declined Changing Tanki's Payed Model

[AlphaNinjaGirl 537]

Yes, this is a big one, and I have a lot of guts to post this. Breathe, Alpha...

 

So, before I state anything, I want to reiterate that this is simply a suggestion for Tanki to consider. I do not expect them to implement this into the game at all, but I would like to at least start discussion about this. I'd appreciate as much feedback, positive or negative, as I can get.

 

The Current Model

 

As it stands now, and from what I can see, Tanki's payed model is rather unfairly balanced towards free players. Paying players are able to buy large amounts of crystals (depending on how much they pay), and use those crystals to buy guns, hulls, paints, kits, and... *shiver* drugs, in order to gain an advantage on the battlefield.

 

Herein lies the problem with the current model -- a hardcore buyer is granted access to high-tier paints, hulls, turrets, and lots of drugs at much lower ranks than most free players, which they then use to dominate the free players. A classic example is the Tornado Kit, which grants a Warrant Officer 5 the M2 Railgun, M2 Hornet, and the Spark paint.

 

As I'm sure many of my readers can attest to, the Tornado kit is an absolute monster on the field; its very presence is sometimes enough to change the flow of a game. I personally have seen CTF battles that started out 3:6 change to 10:7 in a matter of minutes thanks to one of these kits. And while wielding this kit (or any other kit for that matter) may be really fun for the owner, it also is immensely frustrating for the opposition when their Hornet M1 is repeatedly 1-shot by someone the same rank as they are. Add in drugs to the mix, which many hardcore buyers use frequently, and you've simply devastated the "level playing field".

 

Now I realize that some players feel that free players don't deserve this "level playing field", because they haven't spent money on the game. I strongly disagree; I feel that free players deserve just as much a chance to win battles as buyers, and that the winner should be decided by who has played the game longer, has quicker reflexes, better aim, or a better team composition -- not who has more money. Therefore, I propose the paying model below.

 

Proposed Model

 

With the new model, buyers will lose a lot of their power in battles (though they will still retain some advantages), but will gain a lot of new features in return. Players will no longer be allowed to purchase crystals -- every crystal must be earned in battle or via daily mission, or given as a "welcome back" bonus. Instead, buyers will be paying a monthly sum to Tanki for their bonuses, just like the current Premium plan.

 

Simply put, the game will focus more on a paid monthly plan rather than individual bonuses. Here's what buyers will be losing:

• Players will not be able to purchase crystals, tank equipment, or drugs with real money
• Equipment kits will no longer be available in the garage; every piece of equipment must be bought separately

Now while that may sound terrible, here's what buyers can expect to enjoy:

• The ability to purchase all XT items (the modification is based on rank) for a sum of crystals
• *A new omni-protective paint (which will replace Premium Paint) which levels up as you progress through the ranks (with a cap of 30% at Brigadier)
• Unlimited access to the Tanki online test server (or a special server with codes allowed)
• More frequent and larger personal discounts on equipment
• Daily Mission chains that extend up to 8 weeks (and thus grant larger rewards)
• The ability to change your username once for free
• Free and unlimited PRO battle access
• Bonus crystals and XP at the end of each battle
• Reduced micro-upgrade speed up costs and/or reduced micro-upgrade times
• Access to all holiday-specific maps and gamemodes, as well as some unique (and more challenging) maps
• Spectator mode and (possibly) game-supported teamspeak
• The ability to change three Daily Missions for free

* = As a suggestion, the paint can have a well-defined and easily-recognizable texture, but the color can be changed by the owner.

 

Why I think this is a better model:

• Equipment kits will be eliminated from the game, making the equipment used in battles more rank-appropriate and thus more balanced
• Drugging buyers will be forced to play in a smarter, more money-efficient way, while still earning double crystals to keep up their habits if they so choose
• PRO battles will be much more available for all players
• Free players will be drawn to the paying model because of its bonuses, instead of being forced to buy to compete fairly
• Gameplay between buyers and free players will be much more balanced and will be heavily decided on skill rather than on who spent more money
• Return of interesting gamemodes and maps, such as the Assault map from last winter
• Spectator mode will make it easier for buyers to create interesting videos
• The test server will be open constantly! (I mean, come on... who doesn't want that?)
• Dedicated players will receive large crystal bonuses for playing 8 weeks straight

I also believe this model will do much to bring buyers and free players closer together, instead of having them antagonize each other. The relationship between buyer and free player will be more "Dude, you should totally unlock this extra content, it's so much fun!" and less "Ha ha, I totally owned your cheapstake butt with my M3!" Just a side thought.

 

Closing Thoughts

 

I realize that the content of this post may be extremely controversial, however I politely ask all players who choose to discuss this suggestion to do so in a civil and orderly manner. We are all here for the same thing -- to enjoy the game, so let's not pick sides, shall we?

 

I also realize that, if Tanki were to implement this model, it would be a massive update and would probably take several months to complete. I am not asking for this to be implemented in the game right now, I am merely suggesting this for Tanki's consideration. Mods, please do not lock this topic unless it violates the forum rules.

 

Please share your thoughts below. I look forward to hearing what players have to say. Take care!

[Maf 32,306]

Valid

Declined

[ecnm] [pymt]

 

This has been suggested in different formats by multiple people, but generally I do agree with the idea of removing any in-game privilege from buyers (i.e. being able to easily get strong equipment by buying crystals) and changing buyer-oriented items to simply be cosmetic, such as XT items.

 

However, some of the points you made will not work out:

 

On 5/18/2016 at 1:50 AM, AlphaNinjaGirl said:

 

• *A new omni-protective paint (which will replace Premium Paint) which levels up as you progress through the ranks (with a cap of 30% at Brigadier)
• Unlimited access to the Tanki online test server (or a special server with codes allowed)
• Spectator mode and (possibly) game-supported teamspeak

Why I think this is a better model:

• Equipment kits will be eliminated from the game, making the equipment used in battles more rank-appropriate and thus more balanced

• A 30% protection paint is extremely powerful. I like the idea, but the protection needs to be 20% at most, and definitely not at Brigadier rank. However, adding a special paint that changes protection like that can't actually be done with the current paint system, so that idea won't be happening. I'm pretty sure devs would rather work on separating paints and protections completely, rather than trying to work out how to make such a paint.
• The test server is not a playground - it's a testing tool for trying out new updates. If there are no new updates that need testing with a lot of players, then the test server will not be open.
• The current spectator mode is not made for mass use. Will be available in Tanki X though.

 

• The current equipment kits give players a chance to use discounts and get bonuses as well. And if you don't go into battles with ranks way above yours, players' equipment will not be as OP due to kits.

[DageLV 940]

Amm wait! I like this idea but there should be something changed about it.

So it can be added after summer because i will be full m2 at that moment. Or even m3?

IDK. i just need to get some m2/m3 kits before this happens ok? :D

 

(mostly i will be inactive at summer)

[fordmustang12345 3,910]

No.no.no.no.NO.NO.NO.NO.NO.NO.NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

. As a once-and-a-while buyer I prefer to buy a small(ish) sum of crystals (40$ or 20$) to be able to buy a kit or new piece of equipment . So i DO NOT LIKE THIS IDEA

[fordmustang12345 3,910]

Or at least let me get my lovely Legend and Mammoth+Vulcan+Africa kits first .k?

[A_R_A_K_E_L_Y_E_N 503]

Hmmmm.

Im not against this.

but I would like an official's opinion to see what type of changes the devs would make.

*Test server is out... I dont agree with it.

*I agree that kits should be removed and DPs added but have a few day span.

*players will hate this paint but fine... I disagree with it.

 

The rest is fine...

will it make more or less money for tanki?

We would see.

 

With the current setup ive spent 5500 dollars. Would I have spent that much in this new idea

[lukey0 27,543]

I like the suggestions, but they may require some work to improve them.

 

I have to be against removing kits though, I am living proof a NON-BUYER can buy multiple kits on 1 accounts with-out paying a cent.

[Phoenix.Rising 2,519]

What? I don't like the idea 100% since I like the current system better. :wub:

 

 

I don't like having a fixed monthly plan! I prefer only to buy stuff that I need nor I care for return of interesting gamemodes and maps.

The current setup of maps/modes is fine, just that people under-utilized them.

 

• Free and unlimited PRO battle access
• Bonus crystals and XP at the end of each battle

- There is such thing called 'Premium' and it already does all of this.

[AlphaNinjaGirl 537]

The current equipment kits give players a chance to use discounts and get bonuses as well. And if you don't go into battles with ranks way above yours, players' equipment will not be as OP due to kits.

I disagree on this one point. Like I stated in the original post, the Tornado kit can be purchased at WO5, and grants the player with higher-tier equipment than even I have at 1st Lieutenant. Dedicated buyers and kitters will have the newest, most powerful kits constantly, regardless of rank.

[Benefactor 6,888]

Maybe a mode where the equipment allowed is the equipment that was unlocked at rank and not by kit?

[A_R_A_K_E_L_Y_E_N 503]

I do agree that kits are very restrictive

My instinctual responce is... save for the kits and you will have enough cry. However that is super restrictive. It removes from the player to choose his equipment. I as a buyyer indeed had the best equipment (unfortunatly the kits disappeard at my m2 ranks (they had a rehaul then ), they came back at my 3 star rank and I bought a paintless xp kit.

 

I have bought 4 kits my entire career.

[4 M2 hull] kit at WO5 (my first purchase of crystals for this) I received m2 viking (I declare that the most OP kit in tanki history (I might be confused but i think that was the kit)

Then I bought m2 heavy hull - rico mammoth inferno urban spark.

stop here and blow your mind. I was a 2nd lt. With m2 viking and Inferno!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didnt realize it at the time.

No wonder I dominated hill ctf with my viking m2 freeze m2 inferno at 2nd lt till colonel where i became a waspman

Then xp kit no paint

Then cardinal kit no paint (titan twins).

The last two kits didnt make me OP but the first 2 did.

Kits were OP as hell, then nerfed, then un-nerfed but not back up to the old version.

[basenji7 1,199]

It is possible for free players to buy OP kits if they save crystals and are smart enough not to spend too much on unnecessary equipment

[A_R_A_K_E_L_Y_E_N 503]

It is possible for free players to buy OP kits if they save crystals and are smart enough not to spend too much on unnecessary equipment

u should read my post about kits.... do you agree?

[basenji7 1,199]

u should read my post about kits.... do you agree?

yeah mostly

[Benefactor 6,888]

It is possible for free players to buy OP kits if they save crystals and are smart enough not to spend too much on unnecessary equipment

Yes. The top crystal-eater is paint. I would make an exception for Forester and Storm. IMHO, these are the two most useful non-officer paints.

The next crystal-eater is MUing inferior equipment. M0 equipment does not need MUing. You will rank up fast enough. With M1s, if you plan on sticking with a turret for a long time as your main turret and its next M-level is far away (9+ rank-ups), then I would MU only the turret as far as you can but not necessarily more than 25/50. MUing it up to 15/50 would make some difference. 

[Cyborg 3,189]

Under review

[ecnm]

 

 

• The current equipment kits give players a chance to use discounts and get bonuses as well. And if you don't go into battles with ranks way above yours, players' equipment will not be as OP due to kits.

For now. Kits appear for a rank range. For e.g. from Marshal to commander

what if instead of a range. They are only available at commander with the same discount. This would prevent fairly low ranks to use equipment which is not appropriate for their battles

 

This would encourage buyers to Micro upgrade their garage whilst waiting for a kit.

[Cyborg 3,189]

I like the suggestions, but they may require some work to improve them.

 

I have to be against removing kits though, I am living proof a NON-BUYER can buy multiple kits on 1 accounts with-out paying a cent.

Sir pls tell me how yu du dis hax in PM

[A_R_A_K_E_L_Y_E_N 503]

Sir pls tell me how yu du dis hax in PM

tanki has a very good economy. Ita so easy to get crystals

[austin112233 117]

I honestly think kits are pretty balanced. THink about it, a noob has to either spend money or be completely demolished for a couple ranks before having enough to get a kit. Once they get, then they basically gain back their lost time. LOL I buy a lot. Look at my garage, 2 m3 and like 10 m2. Sigh... all I need is m2 hammer, mammoth, and titan... :(

 

Tanki's B-day sale = me spending $100. :)

[AlphaNinjaGirl 537]

For now. Kits appear for a rank range. For e.g. from Marshal to commander

I honestly have to disagree. I'm only a few thousand XP away from Captain, and I'm running into kits left and right. The most common kits I see are the aforementioned Tornado kit (Railgun/Hornet/Spark), the Stinger kit (Isida/Hornet/Fracture), the Boar kit (Ricochet/Dictator/Sandstone), the Minotaur kit (Twins/Viking/Rhino), the Mosquito Kit (Railgun/Wasp/Savanna), and the Northerner kit (Smoky/Viking/Winter).

 

All of these kits grant players a powerful M2 combo and a powerful paint at ranks equal to or lower than Captain, and (from what I've seen) can change the playing field drastically. Heck, even Fighter kits, which are available at Sergeant-Major, are still a formiddable weapon on the battlefield (either that or I just suck at countering Twins... probably both). Add in the fact that most players with these kits tend to drug incessantly, and the level playing field has turned into a mountainous difficulty spike.

 

Think about it -- if players were allowed to do this in other shooters, it would be considered "absolutely insane", so why is it "okay" in Tanki?

 

What? I don't like the idea 100% since I like the current system better.

The ability to buy power is exactly what I am against, since it changes the deciding factor of a battle from things like skill, team composition, or teamwork, to "lulz, I spent $500 on my new kit and drugs, slam bam 30 kills!", which is immensely frustrating for anyone who wants a fair game.

 

You don't see a payers-only weapon in, say... Team Fortress 2 that comes with 50% damage resistance, 50% damage increase, and 30% speed, do you?

 

Yes, I see where you're coming from, but think about it -- if you're as good as I'm sure you'd like to believe, this update wouldn't matter because you'd continue to blow other tankers away based on your amount of skill, not based on your paycheck or wherever you get your money from.

[basenji7 1,199]

I honestly have to disagree. I'm only a few thousand XP away from Captain, and I'm running into kits left and right. The most common kits I see are the aforementioned Tornado kit (Railgun/Hornet/Spark), the Stinger kit (Isida/Hornet/Fracture), the Boar kit (Ricochet/Dictator/Sandstone), the Minotaur kit (Twins/Viking/Rhino), the Mosquito Kit (Railgun/Wasp/Savanna), and the Northerner kit (Smoky/Viking/Winter).

 

All of these kits grant players a powerful M2 combo and a powerful paint at ranks equal to or lower than Captain, and (from what I've seen) can change the playing field drastically. Heck, even Fighter kits, which are available at Sergeant-Major, are still a formiddable weapon on the battlefield (either that or I just suck at countering Twins... probably both). Add in the fact that most players with these kits tend to drug incessantly, and the level playing field has turned into a mountainous difficulty spike.

 

Think about it -- if players were allowed to do this in other shooters, it would be considered "absolutely insane", so why is it "okay" in Tanki?

 

The ability to buy power is exactly what I am against, since it changes the deciding factor of a battle from things like skill, team composition, or teamwork, to "lulz, I spent $500 on my new kit and drugs, slam bam 30 kills!", which is immensely frustrating for anyone who wants a fair game.

 

You don't see a payers-only weapon in, say... Team Fortress 2 that comes with 50% damage resistance, 50% damage increase, and 30% speed, do you?

 

Yes, I see where you're coming from, but think about it -- if you're as good as I'm sure you'd like to believe, this update wouldn't matter because you'd continue to blow other tankers away based on your amount of skill, not based on your paycheck or wherever you get your money from.

Yes but I'm a WO1 and I have Fighter not because I paid any money because I was smart enough not to spend all my crystals micro-upgrading M0s or buying useless paints

 

I have ~22k crystals right now and I didn't pay for any of it. If you're a smart player and start saving for kits before the unlock rank, you can get kits and gain an advantage in battle. It's not just the buyers who gain an advantage from kits. 

 

I'm not saying buyers don't have an advantage, that's the point of buying. I'm saying that it is entirely possible to counter the advantage they have by smart planning and skill. 

 

Many free players or people who have only bought a few dollars worth of crystals can do well in the game, but it requires strategy and thinking ahead. 

 

Or maybe I'm wrong and I'm only thinking this way because I'm a noob and I haven't encountered any full time buyers and later on when I gain more experience I'll change my noobish ways and start complaining about how overpowered buyers and people who plan ahead are. I really don't know

[TheRollingSlab 803]

Hmm. Not too bad of an idea actually. Some things I agree with and some things don't. I just would like to know what a game developer/official would think of this.

[Phoenix.Rising 2,519]

The ability to buy power is exactly what I am against, since it changes the deciding factor of a battle from things like skill, team composition, or teamwork, to "lulz, I spent $500 on my new kit and drugs, slam bam 30 kills!", which is immensely frustrating for anyone who wants a fair game.

 

You don't see a payers-only weapon in, say... Team Fortress 2 that comes with 50% damage resistance, 50% damage increase, and 30% speed, do you?

 

Yes, I see where you're coming from, but think about it -- if you're as good as I'm sure you'd like to believe, this update wouldn't matter because you'd continue to blow other tankers away based on your amount of skill, not based on your paycheck or wherever you get your money from.

First off,

 

If you're talking about fairness, then you need to have a kick system to remove multing noobs. The rest comes later. Even without OP kits, TO battles are being ruined right from the start. Also, we have a mode for "fairness", it's called XP/BP. Maybe if you're bored of normal matches, you could try that. (Even though, some people won't play fair there, too.)

 

I'm sorry to say that your $500 wouldn't save your if you team members are noobs.  But it'll give you a chance to fight back.

 

Is Tanki Online a fair game? No, it's not. Some are just better than others. Other bring their friends in to destroy random teams.

 

I don't know much about TF2, but the last time I played that, it has better team work than here. Auto-balancing teams were a great addition there.

 

Welcome to TO, @AlphaNinjaGirl :lol: Welcome to our materialistic world. That's how things are run here. No mercy for the weak.

 

 

P.S. No amount of skill will allow me to earn millions a month to MU things in sales. Unless you increase X 5 funds or something for the buying player in your suggestion. <_<

[Benefactor 6,888]

P.S. No amount of skill will allow me to earn millions a month to MU things in sales. 

Skills to obtain a job will.

[Hex 11,520]

So, a player plays years and takes part in eSports to get the Veteran paint. And you are saying a buyer could give a few hundred bucks, get a paint of 30% protection?!  No offense and all, but I think you need to be a much higher rank to understand this concept.