Jump to content

Possible new guy here!


Gunn

Recommended Posts

Hey folks, potential FNG here. Before my addiction to DCS started this year I was very much into games like Combat Mission, and Command Modern Operations. I just loved the planning, complexity of all the systems of all the different equipment, and the real world operations and procedures. Part of all this complexity in the afore mentioned games is what led me to revisit my passion for flight, and dive into DCS. Anyways, after ONLY playing DCS for the last 10 months I've decided I want to get back on the ground once in a while. I originally found GHPC and in my continued search I eventually found the SB Pro PE product. I have no problem spending money on sims that offer real world complexity and allow for real world procedures, so that's NO problem. However, I might try a 1 month license first. Seems you have nothing to lose there but an hour at work ;)

 

With all of that in mind, does this sim sound like something I might enjoy? I'll be honest it kind of seems like the Combat Mission games to me, but kicked up even higher on the realism. I normally wouldn't say this as I *think* this is supposed to just be a tank sim, but then I've seen videos of people using mortars and other "units" which gave me the Combat Mission vibes. Am i way off base here? Appreciate any and all input.

 

Thanks folks!

-Gunn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

I normally wouldn't say this as I *think* this is supposed to just be a tank sim, but then I've seen videos of people using mortars and other "units" which gave me the Combat Mission vibes. Am i way off base here? Appreciate any and all input.

 

i would certainly call steel beasts an tank/AFV/IFV sandbox simulator - meaning you can set up any mix you want of vehicles and infantry and support assets and set up user defined mission goals and areas and place them on the map and experiment. in many respects it may superficially look like combat mission in this regard, but the two games usually play rather different- not just because you can crew many of the vehicles in steel beasts, but because the stat driven results in combat mission simply plays a bit more different- combat mission is inherently designed to play as a strategy game which simplifies user interface and makes the information more manageable for the user, whereas in steel beasts, it is possible to place so many units on the map under player control that it is commonly reported that users can feel overwhelmed with everything going off in real time; this can be mitigated however with scripts and assigning automated behavior to the computer to manage friendly and enemy assets. i have seen in a few cases users who prefer the tactical strategy games like SPMBT or combat mission, simply because they could not get a handle on steel beasts. but it should answer you question to state that there is a robust map and mission editor included with steel beasts which implies that you have a real time  wargame, and users do not have to necessarily confine themselves to the crew position in any particular vehicle- users may assign orders and move units from the map screens, or observe and give orders from external views, or take positions in non-tank vehicles, where those vehicles are modeled, and in cases where they are modeled, access and operate crew served weapons (such as infantry light machine guns, heavy machine guns, ATGMs, and there is even a recoilless gun)

Edited by Captain_Colossus
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Gunn said:

Hey folks, potential FNG here.

 

Welcome to the community!

 

Steel Beasts Pro PE can be played like Combat Mission, giving orders to units as well as being a FPS for AFVs and other land equipment (a ground version of DCS if you like).

 

The focus is on platforms (vehicles, UAS, etc.) but dismounts are included, but not to the same degree of fidelity.

 

I'd suggest having purchased a license that you have a quick read here:

 

https://www.steelbeasts.com/sbwiki/index.php?title=Starter_Pack

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
3 hours ago, Gunn said:

does this sim sound like something I might enjoy?

YES.

3 hours ago, Gunn said:

it kind of seems like the Combat Mission games to me, but kicked up even higher on the realism. I normally wouldn't say this as I *think* this is supposed to just be a tank sim

Steel Beasts was first and foremost intended to be an amor-centric tactics game that also allows you to take the gunner's seat and shoot stuff. In the years since, it turned out that our army customers spend more on crew procedure trainers than they are willing top spend on anything that is tactics-oriented, so the business logic has influenced our development in the sense that we added more systems with detailed user interface/procedure simulation. Nevertheless, my personal interest in guiding our development firmly remains as that of a tactician. Whenever possible, I'll favor the option that "increases orthogonality" (=adding another dimension to the tactical complexity rather than just adding more systems with similar capabilities).

You don't have to master more than maybe two or three different fire control systems (although you may discover the similarity of some "families" due to the evolutionary nature of engineering systems). You may leave the details to the AI for much of the time and focus on dabbling with the mission editor, or spending time in the planning phase, or trying to control a battle from a company commander's perspective.

Steel Beasts gives you the flexibility to hop into a tank at any given moment, and to leave it again at your discretion. So, it's largely up to you in which direction you want to explore Steel Beasts. Some people characterized it as the kind of game where what you get out of it is proportional to what you invest. Some people may have played it as an arcade shooter in Instant Action mode for the duration of a one-month license. Some maybe even for longer. But there's a lot more to discover, especially if you already have a sense for combined arms tactics and the idea that different types of troops are specialists for some tasks, but not so good in doing others.

 

The art of combined arms tactics, the really hard part, is that it is the proverbial multidimensional chess where you not only need to understand the capabilities of the different units, but you also need to get the timing right to have coordinated fire and maneuver, you'd have to consider weather, reactions and interests of the civilian population, etc. --- this is, however, not an automatic part of every scenario that you play, but must be created in the mission editor. So, depending on what scenario you play (or decide to make), the experience will be different.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some great input here. Thanks folks! Is there any sort of scenario pack, community or official, to give you some mission options before diving into the editor yourself, or do you just pick through them one at a time here on the forums download section?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I did suggest you visit the Starter Pack. :)

 

Once you read this you'll be advised to:

 

1. Complete the Tutorials on "a" vehicle.

 

2. Some introductory scenarios.

 

The whole idea of the link is so I don't need to re-type the same stuff every time.

 

Edited by Gibsonm
Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, Gibsonm said:

Well I did suggest you visit the Starter Pack. :)

 

Once you read this you'll be advised to:

 

1. Complete the Tutorials on "a" vehicle.

 

2. Some introductory scenarios.

 

The whole idea of the link is so I don't need to re-type the same stuff every time.

 

Sorry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Gunn said:

Sorry.

 

All good.

 

Let me know if you have any questions after having a look at it.

 

I and others will suggest you look at a multiplayer session at a date and time convenient to you as the best way to "learn by doing" but completing the Starter Pack will give you the necessary foundation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just so you know, there are a few of us who play SB as a wargame.  I play from external, map, and sometimes from the commanders position.  I have been playing for years and never sat inside the turret or in the gunner's position.  10 years ago, it was almost impossible to do that, but eSims has added a number of features to make it easier to command larger unit scenarios as a wargame.  The key is to know the tactics, formation, and route setting systems.  

 

I have played Combat Mission since the Bigtime Software days.  Haven't truly played it in almost four years since I really started playing SB more.  btw, also a big CMO player.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I'm only about 4-5 hours into exploring now, made it through some tutorials (but still need to finish them all), and played a bit in instant action and I am speechless. This is absolutely incredible!! I can't wait to lose track of time with this as I do DCS (Now that I'm finally setup for such a sim).

 

Anyways, I'm just overjoyed right now. I haven't even done all that much, and certainly haven't done any actual scenarios yet, and truthfully, haven't even killed an enemy yet in Instant Action, I stare in awe at them instead, or more specifically, their TOW's very distinctive flight pattern/movement as it gets closer and closer to my viewport going "I have no clue what to do right now, and I love it" the classic "I'm in danger" bit from Ralph on The Simpsons feels suitable I suppose XD

 

That USB stick seems like a no brainer at this point, I'm all in!

 

P.S. I was *supposed* to work tomorrow and while I take full responsibility for my own actions, I do not blame myself entirely as not one of you even bothered to ask me if I work tomorrow, or have any obligations at all for the next who knows how long!

Edited by Gunn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...