T-72 TC/BoF with this mod is essentially the same sim in terms of scope and gameplay. Red's translated description and the video clip he linked to ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFLcYiRPg9A&t=23s ) are the best descriptions I've seen of what the mod does add. The Panther and Abrams seen in the mod video are labelled 'to add' and the author's response to a question in the video clip says they are in his test install but not released to the public. The text implies the Leopard is playable in place of the T-34 but I haven't found any sign of that yet.

The author of this FB page... https://www.facebook.com/T-72BalkansOnFire/ ... has made additional or revised single missions for the sim. These are no longer hosted on Battlefront.com but he has shared them with me and I'm looking forward to trying them once I have re-familiarised myself with the controls.

Looking at T-72 TC/BoF, SFK '42 and SABOW, you can certainly see how the devs improved steadily on things like platoon command and control, to the point where SABOW, while different, appears functionally on a par with SB Pro PE; while T-72 TC/BoF is obviously the most primitive sim in the series. While being still quite good at what it does - giving us the opportunity to fight small-scale but intense little battles in a story-based campaign as a volunteer tank commander in the T-34, T-54/5 and T-72 in the war in the former Yugoslavia.







It's a great pity that Graviteam don't see further investment in SABOW as worthwhile, a NATO-WARPAC DLC or derivative with more playable AFVs, including the T-72 and Chieftain, would have been great.

Personally, and I know of others, I am not a fan of Graviteam Tactics UI or approach for planning, same goes with SABOW. I think they went out of there way to make it complicated to understand and use. But In the case of Iron Warriors T-72 TC that Is not the case.

I agree that Graviteam should have Invested more on this sim, and SABOW with newer offerings, regardless of It´s UI.

We don´t have much tank sims, but If we cherry pick we even have less! In other words any Improvements on what we already have are a big welcome, at least for some.

Red

I agree, as the same goes even for M1tP2 which in fact is in the title and is being compared at the start of this topic with SB1.

The focus of this thread is an attempt to find the answer to the question of what of the older tank simulation deserves revisiting and maybe further TLC (if possible). I personally was very skeptical that there is even a remote possibility to run M1TP2 on a modern system. Not only did I get positive and surprising confirmation, but got some great kick from replaying some of the missions.

It is sure not as sophisticated as those other more recent tank titles, but I expected it from the start. The discovery of SABOW and moded T-72 TC/BoF in course of this thread were truly surprising and an added bonus.

SABOW,as it comes from Graviteam, is in a way expanded and updated SF-42 to modern conditions. Even the folder and file structure is pretty similar and I must admit that folks from Iron Task Mod (https://2021-itmtank.forumgamers.net/forum) did great service in improving it. My point is that given enough time and TLC even obscure titles can be great. And some never are because of "so many games and so little time".

well I got hold of SBGold, what a faff on to get it working on win10 (I used oracles virtualbox), it took me 3 days or watching numerous utube vids to take snippets from here n there to get the old girl working, just going through the tutorial training sections on it now......Is there a way to separate the different crew posts to separate monitors to make it a more multiperson sim like you can with FSX etc?
I may have a ganders at steel fury or T34 vs Tiger.

I don´t think you can do that even with the ProPE version. You might be able to do it with the Pro (military) version but I doubt you want to pay the asking price or even If they are willing to sell It to you. IIRC the most you can do with the ProPE is have the map on a separate monitor but don´t take my word on that either, It´s been awhile for me.

they've missed a trick there eh!........ well so far I'm missing the TC having his own monitor (like M1TP2 had) instead he is moochin off of the gunner, no drivers cockpit view (not that tp2 had that either but I'd have thought an upgrade/newer game/sim would have had it, and calling in artillery looks pointless as by the time you've called it in the sods have moved (are there fixed enemy installations etc in game ?)

T-34 -vs- Tiger I would give a miss, unless you're like me and have to try them all for yourself. The implementation of the TC, gunner and driver roles is among the best but the infantry are poor, there's just the two playable tanks and a small campaign of scripted missions. Steel Fury is much better out of the box in nearly every respect and definitely worth getting, then add the Japanese Community Mod (or the payware ITM mod) to get dozens of new playables and missions and several new theatres.

SB Pro PE is now only available in the UK in the time-limited versions, as the dongle falls foul of post-Brexit VAT issues. For post-WW2 tanking, SABOW is hard to beat, tho non-modability means it still has just the two playable AFVs - but they are supremely-well implemented - including a driver view...



...and there are three dynamic campaigns (tho the M60 is playable in only one of them, leaving the T-62 as the playable vehicle in the other two; and all are set in Cold War backwaters, no NATO-v-WARPAC).

I dunno if SB Pro PE lets you request shoots via an attached FOO who looks after the engagement if he can identify your target, instead of having to correct fire yourself against a likely-moving foe, one best left for the Gunners. SABOW (since the relatively recent update) has training missions which I believe include handling artillery support and it may or may not be more sophisticated in that regard.

can SABOW have multi monitor/crew set up or just the 1 view switchable via keyboard etc?

I have SABOW and I don't remember seeing such an option. Mind you it's been a while since I played it.

Well tthatt SABOW is a right bastttard initt! (myyy tt and yy keyys are sticking!) How does one justt gett in a tttank n go off tto blow ttthings up ? all ttthatt map stuff......

Like this!

From the main menu (apply updates if yours doesn't look like this) select 'Missions'.



Then take your pick. There may be some variations built in for replayability.



The 'Battle Editor' is quite an easy way to create your own missions.

The last big update (version 5.81, Sept 2015 IIRC, just after they upgraded it to use the same engine as the GTOS wargames) added several additional 'instant action' missions, some for training purposes.

As with Steel Beasts, you still need to go to the map to do the things you can't do in the 3d world, and the icon-based SABOW map interface is (in my experience) harder to get a grip of than the drop-down menu-based SB one. But the included missions do enable you to avoid the use of the map at the outset, compared to the dynamic campaigns. The latter make moving on to the full 'tanksim within a wargame' interface well worthwhile. It's just a huge pity there's only two playable tanks, tho (and the M-60 isn't playable in the Afghan or Namibia campaigns).

Still the implementation of tanks, tanking and the environment is about as good as it gets.











Watch and shoot!

thanks for the gen, just trying to update the #%&*$# thing now......