Steel Beasts 4.2 Thread

[Rinix]

First preview video of Steel Beasts 4.2.

• The current beta version is 4.234.010 BETA
• New group route feature: a group route given to a company CO vehicle will result in duplication of the route for the other members of the company
• Group routes can be selected and modified by clicking on "Select group routes" in the unit menu
• Companies with group routes can be ordered to proceed by clicking on "Proceed (group)" in the unit menu

[Rinix]

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/?tab=comments#comment-208093

What wasn't shown is that if you zoom out far enough, icons of units that were grouped before will aggregate into a single icon, and that grouping and removal from group is easier now (simply multi-select platoons and then compose your task force through a context menu command, or select a single unit and disband it from a task force the same way. This streamlines the user interface considerably. You can even have platoon level task forces if you assemble a handful of disparate squads and vehicles for a special task.

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/?tab=comments#comment-208099

Also:

Create a road-bound route with column formation orders, and connect the task force icon to the start point of the route. The units will wait until the previous version has finished crossing throught that point before the next platoon follows, rather than all rushing to the start point at the same time. And after reaching the exit waypoint, they will restore the formation that they originally had without requiring special user input.
With absolute travel speeds set for the road-bound route you also guarantee that the convoy will travel as a whole body without anyone attempting to overtake a prior unit, thus, hopefully, creating fewer headaches in road management for human players.

[Rinix]

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/?tab=comments#comment-208120

The reason why I don't use this feature, or see myself using the improved Ui in the future is because it only works effectively in areas that are WIDE open.

Is there any plan to make group movements ONE path instead of x-amount (x=number of units) of separate paths? It is easier to just create separate routes for each unit. Or even easier, copy and paste routes.

Well, what you're describing is the long-term goal, and what we have here is a step towards it.

Besides, what this new UI component does is to automatically copy and paste the lead route, and to put every unit of a taskforce on Stay so you can adapt the individual paths before you give the order to move out.

[Rinix]

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/?tab=comments#comment-208358
The SB forum software messed up the images by changing HTTP to HTTPS for the image URLs. Fortunately, I was able to remove the "s" from the links.

How about now.
We decided that the trusty ole green panel with two orange stripes Model 2003 deserved a bit of an overhaul. And while we were at it, why not add a few more. Which quickly got a bit out of hand:


Before you ask, Bio, Gas and Nuclear are just for atmosphere. But you could use them to mark the edges of penalty zones, I suppose.

Each of these panels comes in three possible shapes, Diamond, Square, or Round. Which you can assign per party so that you may give a clue who placed a certain panel. And while we were at that, why not add an option to mark minefields with a fence?


So, it could look like this:


Or it could look like that:


Which one is more dangerous?
Obviously, if you can have a fence around a minefield, you could just as well have a fence around, well, nothing, really. This opens up the possibility for a decoy minefield:


For the party that owns the decoy minefield, it'll look like this:

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/?tab=comments#comment-208359

If you are NOT the party owning the decoy minefield, the map graphic will look like any other discovered mine obstacle. So you'll have to spend time to investigate whether this is real or not. And you might want to place additional warning signs at runtime, e.g. as a part of a reconnaissance force:


Which will take about 30 seconds:

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/?tab=comments#comment-208360

Computer-controlled units will be affected just like human players. They will report a minefield if they discover the fence. Then someone will need to take a closer look. Until it has been investigated by engineers, everybody will treat it as a real minefield. Except, of course, for the party that owns the decoy. Their AI vehicles can easily drive through, in line formation at top speed, all guns blazing.

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/?tab=comments#comment-208361

I suppose the implications for gameplay are obvious. Been waiting to see this implemented since about, well, 1997....

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/?tab=comments#comment-208364

We'll string out the updates a bit, please bear with us. There are a number of features that could potentially make it into the update, but we might just as well have to delay their introduction if they simply aren't mature yet. We only want to show stuff that is guaranteed to make it into the update, and that in part depends a bit on the beta testers' verdict and the ability of programmers to create last minute fixes.

We have, of course, an idea about the things that should make it in there, but at the end of the day this update will be free (despite the change in version number from 4.1 to 4.2) and by leaving the feature additions open until they are confirmed by QA allows us to be slightly more reliable with the release date, which should be mid-November...ish.

[Rinix]

Second preview video of Steel Beasts 4.2.

• Spike-SR is now behaving like an ATGM

[Rinix]

Second preview video of Steel Beasts 4.2.

• Comparison of minefield breaching (with mine plow) between versions 4.1 and 4.2

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/page/2/?tab=comments#comment-208624

At this point, the plows always work. I'm considering whether hard ground would prevent the usage of plows, but even if we make that step, we won't make it in the December update (not enough time to test all the implications).

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/page/2/?tab=comments#comment-208627

November, December ... it'll be ready when it's ready. We're shooting for November, but of course things depend a bit on the QA team's verdict.

Also, it'll be an update, not an upgrade.

[Frankie]

Pay for upgrade to 4.2?

[Asid]

Pay for upgrade to 4.2?

Its a free update not upgrade. So NO payment.

[Rinix]

Third preview video of Steel Beasts 4.2.

• Piranha FUS (Belgian APC version of Piranha III)

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/page/3/?tab=comments#comment-209096

Does the boomerang work?

Gunfire detection system is non-functional(by several reasons)

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/page/3/?tab=comments#comment-209097

Wie tried to implement how it would work if it worked, but since it doesn't and the customer had no elevated interest in it in the first place (because it doesn't work, anyway) we eventually stopped development on it. So, it's realistically and adequately modelled, I'd say.

[Rinix]

Fourth preview video of Steel Beasts 4.2.

• Fix for bug where infantry converge towards one waypoint

[Rinix]

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/page/3/?tab=comments#comment-209116

Note the crisp lines for roads in the map view.

[Rinix]

Fifth preview video of Steel Beasts 4.2.

• VAMTAC ST5, with various versions
• MG4E machine gun

[Rinix]

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/14423-2020-new-steelbeasts-version-features/page/4/?tab=comments#comment-209345

That's not how I'd phrase it. But MGs from prone, yes. And after missiles and MGs, we'll shift our attention to RPGs.. That will still take a while, of course.

[Oleg]

If we can control RPG in the game, that will be great.

[Rinix]

If we can control RPG in the game, that will be great.

Yes, it will be great.