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(08-16-2016, 10:46 PM)LiadansWhisper Wrote: Yep. Â Because withstanding heavy damage - i.e. surviving - is what makes a Tank an actual Tank. Â We call them a "Tank" because they survive damage like a tank. Â It's actually in the name.
Historical inaccuracy.
The role of a tank is not in its ability to withstand punishment but in its ability to breach enemy positions which are otherwise fortified and would be difficult to penetrate with infantry alone due to small-arms fire (more or less the one type of attack that tanks can reliably shrug off) and barricades like razorwire which the tank literally doesn't care about whatsoever. Tanks are ordinarily accompanied by infantry who follow behind, using the tank as cover from small arms fire so that they can get into the fortified area in relative safety (relative compared to, say, not having a tank). However, in the process of this the tank is extremely exposed to attack itself, and almost any type of attack other than small arms fire has a good chance, in very short order, to turn said tank into a stationary turret or an oven full of dying crewmen.Â
The one and only reason why tanks aren't destroyed more frequently is because most of the time the kinds of opponents we're using tanks against are the kinds of opponents who have an irregular supply or no supply at all of armaments besides small arms. Even then, an IED made out of total BS can disable a tank pretty effectively.
The reason why the role is called tank in an MMO is because like the military machinery, the tank's job is to charge into the fray ahead of the others. It doesn't have anything to do with resilience - a military tank is arguably easier to destroy than an infantry squad, depending on the munitions used against either the tank or the infantry.
This correction isn't relevant to the discussion. Hopefully you enjoyed learning about tanks, though.
Lydia Lightfoot ~ The Reliquarian's Guild «Relic» ~ Lavender Beds, Ward 12, #41
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This player has a sense of humor. If the content of the post suggests otherwise, please err on the side of amusement and friendship, because that's almost certainly the intent. We're all on the same team: Team Roleplayer! Have a smile, have a chuckle, and have a slice of pie. Isn't pie great?