COMBAT MANUAL
Complete field guide — controls, AI squad tactics, game speed, wave modifiers, upgrades, and survival tips.
GETTING STARTED
Run the game
Use a local web server so HD sprites load correctly:
Terminal:
Then open http://localhost:8080 in your browser.
cd tank && python3 -m http.server 8080Then open http://localhost:8080 in your browser.
Opening index.html directly may show procedural graphics instead of HD tank sprites.
Your first mission
- Pick a tank class (Phantom, Frost, or Vanguard).
- Set AI SQUAD (0–4 teammates; default 2) if you want backup.
- Optionally enable AUTO FIRE for continuous main-gun fire.
- Optionally enable AI PILOT to watch the computer play your tank.
- Open SETTINGS for volume, shake, and game speed.
- Click DEPLOY — clear waves, pick upgrades, chase the high score.
CONTROLS
Your turret auto-locks the nearest enemy. Strafe with WASD; hold Space to fire, or enable Auto Fire on the main menu for continuous fire. The crosshair tracks your locked target and glows while firing.
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| W A S D | Move tank hull |
| AUTO FIRE (menu) | Toggle — fires at nearest enemy without holding Space |
| SPACE | Fire main gun (hold; skip when Auto Fire is on) |
| RMB / E | Homing missile |
| SHIFT | Boost dash (~2s cooldown) |
| Q | Deploy mine (max 3, arms after ~0.8s) |
| F | EMP — stun nearby enemies |
| P | Pause / resume |
| ⏸ PAUSE | HUD button — same as P |
Note: Manual controls and Auto Fire are disabled when AI PILOT is on. The mouse is not used to aim — only for HUD buttons and right-click missiles. The system cursor stays visible.
SETTINGS
Open ⚙ SETTINGS on the main menu before deploying.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Master Volume | 0–100% audio level |
| Screen Shake | 0–200% impact camera shake |
| Game Speed | Simulation speed — saved automatically on click |
Game speed
| Speed | Multiplier | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| SLOW | 0.5× | Learning controls and enemy patterns |
| NORMAL | 1× | Default experience |
| FAST | 1.75× | Shorter sessions, more action |
| SUPER | 2.5× | Veteran players |
| LIGHTNING | 4× | Maximum chaos — great with AI Pilot |
Speed applies during deploy, combat, and the upgrade shop — not on the menu or while paused. Combo slow-motion still stacks on top. Change speed mid-fight for an on-screen toast.
AI SQUAD & AI PILOT
These are separate features — mix manual play + squad, or AI Pilot + no squad, or both.
AI Squad (0–4 teammates)
| Slot | Callsign | Hull |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WARDEN | Cyan |
| 2 | SPEAR | Gold |
| 3 | BLADE | Green |
| 4 | HAVOC | Cyan |
- Allies use smart AI — dodging, lead aim, abilities, wall cover.
- Enemies target the nearest friendly (you or a squadmate).
- Ally deaths do not game over — respawn at the next wave.
- HUD shows SQUAD x/y during combat.
AI Pilot
When enabled, AI controls your tank: auto-aim, dodging, missiles, mines, EMP, boost, and upgrade picks. Toggle before DEPLOY on the main menu.
HEADS-UP DISPLAY
The battlefield uses the left side of the screen. Combat UI lives in a right-side panel so the play area stays wide. The COMBO banner floats over the play area when you chain kills.
Right HUD rail
| Element | Meaning |
|---|---|
| SCORE / WAVE / KILLS | Run progress |
| RANK / THREAT | Title and danger level for current wave |
| SQUAD | Alive AI teammates (when squad is active) |
| AI PILOT badge | Shown when the AI flies your tank |
| RADAR | Minimap — walls, enemies, allies, sweep line |
| ⏸ PAUSE | Pause combat — same as P |
| ARMOR | Your health — 0 ends the mission |
| BOOST / MISSILE / MINES / EMP | Ability cooldown meters (glow when ready) |
| Power-up bar | Active timed buff and time remaining |
Play-area overlay
| Element | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Crosshair | Locked enemy reticle — glows while firing (Space or Auto Fire) |
| Laser sight | Dashed line from turret to locked target |
| COMBO | Kill streak multiplier — chain kills for bonus score and slow-motion |
GAMEPLAY
Objective
Destroy all enemies in each wave. Between waves, choose one upgrade from three random options. Every 5th wave spawns the WARLORD boss.
Wave flow
- Deploy sequence (~3 seconds)
- Mission briefing — enemy types, modifier, threat
- Countdown, then combat
- Wave clear bonus: +100 × wave number
- Upgrade shop, then next wave
Tactical abilities
| Ability | Details |
|---|---|
| Mines (Q) | Proximity explosives — retreats and choke points |
| EMP (F) | Radius stun + damage — use when surrounded |
| Missile (E/RMB) | Homing rocket with AoE — elites, groups, boss |
| Boost (Shift) | Short dash — escape sniper lines |
| Supply drop | Mid-wave crate (every 3rd wave from wave 2+) |
Wave modifiers
| Modifier | Effect |
|---|---|
| Standard Ops | No special conditions |
| Armored Column | Enemies +25% armor |
| Hyper Assault | Enemies +20% speed |
| Bounty Hunt | Double kill score |
| Combat Fog | Reduced visibility |
| Swarm Tactics | +4 extra enemies |
Combat notes
- Arena is 2400 × 1800 with open left and right — flank through the sides.
- Top and bottom have indestructible border walls; interior cover is random each run.
- Destructible walls (orange tint) break for +5 score and new lanes.
- Critical hits (purple glow) deal double damage — ~12% base chance.
- Elite enemies have a gold ring and extra health.
- High combos trigger slow-motion and bonus score.
WAVE UPGRADES
After each cleared wave, pick one of three random options. Upgrades stack for the run.
| Upgrade | Effect |
|---|---|
| REINFORCED PLATING | +30 max armor & instant repair |
| AP ROUNDS | +20% damage |
| TURBOCHARGER | +15% move speed |
| AUTO-LOADER | +25% fire rate |
| WARHEAD CACHE | Missile ready + faster recharge |
| LASER SIGHT | +8% crit chance (caps at 45%) |
| NANO REPAIR | Passive armor regen |
| CLAYMORE KIT | +1 mine capacity, faster deploy |
| EMP OVERCHARGE | +30% EMP radius, faster recharge |
ENEMY TYPES
| Type | Role | Base Score |
|---|---|---|
| Scout | Fast harasser — Wave 2+ | 100 |
| Standard | Balanced all-rounder | 200 |
| Heavy | Slow, high armor — Wave 3+ | 400 |
| Sniper | Long range — Wave 4+ | 350 |
| WARLORD | Boss — every 5th wave | 1200 (+500 bonus) |
Each kill adds +10 × current wave. Combos and Bounty Hunt multiply further.
POWER-UPS
~22% drop chance from destroyed enemies. Drive over them to collect (+50 score).
| Power-Up | Effect | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| ♥ REPAIR | +40 armor | Instant |
| » TURBO | +60% move speed | 8 sec |
| ◈ SHIELD | 80% damage reduction | 6 sec |
| ⚡ RAPID FIRE | 2.5× fire rate | 10 sec |
| ✦ OVERCHARGE | 2× damage | 8 sec |
SCORING & RANKS
Rank titles
| Wave reached | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1 | RECRUIT |
| 2–3 | SERGEANT |
| 4–6 | LIEUTENANT |
| 7–9 | CAPTAIN |
| 10–14 | COMMANDER |
| 15+ | LEGEND |
Threat levels
| Condition | Threat |
|---|---|
| Waves 1–2 | MODERATE |
| Waves 3–5 | ELEVATED |
| Waves 6–9 | HIGH |
| Waves 10+ | EXTREME |
| Boss wave | CRITICAL |
Beat your personal best to enter initials on the top-5 leaderboard.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Unlocked permanently in your browser:
| Achievement | Requirement |
|---|---|
| First Blood | Destroy your first tank |
| Tank Hunter | 10 kills in one run |
| Annihilator | 50 kills in one run |
| Survivor | Reach wave 5 |
| Veteran | Reach wave 10 |
| Warlord Slayer | Destroy the WARLORD boss |
| Kill Streak | Reach a 5× combo |
| Trap Master | Kill an enemy with a mine |
| Untouchable | Clear a wave without taking damage |
| Sharpshooter | 10 critical hits in one run |
MENUS & SCREENS
| Screen | Actions |
|---|---|
| Main menu | DEPLOY, tank class, AI squad, AI pilot, auto fire, settings, help, achievements |
| Pause (P or ⏸ PAUSE) | Resume, Help, or Abort Mission — combat frozen, low GPU |
| Upgrade shop | Pick one enhancement after each cleared wave |
| Game Over | Retry, main menu; enter initials on a new record |
TIPS & TACTICS
- Use destructible cover — break walls when you need firing lanes.
- Keep moving — hull and turret aim are independent; auto-aim handles the gun.
- Try Auto Fire for arcade mode; use Space for manual burst control.
- Save boost for escapes and breaking sniper aim.
- Prioritize snipers and the WARLORD first.
- Drop mines when retreating through choke points.
- Save missiles for elites, clusters, and bosses.
- EMP when surrounded — then reposition.
- Chain kills for combo multipliers.
- Watch RADAR for flankers from the sides.
- Pick armor or regen upgrades if you die between waves.
- AI squadmates draw fire — flank while they engage.
- Start on SLOW speed when learning; ramp up once comfortable.
- On Bounty Hunt waves, push aggressively for score.
PERFORMANCE & BATTERY
| Situation | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Combat | Full-speed rendering — highest GPU/CPU use |
| Pause (P) | Gameplay stops; canvas draws once then idles |
| Upgrade shop | Frozen battlefield behind the overlay |
| Main menu | Canvas throttled to ~30 FPS |
| Tab in background | Game fully idles until you return |
Pause when stepping away. Lower Game Speed in SETTINGS for less simulation work during combat.
TROUBLESHOOTING
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| DEPLOY does nothing | Hard-refresh (Cmd+Shift+R). Use a local server, not file://. Check console (F12). |
| No HD sprites | Run python3 -m http.server 8080. Verify assets folder exists. |
| No sound | Click DEPLOY first. Unmute browser tab. Check SETTINGS volume. |
| Scores reset | Data is per-browser. Clearing site data removes saves. |
| Game too fast / slow | Open SETTINGS → change Game Speed. |
| Lag at LIGHTNING | Drop to SUPER or FAST; close heavy tabs. |
| High GPU while paused | Fixed in v2.4 — canvas draws once then idles. Hard-refresh (Cmd+Shift+R). |
FOR DEVELOPERS
See README.md for the full architecture reference (v2.4, 51 JS modules).
| Module | Change when… |
|---|---|
game-loop.js | RAF loop; calls RenderScheduler before tick/draw |
render-scheduler.js | Pause/menu draw rate, tab-hidden idle, invalidate() |
player-combat.js | Manual aim, auto-fire, Space firing (refreshFrameState) |
targeting-service.js | Enemy/friendly queries, AI target scoring, lead aim |
input-router.js | Human vs AI Pilot input routing |
crosshair-controller.js | Reticle position and firing glow |
ai-player.js | AI Pilot and squad tactics |
tank-control.js | Movement, boost, enemy AI |
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