SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - Pros and Cons - Current Tank Sims (and your recommendations?)

Skybird · 08-03-10, 01:47 PM

You said WWII is preferred, so that leaves you with Steel Fury and TvT.

You also said that modern tank is okay if playability is superior, and you said you know M1TP. Considering both statements, Steel Beasts Pro is the only option for you then, because tactics are an important part of tank warfare and no other tank sim does the tactics part as well as SBP. Also, the realism factor in SBP is simply superior in all functional regards. Think of it as everything you wished M1TP would be - and then square it. I do not make myself many friends with this statement, but I must say that regarding simulation aspects, Steel Fury and TvT cannot compete with SBP, in no way. i think of them as actionsims at best. Both titles also lack the possibly mission compelxity and scale of SBP: described as a simulator of mechanised warfare focussing on platoon and company level, you can, if you want, also design batallion- and brigade-level scenarios. I tested it with according vehicle numbers four years ago, and the version back then still ran smooth.

Check the forum, and the resources stickies on top. Also use the search funtion to find threads about SBP, there have been so many threads on SBP where everything you need to know already has been said several times. there also is a screenshot and a video thread (linked in the sticky). The sim originally was designed to be a training tool for the real military, and that still is where the producer makes his money. But the civil gamer can handle it with ease as well, getting much fun from it. If the time era does not matter for you, SBP is the way to go (even more so since you can make it behaving like tank combat in WWII, too, see the essay in the SBP resources sticky.

Be advised that a new version of SBP is imminent, adding anadditional set of new vehicles, amongst other features. Release date is 21st August.

One of many:

It got confirmed meanwhile that the new version will include even more new vehciles than are mentioned here, for example the M60.

On Steel Fury, I only say that I played and reviewed it, and took it as a sub-standard simulation, but a reasonably entertaining action game. so9und, gameplay, AI has imo very serious issues.

TvT, which I meanwhile was able to testplay on somebody else's system, left me unimpressed. The linear mission layouts lack reasons for replayability, and remind quite much of action games where the player has little room to stray off the predesgined path of the story. also, you need to do quite some modding in ordert to get - partially game-criplling - bugs fixed.

Both games see some modding activity, but for the most that seems to be cosmetic only, not allowing serious changes to AI, tactics, mission freedom, etc. Mods add a lot of new vehicles, it seems, but to what degree these vehicles are realistically modelled in ballistics, weapon characteristics and armour, I cannot judge. I highly doubt they reach SBP's expertise in these regards.

Panzer Elite, the old one, that got mentioned one posting above, I cannot recommend nowadays any longer, it simply is hopelessly outdated in all regards. The T72 Balkans on Fire was an uninspired, and I seem to remember: badly supported game, and left me completely unimpressed.

08-03-10, 01:47 PM	#3
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 40,571 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	You said WWII is preferred, so that leaves you with Steel Fury and TvT. You also said that modern tank is okay if playability is superior, and you said you know M1TP. Considering both statements, Steel Beasts Pro is the only option for you then, because tactics are an important part of tank warfare and no other tank sim does the tactics part as well as SBP. Also, the realism factor in SBP is simply superior in all functional regards. Think of it as everything you wished M1TP would be - and then square it. I do not make myself many friends with this statement, but I must say that regarding simulation aspects, Steel Fury and TvT cannot compete with SBP, in no way. i think of them as actionsims at best. Both titles also lack the possibly mission compelxity and scale of SBP: described as a simulator of mechanised warfare focussing on platoon and company level, you can, if you want, also design batallion- and brigade-level scenarios. I tested it with according vehicle numbers four years ago, and the version back then still ran smooth. Check the forum, and the resources stickies on top. Also use the search funtion to find threads about SBP, there have been so many threads on SBP where everything you need to know already has been said several times. there also is a screenshot and a video thread (linked in the sticky). The sim originally was designed to be a training tool for the real military, and that still is where the producer makes his money. But the civil gamer can handle it with ease as well, getting much fun from it. If the time era does not matter for you, SBP is the way to go (even more so since you can make it behaving like tank combat in WWII, too, see the essay in the SBP resources sticky. Be advised that a new version of SBP is imminent, adding anadditional set of new vehicles, amongst other features. Release date is 21st August. One of many: It got confirmed meanwhile that the new version will include even more new vehciles than are mentioned here, for example the M60. On Steel Fury, I only say that I played and reviewed it, and took it as a sub-standard simulation, but a reasonably entertaining action game. so9und, gameplay, AI has imo very serious issues. TvT, which I meanwhile was able to testplay on somebody else's system, left me unimpressed. The linear mission layouts lack reasons for replayability, and remind quite much of action games where the player has little room to stray off the predesgined path of the story. also, you need to do quite some modding in ordert to get - partially game-criplling - bugs fixed. Both games see some modding activity, but for the most that seems to be cosmetic only, not allowing serious changes to AI, tactics, mission freedom, etc. Mods add a lot of new vehicles, it seems, but to what degree these vehicles are realistically modelled in ballistics, weapon characteristics and armour, I cannot judge. I highly doubt they reach SBP's expertise in these regards. Panzer Elite, the old one, that got mentioned one posting above, I cannot recommend nowadays any longer, it simply is hopelessly outdated in all regards. The T72 Balkans on Fire was an uninspired, and I seem to remember: badly supported game, and left me completely unimpressed. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert. Last edited by Skybird; 08-03-10 at 02:07 PM.