[Skybird]

Originally Posted by 2019

LOL
I give you right on that!!


So besides the M1 and Leo what other beasts you can drive with?

Ehem, here we go...

VEHICLE PARK
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We are at the part of the program where you will learn what vehicles are available to you. Some of the crewable vehicles come with complete and detailed 3D interiors of very good quality. Right now the summary of the list reads like this:

Crewable vehicles:
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US: M1A1, M2A2, M3A2, M113, M113MICLIC, M113 Engineer, HMMWV, FIST-V.

German: Leo1A5, Leo2A4, Leo2A5.

Australian: Leo1AS (dual magnification sights for the gunner in both thermal and day view); ASLAV-25 (the Australian version of the LAV-25, with thermal view and the auxiliary sight for the 25mm Bushmaster); ASLAV-PC (personnel carrier version with a flex mount cal .50.); ASLAV Command (artillery response time bonus); ASLAV Support (fuel tanker). However, the Australian vehicles have (so far) no 3D interiors and are driven via the standard interface you got used to from SB1, they were packed in late and surprisingly, due to late arriving demands by the Australian army.

I surely miss the probably three best battle tanks in the world, the latest incarnations of the Leo2: the A6 variant, the Challenger 2 and the A2 variant of the M1.

Later (free) addon will make either the T-72 or the T-80 playable, too and who knows what this dedicated community of SB can do!?

AI-only vehicles:
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Russian: T-72, T-80, BMP-1, BMP-2, BTR-80, BMD-2, BRDM-2 (with/without AT), Ural truck, Hind Mi-24.

US: HEMTT (Cargo and Fuel), M113 (Medic, TOW, Command, Observer), HMMWV TOW, M901, MT-55 bridgelayer, LAV-25.

German: Jaguar ATM, Biber bridgelayer, Marder-3, Mercedes truck (2 versions).

Others: YPR-765, Piranha, ASLAV Medic (Australia)

T-55s and T-60s, already modeled, are confirmed to be included in a later update. I’m sure that more vehicles will be added to these updates.

Did I miss something? Maybe. But the list already is mouthwatering, isn’t it. Please understand that „AI only“ does not mean „red faction only“. You can create missions where your friendly forces are made up both of Western and Eastern equipment as well.

Mean enough - so far it is only the Reds showing up with air support, the infamous Mi24 Hind. Blue has no gunships and no dedicated anti air units, so you need to deal with the Hinds with infantry SAMs, tank cannons and tank guns. They are not invincible, key is to see them early (which can be difficult). If you let them linger around they really will chew up your platoons pretty badly, and quickly. A mission designer of course is free to make red equipment available for the blue side as well. Why not line up your Abrams and Leopards with a flight of Hinds? Probable that we will see Apaches or Tigers in the future, but not certain. But for the time being, I for myself will prefer the Hind to be left out of missions, or used as lightly armed reconnaissance flights only. They also are not simulated with a realistic flight model (which is not needed for the purpose of the sim), so the way they maneuver sometimes looks a bit odd and definitely is not physically correct. Purists may complain, but I book it as a minor thing only.

There always has been some minor requests for fixed wing units such as the A-10 or the Su-25, but I think the developer will stick to his policy and leave them out completely. It simply does not make any sense for a sim with a focus of interest like SB to include fixed-wing tank killers – because tanks can do little about them. Modern tanks have no real potential to counter air threats of this caliber all by themselves, and I cannot see much fun in riding your Abrams and then getting blown up by a flight of Frogfoots that just happened to stroll by, while you are unable to do anything about it, neither by tactical planning, nor by trying to fight them. SB is no complete war simulator, but focuses on mechanized ground warfare. The decision not to include planes makes sense, and is very reasonable, in my opinion. And believe me: once you got started you will not miss them anyway