Steel Beasts wish List

[Admin]

Only wish-list items for Steel Beasts in this post please. Thanks

[Rinix]

Only wish-list items for Steel Beasts in this post please. Thanks

Uh, forester's last post was Steel Beasts-related. He wants infantry to be able to shoot RPGs in any posture.

[Asid]

A proper bug tracker

It would be great to have a proper tracker so we can see what has been reported and it's current status.

[Rinix]

A proper bug tracker

It would be great to have a proper tracker so we can see what has been reported and it's current status.

That would be good. Here's another one: eSim should stop using MD5 hashes for its downloads section. MD5 was cracked a long time ago, and should be replaced with SHA-256 at a minimum. For calculating and verifying hashes, I recommend HashTools.

[Rinix]

That would be good. Here's another one: eSim should stop using MD5 hashes for its downloads section. MD5 was cracked a long time ago, and should be replaced with SHA-256 at a minimum. For calculating and verifying hashes, I recommend HashTools.

In case anyone is wondering, here's why eSim should not replace MD5 with SHA-1: https://sites.google.com/site/itstheshappening/ SHA-1 is theoretically crackable right now. Like I said, it's time for eSim to replace MD5 with a minimum of SHA-256, and HashTools is a great tool to use for this.

[Rinix]

Here's another thing: improvements to the installer. As it stands, Steel Beasts compresses various file collections into RAR archives. Among the files it compresses are already compressed CAB archives. Compressing already compressed data doesn't work very well, and can actually increase compressed file size. Simply putting files into subfolders as required and compressing the collections into RAR archives would be simpler, cut down on the time it takes to make the installer, cut down on installation time, and possibly save on installer size.

[Rinix]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record about MD5 and SHA-1: https://security.googleblog.com/2017/02/announcing-first-sha1-collision.html

Anyway, here's my expanded Steel Beasts wish list

Graphics:
Native anisotropic filtering (makes textures appear clearer at longer distances), so we don't have to force it through drivers and have additional overhead
Post-processing AA like FXAA and SMAA (both anti-aliasing methods work with Nvidia and AMD graphics cards if they are implemented in the game itself)

ATGMs:
AT-3a
AT-3b
AT-3c (for real, since the AT-3c is currently called AT-3d)
AT-3d (for real)
AT-5 from the same man-portable launcher as the current AT-4
Return of AT-7
AT-9
Return of AT-13
AT-14
AT-15
Eryx
Harpon
HOT
HOT-3
MPP
PARS 3 LR
Spike-ER
Spike-MR
Spike-SR
SS.11

Crewable vehicles:
4K 4FA
4K 4FA-G2
Achzarit
AMX-10P
AMX-10RC
AMX-30
AMX-30B
AMX-30B2
AMX-VCI 12.7
AMX-VCI M56
Aravis
ASLAV-C
ASU-85
BJ2020
BJ2022
BMD-1
BMD-1P
BMD-2 (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
BMD-3
BMP-1 (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
BMP-1P
BMP-3M (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
BMR C/C MILAN
BMR C/C TOW
BMR-PC
BMR-PP
BRDM-1
BRDM-2 AT 9P133
BRDM-2 AT 9P148 (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
BRDM-3
BREM-1
BTR-152
BTR-152A
BTR-152K
BTR-80A
BTS-1
Caiman
Centurion AVRE (Tanks-A-Lot in the UK has one of these)
Centurion Mk 3
Centurion Mk 5,2
Centurion Mk 5,2 DK
Challenger 1 (Tanks-A-Lot in the UK has one of these)
Chieftain Mk 5 (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
Chieftain Mk 10 (Tanks-A-Lot in the UK has a bunch of these)
Chieftain Mk 11
CV9030N
DCL
Fennek (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
FV103
FV120
FV432 (Tanks-A-Lot in the UK has a bunch of these)
G 270 CDI
Hawkei PMV
Ikv 91
JLTV
K1
K1A1
K1 ARV
K1 AVLB
K1 CEV
K21
K200
K200A1
KM131
KM900
Land Rover Perentie
Land Rover Wolf
Land Rover Wolf WMIK
LAV-25 (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
LAV-25A1
LAV-25A2
LAV-AT
LAV-C2
Leclerc Serie 1
Leclerc Serie 2 (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
Leclerc Serie XXI
Leonidas-2
Leopard 1A2 (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
Leopard 1A3 (Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster has one of these)
Leopard 1A4 (Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster has one of these)
Leopard 1A5Be
Leopard 1V (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
Leopard 2A1
Leopard 2A7
Lvrvb 701
LVTP-7
LVTP-7A1
M1A1 (AIM) (so the Aussies don’t have to kludge it anymore)
M1A1 (HC)
M2
M2A1
M2A2
M2A3
M3
M3A1
M3A2
M3A3
M7 B-FIST
M41A3
M41 DK-1
M47ER3
M48A3
M48A3K
M48A5
M48A5K2
M104
M132
M577
M60A1
M60A1 RISE Passive
M60 AVLB
M728 CEV
M1126
M1127
M1128 MGS
M1130
M1131
M1132
M1134
MB 240GD (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
MB 240GD CO/XO (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
MTU-12
MTU-20
MTU-72
Merkava Mark II (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
Merkava Mark IIB
Merkava Mark IIC
Merkava Mark III
Merkava Mark III BAZ
Merkava Mark IIID Dor-Dalet
Nakpadon
Namer
NM135
OT-62B
OT-64A/SKOT-2A
Pandur II
Pbv 301
Pbv 302A
Pbv 302B
Pvrbv 551
Peugeot P4
Piranha IIIH (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
Piranha V
PT-76B (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
PT-91 Twardy
Puma
Raketenjagdpanzer 2
RG-32 Scout
Sh’ot/Puma
SPG Kalina
SPz 11-2 Kurz
Strv 101
Strv 101R
Strv 122B
Supacat Jackal
Supacat Jackal 2
Supacat Jackal 2A
T-54A
T-54B
T-55AM (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
T-55AM Merida (Drive A Tank in Kasota MN USA has one of these, they list it as just a T-55)
T-55AM2 (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
T-55AMV
T-55 Enigma
T-62M
T-62M1
T-62MV
T-62M1V
T-64B (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
T-64BV
T-72AV/M1V
T-72B m. 1984 (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
T-72B m. 1985 (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
T-72B3
T-72M4
T-80B
T-80BV
T-80U (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
T-90A
T-90S (the version that’s already in Steel Beasts)
TOPAS-2AP
Type 59
Type 59-I
Type 59-II
Type 63
Type 63 APC
Type 63-II
Type 69-II
Type 69-QM
Type 77
Type 84
Type 85
Type 89
Type 92
UAZ-469
VAB
Valuk
VCI
VBL
VBL MILAN
VM 90
VPC
VPK-3927
YP-408 PWAT
YP-408 PWCO
YP-408 PWI-S
YP-408 PWMT

Non-crewable vehicles:
2S6M
2S6M1
4K 4FA-San
9K31
9K35
AH-6
AMX-13/90 mle 52
AMX-13/90 LRF
AMX-13/105 mle 58 with thermal sleeve and LRF upgrades for Netherlands
AMX-13 T75
AMX-30EBG
AMX-VCTB
AVGP Cougar
AVGP Grizzly
BMD-4
BMP-3 9P157-2
BMP-3 9P163M-1
BMR-AMB
Bo 105ATH
Bo 105GSH
Bo 105LOH
Bo 105P/PAH1
Bo 105P/PAH1A1
BRM-1
BTR-D
BTR-T
Bumerang APC
Bumerang IFV
Crotale NG
EC120
ERC 90 Sagaie
Ferret (Tanks-A-Lot in the UK has a bunch of these)
FV104
FV438
FV601
FV721
Gepard
Ikv 103
K1A2
K2
K30 Biho
Kurganets-25 APC
Kurganets-25 IFV
M1A2 SEPv2
M1A2 SEPv3
M1 ABV
M35
M48 Chaparral
M50 Ontos
M54
M163A1
M163A2
M163 PIVADS
M551
M551A1
M551A1 TTS
M1133
Merkava Mk IV
Merkava Mk IVm Windbreaker
MH-6
Mi-2P
Mi-2T
Mi-2US
M-2 URN
Mi-2 URP
Mi-2 URP-G
Mi-24VM
MT-LB 9P149
OH-6
OH-58A
OH-58B
OH-58C
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
Opal-I
Panhard AML 60-20 Serval
Panhard AML 90
Panhard EBR mle 51
Panhard EBR mle 54
Panhard EBR mle 63
Pinzgauer
R440 Crotale
Sav m/43
SK-105
Strv 74
Strv 103B
Strv 103C
SX250
SX2190
T-15 Armata
T-90AM
T-90MS
Tracked Rapier
Type 63A
Type 88
Type 95
Type 96
Type 99
Type 99A
UR-77
Ural-375D
Ural-5323
VLRA
W-3W
Wiesel 1 MK 20
YP-408 PWGWT
ZiL-157
ZSU-23-4MP
ZSU-23-4V1
ZSU-57-2

RPG:
55 S 55
Alcotán-100
APILAS
C-90-CR-RB (M3)
Handflammpatrone DM 34
LAW-80
LGI Mle F1
LRAC F1
M72A5
M72A6
M72A8
M72A9
M72A10
M136 AT-4 ER
M136 AT-4 HP
M136 AT-4 LMAW
Miniman
MRO-A
PzF 44
RPG-16
RPG-18
RPG-28
RPG-30
RPG-32
RPG-76 Komar
RPO Rys
RPO-A Shmel
SMAW

HMG:
Kord bipod
NSV
PKMS
QJZ-89
Type 67
Type 67-2
Type 77
Type 85

LMG:
AAT-F1
Bren L4A1
MG5
Pecheneg
QJY-88

SAW:
Ameli
AUG-HBAR
Diemaco LSW/LSV M/04
K3
L86A1
LAR 50.41/C2A1/L2A1
M27 IAR
MG4
Minimi
QBB-95
RPD
RPK
RPK-74

SP mortars:
2B9 on MT-LB
2S9
2S24
2S31
4K 4F GrW1
AMX-VCPM de 81
AMX-VCPM de 120
BMR-PM-81
BMR-PM-120
LAV-M
M106
M1129
XA-361

Artillery:
2S19
Archer
AS-90
Bkan 1A
FV433 (Tanks-A-Lot in the UK has at least one of these)
GCT 155mm AUF1
K9
LARS
M109A5
M270 MLRS (it’s being worked on)
M270A1 MLRS
PLZ-45
PLZ-89
PzH 2000
TOS-1A
Type 70
Type 70 MRL

SSMs:
9K52
MGM-52
MGM-140 ATACMS
OTR-21

MANPADS:
9K32M
9K34
9K38
9K338
9K333
FIM-43C
FIM-92C
FN-6
Grom
Javelin
KP-SAM Shin-Gung
Mistral
Starburst
Starstreak

AGLs:
AGS-17
AGS-30
GMG
K11
LAG-40
Mk 47 Mod 1
Type 87 bipod
Type 87 tripod

Anti-tank guns:
2A45M
MT-12
MT-12K
T-12

Recoilless rifles:
95 S 58-61
B-10
B-11
L2 BAT
L6 WOMBAT
M40 (not mounted on technical)
M67
Pvpj 1110
Type 78
Type 98
SPG-9
SPG-82

General:
Active protection systems
Dynamic thermal signatures which change with activity for both infantry and vehicles
Firing RPGs from positions other than kneeling
For the installer, putting files into subfolders as required and compressing the collections into RAR archives
Functional firing ports on PCs
Gradual identification of targets
Ground clutter providing concealment
Ground surveillance radar
GUI code rewrite to optimize the GUI for a resolution higher than 800x600 and to work better with aspect ratios other than 4:3
Increased variation of movement penalties within squad types, like an RPK-74 having less of a movement penalty than an M60
Limiting time spent in the F8 view after a vehicle is destroyed
More command vehicles with access to UAV cameras, right now only the M113G4 DK OPMV can do this
Rewriting for the Vulkan API, as well as either DirectX 11 or OpenGL for those with older graphics cards
Sniper teams being able to shoot at vehicle crew that expose themselves
Sniper teams equipped with anti-materiel rifles having the ability to engage vehicles and vehicle sights
Squad automatic weapons/SAWs being added to LMGs
Start using SHA-256 hashes for the downloads section of the eSimGames website
Support for multiple alphabets at the same time
Support for OGG and MP3 sound files
Using libpng and libjpeg to capture screenshots, and setting libjpeg’s chroma sampling to 1x1 to prevent red text from being smudged
Vehicle dashboards that look better than what we have now

[Cougar11]

I'm not sure if that would be my complete list... But something like that, 1%of that, part of that, or all of that yeah.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[Rinix]

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4341198/re-what-happened-to-the-original-sb#Post4341198
Ssnake's broad wording has got me a bit worried about the prospects for any more Cold War vehicles being added:

I'm not categorically ruling all this out, but to be honest it's more of a diversion than anything else. I see a serious danger to dilute our development capacity and to create a false impression about what SB Pro is about. As soon as the first Sherman is in, people will scream for a Panther and a Panzer IV (both of which, arguably, saw some post WW2 battlefield use). Features create their own demand dynamic. At the same time our actual business is the polar opposite, armored warfare of today and the next ten years rather than the last ten, or from 60 years ago.

[Rinix]

http://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/11375-highly-detailed-turrets-or-not/?do=findComment&comment=169238
http://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/11375-highly-detailed-turrets-or-not/?do=findComment&comment=169245

Volcano and Ssnake have observations that will affect future vehicle additions. More complicated vehicles will absolutely need 3D interiors, while simpler vehicles will only have 3D interiors as a bonus:

I guess it just depends on the vehicle. For the simplest vehicles the interior view is not vital, but is still nice to get your bearings, and further make you feel like you are inside of it. But for the more complicated vehicles, the interior is vital, because you cannot map every button to a key.

...and we're not just talking about one super-complicated vehicle, but the entire fleet of them. Our default hotkeys cover as much commonality as possible. And we have basically used up all 102 keys on the keyboard, with maybe three to five left. Those that are awkward to find while looking at the screen.

We could of course start using exotic and painful combinations like Shift+Alt+0 - but we won't. This runs contrary to our principles about good user interfaces. Therefore, 3D interiors are not just eye candy but a necessary element to allow us to present a wide range of different fire control systems in a single product.

[Frankie]

Here's my wish-list.

1. Add basic but more accurate interiors for the "simpler/simplest vehicles" driver's station. It doesn't have to come with be clickable knobs and buttons, but at least make the interior accurate looking as per the vehicle, rather than a stock driver's station for various more complicated vehicles.

2. Add crew management. Like in Microprose's original B-17 sim, B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th (Dev. Wayward Design/Pub. Hasbro) and Silent Hunter V. But I suppose this only works if there is a protracted campaign. The Mighty 8th allowed you to bandage your injured crewmen. The sim was also a little too real as you hear the cries of your injured crewmember. "I'm hurt bad". Or something like that. Call me compassionate, but I have soft spot for my crew. Heck, even Colonel Doolittle would agree. He took care of the Doolittle's Raiders matters for as long as he was alive.

So that's my 2 cents worth. It would be worth much more if I could contribute directly to eSimgames by actually sending then pictures of the actual "simplest" vechicles.  That way I can do the research for them and save SSnake some time. Hey, that's not a bad idea, IMHO. I'm off to check the interiors out by referring to Jane's.

As for crew management, I bet it'll be at the bottom of the heap of things to do, since SB is about the simulation of tanks and vehicles.

Cheers
Frankie Kam

[Rinix]

http://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/11596-steel-beasts-pro-vs-war-thunder-ground-forces-armordamage-model/#comment-172553

If we would simulate full caliber steel AP rounds, we would also simulate ricochets. But the ricochet angle of modern APFSDS rounds is so ridiculously high (>80°, measured from the face normal) that it's just not worth it.

Here's a list of rounds in Steel Beasts that can be considered to be AP rounds:
5.45mm RU: 7N6M AP
7.62mm x 54R: 7N13 AP
7.62mm x 51: M61 AP
.300 Winchester: MK 248 MOD 0 AP
.338 AP485: XM1154 AP-I
.50 cal M2 AP-T
.50 cal M8 AP-I
.50 cal Mk 121 APHEI
12.7mm RU: B-32 AP
12.7mm RU: AP-I
14.5mm KPV: B-32 AP
14.5mm KPV: BS-41 AP-I
14.5mm KPV: AP-I
20mm RH202: DM43 API-T
23mm 2A7: BZ API
23mm 2A7: BZT API
25mm Bushmaster: SAPHEI-T
30mm 2A42/2A72: 3UBR6 AP
75mm 75/SA 50: PCOT-51P APCBC-T
75mm 75/SA 50: POT-51A APC-T
100mm D-10T: BR-412D AP-T

Oh yes, ricochets are added to my Steel Beasts wish list.

[Rinix]

My Steel Beasts wish list has only kept growing since I last posted it. So I'm only going to post the graphics and general sections.

Graphics:
All light sources being able to cast lights and shadows, right now only the sun can do this
Better looking water
Bokeh depth of field
Higher resolution gunsights
Higher resolution textures and normals, up to 4096x4096 or higher
Hit decals
Native ambient occlusion (I don’t know if soft shadows already covers this), recommended methods to examine are SSAO (simplest), SSDO (modified version of SSAO), HBAO+ (high quality and highly efficient), and VXAO (highest quality, highest GPU cost, runs best on Nvidia Maxwell-based and later GPUs, requires a minimum of DX11 or OpenGL 4.5, don’t know about Vulkan support)
Native anisotropic filtering (makes textures appear clearer at longer distances), so we don't have to force it through graphics drivers and have additional overhead
Post-processing AA like FXAA and SMAA (both anti-aliasing methods work with Nvidia and AMD graphics cards if they are implemented in the game itself, FXAA has been around longer and is presumably simpler, while SMAA delivers better quality)
Rendering and outputting in HDR as an option, rather than just rendering in HDR and compressing the output down to SDR
Screen space reflections
Spruced-up trees (pun intended)
Support for Nvidia DSR and AMD VSR
Tessellation (will require a minimum of DX11, OpenGL 4.0, or Vulkan)
Volumetric fog
Volumetric lighting/God rays

General:
Ability to carry more than 1 type of RPG ammo, like a rifle squad with a Carl Gustav M2 launcher and a mixture of rounds, or several variants of the AT4 or M72 LAW at the same time
Active protection systems
Armed UAV, since they’re already using the Sperwer’s 3D model as a generic medium UAV, they could make a Sperwer-B armed with the Spike-LR ATGMs that are already in the simulator
Dynamic thermal signatures which change with activity for both infantry and vehicles
Firing assault rifles from positions other than prone
Firing RPGs from positions other than kneeling
For the installer, putting files into subfolders as required and compressing the collections into RAR archives, since the current system of compressing some files into CAB archives and then compressing all of the files into RAR archives only adds to installer building time due to having to compress twice, and only adds to installation time due to having to decompress twice
Functional firing ports on PCs
Get rid of the generic MGs for rifle squads and implement the option for light infantry to have an LMG as an option, the rifle and MG dismount squads are intended to be spilt teams of a single squad, therefore the rifle dismount squads shouldn’t have a generic MG
Gradual identification of targets
Ground clutter providing concealment
Ground surveillance radar
GUI code rewrite to optimize the GUI for a resolution higher than 800x600 and to work better with aspect ratios other than 4:3
Having the option to only be able to draw map graphics during the planning phase
Hiding the motorcycle while the dismount is scouting
Illumination rounds
Improved HE and fragmentation model
Improved damage model, dice rolls to determine damage from spalling don’t cut it anymore
Increased variation of movement penalties within squad types, like an RPK-74 having less of a movement penalty than an M60
Instancing, which requires a minimum of DirectX 11 or OpenGL 3.1
Instantly kicking a player out of a crew position when that crew member becomes a casualty
Leopards with working commander’s panels that show laser range finder returns
Limiting time spent in the F8 view after a vehicle is destroyed
Look into LIDAR data compression, such as LASzip or LizardTech’s LiDAR Compressor
M1919A4 for the Sho’t Kal’s commander instead of the M240
Make the RBS56 NLAW behave like the top attack ATGM that it is
Manual aiming and firing of rifles
Manual aiming and firing of RPGs
Map updates that can be turned on and off for individual vehicles
Mine roller option for M113G3
More command vehicles with access to UAV cameras, right now only the M113G4 DK OPMV can do this
More natural camera movement in F1 view and binoculars view
Moving the commander’s map view while in unzoomed F1 view on vehicles with map panels
Normals folder in Mods folder
Repair vehicles reducing the time it takes to repair any damage that the damaged vehicle could otherwise repair on its own
Rewriting for DirectX 11 or OpenGL 4.0+
Rewriting for the Vulkan API, as well as porting back to either DirectX 11 or OpenGL 4.0+ for those with older graphics cards, maybe have id Software’s Frankfurt studio do the porting
Ricochets
RPGs with actual trajectories
Secure new customers such as Belgium, Estonia, and Portugal, since they won’t require too many new additions and therefore are relatively easy additions to the revenue stream
Sniper teams being able to shoot at vehicle crew that expose themselves
Sniper teams equipped with anti-materiel rifles having the ability to engage vehicles and vehicle sights
Support for GPGPU computing, like OpenCL 1.2
Support for more than 6 vehicles per platoon
Support for multiple alphabets at the same time
Support for OGG and MP3 sound files
Using libpng and libjpeg to capture screenshots, and setting libjpeg’s chroma sampling to 1x1 to prevent red text from being smudged
Vehicle dashboards that look better than what we have now (will satisfied when all dashboards looks better than they do now)

[Lumituisku]

Oh my god. I feel that if developers would see your list they would look at it in disbelief and then their heads would turn red and steam to come out of their ears.

And yet... I do kind of agree with you. Even to an amount that this all should be minimum requirement. Though... I guess that now when I said that. It's my death sentence.

[Cougar11]

I am not sure I understand you correctly about clearer images at longer distance, and forcing them through graphics. Are you saying getting clearer images then a real life sight would get? When dealing with graphics, we need to remember this is a simulation, and should as accurately as possible, render real life, not better than real life.
I agree with much of this. There is so much, untapped potential.

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