Feature Requests for Tank Crew

[bzc3lk]

14 minutes ago, EAF_51_FOX said:

Sorry, don't know it was asked answered jet, but I have a question : I don't play with tank in Box but I 've seen does the house and buildings can't be destroyed ??

 

Dev Blog 195

"The settlements also required new tech advances because this project is focused on tanks, so we have implemented more detailed building damage modeling. Of course, we can’t get carried away, because populating all settlements and big towns with detailed damage model buildings won't be feasible from both development resources and sim performance standpoints. The bulk of the map will be populated like on the regular maps while the historically important areas where the major tank engagements happened will have the new detailed buildings. This will make ramming the buildings possible by the way. As you can imagine, the area of the Prokhorovka battle will be one of these highly detailed areas. The size of just this area is comparable to the full size of the map in some tank games. "

Edited September 29, 2018 by bzc3lk

[Yogiflight]

I hope on the TC map there will be roads through woods with the trees standing next to the road and not like on the flightsim maps with real glades around them, that have a width of twenty meters, so you can fly through them. The same, of course counts for the railway tracks. But I have to say, the new houses with 3D walls makes me hope.

[balrog1970]

So first real feed back post multiplayer session. Bear in mind that some of this maybe as a result of the map / mission  design so perhaps more experimentation is required. 

 

Players definitely require time spent configuring their controls as clashes can cause problems - I remapped my 'wasd' as driver controls and neglected to notice that 'a' was auto pilot which meant your tank just sat there as though it had the parking break on.

 

 

 

If your playing on a server with the range dots on then tanks are at a definite disadvantage when there is enemy air power in the vicinity as you loose all advantage of cover and stealth with a big shiny beacon over your head saying 'here I am' . This is obviously resolvable with the expert setting but in a mission with the dots enabled you really have no hope of evading detection and there seems little point in using the tanks at all. More control over how these indicators are enabled would be useful as it would be nice to turn ground indicators off and force the dedicated ground pounder to hunt us with eyeballs and map. 

 

Numerous times I have lost my gunner from a dive attack and then been left with an AFV rather than a tank and it would very much be welcomed if there was a re-supply / repair option currently all you have is abandon mission I don't know how this affects the scoring but I would hope at the least it would cost less too re-spawn and the attacker only gets a half kill? The option to RTB and repair would be nice I guess but again would rely on the lack of a big red dot over your head to make the journey home an option.

 

Some means of capture and control would be welcome to advance the anti air support as territory is gained if the maps are to remain huge ( not sure if scripting in the editor can solve this) 

 

all of the above is just observation and with some more time and experience in the mission editor I guess we could have more balanced play but I hope that more specific features around the current multi play options become available to allow the tanks to be used more tactically.

 

Still enjoying rolling around in the tanks though and still holding out hope for more development soon.  

 

 

 

  

[balrog1970]

Ok after some poking around it seems a lot of the issues around dots can be resolved in map...more digging is required and the mission editor has changed a helluva lot since my iL2 FB days 

 

 

 

 

[=gRiJ=Roman-]

A digged-in tank in a hull down position would be awesome for defensive lines.

 

  

 

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by PA_Spartan-

[balrog1970]

Well I 'dug' into the editor and it seems with a little creativity you can make missions less accommodating to our air borne nemesis  lets face it a shrewd commander of tanks would only in cases of dire need send out the tanks on a bright sunny day without close air support or the advantage of cloud cover (or maybe he would) either way better to have the odds in your favour. 

 

There are dug in positions available in the map editor however I am not sure of their effectiveness but no feature for adhoc digging in 

 

One thing that is missing from the map is Contours showing the lay of the land as currently it is impossible to plan a route that provides a degree of speed and natural cover? This I hope will be resolved at some point as an optional on off feature. 

 

Be nice to be able to radio commands to comrades such as echlon left column formation etc but that one fits in with crew voices and crew models as a nice to have for 'mersion'    

[balrog1970]

Hot tip go to map while driving forward and then switch back to game and you have instant cruise control  

 

Bouncing shells of the water is fun too

 

Also discovered that whilst I looked real pretty nestled in amongst the foliage of the forest at close range I was actually perfectly visible at range  those tank nests are going to be a must have in wood land if you are going to lay an ambush as covering yourself in twigs don't cut it 

 

Would be nice to have ground fog or mist on river banks and such 

 

Detail forest foliage may also be a requirement as well as high detail models of buildings 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by balrog1970

[murkz]

I have also noticed, that the skins of tanks get lighter the farther away you are from them, so Balrog was easy'ish to spot hiding in the tree line. He though he was in the grass and bushed in the tree line but those LOD out at distance and him being lighter then the surrounding area made him spotable.

[=gRiJ=Roman-]

If we are going to have tank killers in the future, it would be necessary to give the the chance of ambush. In this case the camouflage is essential. Maybe a skin with pieces of bushes attached to it?

[murkz]

Maybe a lower level of detail (LOD) even a billboard LOD for the bushed and grasses where tankers are going to ambush from, the edges of woods/forest and hedge rows. I understand the reason to LOD out the grasses and bushes  but as a tanker trying to ambush, you think you are concealed when in actuality, at a distance you are not.

[balrog1970]

agreed hunter killers beware I wonder if lod distance could be tweaked in editor? At least Hull down is still an option

 

Oh and defo need some means to pop smoke and call in Artillery When Mukz's whips his kitty out

 

T-34/85 or FireFly please  

 

 

[murkz]

Would it be possible to have some of the tank features from Graviteam Tactics: Mius Front, it is a strategy game from the creator of Steel Fury and Steel Armour Blaze of War.

 

There are many tank features in this simulation that would be very welcome in Tank Crew

 

 

Infantry Support and tank riders

 

Weathering and impact on the grass after the shot. Smoke, AT and ATR attacks

 

 

Shot venting system.

 

Weather effects the tank skin, wet when raining.

 

A simple mud system with bogging.

 

Terrain deformation.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 7, 2018 by PzUmurkz

[=gRiJ=Roman-]

Wow! These people from Graviteam were real good! 

[murkz]

8 minutes ago, PA_Spartan- said:

Wow! These people from Graviteam were real good! 

They still are and seem to be going well, though when asked, Andre said they are not going to make a tank sim again. Going to stick with the RTS simulations.

[balrog1970]

POP Smoke - Definitely would be useful for hasty retreats - there is a make smoke key for aircraft could that feature be utilised?

 

I have added ambient noise to my test mission so I  have to work a little harder to discern the engine noise and so do other players  plus a little distant gunfire brings the map to life 

 

Work around for the lack of natural cover at distance  currently is to push a tree over   and hope that nobody notices you 

 

LeftCtrl+1,2,3,4 provides your commander with a flare gun 

 

LeftCrtl+tilde puts it away again

 

Ai gunners need to be dumed down to allow for amount of cover between them and the target, currently they have eyes like a S**t house rat  

 

In fact AI need some serious love as they are what are going to make the ground experience more rich. 

 

Lighting needs some work as Reshade is the only way to pretty things up some currently and thats a bit hit and miss 

 

Need to start trawling through the posts in the Flyboy's forum to get more info around mission building 

[balrog1970]

Oh last one from me today 

 

But can we have proper rain at a distance it looks great but need to improve the texture for the close up view  weather on the ground just seems a bit light

[jollyjack]

Tank transportation ... any options yet? by train, by trucks??

[jollyjack]

On 7/21/2018 at 3:50 AM, OrLoK said:

id love to be able to dismount and "walk about" even with no model, it would be great to take over another AI vehicle/Aircraft

 

A player (armed?) willys, or supply truck would be nice for a 'drive' about ...

[LukeFF]

4 hours ago, jollyjack said:

A player (armed?) willys, or supply truck would be nice for a 'drive' about ...

 

And would add absolutely zero value to gameplay.