[Issue 56] [Guide] Format Battles - Mastering New BP

[Flexoo 6,980]

 

Not long ago, Tanki Online went through a radical change when the paint separation update influenced the way protection paints work. Surprisingly, paints alone were not the only thing affected. Enthusiastic format players must have immediately noticed a missing protection for the BP combination. Why did TO intervene in standardized BP? What has changed - and more importantly, how do players cope with this change? I will try to answer all those concerns and more in this article.

 

 

Pre and Post Update

 

Before we swoop down on giving advices and dealing with the changes to the BP format, it's rather rational to first clarify what has changed and how it has swayed the gameplay in format battles.

 

Those of you who are familiar with past BP will certainly remember the annoying obligation of equipping 10% or 20% Railgun protection paint depending on the modification, which assured that the enemy wouldn't be able to one-shot you in combat. It was deemed this would balance XP and BP confrontations - however, it turned out Wasp's properties made it a dominating hull.

 

A simple comparison indicates that Wasp has advantage in Speed, Height, Length, Acceleration and Maneuverability over Hornet, while only slightly lacking in Stability and Protection (which was largely irrelevant in the past, since destroying Wasp and Hornet usually required the same number of shots). It's completely understandable that XP and BP, two so similar yet so different combinations, required intervention to create more equal opportunities in format battles.

 

This problem was solved and changes were implemented with the release of paint separation update. Since new modules did not offer exactly 10% or 20% Railgun protections (like Forester, Emerald or Fracture did before), tankers raised the question as to how lower modifications of Wasp and Hornet and Wasp M3 would work in future format battles. Later, it turned out that every protection paint was disabled upon entering the format battle. Developers swiftly transformed the system and implemented new, balanced, automatically-equipping protections which fulfil new criteria of Format battling. This reform changed the way protection works, and influenced the shaky balance between XP and BP by reducing or removing protection in BP.

 

Principal Change to BP

 

This change is related to obvious decrease or total elimination of protections of Wasp in XP/BP battles. In other words, Wasp is now much more exposed to Railgun shots, with a chance of being destroyed in just one hit.

 

 

This picture illustrates the range of Railgun's damage output and Wasp's HP (protection). My pitiful investments in micro-upgrades distort the perception a bit; however, you can still notice that the vulnerable Wasp M3 can actually be one-shotted at rare occasions. I also did a little math to demonstrate the odds, and here's the result.

 

If we consider Railgun's and Wasp's stats without micro-upgrades;

 

M3 Wasp (HP): 149.56

M3 Railgun's damage range: 108.91 - 164.85

 

And then we round the values half up;

 

M3 Wasp (HP): 149.56 ≈ 150

M3 Railgun's damage range: 108.91 - 164,85 ≈ 109 - 165

 

Theoretically, we can calculate the average chance of one-shot hits; 

 

Case: if x < 149 then Wasp can't be destroyed in one hit.

          if x > 149 then Wasp can be destroyed in one hit.

Limits are set by Railgun's damage range  -  min 109 and max 165

 

Calculation:

 

       (165 - 149)                   16

y = __________           y =  ____      y = 0.2856

       (165 - 109)                   56

 

If we convert it to a percentage value, then the theoretical chance that Railgun will destroy Wasp in one shot is approximately 28.6%.

 

 

What to take into account

 

OHKOs

 

OHKO (short for 'One Hit Knock Out') is the most annoying thing that occasionally occurs in BP nowadays. As I implied before, it's directly connected to removed protection, which makes BP player a slightly easier target and partially balances the differences and advantages in mixed XP/BP battles. In contrast with my theoretical calculation, chances that you will be a one-hit goner are usually somewhere around 10% to 20% which is caused by Railgun's damage value calculations. This may not seem like a huge problem as you will most likely survive one Railgun shot in most of confrontations, but be sure those OHKOs come in the most unexpected and essential moments - so never take the chances lightly!

 

Prioritized target

 

A huge side-effect of this update immediately rose to the surface in mixed XP/BP battles. Although the chance to one-hit Wasp is not very high, Wasp became the preferred target. Since Hornet can't be destroyed in one shot no matter the situation, tankers started to pick on more fragile Wasps. Therefore, it's absolutely necessary for a BP player to be aware of a map's environment, surroundings and the placement of your opponents. It's also advised to train and develop dodging skills early, as you will most likely be exposed to heavy fire and pursuing as BP gains the status of easier prey.

 

Other handicaps

 

These handicaps also spring from lack of protection and are interlinked with the insecurity of taking a hit. Such an example where such handicaps apply can be the pursuance of battle objectives (like capturing flag) or gold box situations. Players using XP can risk taking at least one hit as before, but BP now requires more strategic thinking in these situations as every strike can be fatal for Wasps.

 

Dealing with changes

 

If you are new to this dynamic format, these tips may serve your turn. The simple aim is to minimize or completely avoid enemy fire - as every shot can potentially be lethal - while effectively fulfilling the battle objectives.

 

Dodging the fatal blow with an evasive maneuver.

 

Increase your Evasion

 

Evading a shot does require a lot of training, and even after that it's far from easy to utilize this prowess in battle. In principal, you dodge enemy fire by a sudden change of movement, direction or speed. This can be done by 'hitting the brakes'; though on the contrary, this can also be done using rapid acceleration. This may deceive your opponent, who assumes a different movement pattern. Another useful tactic to use is peekaboo. The trick lies in luring the attacker to shooting on seemingly exposed part of the tank followed by quick return of fire and moving to cover. The basics to perfecting your evasion rests in constant moving.

 

Utilize the Ambient

 

Walls, houses and other notorious obstacles well-known to every player provide a great ally for BP players. Using surroundings to one's own advantage is a normal custom that tankers naturally develop as they progress through their careers. It can be considered as hiding from enemy fire, or sometimes as simple camping on strategical post, but even a tactic so genuinely simple must be trained to squeeze the maximum out of it. A BP player can't just mindlessly advance towards his aim - he must analyze the path and evaluate when to move away from safety of walls, and how to use every other map component on his round to fulfilling the battle goals (flag capturing, point capturing or other objects).

 

Master your Shooting

 

It may look like a primitive destroy-or-be-destroyed animal instinct, but there's much more to the art of shooting that you should definitely know. Format XP/BP battles aren't just about inflicting pain upon fellows from the insect kingdom. Especially now, when the risk of OHKO is present, it's important to learn when and how to efficiently shoot. You should   definitely try few tricks on your own, namely the shooting of tank's edges or the already mentioned peekaboo tactic. Also put some thinking into who to shoot first. Don't hurry into pressing the spacebar. Eliminate those approaching you first, attack those who have already been damaged and always try to inflict damage first as you may not be given another chance.

 

If you ain't a newcomer and you already possess this knowledge, all that's left to say is: practice, practice and practice, because there's always room to become even better.

 

 

What about Battle Modes?

 

For the last part of this guide. I listed things that you, the BP player, should be aware of. BP's protection update brought a few changes that made every battle mode slightly different.

 

Deathmatch (DM)

 

The only non-team based mode is probably the hardest one to play, simply because there's no team that would help you out. You will mostly run into mixed XP/BP battles when playing DMs - thus, be aware that you will always be a prioritized target. It now often happens that players absolutely ignore XP counterparts in battle, and fully concentrate on shooting at BP targets with the illusion of an easy chance of OHKOs. Ergo, it's rather rational to get to cover as soon as you spawn, either by finding a good camping place, or by driving to less occupied areas like corners from where you can deal with enemies. 

 

Team Deathmatch (TDM)

 

Very similar to DM, team modes are after all easier to play. Everything mentioned before about DMs also applies here. In TDMs, it's good to find a cozy sniping spot near or in the base from where you can utilize BP's nimbleness.

 

Capture the Flag (CTF)

 

When it comes to CTF, two most critical processes are delivery and holding of the flag. Since BP is predisposed to being destroyed in one shot at times, you should aim to dodge every single shot when making your escape with the flag. Even at full HP you can't risk being hit. If you don't play a pure BP, always let XP players hold the flag. As they can always take at least one hit, they are better predisposed to holding the enemy flag.

 

Control Points (CP)

 

Since capturing a point usually takes a few seconds and exposes player to enemy fire, it's necessary to shorten the time spent at the point. This can be done by capturing the point in group of at least 2 tankers. If you are alone, take the best toehold that ensures you both good coverage and a possible escape route if needed.

 

---

 

These changes may be overlooked and considered trivial by many players, but they have a significant impact on BP gameplay. But despite these changes, BP remains a deadly combination that should not be taken lightly with or without extra protection. Definitely stick to this combination, it's agile and powerful. I hope you found this article both helpful and interesting. See ya next time, tankers!

 

[Ninja 10,468]

I was gonna write an article about BP.

[St.Guardian 514]

well done flexoo, i was exceedingly impressed by how thorough and thought out it was. stellar presentation too :)

[Yisroel.Rabin 16,224]

Being you fell in love with Desert DM BP, I somehow I saw this coming xD Nice one Flex.

[Flexoo 6,980]

Thank you partner in crime that I always shot by mistake :P.

Edited September 2, 2016 by Flexoo

[bc200214_777 582]

Thank god for this article  :lol: Really helpful on what I should try to do more or try not to do more of.

[master_crafter 420]

I'm a XP player reading this. I'm still gonna give BP a try. 

[Sleek 43]

Really glad someone wrote an article about the changes in format battles. I too wasted my time figuring out the chances of Wasp getting 1 shotted by M3 Railgun  :P Nice article.

[Jason1015 0]

too much maths and lines n stuff n croosssesss

[redguy1234567890 141]

Tanki does not realise that wasp cost much more and should have some advantage

[Kurt_KurtDGreat 2,259]

Great article :) Tho I would like some clarification on this. I'm not the best at maths so apologies if I'm wrong :p

 

You said 'If we convert it to a percentage value, then the theoretical chance that Railgun will destroy Wasp in one shot is approximately 28.6%.'

 

Which isn't really true... let's say it was 25% to make it simple, meaning 1 shot out of every 4 has higher damage than Wasp's HP. Now, let's say someone shot a Wasp, and the first shot was lower than Wasp's HP. The second shot was higher than the total Wasp's HP, but it doesn't make any difference as he still needed a total of 2 shots to die. This can happen continuously and wasp will never die within 1 shot, yet 28.6% of the time, the damage of Railgun is higher than wasp's HP.

 

So, couldn't we just say the theoretical chance that Railgun will have more damage than Wasp's HP is 28.6%, while the theoritical chance of Railgun destroying a Wasp in 1 shot is lower due to the chances of the aforementioned damage being received as the second shot. (Meaning someone shot the wasp before)

 

Is this correct ^ or am I missing something? :p

[Flexoo 6,980]

My theoretical calculation of probability is based on equal distribution of Railgun's damage (if each shot's damage value had the same probability). Of course this is just playing with the theory of probability. It's like with tossing a coin. There's a 50% probability you will get head and 50% probability you will get tail. However out of total 10 tosses you can get 10 times head. It's the same with chances that Wasp will be OHKO-ed. You can be one-shot every single time, on the contrary it's possible you won't be OHKO-ed through the whole match. Probability is in the end different from certainty.

Edited September 21, 2016 by Flexoo

[Kurt_KurtDGreat 2,259]

My theoretical calculation of probability is based on equal distribution of Railgun's damage (if each shot's damage value had the same probability). Of course this is just playing with the theory of probability. It's like with tossing a coin. There's a 50% probability you will get head and 50% probability you will get tail. However out of total 10 tosses you can get 10 times head. It's the same with chances that Wasp will be OHKO-ed. You can be one-shot every single time, on the contrary it's possible you won't be OHKO-ed through the whole match. Probability is in the end different from certainty.

Yes, that I understood :p But, theoretically, there isn't a specific percentage? I assumed it would be half of what your percentage is (since it can be the 1st shot, or the 2nd, so there is a 50% chance of it being the first shot, and another 28.6% chance of damage being higher than Wasp's HP)

[Flexoo 6,980]

Kind of confused, why would we consider 2nd shot when we talk about the chances of One Shot Knock Outs?

[Kurt_KurtDGreat 2,259]

Kind of confused, why would we consider 2nd shot when we talk about the chances of One Shot Knock Outs?

Ye, that's why I'm saying the 28.6% figure should be halved, as it is not taking into consideration that it could be the second shot, therefore it wouldn't be a 1 shot knock out :p (assuming there is a 50% chance that the wasp is already hit)

Edited September 21, 2016 by Kurt_KurtDGreat

[Flexoo 6,980]

I think you take into account the option that you are attacking an already damaged opponent, am I right?

[Kurt_KurtDGreat 2,259]

I think you take into account the option that you are attacking an already damaged opponent, am I right?

Yes :) (sry for the confusion I'm still tired apparently :p )

[Flexoo 6,980]

In that scenario you are right, however the calculation is linked to the topic, in this specific model 'What are the chances that full-health Wasp without/or with decreased protections will be destroyed by one Railgun shot. If I considered already damaged tanks, there would be no causal relationship and the calculations would lack the expressing power. Already damaged Wasp will always be one-shot in XP/BP just as already damaged Hornet will always be a one hit.

Edited September 21, 2016 by Flexoo

[Kurt_KurtDGreat 2,259]

In that scenario you are right, however the calculation is linked to the topic, in this specific model 'What are the chances that full-health Wasp without/or with dicreased protections will be destroyed by one Railgun shot. If I considered already damaged tanks, there would be no causal relationship and the calculations would lack the expressing power. Already damaged Wasp will always be one-shot in XP/BP just as already damaged Hornet will always be a one hit.

Well... xD it's just that it's not often that I die as a OHKO, and definitely not 1 time every 4 times I respawn :p reason being sometime that powerful shot hits me when I'm already damaged.... anyway xD great article nonetheless, helpful :)

[Flexoo 6,980]

Well... xD it's just that it's not often that I die as a OHKO, and definitely not 1 time every 4 times I respawn :P reason being sometime that powerful shot hits me when I'm already damaged.... anyway xD great article nonetheless, helpful :)

Heh naturally theory and practice often differ. Thank you for arousing the discussion, it's always great to debate with our readers :).