[Friedrich-Wilhelm]

HI All,

I have been following this thread with interest and it brought to mind a few thoughts I had about armour-related computer games a while ago. The majority of WW II games seem to focus on Late-War European scenarios, such as Normandy, or the Battle of the Bulge. In that regard, I thought that Steel Fury-Kharkov 1942 was a refreshing change with its mid-war Eastern front focus, including many light and medium tanks. Don't get me wrong, I like the Panthers and Tigers just as much as the next guy. However, I would find it interesting to have a tank simulation, where the player (German side) starts the Polish campaign in 1939 in a Panzer I, France, 1940 and Africa, 1941 in a Panzer II, maybe a Panzer III for El Alamein. Then, the player could move on to the Eastern front, starting in a 38t, then moving on to a Panzer III for the Battle of Kursk. For the defence against the Soviet summer offensive of 1944 (Operation Bagration), the player could be in a Panzer IV with the long 75 mmm. Then, switch to the Western front: Normandy in the same Panzer IV, the Battle of the Bulge in a Panzer IV Ausf.H, then on to the Battle of Berlin, or the Ruhr-Kessel in a Panther.
It seems to me that, especially in the English-speaking world, there is almost an obsession with the mystique of the Tiger tanks. Every Western-Front game has to have its Tigers, it seems. However, there were only relatively few of them built and deployed, while the real work horses of German armour were the Panzer III and Panzer IV, the latter right up to the end of the war. Perhaps, computer games could reflect that. I do appreciate the efforts of game developers and modders to give us various playable Tiger models. I just feel that there is almost an over-emphasis on those, while medium tanks like the Panzer III, Panzer IV and Panther get overlooked and under-appreciated.
Just my two cents.

Cheers,

FW