. . . I’m a tank!

Some time ago, my husband discovered World of Tanks, a free-to-play player-vs-player (PVP) game created by some Russians and gaining popularity.  He became very interested and went so far as to join a group which regularly competes against other organized groups to conquer land in-game.

I never expressed interest in the game, telling him if it didn’t have magic or something like that, I probably wouldn’t really be interested.

Just before Thanksgiving Break, my husband surprised me by creating an account in my name, using a special gift package to give me a “leg up”, so to speak, starting the game with a certain amount of in-game currency and a few days of Premium membership.  I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, but since he had gone through all the trouble to create an account for me, I figured the least I could do would be to play a bit and give it a fair shake.

I did not expect much, but I had apparently forgotten how much I love PVP.

In my previous gaming lives, in World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic, I had greatly enjoyed PVP matches.  Playing one left me energized, with something of a virtual adrenaline rush.  When I found myself becoming bored with the questing side of the games, I would run a few battlegrounds/warzones, and suddenly I would feel ready to tackle the more mundane world of questing.  Strangely enough, every time I would rediscover this, I would feel amazed I had ever forgotten it.  (You’d think I’d learn, sooner or later, right?)

After the first few frustrating battles, when I had to figure out how to make the tank move properly, I found I had the patience and the mindset to be a pretty good sniper tank in-game. Now, about a week and a half after that first hesitant tutorial, I have a skill rating outranking many players with much more experience, thanks to my husband’s coaching on tactics, maps, and individual tank strengths.

This evening, I found myself the deciding factor in a victory for my team–the last player left alive and capable of achieving the required goal.  My hands shook like leaves as I watched the clock tick down to a successful completion, waiting and watching to see if the remaining enemy tank would find my hiding spot and start shooting. As the Victory screen displayed, I couldn’t help grinning as I looked at the shiny new medal my in-game persona had added to her collection.

The rush is back!