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WKK Gimbal

Bis: age-old tank glitches everyone hates

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There's a couple of glitches which has been around since V.1.0

Lot's of people have mentioned them and some have even given up on tanks completely. In other words, these simple glitches really compromise the tank experience...

If they're not fixed for OFP, could they please be for Resistance? Pretty please? Down-on-my-knees please?

Here they are:

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Numero 1

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Target calling blocks the vehicle radio, so the commander can't issue targets or command fire (or moves).

Pure AI controlled tanks are not limited by this - they usually always gets the first shot in close quarters, because you can't issue any orders. There's even about 2 secs of silence after the target call before you can order anything!

Modern tanks have targeting computers. Couldn't we just say that the computers called out the targets (silently) so you could get on with the game and not die?

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numero 2

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AI drivers don't obey move commands properly. Combined with the issue above, this makes AI driving suicide.

When I say "fast" I don't mean "halt" or "turn around in a 360 degree circle". I mean FAST! It's usually an order you give when the toilet's on fire! AI failing to respond results in horrible death.

And when you say "left", why does he turn left and then right again?? Could atleast the turn keys not function a bit more like when you drive yourself? A little delay in response is fine - just not this returning-to-original-heading thing.

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numero 3

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When you hop into a tank, your entire squad hits the dirt, because you are "turned in" by default. It's fine that behaviour is controlled by the in/out thing, but could it please be limited to those actually inside the tank? It's not a problem to manually tell the infantry to get down when they actually have to.

Result is often that your tank crew is bellycrawling for bushes instead of getting inside the can (after been given the order to do so).

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numero 4

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When an enemy tank is driving right in front of you, you still can't lock on to him in many cases, because the game has decided you can't see him. If I have clear visual range and he's even moving at top speed, should I not be able to spot him?

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Thank you so much for reading. I hope atleast numero 1 and 2 will be fixed. It cuts player controlled tank's efficiency by 50% or more.

cheers wink.gif

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Engine power as well please sad.gif They should be an ickly bit faster.....or at least climb hills a bit faster.....pwetty pwetty plz smile.gif

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Yes! I can't believe I didn't put that on! The cruize speed is perfect, it's only when going up hill in falls apart. Tanks hardly gets any penalty from this in real life, thanks to cruize control (sp).

I know an Abrams can eat a 60% slope before crawling to a halt.

So they shouldn't be faster in topspeed, just more stable in speed (horse power) and brake distance should be near instant.

Gimbal out

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you mean when i say forward the AI is actually supposed to move the tank???

but same thing with #1 on choppers. i get really pissed off trying to evade shilka fire while my gunner merrily reports he sees some soldiers, some trucks, oh and even a merry little uaz! by the time i get to "target shilka" "fire" i'm either dead or ejected.

i haven't really played much tank-tank combat because of the things you mentioned, the most i ever seem to do is take out some BMPs with a M2A2

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (LordZach @ April 19 2002,02:47)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">but same thing with #1 on choppers.  i get really pissed off trying to evade shilka fire while my gunner merrily reports he sees some soldiers, some trucks, oh and even a merry little uaz!  by the time i get to "target shilka" "fire" i'm either dead or ejected.<span id='postcolor'>

Hehe. Just select manual fire and u can engage that shilka in no-time.

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i know but sometimes that feels too arcadish to me. weird i know but it just feels better to see a TOW launch when i yell fire instead of when i click the button.

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What about the realistic gun depression values? Theres been quite a few requests for those, and I think it would be great to have (in addition to your ideas, of course smile.gif )

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AND FIX THE SMOKE! tanks are not muskets, do not use black powder a giant lume of blacking grey smoke surrounding the tank for several seconds is not needed..

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I'm glad you brought this up. I get especially annoyed with the radio blocking. If several targets are being called out in succession, you have no control over your ai until it stops. All those problems are very annoying, fixing them would improve tank combat a lot.

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Targeting would be greatly improved if there wasn't just one target key (as there is now), but two.. Next and Previous.

The M1A1 weights 63 tons. Despite its 1,500 horsepower engine, it can only reach a maximum cruise speed of 40 miles per hour. It can climb 60 degree slopes at a poor 3-4 miles per hour. Their engines and the way they climb mountains is quite realistic. If you've ever driven a heavy truck you will notice that on flat ground it will drive fine, but even a tiny slope will require you to downshift.

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Good points Gimball. And the list goes on...

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Numero 5

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Like Aaron Kane said - FIX the gun depression to more realistic.

It's now quite impossible to fire downwards from good hull-down positions (meaning tank hull is hidden behind hill & turret is only visible to enemy)

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Numero 6

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Commander should be able to turn around 360 degrees when they've turned out, just to get more view of the battlefield.

(and add option to use binoculars as tank commander if possible).

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Numero 7

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Gunner cant turn out while Tank Commander and Driver can

in MP games - why? works fine in SP.

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Numero 8

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Make tanks IMMOBILIZE when hit by mine. It cant be impossible even with current limited damage model - since even car tires can be shot flat preventing their movement. Make track sections in tank turn RED when hit by mine. But dont force crew to bail out when immobilized.

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Numero 9

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Make turret/hull armor weaker in rear areas. Now some tanks

are easier to destroy behind some aren't. Make ALL tanks take more damage when hit from behind.

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Numero 10

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BMP-1 CAN'T fire Sabot ammo in real life - only HEAT.

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Numero 11

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M2 Bradley CAN fire AP ammo like BMP-2.

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Numero 12

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M2 Bradley Tank Commander can't with his view when inside the tank making him totally useless without unrealistic 3rd person view.

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Numero 13

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Make BRDM more durable. Now it can be destroyed more easily than HUMVEE and BRDM is more like an APC.

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Numero 14

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Vulcan and M113 gunners can't be shot even though their

heads stick out clearly.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Aww, this certainly needs a new topic....

<span id='postcolor'>

No it doesn't smile.gif

On top of what others have mentioned, I would also like to see the co-axial machine gun be a bit more accurate and not have such a wide area of impact. It should also have more than just 500 rounds of ammo, that's just pathetic, I can carry more than that. Real tanks have thousands of rounds of co-axial ammo.

As I have done before, I will refer to Aaron Ash's MBT and IFV add ons, those are about the finest add ons out there for realism. He gives the T-80 an actual Russian sight, instead of the generic American one found on the Abrams. He also re-textured the vehicles to what they look like IRL. He also gave the Abrams and the T-80 .50 cal machine guns. He did countless things to them, just download it and see it for

yourself.

Tyler

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and while we are all whining how about a simple option to turn off vehicle smoke (cloudlets) independently from bullet puffs, explosion cloudlets etc

I really hate it when i turn around in my tank and that huge black cloud of smoke it is emitting lags my mouse cursor. The same when you are driving on desert island, and you cant see anything at all because of the same cursor lagging smoke everywhere....or simply an option to thin the smoke out a bit

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thx for the advice on Ash's mods, assault. downloading them now...

But of course official fix would be nice, maybe by some armor enthusiast at BIS?

Agreed on the machine guns also, MBTs are pretty stable and accurate platforms. Maybe BIS was making some kind of compromise.

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"And when you say "left", why does he turn left and then right again?? Could atleast the turn keys not function a bit more like when you drive yourself? A little delay in response is fine - just not this returning-to-original-heading thing."

You have to press left a bit longer, if you keep the button down you can easily turn 360 degrees. But I agree these are good things that'll add realism and fun.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Wobble @ April 19 2002,05:07)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">AND FIX THE SMOKE! tanks are not muskets, do not use black powder a giant lume of blacking grey smoke surrounding the tank for several seconds is not needed..<span id='postcolor'>

brindle8.jpg

Wobble, this is just a small artillery piece... I've seen movies of 120mm tank guns fire and the entire thing was covered in flames and smoke for several seconds. I believe the OFP smoke is actually on the low side to make the game playable.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (WKK Gimbal @ April 19 2002,16:22)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">wow.gif7--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Wobble @ April 19 2002,05wow.gif7)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">AND FIX THE SMOKE! tanks are not muskets, do not use black powder a giant lume of blacking grey smoke surrounding the tank for several seconds is not needed..<span id='postcolor'>

brindle8.jpg

Wobble, this is just a small artillery piece... I've seen movies of 120mm tank guns fire and the entire thing was covered in flames and smoke for several seconds. I believe the OFP smoke is actually on the low side to make the game playable.<span id='postcolor'>

Hm. Isn't he talking about engine smoke. That grey-black smoke. I really don't know now. confused.gif

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Yes, a tank's sites will be obscured by gun smoke for a few seconds after firing.  They not only produce smoke, but also a heap of dust from the muzzle blast.  What's more, when you hit a target, the explosion will likely obscure your target, making it difficult to determine if it's still a threat or not.  If the tank is moving, however, they'll usually run through the smoke in much less time.  Also, if the tanks had thermal imaging (like they should) smoke and dust wouldn't be detrimental at all.

As for the M-1 and inclines.  How often do you come across or attempt a 60° slope?  Rarely if ever.  Certainly I haven't seen many in this game.  Most hill slopes in this game wouldn't give a tank any pause at all.  Something to keep in mind, the M-1 tank is governed down to 45 mph.  Without governing, the M-1 reached 90+ MPH in tests.  That's before the tracks flew off.  Their engines have more than enough power, and they can accelerate extremely fast.

They can also stop very fast - literally on a dime.  The tracks afford them a huge amount of traction.  However, tank drivers are trained from the very beginning to use very gentle breaking.  Just because the tank can stop doesn't mean the crew can.  I've seen tank commanders and loaders thrown a good 20-30 ft. in front of a tank because a driver stomped on the brakes.  Tank commanders are trained from the very beginning to be very afraid of the back end of the .50 cal. in front of them.  Their faces come in contact with it all too often if they have an inexperienced driver.

Edit: Oh yeah, the main gun smoke is white, not black. =)

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Make tanks IMMOBILIZE when hit by mine. It cant be impossible even with current limited damage model - since even car tires can be shot flat preventing their movement. Make track sections in tank turn RED when hit by mine. But dont force crew to bail out when immobilized.<span id='postcolor'>

Tank mines are just fine. Two mines are enough to destroy a T80 and disable Abrams. Tracks become red when hit by mine and i think tank crews are disembarking because the tank is about to explode.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Make turret/hull armor weaker in rear areas. Now some tanks are easier to destroy behind some aren't. Make ALL tanks take more damage when hit from behind.<span id='postcolor'>

You're not right here. All tanks take more damage when hit from behind. wow.gifwow.gif

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">M2 Bradley CAN fire AP ammo like BMP-2.<span id='postcolor'>

I think they removed AP because Bradley rockets are more powerfull and you can fire two at one time. But if Bradley is better, make it better. I agree with you here.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">M2 Bradley Tank Commander can't with his view when inside the tank making him totally useless without unrealistic 3rd person view.<span id='postcolor'>

I actually heard that Bradley tank commander really can't turn his turret. wow.gif

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i believe the bradley commander has the viewports so he can pretty much get a 270 degree (guess) view however OFP doesn't simulate this so it is kind of useless.

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2 rebuttals.....

Wobble - it's not the gun smoke that blinds the crew - its the dirt/ground lifting from the compression of the main gun firing. If you want to be more realistic, you would have so much dust that framerates would drop to nothing.

advocatexxx - IMHO, the tank speed is too SLOW. I have been in M1A1 Heavy's(68 tons) that have been able to do close to 50mph. The governors are not electronic - they are mechanical. You get good hull mechanics that know what they are doing....you can pretty much go as fast as you want. smile.gif The uphill speed is WAY too slow also. Yes, a 60 degree grade slows it to a crawl, but it seems that BIS modeled the M1 performance after a truck - you take the slightest grade, and you slow down. Doesn't happen that way...

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I know the M1A1 is a tough nut but would a direct hit to its engine ruin it? I mean I know the armor at the front is thickest and less on top and sides but at the rear wouldn't it be weak point? I'v heard people saying that if you hit an Abrams from behind thats it. All tanks would have weak behinds no?

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (SpaceAlex @ April 19 2002,17:07)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Tank mines are just fine. Two mines are enough to destroy a T80 and disable Abrams.<span id='postcolor'>

I thought it took only one mine. In that "Defender" mission each tank ran over one mine I think. Didn't have to shoot any of them.

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