ThinkTanks

Infobox VG


title = ThinkTanks
developer = GarageGames
price = $19.95 for PC, $10.00 for the XBox version.
publisher = GarageGames (PC & Console ?)
engine = Torque Game Engine
released = Linux: 2003-03-09,
Mac: 2003-04-25,
Windows: 2003-03-09,
Xbox: 2005-06-09
genre = Third-person shooter
modes = Solo, Quickplay, and Online
ratings = ESRB: Everyone (E)
platforms = Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Xbox
media =
requirements = current PC version: Internet or LAN, 400 MHz+ CPU or equivalent, 64MB+ RAM, OpenGL, 16 MB+ 3D accelerated graphics card, and 400? MB+ of empty hard disk space for usage with expansion pack
input =

"ThinkTanks", also called "TT", is an online multiplayer third-person shooter available for Microsoft Windows, Mac, and Linux. It was developed by BraveTree Productions and marketed by GarageGames and Shockwave.com. It has numerous fan sites, among which [http://www.planetthinktanks2.com Planet ThinkTanks 2] is considered "home" for most players (also called "ThinkTankers" or "TTers").

As of version 1.1, development on ThinkTanks by GarageGames has ceased, and it is now largely community-maintained, with new material being constantly added by a loosely-knit group of modders and scripters. An [http://planetthinktanks2.com/viewtopic.php?t=1141&sid=786eb4ed2da909d558fd91c83304c121 open letter] was sent to GarageGames as a plea for recognition.

Gameplay Info

The plotline is a bit unusual: Aliens from "Alien Mind Control" have kidnapped human soldiers and put their brains into tanks. Then, they set the tanks on replicas of Earth terrains and watch them fight for their own sadistic amusement. The player has a mutation that lets him/her resist their mind control, and has to get off the alien planet.

There are 3 single-player game modes: in Solo play, the player has to beat level after level, rotating through Lush, Spooky, and Frantic maps with progressively harder bots to fight. A boss level occurs every 4 levels. Target Practice pits a player against an army of disarmed bots to test his/her aim. Quick Play causes a quick match on any map between the player and 6 bots in "indie" battlemode- anything that moves is a target.

The heart of the game lies in its online mode. It allows the player to join one of several servers, hosted by either Shockwave.com or another player, and compete against a mixture of humans and bots. Several game types are available:

*Battlemode: Anything that moves is a target and must be shot at.
*Team Battlemode: Same as Battlemode, except there are 2 teams. (not available in demo)
*"Indie" Scrum: The object is to get the "scrum ball" into the pulsating green goal- by yourself, with everyone else trying to do the same thing.
*Team Scrum: Same as Indie Scrum, except 2 teams are trying to beat each other. (not available in demo)

These are the most common game types as well as some uncommon games, some not even released:

*Survivor: Try to be the last one on the blue team without dying.
*CTF (Capture the Flag): In a nutshell, the players must get the scrumball to their specified goal and safely keep it from harm's way for a set amount of time in order to achieve a point.
*Race: The race game type is centered on racing around a map and reaching a certain checkpoint within a certain amount of time. Typically, the maps are homemade and include checkpoints. Occasionally, in some of the better mods, there may be teleporters thrown in.
*Rollerball: This is a special team scrum-style gametype developed by TT players Dazzle and Canned Splam. It starts out as any player runs through the Rollerball spawn gate (similar to the reload gate). The Rollerball (a scrum-like ball) is spawned in the map. Players must then pick up the Rollerball and take it through their team's corresponding goal-spawn gate. The goal for the Rollerball goal for the corresponding team spawns temporarily and a goal must be made before time runs out, all trying to keep the Rollerball from the opposing team with specially made weapons.

The Community

"ThinkTanks" is a game as well as a community of people. The List of ThinkTank players can be found in the external links below. In fact, people have argued that "ThinkTanks" depends even more on its community at Planet ThinkTanks than the developers at BraveTree Productions and GarageGames to stay current and active. [http://www.planetthinktanks2.com/comm-thread.asp?thread=12333&forum=4&page=1] To keep the community in top shape, there is a code of conduct that players are expected to follow. If a player becomes an annoyance, he/she may be silenced on PlanetThinkTanks and/or be banned from online servers by moderators and administrators.

Independent of GarageGames, fans of the game can host their own servers. Most are patrolled by elected moderators with administrative controls granted to them to make the game more enjoyable for others. Most of these servers are reliably online and kept up-to-date with new or popular maps. Finally, with a script by ScriptLine, users can bypass the master server and join other servers by their IP addresses, increasing their independence from GarageGames.

There are Team Battlemode and Team Scrum leagues which players can sign up for and participate in on the [http://www.planetthinktanks2.com Planet ThinkTanks2] online forum. Popular leagues include the Team Battle Mode League (TBML) and the Psychoscrum League (PSL) which has been in existence nearly as long as the game itself.

Modding

Thanks to a release of some of the source code, players with some skill at scripting can even make their own. Such gametypes include Soccer, Survivor, Capture the Flag, and Racing. In fact, it is also possible to make custom bots. Some players have even created totally new maps using new textures and new objects, such as buildings, roads and ramps. Whole new terrains are possible using GarageGames's Torque Game Engine, and basic objects can easily be placed using a script called ModWizard. There are now 700+ available maps, only 12 of which shipped with the original game.

"ThinkTanks" is a very easy application to modify. The tank, projectile, environment and even sky skins are all simple to customize via image editing applications capable of reading JPEG and PNG formats. Through Planet ThinkTanks http://www.planetthinktanks2.com ,players can always get new skins to add to their collections from the PTT forum, where an entire section is dedicated to game modification. Players may post their own skins as well.

Armies

Many members have taken to creating or joining "armies" or "clans" (groups of friends and/or allies in "ThinkTanks") with their online friends. There is a list of armies in the external links section below. Battles and practices online between armies occur almost every weekend, and the armies serve their purpose by providing a "family" of other members that are always around. Planet ThinkTanks has recognized armies and created a whole forum dedicated to the organization of armies and clans. There is a variety of armies to choose from today, each with its own chain of command. Any player can start their own army or clan, or join one with the possibility of someday rising to become leader of an army or clan. This spawns its own culture. Since any random person can start one, several more seasoned players look down on "armies" because of the experience it takes to make a successful army. Many people who create a new army fail, and the army fades away.

"ThinkTanks" is also available for purchase on Microsoft's Xbox home game console. A person with an Xbox Live account can order an "Xbox Live Arcade" CD from Microsoft, put it in his/her Xbox, sign in with an Xbox Live account, and purchase the game and download it.

A downloadable demo is available from GarageGames.

External links

* [http://www.planetthinktanks2.com Planet ThinkTanks 2 (Planet ThinkTanks redux, aka PTT2)]
* [http://www.garagegames.com/products/12 ThinkTanks on GarageGames]
* [http://www.planetthinktanks.com Planet ThinkTanks (aka PTT)(RIP)]
* [http://thinktanks.wikicities.com ThinkTanks City website (Self-editing lists for players, armies, leagues, tournaments and more!]

*Note: The original Planet ThinkTanks is currently offline due to a permanent crash; it is now replaced by Planet ThinkTanks 2.