IL-2 Sturmovik: Tank Crew - Clash at Prokhorovka

Started by Zulu1966, November 20, 2020, 12:39:43 PM

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Toonces

I'm going to have to take a closer look at Tank Crew.  Honestly, this game keeps falling right off my radar.  Lately I've been hankering to get into, and learn more about, ground warfare.  I think this game might be the gateway game I've been looking for.
"If you had a chance, right now, to go back in time and stop Hitler, wouldn't you do it?  I mean, I personally wouldn't stop him because I think he's awesome." - Eric Cartman

"Does a watch list mean you are being watched or is it a come on to Toonces?" - Biggs

Destraex

#16
Toonces with regard to ground warfare. This game is like an old school sim. From a scenario creators perspective the AI is either static or flight simulator style triggered units or patrolling units. It's not like a strategy games AI which has the over all aim of winning the battle. Think "combat mission cmx2" style AI. So in terms of ground warfare you can get some tactical aspects down. But nothing major other than an experience of what it was like to be a tanker.

They are still working on infantry but this may never come. I think the engine would choke. The people models are meant for manning the flight simulator aspects crew more than anything else. AT guns, heavy machine gun emplacements etc and the like do have crews though.

Some things are missing which I do not think the engine could handle. Smoke grenade launchers are on some tanks but not modelled. These launchers could really save you from air attack in multiplayer. Cockpits are not clickable which is a shame but nothing in il2 is so it is expected. However seeing the interior parts moving as they work is amazing. It helps me seeing the moving parts just to understand how these machines actually worked. One really cool touch is the exhaust fan notification. When a round fires the fan comes on for a bit. You can fire with the tank engine turned off. I will have to take note if the fan runs off auxiliary power when I do this. Another major thing that is missing so to speak is detailed driving mechanics. You do not actually change gears yourself and the most you can do is limit the top gear to ensure more torque. This though does not let one experience stripping the German drive trains bare with bad gear changes and incorrect gears. It does not allow you to experience using a hammer in a T34 to change gears :P

In addition the community for the tank game is not what I would call strong. In the few games I played last night one server was playing up for the aircraft so some switched to tank warfare (they call it ground pounding) because the tanks don't seem to play up as much. So you get some flyboys that also play tanks as a nice change for them.
However their is a quick mission generator which got updated yesterday and there seem to be plenty of user made scenarios. The scenarios that come with the game do come in campaign format, however they are not linked to a career like the aircraft ones.

The fact that Tank Crew is mated with il2 flight simulator though I think is one of it's strengths but also a weakness. Because it does not have to stand on it's own. In fact shortly to emphasize this point, we will be getting the first AA truck simulated. Then we will be able to shoot at aircraft ourselves with a potent weapon. Previously the best weapon we had was a Sherman's roof mounted .50.... which I am yet to have a chance to try against low flying aircraft.
On the other hand without tank crew being very popular in comparison to the flyboy stuff, you will find the focus is on the aircraft features when it comes to the core engine. Even though tank crew was an outsourced project. This is why most maps will not get the only dedicated tank crew maps level of detail. That detail chugs aircraft players PCs when they fly over it apparently.

The game il2 tank crew is a stand alone game. However conversely if you get it on steam it is not stand alone. So watch out here.

Here are the tanks you get in game. For me in AUD it adds up to $10 a tank or so.


Here is a list of the current keys to give you an idea of what you can and cannot do. I just noticed it's missing ~ for commander menu, which gives commands to your platoon.

"They only asked the Light Brigade to do it once"

Destraex



Me hanging out the side of the gunners hatch behind the shurtzen. Wierd.


Another view from the gunners hatch, how did I see so high? The gunner must have wiggled out a ways more.


T-34 Station notes for the gunner. Compared to the German sites the Russian ones are much harder to use.


What should I bring? Steel road wheels. Surely the crew would like the comfy rubber ones.  O0


German sites. So much easier to use than the allied stuff.


Me stuck in some sort of pot hole with a track on the other side out. Turning the tank engine off and opening the commander's hatch starts the crew working on repairs. Although it takes 9 minutes to repair one track!


T-34 Drivers compartment. Tonnes of camera angles and zooming in and out you can do. Looks worse than it is.


This guy is going to pull a muscle in his neck like this, looking around the hatch\shield.
"They only asked the Light Brigade to do it once"

Toonces

Thanks, yeah I was looking at it more deeply last night on Steam.  I'm an SP guy mainly and I don't think, after reading the details, that this game is what I'm looking for...certainly not at 80 clams.  That's a bit beyond my trivial drop of money threshold for computer games.

Man alive I'd love to see something more akin to Falcon 4's dynamic campaign, but with tanks.  If I could just really understand Steel Fury better...but the UI simply beffudles me.
"If you had a chance, right now, to go back in time and stop Hitler, wouldn't you do it?  I mean, I personally wouldn't stop him because I think he's awesome." - Eric Cartman

"Does a watch list mean you are being watched or is it a come on to Toonces?" - Biggs

Destraex

Yeah I hear you with regard to the cost. It's what most people complain about. But there are so many products that cost a lot for the wargaming community. Because wargaming\war simulations are niche. Battlefront products, DCS Products, Matrix Games. Most of those modules are $60 and above. A lot of the time for a single aircraft in DCS's case.

Literally saw this crack off through the gunner site and fly off... looking outside later and I see factory primer!
"They only asked the Light Brigade to do it once"

Jarhead0331

Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Destraex

I actually wonder how effective the remaining plate is modelled after this happens. Would it be half as thick now? I think so.
This is the first mission in the scripted campaign. I do think I probably will be upgraded to the Tiger at some point. I kinda enjoy being in the standard tanks though.
Knowing you are so vulnerable. I think the T-34 is more than a match for a MkIV.


"They only asked the Light Brigade to do it once"

Father Ted

FLASH SALE - TC at half price for those on the fence

solops

I was about to dive into this but I got waylayed by Wizards and Warlords.  What VR device do yall favor?
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Destraex

Well personally I do not have VR. I have a reasonable PC now but really an not that interested in VR. When the hololens style VR is common that is probably when I would be more interested. I have to interact with people in my house.
"They only asked the Light Brigade to do it once"

Destraex

#25
The enemy must have thought I was dead in this first campaign mission for the Russians. We were ordered to retreat, probably because I was trying to get my eye in for the Russian T-34 sights. However I decided to charge instead. My Tank squadron following me. The other 30 or so T-34s retreating. One of my the Tanks in my squadron was destroyed and my tank became disabled next to it. I could no believe my luck as the AI must have thought I was dead. The Tigers rolled past me and I took them out with side shots. Stopping the enemy advance and gaining a secondary objective completion. I'd say that is a first down for the Russians!

The tank that saved my life. Shielding me from the AI.


The view behind my tank


Commander\Gunners binoculars turned out of the turret. Tigers are wasted.


I guess I should have retreated when the secondary is to stop the tanks!
"They only asked the Light Brigade to do it once"

Destraex


Well. Tank Crew is 40% off in the spring sale now. Not as good a saving as the flash sale but still good value.
"They only asked the Light Brigade to do it once"

Skoop


Gusington

I would have got it at the flash price but I missed it :/


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Destraex

#29
I just had a few friends commenting to me about Tank Crew.
One said:
"I played both campaigns of this game and was honestly disappointed. The script was made by a child, and no coordination whatsoever. I have had more immersion in Warthunder RB"
I replied:
I agree that the campaign system is not the greatest. It's typical flight simulation stuff
However War Thunder is generally tanks of mixed periods and generally of people rushing around fighting as individuals. RB rarely gets played in my experience.
War Thunder RB, I played a few of those and was not that immersed. Could not look around inside the tank or use tank commander binocs iirc.... It defo felt like I was reticle bound. In tank crew I would love to be able to jump out to do recon as well. Balance is the operative word for most things in war thunder. I don't know that I would even trust their RB (realistic battles) mode to represent the correct stats for tanks.

The other piped in and said that "The best tank experience so far I think is still post scriptum."
I replied that "With real people as infantry yes that experience is better. But in terms of being part of a simulated battlegroup doing an attack as well as having the interiors modelled and a lot of the subtle things like fans venting shell gases and the damage models presented, the things that can go wrong with the tank. The tank not just being a health bar... less so. You also have to have an actual player base that lasts to play, tank crew does not require a playerbase!"

Now the last mission I just played in Tank Crew was mission 3 in a Mark IV and I literally walked through it barely firing a shot. The 30 or so other Tanks in the mission did all the work for me. I think I killed one AT gun. I was carried pretty hard because I was tired and was just a little slow with most things. Realistic or what!  :2funny:
"They only asked the Light Brigade to do it once"