[Issue 58] [Guide] The Mid Ranker's Handbook: Balance Update

[Zenyth 6,494]

The Mid Ranker's Handbook is back as we promised - back with a significantly changed situation as far as the actual game is concerned, owing to major changes a fortnight ago. With quite a period of time passing by since the changes were introduced, most of us have tried and tested the update and understood the extent of its impact. It's time to get more specific - in this article, we shall discuss a few common aspects of that said update as a whole, as well as throw light on what's changed in the mid ranks as a result of it. Let's set the ball rolling!



The aforementioned major update has received mixed responses, with people assessing and adapting to the update in their own ways and many different opinions are reverberating in the community. Let's go through the topics in question one by one, and as usual, focus on the mid ranks while doing that.

Hulls - What Has Changed

The undoubtedly biggest change in hulls is that the HP of hulls in the same hull 'class' or 'segment' (light/medium/heavy) is now somewhat evened out. It's surmised that the purpose behind this move was to give each hull a character which is defined to a lesser extent than by it's HP. Set aside the hull segments and we see that the light hulls have become 'heavier' and the heavy ones, 'lighter'.

This change has widespread effects. For example, the light hull attackers will be bulkier, which means lesser "easy pickings" for defensive campers. On the other hand, a sizeable cluster of heavy hull defenders will have less protection in general. The medium hulls, meanwhile, have more or less, the same amount of HP, perhaps giving each of the medium hulls specialist roles to fulfill, rather than a "general midfield role". These effects are generalized, however, as modification-based exceptions may come into play.

For example, among the medium hulls, Viking now tops the charts with the highest maximum speed, but simultaneously has the lowest acceleration. This makes it excellent for the incessant attacker in medium maps, who keeps attacking enemy base and rarely stops. Whereas, with the highest acceleration but slowest top speed, Dictator is a good choice for a defensive role, getting into action from a stationary position faster than the other two medium hulls. Unsurprisingly, Dictator trumps Hunter and Viking (which now has the lowest weight among the three) in weight, making it a top choice for a dominant defender who deals with incoming waves and gives the other defenders breathing time. Whereas, Hunter, getting the more well-rounded stats, has moderate acceleration and top speed, making it useful for the freely-roaming defense-oriented midfielder or a mobile camper.

Most of the hulls, with the exception of M1, M2, M3 and M3+ Viking now drift to a lesser extent than previously, due to the consistent increase in lateral acceleration across all modifications. This makes its presence felt as there was a marked reduction in drift as I played with my Hornet M2, as well as my Hunter M1. Hunter and Hornet's manoeuvrability has definitely been upped.

Meanwhile, Wasp's manoeuvrability has been significantly affected by large cuts to its turning acceleration, reducing its agility at quick turns and meanders. At M2, Wasp beats Hornet in several categories, including top speed, acceleration and HP. Moreover, at all modifications, Wasp and Hornet have equivalent weight, making them feel more similar to each other when driving.

At the opposite end of the weighing scale, Titan and Mammoth will now probably switch their roles in defense. Mammoth now has more weight, and hence, more pushing power than Titan. That means Mammoth is now a better 'flag-sitter' and secondary defense and similar roles should now be delegated to Titans. Titan still holds out as the quicker of the heavy hulls, and even beats Mammoth HP-wise at M1 and M2 because of this statistical rejig.

Turrets - What Has Changed

Isida

You won't find a more changed turret post-update.

With that 40% reduction in self-healing and a slashed rate of healing as well as range, Isida was confronted with quite a nerf and has been changed drastically. You won't want to attack and try to capture many flags, or even worse, play DM, without supplies. Since the self-healing function has been bottled up, it wouldn't make sense to go on an all-out attack with Isida, at least without support. In fact, it's better if you support the other attackers instead, making use of the much more effective healing function that you possess. While doing so, make sure you remain concealed and if possible, directly behind your teammates, especially since it is now increasingly difficult for Freeze and Firebird to cause splash damage. In this way, the only real concern for an Isida would be Thunder and penetrating Railgun shots. In addition to all this, Isidas can no longer make efficient use of the "self-heal and proceed" tactic which involves zapping stray enemies as you go from cover to cover.

Isida also has a constant reload time, in addition to the existing constant energy consumption. The said reload time and energy consumption is lesser than before. Both of them contribute to Isida lasting and doing its job over a longer time. Although this is a plus point, the slashed rate of healing is enough reason to make it easier for enemies to crack down on Isida 'trains' or tight Vulcan-Isida pairs.

Isidas with Double Power have an easier time because of 2x self-healing and this, coupled with the lower reload time will greatly help out on offensive campaigns. Conversely, you could also deem the Double Armor as the more important supply for Isida, because of it's increased energy output (because of the decreased energy consumption), which should be utilized.

Freeze

The changes to Freeze can be called straight out as positive, overall. While damage, rate of freezing, reload time and freezing level of hull show positive changes, the energy consumption has sharply increased. My apprehension of this is that Freeze's output will be shorter because of the higher energy consumption, but the reload time partly compensates for that and makes sure you will be back in action sooner. The damage and freezing rate increase also mean that you can deal out more damage and also perform its core function with ease.

The Isida escapes unhurt in such a case.

As a result of all these changes, I feel that Freeze will do a better job at the hit-and-run tactic than before, and will not be as efficient as before at crowd control. Come out from cover, circle and freeze the enemy and deliver the increased damage, and then move on immediately to your next victim. However, there's a catch. If you saw episode 112 of the V-Log, you'd know that Freeze can no longer deal splash damage if a tank directly in front of you is blocking the hull(s) behind. That further strengthens my stand that Freeze shouldn't be used a lot for crowd control and one vs many scenarios.

Firebird

Then we have the turret that's regularly pitched against Freeze for comparison. Firebird received a spike in damage at M2, M3 and M3+ levels but had it's heating rate halved. The reload time and max. range also showed positive changes. A halved heating rate means Firebird now takes 2x the time to heat up a tank to a certain temperature (max. temperature is defined by the temperature limit) and hence, deal the extra 'burning' damage or 'afterburn'. Besides that, we also know that Firebird's energy consumption (untouched) is more than Freeze's.

Summing up all these factors, Firebird will probably need a prolonged hit when hitting-and-running to deliver the right amount of 'afterburn' so that the target gets killed. Similarly, you will find Firebird is now more useful for shock tactics, given the increased damage and lower reload (makes it easier to fire relentlessly). Whereas when approaching a group of enemies, you need to be more careful; just like Freeze, Firebird is also affected by the newly-formed difficulty in dealing splash damage. However, as long as you make sure you leave some burn on multiple enemies, it's still quite effective.

Hammer

Hammer receives minor changes in damage per pellet and sharp cuts in "range of max. damage". Also noticeable is the reduction of impact force and recoil, which may have repercussions for parkour enthusiasts. Finally, the reload time has also changed, increased time between shots and decreased reload for the whole clip. This makes for a more seamless gameplay with Hammer. Also, Hammer has now a 10% 'weak' damage which is dealt at distances larger than the range of min. damage.

Stat-wise, Hammer M1 can still barely kill a Hunter M1 (strongest M1 medium hull) and Hammer M2 also needs a well-directed close range three-shot clip to successfully kill a Viking M2. So, in DM mode, you should still be relying on stealing kills rather than initiating fire on an unharmed target.

Twins

Twins has it's maximum and minimum damage both buffed, but its impact force was significantly reduced. Along with this, it's minimal reload was made a touch higher. Although the latter is somewhat manifest, it doesn't exactly cause a lot of problems, at least in Twins' peak range. I don't expect Twins' gameplay to alter much overall.

Ricochet

Ricochet's stats were also chopped and changed significantly. Its damage per shot now varies a lot, and at lower modifications, its average damage per shot has reduced in general. Ricochet M2 currently takes approximately 7, 10 and 13 shots to kill a Wasp M2, Viking M2 and Titan M2 respectively. Besides the main damage stat, Ricochet also has reduced impact force and reduced recoil, alongside massive reductions in the range of max. damage. The projectile velocity's decrease is also unfriendly.

The last two changes render Ricochet slightly ineffective at medium-long distances. However, with good accuracy and the increased max. damage at your side, you can also be a good short-ranged campaigner. Lastly, Ricochet also has a weak damage of 25% at ranges longer than it's range of min. damage.

Vulcan

Another vastly changed turret. Vulcan's barrels rotate for a uniform period of time (one second) when you both start or stop firing. Also, Vulcan's turret turning slowdown has a uniform 50% effect across all modifications. Also uniformed is the overheating rate (0.25/sec). The time period after which Vulcan overheats gradually increases by modification and is mostly unchanged.

Vulcan's firing mechanism. Note - Vulcan M2 is considered, and values are approximate.

These changes aside, what really shows on the battlefield is Vulcan's continuous damage, which is increased at M1, M2, M3, M3+ by small amounts. However, these are per second values which add up and become a lot when firing continuously, especially with healing support. One drawback is the reduction in impact force, the same impact force that terrorizes Wasps and Hornets. That menacing effect of Vulcan's impact force has been toned down considerably.

Smoky

Smoky follows the trend as far as damage value changes are concerned. It's damage values are more variable than before, with the extremes (min. and max. damage) going away from each other. Similar to Twins and Ricochet, Smoky has its physical changes (impact force and recoil) reduced. Arguably the biggest change is the upping of the critical chance percentage and simultaneous sharp decrease in critical shot damage. As a result, I think that Smoky's critical shot will become less of a knock-out punch but will still matter when dealt properly (maybe as an initiating shot).
Other minor changes include a reduction in reload time and increase in turning speed of the turret. I found these making a slight marked difference when dealing with nimble enemies and especially flag capturers.

Thunder

Thunder also has its bits and pieces tweaked. Reload is very significantly reduced, you may actually use a few of Smoky's rapid-fire ways now. Thunder is probably the only turret with a substantially greater impact force post-update. Surprisingly, the recoil has decreased, and that might have consequences on its usage in parkour and OMP.

Thunder's maximum damage has also been reduced close to 15% at M1 and M2. It makes the Thunder M3 a better upgrade than before, but increases Thunder's plight at close quarters, with lesser damage than before and the self-damage to be wary of. M2 Thunder still 3-shots M2 Wasps, however. M1 Thunder still remains a high quality M1 turret.

Railgun

A typical Railgun user who takes care of all its intricacies will find this update exerting a massive influence on Railgun's gameplay. To excel in the same, Railgunners will need to acclimatize to a lower average damage per shot and a >1.5 second decrease in recharging time. The delay time has been uniformed, and the penetrating power has appreciably increased (multiple kills, yay!).

Keeping in mind how much damage you dished out can help you waste less time and get into positions in advance

The XP/BP format, for M2s, the 3-shot has now dislodged the regular 2-shot in terms of frequency. It's even more when facing an M3 hull. With the addition of damage counters, it is now easier to predict whether you'll 2-shot or 3-shot an enemy. For example, an M2 Railgun landing a shot dealing 1012 HP (or more) on an M2 Hornet can be assured of a safe two hit kill. Another not-so-significant change includes the decrease in impact force and recoil, which can be acclimatized to with minor adjustments on the battlefield.

Shaft

Shaft's maximum damage in sniper mode has been nerfed. As of a result of this, Shaft M1 can no longer KO a M1 medium hull even with the most powerful sniper shot; it needs one high-power sniper shot and one arcade shot to kill a Viking M1, for instance. M2 Shaft is able to kill any of the three M2 medium hulls in one high-power sniper shot and one arcade shot, too. The energy consumption while in sniper mode is now higher, which means lesser time required for the same powerful sniper shots. The recharging rate is lower now though.

Arcade shots now have the same amount of damage, which is also equal to the minimum sniper mode damage. Arcade shots' reload time has also been reduced, besides a lower arcade energy consumption, which makes for a win-win situation when you are looking to deal a smaller amount of damage. Arcade mode would be the way to go. Additionally, impact force and recoil has been reduced, and also, the piercing effect of Shaft's projectiles is now gone.

The Minor Changes

‣ Self-destruction time reduced to five seconds

The self-destruction time penalty was halved to five seconds and this is undeniably going to have implications here and there. For a start, self-destruction after hearing the gold box siren will take up lesser time. In duels and tandems, getting flipped will be disadvantageous for a lesser period of time.

‣ Smart cooldowns tweaked

Cooldowns for supplies except for the mine have been reduced. The cooldown for the mine has been doubled to 40 seconds and is no more linked to the repair kit. All the other cooldowns are now 2/3 times their earlier values. I would like to point out the increased efficiency of two supply usage patterns.

One of them is the very popular "flag capturing sequence", initiated with the activation of double armor and then the repair kit. Activating double armor automatically triggers a 10 second cooldown for the speed boost. During this 10 second time frame, you would normally be in a safe zone, or at least out of the enemy base. Once it ends, you can easily activate the speed boost and head home.

The other one is what I'd call a "counterattacking sequence", initiated with the activation of double power and then the repair kit. You'd normally use this when there are enemies looking to spawn-kill and are wreaking havoc in your own base. If you successfully get rid of enemies within ~10 seconds, you can activate speed boost and maraud the enemy base for ~30 seconds. I believe that this will also be a useful sequence when playing multiple-CP battles like Kungur. You can approach an enemy-controlled point with DP and activate your repair kit after the enemies holding it have started firing at you. After around ten seconds, you will have the said point captured, and then with speed boost active, you can immediately make a beeline for another point.

‣ Ability to see actual damage dealt on enemies

This minor update was announced in a V-Log and came into being along with the balance update. As stated before, I believe the damage counters which appear as white numbers (yellow for Smoky's critical hits and red for finishing shots) are quite important in XP/BP now, as they can sometimes help you determine whether an enemy will perish to the next shot.

Seeing damage dealt in unique ways can boost your confidence with the weapon

The damage counters are also helpful when shooting with Smoky, assuring you of your hits and clearly indicating whether you hit something else, like the hitbox of a prop, for example. Moreover, the damage counters also appear over enemies who aren't being directly fired at, for example, getting hit by Thunder's splash damage or Ricochet's ricocheting plasma. I feel that the appearance of damage counters in these cases is suggestive of the importance of the special functions of these turrets and can probably help out people learning to use them.

‣ Minimum waiting time for equipment change increased

The new 5 minute waiting period before you can change your equipment in battle is rather annoying when you're playing with friends. Otherwise, this change is welcome, as people can no longer change their hull to Dictator easily before the gold box drops or keep changing equipment every few minutes, causing problems to enemies using modules to adapt.



This balance update has indeed caused a lot of change, and it had its share of brouhaha that accompanied it. This will obviously change as people get accustomed to it. But this is it for now, we'll be back with the Mid Ranker's Handbook again. Share your experiences and your expertise about the balance update below, I'll be more than happy to discuss it with you!

[You.Have.to.die 519]

Finally, thank you for this been waiting for ages!

[TTK_229 1,080]

Bro u steamed my AWC article idea

[TTK_229 1,080]

Firebird m2 feels a lot...cooler...after the update. Faster recharge is amazing, but lower burning damage...not so great.

 

My Thunder is decidedly better after the update. It is now better for camping or suppressing, two things I am great at.

 

Viking handles like poop, my hunter is almost better than my viking, and mammy seems the same. I wonder if I should buy Dictator m3 instead of Hunter or Viking. Attacking has never been my cup of tea, and I prefer to be heavy over being light and weak.

[Zenyth 6,494]

Firebird m2 feels a lot...cooler...after the update. Faster recharge is amazing, but lower burning damage...not so great.

 

My Thunder is decidedly better after the update. It is now better for camping or suppressing, two things I am great at.

 

http://en.tankiwiki.com/Global_update_of_game_balance_for_Tanki_Online

Burning damage isn't reduced, heating rate is.

 

I agree on Thunder, it's better now, except at shorter ranges.

[Ninja 10,468]

Fantastic article, well written just like all the other handbooks. Exept for one thing.

 

"Can't change to Dictator before the Goldbox" drops... :ahem: I change regardless.

[SamirAWSM 203]

he Zenith when can we have our match plzz pm mee

[Zenyth 6,494]

Edited. :P

[SamirAWSM 203]

when can we have our match pmm mee Zenith ? 

[Spinister 1,192]

Good work Zenith!

[r_I_already_won0 2,339]

Firebird's burning is a sick joke. Also, the freeze effect was secretly re-nerfed.

[red9401 9]

Ugh that sucks for shafts playing defensive roles, I normally use arcade mode but still that is going to suck.  Especially when you are going for sneaking up behind and taking the flag, it is easier to kill people quickly or if you are trying to help someone return a flag.  Also now shaft will join the tanks that cannot right itself if it lands on its edge.  It's no better than firebird isida and freeze except for landing freefalls correctly like on madness also because impact force has dropped it makes arcade mode less useful against rails.  It used to be that you could deal with them even if they could one shot you if you were good enough at aiming with no scope (like me)  so now in up close battles rail will be better than shaft and shaft will only beat rail in long range if they are good with arcade mode.  This update also lowers the versatility overall.  I suspect many shaft lovers will leave tanki.

[Reddkuest 76]

Also, the freeze effect was secretly re-nerfed.

Indeed, that was pretty under-handed.

 

And most turrets have to endure the brand new 'ghost bullet' glitch now, where shots disappear in thin air.

[r_I_already_won0 2,339]

Indeed, that was pretty under-handed.

 

And most turrets have to endure the brand new 'ghost bullet' glitch now, where shots disappear in thin air.

On one of my other accounts I have shaft m2 and I can't tell you HOW frustrating this is, as shaft shots count more than thunder or smoky hits.

[JaafarXX 2]

Is it me or are they just making shaft almost useless

Can anyone tell the postive side of shaft :)  :D

[Algos 42]

About Firebird, I thing getting the heating rate halved (reducing after burn effect), was made purposely in order to make things more difficult in Arena wasp/hornet/fire map. Every day missions wasn’t a big deal in that map and admins got annoyed. Moreover we can’t earn us many crystals us previous in the above map and that makes the developers happier. If someone wont’s easy crystals without spending drugs, he has to buy them. I’m not happy with that change but it is within reasonable limits.

 

About Isida, I do thing that the weapon has been dramatically changed. It is no more Isida without the self-healing ability. When someone spends real money to buy a turret, he does it because he has read the characteristics and he find that product fulfills his desires. I thing that changing a product that way, violates the market lows.

[Ducalio 0]

Isida is now a pile of crap - weak offense, weak healer, no significant self heal, range dropped from 30 to 20.

 

And your statement that self-heal was dropped 40% is misleading - the effective drop is over 80% (ie from 50% to 10% damage done, and damage having been reduced slightly)

 

No more Tanki for me until I hear of some re-balancing - stopping DD affecting self-heal would have been enough.

Edited November 9, 2016 by Ducalio

[rli247 0]

Ugh, I bought isida M1 because of the self healing now its pretty much gone-i pretty much wasted 18k for nothing  :angry:

Edited November 9, 2016 by rli247