Tracks (Steamlands)

Tracks
Overview
Ability	Holding tank armour, man blocks, the engine room and tank parts
Game(s)	Steamlands series

Tracks are a main block of a tank in the Steamlands series.

Appearance

Tracks appear as a central area with an outer layer of protection. The central area consists of the engine, which rotates three brown wheels - a large one and two small ones. The wheels are attached to each other with conveyor belts, which move as the wheels rotate. The central area appears rusty and grey.

The outer layer consists of a large outer grey conveyor belt, which moves as the inner wheels spin; a silver platform also juts off from the main track. This platform is triangular and is what supports blocks that are placed above it, whether they be tank armour, man blocks, the engine room or tank parts.

Game information

Tracks are a necessary and mandatory part of any tank in Steamlands. In order to create a tank, one must first have a track. Tracks serve as the base of a tank, and also as its moving force. In order to move a tank around, one must have tracks. The player always starts a level with tracks, as starting a level without a track would render the level inoperable.

It is on tracks that the player builds their tank on. Two types of tracks exists: large tracks and small tracks. Although a player's tank is allowed to have blocks extend off them, blocks can only extend so far out. Once they extend far enough, the player will have to attach other tracks to their tank in order to extend the block farther.

Tracks are easy to attach to an already existing tank, and like all tank block, tracks can be salvaged from destroyed tanks. Tracks are the only block in Steamlands that is indestructible - and for a good reason. As tracks serve as the base of a tank, destroying the base would destroy the entire tank, as the tank would fall to the ground.

Furthermore, being able to make obsolete one's own tank treads would ruin the fun of Steamlands, as while enemy tanks are firing at the player, the player would be aiming all guns at the enemy's tread. Simply passing from level-to-level defeating enemies via destroying their treads would be quite dull. Furthermore, although tracks could be simply given astronomically high health (which would render tracks indestructible during early levels), the player would likely come to a point in the where, with the guns they currently have, could obliterate a tank track in a few seconds.