Review [Issue 57] Tanki X: CBT, OBT and Beyond

[Zenyth 6,494]

 

Alternativa Platform's Tanki X project is being actively developed upon since quite a while now. TX entered its open beta testing (OBT) stage on the 15th of this September, hence effectively ending the closed beta testing period in which the testing of the game's features was limited to a select few players. Ever since the CBT was embarked upon, there has been a rich profusion of optimization updates, in-game additions and bug fixes.

 

Here, the Tanki Online Newspaper brings you another article focusing on this new game's developmental journey and it's current shape.

 

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Tanki X Cinematic Trailer

 

Over the course of almost seven months, Tanki X has seen numerous, drastic changes. Right now, you can experience it all, since the game is open to everyone. Don't forget to try it out soon. Before that though, I offer you a detailed analysis and study of Tanki X's newest elements, right below!

 

But before starting off, here are a few things you should know about the..

Open Beta Testing

 

‣ As mentioned earlier, the open beta testing phase came forth on the 15th of last month. Now, anyone can register and start playing on TX. 

‣ You can only choose a username that isn't a.) already used by somebody or b.) reserved.

‣ The progress in your account will stay throughout the open beta testing phase and into the phase when the game gets officially launched.

‣ The game isn't a finished product as of now. It's still a testing environment in which you'll be playing.

 

Interface

 

Tanki X's interface is much more modern than TO's. Tanki Online's greenish ambience has given way to a slick monochrome in many places. The iconic green does feature prominently, when you hover over buttons. Another highly noticeable change is that the appearance of the TX screens is less cluttered and more clear. The font size of the details is on the higher side when compared to TO. This is possible because the settings, profile, garage and whatnot appear on different screens and do not "pop-up" on click of a button. Another thing that adds to the clarity and tidiness is the preferential usage of logos over text. For example, deaths and kills in a battle scoreboard or the icons for settings or friends.

 

These icons flicker as smog from your garage rises over them. Masterly!

 

Another major change is that there is no separate loading screen for the garage. However, occasionally, if the game hasn't fully loaded, some of the garage items take time to appear when previewed. Also, the game now has background music; repeating drum beats indicative of a dramatic onset of war and battle.

 

Once you click on the "Battles" button, all the available battles appear. The battles are classified by mastery levels (more on that later). You can see all the battles of your level, along with one battle from lower mastery level in the battle list. The mastery levels are grouped into fives.

 

The icons for score, kills, deaths and crystals received.

 

With the interface's quirks out of the way, let's move our focus to..

 

Closed Beta Reforms

 

Throughout the closed beta testing phase, various developments (including those magic bullets to tackle the bugs and hacks) trickled in as time went by. Until now, there have been thirty "Game Updates", all of which are listed down in a separate section of the TX forum. A few more may perhaps be in the pipeline as I'm writing this! Let's check out a few important reforms among them.

 

Game Update - 18/05/16

 

This update mainly focused on turret attributes. Isida, which was purportedly overpowering at that time, witnessed a decrease in damage. This was accompanied by minor changes to Ricochet, Freeze, Hammer and a nerf to Thunder. Additionally, all equipment was made temporarily free for testing purposes.

 

Game Update - 31/05/16

 

This update brought along another nerf to Isida, while Smoky and Firebird were significantly buffed. Besides this, autobalance was implemented for team modes TDM and CTF.

 

Game Update - 06/06/16

 

 

This update saw the addition of mouse controls for testing. Later on, an option was added to switch it off.

 

Game Update - 20/06/16

 

In this one, the textures of a damaged tank were altered. Along with this, the self-destruction countdown was reduced from the familiar 10 seconds to 5 seconds. 

 

Game Update - 05/07/16

 

This update was mainly centred on optimization. A 'version' of the cluster which syncs the different servers of Tanki X was released. (You can find out more about it in the Developer's Diary #5.)

 

Game Update - 28/07/16

 

Another gameplay update followed suit at the end of July. This time, the damage of both the short-range spray weapons was reduced and minor tweaks were added to Twins and Ricochet. Furthermore, the cooldown for mines was doubled.

 

Game Update - 22/08/16

 

This update ushered in the much-awaited first set (or tier) of hull and turret skins. Many more followed suit in the future. Meanwhile, the reload times of Isida, Firebird and Freeze were made non-upgradeable. 

 

An example of the gold skins that were added recently

 

Game Update - 01/09/16

 

Along came the very last wipe of the CBT period. The payment system, which opened up the option of purchasing crystals for real money, was another important addition. 

 

However, even the smallest bug fixes as well as the remedies to the various hacks and maladies were indeed really important in their own way. That's all as far as the important updates are concerned. Let's move on to other topics of interest.

 

The Tanki X Economy

 

The economy is undoubtedly an integral part of any game, and you'd have noticed that TO is no exception. The economy's governed by the prices of items, both free and paid as well as the ease with which certain quantities like experience and crystals are procured in the game itself. However, we can't really comment much on Tanki X's economy yet, since a lot of it is under development or subject to change. 

 

 

Unlike TO, TX has two currencies - the conventional crystals AND the all-new X-crystals. X-crystals can either be used to synthesize crystals or to buy items that can be bought with X-crystals. Items currently can either be bought with a.) crystals only, b.) X-crystals only or c.) any of the two. For example, the paints Polar and Coal can be bought for 250 X-crystals, while paints costing 2000 crystals (like Jade) can also be bought for a certain sum of X-crystals.

 

As seen above, the conversion rate is 1 X-crystal = 10 crystals

 

Tanki X's turrets and hulls can be classified on the basis of cost. Wasp and Mammoth cost 270 crystals. Titan and Viking 440 while Dictator and Hornet cost 790 crystals each. In turrets, the cheapest ones (barring Smoky, which is obviously free), Firebird, Twins and Freeze cost 180 crystals while the trio of Hammer, Thunder and Isida cost 350 crystals each. Ricochet and Vulcan are valued at 700 crystals. That leaves us with the two most expensive turrets in TX, Railgun and Shaft, that cost 1100 crystals each.

 

Ammunition and paints are the tasty eye candy. Most of the paints were released on the 29th of August, barring Inferno, Winter and others. None of the paints have protection. Like a few of the paints, the selection of shells in the "ammunition" section can either be bought for crystals or X-crystals. For example, Ricochet's 'coral' ammunition, Twins' turquoise-coloured projectiles and Freeze's indigo spray can be obtained for a sum of 500 crystals each, while top of the range ones like Railgun's Smoke and Gloom shells have a price of 250 X-crystals.

 

A Railgun XT shooting with the 'Gloom' shell equipped

 

In general, you can easily get a score of say, 500 in the 15-minute DM matches and harvest a similar amount of crystals from the battle fund. Earlier, the battle fund was on a 5x multiplier to put the game through its paces. However, even with the booster gone, it isn't back-breaking to earn your crystals, at least for the first few upgrade levels. Team mode fund distribution is pretty fair. With a low score margin, I found TDM battles more rewarding than CTF. Oddly enough, I observed that when the margin was greater, CTF gave me more returns. I hope you can relate to my observations, but there will definitely be irregularities, given the complexity of the concept.

 

A CTF on Massacre, prior to the change in the maximum players from 14 to 12. Now it hosts only 6v6 CTFs.

 

With the intricacies of the economy left behind, let's get acquainted with other features of TX.

 

Tanki X Maps

 

Tanki X's graphics - everyone is well aware that they're a cut above TO's. In spite of that, I can't help but float this topic again. The very fine details, be it the graffiti art on Rio's walls,  the manholes in Silence, the muddy swamps in Massacre, the wooden ramps, the excellent combination of rubble, grass, grunge and soil that defines the ground texture, the explosions, the constantly moving surroundings, including parts of your own turret barrel as it ejects shell casings, the way your tracks pliantly bend according to the terrain and above all - the immersive feel of the gameplay, which in reality is a combination of all the minutiae which contribute to the beauty.

 

Tanki X's maps indeed have the profuse details I speak of, worth witnessing. Also, as the OBT kicked in, the Iran map was added to the existing five maps. As expected, it boasted of a nonpareil Middle Eastern atmosphere, with broken buildings and oases dotted with sandstorms, domes, palm trees and water troughs. Also worth seeing is the underground. 

 

 

Tanki X Ranks

 

There are a total of 100 ranks in Tanki X and one additional 101st rank aptly named "Legend". Getting to the very last rank achievable requires a whopping 4 million XP, which can be compared to reaching Marshal four times in TO. It's surely going to be longer journey to the top. The rank insignia are much more complex and extensive. They are divided into four types by their base plates, which are either of steel, bronze, silver or gold. Then, they get subdivided according to the stars, stripes, roundels, chevrons, bends, crosses and a lot of other stuff embossed on them.

 

You can check out the names of all the 101 ranks here. Many of the rank names are fairly similar and well-known to us because of Tanki Online but quite a few are understandably new. The Cadet, Ensign, Specialist, Quartermaster and Commissar series of ranks, for example.

 

 

Right now, there is no visible effect of you "ranking-up" in the midst of a battle. The rank emblems show up beside your name in the battle list and also on the main screen of the interface. Also, there are no bonus crystals being awarded once you rank up, but the 'Ranks' page of the TX Help Site states that there is a possibility that rewards will be added once you pass each rank, with the said rewards possibly being unique. Another point worth noting is that, as of now, there is no rank requirement for unlocking items in Tanki X. 

 

That brings us to another topic...

 

Mastery & Upgrades

 

Mastery and upgrades are Tanki X's more relevant terms when comparing players. Upgrades increase the strength of various aspects of your turret or hull, while mastery (or mastery level) denotes how much time you have spent and/or score you have earned with a particular turret or hull. One could also say that mastery is a preliminary and perhaps, rudimentary measure of your expertise with the given turret or hull. The mastery level of your equipped turret determines what battles you'll be able to enter.

 

 

Upgrades are also denoted by numbers like mastery, and cost crystals. They're a whole new ball game, since there aren't any clear-cut 'M's like in Tanki Online. The cost of upgrading an item gradually increases as you upgrade it. The mastery level of your item is also associated with the price of the upgrade. If you upgrade level is lesser than your mastery level, then you get the next upgrade at a bargain. You can choose to either upgrade your item a lot and have an edge in the battles or save your crystals by keeping the mastery and upgrades balanced. In a recent update, upgrade costs were brought down, so saving crystals would be an easier job now.

 

Upgrades also unlock visual-only improvements for the hulls and turrets.

 

Skins

 

Skins are modified and improved visual versions of hulls and turrets that can be bought or unlocked by buying a certain number of upgrades. Right now, there are six kinds of skins -

• The "0" variant, which you get once you buy any turret or hull
• The "I" variant, the first tier - unlocks at 15 upgrades for hulls and 20 upgrades for turrets
• The "II" variant, the second tier - unlocks at 50 upgrades for both hulls and turrets
• The "Gold" variant
• The "Steel" variant
• The "XT" variant, which is only available for Hornet and Railgun for now

 

Moreover, in the Developer's Diary #12, it was said that a "III" variant of turrets and hulls will be added for players with 80 or more upgrades on their hull or turret. Once again, it is to be noted that the skins are entirely visual and should not be confused with the M0, M1, M2 and M3 versions that we're familiar with, in TO. It can be said that if a certain player is using Shaft-II, he definitely has 50 or more upgrades, but a player can also disguise his heavily upgraded Shaft-II by using the skin Shaft-0. 

 

Hornet XT's aerodynamic flaps opening as speed boost is equipped

 

Finally, I'll tell you lot about my opinion on the most important thing in any and every game..

 

Gameplay

 

Tanki X's gameplay is in many ways, similar to TO, and in many ways, dissimilar. For a start, the graphics are a bit overwhelming and distracting at times. This is also partly because a majority of us are accustomed to the set up in Tanki Online, and a sudden and drastic change like this can hinder actual play, hopefully only in the beginning. The impact explosions and all the smoke and animation effects really enhance the experience once you get used to them. The melange of colors and textures also give a whole new meaning to camouflage and interaction between your tank and props.

 

Tanki X's physics is more refined; you can feel your hull accelerating or your turret suffering recoil jerks. Impact force and hull dynamics too, feel much better and improved. This is also because of the detailed hitboxes of both props and tanks. Parkour in Tanki X isn't being talked about much yet, but will definitely be a thing later on. 

 

Aiming with your turret is rather difficult, initially. For example, I found it pretty hard to get Hammer's pellet to land on target when shooting and rotating my hull around simultaneously. Railgun's auto-aim seems to have a lesser extent, and I found my shots going haywire when I tried to attempt tricky shots with Smoky. The bright side was that I could easily see by what extent I missed my shot, allowing me to correct my movement and get more accurate. Another thing is jumping from elevated platforms and shooting at the same time, which also appears to be different. 

 

I found close-ranged salvos in Iran very engaging. Short-range spray weapons aren't changed much, except that the spray bends around props (for Freeze). Isida's beam veers more, and is like a cross between the older Isida beam in TO and the current nano-bot stream. Circling and surprising enemies is pretty similar, and the only changes I could notice were the difference in turning speed and acceleration of the hull. Stock hulls in TX have three classes - light, medium and heavy. The most important difference is that Titan is a medium hull and it swaps its place with Dictator, which is a heavy hull in TX. Stock Hunter is the most versatile and middle-of-the-road hull, while Viking and Titan differ, having higher top speed and acceleration respectively (stock). Hornet continues to be the most popular hull, and hence received the XT skin before any other hull.

 

Picking up supplies is rather entertaining. Supply drop spots are similar to those in TO (citation needed). Double armor remains the most low-profile supply, closely followed by speed boost. 100 supplies were awarded to all closed beta quest participants, besides the HD wallpaper, the badge, a paint and other gifts. Gold boxes aren't available yet for money, are somewhat easy to catch. The gold box notification is hard to spot; it appears along with the other notifications at the top right. 

 

 

That's it, I'll leave the other details for you to experience first-hand. See you on the battlefield, in Tanki X, and hopefully witness a game flourishing and evolving.

 

--- Also read - Inside Tanki X. (It's to be noted that the information in it is dated to July 2016.) ---

--- Special thanks to @donaldo9000 for his help! ---

 

Edited July 20, 2017 by Hexed

[Rico_Viking_9000 942]

Nice. I also make Tanki X YouTube videos, check out one here 

 

 

 

And my channel here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEDhAIw1RWYuve9vHhrcBVg

 

I have one with a gold skin, and all of my videos are FHD with Max graphics.

[sre123 595]

Good one bro! I would suggest that:  

 

 

 

 

 

‣ As mentioned earlier, the open beta testing phase came forth on the 15th of last month. Now, anyone can register and start playing on TX. 

 

Instead of Last month, why don't you add september? Because, people who read this on november/december/ upcoming months would get confused right? Thanks! Overall nice article!

[Hex 11,520]

A well-structured read. Good job!

[LaserShark 2,095]

X-crystals? Shells?

Nooo, no, no, no, no. Ain't doin' that.

[Kurt_KurtDGreat 2,259]

Nice article, good job! ^_^

[TheContractKiller_GT 374]

my Tx keeps saying connecting.. it doesnt load at all

[LaserShark 2,095]

my Tx keeps saying connecting.. it doesnt load at all

That's becuase your computer is rejecting this atrocity.

[bryanchua 33]

nice but tanki x takes up too much space

[sre123 595]

Bro, now there is a new rank up effect. :P 

[TTK_229 1,080]

My favorite combo in TX is thunder-titan. I love how heavy and fast it feels.