Steel Beasts Pro Personal Edition - Resources

[smithcorp]

Here's a couple of mine...

[stringy]

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

[porphy]

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

[Spike88]

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?

[Gerald]

@ Smithlanger! Welcome to SubSim

[Gorshkov]

Originally Posted by Spike88

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

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.

Originally Posted by Spike88

2. How obtrusive is the little dongle required?

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.

Originally Posted by Spike88

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

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.

Originally Posted by Spike88

4. Are all the functions of the tanks modeled?

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.

Originally Posted by Spike88

5. Are there random failures?

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.

[Gorshkov]

- 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.

[Gorshkov]

Originally Posted by Skybird

The reason that PE exists is that they gave up on SB2 which was played as a dedicated developement for the game market, and, in the words of their technical director, they now just do not stop the civilian customer to buy what basically is the military's toy.

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?

Originally Posted by Skybird

But so many of the major vehicles of interest are playable and have cockpits right now, so - what is the point? I play just the same two or three vehicles since 5 years!

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

Originally Posted by Skybird

Doing a quick counting:
There are 20 MBTs and light tanks, of which 11 are crewable and 8 have virtual cockpits.

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.

Originally Posted by Skybird

There are 23 IFVs and APCs, of which 15 are crewable and 7 have virtual cockpits.

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

Originally Posted by Skybird

So... what sim out there, no matter the genre, offers so many different well-simulated platforms?

SFK42 with free mods offers plenty of playable tanks.

Originally Posted by Skybird

The price. eSim said on release in early Spring 2006 that they plan to do updates on a regular basis, and do the initial updates for free, but cannot afford to run the work for upgrades all for free for unlimited time.

Today, in Germany a new standard PC game costs 39 or 49 Euros, that is currently 51 and 64 dollars. Often, these games last only some weeks and months on the HD when they are good, and when you made a bad choice, you kill them after just some days. SBP players for the most run the sim regularly over years.

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

Originally Posted by Skybird

Since this sim is no simulated ammunition testing environment and no virtual laboratory for explosives, this probably simply is not inside the military's focus of interest.

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.