btanks - fast 2D tank arcade game
Battle Tanks is a funny battle on your desk, where you can choose
one of three vehicles and eliminate your enemy using the whole arsenal of
weapons. has original cartoon-like graphics and cool music, it is fun and
dynamic, it has several network modes for deathmatch and cooperative.
what else is needed to have fun with your friends? And all is
packed and ready for you in "Battle Tanks".
Features:
- Multiplayer
- "Battle Tanks" is a multiplayer game in the first place. Network
game and split screen mode are available, and also a mixed mode is
possible, when two players use split screen on the server computer, and
others connect via LAN.Two modes are possible: deathmatch battle and
cooperative game.
- Cross-platform
- "Battle Tanks" is cross-platform. Both Windows and Linux fans
are welcome on the battlefield where they will settle their quarrels in
the name of weapons.
- Free distribution and open
source
- The multiplayer version is licensed under GNU GPL. This means two things.
Firstly, it doesn't cost anything for you. You can download it for free
and share with your friends, with no preliminary or future fees. And
secondly, the full source code of the game is available, so any guy who
knows C++ can poke his nose there and probably find some surprises that
developers have prepared for curious fans.
- Old-school
oriented
- Builders of "Battle Tanks" love these good old arcades of the
past century. So they have tried hard to implement everything best of
these old arcade games.
Performance characteristics:
- Three vehicles: tank,
Shilka, and rocket launcher. Each vehicle has its special features.
- Lots of weapons: four
types of ammo, six types of rockets, landing troops, mines, and so
on.
- Ten multiplayer maps
(seven ones for deathmatch and three ones for cooperative mode) in different
locations such as city, village, forest, desert and so on.
- Game world that reacts on
player. Roads have traffic, buildings can be destroyed, weather effects
are simulated.
- Lots of war
objects: troops, vehicles, helicopters and other.
- Keyboard and
gamepad are supported.
1. Ammo
Gun is the main weapon of tank and Shilka. Guns don't require
ammunition, but their piercing ability is much lower that one for
rockets.
- "Eternal fire" type tank shell
- Type shell that is shipped with tank and Shilka. The gun on Shilka is
faster that one on tank, but each hit does less damage. Guns have infinite
ammunition.
- Shell with laughset focal
point
- The main feature of the shell with laughset focal point (also called shell
with uncertain orientation) is bouncing from obstacles. This shell is good
for urban battles, also it will help when shooting an enemy that has
covered behind something solid or impenetrable. The disadvantage of this
model is that you never know where it will bounce.
- Explosive
shell
- The explosive shell is also known as Matreshka shell. Inside the jacket of
this shell, several small shells are nested. A small time after the shot,
the matreshka opens, and nested shells spread in different directions.
Each hit causes relatively small damage, but large area is covered. This
model is intended for use against enemy crowds. It is ineffective in close
face to face duels.
- Dirt gun
- Dirt gun is invented by crazy agronomists. By the aid of concentration of
energy in near-surface layers, nano-wave fluctuations cause temporary
inversion of field. Lower layers are found on the top, thus introducing a
short-time effect of plowing the surface (this is broadly used during the
sowing campaign). In battle, the dirt gun can be used for making dirt
spots of reduced passability. Enemy troops and vehicles suffer loss of
control and speed in these plowed areas. Pimary weapon Secondary weapon
2. Rockets
Rockets are large, so number of rockets that a vehicle carries is
limited. Rockets are main weapon of rocket launcher.
- Homing
missile
- Homing missile is a type weapon and is shipped with rocket launchers. It
can also be used on tanks as a secondary weapon. After the launch, the
rocket finds a target and guides its flight by its own. Unlike the
heat-aimed rockets, this model detects delta waves emitted by human
brains, and thus can be used against troops and manned vehicles.
Unfortunately, this method of detection ignores androids and
intellectually challenged individuals. Another disadvantage is that rocket
doesn't avoid obstacles (avoiding function is announced in the next stable
release of rocket drivers binary).
- Uncontrolled
rocket
- This is a Dumb-fire modification of the type rocket that can be equipped
as a secondary weapon. At the expense of electronics, explosive charge and
velocity are increased. Due to its high velocity and high damage caused,
this rocket is very good for making fire barriers, destroying enemy weapon
emplacements, and in face to face battles.
- Boomerang
rocket
- Boomerang rocket is an accidental modification of the homing missile that
has been found after beta drivers were installed from a damaged CD on some
test rocket. On ground tests, that rocket introduced a non-typical
behaviour: it didn't select a target after the launch, but just circled
around the launcher, following an elliptical trajectory. Nobody can
explain still why the rocket does that; however boomerang rockets have
been approved and are produced on the line now. They can be used for
defense; also boomerang rockets are effective in close battle.
- Gas rocket
- Gas rocket is stuffed with toxic and radioactive wastes of fragrance
industry. They are prohibited by Geneva Protocol because of their
incredibly disgusting and beautiful smell. A humanoid that has inhaled the
gas suffers convulsions, sialorrhea, retching, diarrhea, and dies with
happy smile on face. The gas rockets are perfect for eliminating troops.
In multiplayer, they scan be used for making smoke screens.
- Stop-rocket
- This homing missile is filled with artificial viruses-malicious
nanorobots. When a rocket hits target, viruses clod between tracks of tank
caterpillars, raise pressure of braking fluid in hydraulic systems, and
cause temporary paralysis of lower extremities of humanoids. However,
these viruses don't affect functioning of weapons systems and other organs
of humanoids; side effects or contra-indication are unknown. Stop-rocket
does not inflict damage, but it's a great secondary weapon that is very
effective if combined with explosive or bouncing tank shells, homing
missiles and machine guns.
- Nuclear missile
"Pure Thermonuke"
- This 15 kilotons nuke is the most destructive weapon in the game. It
destroys everything in range of explosion, and using or thermonuclear
reaction guarantees that radiation pollution will be negligibly small. So
the ground can be used just after the enemy is vaporized by the heat of
nuclear blast. Secondary weapon
3. Preserved landing force
Five fully equipped troops are frozen and GZIPped into standard
rectangular bricks. Before refrigeration, each trooper is prepared using
special hormons and steroids, and can be used in action after quick
microwave-aided defreezing. Shipped in two versions with machine guns and
handheld rocket launchers.
- Machine gun
trooper
- The trooper takes a position and fires the enemy objects (including
missiles). 16 directions of fire are available. Shilka lands MG troopers
for support. Thanks to their high fire rate and mobility, MG troopers can
defend a vehicle against enemy missiles.
- Rocket
trooper
- The trooper takes a position and fires the enemy objects (NOT including
missiles). 8 directions of fire are available. Shilka lands rocket
troopers for support. Due to their fire power, rocket troopers are good
for attacking the enemy.
4. Other weapons
Other weapons include mines and MG turrets. Mine
- Mine
- Mines are effective equally against troops and vehicles. They have winning
appearance, and are easy to install and use. Using of mines allows unique
and great tactical opportunities, both in single missions and deathmatch.
Routes, respawn points, hidings of weapons - everything can be mined.
Remember that the mine is invisible if covered with dirt or smoke!
- MG turret
- MG turret is a primitive robot that shoots everything that is moving. Some
turrets are shipped with "ally-enemy" recognition system. In
stationary version, MG turrets can be used for automated security systems.
Mobile versions can be mounted on rocket launchers. 16 directions of fire
are available.
You can find more about the game on its homepage:
http://btanks.sourceforge.net
You have more information available in
/usr/share/doc/btanks/html/index.html
The game has been written by Vladimir Menshakov, Methos Wagner and
Vladimir Zhuravlev, and is distributed under the GNU General Public License,
either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.