Tank Sim- Steel Beasts Pro: PE

[Androo]

Anybody else been tempted by this one, in spite of the price tag? (Shipping is free worldwide~;p )

Sim HQ Preview (http://www.simhq.com/_land/armor_011a.html)

Tanksim Review (http://www.tanksim.com/reviews/steel_beasts_pro.htm)

Edit, two days later: The sound of the wind... a tumbleweed blows by...~:(

[Kraxis]

It certainly looks great... I would really love to get it, but that price really puts me off, and that is sad as I have been looking for a proper tanksimulator.

With no campaign of sorts I'm afraid it might not hold my attention long enough. I have never been much for set battles, I really prefer a storyline. Operation Flashpoint was good in this regard.

[TB666]

Well the first game wasn't bad, wasn't very good either.
It had a very annoying auto-lock system that you couldn't turn off nor control so you usually got killed because the auto-target usually picks the worst target.
Hopefully this will be gone in this version.

[Androo]

It had a very annoying auto-lock system that you couldn't turn off nor control so you usually got killed because the auto-target usually picks the worst target.
Hopefully this will be gone in this version.Wow, that does sound irritating. I am pretty certain that there will be no such thing in this version. Don't forget that, unlike the first one, SB Pro:PE is a real simulator designed to be used for home practice by military personnel. An auto target system would be pretty darn unrealistic. From the reviews I have read, I believe one either specifies a target for ones' gunner, or can actually aim the gun oneself.


...I would really love to get it, but that price really puts me off, and that is sad as I have been looking for a proper tanksimulator.Yes, there is no getting around that price. Brutal. However, the chance to own a real sim has always been a dream of mine and I couldn't resist for long... I came to the conclusion based on those reviews above that this would be worth four or five regular games to me. And every time the sim is updated for another military, the added vehicles will be made available for free download.

On the other hand, graphically at least, Pro PE is sort of a beta of Steel Beasts 2. Sure Steel Beasts 2 won't be as slavishly realistic or have minefields or mine clearing. But it will have lots more eye candy, like improved explosions and infantry models. I think those will also be available for Pro PE download, but if you don't need to hand crank machine guns etc., etc. it definitely makes sense to wait for SB2.~:)


With no campaign of sorts I'm afraid it might not hold my attention long enough. Yeah, the addition of a dynamic campaign would be great. There is at least a MP campaign for SB: Battlefield Neutralia (http://www.wineshark.com/battlefield/index.php)I hope that fans / modders will do a similar one for SB2, perhaps even for Pro PE.

[TB666]

Don't forget that, unlike the first one, SB Pro:PE is a real simulator designed to be used for home practice by military personnel.
So was the first one :laugh4: .
But the game was pretty cool in MP.

[Androo]

So was the first one Hmmm, are you sure about that?
I certainly couldn't find any reference to it being specifically designed for home use by military personnel in any of the reviews which came out when it was released, including the one on tanksim.com. I know that after it was released as a game a number of copies were sold to Westpoint. About Steel Beasts 1 the esim website now says:


Although Steel Beasts 1 is mainly being sold as a commercial simulator for entertainment, the underlying design principle was to create a simulator that could be used as an inexpensive training tool for the military. (Italics mine)
I believe the first one was developed as a game, with the compromises inherent in that, which they hoped to sell to some militaries (which they did). Whereas Steel Beasts Pro and Pro:PE were definitely and explicitly developed as only military sims from the start with no compromises made to requirements for entertainment. Some quotes from the developers from one of the reviews listed above
:"It’s fully up to each person to decide for himself, if SB Pro PE is worthy of paying for. What we're doing, is allowing general people the possibility to buy a military training tool, which is the reason for its high pricing... " (Dejawolf)

"In the case of SB Pro PE, we neither expect to sell it by millions, nor was it designed for entertainment purposes. If you're expecting a GAME, then DO NOT BUY SB PRO PE. " (Ssnake, technical director eSim)
Very different from the way SB1 was marketed! So I'm optimistic that Pro:PE will be much more realistic than the first one!~:)

Re your concern about automatic targeting, it won't be a problem! Again from one of the reviews above:
Both commander and gunner can scan the environment, the commander using his extension sights, the periscope (in the Leopards) or the binoculars. The gunner always uses his primary sights (as long as they are available). Once the gunner sees a target, he may tell the commander so ("Target!"), and then waits for the commander checking what the gunner currently sees on his own sights and eventually issuing a fire command ("Fire!"). The fire-command would be followed by a command on what kind of ammo the loader should load next ("Load HEAT/Sabot!"). If the hit was lethal, the commander will order to fire at a different target, or to cease fire. If the target is still alive, he will order to shoot at it again. He will also confirm misses, or urge the gunner to get his job done faster.

The commander also can override the gunner via GPS extension or periscope and forcing the gun to swing to where the commander currently is looking and then issuing a fire-command. If the gunner does not see the target, he will ask the commander to aim the sights again, or more precisely ("Identify!").

The commander finally has the option to override the gunner completely and operate the gun himself in slave mode. The commander finally can order the gunner to use battlesight range, which means the gunner will not check the distance to target via laser but will put the crosshair onto the target and then immediately pull the trigger.:2thumbsup:(The player can take either the commander or gunner position, of course.)

About auto targeting in SB1, the review on tanksim says
As the tank commander, you can assume control of the main gun and slew onto targets, designate, and when the gunner shouts "Identified", pass the job off or fire the round yourself.Perhaps this is the problem you were having (again from tanksim; tc= tank commander of course)
Another area where Steel Beasts shines is the lifelike interplay between the gunner and the tank commander. Say your are running the main gun, searching through your primary sight for movement, and the tank commander observes a threat. He will slew the turret rapidly toward the new target and call it out. You can aim and fire at this target or reassume searching in the original direction. It feels like your playing with another person. I almost shouted, "Good job!" a few times to the T/C. I have to mention that the TC is very willful and even if you (as the gunner) are lining up a shot on a target, the TC will slew you around to his threat. I got in a tug-of-war with the 120mm several times until I learned to let him call the shots (lame pun alert! --ed.)He is the commander after all!~;)
Hope that helps: good hunting!