1. Tutorial | Tier 0* | M4A3E8
1. Tutorial | Tier 0* | M4A3E8
World of Tanks
Harmony Squad
Part 1
It was an absolutely gorgeous day over Ponyville fields and as a result, everyone was in high spirits. The sun was still rising to its apex, casting a comfortable heat while a few sparse clouds afforded the occasional bout of shade. Nevertheless, it was just one of those days where it was impossible for anyone to not feel great about life, and it was no different for the six girls who were patiently waiting in a shaded rest stop, part of one of the expansive training fields. Said fields were composed of several “modules:” a waiting area for new recruits who were in line to complete their Basic Tutorial Exam, a Cafeteria, a very large Garage, and the actual course itself which was filled with dirt paths, paved roads, tons of foliage, dummy targets, et cetera… making it look like an ideal battlefield. Currently, this group of six friends in question was next in line to complete the course.
About a couple of weeks prior, Twilight Sparkle had conceded that life were getting a bit too monotonous… even for her. Oddly enough, she could only restock, re-categorize, and take inventory so many times before she had another breakdown akin to the ‘Friendship Report Incident.’ Her friends readily agreed and so began the search for something fun to pass the excess time they found not playing savior to their homeland, nor to their daily duties… essentially, a weekend or vacation activity.
With all options exhausted, Rainbow Dash had suggested that they all sign up as squadron for Competitive Tanking. They could train together and get exercise, enter competitions, and potentially win big while blowing things up in vintage armored vehicles! It was a win-win in her book. Despite some initial reservations, the girls (yes, even Fluttershy, surprisingly) had agreed to sign up, if only because they truly had nothing better to do.
The petite girl bearing the lavender hair with the iconic purple stripe up her bangs was Twilight Sparkle. As analytical as she was, even she realized that taking inventory, checklists, and restocking/reshelving the library could weigh down on her sanity. As much as she enjoyed reading, the need for some physical activity weighed in on her mind as a necessity so naturally, she felt this would be fun, given enough time to adapt. Her equally lavender, brilliant eyes spoke of a calculating personality that could easily give lectures at the drop of a hat… and seeming to always know what to do in any given circumstance. Her fair skin and bodily extremities proportional to her petite figure made her quite easy on the eyes. All in all though, she was probably more nervous than the rest of her friends combined, as evident by her constant fidgeting and toying with her multi-colored Equestrian Summer Camouflage uniform.
The girl sitting to Twilight’s right and resting her eyes was Rainbow Dash, easily spotted by her iconic, prismatic hair that fell just above shoulder length. She was the one ultimately responsible for the girls’ collective decision to join Competitive Tanking, as previously stated, and was happy that they could all agree on something to do. An identically-camouflaged uniform fit her athletic build perfectly and she was ready to put her dexterity to work.
Next to her was Rarity. Now, she had the power to turn heads wherever she went, and even in a somewhat baggier uniform, a gentle look and smile from her could easily force the most stoic soldier to falter. If Rarity was not known for her striking beauty, it was her complete attention to detail. She could pick out anything that did not belong, whether on a line of cloth, or in the environment… hell, even in people she had the ability to read their emotions rather well; something she prided herself on learning to do since the ‘Blueblood incident.’ She was currently examining her uniform for any imperfections, while continuing to ensure her ‘coiffure’ was in pristine condition, even with their expected working conditions. Some people just have a line in the sand.
Next to her was the ever excitable Pinkie Pie, well renowned for her famous (and sometimes, infamous) parties all around Ponyville and Equestria in general. She was the first to accept Rainbow Dash’s proposal to enlist as a tank squadron due to her always wanting to find more excitement, regardless of how exciting her life might have been at the time. That, and with how she revered her ‘party cannon,’ the thought of firing a real cannon sealed the deal for her. If one asked her though, she’d be truthful and say that just spending time with her ‘bestest’ friends in the world was all she needed. Still, she was completely excited, as evident by her bouncing in her seat with a great smile on her face, eager to get on with the program.
Continuing down the line of women, the next one was Applejack. The well built and toned farmer was the second to agree to Rainbow’s proposal, as she felt that some supplementary exercise on the weekend via operating armored machines could do her well. Since the word ‘rest’ was not entirely integrated into AJ’s vernacular, she was all too accepting to get her mind and body set on something else other than farming, if not for the sake of being occupied, then moreso for the variety it offered her life. She, like all her friends, donned an identical uniform which hugged her body to her standards of comfort, letting the contours of her muscled legs and broad back show through. She was allowed to keep her iconic stetson hat, which complemented her golden, mid-back length hair perfectly.
The last (yet certainly not least) girl on the bench was the ever adorable Fluttershy, currently finding her long, pink hair rather interesting. She had been the last to accept Dash’s proposal but what was more eye-opening was the fact that she did not need too much convincing. For one who did not like immediate change or sudden onsets of activities that did not suit her personality (case in point, the Cloudsdale Water Operation), it was quite shocking for her to say “Okay, I’ll do it,” with more conviction than she normally showed. Of course, she was still nervous, if not by the looks she garnered from her form-fitting uniform, but because she was worried about doing poorly and embarrassing herself in front of her friends. She and the girls did not wash out of basic training, so all that was left to do was pass this little test and they’d be alright. Shy was more than willing to give it her all, but the silent fear remained.
“Twi, it looks like you’re more nervous than Fluttershy…” Rainbow commented on Twilight’s fidgeting and constant adjusting of her uniform. “No offense, Fluttershy.”
“Oh, none taken at all.”
“Heh, well, I guess old habits die hard. I know it’s just a fun activity but still… it’s technically a test.”
“Indeed, but we’re given a couple of chances to run it, darling. Based on the fact that we survived basic training, I think we’ll do just splendidly together!” Rarity piped up.
“Ah agree with Rarity there. We’ve been through worse… a lot worse, like Nightmare Moon and Discord. There ain’t nothin’ we can’t do together and I think this will be fun for a change,” Applejack affirmed Rarity’s opinion, adding her own thoughts to the pot.
“Yup! And this time, we don’t need the Elements of Harmony to defeat our enemies… we can just blast them!” Pinkie humorously added, earning a few scattered chuckles.
“Y-Yeah, we’ll be just fine… I think,” Fluttershy’s words trailed off.
“Yeah, you’re right girls. Besides, we’re given a few chances to repeat this course if necessary, so I think we’ll be al—”
“Harmony Squadron?” an authoritative voice called out from the waiting area’s administrative office. Simultaneously, a military official emerged with a clipboard, looking for who might respond to the call he gave out.
“That’s us!” Rainbow Dash raised her hand and stood up first, the others following suit thereafter before approaching their summoner.
“Hmmmm… so there’s six of you…” the Tutorial Officer thought out loud, pondering something lightly.
“Y-Yes that’s correct sir. Is something wrong?” Twilight asked.
“Ehh not entirely. You see for the tutorial exercise, we usually have squadrons who are less numerous than yours, so we can give them a rather simple tank to operate for the first time. The ideal number is five members, and a sixth person will either be a somewhat of a tight squeeze in the cabin or just won’t work altogether. So, I’ll give you two choices.”
“Which are?” Twilight urged on.
“One, in the case of no room, the sixth member volunteers for an obscure ‘spotter’ position: one who rides outside of the tank if it’s a tight fit and often acts as a secondary loader if necessary. Only you’ll be able to tell if you can all fit inside or not. Two, we’ll allot the use of a larger tank that can accommodate six individuals. It’s not standard procedure but we might have to make do, since we cannot allow two separate tanks on the training field for a single squad,” the officer explained. Twilight mulled this over.
“Well, what do you think girls?” she asked the others, turning around and addressing them.
“Difficult to say, but I personally would rather start the way others start,” Rarity voiced up. The others seemed to agree.
“Yeah I guess so. Hell, I’ll volunteer to sit outside if it’s too crowded,” Rainbow eagerly conceded. Fluttershy shrugged while Pinkie jumped for joy, eager to get on with the show, while Applejack nodded in agreement. Twilight acknowledged them and turned back to the officer:
“Very well, we’ll take the usual tank. Can we clear room at all?”
“We could probably remove some ammunition and parts of the ammo rack as you won’t need a full loadout. As well we can downgrade the radio and take out some miscellaneous equipment that you won’t need… but that’s in extreme cases. Honestly, I think you’ll all be alright.”
“We’ll make do, I suppose. In that case, we’re ready to proceed,” Twilight proclaimed. The other stood by her side, all with varying degrees of excitement. The officer pulled out his clipboard to write.
“Alright then. I’m gonna need to know a few details on how your team is to partition the roles. This ordering is just for right now, but do feel free to change these at any time when you’re actually competing. You’ve all had basic training in all the roles but you’ve undoubtedly found your callings somewhere in particular. So, firstly, who is the Commander?”
All of the girls looked immediately to Twilight, who seemed somewhat uncomfortable under their stares as evident by her meek chuckle.
“I guess I’m it then,” she conceded. The Tutorial officer nodded and wrote something down, speaking again:
“Who will be the gunner?”
This time, none of the girls readily knew who could perform the duty; that was, until Rarity raised her hand and volunteered:
“I shall do it. I pay too much attention to detail and if I can get a fiber in the head of a sewing needle on the first try every time, I think I can be useful here.” The others seemed to agree with her completely, and had nothing to argue.
“Alright,” the only male of the group spoke up and kept writing. “How about the Radio Operator?”
“Ohhh OHH! MEE MEEE MEEE!!” Pinkie immediately began jumping up and down and frantically waving her hands. Honestly, she would be perfect for the position.
“The Loader?”
“I reckon I’ll try mah hand at that!” Applejack volunteered confidently. With all the heavy lifting she was used to doing on the farm, in her eyes, this should not be too strenuous.
“The Driver?”
“I… g-guess I could try if that’s okay with all of you…” Fluttershy spoke up meekly.
“And I volunteered for the remaining surplus position,” Rainbow Dash clarified. The officer nodded for the last time as he wrote down the last few notes before clicking his pen.
“That’s everything, then. We’re all set, so go ahead and proceed onto the field and find your tank. It’s the only one there and since we’re going traditional, it’s an M4A3E8.”
“An ‘Easy Eight?’” Rainbow Dash confirmed.
“That’s the one. Now get on out there, and good luck. You’ll be just fine,” he said his last words to them and moved back to his office. Wasting no time, the girls all looked at each other and proceeded onto the field where the sun’s impacting directly on their faces made them all collectively flinch just a tad. Once their vision cleared up, they found their prize: the Sherman ‘Easy 8.’
“The M4A3E8, an American Medium Tank based on the M4 Sherman Medium. Looks like it has the seventy-six millimeter gun and a reinforced turret,” Twilight went into micro-lecture mode.
“It looks even better in person…” Rainbow commented. The others readily agreed, although Fluttershy was a bit more apprehensive in the face of the armored beast. Nevertheless, they all made their way to the tank and proceeded to explore all around it, almost as if memorizing its structure… that was, until it was time to get settled.
“Alright girls, let’s get in,” Twilight ordered and everyone complied wordlessly. After finding the hatch releases, Fluttershy climbed in first and settled herself snugly in the driver’s seat, Pinking immediately found the radio and placed the receiver over her head, Rarity and Applejack found the Gunner’s and Loader’s position respectively and Twilight knew exactly where she had to be: the commander’s seat.
“Is there enough room inside or am I riding outside?” Rainbow Dash called from the outside.
“There should be enough room. It may be a bit crowded but you should be fine, come on in!” Twilight replied, waving her inside. Dash quickly jumped on the tank and Twilight stood aside to let her in, the former finding her position next to Applejack as the second loader.
“Ugh, Applejack you’re so fat, move over!”
“Can it, Rainbow Dash.”
“Enough, girls,” Twilight said as she sat in her commander’s seat, placing her own headset on her head. Everyone else did the same and they were ready to go. Right on time, an omnipotent yet professionally calm voice sounded around them:
”Welcome to the World of Tanks Training Tutorial.”
“Awwww yeaaaah!”
“Whoopeeeeee!!”
“Shhhh!!!”
”Here you’ll apply the basic training you have been given to a live exercise. Before each battle, regardless of type, there will be a countdown of thirty seconds. It is wise to use this ‘calm before the storm’ to check and test equipment. Go ahead and test the local radio comms now.”
“Testing, testing… one, two, three, testing…” Twilight sounded off, placing her hand on her ear-piece.
“Loud an’ clear, Twi,” Applejack confirmed.
“I gotcha,” Rainbow said next.
“Perfectly clear, darling,” Rarity replied as she adjusted the headset.
“Yup! It works!” Pinkie excitedly responded.
“I hear you,” Fluttershy softly replied, but her voice was amplified enough where everyone could hear her properly.
“Now, test the inter-tank radio. This will be needed to communicate between tanks of your team and in rare cases, the enemy team. Since no other tanks exist on the field right now, ping the comms station instead. Do this now.”
“Go ahead, Pinkie,” Twilight gestured to the curly-haired girl, who nodded vehemently and pressed the appropriate buttons in order. A loud ping resounded from her radio, the outgoing, and not even two seconds later, a ping returned.
“We’re good!”
“Now, check your ammunition loadout and other equipment and consumables to see what you have to work with. Be sure to keep track of inventory throughout the battle. When you’re done, start the engine.”
“Applejack and Rainbow, that’s your domain,” Twilight turned to the farmer and athlete. They quickly set off to work.
“We’ve got about sixty-five rounds of ammo total. Forty-seven are Armor Piercing, three are Armor Piercing Composite Rigid, and the rest are High Explosive,” Rainbow counted the ammo on the ammunition rack.
“We’ve got a small repair kit, a small medical kit, and a fire extinguisher… and that looks like everythin’,” Applejack followed up. With a gentle nod from Twilight, Fluttershy keyed the ignition and the tank came to life.
“Now, let’s begin. The gunner is in control of the turret, which is operated by a hydraulic traverse. Go ahead and test out the traverse now and test its sensitivity.”
“On it,” Rarity commented, immediately working the hydraulic controls which were next to the gun controls. The turret responded in kind and she was able to get a three-hundred and sixty degree view around her.
“Straight ahead of you is a pickup truck. Aim the gun and dial-in before you take your shot. Remember, dialing in takes time but ensures maximum accuracy. Movement of the tank can disrupt the dialing process, but in certain situations, remaining still is not recommended.”
Rarity did just that. She aimed the gun straight at the truck and then used the dials to properly adjust for distance like she was taught. The process took about seven seconds; she would get faster with experience.
“Aimed,” Rarity finally spoke.
“Load the gun. Armor Piercing” Twilight said immediately, and the loaders got right to work. Rainbow picked up the necessary shell and handed it off to Applejack, who opened the breech of the cannon and loaded it in. With little effort, she sealed the weapon off, the whole loading process taking about six seconds from picking up the shell.
“Loaded!”
“Fire at will,” Twilight ordered. Right then, Rarity pulled the trigger and the front of the gun exploded, sending the shell forward, but to her embarrassment, the shell only took off the roof of the pickup truck before it struck a hill in the distance. There was a small, yet eternal silence permeating the atmosphere of the armored vehicle.
“Seriously, Rares?” Rainbow piped up.
“I do apologize that I missed my shot,” Rarity shot back sarcastically. Her embarrassment was punishment enough and she did not need chiding from her friends.
“Imma have to agree partly with Rainbow this time, it was a still target not even a hundred meters away,” Applejack concurred with Rainbow.
“Would you like to take over the gunner’s seat, Applejack?”
“I wasn’t the one talkin’ ‘bout perfect threads through needles.”
“I’ll do it!” Pinkie piped up happily.
“NO!” Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow sounded in unison. No one noticed Fluttershy supporting her head on her fist, a tad irritated at the bickering.
“Enough, girls! No one is switching positions! Now, Applejack and Dash, reload the gun, and Rarity, redial the gun and re-aim if you have to,” Twilight broke up the argument almost ready to happen. They all calmed down and did as they were told, and a few seconds later, the gun was loaded and aimed.
“Target acquired,” Rarity confirmed.
“Fire!”
The cannon went off a second time and this time, the shell pierced straight through the engine compartment of the pickup truck, obliterating it completely, culminating with a hail of shrapnel and a small fire.
“Much better, Rarity. Good job,” Twilight affirmed.
“Thank you, at least someone appreciates my work.”
Before anyone could retort, ‘the voice’ returned:
“Good. Now, on to basic mobility. Crushing vehicles and running over trees and through buildings can reveal your position to enemy tanks and artillery. Navigate north to the position shown on your virtual map without hitting anything in your path. Go.”
“Alright, Fluttershy… this is all you,” Twi sounded off encouragingly. Fluttershy looked back and nodded with some apprehension but gave the engine some gas. The tank responded in kind as the gears whirred to life, inching forward ever so slowly. Gauging the sensitivity, Fluttershy accelerated to about seventy-percent power and the Easy 8 was crawling along at a comfortable speed.
“Nice work, Flutters! Look sharp, we’ve got some trucks and buildings in our way,” Dash commented, looking through the viewport as best as she could. Fluttershy initiated a small turn and expertly maneuvered around the destroyed truck carcass. Being careful to ensure the tank did not drift into the brick building lining this service road, the pink-haired driver had little trouble navigating to the end of the road and up the small hill where she was supposed to, her friends cheering her on the entire way. Right then, another tank came into view straight ahead of them, and Fluttershy braked, stopping fully.
“Whoa there, another tank!” Pinkie called out gleefully.
“Yup, Panzer III,” Twilight identified the tank easily.
“Head-on confrontations are inevitable. Destroy the tank in front of you and move on.”
“With pleasure…” Rarity thought out loud, aimed, and dialed in the gun for a little over a hundred meters. Satisfied, she pulled the trigger.
*CLICK*
“What's going on with…” Rarity’s complaint was cut off when Twilight facepalmed.
“Oh for… AJ, Dash, you didn’t reload the gun!”
“Ya didn’t say ta reload it!” Applejack protested, raising her voice to match Twilight’s own frustrated one.
“Do I really have to say ‘reload the gun’ every time after Rarity fires?! I may be the commander but you can still perform your duties autonomously!”
“Goddamit Twi, I…” AJ stopped when something metallic tapped her shoulder. She looked and found Rainbow Dash handing her another 76 mm AP round.
“Just… reload the gun,” Dash spoke, interdicting Applejack’s stubbornness.
The farmer sighed and repeated the process of loading the shell. The final clink of the breech closing signaled the gun was ready. Without hesitation, Rarity pulled the trigger again, a satisfying explosion resounding from the barrel as the shell was sent off and the shell casing being ejected simultaneously. The Armor Piercing round went straight through the Panzer III’s front, easily knocking it out of action. It was not too terribly difficult, considering the armor specs of the German vehicle combined with the fact that it was not manned.
“Nice one, Rarity!” Pinkie commented. The fashionista felt good again, and it showed with a semi-smug smile on her face.
“Thank you, dear.”
“Gun’s reloaded!” Dash called out.
“Very good. Now, keep moving up the path.”
Fluttershy did not need to be told twice and she went full speed ahead, the incline of the path slowing the ascent of the Sherman tank if only somewhat. After taking a large right turn, the group came face to face with an even larger armored beast than them. Twilight’s eyes widened from behind the commander’s cupola.
“Tiger II!”
“Oh dear...” Fluttershy began to repeat to herself as the tank came to a stop straight in front of the King Tiger.
Rarity fired the main gun but the shell just bounced off the upper glacis, like she threw popcorn at a wall. There was barely even a mark where the shell impacted.
“Ricochet!” Twilight called out while AJ and Dash were reloading the gun.
“The frontal armor of any tank is the strongest. See if you can reposition and attack from the flanks or rear if faced with an impenetrable enemy from the front.”
“Quickly! Circle around left, ninety degree traverse with King Tiger as center. Move!” Twilight ordered with urgency in her voice. Fluttershy complied wordlessly and circled around left, having perfect view of the hulking tank’s right side. It was perfectly orthogonal to their cannon.
“Take him down, Rarity.”
“On it, dear.”
Rarity pulled the trigger and the shell pierced straight through the side of the Tiger’s turret.
“Penetration! Hit ‘em again!” Twilight ordered, emphasizing with more of her hand gestures. The sound of the breech closing once more told Rarity she could send another shell out, and she promptly fired the cannon once more. The Armor Piercing round left a gaping hole in the middle-left of the Tiger’s right side.
“One more should do it!”
After another shell was loaded, the cannon fired. This time the projectile pierced straight through the track alignment, shredding the front treads as well as penetrating the side of the frontally housed transmission.
“That’s definitely a kill. Great work, girls!” Twilight announced. They all cheered amongst themselves, even if it was a victory against a still, unmanned target. Everyone had to start somewhere.
“Sometimes it’s simply not possible to maneuver or break off engagement when faced against a superior foe. When all else fails, use a higher penetrating round, such as Armor Piercing Composite Rigid or High Explosive Anti Tank, depending on the gun. Now, move to the grassy knoll and use the foliage to obscure your position.”
“There! Fluttershy, see that hedge about three hundred meters up and to the right? Park us behind there,” Twilight pointed out.
“O-Okay…”
Driving the tank forward, they arrived at the grassy knoll as ordered and Fluttershy positioned the tank orthogonal and behind the hedge of foliage, making sure to be as straight as possible, yet allowing the gun to poke through.
“Rarity, can you poke the gun through and can you see?” Twilight asked. Rarity moved the turret back and forth to clear some of the brush away and eventually was able to have a decent view through the bush, even with traversing.
“Yes… decently enough.”
“Your tank can be obscured by bushes, downed trees, and other obstacles on the battlefield. This is ideal when waiting in defense, preparing an ambush, or being a tank destroyer. Now, from this position, destroy all the moving targets as they come into view.”
“Ready to fire,” Rarity spoke, aiming the gun and looking through her aiming port at the barren field ahead of them. Nothing moved for what seemed like a few minutes, but that changed when the fashionista spotted odd movement in the tree-line lining the field. Focusing her attention there, two tanks, one after the other, emerged as if to cross the field at a perpendicular angle to the girls’ position.
“Panthers. Open up on them, Rarity,” Twilight calmly ordered.
“Reporting their positions!” Pinkie added jovially. Rarity squeezed the trigger of the cannon but she did not lead the gun properly, and it fell behind the moving German tank.
“Reloaded!”
“Send another shell their way.”
Rarity again pulled the trigger and the roar of their cannon shook the tank but again, albeit ever so close, the shell still fell short and behind the Panther. The two Panthers then turned in place and moved to cross back where they came from.
“Dammit…” Rarity cursed under her breath.
“LEAD the target, Rarity. Put greater distance between anticipated trajectory and their path. That, or you’ll have to dial in ahead of time and gingerly use the turret traverse to lead the target."
“Reloaded!” Dash shouted.
Rarity opened up for a third time, opting for the latter of Twilight’s suggestions and sure enough, the shell struck the rear-most Panther in the tracks, obliterating them and grinding its trek to a halt.
“You nailed the tracks! Put one good shell into the hull and that should do it,” Twilight said, continuing to observe the situation by opening up the top of the cupola and looking through binoculars.
“Reloaded!”
“Fire!”
The cannon went off once more and the shell found its mark square in the center of the Pather’s side-armor and piercing right through. A small explosion rocked the enemy tank from the inside, knocking it out.
“Textbook knockout! Now finish the last one off!”
“Good goin’ Rares, you got this!” Rainbow encouraged, handing off the shell to Applejack, who promptly sealed off the breech a couple of seconds later.
“Loaded!”
The last Panther made it to the field periphery where it first emerged and was in the midst of slowing down to turn around again. Rarity did not even give it a chance to complete the full revolution as the shell she fired slammed straight into the rear of the turning tank, completely mauling the insides and setting a fire easily visible in Twilight’s binoculars.
“Haha! Great shot, I think you destroyed the engine!” Twilight commented. Several seconds later the Panther exploded much like its fallen brother, becoming a lifeless carcass of metal on the field.
“NIIIIICE!” Rainbow went and slapped Rarity on the rear as a gesture of camaraderie. The fashionista did not particularly enjoy the gesture, as evident by her high pitched scream.
“Could you not Rainbow Dash?” she seethed through her teeth, rubbing her butt to soothe it. Applejack, Pinkie, and even Fluttershy couldn’t help but laugh at the scene. Twilight merely rolled her eyes with a grin.
“You did well, Rarity. Besides, I couldn’t help it, you’ve got such a nice ass… doesn’t she have a nice ass?! I wish I had an ass like that!”
“That ass?” Pinkie spoke through the comms but directly to Rainbow’s face.
“That ass,” the prismatic-haired girl confirmed before, again, busting out laughing with Pinkie. Twilight could only facepalm again while Rarity stuck her nose up and ‘harrumphed.’
“Congratulations! You’ve successfully completed the Tutorial mission and you’re ready to start a successful tanking career! Best of luck on the battlefield and remember the basics!”
At that sound, cheers erupted from the six of them as they high-fived and hugged, depending on how tight of as squeeze it would have been. With this out of the way, Harmony Squad was free to start tanking immediately. They could not wait to get back to the starting point of the Tutorial stage.
“Congrats, ladies!” The very same Tutorial Officer greeted upon their tank’s return. The six all filed out and congregated in front of him.
“Thank you sir, so what happens now?” Twilight asked curiously.
“Now, you’re free to start acquiring vehicles and advancing up the tiers. You’ll be free to play standard battles as well as a variety of other objective-battles to get your statistics up to snuff. Those numbers are important, because if they get high enough, you can qualify for extra-special competitions and potentially win really big!” he began to explain.
“How ‘big’ are we talking?” Pinkie added with more innuendo than appropriate. AJ elbowed her in the side.
“OW!”
“Depending on the competition, upwards of a hundred-thousand bits.” Their jaws hit the floor.
“Whoa…”
“But this will all get explained in due time. For now, I’m just going to go over a few basic things before I send you on your way. Firstly, take this card,” he handed what looked like an ordinary credit-card to Twilight, save for there being a logo of Equestria’s Competitive Tanking League and the owner of the card being listed as ‘Harmony Squadron.’ “This card will hold the currency used within the scope of Competitive Tanking: Credits. So yes, ironically, it’s still a ‘credit’ card. It currently has a value of fifty-thousand credits and you can use this currency to buy pretty much anything in the scope of the game: full tanks, modules, equipment, shells, et cetera. However, they cannot be redeemed for actual monetary value, and you earn credits by winning them in battle, selling other equipment… I’m sure you understand,” he continued to lecture. Everything made perfect sense.
“What about money to credits?” Twilight asked, curious if there was some double standard involved.
“Yes, you may exchange actual bits for credits, and there is a going, price-taking exchange rate. This is only recommended if you really have extra money to blow that can’t possibly be better spent elsewhere in your lives. However, many sometimes do abuse this, especially those who are well off.”
“Ahh, yeah that makes sense,” Dash commented, absorbing all of this information.
“Finally, the garage is just west of here. Just be sure to check in and you’ll be assigned your garage-spaces. You’re given seven to start and you already have a few Tier I vehicles to play with. You can keep them, or sell them if you decide on a track early; up to you. Now, dear Elements, get out there and make a tanking name for yourselves!” He encouraged, gesturing to the easily visible Community Tank garage in the distance.
The girls all smiled and gave mock salutes to the ever so nice Tutorial Officer, who returned the gesture respectfully before he saw the girls off on what would undoubtedly be quite the adventure for the six of them.
