Pros and Cons - Current Tank Sims (and your recommendations?)

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Sledgehammer427

I am more partial to Skybirds side on this. I haven't played SBP myself, but wanting to buy it for a few years makes you do your homework.
If memory serves me right, SBP is a training simulator, just with the instructor module removed.

And certain map options, redcued availability of maps, limited number of players in multiplay.

Steel Beasts was built to give the user every preparation to go to war in that certain tank, being able to drive it and use it's gun without having to use any petrol or waste any ammunition.

No. there is no competent driving module. The focus was on tactical coordination of mechanized forces from a TC's perspective, the firing module (plus according handles by AFVsims), was added later by demand. also, many tank-internal procedures are ignored, even more so in those tanks that do not feature fully modelled 3D interiors (like the Leopard2-A4 for example). So the sim is a plan-making, a tactical and gunnery trainer, it is no tank trainer making you more competent to drive and run that thing.

Steel Fury and TvsT were built to give the user the impression of "this is how war was fought back then" The battles depicted and the tactics used were taken from a book or eyewitness accounts, and probably a lot of artistic liscense

I think it was not about how the battles were fought realistically. It was about giving it the visual looks of the time (and this they did quite successfully, I would say). Both games do not show how battles were really fought, for that they lack tactical competence, realistic formation manouvering and management, and a better AI.

Whether or not the penetration power of projectiles and the resistence of armour plates on different parts of given vehicles are realistic or not, I cannot - and have not - judged. At least they seem to get correct the basic rules of "kinetic ammo loosing power over greater range", and "turret tougher than hull, front tougher than flank tougher than rear". But that only saves it when tactical behavior and AI do not fail you - and that is the game's problems.