Werewolf

Thanks for the info, Ssnake. I think it would be most useful for looking around the battle field from the TC's hatch. Up, Down and side to side should work just fine for that.

Thinking about getting a Track IR setup and while previewing the games with built in support on the naturalpoint.com site I noticed that Steel Beasts Professional was listed. Does that include SB PRO PE as well?

Quote: Ssnake: What I can say is that the natural state of a tank is that it's broken. Well - maybe on the newfangled tanks you young'uns got. Not the ones I served in though. In the 3 years I served on an M-60A1 (3rd ID/3rd Bgd/4th 64A/C/3Plt I can remember exactly 2 failures on the tanks I was assigned to and one was the crew's fault. The one that was our fault - we threw a track as we slid sideways down a muddy slope and the other was our KW-7 radio encryption interface (I think that was the designator). Other than that we had to replace the gun barrel once and the engine once. The gun reached it's max rounds shot limit and the engine because it reached it's max miles/hours limt. Mandatory replacement. The gun took a morning and it was miserably cold and wet while at Grafenwoehr and the engine took about 45 minutes while parked in the motor pool at our home Kasserne in Aschaffenburg. Other than that nada - no issues and that wasn't uncommon. Our failure rate was the norm in C Co not the exception. We did the preventative maintenance procedures religiously and that probably helped. And it wasn't because we weren't running the tanks either. We spent 4 to 6 months in the field every year training and those tanks got a real workout. So point being I agree with the OP - all those fancy fancy bells and whistles you new guys can't get along with are just more stuff to break. That said there are three of the new techs I would very much have liked to have had on my M-60A1: 1) Gun Stabilizer 2) Thermal Sights 3) 120mm gun The rest is just toy's that will break. Some of which - I will admit - might be useful on the command tanks.

Edited to delete Reduntant Response

I was afraid of that. I asked because recently I delved into the controls and printed out the current list. I was astounded at the number of controls there are - 4 full pages. Just doing that convinced me that SB Pro has changed so much since I started with it that it was probably time to go back into learning mode. Guess waiting for 4.1. is in order. Thanks, Guys.

Is there and up to date, printable vs 4.023 manual? If so where is it?

Matrix Games recently released Armored Brigade. In a thread the developer/programmer stated that SB is one of about 5 or 6 wargames that influenced the design of AB. I'm considering buying this game. Which means researching it. I don't bother reading reviews by the game media or by the guys who always seem to get a game free from the publisher. What I do do is read forumns about the game where players hang out and post about the game. Thus when I saw that SB influenced the design I figured it might be time to find out if any SB forum members had played AB yet? I've watched a number of you tube videos and you can see that the Dev was obviosly influenced by SB - so: Any of you guys played AB yet. If so what's your take? Is it worth the $39 if so why; if not, why not? And just so you know I've been playing SB since way back in 2001 or 2002, I forget. A lot of MP at the beginning - none since around 2005 or so. I've owned every vs right up to the latest 4.023 and played 'em all. Some of you may remember me, some may not. Just wanted those that don't to know I'm not an outsider, just a loner. When it come to SB, been there, done that and still doing it - single player.

Both of these are great games. Highly playable and historically accurate. In addition and unlike some other East Front games I won't mention, one can actually finish these. Another game by the same dev - the 1st one in the series is Blitzkrieg - Warsaw to Paris. Seperate campaigns that cover the Conquest of Poland and the Conquest of France.

Thanks. Other than being 25 yds behind instead of 10 on my pre query request your procedure is the 1st thing I tried. When it failed I figured the defend order on the waypoint was the culprit so I changed it to stay and tried again. Still no joy. I'll try moving the FO closer per your advice and see if that helps. I'll also try removing the bunker which sets just a bit forward of the top of a hill/ridge and on a very gradual down slope. There is Tall grass on the beginning of the downward slope and behind that location. It blocks the FO team's LOS to where I want them to monitor. Actually I'd prefer fox holes for an FO team with steps over a bunker but no such thing in SB - otherwise they've just got their behinds hangin' out in the open with decent concealment but no cover at all. The OPFOR is the defender. Not gonna move. Blue is the attacker and the FO is placed on the hill so it can see the main defensive position of the OPFOR on a ridge a little over 3 clicks distant.

How to Get an FO to move into a Bunker... Or maybe they just aren't allowed to. I've set up a way point with a stay tactic on it inside the bunker and pointing to the area I want the FO to observe with the open dot right on top of the area I want the FO to watch. Set up a march route to the waypoint in the bunker attached to the FO team whickh is about 25 or so yards behind the bunker at start. The two guys in the team never enter it. Always move them selves to the left and a bit forward of it.

Thanks, Ssnake. Turns out as so often is the case - "nut behind the wheel". I'd just finished doing a thorough cleanout of all filters, fans and PCB's of my PC. Hooked everything back up and used PC without issue. A couple of days later when I loaded up SB - no go. Did this and that and finally figured it was just the dongle had died. That's when I posted about getting a new one. But - it hadn't died. I'd hooked everything back up but the USB hub that the dongle was plugged into - plugged the hub in and miracle of miracles SB license found. DOH!

Been using the same dongle since the first few months since dongles started being used for SB. I believe after all these years it has finally given up the ghost. See diagnostics file below. If it is the dongle that's dead what do I need to do to get a new one. If not then what do I need to do to make codemeter recognize my license (licensed thru version 4)? Here's the diagnosticts file from the Web Admin: 2018-07-17 10:38:14: CodeMeter for Windows (B6.50.2640.503.32.180) 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Running on Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Service Pack 1, 64-Bit 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Execution path: C:\Program Files (x86)\CodeMeter\Runtime\bin 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Found IPv4 address: 127.0.0.1 | 192.168.1.135 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Found IPv6 address: ::1 | fe80::2d8b:bada:b85e:5e23%10 | fe80::7500:b74d:1e4f:2328%14 | fe80::998d:f35e:b556:e350%12 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Used Communication Mode (Client): IPv6 IPv4 SharedMemory 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Used Communication Mode (Server): IPv6 IPv4 SharedMemory 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Used IP address: default address 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Used IP port: 22350 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Used CmWAN port: 22351 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Multicast server search: not available 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Run as network server: no 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Run as CmWAN server: no 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Run as system service: yes 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Service startup delay: 1:23 minutes 2018-07-17 10:38:14: Box Access: use direct access mode 2018-07-17 10:38:15: License file "5000173_0001-0.wbb" loaded successfully. 2018-07-17 10:38:15: The list of available CmContainers has been updated! 2018-07-17 10:38:15: Detecting CmContainer with Serial Number 32767-41601 2018-07-17 10:38:15: A new CmContainer is available (currently found 1)! 2018-07-17 10:38:15: The list of available CmContainers has been updated! 2018-07-17 10:38:15: The list of available CmContainers has been updated! 2018-07-17 10:38:15: Found new entries: 1 2018-07-17 10:38:30: Access from local(IPV4) to SubSystem (Handle 22) 2018-07-17 10:38:30: Handle 22 released 2018-07-17 10:41:40: API Event WB261 (LICENSE NOT ACTIVATED) occurred (returned to caller)

NOTE: for those not familiar with Voice Attack - it is very versatile PC voice control software created by a gamer for gamers. I use Voice Attack with Elite Dangerous all the time. It is especially useful when used with a HOTAS control system. Never have to touch the keyboard - ever. I'm thinking of building a profile for SB but figure some may already have done so. If so what is your experience with it and SB? Is it worth the effort to put a profile together (not hard - might take 30 minutes)? Does it add to the immersion factor. If I put one together it would primarily be for vocal commands the TC would issue to the gunner, driver and loader. What say you - what is your experience using VA with SB?

I could - but Wiki's are notoriously incorrect. Anyone can change them anytime. Hell I won a bet once doing just that - changed a wiki. Bet a guy and told him to look it up. He used wiki - I collected $20 and changed it back. Last I checked where I lived the schools won't allow students to use wiki as a source for papers they write. 3 daughters - didn't understand why - so when my middle daughter was writing a paper about Abraham Lincoln I changed the name of his wife to hers and told her to look up his wife's name on wiki. She did. She understood. I fixed it back to Mary Todd. My other two daughters never did get it. Wiki=Not Reliable That said: Dark Angel supplied the answer to my question.

That's really good to know. Feel pretty stupid for not figuring that out. Thanks.

Looking for the effective ranges of the various anti-tank missiles in SB Pro PE. Can't find any info in the docs (probably not looking in the right place). Googled the ones I was interested in but - well - you ever seen the TV commercial about the French Male Model? Just because it's on the internet doesn't make it true. Is there a source recommended by the SB community as reliable and that matches the specs in SB (one wonders why they aren't shown when one chooses the ammo or unit).

That's a very interesting question - especially when you mentioned no IR on 70's NATO armor. My take on your question is that - as you alluded to - when operations take place and in what kind of weather is entirely dependent on the equipment available. In the early 70's I served in a US Tank Battalion on M60A1's. On our vehicles we had a rather large search light that could switch between white light and IR use. We also had a primitive IR GPS sight for the gunner. We also had IR headlights for use at night but the driver's IR periscope, much like the gunners sight sucked. Neither the gunner nor the driver's sights worked very well and when they did it sucked so bad that it might as well not have worked at all. I don't ever remember firing the main gun on a range at night using the IR searchlight (another tank always illuminated your target) though we did practice with the white light a couple of times a year. That said: In 3 years I can remember only one of many training operations that we participated in where we fought at night. We moved at night a lot but we didn't train to fight at night during any training exercise except the one time. So the answer to your question is - based on how the unit I served in trained - US Armor in the early 70's would have maneuvered at night and regularly planned for it regardless of the weather but not planned at all to fight at night unless absolutely forced to. Battles would be fought at dawn or later assuming forecasted visibilty at fighting ranges was going to be available and a lot of effort would have been put into that. Here's something else that you might find interesting. We were all in agreement that if the balloon ever did go up that our searchlights would probably fail quite a bit and not work. You see when you lit one up at night it could be seen from miles around. If bullets and sabot were flying and you lit your searchlight up at night you might as well just bend over and kiss your - well you know - goodbye 'cuz all you would be doin' would be announcing to every enemy tank around that you were available to be shot and were happy to point your self out so they could do it.

Ummmmm... Isn't that the whole point?

Whoa! I ended up switching the music to Braveheart's "Attack on Muron". I'm hear (pun intended) to tell you that it changes the whole experience watching the slide show. Gave me chills. Amazing ambiance. Amazing how just changing the music makes that slide show so much better.

Thanks... I'll do that... I tried that prior to asking but replaced it with an mp3 which didn't work. Will try a wav. I think probably "Ride of the Valkyries" would go nice with the end game pics.

Is there any way to replace the credits music with something else when SB shuts down. I really enjoy the pictures but after - what - 11 or 12 years that music is finally getting on my nerves. Gettin' old I guess.

I've read a lot of military history. A lot! My perception/opinion based on that (and historians tend to write to their perceptions) is that when a unit in battle takes 25% or more casualties (wounded and killed) it's ability to continue to fight effectively starts to become impaired not only due to losses but also due to the morale impact of men seeing their friends killed, maimed and wounded. At 50% they are next to useless (all they want to do by they point is GET THE HELL OUT OF DODGE!). My perception is that the 25% varies depending on the training and experience of the unit. There are many historically documented exceptions - key word exceptions! The spartans (those guys were just plain unreal) and the Iron Brigade of the US Army in the American Civil War come immediately to mind. Take this post with a grain of salt - I'm a bit buzzed right now.

To whomever thought of us C drive SSD users and making it possible to put the maps else where (my E drive comes to mind for me - fastest - almost empty and a full terrabyte)... Thankyou! THANKYOU! THANKYOU!

Thanks for the heads up on shift-J. I still can't find it in the list of controls though - maybe just mind blocking it. I can see me fat fingering and setting shift J - probably did that somehow and inverted the darn thing.

Pull back on the stick and the reticle goes down. That was wierd and NOT right. Pull back and it should go up. Works right on all three of my flight sims and the cal routines show pulling back is up and pushing forward is down. Searched a bit but couldn't find an invert Y axis button (which shouldn't have to use anyway - fwd is down and back is up - normally). So somehow some thing got switched in SB. Any ideas how to get it to work right? Using Saitek X-52 PRO.