What keeps you playing tanks?

[Deathpig_Jones 378]

I don't actually play pubs much anymore, it's all CW/SH and I'm quite happy.  I'll only do pubs if I'm platooning with friends and it's a hangout/social thing instead of some sort of ragey-tryhard thing.

 

Once you figure out that pub matches are meticulously designed to piss you off to drive you to spend, the less you'll want to actually play them.

[Gandaran 1,047]

I mean, I dealt with experience loss, corpse runs and de-leveling in Everquest for like five years. Pubbies being pubbies and getting arty'd is nothing compared to literally losing multiple days of work because your connection dropped and you died.

I don't get all the hate against pubbies and arty for that one reason. Once you play a game where dieing actually means loss of work the difference is I get 1 shot by arty, rage for like 30 seconds and go fuck it i'll play a different tank.

[CarbonatedPork 1,585]

Once you figure out that pub matches are meticulously designed to piss you off to drive you to spend, the less you'll want to actually play them.

There is so much truth to this. Rage-selling tanks and grinding new lines in the hopes that I'll find the One True Tank that facilitates carrying my windowlickers to victory have caused me to open my wallet more times than I'd like to admit. Then you get clicked by 46%ers three games in a row and go ragey anyway.

[Fenxis 76]

Still playing because almost 20 years online games has tempered me to keep enjoying the little things in a game even if there's plenty of frustration to be found ;o)

 

I mean, I dealt with experience loss, corpse runs and de-leveling in Everquest for like five years. Pubbies being pubbies and getting arty'd is nothing compared to literally losing multiple days of work because your connection dropped and you died.

 

So in short I guess I can continue to play it because relative to the frustrations I've had in other games, it's not that bad

 

 

Yup, the lows make the highs all that rewarding. Sadly this means the TG is all that rewarding because of all those arty one shots :/ . Also WG has (with On-Tracks, missions, +-2 MM) created a game that should be repetitive as hell but actually has amazing variety.

 

 

I guess the thing that kept me going and the thing that bugged me the most about the game was that it's plainly designed to milk its players based on the escalation of commitment phenomenon. I've dumped so much time and cash into this game and because I've already done that, I kept doing it, despite the fact that there are ethical game studios that release games for $40-60 that deliver great content without begging for more cash.

 

I feel used and it's kind of my own fault. The game definitely has some shining moments, but I feel like a gambler that's been unable to pry himself from the slot machine.

 

All of these MMO-type (esp MMORPG) games create a grind where each run of the ladder is slightly larger than the previous -- in endgame you do stupid things for yet another tiny increase in incremental rewards. [insert lobster in the pot analogy]

 

In terms of being a cash cow -- WG adding +50% crew training for prems is pure genius -- players can convince themselves that they can justify a prem tank for every line in the game. Sadly transactions for everything seems to be way of the future for PC gaming, every MMORPG (except wow of course) has gone that way. From what I can tell in twitch microtransactions have also invaded sports games (card packs in FIFA), CSGO (unlock novelty skinned weapons), etc...

[Trumpetah 341]

I like winning, and getting a good win in this game is downright addictive. It's like a drug, with the horrible losses and 300-damage wins being the side-effects. Far more often than not do my teammates stab me in the back with incompetency, but those special times when we work perfectly in sync to beat down an enemy are great. When I outplay the enemy and flank them at just the right time to deal a crippling blow, it makes me feel incredible. Those battles where I genuinely do well feel so accomplishing that I keep on playing this game hoping that my improvement and unlocking more crew perks will help me experience said battles more and more.

 

Also, the relatively slow pace of the battles is great for a somewhat strategic thinker like me. My motor skills are horrible and I would rather get the chance to think ahead and visualize scenarios of how the battle continues than play a balls-to-the-wall fast-paced shooter.

[sr360 4,985]

I enjoy the game. It's relaxing. I don't care about my WN8 or WR that much anymore. I select platoonmates based on whether I enjoy playing with them, rather than what their stats are like. I just run around clicking on tanks. And when my daughter wakes up, I stop playing...

 

TBH I haven't dropped much money on this game at all. I ran a standard account for much of the first year, then got some gold codes and scraped enough together to get a few months premium. Dropped maybe $30-50 for gold then clan gold kicked in after that. Haven't put a cent in in probably 3 years.

[NightmareMk9 429]

Started out 100% play for fun with a group of Real World friends.

 

Drink Rum, Talk Shit, Shoot Pixel Tanks.  As long as we are not getting totally fucked over, I usually have a good time.

 

 

As time went on, friends settled into different skill levels.  Half of the time we don't even play with each other any more.

 

After 3 years, it is time to try something different.  I'll finish out the 500 TOG Kills then shelf WOT while I play Witcher3 and AW

[dualmaster333 3,324]

Things that keep me playing WOT:

- I like driving and shooting tanks

- It's fairly relaxing because I've been playing at a high level for a long time - even when I'm not trying I still play better than 99% of people.  It's fun to dick around and still be good.

- There's a decent amount of variety - there has been many different tanks that I want to try.

- If you find competent players that don't rage/complain constantly it can be pretty fun to platoon.

- At this point, it doesn't cost me any money.

 

Things that have made me want to stop playing WOT:

- Tryharding for any stats.  Pretty much the only time I ever get angry at the game.

- Missions - actually trying to get some of them done has been maddening.

- Time sink.  It's easy to get carried away with grinds/goals in this game and put off better things in life.

 

Basically, I've adjusted how and when I play tanks to minimize the things I don't like and maximize the things I do.  I play to win but don't care too much about my stats.  They will be whatever they will be.  I've mostly stopped working on missions, although I continue to do it little bits at a time.  And I've gotten much better at just walking away from the game for a few days or a week at a time.  It'll be there later if and when I want to play.

 

This leaves me free to enjoy the fun parts of the game.  

[sr360 4,985]

 

- If you find competent players that don't rage/complain constantly it can be pretty fun to platoon.

 

 

That pretty much describes my friends list!

[punishersal 294]

Chance to play strongholds with my previous clan when they take me.

Thats all.

Otherwise I dont enjoy this game anymore and playing it feels like Im pushing myself to play just because Im supposed to play it. I have caught myself asking "whats the point of playing this? You buy tank, you have to grind it, you do it, you get next tank. But what is the point?". Some people I know RL who play WoT are on different server. 

Also, back to old and well known topic - arty. Im just too tired of having to watch out whether it will hit me or not. 

Plus, some other things, but in short, first sentences.

[Lindy 41]

Ive played since closed beta, taken long breaks but managed to keep coming back. I enjoy the game mechanics themselves, and keep having this dream that one day im gonna to be good at it.

[shutupshake 101]

When I start to burn out, I dial back my commitment to the game. I show up for CW, shoot the sheet with peeps, shoot the sheet out of some tanks, and call it a night. 

[PajamaMan 42]

I used to play to for social reasons, but then most of my friends quit because of things like skybalance, so now the only reason I have left to play is to get 3rd marks on the JPE

[UbaldoBastardo 65]

Did I witness the last ever game by CarbonatedPork?  That was probably the least competent tier 10 team I've ever seen.  Anyway, you are a credit to the game and its community.  Best of luck to you in whatever other interests you pursue.  To the question, I just enjoy playing.  I'm not very good with moderation, but if it weren't this I'd be doing something else compulsively.  This game is pretty good at hooking people that exhibit addictive behaviors.

[_Juris 216]

A few reasons.

 

I do still enjoy grinding new tank lines - although I have quite a few tier 10s by now, I don't have anything like all of them so playing different lines is still a fun exercise.  I also enjoy improving my gameplay, particularly learning to win games and conduct the players around me more effectively.

 

By far the biggest reason, though, is social.  My day job is pretty isolating, and so being able to get on Teamspeak and platoon with friends for an hour or so in the evening after the baby goes to bed really helps my mental state.  Like sr360, I also don't really care about my own stats or those of my platoonmates.  As long as they're fun to play with, good company and don't actively rage and/or cause us to lose i'm good to go.

[lt_lolcat 305]

I really don't understand the complaints about spending money on this game or about WG being greedy.  Compared to other mmo's I've played (WoW, DDO, etc.), you can actually play WoT without ever paying a cent and do just fine.  Also WG gives away a ton of shit for free.  I've been playing for around 8 months now and I've won 7 premium tanks and quite a bit of gold, silver, premium days, and equipment.   And that's just for being a scrub player that isn't doing tournaments or clanwars.  When I spend money on this game, it's because I want to not because I have to.  Hell, this game has saved me a ton of money just because I pretty much quit spending money on any other hobbies or games as WoT takes up all my spare time now. 

[Dlur 2,350]

When I quit or take breaks it's not usually anything inside the game that causes it, but rather due to life needing more attention than a game does.  I come back because I enjoy the company of people in my clan and on my friend's list.  It's not really a game so much anymore for me, but more realistically an excuse to be on Teamspeak laughing and having a good time.

[Constar 64]

I don't much play anymore, mostly because XVM stats.

[Prosqtor 114]

Recently a friend and I (neither of us particularly good players) were in a two-man V platoon in a VII match.  It got down to the two of us versus five tanks.  Through good play and minor miracles we won the match.  We were 1, 2 in damage and XP.  I play match after match trying to get the feeling I had after that match.  A Quixotic quest, to be sure.

[Evelyn 2,414]

Aside from platooning, the only thing that keeps me here are the fact that I get to drive tanks. Tanks are awesome.

 

Platooning makes the game itself fun, but I'm playing for the tanks.

[KraftLawrence 1,435]

some of my platoonmates have cute voices

[SynapticSqueeze 46]

I think for me the enjoyment of the game comes from several different areas. I am a sucker for grinding new tanks and crews, so that's a pretty big part of it. I still have a ton to learn about this game and playing it well, which is another driver for continuing to play. The times I enjoy the most are during strongholds/team battles and other team-based events, so group membership and the social element plays a big part too.

 

Of the three above, the only one that also detracts from the experience is the awareness of needing to improve coupled with the reliance on team members to some degree. It's often frustrating to try to make the right plays only to realize that they are not the right plays because the 12 reds on your team are currently running around like a bunch of ADHD kittens hopped up on catnip, and none of all that running around involves attempting to support you. I am trying to become more zen about it, but when it coincides with me playing poorly in my own eyes it can be hard to stay detached.

 

Ultimately I think my goal for playing this game is to have fun playing with other people in whatever team format. All the tank grinding doesn't mean too much if it's not with the intent to then use it to further that goal.

[Jesse_the_Scout 2,098]

The serious reason this game has been so popular yet rage-inducing is the amount of depth it is capable of in theory, but fails to achieve in practice-and that failure being on purpose.

 

The games I've always gotten into have deep "systems" which allow you to experiment with new ideas and approaches in some way. My last big addiction game was Neverwinter Nights 1/2, because these games had two big aspects other games lacked for longevity and depth: as the player, they allowed endless character build ideas by freely combining classes, and as the builder they had robust toolsets that actually allowed players to build their own game or world concepts online for other players to check out. It took almost a decade for the game's popularity to fade to the point we all lost interest because the depth was almost limitless.

 

Tanks has depth other games can't match. I've started joking it would be the perfect game if I didn't have to actually play it; the depth of opening new lines, customizing crews/equip/loadouts, finding ways to use varying tank characteristics effectively, all dumped into a setting where strategy matters due to the slower pace of games opens up a huge amount of depth of content. I spend as much time looking at stats, game changes, and models as I do playing. It gives my mind something to work on, constantly analyzing all the variables.

 

The problem is, WG and the players themselves conspire to make a mockery of the game's depth. Most players can't play chess, so they play the game like checkers. WG has backed that up heavily by adding strategy-murdering aspect after strategy-murdering aspect to the game to the point where outcomes are maximally normalized to 49.5%. Arty: randomizer. Gold ammo: randomizer. Ammo racks, fires: randomizer. MM: randomizer. 25% RNG, massive one shot guns, random teams, randomizers everywhere. If this game were any more absurdly randomized a giant dick would just fall out of the sky and crush your tank occasionally.

 

We can all see and feel the depth within, but WG has constantly worked to kill that depth. All the time I spend analyzing is ultimately rendered utterly useless when my triple 46% E-100 platoon pushes valley on Lakeville, or when I get one shotted by arty while hauling ass in a light 45 seconds into the game, or when some shitter drives straight at me clicking and nails me 3 times at 300m, or shoots through the strongest part of my armor with a gold round.

 

This is the only game I've played where the better a player gets the more likely they are to come to hate the game and quit. That's because WG's business model caters to bad. We all bitch about how many terrible players there are in this game, but when you think about it, that makes a lot of sense. If you suck at, say... everything, which game will you want to play more: CoD clone #12 where your uselessness means you never do anything or WoT where randomization still allows you to occasionally pwn the best players in the game and win 47% of the time? The game likely self-selects in favor of the shittiest players, especially since it's free to play. These people post on YouTube when they kill Garbad, ffs.

 

So I'm always stuck with the robot-brain breaking contradiction that this game has great depth and breadth yet that depth and breadth only shows up in a third of the games I play, while the rest of the time is spent wondering wtf happened to this game. If you want to remember what you see (saw?) in this game, get on the test server and play the Domination mode before WG realizes what they've just done. No arty, no gold, balanced tanks, no mods, no lucky shot = game overlol, just beating in the faces of window lickers and feeling like what you do actually matters toward outcomes.

[Sillex 10]

I just love how many tanks there are and how different ones can fit different people better depending on how they want to play or what mood you are in for. I also enjoy the pretty good depth of things to learn such as weakspots, angling, and map positing depending on what map you are on and what tank you are in and what the enemy has and where they are. Also collecting tonks is pretty fun. Feels satisfying to finally get that one tank you were grinding for.

[JoshMeggie 21]

Its a game.

 

A form of play or sport, especially a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.

 

I play to have fun and be gud@tanks.