I think all the recent posts here have been helpful, in that they speak directly to the difficulties of applying a military's potential advantage in weapons technology and/or doctrine to the ever evolving realities of the battlefield.

I would want to open up the tank vs. tank comparison here also to include the other AFVs and weapons that have been previewed for World War II Battle Tanks, to consider the remaining medium tanks, assault guns, AT artillery, and infantry that will likely make up the majority of the combat strength included in the game's initial release. First, a selective review of some of the sim's stated features:

• Storyline based on the Soviet Army “Bagration” operation in Belorussia in 1944;
• Large scale of available missions;
• Realistic combat environments of that time period, including infantry, cars, armored cars, motorcycles, artillery, aircraft, armored troop-carriers;
• Non-Linear Mission Structure;

(and)

New technologies used make it possible to stretch the map-size to over 40 square kilometers and set up thousands of trees of the highest level of detail.

Now except for the sim's title, there's really no indication that this sim is about endlessly facing off T34/85s against Tigers, as the storyline is based on the vast scope of Operation Bagration, which employed the combined strength of four Soviet Fronts against Army Group Center. The mission format certainly will see players commanding Tigers on the defensive, but will also likely see the Tigers in their Fire Brigade role of making localized counterattacks against Soviet gains. In these missions the Soviets can employ a full array of weaponry that would be found in their first echelon mechanized and motorized units.

On the flip side, the Soviet medium tank brigades will not likely be opposed by endless lines of waiting Tigers, but by strongpoints of German infantry supported by towed and mobile anti-tank artillery, well before the Panzers are committed to the counterattack.

Even in multiplayer format, when opposition Tigers and T34s clash, will these missions be exclusive affairs, or part of missions where multiple elements and combined arms forces are tasked to fullfill specific battlefield objectives?

Perhaps a title change is in order, because T34s vs. Tigers presents an image of tank range gunnery fests, void of dimension or depth, however, the sim's stated features and previewed content present the possibility of a totally different picture. Maybe when the smoke clears, we'll be able to see there may be more here to World War II Battle Tanks than at first meets the eye.....I know we're all hoping so.