Guide for Newbies

Introduction

«ProTanki» is a free MMO three-dimensional game, which contains a variety of mechanics that range from the tanker's insignia, its importance and efficiency in earning them an upgraded set of equipment to help elevate their strength, all the way to the actual mechanics of the turrets and hulls that each tanker should, favorably so, choose in order to combat the enemy appropriately, to the economy that the «ProTanki» essentially relies on. We, as experienced members of the community, feel the need to provide all new tankers with the information necessary to ease everyone's first experience with the project. The guide is particularly made for newcomers, and could also come to be of help towards intermediate and experienced tanks — learn more about the mechanics and workarounds of the game.

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Handout: How do I start?

Below is a preview of every essential mechanic in the game, which resides in its exclusive article that you can inspect further:

Registration

First of all, you need to choose a nickname and a password. You must choose an available nickname and a strong password. Once you've successfully registered your account, you can head over to the Settings icon to link your ProTanki account to your email address. This will protect you and your tank from becoming a victim of violators, and will let you easily change or recover your password.

Lobby

After you're done with the registration phase and have successfully entered the game, you'll be greeted with the main screen of your game, called the "Lobby". From that displayed screen, you have a multitude of choices you can pick from. From there, you can also choose and enter a battle you wish to play, as long as it's available for your rank. You can notice the unavailable battles which will be grayed out in the battles list, while other available battles will be highlighted in green and the "Play" button will be available to click. Moreover, you can create your own battle.

Chat

Within your display screen, you can see the Chat feature to the leftmost side of your screen, where you can communicate with other players. All players have access to the battle chat starting at the rank of Master Corporal, but the general chat in the lobby is available to all ranks.

Garage

In order to stand a fair chance at combating enemies with equal or greater equipment, you'll need to hover over the tab and equip your tank with state-of-the-art equipment. This can be easily done through the in-game shop where you can purchase better equipment with in-game currency, Crystals. All items you possess are kept in mint condition by a team of experienced mechanics.

Settings

In the settings menu, you can tweak the sound, adjust the graphics, change your password, specify your email address and do many other things.

Tank controls

Learn all the ins and outs of the game controls here.

Battles

If you fancy creating a battle of your own with your preferred customization, then this is the right place. Specify your preferred characteristics (game mode, number of players, etc.), publish a link to your battle in the chat and fight on your favorite map.

A look into common developmental strategies

It's no secret that a plethora of enlisted personnel end their military career without having started it! The reason for this is straightforward: many lack the necessary funds (crystals) to combat enemies on an equal battlefield. Therefore, they are left fighting other tankers with under-leveled gear, leaving them grounded and unable to fight back. Worry not, tankers! We have provided you with three methods that will be of great help to you:

• First method: Purchasing crystals for real money. It's no secret there's a cost for this, which is real money, but it comes at an even greater value; allowing you to purchase just about the right gear available for your rank. Also, it comes in handy if you don't have the time nor willingness to cater to the hassle of grinding for hours. HINT: It's even better to purchase crystals when you have the double crystals card!
• Second method: Grinding, although it requires great patience, is a 100% free method. Research conducted by analytical professors has shown that many tankers often spend crystals on unimportant gear or items that do not improve their equipment or battlefield experience. As a result, they have low-level hulls or tanks but no high-level equipment, which is not ideal. When starting to play, choose a strategy, select a turret and hull you like, and save crystals to upgrade those specific items. This way, you will have a powerful hull/turret combination and can compete with players who invest real money in the game.
• Third method: Entering contests. There are many contests and events organized by the responsible team, which can often be found on ProTanki's official Discord server. These contests offer a variety of rewards, from crystals to premium items, and even rare rewards for completing challenging tasks such as rare paints and supplies (Masters of Parkour).

What battle modes do I play?

There are four types of battle modes: Deathmatch (DM), where players fight for themselves; Capture the Flag (CTF); Team Deathmatch (TDM); and Control Points (CP).

At lower ranks, it is recommended that you play Death Match battles, as this battle mode will always grant you at least a few crystals. In team games, you can play like a pro, but your final earnings will depend on the performance of your entire team. So, if your team doesn't collaborate with each other, you may lose and not earn as many crystals.

It is strongly recommended that you play with others of your rank. However, the choice is always yours. Playing with people of your rank may not give you as much XP, but you will have the opportunity to earn a decent amount of crystals to further improve your garage.

I am confused! Which hull do I choose?

No need to experiment, we've already done all the experimentation for you!

If you prefer dynamic combat, light hulls such as Wasp or Hornet. Hunter is also a highly recommended choice due to its decent speed, excellent armor, and stability. If you enjoy sniping while hiding, almost any hull will suit you, although Hunter, Titan and Mammoth should be your top choices. And of course, there is always Dictator, which is harder to use but can be effective in all cases.

Now let's consider the pros and cons of each hull.

WASP

• Very fast tank, has the highest mobility and agility.
• Weak armor, unstable - if you are trying to kill someone using rail, you will probably roll over if the opponent is shooting at you at the same time.

HORNET

• Fast tank, relatively good armor, nice hull and a perfect flag stealer.
• Unstable. Sometimes, while using drugs the speed cannot be controlled and you might get flipped.

HUNTER

• Relatively high mobility, agility, strong armor, nice appearance.
• Awkward drift, sometimes "too medium".

VIKING

• Strong armor, extremely low profile, very high stability.
• Low maneuverability.

DICTATOR

• High mobility , good armor. The turret is closer to the back so it is easy to shoot while covered.
• Very low stability. It is very easy to ram a dictator shooting it in the mid-part of the body. Called as "The Gold Catcher" due to its height.

TITAN

• Very strong armor, highest stability, Quite maneuverable.
• Slow, Low agility, wider.

MAMMOTH

• Very hard to kill. Has the strongest armor of all the existing hulls.
• Lowest speed, slow when turning. Expensive.

Turrets - a reflection of your play-style

Which turret should you choose? This solely depends on the map you fancy playing on.

• At lower ranks: Smoky, Firebird, Twins and Freeze.
• At higher ranks: Any turret is suitable, depending on the map.
• For medium-sized maps: Smoky, Twins, Ricochet, Railgun or even Shaft.
• For large maps: Shaft, Railgun and even Thunder.
• For smaller maps: Firebird, Freeze, Isida, Twins and even Hammer.

Now, let us take a closer look at the main advantages and disadvantages of every turret.

FIREBIRD

• High damage. The burning effect will kill almost everyone and will continue even after you are destroyed.
• A small range of action and a slow recharge.

FREEZE

• This turret deals high damage to enemies and freezes them, turning them into helpless victims.
• Short range and slow recharge.

ISIDA

• Great for team battles. You can easily earn experience points by healing your team.
• Only has a range of about 15 meters.

HAMMER

• This weapon deals massive amounts of damage in three quick bursts before needing to reload.
• It has a similar reload speed to Smoky between shots, of which there are three in a clip. The reload time between clips is closer to that of Railgun.

TWINS

• It has a high rate of fire, big knock-back, a fast reload, and an annoying sound to the enemy, all of which will help strike terror into the heart of your opponent.
• Difficulty in aiming and a short range of just about 60 meters.

RICOCHET

• Another powerful weapon. Famous for dealing high damage in a small amount of time. You can use the bouncing bullets to destroy enemies while taking cover from hostile fire.
• Shots are absorbed

SMOKY

• The most versatile weapon, with some skill, it can be highly effective at any rank. Its main advantages include a high shooting rate combined with decent damage. It is possible to kill an enemy with one shot thanks to the critical hit (a lightning strike on the opponent).
• Deals significantly reduced damage at a distance.

THUNDER

• It has a lower rate of fire than Smoky, but it deals good damage. In addition, Thunder can deal damage to multiple enemies with just one shot!
• Sometimes, it is possible to self-destruct and not get the kill. Just keep in mind that Thunder's damage decreases with distance.

RAILGUN

• A favorite among the majority of players, each shot takes away a huge amount of HP and has an excellent knock-back effect, especially if the opponent is moving.
• Slow recharge.

SHAFT

• Do you like sniping? Here's the gun that can satisfy your need, which includes a sniper-sight (press the space bar and hold to charge). It has a very high range and high damage.
• Slow rotation speed and recharge time.

Which turret/hull combination should you choose?

A lot of people are often confused by what sort of combination to choose and spend their time playing on certain maps with. Truth is, you can use just about any combination you desire — but, the hurdle stems from how effective that combination you'll be using is on your play-style, and how much effect it'll carry on the outcome of the battle you're playing. There are a few factors to be taken into consideration when combining a turret and a hull together:

1. Maps you're playing; short, medium or long-ranged.

2. Power dynamic in your team; whether a certain turret is required and will prove pivotal to the objective of the battle.

3. Quick observation on what turret/hull combination your opponents are currently using; this will help you determine what's the best combination you could pick to counter-play your enemies.

With those factors in mind, let's dive into all the possible combinations that would render your tank at its maximum efficiency:

• Wasp — can be used with Smoky, Hammer, Firebird, Freeze, Railgun and Isida.
• Hornet — best combined with Isida, Smoky, Hammer, Thunder or Railgun. Also good with Freeze and Firebird, but not at maximum efficiency.
• Hunter — Smoky, Twins, Ricochet, Thunder, Railgun.
• Viking — Good with any turret. Best options are Thunder, Railgun, Hammer and Ricochet.
• Dictator — best combined with Railgun, but also good with Isida, Ricochet, and Thunder too.
• Titan — Twins, Smoky, Thunder, Shaft, but also good with Railgun -- though, not at maximum efficiency.
• Mammoth — Good with any weapon. Best options are Twins, Ricochet, Thunder and Shaft.

If you're a fan of team play, and want to focus on stealing flags, the best hulls are Wasp, Hornet and Hunter. If you prefer to stay on the defensive, your best option is Mammoth combined with Freeze or Ricochet. Dictator is the best option for assaults on enemy positions.

How to maximize the benefit of using supplies

Here are a few tips we believe will help you maximize what you can control when using consumables, and minimize what you can't control when using them in tandem with specific combinations:

1. Do not use them in advance! A mistake everyone falls into is using supplies in advance and wasting the potential to achieve the required end-goal. For example, in CTF mode, it's best you try to get as close as possible to the enemy flag. When you are almost there, start drugging!
2. Do not waste consumables if you are near an enemy flag that is being defended by Freeze. You will be able to destroy it, but due to the freeze effect you won't go far and your supplies will expire without having any impact on the enemy.
3. If you are playing Death Match, use consumables strictly by necessity. Thoughtless use of supplies can lead to an alliance against you. You will lose the rhythm of the game, and as a result, you will also lose the game. It's best you save your consumables for when the time requires; if you're running from an enemy, or, in search for an enemy. Only activate your supplies when you're close enough to an enemy.
4. If you aren't able to buy consumables - collect them in the game. They are dropped in certain places on every map. Stay close to these zones and you will have enough supplies to remain competitive on the battlefield. You can also acquire missions through completing certain missions that will grant you a set of supplies as a reward for your completion. Also, you can easily acquire a set of consumables in the dozens once you've completed your weekly chain of missions (which, by the way, progressively rewards you with more supplies and crystals for each week chain you finish, all the way to week 4 -- as well as a progressive increase in the amount of rewards you receive for both the weekly mission chains and daily mission rewards for every time you rank up!)

Earn crystals with maximum efficiency!

Play DM battles. Try to take part in long battles (for example 999 kills) and you could potentially earn up to 100,000 crystals if you finish such long battles in a decent spot on the battle's scoreboard. Also, playing CP battles will grant you a decent cut of crystals by the end of the battle, especially if they are long battles. One of the most popular CP battles you'll come across is "Polygon CP" — what makes this map popular is the variety of options you can choose from; either playing offensively (by using short-ranged turrets combined with medium to heavy hulls), or, playing defensively (by using long-ranged turrets, combined with light to medium hulls — mostly to escape the clutches of the enemy, since you'll be sniping from afar. You can also combine the usage of Shaft with heavy hulls; titan or mammoth.

There's also a popular game-mode, namely CTF. You can often find maps being played on "Island" or "Farm". Both maps are very easy to earn both crystals and experience points within, due to their nature of being suitable for short to medium-ranged turrets, combined with medium to heavy hulls.

Always keep in mind the server restart. You can use this time of the day in your favor. You will often see battles lasting 300 minutes (5 hours). Typically, they are team battles. It's not necessary to immediately enter into such battle. Wait until the remaining time is approximately 180 minutes (3 hours) from the end and join against the winning team. The Battle Fund at that time will be very big, and many players will leave. Alternatively, if you are a strong player, you can play in several short battles. You will spend roughly the same amount of time, get slightly less crystals, but will be able to diversify your gaming activities, which will also help you get accustomed to the sort of game-plays you are going to capitalize on the more you play; in turn, improving your overall career.

Technique and shooting tactics

Below you will find a few tips for shooting with different guns.

• Secrets for shooting with Smoky:
  • If you are dealing with a railgun, then this is the plan of action. Shoot 3-4 shots and wait until you see a beam of light turning on in front of the barrel. To make them miss, you just need to shoot at the edge of the opponent's hull.
  • The same thing can be done against Thunder, but in this case you just need to wait for 1 shot, wait a split second and just shoot at the edge of the hull.

• Tips for shooting with Twins:
  • The principle of operating with Twins is the same as the one used with Smoky, though a little different — and potentially weaker. Twins knocks every enemies' sights easily, but sometimes you may struggle with the overbearing nature of the battle and forget to charge at the edges of heavy hulls, since it is practically impossible to make heavy tanks whiff their shots on you, contrary to light hulls — some you will easily kill, and others you'll slightly dodge until you can get ahold of. Just some skill, and you will rule the battlefield. Always make sure you do not get baited by light hulls trying to juke you by running and spinning around buildings, and other objects, that will render the entire operation difficult for you to handle.

Secrets of shooting from Ricochet: Master the bouncing effect. With Rico you can hit targets which no other turret can. Use the bouncing ability and always listen, there will be a distinctive sound every time a ball hits an enemy. Ricochet easily disrupts aiming and slows down the enemy. When facing a Freeze or a Firebird, start moving backwards, away from the enemy and do not stop shooting.

Make sure you learn how to move the turret (with Z , X and C buttons). Simultaneous turning of the hull and turret greatly increases your chances of survival!