New Tank Only Mission - Testers Required

[Friar]

Salute

I have recently re-visited my idea of creating a player v player Tank only capture the flag mission, based on the IL2 Tank Crew "Advance and Secure".

I have created this new version using modern tanks on the Caucasus map, so only the Combined Arms module is required, nothing else special.

Before I go public over on the DCS forums I need to test it with some players to test "tank on tank" action.

I think this has the potential to be quite exciting (well I would wouldn't I) 

If you would like to help me test, please let me know below

[Perfesser]

Sounds like fun. I'm in

[Friar]

You just need the combined Arm module Perf - do you have it?

[Crash]

I have it but havent set it up yet, when are you thinking of doing it?

[Friar]

@Crash - I will try and work it to suit most people that want to try it. Sundays are getting a bit easier for me now so could try it on a week when Delta is not doing his Campaign?

Failing that either a Friday or Saturday?

For the tanks you only need about 6 buttons and can play it on the keyboard.

[Perfesser]

I do have it but haven't looked at it much.  I'll do that.  

[Friar]

The main key binds that a player will need to play this (my defaults in brackets)

• Engines - Are running from start but could get stopped so a key for Stop / Start (Page-up)
• Positions
  • Jump to Driver (numpad 1)
  • Jump to Gunner (numpad 2)
  • Outside view, called Iso-something? (numpad 0)
    • When in outside view which is behind and slight above tank you can zoom in to position yourself in a "commanders" view. If you go to outside view from the driver position you can look around without the turret swinging all the time.
• Binoculars (B-toggles on and off)
  • This function has its own pre defined buttons, like L for laser, N for NVG's, Z for IR view etc
  • Zoom (scroll mouse wheel)
• Weapons
  • Fire selected weapon (left mouse click)
  • Ammo Selection (E). You may see some tanks showing "depleted" from the start. Just use E to select next ammo. I have tried to configure each tank to have similar loadouts with similar initial reload times. Some times the default weapon was not right for this. Tanks have primary and secondary stocks. Once the primary is used up the secondary is used but load times take longer.
  • Weapon select for turret - main gun / heavy machine gun etc (Q)
  • Gun Stabilizer (if fitted) (V) 
  • Gun Range Finder (if fitted) (L)
  • Gun sight zoom (if fitted) (right mouse click and hold)
  • Centre gun (when in gun sight view) (numpad 5)
  • Target Lock (if fitted) (not sure what I have for this-doing this post from work computer)
• Movement
  • Handbrake (H toggle on and off)
  • Put tank in forward drive gear (X), gears change up and down automatically once moving
  • Put tank in reverse drive gear (Z)
  • Throttle up (W)
  • Cruise Control (T) - useful when travelling across country. Just hit T then its hands free.
  • Go Left (A)
  • Go Right (D)
  • Stop (S) - also clears cruise control

You will also need a key for Comms menu (same as planes) to get to the F10 "Other" menus

[Crash]

 

thanks Col

[Friar]

If anyone want to see what this map is about I will be be sitting on discord this evening and will put it on the server for you to try your hand.

[Perfesser]

Looks more like Command & Conquer than Tank Crew and only modern tanks.... other than maybe the Greyhound in Normandy.  Easy to hit targets first shot with modern tanks. Still, plenty of scenarios possible if you know how to  build missions. 

[Friar]

@Perfesser - I have done a Normandy version previously with WWII tanks but requires obviously to have Normandy map and WWII Assets pack. This way I can test the concept as players only need CA.

CA is not perfect and has it faults (tanks can go through stone walls but a shrub will stop it!) but I am hoping this concept will work and is popular. If so I can push it back to WWII which I actually think WOULD be a better scenario.

[Squee7e]

So how did the testing go? Did you successfully got to the point where you reached for each other's throats?

[Friar]

@Squee7e  

Many thanks to @Perfesser for rocking up and helping me test.

Testing highlighted a couple of issue that I need to investigate but the absolute biggie was the fact there was no tank engine sound for either of us when played on the server.

I did a repair this morning and still nothing.

Works fine off line for both of us! 

UPDATE:

I have just loaded up the Persian Gulf mission and jumped in a tank I have on there and the sounds work fine so it is something in my mission

[Squee7e]

@Friar Sad to hear that you find so many bugs when trying to create missions for us but I'm sure this is something ED should look into and is not your fault.

It's a pity that some functions of the game are so 'fragile'

[Friar]

It looks like my project may be dead in the water.

It seems, for what ever reason, the way I create tanks when played on line gives them no sound, played off line they are fine.

I have submitted my mission to cfrag for him to review to see if he gets the same issue.

[Perfesser]

I just started building something on the Normandy map. Sound seems to work ok even when I start it as a server.... so far.

[Friar]

@Perfesser 

How are you adding the tanks? If you are adding them directly in the mission editor, then that seems to work for me as well.

The problem with that is you can only generate a tank once, it can not re-spawn. If you are designing your mission where a player can get killed multiple times you will need to place enough tanks on the map to have enough supply.

This then means that if the enemy could get to the the place where all the tanks are stored, they could be killed, if they do not have any AI protection.

If you add AI to the mission you then run the risk of AI kills from amazing ranges and angles.

A mission where a small number of players jump into tanks and attempt to take a town guarded by AI players and defences could be achieved however, but again you will need to provide enough stock for re-spawns.

There is a feature called "late activation" where you could define triggers that state activate tank 2 when tank 1 gets killed and tank 3 when tank 2 gets killed and so on to prevent the map being littered with tanks not being used, that might be an option for your game play.

That would half work to get round my problem but not when a town or zone could change hands a number of times.

If you need to ask anything about building your mission please give me a shout.