotage and deserving of a violation report.

 

The same kind of sabotage happened constantly on the red team in nearly every Assault mode game I played.

 

Partial Solution: create impact damage rings around the flag posts. Friendly tanks that collide inside the ring will suffer impact damage as they fight for the flag. If they continue to fight over the flag, they will self-destruct. This will do nothing to prevent teammates from flipping each other over outside the ring, but hey, at least one half of the problem will be solved.

 

2.) The lowest battlefunds of any team game.

 

Do not misunderstand me: I do not play Tanki with visions of crystals dancing in my head. No good player does. I play because it is freaking fun to do so, and even more fun to win. I have had fun in battles where I lost a thousand crystals by using a dump truck full of supplies, and I have had the worst days of my life playing pointless matches and gaining tens of thousands of crystals. This game is not about crystals.

 

But, to other less enlightened players, you play Tanki so you can get crystals so you can buy more stuff so you can get more crystals (with which you eventually can’t do a thing). And those players would prefer to play at Kungur CP rather than at Happy New Year ASL. The mode just doesn’t deliver the same size battlefund as other modes with the same time limit. I mean, sure, the dividends are only about a hundred crystals smaller at my rank, but to some tankers, a single crystal is something to cry over.

 

Solution: There are two possible solutions. Either Tankionline spends weeks reworking the system so that the Assault mode battlefunds are bigger, or the players learn that playing Tanki for crystals is like playing Pokémon to earn “Pokédollars” or whatever the heck the game’s currency is called. You play because it is enjoyable. There is no other reason.

 

* * * * * * * *

 

Assault mode is, for now, just a little holiday bonus that Tankers enjoyed for the Christmas and New Year period. We the players have thoroughly enjoyed the new mode, in spite of a few minor ouchies, and certainly hope that it will stay.

 

Edited January 7, 2016 by Lhamster

[KillerGnat 3,135]

I wholeheartedly agreed with your point about sabotage. I got to the point where I wouldn't join the red team ever. the battles over the flag were very frustrating. 

[Hex 11,520]

Assault mode SHOULD stay. And I absolutely agree with you on the fact that the Blue team has an aroma coming out of it, that says team...

I feel awesome the I'm defending for my team, since there is nothing you can do. I do remember that awkward match-making do happens on this map. Where one team is M3/M4s and other are M2/M3... Thats when the Blue team is drugging mad in the Red base o.O

[Supernatural 2,053]

IMO, Assault mode is about red team fighting for flag, getting killed by shafts and rails while trying to push each other to pick up the flag yourself, then running into your death to the CP. And if you are lucky enough, maybe you can capture.

[Darren4Turbo 4,913]

I shall admit that Assault mode is quite interesting but is kinda unbalanced and I agree with the frequent sabotage on the red team. 

 

Although, over 1 622 654 battles were created created during the first New Year celebrations in Tanki Online, I found that hilarious number on the main page of Tanki Online on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TankiOnline.en/?fref=ts.

 

Great article, Stratus! keep it up! 

Edited January 8, 2016 by Darren4Turbo

[Quarks 2,255]

I would disagree with it being balanced, many times for me the red team would just dominate. The blue team could do nothing with many unblock able entrances coming in. Conversely, there are also times when the team is just great, with all titan isidas deciding to have a field trip.

[marc.jp_44 20,837]

I would disagree with it being balanced, many times for me the red team would just dominate. The blue team could do nothing with many unblock able entrances coming in. Conversely, there are also times when the team is just great, with all titan isidas deciding to have a field trip.

Agreed, totally true. But in higher ranks, there's less sabotage tbh.

[wow349 4]

That's why i never play madness CTF lol. Sabotage are annoying and everytime i play on the red team, uhh my god i won't even talk about and i feel sometimes that the sniping spots for the blue team are too good in Happy New Year map every skilled railgunner or shaft just kills all the flag carriers on the red team when the blue teams win

[Contradiction 1,242]

I disliked assault mode quite a bit. At my rank, the red team was 3/4ths saboteurs who camped around the flag stand. As soon as anyone actually took the flag, most people would just sit around waiting for it to be returned/captured. If there were people actually trying to help their team, they were usually shafts who camped on the platform near the red flag. A very small handful of people even attempted to help the flag-carrier capture the point. 

 

On the blue team, the game was extremely boring. Sometimes I would try to attack, but the map's layout and design made it almost impossible to attack unless I charged down the center past the christmas tree, only to get nailed by the shafts camping in the red team's base. Thus, my only viable option was to camp around the point. Then, every few minutes, a couple tanks would near the point. Usually they were slaughtered, other times my team mates had stopped paying attention out of boredom and didn't even notice the attacker. 

 

Blue team already had a distinct advantage, because everyone on the blue team was trying to play while only a fraction of the red team was of any use. But, blue team had an added advantage of always gathering points. No matter what, the blue team would always be earning points. It is like controlling a control point that can only be controlled by your team. But, the red team had the possibility of not capturing a single flag, hence not earning a single point. 

 

From my experiences, the blue team had a very severe advantage and won the vast majority of the time. But, it was very boring to be a blue team player. On the other hand, it was very frustrating to play on the red team, what with the constant sabotage and a very low likelihood of victory. 

[bossman161 276]

Loved Assault mode, hopefully Tanki will keep it and adapt it to other maps.

[bossman161 276]

I would disagree with it being balanced, many times for me the red team would just dominate. The blue team could do nothing with many unblock able entrances coming in. Conversely, there are also times when the team is just great, with all titan isidas deciding to have a field trip.

Lol, I just love matches where a whole bunch of heavy-hulled Isidians go camp the other team's' base, it ticks them off to no end

[Zenyth 6,494]

Nice article overall

Agree with all the views and counterviews you put forth.

[Podey_the_Buster 87]

I have lots of friend making a big deal over all the sabotage and being on the Red team is ANNOYING when you can't even get the flag. Even when I do get the flag I'll either get sabotaged or shot be that sniper waiting for somebody to climb out of the heap with the flag. Eventually I gave up and just went out and blew people up.  

[lukey0 27,543]

Its a poor battle mode compared to the other four. In crystal, XP and fun wise.

 

Reds fight over the flag while getting shot down by Shafts, then they bring in Mammoths and they never cap a flag.

 

Blue basically sits in a base. Fun? Eh, I could play this map in my sleep. Park my Mammoth on the point, go to bed. The reds will continue to fight for the flag.

 

Otherwise good article. ;)

Edited January 11, 2016 by lukey0

[dilberts 1]

I disliked assault mode quite a bit. At my rank, the red team was 3/4ths saboteurs who camped around the flag stand. As soon as anyone actually took the flag, most people would just sit around waiting for it to be returned/captured. If there were people actually trying to help their team, they were usually shafts who camped on the platform near the red flag. A very small handful of people even attempted to help the flag-carrier capture the point. 

 

On the blue team, the game was extremely boring. Sometimes I would try to attack, but the map's layout and design made it almost impossible to attack unless I charged down the center past the christmas tree, only to get nailed by the shafts camping in the red team's base. Thus, my only viable option was to camp around the point. Then, every few minutes, a couple tanks would near the point. Usually they were slaughtered, other times my team mates had stopped paying attention out of boredom and didn't even notice the attacker. 

 

Blue team already had a distinct advantage, because everyone on the blue team was trying to play while only a fraction of the red team was of any use. But, blue team had an added advantage of always gathering points. No matter what, the blue team would always be earning points. It is like controlling a control point that can only be controlled by your team. But, the red team had the possibility of not capturing a single flag, hence not earning a single point. 

 

From my experiences, the blue team had a very severe advantage and won the vast majority of the time. But, it was very boring to be a blue team player. On the other hand, it was very frustrating to play on the red team, what with the constant sabotage and a very low likelihood of victory. 

True, most times I played the map something like that would happen however that's mostly the players' fault and not the game mode. I did have about a dozen matches that were well and truly fantastic. I'm not talking about dominating the other team comfortably (which is sooo boring, and kinda mean), I'm talking about real teamwork where we all decided who's best or fastest to capture the flag, and then three of us would go in with the flag guy and then split up and attack from different directions. a lot of the time the flag guy would deliberately drop the flag as a feint and charge in and take most of the rail fire and mines for the guy behind to pick it up and capture. :D 

 

True story. The other game modes don't require that lvl of teamwork or commitment and if you're red and you want to win, then you have to team up.

Really it provides incentive. You guys think we can make a poll or petition to have the mode added permanently to Tanki, or maybe to Tanki X?

[FireVulture 0]

True, most times I played the map something like that would happen however that's mostly the players' fault and not the game mode. I did have about a dozen matches that were well and truly fantastic. I'm not talking about dominating the other team comfortably (which is sooo boring, and kinda mean), I'm talking about real teamwork where we all decided who's best or fastest to capture the flag, and then three of us would go in with the flag guy and then split up and attack from different directions. a lot of the time the flag guy would deliberately drop the flag as a feint and charge in and take most of the rail fire and mines for the guy behind to pick it up and capture. :D

 

True story. The other game modes don't require that lvl of teamwork or commitment and if you're red and you want to win, then you have to team up.

Really it provides incentive. You guys think we can make a poll or petition to have the mode added permanently to Tanki, or maybe to Tanki X?

i know how you feel I was on the 1/4 part of the players who help each other the other tanks were camping on the falg post and I had to climb them witha wasp to get the falg and capt toi help my teammates when I took the flag (we had 3 shafts) every one was shoting me and when I got to the bridge(sabotage) the 2 best shafts(m1-m2) shot my both corners and pushed me off the clift (there you can see we have a great balance of teamates) and whey just wanted me to lose the point so they get the flag...... I hate those guys they never help, I used the chat command of (/vote *******) but nothing happen and we lost 10(my first and only flag)/200(enemy team)  I wasted 30 min with those st***** unhelpful guys and I couldn't do anything cause they were on my team.......But every thing else was great golden boxes on same spot awesome the map But I preffer the halloween map cause it would lokked more cooler as CTF mode but well..... is gone hope someone could ban all of those saboteurs(my dream is to be a chat mod so I could at least ban them for a day for doing that) ......

 

 

Bye Regards: FireVulture

[hotshotshooter 343]

I kind of liked it. Well, if you an Isida on the blue team healing tanks defending the point  :lol: I actually gather a lot of xp, just not so many crystals. I think playing on the red is only fun when you have kind, skilled players who actually give the the flag to one person and go with him to cap (I mean teamwork of course... ALMOST never happens) OR when you play with a friend, making strategies and actually really capturing the flag together. You could just laugh at the tanks fighting and being killed for the flag together too of course...  :P

 

Anyway, not a really interesting gamemode but good for some diversity.

 

And not to forget... Nice article  ;)

[hotshotshooter 343]

I have to say when the red team plays well as a team for once, it is really, really annoying when your "team mates" start camping. The reds simply take the bridge and cap easily... I can't do much if 5 reds of which 3 full drugs on my own with my Isida and hunter, you need those fat guys to stay on your point if you want to win.

 

Oh and something else, Wasp. I think one of the stupidest things to do on the blue thing is to take one of these. I am a huge fan of wasp and I play it almost always but, you mainly use it for it's speed and maneuverability right? Tell me why would you use it when DEFENDING... For defending you need armor, if you die to fast the enemy will capture the flag. You need to be able to keep damaging your enemy or they will capture. Wasp has features that are for no use in this game mode.

[Cadmian 0]

I loved assault mode.  Yes... **fanboy**

 

Speedy and nimble could overcome the Isida/Titan (Mammoth) that just haunched on the CP....    But only with some proper planning.

The Ring-Bearer needs a helper or 2, either a 'tip of the spear' (smoky, freeze, fire) to be on point or a wingman to cover (isida or smoky seemed perfect) or lead you in (smoky, thunder, fire).  

 

 

Proposal:  any friendly tank within a certain distance of the CP when the flag is captured ALSO gets points.  Combine that with the impact ring detailed above and it would be more viable.  

 

Another Proposal:  move 2 of the armor boxes out of the CP square.  you can keep them around - maybe one atop the long battlement that faces the tree and one halfway between the two repair boxes to the rear.  Then the mammoths might have to move around a little bit.

 

As for XP/Crystal amounts....  shooting the flag-carrier and returning the flag got plenty of points for blue:  red needed something similar.  Surviving wingman idea above might work... 

[I.H.U.R.R.I.C.A.N.E 120]

Mammoth Twins solves the fighting over the flag problem especially if they have light hull and they usually do xD 

[Mattz_GT 0]

Seen some good and bad play, I confess, often playing in need of Happy New Year map xp, I'd be running out to grab a DD and go hunting reds.

 

On red, often ran Isida behind the flag carrier - then try and take out as many blues as possible.

 

I want kills, I want crystals, but wanting crystals dictates that you DO need to do the right thing for the team, as the bounty is bigger on the winning side - though if the team is hopeless, I'll go completely kill greedy to make the best of a bad lot.

[general_abrams 424]

Slightly increasing battlefunds for all game modes wouldn't be a bad idea, as they are all a little on the low side, particularly for low rank players, in comparison to the price of the turrets, hulls, and paints. Although I didn't get the chance to play it, Assault sounds like it was fun. Really would be nice if Tanki could make it a standard battle mode.

[FogOfWar_XXX 793]

So something not mentioned in the article, and likely because if you're not one, you hate them, and that is a shaft player.

 

Assault mode was a GREAT contribution to shaft players.  It allowed shafts to really play their role, ON BOTH SIDES of the map.  No where had I ever seen such a great option to fight like assault mode.  Clearing a path for flag runners on offense, and of course killing flag runners in defense.

 

Blue team had it the best of course for shafts.  Pity the poor fools playing fight for the flag on red team.  I racked up an IMMENSE, and I mean IMMENSE number of kills when reds were doing that, in fact, it got to the point on some games where I could pop to full charges on the same bunch they were so bad.  I think the fighting would stop in a month or two when they knew they were going to get hammered mercilessly by a pair of shafts.  When there was good game play, it was still a great place for defense, much like the article surmised.  Red team needed shafts for controlled paths into bases, and we had lot of opportunities there to sneak in, kill defenders from high ground and open a path at least into the square where the capture occurred.  There were at least a dozen games where if shafts had not been present, the red team would have LOST.  Maps like these should be plentiful in Tanki, because objectives let players focus on the roles their units were best designed to play.

 

Assault mode should stay and people should start asking for it.  That said, objectives force teams to play and think more, and shoot less, so maybe an adjustment to battle fund generation in this case WOULD BE necessary, but either way, like the author stated, we don't just play for crystals, we play because we like the game, and here, this cannot be clearer, this is what Tanki is supposed to be, a game of armored combat with specialized units, and Assault mode most closely resembles reality, thus making game play more interesting.

 

Hope Tanki keeps it.

[Uglee 24]

Blue team never wins in Noise

[hotshotshooter 343]

Blue team never wins in Noise

:D Just asking but what has this to do with Assault mode?