new tanksim fan searching for the best

[Dogger]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

I still have my Panzer Commander and Panzer Elite disks.

well I couldn't pass this up at all I to have my disk use to play PC way back when it first came out on a modem I was fortunate enough to do the beta on PE and had allot of fun with it. I tried loading PC the other day and it wont work on my system xp64.
PE though does ok started it up and the graphics diffinately had hit (BONK!) oh well be nice if they would upgrade these.

[Onkel Neal]

Hotcliff, glad to hear you like SB pro, it is an amazing piece of work.

[Castout]

3D crews in SBProPE would be nice though

[Sgt Hotcliff]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Hotcliff, glad to hear you like SB pro, it is an amazing piece of work.

yes sir it really is..

but my sudden forum radio silence is due to my late nights with SB Manual in my knee, working those tutorials..I am in Ground School!
It is really a lot to learn..but having mastered the the technique of driving between waypoints, I am very happy this morning!

will probably ask for advice soon..

til later,
slow ahead..

[Sgt Hotcliff]

Now, after a week , full of work/travelling and distraction, I have tried to complete the tutorials, reading the manual, writing down all essence..
Trained as Gunner, as Driver, as Tank Commander..thought I was doing pretty good until I dared to try the first test..

I was Gunner in a Leo2A5 hull down on a hill.. "russkies" where flowing at us..I aimed, and fired..got one..then my tank moved back in hull down position..I only saw grass..My commander shouted "fire!"..but I only saw grass!

Frustrated, I fired blind..then he moved up over the edge, and I could see 3 tanks , tried to focus and get the nearest into sight.."BOOM"..I was dead!

I am not sure about the pedagogic side of this tutorial, but for me it seems like a disaster..When am I supposed to fire?..Can I control the situation as a gunner better?..How can I see targets when my vision is blocked by grass?

A bit frustrating this I must admit..

After this I tried a scenario,but I will not tell you what happened..it seems too embarrassing and makes me feel even more as a novice..

it's hard..very hard to learn..hope I will endure my own tutorial..

Sgt Hotcliff

[Onkel Neal]

Well, at least you have this consolation: scads of treadheads have mastered what you are going through and came out with love for the sim, so you know you are closer to that stage as well.

[Sgt Hotcliff]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Well, at least you have this consolation: scads of treadheads have mastered what you are going through and came out with love for the sim, so you know you are closer to that stage as well.

Neil..I DO LOVE IT!!

even if I feel like a dork right now, I am sure I will get through this "baptism of fire" and come out on the other side , with a big smile..:p

I know, it would be hard, and I really try to find solutions to everything..but on the other hand, it is quite ingenious this..it makes my brain work 24 hrs a day! '

My work is second hand now..I am designing a new chemichal plant in Escanaba, Michigan, but my mind is on the battlefield in a Leo 2A5! :rotfl:

That is the first time I think, I have been soo addicted!

I just wish there were a little bit better tutorials maybe..that's all I have to complain about.

But I admit..in the scenario I played..sitting up buttoned..watching my own and the other 4 Leos rushing ahead as support for our troops..snow, blowing around our tracks..I felt a little like "Kelly's Heroes" :p

Wonderful graphics..great sound...just ..addictive!

Sgt Hotcliff

[Skybird]

Use the "Identify!" command to make the TC point the gun at where your target is. If you play as gunner and TC is constantly overriding you, messing up your target solution, keep hitting the "Target!" command every 8 seconds or so, and TC will let you have your way. It is confirmed that the time the TC will not interfere once you hit that command, will be increased in the next patch.

Be advised that currently certain types of ground objects like bushes and grass are cosmetical for the AI. they hinder the human eye, but not the AI's "eye". Thus it shoots at you in such circumastances while you don't see a thing. It is "on the list". Set the graphics slider close to zero to decrease the range at which grass is rendered.

In most situations, this is not an issue, and in desert scenarios never.

You want more tutorials? Show me a sim that has so many already!

If you have problems of any kind, keep posting them, and we see if we can help you out.

Since you were posting on the AI's field of view, be advised that in the current version AI tanks have the same awareness at all aspects of their vehilces, thzat means they have a 360° master-eye. It is a bug that has been fixed meanwhile. the fix comes with the next patch/addon package.

when that patch comes? They wait - since longer time now - for approval of the newly delivered content by their spanish customer, the spanish army. Once they accepted the new spanish vehicles for their military licences, the wide public will get the spanish package as well. Minimum from now on: 6-7 weeks

[Sgt Hotcliff]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Use the "Identify!" command to make the TC point the gun at where your target is. If you play as gunner and TC is constantly overriding you, messing up your target solution, keep hitting the "Target!" command every 8 seconds or so, and TC will let you have your way. It is confirmed that the time the TC will not interfere once you hit that command, will be increased in the next patch.

Thks Skybird for the tips..I will try it tomorrow.

Besides, in the scenario I tried..I went with my four Leo's and identified the enemy tank..ordered "fire" but nothing happened..it seemed like I had no crew!
Anyway..after a while I got hit and "smoked".."defeated" it said..
I am not sure I am doing things right..

I know, I shouldn't load this forum with novice stuff like this..sorry

Sgt Hotcliff

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Sgt Hotcliff

Thks Skybird for the tips..I will try it tomorrow.

Besides, in the scenario I tried..I went with my four Leo's and identified the enemy tank..ordered "fire" but nothing happened..it seemed like I had no crew!
Anyway..after a while I got hit and "smoked".."defeated" it said..
I am not sure I am doing things right..

You probably don't do some things right, because bugs like this thing you described never existed and most of the serious other bugs, if not all, have been worked out in the past 30 months.

You have to take into account this: depending on tank and used visual sensor, the TC must not but eventually can have better sights than the gunner. Also, it can be that the gunner looks over a ridge and sees a tank in his GPS, and still the gun tube does not point over that ridge, because the periscope and thermal sensors (feeding the GPS) are positioned higher on the tank than the optical GSS (secondary sight) which is mounted on same height and parallel to the gun barrel. Test this, drive to a ridge, switch to gunner's secondary sight, and move forward so that you just see the ridgeline wandering down in the sight. Then switch to primary sight, and you will see, that the ridgeline already is no longer in sight, while you still see the rest in the secondary sight. Now crawl back, until in primary sight the ridgeline appears at the bottom again, not more. when you switch to secondary, you probabaly already can't see anything anymore. The secondary represents best what the gun barrel can see, so in case of doubt, use this to check.

Two tips linked to this: in close range skirmishes, when reaction speed is of the essence and due to close range ballistic calculations are unimportant, switch laser to fixed battlesight range, and either use primary sight without lasing, or use secondary sight to be safe from being blocked from ridgelines. Don't forget that in the Leopard's secondary you nevertheless need to tune the sight to the range, manually. Set it to 1000m in advance, and then fire at everything in sight, you have high kill probability at first shot even beyond that range. - However, when you have manouvered your tank into a position where you need to fight at close range, you already have made errors long before. Both the Abrams and the Leopards are superior to the T-80 and T-72 in the medium to long range, here their superior sights, guns and ammunitions rule over the Russian models, but beyond ranges of 3500 (up to 5500m!) T-80s will engage you with gun-launched wire-guided mini-missiles, while they are out of effective range for your gun at 4000+ meters (beware! these "mini"-missiles eventually can kill you from the front!), and below ranges of 2000m you give up the advantage of your tank, and the enemy's ammunition becomes effective enough to defeat your armour at same chances like your gun can defeat his. At 1000m it does not matter wether you use german, American or Russian ammunitions and guns: you are always in the overkill zone here. I have made it a rule to exchange shots at ranges between 2000 and 3000m, and to manouver to keep this distance, avoiding the enemy to move closer or farther away. at closer range, it is 50:50, at the very long range (4000+) you are under fire, but cannot shot back - bad way to wage battle! It is 0:100, then.

Don't take the range values I gave as the holy bible, I just made a quick estimation here.

I know, I shouldn't load this forum with novice stuff like this..sorry

Sgt Hotcliff

Consider it to be your contribution to keep the forum amused!

[Sgt Hotcliff]

Originally Posted by Skybird

[You probably don't do some things right..

Thank's for all info and tips you gave me, I really appreciate it!

I skipped the Beta for now, don't have the energy to deal with it at the moment.

Your advice on concentrating on a single mission has really paid off!
I have edited the patrol recon scenario and made it a single tank mission, giving me some control of events and my own learning curve.
Almost made it to the end with 6 kills on the way, but got too confident, sat unbuttoned , saw the tank just before he hit me!..popped smoke and tried to retreat, but TC (me) was "injured" and the next hit ended it all..Damned!..soo close.. but..a good lesson,

Unfortunately r/t work is a pain when all I do is to get on tanking!

til later,

slow ahead..

Sgt Hotcliff

[Skybird]

You mean one tank or one platoon?

On a sidenote, the simulator techncially can handle batallion-soized fores and more, but the design foucs is for optimization vehilce and platoon level so that the guys can train onboard-interaction of a crew, and platoon management. Many scenarios offer company siozed forces. But doing a mission like "platoon recon" with just one tank is unrealisrtic, I assume, and i assume very strong so. keep it a platoon, the other two will follow and help you by their own anyway.

What input devices do you use? It pays off to have a HOTAS with a good key command scheme for SBP.

[ReM]

I had roughly the same experience Sgt Hotcliff. I for myself tried to master the simple Byto ´mini campaign´.
Byto orders you to recon an area with 3 MBT (Leo 1´s), the following missions present an attack and a subsequent counterattack. You start with relatively few forces, but if your resources get depleted you may call in reinforcements. Relatively easy, but challenging nonetheless.

SBPpe can be very frustrating at times......

[Sgt Hotcliff]

Originally Posted by Skybird

You mean one tank or one platoon?

I mean one tank only. First I tried it as is, with a platoon, i.e 3 tanks including mine, but found that my "buddies" where so quick and made all kills even before I could find the enemy..so I am testing a single tank patrol now, feeling much better here, unrealistic, maybe, but for me it is very realistic! I have done this recon mission about 5 times now and learning more and more each time..

As for the joystick, it's a Logitech Wingman 3d extreme, works fine for me, all 12 buttons assigned, but at the moment hard to remember what when the action get's frantic..could it be aging symptoms?

Tankwise, I stick to the Leo2A5 for all missions, found a high res interior mod that looks wonderful!

I admit, I am a bit stubborn..will go on like this for a while.

slow ahead

Sgt Hotcliff

[Sgt Hotcliff]

Originally Posted by ReM

I had roughly the same experience Sgt Hotcliff. I for myself tried to master the simple Byto ´mini campaign´

Yes ReM, that ,Byto_1' was my first trial, but in my opinion, too much to deal with at the same time, so I went and edited this 'platoon_recon' instead.

"It's a long way to Tipperary" but I feel quite good now, making slow but still progress..

slow ahead,

Sgt Hotcliff