As you have already noticed, the latest mod available via there is now ITM not STA 3.X. IIRC you have to register and log in to see all of the forums, including those on the new mod, where the links to its components reside. These components are password-protected, available on making a modest donation. I'm not actually sure if the initial release version of ITM is materially different to STA 3.4 or simply re-labelled - for a while the link to ITM pointed to a file named STA3.4, tho that has since changed.
There is also the freeware Japanese Community Mod, which is basically the earlier STA 2.2 mod with additional tanks and missions etc. Edge translates its home site fine and there are active links there, to everything you need to turn a CD, Steam or (probably) Gamersgate version of SF into the vastly more comprehensive tanksim it is now.
I have several installs of SF - the two I play regularly being a CD-based one modded to STA 3.4 and a Steam one modded to STA2.2+JCM. Long-time SF enthusiast Frinik reports that he has been able to manually integrate the JCM content into an ITM install.
When I try to register at the forum I get the following:
Any tips?
I did manage to get STA3.4 running. Completed the driving tutorial, however stuck in the gunnery tutorial... shoot all the infantry with the MG, and that task comes up as complete, but there is never any ammo for the main gun (prac rounds), seems like a trigger is broken... also the tank never moves..
I just posted on the ITM 'Newcomers are welcome' (!) sub-forum re that registration issue and will relay the response when received.
I haven't played the Matilda training missions in years and not at all in any recent mod so don't understand what could be wrong. It's vaguely possible that a mod introduced a change which retrospectively affected the issue and it was never corrected. There's a Single Mission 'Lomovo' for the lend-lease Matilda in my install and possibly others, so you might want to try that; though 'targets will fall when hit' they will also shoot back!
PS there are (were?) several updates, all donationware/password protected, for STA 3.4, plus some extras like campaigns and 3-d 'cockpits' for several tanks that don't have them. Also some updated versions of the terrain (seasonal) mods for 3.4. Well worth getting from ITM if you don't have them. But that probably means migrating to ITM as it seems to be the only current mod available over there.
I just posted on the ITM 'Newcomers are welcome' (!) sub-forum re that registration issue and will relay the response when received.
I haven't played the Matilda training missions in years and not at all in any recent mod so don't understand what could be wrong. It's vaguely possible that a mod introduced a change which retrospectively affected the issue and it was never corrected. There's a Single Mission 'Lomovo' for the lend-lease Matilda in my install and possibly others, so you might want to try that; though 'targets will fall when hit' they will also shoot back!
PS there are (were?) several updates, all donationware/password protected, for STA 3.4, plus some extras like campaigns and 3-d 'cockpits' for several tanks that don't have them. Also some updated versions of the terrain (seasonal) mods for 3.4. Well worth getting from ITM if you don't have them. But that probably means migrating to ITM as it seems to be the only current mod available over there.
Hi 33lima,
Any info on registering? Would really like to download and use ITM.
ITM admin reports access problem sorted - pm sent with details. Hopefully this will fix things for anyone else who can't register for the ITM forum. In my experience, even if you have the JCM (STA 2.2-based) mod it's also very worth having a separate install for the iTM mod due to its own unique content, regular additions and updates and some other improvements.
Is there any big difference between STA 1.2 and STA 2.3 ? I have 1.2 installed but after some time of not using the SF sim some serious graphical glitches have crawled in. So, I guess I need to reinstall it anyway but then what would be the procedure to do it so no mentioned problems of 1.2 linger anymore? IMHO SF42 is hands down the best WW2 tank simulation just the UI is very awkward and it has its share of some unexpected problems. Thanks for any helpful tips.
Polak, this thread in the main SimHQ Screenshot section has what I did to install 1.2 and also the links from 33lima to find 2.2 on the Japanese website. Google Translate is what I used and after a little bit of digging and translating I managed to find what I needed and a step by step instruction set to install 2.2. I made a backup copy of each successful version before I tried the next so that I could always fallback on the known good version in case something went wrong installing the new desired version. I have gotten 1.2 , 2.2 and 3.4(after registering at ITM and making my donation) all in working successive versions with both Steam & non Steam versions of SF 1942, so it is possible both ways. Good Luck.
Thank you Blade_Meister for pointing to helpful hints on how to restore SF42 with mods. I have briefly reacquainted myself with JSGME how you shuffle all mods. ATM I stick with 1.2 for relearning unless there is much more in the further generations of the SF mods 2x and 3x.
It looks that for to learn this game it is important to establish the most SA informative and yet battle effective position in the game. The version, not that yet important for me and I even feel the mission possibly should be the same to have some terrain familiarity and reference for some comparison of what is going on around. So to start I choose to stick to STA 1.2 because is working rather well.
Further I choose PZ IV F2 in single missions Krasny Gigant and the very 1st question would be: what position to fight from? also fight from 1st person view or outside view? I am tempted to play as a tank commander but when I switch to outside view it seems I cannot do too much. Movement control, choice of gun an perhaps that firing mode which I do not really understand. So is the tank commander outside view F9 really pretty much not where I should start?
So then: what crew position and inside or outside F9.
7) Indication of firing mode at movement of the tank [0]: green – marching fire orange –firing from short stop red – firing from the ground grey – firing only at targets, specified by the player.
By default there is a "Green" mode - shooting in movement, in this case AI of a gunner-gunlayer and a radio operator-machine gunner prefers to fire basically from the automatic weapon or from small distances, that not always reasonable. AI is automatically switched to this mode, if command to movement [W] during a stop for shooting in "red" and "orange" modes is given.
"Orange" mode - firing from short stops, before a shot AI пшму (???) a command to the driver «Short!». Tank stops, makes a shot, continues movement.
"Red" mode - firing from the ground, AI fires, and stop moving, if sees (can fire) even at one target.
"Grey" mode - firing only on targets specified by the player, the behaviour of AI at presence of targets equivalent to a "red" mode. It is possible to specify targets for firing in a targeting mode [F], marked them with the frame, pressing the left mouse button.
This is Firing modes in relation to movement from the TC chapter of the manual. I am trying to understand, but finding it little hard.
Tonci87's video playthroughs of the Panzer III Barbarossa missions, on Steam's SF General Discussions forum, provide a good illustration of an effective mode of play, in action.
After making some kind of combat appreciation from the map and possibly marking out a route for the platoon to follow at least to the phase 2 objective, and in a nutshell, I tend to:
- start in the gunner position (F2), as you can do most things from here (SF TCs cannot order ammo type) including give driving orders. Use Insert key to look through gunner's sight, open sight cover with G key if needed, adjust range to maybe 300m; - switch to the external view (F9) for better situational awareness, dropping back to the F2 view to engage targets.
If you play from the TC position (F3), the orange firing mode is good because when you order a short halt (up to 8 seconds IIRC, then the AI driver moves off even if the gunner hasn't fired), it allows not only the bow gunner to fire at will, but the AI main gunner will engage targets he can identify without you needing to manage him. It's a bit hands off but workable. Green allows fire on the move as well so use for a final assault when firing at very close range.
Red (firing from the ground'') means firing only when an indefinite halt is ordered.
Grey I think means the AI gunner will only fire when you the TC mark a target for him, one he can see obviously.
If playing mostly as (turret) gunner, the only significance of the firing modes I think is that they control the bow gunner only.