Developer’s Corner - Amphibious Hovering Hull (Triton)

[Viking4s 10,791]

 

Welcome to the first editorial of the Developer’s Corner. This series is aimed at discussing, reviewing and suggesting innovations related to Tanki Online. I would pick up inventive ideas either from the developers, the v-log, Tanki’s update, or from players via the Ideas & Suggestion forum section. The first editorial review the of an Amphibious Hovering Hull, which I called Triton and that would fit map with water prop.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Introduction

Looking at the “Ideas and Suggestions” section of the Tanki forum how can we not be enthused by some of the great suggestion posted by tankers. After two hours of reading through the most popular threads, it appears that a couple of ideas could be grouped together as they complement each other. Each separate ideas are quite exciting on their own, however once combined together they create a more powerful and stimulating proposal.
_
The proposal regroup three ideas:

• A new hull: amphibious hovering hull - suggested by @DaveZm in Hover Tank
• A new map theme with natural disaster (Flood) - suggested by in Ideas for Maps!
• Maps with water prop - suggested by @williew in Ideas for Maps!

I would cover the ideas above in two articles. The first article will describe the hovering tank hull idea or Amphibious Hovering Tank (AHT) hull and in the second the implication of addition of water props and flood theme.

 

Hovering vehicle definition
The word “Hovering tank" can refer to three different type of vehicles, such as the Land Speeder from Star Wars saga, Drones or Air-Cushion Vehicle. See below a quick scan of the characteristic and example of each craft type:

Land Speeder Star Wars	...................................................................................
Star Wars vehicle that glides high over the ground on a magnetic force field. These vehicles, such as the Land Speeder, do not touch the ground and hover a few feet over the ground. This is pure science fiction and would be challenging to code around the anti-fly cheat.

Drone	...................................................................................
Drones vehicle fitted with rotor blades that can hover high above the ground: it can flies and travels fast. Closer to helicopters performance it would not be able to carry heavy weight, turret with recoil and most of all would be challenging to code around the anti-fly cheat.

Air-Cushion Vehicle	..................................................................................
Air-Cushion Vehicle (ACV) glides on a cushion of air wrapped within a flexible skirt, which is still in contact with the floor. Therefore this craft does not fly however it travels over many surfaces: ground, water, mud, snow… Most of all this vehicle is amphibious and prompted to drift. It can be used everywhere around the world especially when no other transportation vehicle can go.

The new Amphibious Hovering Tank (AHT), which is most suitable for Tanki, would be based on the later vehicle type: the Air-Cushion Vehicle (ACV). For simplicity and avoiding confusion with the different type of hovering, I call this hull: Triton.

 

Overview of Triton
ACV comes with many size (car size, truck size, big boat size and really big boat) and are uses by many organisations (army, civilian, police force, rescue team …). This vehicle comes in many shapes however always with the distinctive flexible (black) skirt. Find below pictures of ACV examples and, in the spoiler, links to awesome video of ACV from small F1 racing size to military monster craft size.

_

 

Videos
Small, racing and drifting (F1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6YHz6YwlBo
Small & drifting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85MqWcTALYQ
Medium and fast (Air Sea Rescue): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDksYNwYQn8
Medium size: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMQuPwjFzxY
Big and fast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-WzwL8n_xc
Big and fast (video in Russian): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6o4soYA3pM
Monster and Slow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDT_tcOagN0
Hovercraft - Ultimate Amphibious Machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sDMOa5jqHA

_
The Amphibious Hovering hull is named after a mythological Greek god: Triton, also known as the messenger of the sea and who is one of the many sons of Poseidon. This god is also known as "Triden". Triton on Tanki, based on the technology of Air-Cushion Vehicle (ACV), will have specific strength and weakness compared to the other existing hull as well as similar characteristics.

Its strengths, as an ACV, is its speed and acceleration and its ability to travel on various sort of surfaces available on the numerous Tanki’s maps. The amphibious proficiency of this craft is a unique advantage and a game step-changer compared to the others hull available in the game, as standard tank will have to take a bath and go under water while Triton will stay on the surface.
Its weaknesses, as an ACV hull, is its lack of friction with the ground which increase its behaviour toward skidding and drifting dangerously at high speed when it takes brutal change of direction, however if you are a skilled drifting pilot this disadvantage would be turned into a strength. The chassis being both light and friction-free would suffer high recoil and lots of shift on hit impact.
 

 

Triton’s hull technical description_
Triton uses powerful fans to generate a large flow of air below the chassis that creates a cushion of air pressure above normal atmospheric pressure. The higher pressure produces a lifting force on the hull, which causes it to float just above any surfaces (any ground and water types). Triton is therefore an amphibious hovering hull unlike any others on Tanki and will enable tank fitted with it to glide on aquatic props (canal, river, lake, sea …) located on maps.

The air is blown through holes around the outside of an oval-shaped platform and confined by the flexible "skirt" giving the hull its characteristic rounded-rectangle shape. The flexible skirt maintain the cushion of air and provides greater stability to the hull. This cushion of air combined with the skirt help the hull to overcome small obstacle on the ground (rocks, ramps, ice pack and steps) almost as high as the skirt without being stopped.

_

_
The other effect of the combination of the skirt and the cushion of air is that it removes the usual friction with the ground, preventing loss of power, rendering nil the resistance to acceleration and aggravating over-steering of the craft (drifting behaviour). The chassis can be fitted with two orientable lateral rotor-wings propellers that thrust and with rudders used to steer the hull. Alternatively, propellers system can be hidden in the chassis to give Triton a more smooth aspect and less surface available for hit. The lack of friction will greatly affect the manoeuvrability and stability while battling with other tank.

_

Triton’s advantages_
Its overpowered air-cushion removes the usual friction with the ground transforming 100% of the power of the 2 lateral propellers to speed and acceleration. When compared against other hull, Triton M0 would have:

• Top speed of the Hornet,
• Acceleration to max speed faster than Viking.

_

Triton’s disadvantages_
The lack of friction also have disadvantages. When compared against other hull, Triton M0 hull would have:

• Reverse acceleration of the Hunter of less, the lack of friction of the craft with the ground make it more difficult to reverse and break.
• Lateral acceleration, which is responsible for damping of lateral speed, would be lower than Hunter (more drifting). When at full speed and taking brisk change of direction, the tank will oversteer and tanker will have to maintain control by counter-steering for the totality of the turn.
• While firing the hull will be greatly affected like standard light hull by the recoil, unless an automatic electronic compensating system is fitted (M1 and above).
• When shoot at, the hull will be greatly affected like standard light hull by the impact, this effect can be reduced by installation of an automatic electronic compensating system (M1 and above).

 

Other Triton’s parameters
The hull will have the chassis size as wide as the Hunter, however the flexible "skirt" will enlarge the whole hull to the width of the Viking.

Regarding the weight of the hull, with the current Tanki physics, Triton would be a light hull, more likely the weight of Wasp/Hornet. Therefore, when wrestling with other tank, he would be easier to push, shove over cliff and block, but also it would more likely end up on top of other tanks.

Air-cushion vehicle does not fly, therefore:

• The hull will jump from cliff and platform like any other tank. In order to land it his belly the tanker will have to use the two current stabilising method: fire (for turret with recoil) and turn the turret (for turret without recoil).
• The hull will finish at the bottom of wide trenches or in the void when fall in large gaps on maps.
• The hull will have to use ramps like any other tanks to get to higher ground.
• The hull will be governed by the same physics as the other tanks when competing for the Gold Box. The skill and chance of the tanker will still be the two mains parameters for catching the Gold Box.
• The hull can be flipped like any other tank and its ability to be turn over will depends on the physics set up for the hull.
• The hull will trigger mine (normal AVC do not trigger pressure mine, however for the game it would better if it does).

 

Best fit of paint_
Triton would be un-spottable with the natural water camouflage provided by the “Swash” paints on flooded map or map with water prop. Other paints with blue background such as “Nano”, “Frost” and “Zeus” would also fit, especially the darker ones with night theme.

The best turret fit would depends on the tanker feeling, the map, the battle mode and the strategy in place. However, the best position for Triton is midfield, where the hull will support the team in both attack and defence. Therefor Railgun, Thunder and other mid-range turret are more likely to be combined with this hull.

 

To conclude
Triton is an Amphibious Hovering hull, which use ACV technology, and does not fly. A medium size hull in shape but heavy and fast like small hull. Triton is suitable for any game mode and map size, because of its decent speed and relative health so it can handle itself in battles at any range. The hull can operate on any Tanki map, however he can really express his potential with map featuring aquatic landscape (canal, river, lake and sea) or map with “Flood theme” (where some part of the map have been filled with water). Triton on "Seruphov lake":

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading. The second part we will look at the implication of addition of water props and “Flood Theme”.

See you later laggers.

http://imgur.com/wO0v85w.png

Viking4s

>> Other publications of the Developers' Corner :
#3 Crusader: The New Meta?
#2 Review: The Tesla Turret

>> Other AWC articles

[Review] The Halloween Map 2016
Lexique du Tankist (French)
[The Twilight Zone] The Keyboard - Chapter 1
[The Twilight Zone] The Keyboard - Chapter 2

Edited January 12, 2021 by Viking4s

[Blackdrakon30 2,943]

Really cool concept enhancement! +1

[john_caliber 32]

Great concept mate. A good read too.

+1

[Phoenix.Raised 5,992]

WOW nice mate. I have to admit that this is a fantastic article.

 

I'll see to help you more with this in I&S, when I find time of course.

[BlasterGTI_TURBO 8]

cool! Feel like it needs something more. Maybe th ehull should be faster than wasp? and how much armour would it have?

[Viking4s 10,791]

Really cool concept enhancement! +1

Great concept mate. A good read too.

+1

Thanks a lot guys, really appreciated coming from you.

 

WOW nice mate. I have to admit that this is a fantastic article.

 

I'll see to help you more with this in I&S, when I find time of course.

Thanks, your question help a lot to structure the idea.

No problem, I understand, everybody is busy destroying tanks. ;)

Edited August 20, 2016 by Viking4s

[Zenyth 6,494]

good formatting, good add-ons and explanations to the original idea :)

[DESTROYER_13 1,019]

Triton looks cool, although many maps will have to be adjusted to have water in them. 

 

Will normal hulls be slower than normal on water, or the same? 

+1

Edited August 20, 2016 by DESTROYER_13

[anuclearbomb 220]

I've had this question for a while, would they set off mines?

[Viking4s 10,791]

I've had this question for a while, would they set off mines?

Good point, I didn't mention it. The idea is to be close to a a real ACV, and the literature I found claim by military that ACV will not trigger mine, as there is not enough pressure to trigger the mechanism. Therefore, yes we could imagine that eventually this hull is impervious to mine.

 

In Tanki (O and X) I think it is technically possible to make this hull impervious to mine or not.

 

For Triton, I think the hull should trigger the mine, otherwise it would be too much of an advantage versus the other tanks with tracks: not possible to protect flags and campers strategic position, and also impossible to play STG (Save The Gold) or STRK (Save The Repair Kit). I will add this to the proposal above (thanks for asking).

 

The final decision will come from Them (the developers).

Edited August 21, 2016 by Viking4s

[Viking4s 10,791]

Triton looks cool, although many maps will have to be adjusted to have water in them. 

 

Will normal hulls be slower than normal on water, or the same? 

Not necessarily, it could operate on existing map however adding water prop would definitely give new perspective to the game: new maps or existing map with a specific Theme (see in the next article). 

 

Normal hull should keep current speed (not slowing) otherwise Triton would have too many advantages.

[DESTROYER_13 1,019]

That's where I remember Triton from. http://riordan.wikia.com/wiki/Triton

[Phoenix.Raised 5,992]

No problem, I understand, everybody is busy destroying tanks. ;)

No, nothing like that. Real life obligations. Edited August 21, 2016 by Phoenix.Raised

[Metaphor 538]

Wait what happens if Triton flips in the water. Can rico still bounce shots off the water?

[Viking4s 10,791]

Wait what happens if Triton flips in the water. Can rico still bounce shots off the water?

You have to self destruct or get killed to respawn.

Rico shot will bounce on water, unless there is a tank below.

Edited August 22, 2016 by Viking4s

[Viking4s 10,791]

No, nothing like that. Real life obligations.

of course, like the 28 000 exp you did 2 weeks ago -_-

Edited August 22, 2016 by Viking4s

[anuclearbomb 220]

Good point, I didn't mention it. The idea is to be close to a a real ACV, and the literature I found claim by military that ACV will not trigger mine, as there is not enough pressure to trigger the mechanism. Therefore, yes we could imagine that eventually this hull is impervious to mine.

 

In Tanki (O and X) I think it is technically possible to make this hull impervious to mine or not.

 

For Triton, I think the hull should trigger the mine, otherwise it would be too much of an advantage versus the other tanks with tracks: not possible to protect flags and campers strategic position, and also impossible to play STG (Save The Gold) or STRK (Save The Repair Kit). I will add this to the proposal above (thanks for asking).

 

The final decision will come from Them (the developers).

Well, then you have the whole Magnetic Vs Pressure system thing, cause then they could say that it is magnetic (Which explains a lot of stuff, like how it still triggers if you drive over it with it in the center of your hull so your tracks don't touch it.) And yeah, it would be OP in save the gold/save the repair.

Thanks for the response.

[M-axis 589]

Wow definitely nice, I always appreciate long articles after putting in loads of work and discovering how hard it is in one my my own articles...

[Viking4s 10,791]

cool! Feel like it needs something more. Maybe the hull should be faster than wasp? and how much armour would it have?

Sorry BlasterGTI_TURBO, I have been delayed by minor issue, I will reply soon with a table between the different current hull to give you a better idea.

[Guest]

Great work. Complete and well made.

[9IRK 676]

Awesome work :D  
+1

[Viking4s 10,791]

Well, then you have the whole Magnetic Vs Pressure system thing, cause then they could say that it is magnetic (Which explains a lot of stuff, like how it still triggers if you drive over it with it in the center of your hull so your tracks don't touch it.) And yeah, it would be OP in save the gold/save the repair.

Thanks for the response.

Fair point, yes we could say the mine has a magnetic trigger, furthermore TO wiki do not specify what is the technology behind the mine.

Actually for STG/STRK those games mode are mainly organised by clubs (STGC&TMGC / TOSTRKC) therefore they specify what equipment is allowed or not; no problem here.

 

Mine topic added to the article. Thanks.

Edited August 27, 2016 by Viking4s

[TTK_229 1,080]

Well...https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M63d35623bafc5213ea362d83e6194c59o0&w=167&h=167&c=7&rs=1&qlt=90&o=4&pid=1.1

The only thing is, it should have immense drift, and take lots of recoil. Which reminds me, they should make a wheeled hull in between dictator and titan.

[Viking4s 10,791]

Well...https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M63d35623bafc5213ea362d83e6194c59o0&w=167&h=167&c=7&rs=1&qlt=90&o=4&pid=1.1

The only thing is, it should have immense drift, and take lots of recoil. Which reminds me, they should make a wheeled hull in between dictator and titan.

The other advantage of the wheeled hull is that it can be amphibious too, so it would be the big bother of Triton: let's call it Megalodon or Nautilus. Or it could be a beautiful older sister: Mermaid or the annoying kind Hydra.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2016 by Viking4s

[Heles 9,220]

:)