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Offline Asid

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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #60 on: May 10, 2019, 12:10:57 AM »

Armored Brigade 1.023. Update

Armored Brigade has been updated to version 1.023!

Get the update from here

If you want to know about how Campaign Generator works, have a look at this guide

Changelog Version 1.023.

Fix: After destroying an enemy infantry unit in a building, vehicles were able to try to find a path through that building map cell.
Fix: When using the formation 'march' mode with the pathfind option set to 'covered' the units ended up in covered terrain in road marches.
Fix: When dismounting, the passenger unit could dismount to a map cell that had an undetected enemy unit.
Fix: M47 Dragon sprite size was wrong.
Fix: The Finnish M-30 and D-30 howitzers had wrong icon outline styles.
Fix: Key scrolling and waypoint selection (ctrl) were not released after alt+tabbing away and back to the game.
Fix: Movement dust particles were generated on bridges.
Fix: The system could pause automatically and show the 'end battle' popup in the middle of engine update loop when the battle end condition was reached, potentially causing issues.
Fix: The savegame menu was scaled incorrectly in larger UI sizes.
Fix: The message animations were not always completed if there were more new messages than could fit the message box.
Fix: The selected waypoint outline texture was wrong when using the upscaled UI.

[database] Adjusted Leopard 2 hull armor.
[database] M1A1(HA) now have M829A1 since 1988.
[database] Fixed coax MG issue (Soviet tanks use generic coax while US tanks have an ammo bin).
[database] RPG-22 on Soviet Airborne teams now has correct 'lose ammo only'.
[database] MG-3 has Full-Reload.
[database] MILAN missile min range lowered to 75 meters.
[database] Increased range and accuracy of 85mm ZiS-5.
[database] FRAG-HE rounds renamed to HE-FRAG to have unified standard.
[database] Formations 459, 460 and 461 had wrong comment fields ('SU' instead of 'US').
[database] Fixed 'DE.' instead of 'DE' on some formation comment fields.

[engine] Implement the campaign generator system.
[engine] Automatically readjust the combat power values when the battle starts, so the victory point system always works optimally, and saved scenarios won't break down if the unit costs change. The scenario.xml 'combatPower' and 'forceBModifier' are now obsolete.
[engine] Prevent the player units from finding a detour that is 100% longer than the remaining old path. Add the 'cannot find detour' event action.
[engine] Implement proximity spotting: Enemies firing withing a 60 meter radius are much easier to spot, if the spotter is an infantry unit or an un-buttoned vehicle.
[engine] Improve random objective placement.
[engine] Add the 'vineyard 2' terrain type.
[engine] The generator default water type is now 'fordable'.

[maps] Update the road light maps.

[patterns] Update the zoomed-out map patterns and colors.

[scenarios] 'Special Delivery': Add more artillery mines to the player side and remove a T-72M platoon and HQ from the enemy side.

[sprites] Update terrain textures to use 'soft shadows'. Improve other terrain textures.

[ui] Display individual unit and aircraft costs correctly in the unit selection menu.
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Offline Asid

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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #61 on: June 14, 2019, 12:56:44 AM »
General Information on the Research forum




by Tamas

Hi Everyone,


We thought some of you might enjoy helping the team, and the community in general, researching equipment and OoB information for the various armies the game has not yet covered. Our hope is that this will help both the development team, as well as modders to add new content more quickly, as finding information in sufficient details is usually the biggest challenge for this period, especially since the best sources are always in the native language of the armed force in question.


To state the obvious: we have opened this subforum for publicly available information only. Make sure you do not post any classified information. If you post any equipment data or information, we would appreciate if you included the source, but ultimately it is your responsibility to not share anything you are not supposed to.



First of all an important disclaimer: a country/region receiving a sub-forum here does not guarantee that it will be included in a future expansion for the game. Quite simply, we have not planned long enough to know when -if at all- a given country would see official treatment. On the other hand, if anybody wants to create a mod using information/opinion contributed here on the forum, they are of course free to do so.


Now for some details on how we envision this forum working.

For each country/region subforum we will link a Google Sheet with two tabs: the Faction Sheet and the Ammunition Sheet. There is also an Armour Penetration Calculator that you should use if you want to get the in-game parameters for given gun/ammo attributes. If you think an equipment/ammo type is missing, or has wrong suggestions, either comment in its own separate thread, or open a new one if none exists. After an initial testing period of the concept, we would be happy to find a forum member for each of the subforums to be given access to update numbers, once he judges the arguments sufficient for them. The development team can update/overrule these of course.

The 3 sheets are as follows:

Faction sheet
This is where vast majority of work is done. It is substantially a unit list of a given faction. In the Armored Brigade official database we don’t use prototypes, trial vehicles or systems or those which saw service in extremely limited numbers (less than 10, for example, unless justified by importance or proven potential availability in wartime). Preferred sources are archival material, books that are based on such data, like trials, after-action reports, statistics, and technical manuals. Latter are preferred. Sometimes such material is not available, so it is necessary to analyse declassified intelligence reports, open-source data, photographs, as to rely on anecdotal evidence etc. In such cases discussion is encouraged as is conservative approach to assumptions that needs to be labeled as such.

Unit name, year of introduction and withdraw from service is quite self explanatory. Names can be localized, but a certain consistency patterns with names used in same and other factions in game should be maintained, as well familiarity of users with such names (e.g. M18 AT Destroyer is better than Yugoslav local designation SO-76 etc.).

Transfer into reserve units and similar variations that may alter availability should be noted in “Formation and other service usage notes” as well other short notes and comments that might be useful or interesting to the database creator (e.g. minor modifications or modernizations, limited numbers issued, intended role or particular units using them exclusively). Major modernizations should be listed as separate units (e.g. T-62 model 1975 etc.). In case of infantry this tab is used to note what weapon system is used by, for example, HMG or Mortar team (e.g. M2 Light Mortar). For aircraft this is where the most common combat loadout is noted, or the intended role.

Ammo notes regard particular ammo load, or round introduced, for example new AP or HEAT shell being distributed in a particular year. In case of aircraft it is usually a note on a new bomb or missile being introduced, or number of hardpoints. You will note that in case of infantry this field is used to designate how many men are in the squad (question of practicity).

Particular equipment notes (including for sprites) regard information that can be used both by the database creator (e.g. no IR lights, stabilization) as by the sprite maker, such is added or removed machine guns, stowage, LRFs, smoke grenade launchers, camouflage etc.
In case of infantry this field is used to sign how many men are used to move the weapon (in order to reduce workload, static sprites are used instead of animations when possible, so no need to make 2-men moving a gun sprite if minimum needed is 3-men).

Miscellaneous notes and commentary regards any useful information that doesn’t fit previous fields (e.g. should a given unit have a gunner, or a turret, or if given unit is based on unit already in game but listed under a different name etc.).

Public discussion on forum is also highly encouraged (actually necessary) particularly so if data presented doesn’t fit the above sheet (for example, presentation of infantry company organizations, specific AFVs development history and etc.).

Ammunition sheet
This is a list of ammunition rounds and missiles used by units of a specific faction. Listed are calibre (should be ordered according to this and category, like shells and missiles), round historical designation, historically accurate gun name that use it, shell type, year of introduction, minimal range (for example most ATGM missiles have a “dead-zone”) , maximum range (maximum range at which shell is effective when visually aimed, in case of direct fire rounds), accuracyBase (accuracy at muzzle, usually 90% but can be lower on some specific weapons), accuracyRange (point where accuracy reaches half of original value, used to adjust accuracy over different distances), softDamageRange (usually 0, but some rounds like cannister lose lethality over range), AP_Damage (penetration at muzzle, and by norm a comment should be left on quoted penetration from a trusted source), AP_DamageRange (refer to Armour Penetration Calculator section), muzzle velocity of the shell or missile speed, and notes (usually vehicle using it, but also anything else of interest).

Armour Penetration Calculator
As the name already implies, this sheet is our algorithm used to calculate armor penetration over range. Only fields to be touched are B1 and D1 (Penetration and Penetration Range respectively). Penetration value is initial penetration at muzzle, at 0°, and playing out with range values with give you various penetration values over different distances. Those ranges are to be compared with historical penetration data (usually given at 500m, 1000m, 2500m etc.) until you get as realistic values as possible. APFSDS tend to keep penetration over range, while older shell types as APC or APDS tend to lose it more. HEAT and HEP ammo maintain penetration over range so PenRange is 0m.

N.B. keep in mind that archival data often give penetration at 30° or 60°. Penetration values and estimates sometimes cannot be directly compared if they don't include some other data as target obliquity or type, penetration criteria, and can be significantly altered even by "minor" parameters as propellant temperature, target hardness, etc.
Also, different criteria for armor perforation are used by different nations. For example, Soviet criteria for calculating the penetration limit of projectiles is V80, meaning that the expected consistency of achieving full armor perforation must be 80%. This means, that at least 80% of all projectiles of a certain type must achieve that standard in order to have a certified penetration. A hit is declared as full penetration only when 80% of the shell mass has passed through the armor (notice the word mass, it means that the penetration is achieved even if the shell splinters to pieces within the armor). Overall, Soviet standards were not only stricter, but the steel they used for targets was sometimes of a greater hardness than NATO targets, hence the given penetration data of Soviet rounds may be an under-representation of the actual achievable penetration of these shells using a different criteria.
In comparison, complete penetration according to the American methodology is acquired, whenever a shell punctures the armor enough for light to shine through, once the shell is removed. In other words, it’s enough for the shell to have just a tip inside the armor and you have achieved a complete penetrating hit. On top of that, only 50% of the projectiles are required to penetrate. Hence, it is clear that values are not directly comparable, and strict care needs to be taken to have consistent and comparable values across all units and factions in the database. Comparative field trials of different rounds are always a welcome addition because they are excellent for side-to-side performance comparison of different rounds.

Therefore, it is recommended to use the calculator and put the accuracyRange and AP_Damage values in Ammunition sheet if possibly you have a certain scientific knowledge on penetration vs. armor dynamics. Public discussion is always welcome and encouraged.

You can download a copy of the Calculator from THIS LINK



To see all of this in practice, have a look at the YUGOSLAVIA SHEET

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Offline Asid

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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #62 on: July 24, 2019, 12:29:02 AM »
Armored Brigade - Upcoming Update will feature the Mission Editor

Hello everyone,

Armored Brigade developers have no intention of resting on their laurels! They are working on a coming update that would bring many improvements to both the base game and its Italy - Yugoslavia DLC.

One of the new features that would be implemented is the Scenario or Mission Editor. Curious about what it is and how it will work?

Read below the full explanation and stay tuned for further information! The scenario editor will come sooner than you might think!

ARMORED BRIGADE MISSION EDITOR
One of the core features of Armored Brigade is the Battle Generator, that can be used to generate an infinite amount of replayable content. The generated scenarios, or 'missions', can be saved and then shared with others. Excluding the friendly unit placement that was editable in the earlier 'developer mode', so far the only way to make further changes to the saved missions has been to use external text editors and paint programs to edit the XML and BMP files that contained the mission data. The process was not particularly user-friendly. Now the system is about to change radically, as we introduce a new feature, that is an in-game editor where almost everything in the saved missions can be modified easily without exiting the game. The editor is an inherent part of the standard game UI. The user can load the mission in several different modes and then adjust parameters, remove and add formations, edit briefings, objectives and deployment zones and so on.

This article takes a look at the first iteration of the Mission Editor. As everything in Armored Brigade, it will be improved and more features will be added in the future. We hope that the system will inspire players to create and share their scenarios with others, as it will help in creating a vibrant community.

In Armored Brigade, the scenarios are called 'missions'. For showcase purposes, I have copied the official missions to the 'user' folder. The official missions are normally not editable.




In the main screen there is the list of all user missions. After selecting the mission from the list you can choose the side which you want to modify. If you want to edit the mission ID, name, or briefings then you click the 'EDIT' button below the briefing text. Bottom-right there are buttons for entering the other modes of the editor. Below the mission list is the 'DELETE MISSION' button for permanently removing a mission.

Now we will inspect the different editor screens and modes. In every editor screen you must click 'SAVE' after you have finished making changes, so the mission files are updated. Note that if you have selected to edit the opponent side the factions and many other options will be reversed.




You enter this screen by clicking the 'EDIT' button below the briefing. You see the briefing for the side that was chosen in the main screen. The mission ID must be unique, and the briefing length is currently limited to 3000 characters. The standard keyboard and mouse cut-copy-paste scheme works, and you can copy-paste text from other applications.




This screen is mostly identical to the Battle Generator screen. The main differences are that some options are disabled, and there is the new 'Force B playable' option. You can use this parameter to prevent the player from selecting the opponent side, if you want only the force A to be playable. The 'Air superiority' option is important, because it affects which sides can select aircraft in the force selection screen.




In the objectives screen you can adjust victory points and deployment zones, create and delete objectives, edit 'dummy objective' parameters, and change the water type between varied, fordable, impassable and frozen. All this is familiar from the old Battle Generator, but the new groundbreaking feature is the 'PAINT ZONES' mode.




In the new Battle Generator and Mission Editor you can easily paint 'no-go' and 'destruction' zones and 'water crossing points' in the game UI. Left-click to paint, right-click to erase, and use the mouse wheel to adjust the brush size. The system validates the map after the user has completed the changes, taking into account the deployment zones, objectives, water, painted zones, etc. and ensures that the mission is playable before allowing the user to save it.




This editor mode reruns the force selection phase from the Battle Generator. The purchase points are maxed out, so the user can select what he wants, even if the engine's maximum point, unit, and formation limits still apply. Artillery and air support can be selected, if the faction and mission parameters allow it. The defending side may be allowed to have minefields, wire obstacles, anti-tank obstacles, and pillboxes.

In the future it can be possible to rename formations in this screen.




In the deployment mode you can move the player formations to their default positions and change the formation orientation, shape, spacing, and pathfinding. A mechanized formation can start with its units mounted or dismounted. In the right-click menu you can 'LOCK' a formation or individual pillbox, so the player cannot change its starting position in the battle setup phase. Pillbox locking is a new feature that is introduced in this editor update.




As another new feature, obstacles can be pre-placed to their default positions, in the same way as in the standard game mode. Now it is possible to build defensive fortification lines for the scenario. Minefields, anti-tank obstacles, and wire obstacles placed in the Mission Editor will be locked and cannot be moved by the player. Pillboxes must be locked manually, as was described earlier.




Click the 'OBJECTIVES' button to create, rename, move, or delete objectives. Left-click on the objective to select it, and left-click again to move it. If the location rectangle is red then the new position is not valid due to water, impassable terrain, or other reasons. Right-click on the objective to edit it. You can enter the new name or delete the objective by pressing the 'ESC' key. If there is only one objective remaining then it cannot be deleted.




Right-click on the map to create a new objective. Note that depending on the mission type, the objectives can be located in the player deployment zone, in the opponent deployment zone, or in the 'no-man's-land', but not in all of them.

Click the 'SETUP ZONES' button to adjust the deployment zones. A left-click on the map moves the player side edge, and a right-click moves the opponent side edge.

The deployment zones and objectives are easier to fine-tune in this on-map editor mode than in the Battle Generator view. In the future it may be possible to paint 'no-go' and other zones in the on-map view.




If the 'Player character' option was enabled in the main screen then the player can be assigned to a different unit in the deployment mode.

When you are done, click the 'SAVE SCENARIO' button.

Currently the pre-placed formations and obstacles work for the human player side only. In the future they will affect the defending AI opponent side too.


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Offline Asid

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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #63 on: August 02, 2019, 10:40:04 AM »
The new update for Armored Brigade is live



You can now play Armored Brigade with brand new exciting features.

Armored Brigade developers have worked hard to bring many improvements to both the base game and its Italy - Yugoslavia DLC.

One of the new features that has been implemented is the Scenario or Mission Editor, an in-game editor where almost everything in the saved missions can be modified easily without exiting the game. The editor is an inherent part of the standard game UI. The user can load the mission in several different modes and then adjust parameters, remove and add formations, edit briefings, objectives and deployment zones and so on.

You can download the patch from the members club.

Check the changelog here:

•   Fix: When loading scenarios, check the database ID before other checks, to make sure that the relevant data exists in the database.
•   Fix: In the Battle Generator, the number of objectives was not reset after changing the player start edge, allowing too many objectives to be added.
•   Fix: US TOW M113 Carrier (M150) now has a commander just like the Italian counterpart.
•   [database] Adjusted muzzle signatures on LMGs, MMGs and HMGs.
•   [database] British Chieftan and FV432 speed adjustments.
•   [engine] Implement the mission editor.
•   [engine] Add a small muzzle signature visibility bonus when a weapon is fired, making especially the low muzzle signature weapons easier to detect.
•   [engine] Increase the TI system efficiency and cost slightly.
•   [engine] The 'paved road' and 'secondary road' now use different width classes, improving the intersections.
•   [engine] Rotate anti-air units to face the center of enemy setup zone after they have stopped engaging an air target.
•   [engine] The AI opponent uses artillery smoke in meeting engagements.
•   [engine] Make sure that the manually edited campaign.xml 'startLocation' attribute stays within the allowed limits.
•   [scenarios] Add the 'Attack in Bullenhausen' scenario.
•   [scenarios] Update the 'Who Will Stop the Rain' scenario.
•   [ui] Show a message when a detected hostile aircraft is going down.
•   [ui] Prevent the system from listing scenarios, campaigns and maps with duplicate IDs.
•   [ui] Don't allow purchasing artillery mines if there are no guns purchased. If all guns are sold then set the number of mines to zero.

NOTE: Savegames from older builds are not compatible.

For more details check this copy! here


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Offline Asid

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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #64 on: August 23, 2019, 11:45:06 PM »
Armored Brigade Chechnya Mod




User CCIP-subsim is working on a gigantic mod for Armored Brigade, currently focusing mainly on the Chechen Civil War (1994) and the First Chechen War (1994-1996), with a more limited ability to represent the Second Chechen War (1999-200x) as well.




Mod features:

-Two completed, 15.36 x 15.36 km maps (Grozny and Kalinovakaya), with further additions planned

-A standalone database of historical units and weapons from the era designed mainly for asymmetric, urban combat - represented in three factions (Russian Federation, Chechen Republic, and Chechen Opposition)

-(new) Ten unique scenarios designed for the mod and Grozny map - focusing specifically on actions of Group North on December 31st 1994 and January 1st 1995 (2 large scenarios, 8 small ones; 6 for the Russian side and 4 for the separatists).

And many, many others!

Download




The mod is still a beta but judging by the immense effort put so far, even this earlier version adds tons of material and new content.

Kudos to UCCIP-subsim for this great work!

Read all the instructions







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Offline Asid

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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #65 on: September 05, 2019, 12:05:26 PM »
Armored Brigade - New Stacking Limit



Hi everybody!

We have some news from the front!

Armored Brigade developers are restless! After having released their first DLC featuring the armies of Italy and Yugoslavia and after adding the Mission Editor, another important achievement is going to be reached!

The stacking limit has always been something both developers and the community wanted to improve. That moment has come



Version v1.36 Beta available through the Members Area features the stacking limit brought to 3 units per square! Anyone who has registered the game can get it and try its full potential!



The new stacking limit is a major change for the game. It has been discussed by the community and the developers for a while now, but it posed some technical challenges, and we had to make sure the change would not compromise the simulation, or the AI's capabilities. After adopting the game code to handle it, we have found that 3 units per square work best.

Thanks to this change, the game now flows even more naturally, and unit pathfinding has been greatly improved. The AI has been adjusted to be aware and utilise the new stacking limit, so players should also see improvements in its behavior.



Grab it and leave feedback in the forum!

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Offline Asid

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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #66 on: September 18, 2019, 01:29:49 PM »
Armored Brigade Second Nation Pack – France and Belgium enter the arena


Armored Brigade developers are very proud to reveal the second DLC they are working on. After working on covering the struggles of the southern front between Italy and Yugoslavia, it’s time to refocus on north-central Europe.

France and Belgium are indeed the protagonists for this second Nation Pack, bringing their armed forces in a new map, the Ardennes. Check out the product page for more details.



Armored Brigade and both the Nation Packs will be out on Steam on October 31st.

 
Summary of the features:

•   two new factions France and Belgium
•   new map: Ardennes, centered around Bastogne
•   overall more than 200 units


FRANCE:

A striking feature of the French formations of 1970s is the extent to which they were tank-heavy, due to their intended mode of operations. Their tactics were closer to US Armored Cavalry Regiments (or, indeed, their own pre-WW2 Division Légère Mécanique) in that they were not intended for holding ground. Like the DLM of 1940, the mechanized regiments were to operate like the earlier dragons portes, locating and delaying the enemy and preparing the situation for a counter strike by the tank regiments. However, during the 1980s the heavy manoeuvre forces saw an increase in the proportion of infantry, through the attachment of motorized infantry divisions to the corps headquarters, addition of VAB-equipped infantry regiments to infantry divisions, and an increase in the number of infantry companies in mechanized regiments.


BELGIUM:

As host to NATO since 1967, Belgium has always placed great importance on functioning as a reliable and credible ally. Despite the small size of its population and demanding colonial commitments, Belgium managed to make a significant contribution to NATO collective defence, deploying half of its Army to the FRG as part of the Belgian I Corps. The remainder of the army comprised the Forces of Interior responsible for the defense of the home territory, made up of regular army units which would be augmented in wartime by the local gendarmerie and reserve forces. In addition, the Forces Interior were supplemented by a regiment of elite para-commandos with two airborne infantry and one commando battalion. However, much of its equipment remained obsolescent; its main battle tank, the Leopard 1(BE) was of 1960s vintage and its M75 and AMX-13 Mod 56 APCs, as well as its Alouette II helicopters were almost museum-pieces from the 1950s. However, the Army went through a modest re-equipment programme through the 1980s; upgrading its APCs and artillery, increasing the numbers of ATGMs and replacing most of the Air Force’s fast jets with modern aircraft. Nevertheless, the Belgian Army of the Cold War remains a very interesting and challenging faction.











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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #67 on: October 01, 2019, 01:21:26 AM »
Armored Brigade Nation Pack: France - Belgium Iconic Units
9/30/2019


France and Belgium will be arriving on our stores and on Steam on October 31st, and their arsenals are ready to be deployed against their Warsaw Pact counterparts.

Have a look at some of the most important units that will be under your direct control.




FRANCE

AML-90 Armored Car: In the history of AFVs, there have been few that have been so successful or so extensively employed as the Panhard AML armoured car. Designed on a small, lightly armoured 4×4 chassis, AML-90 is a fast, long-ranged, and reliable vehicle with excellent reconnaissance capability. It showed that a lightweight armoured car, armed with a 90mm main gun, could successfully deal with tanks despite an obvious lack of protection, using speed to achieve confusion and effective flanking fire. Since 1959 AMLs have been marketed on five continents; several variants remained in continuous production for half a century. These have been operated by fifty-four national governments and other entities worldwide, seeing regular combat even today.




AMX-13 Light Tank: The AMX-13 was designed in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War but the production run in a range of several thousand units lasted as late as 1987. It was originally intended as a light tank suitable for air transport, as its role was to serve as a fire support vehicle for paratroopers. It was an ambitious and far-sighted departure from conventional tank design with a number of unusual solutions so it comes as no surprise it found a ready export market as well as being a critical part in the French Army arsenal. Its basic hull design lent itself to the development for more than a hundred different variants, some of them included self-propelled guns, anti-aircraft systems, APCs, and ATGM versions. French designers progressively modernised, and indeed reinvented, the AMX-13 and enabled it to claim to be one of the most successful armoured vehicle programmes of the post-war period. It proved its worth in numerous small wars worldwide in the service of twenty-five countries.




ERC-90 Sagaie: The ERC-90 Sagaie started as a private venture aimed at the export market. It was developed by Panhard in the latter half of the 1970s as a heavier, six-wheeled successor to highly successful AML range of armoured vehicles. Recognizing the need for a cost-effective light armoured vehicle that could defeat more modern tanks, like the Soviet T-72, Panhard designed a new turret which mounted the long barrel F4 90mm smooth-bore cannon. Initially rejected by the French Army in favour of more advanced, but also heavier and costlier AMX-10RC, it was eventually adopted for Fast Deployment Force for overseas military missions, mainly in Africa or the Middle East. The Sagaie is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle first and foremost, with the added secondary role as a tank-destroyer. The ERC-90 series proved to be a resilient and sturdy vehicle and saw action in several conflicts.




Mirage III: No longer required to serve purely as an interceptor, the Mirage III was quickly developed into a multi-role fighter by Dassault. The Mirage III E, ordered on April 6, 1960, was designed for low-altitude airstrikes. The fuselage was lengthened to accommodate the relevant electronic systems (navigation suite, Doppler radar), and was also equipped with a more powerful jet engine, the Atar 9C. Along with the companion Mirage III D two-seater and simplified Mirage 5, the Mirage IIIE accounted for the bulk of the 1,422 Mirage IIIs built by Dassault or under licence in Australia and Switzerland. After the outstanding Israeli success with the Mirage III, scoring kills against Syrian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 and MiG-21 aircraft and then achieving a formidable victory against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in the Six-Day War of June 1967, the Mirage III's reputation was greatly enhanced.




VAB VCAC ‘Mephisto’: VAB VCAC “Mephisto” (Module Élévateur Panoramique HOT Installé Sur Tourelle Orientable) is an antitank version of the most widespread troop carrier of the French army, the VAB. Able to fight against tanks with great autonomy (maximum range of 4000 meters), the VAB Mephisto is intended for anti-tank companies. It is based on simple and reliable chassis, which forms the base vehicle of French light armored infantry. This 4-wheel platform can be adapted to a wide array of purposes. Suitable for strategic movement due to a range of 1,200km, it is also transportable by air.




BELGIUM


AIFV-B IFV: In the mid-1960s, the United States Army studied a number of armored fighting vehicles that would replace the ubiquitous M113 and less successful M114 as well as take on a variety of new roles. Under military contract, FMC Corporation built two MICVs in 1967 with the designation XM765. These were based on the proven M113 hull modified to incorporate firing ports and a fully-enclosed weapon station. Although evaluated, the XM765 was nevertheless rejected in favor of other projects that eventually resulted in Bradley IFV. Further development of the XM765 by the company as a private venture resulted in the Product Improved M113A1, the first prototype of which was completed in 1970. This had a one-man turret with 25mm autocannon in the centre of the hull, behind the driver and engine, and spaced steel laminate armor was bolted onto the side and front, with the void filled with polyurethane foam. This vehicle was subsequently called the Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the first country to order the AIFV was the Netherlands. In 1979, the government of Belgium followed suit and took on a fleet of 514 AIFV which would be produced locally.




Kanonenjagdpanzer: The Kanonenjagdpanzer was a German Cold War tank destroyer equipped with a 90mm anti-tank gun, a design reminiscent of the Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers of World War Two era. Between 1966 and 1967, 770 units were built for the Bundeswehr and further 80 of them were delivered to Belgian Army from April 1975 onward. It was light, fast and highly agile low-profile vehicle being powered by an MTU MB 837 500hp diesel-engine. With the 90mm gun becoming rapidly obsolete, some were converted to ATGM tank destroyers, others were pulled back to reserve units and in one way or another, they remained in service until the end of the Cold War.




M75 APC: The first of the “battle taxis”, the US Army’s trend setting M75 APC entered service in 1952. While the M75 shared many chassis and suspension components with the M41 Walker Bulldog light tank, it was not cost-effective as the approximate price of the vehicle was $72,000 (almost $700,000 today), which contributed to the early halting of production. Welded all-steel hull was relatively thick for an APC, up to 2 inches (50 mm) on the front, and 1 to 2.5 inches (25 to 38 mm) sides, roof and bottom, and therefore it weighted astonishing 42,000 pounds (19,051 kg) loaded. Due to changing demands and understanding of modern warfare, it was already showing its flaws by the time it reached the operational service. However, while it had a short career in the US Army, the M75s were given as military aid to Belgium, where they were used until the early 1980s.




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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #68 on: October 24, 2019, 02:07:02 AM »
"Nation Pack: France - Belgium" France General Strategy
10/23/2019


The new DLC of Armored Brigade, Nation Pack: France - Belgium, will be released on October 31st. Below you'll find an in-depth analysis of the French army, looking closer to its strategies and features. The specs of Belgium will follow soon.

France

As mentioned previously, while the bloodletting of World War I has left the French military a firm believer in the prevalence of firepower over manoeuvre, so did France's defeat by Germany in 1940 led it to a similar swing in the direction of mobile warfare. Their Cold War tactics were tank-heavy and closer to US Armored Cavalry Regiments (or, indeed, their own pre-WW2 Division Légère Mécanique) in that their formations were not intended for holding ground. Like the DLM of 1940, the mechanized regiments were to operate like the earlier dragons portes, locating and delaying the enemy and preparing the situation for a counter strike by the tank regiments.

By the 1980s the French army had transitioned to small armored divisions and saw an increase in the proportion of infantry, though French “divisions” never amounted to much more than a brigade in real terms. These divisions were composed composed of task-organized combined arms regiments (essentially large battalions) which mixed tank and mechanized infantry companies on a permanent basis. The French doctrine saw these divisions operating on rather wide frontages, with uncovered flanks if necessary, and seeking to outflank the enemy rather than engage him head-on.



Here we can see dismounted block-force in the village laying ambush to the advancing Soviet armoured column, delaying them long enough so French light tanks and supporting paratroopers can organize to strike on flanks.

Backing up the draft-based armored and mechanized divisions of the Metropolitan Army were the expeditionary forces of the Force d'Action Rapide, a collection of volunteer-manned light armored, parachute, mountain, airmobile, and marine units. Although mainly intended for overseas use due to their all-volunteer manning, their capabilities would have been useful in an overall NATO-Warsaw Pact conflict.


“Boxing maneuver”. Deliberately lured deep into the French lines, Soviet unit is encircled and destroyed by weaker, yet more mobile French force.

Head-on engagements were eschewed except as a way to fix the enemy for an enveloping maneuver, and fighting in built-up or wooded areas was similarly to be avoided due to the low infantry strength of French formations and the advantage the artillery-heavy Soviet Army would have in such grinding attritional battles. In this regard the French army differed from the Bundeswehr which, although also a maneuver-oriented force, intended to fight for every inch of the battlefield.


The deadly effect of grinding battle against Soviet Army in the urban area.

The weak point of the French ground forces was equipment. The French strategic nuclear deterrent took up such a large portion of the defense budget that in many respects French forces lagged behind other premier NATO armies in certain technical aspects. The most notable French weakness was the failure to field a modern main battle tank during the 1980s comparable to the Leopard 2, M1 Abrams, or even the rather less successful Challenger 1. The highly sophisticated Leclerc MBT finally entered service only in the 1990s. As a result of the French MBT lag, the French forces would have had to rely more heavily on anti-tank guided missiles, such as the MILAN, HOT and SS-11. Another quite noticeable weakness in-game terms is lack of stabilization on most of the French guns.


Speed and maneuver without stabilization will likely result in heavy casualties if “all guns blazing - on move” approach is applied. Player should rather use greater mobility of French forces to dictate the tempo of operations: quick redeployments should be used to set ambushes and flank attacks to inflict damage and then disengage before enemy can bring his firepower to bear.

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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #69 on: October 28, 2019, 11:48:41 PM »
Nation Pack: France - Belgium" Belgium General Strategy
10/28/2019



In a few days the new DLC of Armored Brigade, Nation Pack: France - Belgium will be available: the release date is October 31st. In the meanwhile, discover the features of the Belgian Army by reading the thorough examination below. If you want, see also the French corps analysis here.

BELGIUM

The Belgian I Corps, with two mechanised divisions, was the southernmost corps of Northern Army Group, or NORTHAG. While the I Corps was permanently assigned to the forward defence role in Germany, supervision of the home territory was the responsibility of the Forces of Interior. Latter included not only the training and reserve cadres bolstered by local Gendarmerie, but also the elite and battle-hardened Para-Commando Regiment. While unfortunately not much is available regarding the Belgian tactical defence doctrine, the Belgian Army was generally rated by NATO as well prepared and with consistent high readiness, determined not to repeat the failure of 1940 war.



However, persistent issues with small defence budget meant that much of its equipment remained obsolescent; its main battle tank, the Leopard 1(BE) was of 1960s vintage and its M75 and AMX-13 Mod 56 APCs, as well as its Alouette II helicopters were almost museum-pieces from the 1950s. Despite the proven high proficiency of Belgian tank crews, the armoured “punch” had to be boosted from time to time by British tank formations. There was a modest rearmament program in 1975-1985 period, upgrading primarily APCs and artillery, increasing the numbers of ATGMs and replacing most of the Air Force’s fast jets with modern aircraft.


“People waxes and wanes according to the worth of its army: the army lives or dies on its infantry”. Such was the extreme point of view expressed in the German recruiting booklet Offizier im Grossdeutschen Heer (1942).

Hence, it is probably true that the centerpiece of Belgian Army in Armored Brigade are its (mechanized) infantry forces, strongly reaffirming the need for combined arms operations. While this lesson is true for any armed force, lack of technological advantage in pretty much any aspect over probable Soviet opponent in Belgian case imply that the combined coordinated action of infantry, armor and artillery is not only essential to success, but to survival itself.

However, the various obstructions provided by variations in terrain elevation, vegetation and built-up areas can block or inhibit the capacity and advantage of the enemy firepower. This opacity creates opportunities for cover and concealment. Exploiting terrain gives opportunities to mitigate the effects of enemy quantitative and firepower advantage through such techniques as using cover, camouflage and dispersal to reduce the ability of the enemy either to find targets or to apply combat power against them. Understanding and manipulating “ground” is often crucial to success in land warfare.


Since Belgians have slim chances of winning while fighting head-to-head against a quantitatively and qualitatively superior enemy on a battlefield of unprecedented lethality, intensity, and density, they must almost completely rely on combined arms, terrain and mobility. Here you can observe Belgian battalion using low hills as cover in meeting engagement with Soviet armoured force.

Mobility is not an absolute, but must be measured relative to the difficulty of the terrain and to the mobility of other friendly or enemy forces. For a combined arms team, the least mobile element may determine the mobility of the entire force. Without mobility, the principles of mass, maneuver, and offensive cannot be applied, and surprise becomes very difficult. Protection means both security against enemy surprise attack and capability to allow offensive maneuver or defense on the battlefield. This battlefield protection may be accomplished by using terrain defilade and defensive fortifications, or by employing artificial means such as smoke screens. Machine gun, mortar and SPG sections should be detailed to follow the leading companies, whenever infantry or armor.


Belgian Army gave particular care to reconnaissance, since 1975 organized and equipped according to British model. It was deemed vital, being planned, continuous and progressive, taking full advantage of concealment, defilade, and terrain.

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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #70 on: November 02, 2019, 01:27:24 AM »
Armored Brigade has been updated to version 1.045
31/10/2019


Armored Brigade has been updated to version 1.045.

This update brings many improvements and changes to the game.

Have a look at the changelog below

You can download the update from [link=http://ftp.matrixgames.com/pub/Armored%20Brigade/ArmoredBrigade-UpdateComp-v1.045.zip]here[/link]

IMPORTANT: Savegames from older builds are not compatible.


v1.045 Changelog:


• Fix: The illumination flare sprite didn't rotate and the same issue could cause the application to freeze.
• Fix: The application could crash at the startup if there was an error message before the background texture was loaded.
• Fix: Eliminated smoke grenade launchers on Italian M47 tanks.
• Fix: Reversed slots with the personal weapon and hand grenades on Yugoslav LMG teams.
• Fix: Some Soviet airborne units missed a weapon quantity 1 for their RPG-18/22 LAWs.
• [database] Raise the British training level to 80.
• [database] Vehicle mortar emplacement times reviewed and unified.
• [database] Ammunition carried by 12.7mm HMG teams reduced to 400 rounds.
• [database] The German M47 Patton now has both main and coax MG with xenon searchlight, other nations (BE, FR, ITA, YU) do not.
• [engine] Allow placing graphics files listed in the 'resources_custom.xml' to the database 'graphics' folder. First the system looks for the sprite file in the database folder, and if it is not found then the file in the standard graphics folder is used instead.
• [ui] Add the Default/User/Steam scenario and campaign list filter buttons.
• [ui] Change the air support menu text 'Arriving time' -> 'Arrival time'.
• [ui] Adjust the main menu layout.

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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #71 on: November 02, 2019, 01:31:06 AM »
Armored Brigade Nation Pack: France – Belgium is out
31/10/2019


France and Belgium are ready to join the conflict with hundreds of new units and aircraft, on a completely new map centred around the Bastogne area. All the Armored Brigade titles are available on Steam as well.
To celebrate this important milestone, Armored Brigade (base game) and the first Nation Pack (Italy – Yugoslavia) are being discounted, you can get them at 30% off. This promotion will last an entire week, until November 8th.



In addition, you can get the Armored Brigade Complete Bundle – featuring all the Armored Brigade titles – 15% off.



If you are eager to see the new factions and map in action, then don't miss XTRG playing the game today on our official
!
The stream will start at 9 pm GMT – 5 PM EDT – 2 pm PDT



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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #72 on: November 06, 2019, 02:47:07 PM »
Armored Brigade has been updated to version 1.046
06 Nov 2019


Armored Brigade has been updated to version 1.046

You can download the update here

v1.046 Changelog:

- Fix: The infantry sprite 'ww_1lmg_moving.png' was missing.
- Fix: Some vehicles had a wrong hostile NATO icon resource name.
- Fix: The unit #1115 (AIFV-B-25 IFV) 7.62mm Coax MG ammo was 0.
- Fix: The Alouette III Gunship flight lacked weaponry.
- [maps] Improve roads and streams on the Ardennes map.

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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #73 on: January 14, 2020, 04:01:16 PM »
Open Beta - Version 1.049
11 Dec, 2019 @ 5:46pm


Hello Everyone,

We just released a new version in open beta. This version has a number of engine, graphics and ui changes and improvements. A full changelog can be found below. You are all invited to help us test it before launching it officially. We appreciate all feedback.

Best,

Surtur

In order to access the latest build, you must locate Armored Brigade in your Steam Library, right click it and select properties. Click the Betas tab and select the Beta from the drop down menu. Your download will follow shortly.

v1.049 December 06th, 2019

NOTE: Savegames from older builds are not compatible.

• [engine] Improve hill shading.
• [engine] Implement the 'Rice field' terrain type.
• [engine] Reset the unit engagement range settings automatically when under fire.
• [engine] Halve the 'rotate' order command delay.
• [graphics] Update the winter warehouse pattern.
• [ui] Implement the stylized unit icon set option.
• [ui] Implement the LOS tool preview and profile features.
• [ui] Implement the map editor preview image opacity +/- hotkeys.


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Re: Armored Brigade Is Officially Announced!
« Reply #74 on: January 14, 2020, 04:03:04 PM »
Armored Brigade Update v1.051
13 Jan 2020

Armored Brigade has been updated to version 1.051.


For Steam users:
Please note that Savegames from older builds are not compatible.

You can download the update from here

v1.051
• Pressing the 'ESC' key in the high-resolution LOS mode takes back to the 'Preview' mode.
• Add hotkey: 'Ctrl + M', 'Place map markers'.
• Add map editor hotkey: 'Ctrl + Shift + +/-', 'Adjust the preview map opacity in 5% steps'.
• Improve the LOS tool 'Preview' and 'Profile' modes.
• Show the 50% or less visible areas differently in the 'Non-gradual B&W' LOS tool color mode.
• When a single unit is selected, show the location LOS % next to the mouse cursor.

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