Steel Beasts Review - By Derek "Crossbar" Bond Page 2 of 3
Graphics:
Steel Beasts uses a software rendered 3D graphics engine. No
hardware acceleration whatsoever. Resolution is limited to 640x480.
So that new Voodoo 5 or GTS isn't going to make a bit of difference
in the image displayed. In today's world of high resolution
accelerated graphics, Steel Beasts is a bit of an anachronism.
However, once you accept this, you'll realize the graphics engine
does a very nice job. Vehicles are nicely modeled. Terrain I
would describe as excellent for this type of sim. SB is also
the first sim I've seen that has done trees and forests correctly.
They aren't simply 2D walls that you can't move through. They
realistically obscure line of sight, and offer excellent concealment.
Special effects are also well done. Tank turrets can pop off
as a tank brews, the turret spinning convincingly in the air.
Main gun round graphics seem perfect, travelling downrange at
a realistic pace. Just like what I've seen in footage. Have
you ever seen a 120mm round skip off the ground? I have, and
it looks just like it does in Steel Beasts. Infantry is included,
but are just 2D bitmaps that seem to have a predilection for
running on their tippy-toes. Looks kind of funny. Like they're
trying to sneak up on somebody while trying not to laugh. Explosions
and such are hurt by the lack of hardware acceleration and color
depth, but otherwise well done.
When I first started playing this sim, I wasn't sure of how
I'd like the graphics. State of the art they are not. But they
do a surprisingly good job. Rendering distance must play a part
as well. Tank warfare, especially modern, takes place at long
range. It's easy to use an accelerated engine with all the candy
when you are rendering a couple of hundred meters, like in first
person shooters. But when engagements take place at ranges of
4000 meters or more, the graphical requirements become more
difficult to attain. If you've played Panzer Elite, you may
know what I mean. PE uses a very nice accelerated engine. At
short ranges, like less than 500 meters, trees, shrubs etc are
rendered. As you approach longer ranges, these things are removed
primarily to keep the framerates playable. Therefore any tanks
rendered at long range stick out like a sore thumb. In this
regard, Steel Beast's graphics are actually a plus. Spotting
and target identification is very difficult at long range. And
isn't that the way it's supposed to be? Another plus is evident
in frame rates. Very smooth, going from low 20's in external
views to 50 fps looking through the primary gunner's sight on
the review system. By comparison, PE gets around 10-20 on the
same machine. (Unfair perhaps, since I run PE at 1024x768).
Smooth frame rates translate into easier operation of the sighting
systems, which means you'll hit more targets. And that can't
be all bad ;-)
Sound:
Simply said, the sound in Steel Beasts is fantastic. The sounds
were recorded in real tanks. And it shows. Everything, from
the main gun to the turret motor to the breach closing sounds
awesome. It's as good as in any sim I've played. Outstanding.
The speech is also well done. Nothing kills immersion for me
more than your co-pilot saying "Wow, great shot!" like he's
amazed you hit anything (ala Longbow 2). After hearing that
for that for the two hundreth time it gets tiring. In Steel
beasts, you'll hear something like " Gunner. Sabot. Tank. On
the way. Target." Simple. Elegant. And just the way I imagine
it happens in a real life tank. Steel Beasts is best played
when the wife is out. Crank it high and let it fly.
Interface:
The menu system is basic. If you like your sims to have a myriad
of configurable options, you'll be dissapointed. Gameplay options
consist of Instant Action, Tutorials, Tank Range (more on this
in a moment) Single Player Missions and Multiplayer. There is
also a mission editor and map editor. Choose Records to see
stats for your armor-busting alter-ego. Options are limited
to music, detail, difficulty and realism. Just what these last
three control isn't exactly obvious to me, but I play it with
all three set to high. It's a simple menu system. Nothing fancy.
Control:
The tanks can be controled either by a mouse or a joystick.
I tried it both ways, and finally settled on using the joystick.
It's simply a matter of preference and works well either way.
I use a Logitech Wingman digital. It works fine, but a stick
with a bit more precision would help with the longer range gunnery.
Keyboard commands are well laid out and extensive, giving the
player control over the entire operation of his tank. Be prepared
to invest some time learning the system. The curve is rather
steep, but any flight simmer should feel right at home.
Gameplay:
There are several ways to play Steel Beasts. Instant action
is just that. The tutorials are very well done and cover all
of the basics. I suggest running through these before tackling
the missions. e-Sim obviously put some effort into creating
these, and they certainly help. They aren't Longbow2 quality,
but the tutorials are effective in teaching the basic commands
and maneuvers needed to play the game.
The next option is the tank range. It is here that you achieve
your gunnery rating. You play as gunner. The tank commander
(TC) position is not available. At the range, the TC's job is
handled reliably by the AI. A variety of OPFOR APC's and MBT's
are presented one at a time and travel perpendicular to your
position at a range of 2000-2500 meters. Ratings are determined
by your accuracy and the time it takes you to engage and destroy
the targets. Your gunnery rating is then used to determine the
quality of all friendly vehicles in the single player missions.
The better you do at the range, the better they will do in the
missions. Kill probabilities and first shot accuracy are very
important in modern armored warfare. And for your side to do
well, you'll need to have a good gunnery rating.
Ratings of 70% will ensure that you have a decent chance in
the single player missions. At 90% or better, you will be leading
a kick-ass company. Lower ratings result in your mates being
less likely to hit targets. I'm not sure why they chose to link
this rating to the performance of friendly vehicles. Pehaps
they wanted to force the player to improve his gunnery before
attempting single missions. I don't know. But the result is,
if you haven't mastered the gunnery, and qualified with a good
rating, you stand little chance of winning the more difficult
missions since your wingmen (and all friendly vehicles for that
matter) just don't get it done. In fairness, it's not too hard
to get a good rating, and the program uses your best recorded
rating, not just the most recent. So after some time at the
range you should have a decent rating in the bag. It's curious
though, since the beginner player would need the most help from
their AI mates, thus benefitting the most from good friendly
AI.
Single missions are a mixed bag. Some are extremely challenging,
testing you on your mastery of that armored behemoth and your
knowledge of tactical doctrine. Some misions are rather quick
and easy. The mission and map editors are included with the
game so you can easily create your own. This also means there
are plenty of missions available off the internet and new ones
all the time.
A typical mission puts you in either the M1 or the Leo, with
command over other units. Which units you can control are determined
by the mission designer. You may be limited to your tank. Or
you may be in control or your platoon. Some missions allow you
to command the entire force, sending movement, engagement, formation,
and firing orders through a simple map interface. In most missions,
you'll be able to instantly switch to another vehicle with the
click of the mouse. It's all decided by the designer.
There is no campaign option in Steel Beasts. It's a shame really,
since it would benefit tremendously from good campaigns. With
the mission editor it's possible to create scripted campaigns
(some are out already). It's hard to criticize a game for something
it doesn't have, but a dynamic campaign would really put Steel
Beasts over the top in the gameplay department.
Most missions can be played as either the gunner or the tank
commander. Some will restrict you to one position or the other,
but most of the time you can jump between positions at will.
The interaction between the TC and the gunner is great. If you
are gunner, the TC may spot a target and swing the tube toward
the target. He will call out target type and suggested ammo
type. A press of the "I" key tells your TC you don't see the
target, and he will re-sight the gun on the desired target.
Once acquired in the sight, the gunner must be sure the round
that's indexed is the same type that's loaded. This ensures
the tank's ballistic computer is matched to the round. At this
point the gunner must "dump the lead". Essentially this means
you are resetting the stored lead in the computer. The M1 and
the Leo have automatic lead. Once dumped, you simply have to
lase the target for range, track it steadily for 3 seconds and
the ballistic computer will add the necessary lead compensation
for the round. No need for deflection shooting here!
When playing as TC, it's your job to spot and prioritize targets.
The TC can take control of the main gun and assign targets to
be engaged. A press of the "T" key causes your gunner to acknowledge
if he's spotted the target. He will then confirm if he does
and index the proper round and fire the gun. I prefer to handle
the gunnery myself most of the time, but having the ability
to choose is very nice.
In addition to the maingun, there are two machine guns at your
disposal. The .50 cal from the TC's position (M1 only) and the
.30 cal coax from the gunner's position.
Loader and driver positions cannot be occupied by the player.
The AI loader does his job without a hitch. And the tank is
easily maneuvered with a simple keyboard interface.
Artillery is included and is easily applied from the in-game
map. Several types including HE, smoke, ICM and FASCAM (artillery
fired mine field, great way to quickly fill a breach in your
lines) are included.
random irc quote: <DrFreud> care to talk about it? <eRAZOR> haha <DrFreud> we were discussing you, not me <eRAZOR> back off psycho <DrFreud> Care to elaborate?
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