Oh I certainly know about paying for my sims and the price is not a problem. I have a good stick, throttle quadrant, pedals, TIR5, Logitech steering wheel, etc etc etc, but they are all things I knew I would get use out of for years.

I am not shooting down SBP in any way at all. For those of you that enjoy this genre it is great that you are so well served. Many types of simming as you know are greatly neglected or ignored. I am just saying that for me having a good sim of a type that is close to my interest, but not close enough would be frustrating and I would put it down soon.

I should really have just kept my mouth (or fingers) shut lol. I started by trying to express that SBP would never quite scratch my itch, and end by trying to be sure my comments are not taken the wrong way :)

I thought i would post a few screenshots of a small Mission i have almost finished.Its a small Recon Mission,early morning start with limited visability.Units are a mix of ASLAVS,CV90's and 2 PIZZARO/SCIMITARS.

SCIMITAR observing the Woods(is there something there?)
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/8962/ss173320.jpg
Something lurks.
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/6269/ss173241.jpg
SHOOT!
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/3769/ss173335.jpg
Meanwhile with the ASLAVs
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/2919/ss172849.jpg
Look what they found!
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/831/ss172900.jpg

Damn, that looks natural. :up:

Hyvää!
 

"Hyvää päive kirvisvartta!"

:)

just great!!
 

I am amazed..wonderful screenshots! :)

:yeah:

Haven't been to the fields of iron for a while now, but here's some oldies of mine from previous versions:

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/2711/fsscr064.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/2277/fsscr180.jpg


http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/4017/ss122313.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/3850/...abrams03v2.jpg

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8724/ss125412z.jpg

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/9971/ss191048.jpg

I like that last one "Beware the Beast that lurks in the mist"

Does it make any sense that we can get SBP from ebay very cheap but not in market. If anyone get so then ebay or any other shopping cart is best for purchasing of SBP.

Great thread Skybird, I have read all the post I can find, as I have now ordered SB Pro.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4136/...4006af78_b.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2861442...n/photostream/

Skybird, did you ever create a WW2 mission using you're above settings?

Here's a couple of mine...

http://www.smithcorp.com.au/images/sb/cv9001a.jpg



http://www.smithcorp.com.au/images/sb/M103.jpg

Purchasing problem
 

I am trying to purchase SBproPE at the offer price of $85 but cannot get through to the credit card verification. I have left a message on the site but as yet no reply anybody else having a problem with the esim store?

I am UK based but I am sure that is not the problem.

Update: Problem solved seemed to be an issue with Firefox

Playable T-72 coming to SB Pro PE with next uppgrade, that is 2.6. :salute:

I'm interested in trying Steel Beasts Pro, despite the high price, and the $20 dollar patches, but i have a few questions first:

1. Is the inside of the tank(s) clickable, or is it all keyboard shortcuts?

2. How obtrusive is the little dongle required?

3. Is there start up sequences for the tank(s)? Or are they always on?

4. Are all the functions of the tanks modeled?

5. Are there random failures?

@ Smithlanger! Welcome to SubSim :sunny:

Some buttons are clickable but majority of things is done via shortcurts and mouse because that's the only viable solution to fight in all tanksims. You can attach joystick if you wish.

Very obtrusive! Think about parallel port dongles - where are they today? You will be able to play this game until computers with USB ports will be in stores. If you have more software with such form of copy protection (fortunately which is unlikely), you can be in trouble in the future due to lack of USB ports available or mess with many dongles. Additionally dongle may constitute large portion of SBPro PE final price.

Basically - Engine On/Off. Driving simulation is very basic or even non-existent. No engine start procedures or whatsoever. Playing as a commander or gunner you can drive tank using WSAD-like keymapping exactly as on driver's position. Driver's view is also very obscure and identical in all crewable vehicles. I think games like SFK42 and TvT have more driver's functionality implemented.

All functions? Nope, buddy. SBPro is basically a PC tank shooter training software selling as an off-shot of its military version for civilian market. Thus you have fire control system and observation devices implemented on gunner's and commander's positions. That is almost all. Don't expect something like Ka-50 and A-10C cockpit functionality found in DCS series.

Something like that is present but I don't think it is very important here.


Besides be careful about several facts about SBPro PE:

- its graphic engine is very dated so it looks nowhere near to present PC games. No shadows, maybe still some sprites, no suspension effects in moving tanks, I am not sure about weather effects. So don't be surprised.

- there is no campaign, career mode or similar single-player features. You have only independent single missions to play and mission editor to make your own scenarios. AFAIK map editor is not fully functional in civilian version.

- there is multi-player over LAN and on the Internet (you have to know host IP address)

- vast majority of playable vehicles do not possess interior graphics. Therefore you can only operate them seeing via various sights, visors and in unbuttoned commander's position.

- I personally strongly doubt SBPro PE as a product for civilian market realistically replicates capabilities and performance of most modern military stuff present in this sim (Leo-2A5, M1A2 etc.) like ammunition power, armor protection, thermal sights range viewing through different obstacles, because they are top secret data after all.

- the game alone costs 125 bucks (boxed version with printed manual). However remember next there are also payware upgrades costing 20-30 bucks apiece. I don't know how many of them was released in the past five years but you should calculate this too before purchasing SBPro PE.

- as for interior graphics it's present basically inside those vehicles only: Abrams, Leopard-2, Leopard-1A5, T-72M1 tanks and Bradley, CV90, Pizarro IFVs and Centauro reconnaissance vehicle. So it's vast minority of playable stuff...that is not important for military users but I think for hardcore tanksim enthusiasts it can be an important issue.

- while it is true new customers do not pay for previous upgrades what I'd like to underline is new customers will be charged for next payware upgrades that are not cheap! As one can see price of two payware upgrades (patches) released so far constitutes about a half of SBPro PE unit price.

- referring to SBPro versus SBPro PE I still strongly doubt both are almost the same product because one SBPro desktop license costs military customers 1800 USD (derived from fact that price of SBPro classroom license for ten desktops is 18000 USD) while price of SBPro PE individual license is only 100-125 USD . I do not think eSim sells identical product more than ten times cheaper on civilian market...I suppose SBPro PE includes opensource i.e. not very realistic or even misleading data while SBPro can be modified by military users with their own realistic data.

And that is exactly what I am afraid of - no military will pay such a high price for...a toy! Civilian enthusiasts paying fifteen times less...maybe?

The point is not everyone is obliged to follow your way of playing SBPro PE.

You forgot two Abrams tank variants (M1, M1A1HA) have the same cockpit and three Leo-2 tank variants (DK, Strv122, Leopardo-2E) also have the same cockpit.

You also forgot four of those seven IFVs are CV90 derivatives.

SFK42 with free mods offers plenty of playable tanks.

Not sure who else pays 125 bucks for six years old game (except cumulative cost of subscription of some MMO games)...

What is very strange taking into consideration proper simulation of tank battles on tactical level is impossible without realistic and unfortunately top secret data. Otherwise result of such battles is purely fictional and thus offering no tactical experience.