Tanki Online

Tanki Online

Developer(s)	АlternativaPlatform
Publisher(s)	AlternativaPlatform
Engine	Alternativa3D 7
Platform(s)	Adobe Flash
Release date(s)	2008
Genre(s)	Massively multiplayer online game, Third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
Distribution	Web interface (Adobe Flash)

Tanki Online is a free massively multiplayer online game based on Adobe Flash technology that was created in mid-2008 by AlternativaPlatform. It is a browser-based game in the third-person shooter genre. According to the game's own server load graph, it has many tens of thousands of online players at any one time.^[1] As of October 2014, Tanki Online has about 5 million monthly players.^[2]

At the beginning of 2009, the game received prestigious Russian КRI Awards 2009 in nominations "Best game without a publisher" and "Best technology". Another award won was Russian Flash Awards 2009 in the category: "Technical achievement".^[3]

Gameplay

Gameplay is organized into matches (battles), in which players each command their tank to accomplish a set goal. The game features four game modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the flag, and Control Points. Players may enter or leave a battle at any time, via the main lobby. However, entering a battle late usually results in a lower score and fewer crystals rewarded. Battles begin immediately when they are created, regardless of whether the teams are balanced and/or the battle has the maximum allocation of players (however, the countdown in a timed match does not begin until at least one tank joins the battle). The battle ends when the timer reaches zero. A new update in the game adapts the timer in battles with obvious outcomes, causing the battle to end earlier.

Battles take place across a variety of "maps", most of which are player-contributed while some of them are designed by professional in-game map-designers. Each map is distinct and creates a different style of gameplay. Different maps also favor different weapons e.g. the smaller maps favoring the close-range weapons, and vice versa. Most maps come in both a "summer" and a "winter" mode, each mode using different buildings and landscapes; "night" and "day" modes also exist. In addition to selecting the map and mode, battles, which are user-created, have another setting called "PRO." This setting lets players turn on and off such settings as "friendly-fire" and "auto-balance". There are also drop boxes that fall from the sky and contain certain boosts when collected. Some of these boosts speed up the player's tank, some make the player's turret do double damage, some make the player's hull have double armor, and some heal the player's tank. All boosts eventually wear off.

Garage and currency

In battles, players can buy upgrades and bonuses in the "Garage" (supplies & pass), with an in-game currency called crystals. Crystals used to be earned by collecting boxes that were periodically dropped onto the map with parachutes, now they only can be earned by finishing a battle and gaining splits from the "Battle Fund".

Battle Fund is gained by kills, controlling points, and flag capturing. The overall battle fund is located in the Bottom right corner of the game, and will be split accordingly based on the scores of a player

One particular and rare type of crystal boxes is the gold box, worth 1,000 crystals. A gold box is triggered by the battle fund, and has a 1/7000 chance per battle fund of dropping. When a gold box is about to drop, an area on the map lights up with the gold box symbol. That is where the gold box will be dropped. A notification sign also appears on the screen of the player that says "Gold Box will be Dropped Soon".

In the Garage, players can buy turrets, hulls, and paints as well as upgrade them. Five types of supplies, Armors, Damages, Nitros, and Repair Packs can also be purchased.

Communication

The game has a number of ways in which players can communicate with each other in the game. Each battle has a built-in game chat, as well as there being a general chat for the whole of each server for every player in that server not in a battle to communicate.

The game also has an official forum, which includes clans, accessible once a certain rank is reached, feature where players can interact and organize times to play battles together with members of their own clan.

Contests

Periodically, the administrators of Tanki Online create official contests and competitions, where players have the ability to participate in battles, create videos, or produce fan art, all for internal prizes for the first, second, third, and sometimes fourth and fifth places.

Development

Tanki Online was created in mid-2008 by AlternativaPlatform, located in Perm, Russia.^[4] The game was used to showcase Alternativa's Flash 3D engine for the web, which was considered cutting-edge technology at the time.^[5]

The continuing development of Tanki Online has caught the attention of Adobe Systems, and the companies have jointly used the game to promote the 3D capabilities of Flash.^[6]

The developers of Tanki Online announced that they would be moving the game to the Unity engine in order to enhance the gaming experience and facilitate the development of Tanki Online for mobile devices and consoles. The developers had considered the move during early development stages, but due to the fact that not many computers had Unity installed, they discarded the idea for the time being. However, seeing as how Unity has grown, they decided to begin the move this year. ^[7]