Review [Special] The Game Balance Update

[RIDDLER_8 5,552]

For an M4 Isida, increasing its ammunition by 25% is amazing, but I am not happy that Isida will have its damage and healing reduced. Isida is a perfect turret for players that want to earn lots of experience point fast and to rank up quicker.

[RIDDLER_8 5,552]

Do not proceed with this update.

 

It will ruin Tanki Online!

[shotgun123_awesome 443]

Awesome !

[r_captain_rex1 0]

nice :D

[FracTureD 58]

[george_ace 57]

I have mixed feelings about this update. First of all, I am glad that Freeze will be buffed as it is way too weak at the M3 level to compete with the rest of the turrets. I feel, however, that making the freeze effect weaker makes the Freeze no longer a Freeze. Firebird has been pretty well balanced and there was really no need for change there. Changing the hulls to make them all really similar was a very bad idea, as the way things currently are diversifies game play. Also, my Wasp will lose speed and thus will be an even less survivable hull to use. The main reason why I was able to use it was because of its speed.

[NastyCaptKlutz 20]

Vulcan has always seemed a bit too powerful otherwise I think all is Ok as it is. I will miss drifting my Hornet....sigh

[TTK_229 1,080]

First of all, great review and summary.

In terms of changes to turrets, I'm not very enthusiastic about most of them but I can live with it.

What really concerns me is the changes to hulls:

The devs have completely eliminated the differences in the hulls. They say they have done this to make the classes more defined, but all that means is now that instead of having 9 distinct hulls, each with their own characteristics, we'll just have 4 categories of extremely similar hulls. Tanki is about flexibility and being able to choose your own play style, now the devs are limiting our choices. Wasp and Hornet the same? Hunter, Viking, and Dictator are almost identical? Come on now. Stop decreasing the variety in the game. Sure, the acceleration rates and top speed between these hulls are slightly different, but that's not enough to set them apart.

And now, Isida is a purely healing turret. People who already die a lot using Isida will die even more. Destroying tanks with Isida is difficult enough, now it will be even harder. This is a game primarily about destroying other tanks, not healing them. I hate what was done to Isida. At least the decrease in damage and self-healing should be compensated by more experienced earned when healing.

Finally, making M3s available at Marshal is a terrible idea. I'm pretty sure I don't have to explain why.

Overall, I am against this update.

I completely agree, although there are 3 classes of hulls and 7 hulls total. Giving hulls the same armour is ridiculous. Now, there will only be 3 hulls, effectively. Hopefully alterations will come to the rescue...

[r_PRO_PAKISTANI1 0]

Why you cannot find a way to fast rank ups :angry:  :angry:

[r_PRO_PAKISTANI1 0]

see the money

[r_PRO_PAKISTANI1 0]

see how druggers take the gold box

[r_PRO_PAKISTANI1 0]

Can any one update the game of offers 60% off on all things every day :wub:  :wub:  :wub:  :wub: i wonder

[TTK_229 1,080]

Why you cannot find a way to fast rank ups :angry:  :angry:

it is called Premium. And Isida. And Polygon CP.

 

see the money

crystal boxes. Back in 2012, I think. Removed because people were farming them.

 

see how druggers take the gold box

well, that is what supplies are for.

 

Can any one update the game of offers 60% off on all things every day :wub:  :wub:  :wub:  :wub: i wonder

I wish :wub:

[Quarks 2,255]

Incredible article! Absolutely phenomenal. Arguably one of the best articles EVER written in the TO Newspaper. Under the section for Isida, you wrote "Firebird" as "FIrebird" and the I was accidentally in capitals. Mini mistake but annoys a Grammar Nazi like me. :P

Run for your life, NEVER correct the goldnug.

[thorium90 1]

Right now i'm not liking this my favorite turrets, rail gun and hammer are reduced by a lot, this makes people with these turrets a lot weaker than anyone else, now rail gun cant 1 shot a wasp. Hornet is now nothing more than a pile of rubble as now it is the weakest hull, its drifting ability is gone and wasp is stronger than it. I don't like this update at all, mostly because everything i have worked for is now gone. 

[Heles 9,220]

RIP
i was going to buy Vulcan 

[Phoenix.Rising 2,519]

I only hope that my M4 Viking & Titan isn't a waste of crystals...

Edited October 4, 2016 by Phoenix.Rising

[Chaos1997 4]

From what I read in this page

http://en.tankiwiki.com/Freeze

 

And what I read on the update changes, I only see an even further reduction of speed on enemy hulls?

"Freezing level of hull (%) — — percentage of maximum speed a frozen opponent's hull will move at minimum temperature." This to me clearly means a hull at maximum freeze will move at 0.nx speed, so from 0.3x to 0.1x speed.

 

Unless the actual meaning is "Percentage of reduction of maximum speed a frozen opponent's hull will move at minimum temperature", so from -30% to -10%.

 

With that wording I only see that 0.3->0.1 as a buff.

[GoldRock 6,165]

More responses coming up...

 

 

Does this means I must swap out my Viking for Hunter already? -_-

I only hope that my M4 Viking & Titan isn't a waste of crystals...

Actually, while one hopes all hulls will keep certain advantages that make them desirable in some way, Viking and Titan will arguably be the best hulls in their respective 'classes' after this update.

 

First of all, great review and summary.

 

In terms of changes to turrets, I'm not very enthusiastic about most of them but I can live with it.

What really concerns me is the changes to hulls:

The devs have completely eliminated the differences in the hulls. They say they have done this to make the classes more defined, but all that means is now that instead of having 9 distinct hulls, each with their own characteristics, we'll just have 4 categories of extremely similar hulls. Tanki is about flexibility and being able to choose your own play style, now the devs are limiting our choices. Wasp and Hornet the same? Hunter, Viking, and Dictator are almost identical? Come on now. Stop decreasing the variety in the game. Sure, the acceleration rates and top speed between these hulls are slightly different, but that's not enough to set them apart.

And now, Isida is a purely healing turret. People who already die a lot using Isida will die even more. Destroying tanks with Isida is difficult enough, now it will be even harder. This is a game primarily about destroying other tanks, not healing them. I hate what was done to Isida. At least the decrease in damage and self-healing should be compensated by more experienced earned when healing.

 

Finally, making M3s available at Marshal is a terrible idea. I'm pretty sure I don't have to explain why.

Overall, I am against this update.

Thanks! I would, however, think you do have to explain why making M3s available at Marshal is a terrible idea, since that's not a self-evident 'fact' at all. As I explained in my article, while players will have to wait longer till they reach the M3 levels, surely the advantage of this is that M3 gameplay will be more diverse as (at least as per the idea behind it) more equipment will remain competitive? Currently, early-unlocking M3s are arguably not all too effective by the time players reach Generalissimo.

 

Look, I am not trying to say you were lying per say; but the way you worded that last paragraph seemed kinda sorta sketchy in my opinion.

My essential point was that there seem to be aspects of the update that may lead to negative consequences and I'll be interested in seeing how they unfold / if there are tweaks in these areas. However, as the development does seem to have quite a few good ideas and motives behind the changes (a conclusion drawn from my analysis), the update seems positive overall. I hope that rephrase helps you to understand better, unless you want to properly explain how that's sketchy?

 

They might as well confiscate them, a lot of them are worthless now.

As posted previously:

 

@Laser: If you have any response to the numerous points I've made in my article to justify that evaluative comment I made, or any justification for your own comments there, then you're welcome to share them! Would be interested to hear some of the substance behind that opinion of yours.

 

Of course, you're completely entitled to continue to make unqualified comments. I'm just highlighting the fact that they're empty without justification and that I'm interested in hearing the actual substance behind your thoughts, in case you missed the above when I posted it before. 

 

Incredible article! Absolutely phenomenal. Arguably one of the best articles EVER written in the TO Newspaper. Under the section for Isida, you wrote "Firebird" as "FIrebird" and the I was accidentally in capitals. Mini mistake but annoys a Grammar Nazi like me. :P

Thanks very much! And cheers for spotting that, I'll correct it now :P

 

 

Supplies changes, including kits in shop, favor buyers, strongly! (Pay to win is now obvious. Only the most patient will be able to reach 5 million experience without significant cash outlays.)

 

Supplies changes will increase supplies use, and it will increase disgruntlement among those who cannot buy or will not buy, and those few who view supplies use as unsporting.

 

Smart cooldowns will no longer require smarts.

 

Hulls: WTF???

 

Firebird: Wow, can we say overpowered? Afterburn will claim fewer opponents after the firebird tank explodes, but the parameter increases are excessive.

 

Freeze: I have too little experience with it, but the most powerful turret (with drawbacks that keep it from being popular) gets stronger. The reduction in rotation and acceleration will make it even less popular.

 

Isida: I hate isida, but wow, who will use it now? It had its place. It just needed nerfed in damage dealt, and increased in healing teammates. (A little range reduction is good.)

 

Hammer: Not sure those changes will matter to anyone.

 

Twins: My motto is “Twins is fun!” Reduced impact, from nearly nothing to begin with, will reduce fun. Recoil? Does twins have recoil? Why reduce it further? And how does reduced recoil count as a plus-up? I will have to see how the rotation changes matter, but I'm thinking much less fun. Max damage-range won't matter (no one will ever notice).

 

Ricochet: It seems the most overpowered turret in the game will stay so. Not much change that will matter except the range. It will make it hard for me to snipe the shafts. That was always fun. Reducing its range so much will reduce its fun.

 

 

Smoky: Do you hate smoky? Why leave it in the game? This will be less popular than isida. With no impact, no critical, no rotation, why would anyone use it? You even reduced its range. I don't think it is possible to overstate how badly you seem to intend to nerf this turret.

 

 

Vulcan: Good to see its impact reduced. Now maybe I can drive my titan while approaching a vulcan. I'm not sure how the other parms are going to affect play. Seems very little affected over all. It will still be overly effective. (Skill required to use it effectively will be reduced, except on heavy hull. There was never any skill required for amble and maintain fire.)

 

Thunder: Other than slight damage nerf, this may be the most effective turret in game. Anyone using smoky instead of thunder must be dumb or just too traditional. For that matter, why use rail instead of this?

 

Railgun: Why take out the railgun and replace it with this? This turret isn't suitable for the standard fighting style of most railgunners.

 

Shaft: In my opinion, shafts are only in the game for me to kill. Killing shafts is fun. I suppose they will still be fun to kill.

 

 

My basic overall assessment of these changes are a leveling of the playing field such that good skilled players cannot find niche expertise. These changes will bring the good down and let the poor look better, especially if they are willing to part with cash for 1500-supplies, especially at the lower ranks.

 

The scheme changes the game. It takes much and gives nothing. Specialization not only looks impossible, it looks to be actively quashed. Let mediocrity rule.

 

 

BTW, I am OKDad70, Ricosck, Riconot, NobodyUKnow70, DH.98, and Sarek_V.

Total kills: 213,481

Total experience: 3,135,064

Total hours played: 763

 

I've been playing since March 2014, and I have two sons that play. I've paid attention. Most of the complaints have amounted to little. A few complaints were bad. This one is the worst I have seen.

 

1) If you're talking to me (as per your comments on Smoky there), I've previously explained that I and many community Helpers are merely volunteers, players like you from across the world, who help out with various projects like the forum, chat, Newspaper, Wiki etc.

 

2) Hm, your assessment of increased 'mediocrity' with the best held back and the worst brought up is intriguing... although, is it not the case that this 'balance' (with the exception of M3 hulls) doesn't necessarily make equipment completely equal, and that weapons still maintain their unique characteristics which allows specialisation regardless of the surrounding stats? As in, it would seem to me the statistics determine effectiveness more than they do specialisation, although it's an interesting viewpoint as I said.

 

From what I read in this page

http://en.tankiwiki.com/Freeze

 

And what I read on the update changes, I only see an even further reduction of speed on enemy hulls?

"Freezing level of hull (%) — — percentage of maximum speed a frozen opponent's hull will move at minimum temperature." This to me clearly means a hull at maximum freeze will move at 0.nx speed, so from 0.3x to 0.1x speed.

 

Unless the actual meaning is "Percentage of reduction of maximum speed a frozen opponent's hull will move at minimum temperature", so from -30% to -10%.

 

With that wording I only see that 0.3->0.1 as a buff.

It would seem I misread that statistic completely, so I'll now update this article to reflect that. Thanks for pointing that out, much appreciated! 

 

 

 

 

[redguy1234567890 141]

Please people give me your opinion on the best turrets and hulls in their classes so I can buy them.

[Chaos1997 4]

It would seem I misread that statistic completely, so I'll now update this article to reflect that. Thanks for pointing that out, much appreciated!

 

I honestly hope you were right, because that's a HUGE buff to freeze if it's actually like that, I don't know. Because in the changes page, it still is red color, which means a nerf. The whole situation is unclear to me.

But the wording in the wiki leads me to think of it as a buff, as I said before.

Edited October 4, 2016 by Chaos1997

[GoldRock 6,165]

I honestly hope you were right, because that's a HUGE buff to freeze if it's actually like that, I don't know. Because in the changes page, it still is red color, which means a nerf. The whole situation is unclear to me.

But the wording in the wiki leads me to think of it as a buff, as I said before.

Nope, you're right with your assessment.  I've just had a chat with @Issho_Fujitora to follow up this matter, and he's confirmed your correction is valid, so that row of the table will be changed to green. 

 

However, I would say that while it sounds like a huge buff, I'm not sure the buff is actually that huge. The turret's Freeze effect is currently pretty weak, so I think that buff is at least intended to make it more effective rather than overpowered. Although in practice, it may turn out to be a bit over-the-top - Freeze used to be OP back in the ol' days when its freeze effect was much stronger, for example! But we'll have to wait and see, really. Either way, at least its somewhat balanced out be reduced ammunition and slower turret-turning.

 

Thanks again for pointing this out!

[JoswelGrima 6]

Hello!  I used to play this game  (TankiOnline) 6 hours a day :O the last year. This  year is like nothing  ( =An Empty Paper= ) Please  forget $$$ and make tanki better thankyou.

[DESTROYER_13 1,019]

Hello!  I used to play this game  (TankiOnline) 6 hours a day :o the last year. This  year is like nothing  ( =An Empty Paper= ) Please  forget $$$ and make tanki better thankyou.

In which ways do you think they can make Tanki Online better?

[pwhite 120]

I do have to say that this is interesting. What I do not like is the universal health idea, as with different speeds it would cause people to only use those 3 hulls, of which I have none of. It also appears that fire and freeze are switching roles, which should be interesting. I also like the changed to shaft, makes it more usable now. I am guessing that hunter will drift more at m2 and m3 now that it will turn faster, which is what causes it, not speed, which could be good and bad because hunter has a problem of getting caught on ramps and objects sticking out sometimes that only really effects hunter as smaller hulls are not caught as much by them and slower hulls don't drift. However we will need more information before we can fully decide if we like this or not.