New to SB

Hey Everyone,

After much deliberation, I finally took the plunge. However, I looked all around the forum yesterday and other than the tutorials, I can't find any suggestions for how to get my feet wet.

I don't have any RL military experience, but I have a lot of patience. What are the best scenarios, included or user creations, that I should start with?

Are there any good videos I can watch that would help?

Thanks a lot for any suggestions.

(Sorry if this is in the wrong place.)

Welcome to the club Jughed'!

The Instant Action is a good way to jump right in and start shooting. There are also the tutorials included.

A good way to go is to pick a single vehicle to start and then take all of the included scenarios on that vehicle and practice until you are comfortable before moving to another vehicle. The M1A1 or Leopard 2A4 are good starting choices.

For Scenarios, take a look in the Web Site download area for the Camp Hornfeldt series by GaryOwen - those are a very good introduction. Beyond that, get online on Friday nights at 10 PM Eastern, if you can, and join the multiplayer sessions. You will learn a ton there, from some very capable guys.

Welcome!

Also depending on where you live there are virtual units (VUs) who can help you.

Canada: 1 Canadian Armoured Division (CAD)

UK: UK Armour

US: 3rd Armoured Division (3 AD)

Germany: Panzer Battalion 911 (PzBtl 911)

Aust/NZ: BG ANZAC

All of whom have a presence here.

Thanks so much for the quick reply, guys.

Toyguy: Is there something I'm not seeing that lets me take scenarios for individual platforms?

I see 'Instant Action' that allows me to do that, but I don't see any scenarios built in.

Secondly: On many of the videos I'm watching, I see folks acting as the TC. They start in the tank, then pop out of the unbuttoned hatch to survey the landscape... then they look through the optics to point out targets to the gunner.... Sorry I'm so dense, but I can't figure out how to do this. Seems like I'm locked into being the gunner and taking orders from the TC.

Thanks again!

In "Instant Action" you ARE locked into the gunner seat as far as I remember.

It is a action shooting scenario with unlimited ammo - just for fun.

In most other scenarios you can choose to be TC and so on.

Multiplayer with a reputable VU is the best way to learn by far.

Thanks so much for the quick reply, guys.

Toyguy: Is there something I'm not seeing that lets me take scenarios for individual platforms?

I see 'Instant Action' that allows me to do that, but I don't see any scenarios built in.

Secondly: On many of the videos I'm watching, I see folks acting as the TC. They start in the tank, then pop out of the unbuttoned hatch to survey the landscape... then they look through the optics to point out targets to the gunner.... Sorry I'm so dense, but I can't figure out how to do this. Seems like I'm locked into being the gunner and taking orders from the TC.

Thanks again!

If you pick "offline session" from the main menu (where "Tutorial" and "Instant Action" are as well) you should see two columns.

On the left is the name of the scenario, on the right is a summary (if you are lucky the summary tells you which vehicles, etc. are used).

At the top of the left column it probably says "My Scenarios", if you click on this you'll see another choice "Scenarios" - select that and you will get a listing of all the scenarios that ship with the game.

These are categorised into multi player, classic, etc. which are all folders containing scenarios of that type.

If you are a single person, I'd suggest not picking multi player as they are designed to be played by more than one person.

Once you are in the vehicle you can choose to be:

The gunner (F6)

The commander (F7)

The driver (F9)

An observer (outside view - F8)

Use these and the map view (F5) to move from position to position.

Of course you will be told all this when you do the tutorials.

Man, you guys are great.

I feel like I'm learning just because I'm talking to yall. One more small thing though and I'll let you go, and again, I hope I'm not being extremely dense.. how do I pop out of the unbuttoned hatch as a TC?

I see how to be a TC/Gunner/etc... and I see observable mode... I know how to drive... I just don't see how to pop out of the hatch and look around like I'm in the tank... not from a 3rd person.

Q Z

Q Z

To expand on that a tad.

Q elevates you.

- one tap gets you out of the seat (roughly head sticking out).

- two taps means you effectively standing fully erect (roughly waist up sticking out).

Z lowers you.

and 'B' buttons and unbuttons the hatch itself, if you need to get it closed in a hurry!

Again pretty sure this is all covered in the crew commander's tutorials.

Q Z

Word... thanks a lot.

TC's can't use thermal sights like a gunner can huh? Bummer. Crazy how they can call out targets like no tomorrow without all the special gear... I can't see bad guys to save my life without thermal optics.

Well yes they can.

Most of the vehicles have a GPSE (Gunner's Primary Sight Extension) which lets you see the gunner's sight for themselves (in IT mode or not).

Some of the newer vehicles have the Commander's own TI viewer (e.g. M1A2 SEP's CITV) but again depends on the vehicle you are talking about and this process is covered in detail in the tutorials for a given vehicle.

and in most cases, the Commander normally has a sight extension to use the gunners primary sight and override the gunner and fire the main armament.

but again, these things are different across the various vehicles in the game and are mostly covered by the tutorials.

as a note though, some vehicles do not have a tutorial in which case a glance at the SB wiki (look above) will normally cover the things you need to know.

Thanks for starting this thread, Jughed. I, too, am a green recruit to this sim and have picked up a few nuggets of information from following this thread.

I'm still plugging away on the range striving to get my gunnery score a little higher than its current 54%.

On that note, what's the consensus among the power simmers for gunnery control - joystick or mouse? I'm currently using a joystick but find that I have a very difficult time matching vehicle speed precisely enough to get a first- (or second- or ninth-) round hit.

Well some swear by the joystick, some by the mouse, some even use gamepads (which isn't as silly as you think as the Challenger 2 gunners handle is basically a gamepad) so it is whatever you feel most comfortable with.

I mainly use a mouse but in the old days of SB gold I was using a Saitek joystick. And I do occasionally use a joystick still.

But there are much better gunners out there than me.

I used to use a logitech freedom 2.4 joystick, but now that my desktop pc cant handle video games now without overheating and shutting off, I am limited to playing it on my laptop, which surprisingly handles sb 3.0 pretty well. With that being said, I use mouse now. Was hard at first for me to get used to it as I was used to using the joystick, but I find it is easier with the mouse as long as I have the show vector lines selected to on. Welcome to the SB community. I did many solo actions for bout a year trying to learn on the original sb, it wasnt til I got brave enuf to try online that I started to play that, and that made it lot more easier for me to learn the ropes, and I am, or was, a real life scout, on a bradley, but the guys here and who were there at the time I started were very, very helpful, and patient in showing me the ropes of online tanking which made it more enjoyable for me.

To add my $0.02,

Start with the M1A1 -- it's perhaps a tad simpler than the Leo2A4.

1) do all the tutorials for the M1A1.

2) Do the "Tank Range" mission for the M1A1 (it's available from the main SB Pro PE screen). Practice until you get a good score, in terms of high hit% and low time-to-kill. This is a special mission which determines the skill level for your AI gunners in any offline mission you play.

3) play the Instant Action scenario for the M1A1 a bunch of times. It's basically a gunnery exercise, but the targets shoot back.

4) Do the "Tanks!" mission. In this one, you operate a lone M1A1 roaming around a 5x5km zone with 9 x T-72/80s moving around randomly. It's a good way to practice using the tank tactically, maintaining situation awareness, etc. Mission can be downloaded here: http://www.steelbeasts.com/Downloads/p13_sectionid/24/p13_fileid/817

It's a difficult mission, though. Don't expect to win right away.

5) Play through GaryOwens' "Camp Hornfeldt" series: http://www.steelbeasts.com/Downloads/p13_sectionid/24/p13_fileid/1858

I would recommend leaving missions 1 and 6 for last, because they are by far the most difficult of the series.

6) try any number of other smaller missions (i.e., where you control a platoon or less). Zipuli's "Tank Platoon in the Attack" and "Tip of the Spear" missions for the M1A1 are a good bet.

Definitely try to join in the Friday night online game at any point in the above process after #1. Also, it's probably best to have at least moderate familiarity with the map (F5 view) interface -- plotting routes, creating and sending mission graphics, etc., if you haven't developed that after the vehicle tutorial missions. Don't worry about being "good" -- i.e., tactically skilled, accurate gunnery, etc. Just let the CO for your side know that you are a beginner and he will assign you appropriately small force and tasks appropriate to your skill level. Other players generally are willing and happy to answer questions, but bear in mind that they also typically are very busy operating their own units. That's why I say master the tutorials first. IMHO, it's OK to ask questions about intermediate or advanced aspects of gameplay and the interface, but if you are asking things like "how do I turn left" or "how do I get to the vehicle commander position," it's going to take other players away from focusing on their own assigned units, and players are often overtaxed commanding multiple platoons.

One last thing....

One of the most difficult things for me was understanding how the AI operates the other vehicles in your platoon. As Ssnake frequently says, you should read Chapter 8 of the SB manual very carefully to understand how units operate on routes. One of the most puzzling things for me was getting a grasp on why and how AI vehicles move around at battle positions. The AI does some things well and other things poorly. It's critical to understand which is which and plan accordingly.

5) Play through GaryOwens' "Camp Hornfeldt" series: http://www.steelbeasts.com/Downloads/p13_sectionid/24/p13_fileid/1858

I would recommend leaving missions 1 and 6 for last, because they are by far the most difficult of the series.

I am so pleased to read this 'cos Mission 1 stilll has me stumped.

Great post, if I may say so.

I am so pleased to read this 'cos Mission 1 stilll has me stumped.

Great post, if I may say so.

Thanks.

I think I've won Mission 1 a single time in maybe 15 attempts, and basically staggered across the finish line. 1 M1 destroyed; two immobilized; only the last runner was able to make it onto the objective.

Thanks for the guidance, MDF. Much appreciated. It looks like a perfect "getting started" roadmap for me to follow.

To add my $0.02,

Start with the M1A1 -- it's perhaps a tad simpler than the Leo2A4.

1) do all the tutorials for the M1A1.

2) Do the "Tank Range" mission for the M1A1 (it's available from the main SB Pro PE screen). Practice until you get a good score, in terms of high hit% and low time-to-kill. This is a special mission which determines the skill level for your AI gunners in any offline mission you play.

3) play the Instant Action scenario for the M1A1 a bunch of times. It's basically a gunnery exercise, but the targets shoot back.

4) Do the "Tanks!" mission. In this one, you operate a lone M1A1 roaming around a 5x5km zone with 9 x T-72/80s moving around randomly. It's a good way to practice using the tank tactically, maintaining situation awareness, etc. Mission can be downloaded here: http://www.steelbeasts.com/Downloads/p13_sectionid/24/p13_fileid/817

It's a difficult mission, though. Don't expect to win right away.

5) Play through GaryOwens' "Camp Hornfeldt" series: http://www.steelbeasts.com/Downloads/p13_sectionid/24/p13_fileid/1858

I would recommend leaving missions 1 and 6 for last, because they are by far the most difficult of the series.

6) try any number of other smaller missions (i.e., where you control a platoon or less). Zipuli's "Tank Platoon in the Attack" and "Tip of the Spear" missions for the M1A1 are a good bet.

Definitely try to join in the Friday night online game at any point in the above process after #1. Also, it's probably best to have at least moderate familiarity with the map (F5 view) interface -- plotting routes, creating and sending mission graphics, etc., if you haven't developed that after the vehicle tutorial missions. Don't worry about being "good" -- i.e., tactically skilled, accurate gunnery, etc. Just let the CO for your side know that you are a beginner and he will assign you appropriately small force and tasks appropriate to your skill level. Other players generally are willing and happy to answer questions, but bear in mind that they also typically are very busy operating their own units. That's why I say master the tutorials first. IMHO, it's OK to ask questions about intermediate or advanced aspects of gameplay and the interface, but if you are asking things like "how do I turn left" or "how do I get to the vehicle commander position," it's going to take other players away from focusing on their own assigned units, and players are often overtaxed commanding multiple platoons.

One last thing....

One of the most difficult things for me was understanding how the AI operates the other vehicles in your platoon. As Ssnake frequently says, you should read Chapter 8 of the SB manual very carefully to understand how units operate on routes. One of the most puzzling things for me was getting a grasp on why and how AI vehicles move around at battle positions. The AI does some things well and other things poorly. It's critical to understand which is which and plan accordingly.

This is great stuff right here.... it may be worth having in a sticky or something. Some of it may seem common sense, but considering how dense the game is, having it out there in black and white is helpful.

You guys have been incredibly gracious with your info, but it is a rather niche community and a little difficult to find out what the best path of getting started is.

Thanks again.