Games - Tank

Home > Listing Index > Games > Tank (computer gaming)

	Games - Tank

In computer game jargon, a tank is a player or unit designated to protect weaker players or units in combat by drawing enemy attacks and absorbing damage. Compared to other units, tanks have a high damage tolerance and specialize in mêlée combat. The tongue-in-cheek term meat shield is roughly synonymous with tank, often carrying the additional connotation that the unit is relatively expendable or inconsequential and its death is preferred to the death of the units it protects.

Tanks are common features of game genres that include tactical combat. Examples include the Ultralisk from the real-time strategy game StarCraft, and the Necromancer's summoned golems from the action role-playing game Diablo II.

Tank can also be a verb: "to tank" is to take a lot of damage. An example is when one unit stands still and takes the bulk of the damage while other units attack. The unit taking damage is "tanking damage," or simply "tanking."

Tanks in RPGs

In pen and paper and computer role-playing games, tanks are warrior character classes with fighting skills and high hit points. An example of a tank in action is a swordsman with archers behind him. The swordsman has heavy armor and a shield, and thus takes less damage from his foes and protects the archers behind. The characters a tank protects might include a healer who keeps the tank (and other party members) alive, damage dealing classes with a lower damage tolerance (magic-users or rogues), or a weaker character taking advantage of the opportunity to powerlevel. Tanks in many cases have abilities to focus the attention of their opponent mobs on themselves as a way of protecting the other characters.

Tanks in FPSs

In team-based first-person shooters, meat shields are players who play point, thereby either drawing fire to themselves or doing initial damage to the enemy team, enabling their teammates to clean up the distracted or weakened enemy players.

Tanks in MMORPGs

In Runescape, tanks are usually designated as the players using high-level armor. Tanks in runescape usually only exist in the wilderness (a PvP zone). Since the game mostly only allows one on one combat, there may be a need for more than one tank.

In Guild Wars, a tank is a Warrior-class fighter with highly defensive armor and shield, whose attributes and selected skills specialize in damage absorbing, evading, and/or healing. In PvE, tanks are crucial in capturing monsters' aggro and allowing other team members to attack without taking damage. In PvP
, the role of tanks is less important, as smart human opponents will usually try to get around the tank and attack more vulnerable targets.

In City of Heroes, an entire character type is set aside for this brand of play. It is aptly named the Tanker archetype.

In World of Warcraft, a tank is a Warrior-class character that can be chosen by the Horde
as well as the Alliance
faction. In addition, a Warrior can also learn a special Defensive Stance, which offers fewer types of offensive special attacks but gives the Warrior more defensive specials plus a bonus to his/her defense rating. This is primarily meant for acting as a group's main tank.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Tank (computer gaming) ]

Games - Tank

Tanks in RPGs

Tanks in FPSs

Tanks in MMORPGs

Searches on eBay

Related searches on eBay