Skybird03

Good for you! And welcome here. Are you the same Andym from tanksim.com? On videos, search these at youtube, they are some of those I liked best: The Raid The XO story Generals But there are other good ones as well.

I meanwhile received my copy, and played through roughly one half of the missions since yesterday. A first draft for my own review is done. I will post it at tanksim.com within the next 24-48 hours, since I found that there is not much more to be found. that I did not take more than just 24 hours to come that far, already says something about the game. It is not the official tanksim.com review, like i did for SBP, but just my "private" one. Neal said he will do the official one. I don't know when. I'm sad to report that i am not as enthusiastic as Zipuli, by far not. As a complex action game, SF is not bad. As a realistic sim, it is sub-standard, imo. Greatest problem is the almost broken AI. However, I am not too disappointed, since I did not expect much more than what I got. But after one day and the game half-finished, I'm already losing interest, that repetitive and simple (on highest difficulty level!) it is. A complex (non-ergonomic) interface does not make it better.

I'm lying in wait and have both TvT and SF under observation since longer time. TvT so far seems to be more a non-starter than a MP-feast, many players report problems with MP, and AI as well. the developer shines by his absence, and his reputation build by past releases and lacking support for them is not good. I think that sim is set to get forgotten soon. that the title is available in russia since over a year, but none of the errors and faults of the Russian version are said to have been adressed in the international release, tells something. SF seems to deliver what TvT just had promised. I am waiting for my copy. There seem to be localisation problems, resulting in so far two major bugs, one of which has been solved by a modder, the other able to get tackled by reassigning keyboard commands. An unofficial patch is said to solve the urgent issues soon. What I read in feedback about SF, and previews, sounds very good. It is officially confirmed that they are settling conditions with their producer for a sequel, SF2, which will include MP. The addon "Fall Blau" is aimed for public release in 1Q2009. By having played the demo, I was not convinced (my small "review" of the demo at tanksim.com), but I am aware that that demo is very old and not representative for the actual status of the game, and many people already pointed out that the actual status outshines the demo. I decided to took a gamble and so invested some trust into such statements, and ordered the game. It should arrive in the next days. wioth the perspective of Fall Blau, SF2 including MP and a developer who seem to plan to stick with his franchise, I think that when choosing between TvT and SF, the latter is the way to go.

The status of the sim today already includes 5 or 6 patches, upgrades and addons!

Correct decision. SB2 would be a very long wait, I think.

Fidelthefallguy, you may want to take into account that a.) there have already been a number of patches and upgrades (five of them) since the release of the original release of SBP, which were all for free although adding some very substantial new stuff, namely the CV9040, but other things as well; and b.) that it was said from release date on (January 2006) that only the first patches and updates would be free, but from some point on in the future they would take charges for any further upgrades.

Sehr schön!

I am confused a bit, and I am also wondering about the patching sequence. I have the very first release from two and a half years ago. assuming I would reinstall it to the level of the now coming upgrade, would I still need to go through all the patches before (quite a load!), or is the new upgrade including all? If the first, what would it cost me not to get an additonal second licence parrallel to the first, but a disc replacement including the coming upgrade, if - I assume - I would send in my first original CD, 30+ months old? Because I am close to routine-reinstalling my system (every end of the year),and this time I will not just use an image anymore, since there have been too many changes in the past three years, and I lost track of those many patching and codemeter updates a bit, although I had it all fixed in our SBP resources sticky over at tanksim.com.

Hold it. There have been I think half a dozen free patches and upgrades since first release, including one major addon, also released for free, and they said from the very beginning that from some time on they would need to make further updates available only for a moderate fee, which is absolutely okay, taking into account their good support and ongoing efforts. Again, they said it from the very beginning in late Winter/early Spring 2006. I too remember it like foxboy has described it, and I remember the controversy we had one year ago about this issue, and wether the patch should be released in two parts or not. If they have meanwhile decided not to take money for it, then I have missed that news. Therefore I expect (and accept) to pay for it, and I assume it will be in the 20-35 euro-range. Please, guys, let's not go back to that old debate. No matter if they takle money for the update or not - nobody holds a weapon at your head to force you to get it. Again: we know since 30 months or so that from some time on further updates will cost money. Hell, I think I even wrote it in my review, and again in the interview. And nobody here can complain about lacking support and delivery of past updates so far. Let's be fair everybody. It has been a lot of work being put into SBP since it's first release.

I know. For the moment, like all this week, they are still down.

I don't want to advertise for rivalling games, just inform you in short that tanksim.com holds a review of the WWII-simulation "T-34 vs. Tiger". This time I left all the work to Neal. Be informed that there is a second WWII-simulator being released in the imminent future, too, "Steel Fury". It is published by the same publisher, so do not mix them up. They are two different projects. Review at armchairgeneral.com. By visual presentation, both games look good, but I have not played them, so I do not comment on them.

Over the past two years I have hidden a whole Brigade in the lakes and rivers around. the hideout is so perfect that they refuse to ever get out again. While bridging can be adressed by good routeplanning, unit spacing and formation orders, the AI messes it up easily if enemies enter the AI's awareness zone. and yes, the micromanagement being so almost completely ignorrant towards even the smallest water holes, not to mention rivers, is annoying. It is one of the very, very few quarrels I have wit the sim. I don't know how often tanks in battle moved back to avoid enemy fire, and drowned themselves in that riverline 300 m behind them. definitely a major issue on the to-do list.

No spanish approval, no addon for the private public as well. That'S the deal, and we know that since long. I can and will not criticise eSim for that - they want to sell the package to the military for professional prices, and not release the stuff for the cheap private price. I just do not understand Ssnake's reply ("Yes - ...") wether the Spanish have made a decision already, or not.

So - have they (Yes, they approved it), or have they not (Yes, that is a necessity)?

Possible that I have missed something, but have the spanish now approved the "Spanish package"? It was said the new addon/update would not be released before the Spanish military accepted the new vehicles in the sim.

You know the routine now: real release date = release date + x :biggrin: Told by experience!

I find some scenarios to be too artillery-focussed, too. I use to edit them, reduce the number of artillery pieces and limiting the right to call artillery to commander or observer vehicles. Or you prohibit ICM and increase the number of pieces now firing HE only, which also may do damage, but not at the rate of ICM. Experiment! Just make sure you do not use the editor to win the battle for you.

Don't want and don't need no damn music. But to have three sliders to balance interior sound, main gun/artillery sound, and engine/track sounds, would be appreciated.

Nice way to keep us informed - once in a month an incremental update list like this. Thank you, it's appreciated! I know that routine from the World in Flames forum as well.

Try small scenarios first, or scenarios in which only one unit/formation is under your command, with no others present, or others controlled by AI. SBP is relatively easy to learn in how to handle the units and use the controls. It is a question nof routine and practice how precise you can shoot. Until here, nothing stellar in learning curve, really. the challenge begins with dealing with tactics, and making good use of terrain. It becomes even bigger when wanting to do everything yourself and managing a whole batallion. I would not recommend the latter. Even a company already leaves you with both hands full. So start small, and work your way up the ladder. Or do you think in real life they let you command a whole company from beginning on? First you command your individual tank. Next your platoon. Here it is best fun, imo. Companies and Batallions are LAST on your list! Learn the mission editor from early on. A good pre-planning of conditioned routes and positions will assist you later on. the tool I still consider to be of spectacular good quality: very potent, but easy and intuitive to use. No sense in holding your breath for SB2 - it possibly is still a looooong time away. But SBP-Pro PE is available since two and a half years now! I'll send Ssnake a box of pralines as an apology if SB2 appears on then market before christmas 2010! That is also two and a half years, from now on.

Most shots look good. I appreciate the distinguished restraint in the visuals - no exaggerated effects: that is good. Some dusk effects look a bit too rosy and red-ish to me, though.

Well, that certainly is a feature we can't live without! :biggrin:

Can't speak for others, but I personally would be interested in getting the fixes for the few issues of the Beta earlier, and can live without the Spanish vehicles anyway. I would be willing to pay for a "summer release" excluding the Spanish vehicles, if that comes with a code for having a financial credit for the Spanish option later. the advantage would be that the bug hunting for the Spanish vehicles could run separate from the fixes for the Beta. Aber ich will nicht wieder die leidige Debatte ahnheizen...

Doesn't sound like a summer release of the Beta-finishing started during winter, or am I wrong? no complaint, just curiosity.

Don't know if these three have been mentioned before. MG fire by infantry usually does not kill a tank, but can damage its sights, and a TC or gunner without main sites, really means no fun. Nevertheless, when you give a BP a conditon and a route so that the unit shouold fall back to a secp0nady position when it is under fire, tanks do not retreat as long as no missiles or tank guns are firing at them. I would like to see something like an optional command "retreat if under light fire (from MGs)", for I have seen too many tanks beeing blinded and slowoly accumulating damage althoiugh I had them in a BP from where they should retreat when getting engaged. This is especially annopying when playing a huge scenario, where you cannot have your eyes all over the place simultaneously and thus depend on conditioned routes and automatic fall-back from battle positions. But the best planning nevertheless often get screwed up from this issue as described. An auto-retreat option in the command list on unit- and vehucle level wouldn't be bad either. That way setting up secondary BPs and attaching retreat routes leading there, could be avoided, and time could be saved. Syntax could be something like "if being under light/heavy fire for x seconds retreat in reverse on course x degree." the option could be attached to a unit or vehicle via rightclicking, and could remain active as long as as it is not deactivated. It could be supplemented wetger or not it should be valid for a reached BP only, or shall override movement orders while being in transit as well. - i assume in reality, a tank coming under critical fire would also react to it by eventually falling back a bit and evade incoming fire. Such options are essential i think with regard to ifantry behing hidden in the bushes inside woods, where they can continue to fire at tanks with small arms - without the control logic of the tank even being aware of there presence - at least so it seems to me. Often they do not even turn the turrest at the direction of the incoming small arms fire. Second, the battle reports down the left corner. Playing at 1280-resolution on a 19" monitor, I find the fonts to be very small, and whenever I hear "We're taking fire", I am shooting forward my head and trying to decipher the miniature symbols that are considered to be letter and numbers, red on black, which additionally hinders ciontrast and readability a bit. Adjustable font sizes are the solution. Also, in a huge scenario you may wish to react quickly to critical calls, but you fiddle around with decyphering the unit number, and then manually locate it on the map, and then zoom in and center the map, and then searhcing for the enemy unit the report eventually is referring to. It would be nice if a click on the message line auto-centres the map quickly and zooms in so that both the sending unit and the object to which it refers appear on the map (auto-scaling). This is important in huge scenarios with many units on the map, and in combat situations at very close ranges. I think this would substantially improve ergonomy and prevent more units getting lost due to the player fighgting with the interface. And third, for comparable reasons, a third suggestion, the artillery menu. Again, you have to deal with microscopic click spots on side bars to select an entrance from the list, and this several times - that you mis-click and do not hit the click point and the list scrolls and jumps back to the first entry, happens relatively often. I would prefer very much if these damn scrolling lists with options would not be there, but constantly shown buttons with the according option instead, as if you were hitting according keys on a panel with buttons, with the currently selected option translating into a highlightened button. I still love SBP and play it quite a lot, but the reasons above also supply me on a regular basis with moments of frustration and anger. If I het beaten by a clever AI, or by making mistakes, I accept that, but if I loose units due to some weak features in the interface that hinder me to react as quickly as possible, it is frustrating any annoying indeed. And after 2 years and with a good HOTAS setup I am not really lacking routine to handle the sim controls.