How to Play Pocket Tanks
The tactical PC game Pocket Tanks is an incredibly addicting game that pits two tiny tanks with massive fire power against each other. The game mechanics can be hard to grasp at first, but as you get more practice, the simplicity becomes more apparent.
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Instructions
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Choose either the one or two player mode at the initial game screen.
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Enter in your name and choose a color for your tank. This is a purely aesthetic choice and has no affect on how your tank operates or what weapons you have available.
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Select the difficulty of your opponent if you are playing a single player game. Pick a lower number such as 1 or 2 for the difficulty if you are new to the game, or a higher number such as 8 or 9 if you have lots of experience playing.
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Pick the weapons you want to use from the "weapon shop" screen. After you choose a weapon, your computer controlled opponent will then also choose a weapon. If you want to get this section over quickly, just hit the "random" button to randomly assign weapons to you and the opponent.
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Set the angle of your weapon once the game begins. Choose a 90-degree angle to shoot directly up, an angle less than 90 to aim to the right side of the screen, or an angle of more than 90 to aim towards the left side of the screen.
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Change the power rating of your weapon to set how far your weapon will shoot. Choose a higher number to shoot farther. You can combine angle and power to pinpoint where your weapon will land. An angle close to 90 degrees with a very high power will cause your weapon to land very near you, while an angle closer to 0 with a high power may send your weapon flying off the screen.
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Find the weapon from your weapon list that best fits the situation and hit the "fire" button. Each weapon works differently and gives you differing numbers of points if you hit your opponent. Use high point weapons such as the sniper rifle or cannonball when you have a perfect pinpoint on your opponents location, or lower point weapons with a wider range such as the "three shot" when you are unsure if you will hit your target directly.
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Utilize support weapons that alter the terrain or prevent your opponent from firing when you have an advantage or are having a hard time hitting your target. The various "dirt" weapons encase your opponent so that they must waste weapons digging their way out, while the "bouncy wall" weapon can be used to block your opponent's line of fire.
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Shoot weapons that travel along the ground towards your opponent if you aren't entirely certain that you have a perfect bead on it's location.
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Take advantage of good combinations of weapons. Use a dirt weapon to make your opponent immobile, and then use either the "hot foot" or "flower power" weapons to accrue a massive number of points quickly.
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Move your tank if it gets stuck on an embankment or you want to make it harder for your opponent to hit. You only get to use four "move" actions per game, however, so use them wisely.
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Tips & Warnings
Use the "target practice" mode to get acquainted with how the weapons work and practice setting the angle and power.
Pocket Tanks has extra downloads available that give you access to additional types of weapons.
The "tracer" weapon does not give you any points, but it does show you how close you are to the target with your current power and angle settings.
Make sure not to accidentally hit yourself with a weapon or you will lose points.
Resources
- Photo Credit BlitWise
