Let me ask two basic questions about SABoW:

What do I have to do to fire the main gun from the commander position in the M60 tank?

And to order the gunner to point the main gun in a given direction from the commander position in the M60 tank?

Thanks for your help !!


Txema

I have had a look at the two tutorials posted here, but I have not found an answer for my questions in them.

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3508398/SABOW_M60_gunnery_tutorial_ano.html#Post3508398

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3558505/SABOW_Quick_Start_for_Beginner.html#Post3558505


Well, in the tutorial done by FlashBurn he states that "F5 allows commander to over ride gunner station and fire main gun", but when I press F5 I go to the driver position...

When I press "5" I can choose between "fire at will" and "fire at my command", but I can not take full control of the main gun to fire as the commander...

And when I press "T" to align the main gun and the commander cupola nothing happens...

Any help would be much appreciated !!


Txema

Hi mate

From commander position you ened to ensure the commadners cupola is in line with the gun - I think it can be out -10 +10 degrees i.e. gunner is looking directly north 000 commanders cupola must be rotated to 000 either + or -10 degrees to take control of the gun.

Press O to enter the tank commanders sighting position if you are not already buttoned in the tank.

The position you want is the sight called 'occluder'

Press C and your commander will move to the various sights he can use. When you see the one marked 'occluder' press C.

From this veiw you can press 5 until you see 'taking control'.

You are now in control of gun - look at target and rotate mouse wheel until the two pictures become one. Press Ctrl and click on the icon slong the bottom that is (reading from far right to left) 3rd icon in - looks a bit like a telephone symbol with a small target sight and a small tank.

This will send range to the gunner.

Squeeze trigger. Enjoy explodey noises. Observe vapourised T62s/T55s :o)

Its a wickesd game - just the interface and controls hobble it somewhat. But stick with it - its fantastic stuff!

Now if anyone can give me some tank fighting tips that would be great :o)

Skimbo

Oh and you cant order the gunner to slew gun to commanders view - or at least I dont think you can.

Seems to work sometimes on teh T62 if you hold T from commander position but its a bit random - cant fighre it out.

Set up cover arcs instead.

Skimbo

Press 5 to choose "fire at my command" AND switch to range finder sight (the cupola should be aligned with the turret). T only works for T-62 (I think it simulates target designation equipment which T-62 has, and not the actual command).

For T-62 you should hold T all the time while the gun is turning to your designation.

Skimbo, what tips do you want? Something about tactics? I'm not very versed in it, but can compose something from US field manuals. Or read Armchair General's Tactics101, series of articles by retired US Army Infantry Officers. Still trying to find the time to start reading them.

Hi krabb

Yes tactics would be good. I have some basics like bounding overwatch but many times I ambush an enemy then get ambushed myself. I guess because i stay in one place to long maybe? I don't know if it's the maps I'm on but all seem quite flat - nowhere to really hide hull down.

Any help/tips appreciated.

Cheers!

Skimbo.

This might help you for tactics:
http://www.simhq.com/_land2/land_062a.html

You can also hold ctrl and click on enemy targets to set your gunner's target, which is usually what I do in the M60.

Other tips:

1. Shoot first, if you won't be able to shoot first, don't go there.

2. Recon using infantry, to help you do point one while on the offensive, helps to know where the enemy are before you arrive. I like to keep some infantry OPs around my tanks on the defensive and infantry screening my flanks and reconing ahead on the offensive. Mechanized recon teams in APCs are great on the offensive, the APCs can get them close and then you can advance on foot sans APC. As Sun Tsu says 'Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win', I like to find the enemy first and flank their attack or carefully pick off their defense if at all possible. You can't always do it, but if you flank enemy armor on the move or such, it's a turkey shoot. Just try not to roll full speed into the unknown or not know whats on your flanks.

3. There are hull down spots, but they may not be obvious. Ditches work, but a shallow 2 meter rise over 100m can work too. It only takes a slight ripple in the terrain to hide a tank. But yeah, they are hard to find.

4. Concentrate your tanks to a degree, numbers help, but keep them close enough to support, but not too close. A few covering the flanks is handy.

Skimbo, Krabb,

Thank you very much for your help... it works !!!


Txema

P.S: This game really deserves a good manual. It is excellent, with a lot of very nice details properly modeled, but it is difficult to notice all these details and to have a proper control of the simulation without a good manual...

I agree with what you say - the game is unfortunately hamstrung by a naff manual and a cooky interface. I nearly gave up on SABOW twice but I kept coming back to it as everyone in the forums was banging on about how good it was - thank god I persevered or I would have missed an absolute gem.

In Graviteams defence there are only 4 of them and the language divide must be a bloomin' nightmare. Incredible that they produced something so amazing a bunch of very talented guys - I thought Graviteam was some huge software company.

Graviteam rules!!

Skimbo
(Fanboy)

Request to you Krabb, Skimbo and others who are so informed and enthusiasts.

Can you do a few more Question and Answer type FAQs for SABOW such as
1.
Q. Key sequence for Commander functions.
A. Answer

2. Similar for other stations

Tutes for In game controls greatest need rather than battle tactics.

There must be a lot of commands you never need to use to have an enjoyable fight.

Is this a game that can be played effectively entirely from the Commanders station
until I come more proficient playing it? Always fun to go to gunner station later.

Cheers.

I think such FAQs are unnecessary. You can look up keys in publisher's manual (Steel Armor Handbuch something), pages 39-45, Graviteam's latest up-to-date manuals are in docs\support (but I don't know whether they are in Russian or English). Also, there is in-game help - F1. And all buttons on the screen have tooltips.

I think you could successfully play this game entirely from the commanders position if you wanted too. However I'm a micromanagment freak and love tweaking gunsights and messing around in the commanders position.

TBH I would say your time will be divided between commander and gunner. Only time I bothered manning the loaders outer gun position in the T62 was when my vehicle had been detracked in a ditch and was completely hull down. A bunch of enemy infatnry were incoming on foot and the tank neeed defending - the loaders gun position provided the only means to repele their assault - exciting stuff!

Skimbo