Developer Diary 328 - Discussion

[Han]

6 minutes ago, Han said:

328

While we are testing the Normandy release candidate, work is underway on other projects, which are scheduled for release a little later. In particular, the new Churchill IV player-controllable tank is in the final stage of development for the Tank Crew project. Supplied to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program, this tank was an active participant in the events on the Kursk Bulge. During our work on it, we and our partners from Digital Forms have implemented a lot of its design features and equipment. It was an extremely difficult tank to develop because it has a very specific design with a complex armor scheme, an intricate track assembly, a variety of additional equipment, and rather specific crew working conditions. To better describe it, here is an excerpt from its in-game description:

......................................

 

Full news - here is a full text and visual materials

[ROCKET_KNUT]

First!

[DD_Arthur]

Thank you Han. This is going to be amazing in VR!?

[Denum]

Holy crap the detail on the interior is so good you could pass it for a real picture!!!

[sevenless]

Holy Crap! Fantastic detail!

 

Edited August 26, 2022 by sevenless

[Noisemaker]

Looks great!

[Zooropa_Fly]

Oh pants it's all tanks. 

[namhee2]

I'm still waiting.....

[40plus]

Smoke Mortar!

[smink1701]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[moustache]

wait, it's about smoke and smoke generator... we're going to have a smoke mechanism in TC?

Oh, and at the same time, many of us wondered about its power: what shells will it have? of course, a simple HE and AP, but which AP? Simple AP, APCBC, APCR, APDS?

Edited August 26, 2022 by moustache

[timothy55]

The detail in that Churchill is quite amazing.

[Blitzen]

Just in time for cocktails...

 

[354thFG_Panda_]

Awesome, the Churchills detail is incredible. Keep up the good work! 

Edited August 26, 2022 by theRedPanda

[[CPT]Crunch]

Was the popcorn popper standard equipment?

[SOLIDKREATE]

I need to buy this game. I have  always loved tanks. I used to draw them all the time and even design my own.

[Skycat1969]

1 hour ago, SOLIDKREATE said:

I need to buy this game. I have  always loved tanks. I used to draw them all the time and even design my own.

Same. I also really enjoyed building scale models as a kid, mostly cheap 1/72 scale kits and sometimes 1/76 Matchbox dioramas when I could afford them. My favorite kit was a 1/48 Tiger that had all the internal compartments.

 

Tank Crew is a dream come true if only to drive these vehicles around in VR.

[Voyager]

Somehow I read that as "first stage of development" and was thinking, "That looks awfully complete for a first stage..." 

[senseispcc]

A great addition to the simulation and just in time for the soon to be released Normandy campaign air simulation, Thanks or tank! 

[JG27_Steini]

Can anyone point me to the 2 inch mortar on the screenshot, pls.

[Noisemaker]

3 minutes ago, JG27_Steini said:

Can anyone point me to the 2 inch mortar on the screenshot, pls.

Image 7 looks like it firing.

[JG27_Steini]

1 minute ago, Noisemaker said:

Image 7 looks like it firing.

 

Saw that, but where is the mortag 

[fergal69]

Be nice to sit on the correct side for driving, ie. The right side. ?

 

One thing you can't take away from the developers is their desire to produce planes & tanks that you wouldn't normally find in other sims.

 

Appears that a lot of research has gone into developing the Churchill. Wonder if any of the design elements made it into the Metro. ?

 

 

[Peachy9]

 

 

49 minutes ago, JG27_Steini said:

Can anyone point me to the 2 inch mortar on the screenshot, pls.

 

Right hand wall of the turret (in the interior shot) - says "Bomb Thrower - 2 Inch" - The 2 inch bombs are stacked with tailfins up in front right corner of the turret

[JG27_Steini]

7 minutes ago, Peachy9 said:

 

 

 

Right hand wall of the turret (in the interior shot) - says "Bomb Thrower - 2 Inch" - The 2 inch bombs are stacked with tailfins up in front right corner of the turret

 

Thank you

[Peachy9]

Not convinced about the smoke trails in flight - having fired 2 inch mortar smoke in the 80s - would not have been popular with those firing the mortar to have their position given away. If there is a fuze burning in the round then it would be much much fainter, almost invisible

[Vortice]

If it's a Churchill you can run it on pure alcohol and it will work just fine.

[Monty_Thrud]

could you put these up on steam, we are only up to 326.

[Deacon352nd]

While I’d like to see more tank types developed, I have to wonder why all the efforts were placed to introduce a tank of which 235 were placed in the USSR’s hands while there thousands of B17’s in the war but nothing is done to include these planes either as AI’s or human piloted. 

[Mm1ut1]

Could you post a picture of the view through the gunner’s sight ? Magnifying power ? 
lack of an HE round is a bummer. 
I will be curious to see how it works in the anti tank role on mp servers. 
Anyway great job ! Can’t wait to try it and the Stug. With winter not too far away it will definitely help pass the time!

[AEthelraedUnraed]

1 hour ago, Deacon352nd said:

While I’d like to see more tank types developed, I have to wonder why all the efforts were placed to introduce a tank of which 235 were placed in the USSR’s hands while there thousands of B17’s in the war but nothing is done to include these planes either as AI’s or human piloted. 

I fail to see the connection.

[BladeMeister]

She'll be a little slow, but with the Shermans buzzing around distracting the huns, I will slip in from the flank and 6 pounder them into the next life. Or at least that is how it plays out in my little mind. Amazing detail and I can't wait as I have driven, gunned and commanded in the Churchill in SF1942 and really enjoyed her brute strength armor and close up hitting power. She is a slug, but a THICK slug.

 

S!Blade<><

[Avimimus]

So it sounds like we'll be missing the HE round for the main gun, but have a high explosive round for the 2in mortar? That should be amusing! One can still take out that anti-tank artillery, but it'll require more patience and consideration of windage!

 

I suppose a lot of people will be wanting a Churchill I (howitzer equipped) or Churchill VIII now? I wonder if all of the work done on this Churchil might make those a bit easier to develop?

 

Anyway, I'm feeling quite happy with having pre-ordered as I see the detail and care that has gone into it.

 

  

1 hour ago, Deacon352nd said:

While I’d like to see more tank types developed, I have to wonder why all the efforts were placed to introduce a tank of which 235 were placed in the USSR’s hands while there thousands of B17’s in the war but nothing is done to include these planes either as AI’s or human piloted. 

 

Hmm... well, that is because the programming and computing resources for tanks is undoubtedly quite a bit different than that used for large (36+) formations of heavy bombers? Also, while the crew cabin is undoubtedly complex to model, the B-17 has multiple gunner stations that'd make it expensive as a player flyable aircraft (although it might be more feasible as AI).

 

  

15 hours ago, smink1701 said:

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Let me tuck you in! Hush now!

 

  

15 hours ago, moustache said:

wait, it's about smoke and smoke generator... we're going to have a smoke mechanism in TC?

Oh, and at the same time, many of us wondered about its power: what shells will it have? of course, a simple HE and AP, but which AP? Simple AP, APCBC, APCR, APDS?

 

No 'of-course': It sounds like the main gun will only have solid AP. If we want other rounds then they'll have to make a non-lend-lease version (apparently the Russians weren't equipped with 57mm HE). So, time to hope that it sells enough to justify Tank Crew II  or more collector vehicles.

 

But it does look like we may get HE for the 2in smoke mortar... which should be amusing.

[moustache]

13 minutes ago, Avimimus said:

No 'of-course': It sounds like the main gun will only have solid AP. If we want other rounds then they'll have to make a non-lend-lease version (apparently the Russians weren't equipped with 57mm HE).

wait, let's understand each other: there are no HE shells? I mean a real HE, for "soft" targets... not an APHE...

 

and if you only have a simple AP shell, it may make it difficult to fight against tanks at medium and long range ... sad...

[Nickkyboy99]

Smoke motors??

Does this mean the tiger and panzer 3 will have working smoke launchers as well???

[Reaperr]

and biggest question will it be able to stand against panthers and tigers with its armor. will it be able to pen tigers or any other german tank? or most likely be so slow that it will never get in time anywhere for any engagement? after all it should be much slower then ferdinand

[Lord_Strange]

9 minutes ago, moustache said:

wait, let's understand each other: there are no HE shells? I mean a real HE, for "soft" targets... not an APHE...

 

and if you only have a simple AP shell, it may make it difficult to fight against tanks at medium and long range ... sad...

From the dev diary we are discussing:

 

The only type of cannon shell featured a fairly high armor penetration. However, it was solid, i.e. did not feature a bursting charge, and this significantly reduced its after-penetration effect. Also, the lack of high-explosive fragmentation shells in the ammunition load was reducing the range of tasks carried out by the tank.

 

Yes, no HE or APHE is limiting, but it is historically accurate. From the sounds of it, the Soviets weren't happy about this either.

[Nickkyboy99]

26 minutes ago, Reaperr said:

will it be able to pen tigers or any other german tank?

It's going to have a 57mm (6 pounder) gun and according to war thunder, the regular AP and APC can barely pen Tigers frontally, anything past 500m no chance. But the APCBC round can pen Tigers at 500m+ easily but anything 1km or further, no chance.

But that's just war thunder maybe it'll be different here in il-2

 

In 1943 North Africa and so on, about 200 Churchill Mk.IVs were refitted with a 75mm M3 gun. Highly doubt it'll be a modification in il2, besides the 6 pdr is a lot better anyways 

 

Too bad we're not getting a Mk.V, was more or less a Mk.IV but had a 95mm gun on it reee

Edited August 27, 2022 by Nickkyboy99

[Carl_infar]

In one of the previous messages, the devs wrote that the M3 will be the modification which You can choose

[616Sqn_Tyggz]

"Besides the mortar, the tank is equipped with two pyrotechnic smoke dischargers mounted on the rear. They allow the tank to deploy a smoke screen within a minute and a half."

For anyone wondering how this would look. They're similar to the concisely named "Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung" system on some panzers. It was also used on the Cromwell too.

While the Churchill is shaping up well and has some superb texture work, I've noticed several issues with the tank that really ought to be looked at.

The track covers on the tank should be removable in two stages as modifications. This was done on both the Eastern and Western front.





In wet conditions these would clog up with mud - Hence why they were removed by crews.


Secondly, the external fuel tank fitted to the back shouldn't be there at all or at the very least it should be a modification - Far from representative of any Churchills in combat. They were only widely used in North Africa; anywhere else and it's a very rare thing to see. (Including in the Soviet Union)
This mistake was also made with WT...

Lastly, the Churchill tank must be given the option to be equipped with Western front ammunition that saw use right up until the end of the war. HE, APCBC and APDS.  The Churchill had a considerable presence in North West Europe, leaving us with a "Soviet only" version will severely crush its mission design potential... Especially considering the highly anticipated Normandy map and the Churchills important role in that region.



I had hoped to make a Churchill IV campaign on the Rhineland map, but I fear that'll have to get canned now.

 

7 minutes ago, Carl_infar said:

In one of the previous messages, the devs wrote that the M3 will be the modification which You can choose

I'm fairly sure this wasn't the case. The store page for the collector tank states that a number of Churchills were reworked and given the M3. That's all.
Some forum users mistook this for confirmation that the Churchill in game would have a 75mm mod.