First Impressions of Steel Armour Blaze of war

[frinik]

Ramas on the SimHQ Graviteam sims forum purchased SABoW and posted his first impressions.I am sharing them with you:

Allright, just spent the last 3 hours playing BOW. I started a campaign but was shot to pieces within 10 seconds. So I went back to the main menu and started a quick battle. Luckily you can choose to have dead tanks lying around to take practice shots. But I also found out that if you place a enemy platoon on a target square, the enemy will just drive around and not fight back. It took me a while to figure out how to estimate the target, and I am still not 100% sure how I can pass this info on to my gunner. He has the habit to fire the moment he spots the enemy anyway.
Just to give you my impressions so far:
Graphics:
The graphics are fantastic. Vegetation looks good, so does the sky and the tanks. Same goes for soldiers. Their movement is also more life-like than SF for eg. I just love when it when a shell punches through the armor of a tank and it goes up in flames!

Sound: Gun battles are very impressive. Shells whizzing through the air, very entertaining. They are still some crackling noises and the banter from the disembarked crew is, A. hardly audible, B. sounds like it was recorded with a webcam mic at close range.

Other things I picked up on:

-There is a noticeable delay between the turret moving (M60) and the sound that goes with it.
-Crew is not talking - real shame!
-Tanks feel "bouncy" when driven over rough terrain. In SF they felt more planted (with the exception of the bt-5 which drove like an armoured lotus elise). Same goes for the crew, they bob and shake way too much. IRL they´d be getting sea-sick.
-Encountered the dreaded "driver refuses to turn in the ordered direction" known from SF.
-Both the 7.62mm co-axial and 12.7mm MG of the M60 have a very low rate of fire. I´d say that it´s nowhere near the 500-600 rpm!
-Friendly tanks keep on firing at enemy tanks, long after they´ve caught fire and are already shot to pieces - total waste of ammo
-There is an in-game updater. I opened it to check it out, but it never accessed the internet
-In the missions menu, the Iranian operation is described as the "Sousangerd-invasion". "Invasion" is the wrong term, as Iran aimed to drive back out the Iraqi army that had invaded and occupied her land. "Counter-attack" or "counter-offensive" would be more in line with historic and factual accuracy.

I will give the T-62 and the campaigns a shot over the weekend, and find out how the tactical and strategic elements add-up to the experience.
I will report back!

ramas

[murkz]

Just a few minutes in and here are some screen shots for you.

[starnon5]

Very good write-up, I can't wait to get hold of this game (and hope that it will be a basis for SF sequel).

I like the screenshots too.  The crew corpses look quite gruesome though!

[whukid]

this looks fantastic. How much was it again?

[yl9961027]

GAMEGATE $29.99. I am downloading. 
HI! frinik! Does this game support Joysticks？ In fact, I have been playing with a joystick in SF.

[Shadrach]

Wow, nice to hear it's out - thanks a lot for posting!

Amazing screenshots! *drools*

[frinik]

Hi Guys! Hi yl9961027! Just back from a week rump at the beach !I just read on SImHQ that joysticks are not supported in the game!Here's Andrey 12345's post about it:
Originally Posted By: Friday
Hi Andrey, Is there a way to use a joystick? I have tried re mapping the keys but it doesn't seem to work, am I missing something?

Cheers!


No joysticks not supported.

According to the experience of SF with their support is not justified, for double-handed players
 

BY the Way for those interested the game is already available for a limited time at 50% off at Gamersgate ($15 instead of $ 30);
http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3479817/Steel_Armor_Blaze_of_War_Alrea.html#Post3479817

Merry Xmas!

[tonyuk]

I cant make up my mind whether to this or APOS, and I do prefer WW1. There were very few missions in Oiginal AP and I never really got into it. Despite this I lean more towards APOS. What do you guys think?

[frinik]

Well Tonyuk if you prefer WWII then you have answered yoru own question.However I suspect - as Mistwalker mentioned in a post - that SF models can be imported into SABoW which means you could have that game with WWII mod with all the graphics, new Maps( for desert missions) and AI improvements...As happened with the i44 mod for Arma II or Forgotten Hope 2.4 for Battlefield 2.So you may wnat to hedge your bets.Or if it WWII appeals more to you wait until SABoW is sold at a discount price.

[tonyuk]

Well Tonyuk if you prefer WWII then you have answered yoru own question.However I suspect - as Mistwalker mentioned in a post - that SF models can be imported into SABoW which means you could have that game with WWII mod with all the graphics, new Maps( for desert missions) and AI improvements...As happened with the i44 mod for Arma II or Forgotten Hope 2.4 for Battlefield 2.So you may wnat to hedge your bets.Or if it WWII appeals more to you wait until SABoW is sold at a discount price.

Thanks Frinik

From what I have read, I think it would appear to be best to wait and see whether SABOW is developed further, or if Steel Fury is going to get an expansion. For me anything outside of WW11 has limited appeal, speaking as a HOI3 player. Right now I think APOS has more potential than SABOW. Strange though Gamersgate are already selling SABOW for only £10.

Cheers

[frinik]

SF is definitely going to get a new mod( I wouldn't call it an expansion) with new tanks and likely new missions.,It's also likely to be the last major mod for that game as Mistwalker clearly indicated.Future improvements will be minor and limited.As for SABoW it's a good idea to wait and see what happens to it.

[kapulA]

Isn't there supposed to be a sequel set around Kharkov in August 43? I mean, if that's the case, it couldn't be just a mod, I think, since it'd require new skins for the German and maybe Russian vehicles, in addition to all the new ones that ought to be added to that timeline, probably the new inf. models from APOS, the new anims, updated AI and all that - seems more like a whole new game, or at least an expansion to me

[Panzerfaust]

Well technically Fall Blau was to be the expansion for SFK42 but thats a dead end now. From my understanding from the interviews I did with Graviteam the next game after SABoW will be AP style based, after that another armor simulation but it has only been hinted too that it might be Kharkov based, indications are good but nothing written in stone yet.

A little word about SABoW, guys please consider supporting this title by purchasing it (it's still on sale at Gamersgate for $15.00). I know for some it historical setting holds very little or no interest. For myself the AP series is like how some feel about SABoW. But I still purchased the AP series and if I play them very little or not at all, I know in my own small way it helped Graviteam continue making the types of games I want to see. In all honesty Graviteams games are overall a cheap purchase but are solid games compared to many others titles that cost more, are overly issue ridden and many turn out in the end to be make and drop titles with no future. If anything SFK42 has shown us just how expandable and solid Graviteams core game design are, it may not be the prettiest girl on the block now, but she sure is dependable and adaptable and I really expect SABoW to be no different. As far as first impressions go they are just that... a first impression and really Ramas wasn't that critical of SABoW. Some issues sure, but definately nothing gamestopping and I really havn't seen anybody post yet that SABoW won't work on their rig. Thats one thing I'm glad Graviteam brought to SABoW from SFK42, it will run well on just about any rig 

Also I saw a similar post at SimHq concerning SABoW Gamersgate sale, it's a business pratice at Christmas time and really nothing new or an indication SABoW is somehow in trouble. The publisher wanted to move allot of units because it's the best time of the year (especially this year) to do it. I picked up so many new simulators I have been wanting at 50% off that week that I really did feel like a kid on Christmas morning  The timing was just a coincidence, even if SABoW was released a couple weeks earlier it still would have been on sale anyway. Also I think the release of SABoW caught Graviteam somewhat off guard, I definatley got the impression from some Graviteam employees here and at SimHq that they were not expecting the release when it happened.
Cheers

[frinik]

Very good  point Panzer faust!Do you know if the game is going to be released in dvd-rom form or is ti digital download only?I am interested in it despite my mediocre interest in the Iran-Iraq and Angolan conflicts.I just hope modders will create European and Middle East mods to allow the game to become more interesting .

[whukid]

Very good  point Panzer faust!Do you know if the game is going to be released in dvd-rom form or is ti digital download only?I am interested in it despite my mediocre interest in the Iran-Iraq and Angolan conflicts.I just hope modders will create European and Middle East mods to allow the game to become more interesting .

I have successfully created an Israeli mod, but I don't know how to re-compress the files.. Something to do with making a ".cmd" file..?

[Panzerfaust]

@ whukid,
Thats excellent news  Have you tried to contact andrey12345 at the SABoW subforum or in a PM? I'm sure he could let you know what you have to do. Just a couple quick question about your mod whukid, did you manage to get the skins redone and get missions in it too? Also what map did you use?

@frinik,
Thats a good question about hardcopies, while I'm definately not in any possession of inside knowledge on what Graviteam may or may not do here comrade, I am suspecting we won't see hardcopies of Graviteam games for along while in the western market (North/South America and Canada) because they have no publisher here that I know of. But you can get a hardcopy from other western markets like Germany.
http://www.amazon.de/Steel-Amor-Blaze-Play-Indie/dp/B005I0HS3Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1322745087&sr=1-1

Well it looks like people  (like whukid) are attempting an AIW frinik, but I got this feeling that if skins are made and if you do pick-up a copy, were all going to see some middle east mayhem from our resident battle mayhem maker....you   
Cheers guys!

[whukid]

@ whukid,
Thats excellent news  Have you tried to contact andrey12345 at the SABoW subforum or in a PM? I'm sure he could let you know what you have to do. Just a couple quick question about your mod whukid, did you manage to get the skins redone and get missions in it too? Also what map did you use?

To get to the skins and insignia's, all you have to do is unflatten the files and convert them to .DDS. I made a tutorial in the Subforum, and I read up on the manual to re-compact them. It was something along the lines of making a completley separate .cmd file and stuff, all of which I have no experience with, Thus, my mod remains untested

Oh, And I didn't make any missions. I just changed the Iranian Skins and Insignia's to that of the Israelis

[Panzerfaust]

Humm so using the in game battles where Israel sub's for Iran against Iraq? Sounds interesting can't wait to see it  .
Cheers

[frinik]

Thanks Panzerfaust!I may order the game from Germany.I read German so it's not a problem for me.

Well doen Whukid!That's what I call initiative!Did you get my PM?

Cheers and bests for the New Year!

[whukid]

Thanks Panzerfaust!I may order the game from Germany.I read German so it's not a problem for me.

Well doen Whukid!That's what I call initiative!Did you get my PM?

Cheers and bests for the New Year!

I did! and Thanks! I recommend only using it for Custom battles once I get it released. It's merely an asthetic mod