Steel Beasts

Steel Beasts Gold

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  • M1 Tank Platoon 2

Steel Beasts Pro PE

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Summary of how to get started playing

• You need a numpad for some keys, so I keep a separate numpad to the right of my keyboard, in-between my keyboard and my mouse. You could probably also just rebind the keys that use the numpad.

Recommended level of proficiency before undertaking your first mission

Background

• Source for the recommendations: Steel Beasts Beginner's Guide Part 2A - First Mission Prep

Method

1. Tutorials: All tutorials for your vehicle are complete.

   • I have a summary of the M1A2 tutorials below.

2. Tank Range: at least 80% accuracy and 8 second engagement time on the Tank Range.

   1. While doing the tank range I found that I prefer having the joystick between my legs, with my legs over the back corners of the base of the joystick and my left hand gripping the front edge of the base of the joystick to prevent it from moving around.

   2. When it starts I hit F2 to enter the GPS (gunner’s primary sight) view, then + to activate FLIR, then scan left and right. When I see a target I press the right-top joystick button to zoom in as much as possible, then the thumb button on the joystick to lase and then immediately fire. del to switch to HEAT, Ins to switch to Sabot.

   3. If I’m going to be using the mouse to aim (e.g. because of the M1A1’s limited magnification combined with my joystick’s lack of fine-grained control), I press F2 to enter the gunner’s view, then + on the numpad to activate the FLIR, then left-click to activate mouselook. I press N to zoom, right-click to lase, Spacebar to fire, and then middle-mouse click to release the palm switch (reset the automatic lead).

3. Instant Action: Get 4-6 kills in instant action consistently.

   1. As gunner: I press F6 to switch to the gunner's station. I then press F2 to enter the GPS view, then + to enable FLIR. I aim where I know they'll begin to appear and I then hold F12 to enable time acceleration. When the first tank appears, I don't try to shoot at it as soon as possible, because the shot will have a low probability of hitting, and once I shoot the enemy tank will quickly see where I am. I instead wait for a good shot (for that first tank). Once there are ~3 enemy vehicles within view of the initial position, I retreat south so that I have the woods to my left flank and then pick off the enemy vehicles as they come in close. It's very easy for me to hit them at that close range and they don't seem to spot me as quickly as I spot them. I was able to get 10 kills that way on one run.

      • Very annoying: after a few kills, the TC will sometimes have the loader switch to HEAT and not switch back, even when firing at enemy tanks. You can fix this by switching to the TC position and ordering a switch back to sabot (F7 to switch to TC role, then press Insert to order the ammo switch, look in the top right of the screen to confirm the correct ammo is selected, then press the ‘Fire’ button, spacebar or joystick button 1, to issue the new order).

      • You can sometimes bait the enemy armor into firing by pressing E to creep up to a hill and then immediately press X (to go into reverse) when you're within visibility of them.

      • It's annoying that the TC doesn't do his job to keep you within view of a single enemy vehicle at a time.

      • It seems unrealistic to have tanks returning fire right after they got hit themselves.

      • I think I want to switch the “drop lead” and “zoom” buttons on the joystick, because I use the zoom button a lot more and it’s awkward reaching over to the right-top side of the joystick with my thumb.

   2. As TC: When it starts, I press B to button the tank, then F3 to focus on the CITV view, then Shift+P to make the palm switch sticky so I can look around without keeping it pressed. I then click the MAN button in the top-left twice. When I spot a target that the gunner doesn’t see, I hold O to swivel the gun to where I’m looking, wait for the gunner to say “Identified!”, then press the palm switch button to release control of the gun to the gunner.

4. Be comfortable with the commander's (CDR) station:

   1. Scanning with the CITV

   2. Maneuvering your tank

   3. Designating targets to your gunner

   4. Popping smoke

Summary of the M1A2 tutorials

00 M1A2 Introduction

• F5 to switch to the map screen.

• F1-F4 to switch to other views.

• F12 to accelerate time

• Move your mouse to the top of any screen except the map screen to view menus.

• Left-click and move the mouse to look around.

01 M1A2 Gunnery A

• M to toggle between main gun and coax MG.
  Joystick:

• button 2 to lase

• button 4 to change magnification

• hold button 3 to disable the palm switch (gun stabilization / automatic lead)
  Keyboard/mouse:

• Left click and move mouse to aim.

• Ctrl to lase.

• Spacebar to fire

• N key to toggle magnification.

• hold P to disable the palm switch

02 M1A2 Gunnery B - LRF Basics

• To unlock the gun after lasing if you find it locked (because of automatic lead), release the palm switch.

• To avoid burning out the LRF (laser rangefinder), never lase more than 4 times in 80 seconds and don't hold the lase button down.

• If you see a green F next to the range number and the red reticle disappears, you burned out the LRF.

03 M1A2 Gunnery C - LRF Advanced

• ~ to toggle between FIRST RETURN and LAST RETURN.

• At long ranges where the target doesn't fill the reticle, or if there are obstacles between you and the target, the LRF may receive multiple return values. If that happens, a bar appears over the range display numbers. The displayed range will be based on either the first return or the last return, depending on the setting of the range switch at the time of the lase.

• Use FIRST RETURN when there are no obstacles between your tank and the target.

• Be careful lasing targets with spaces/gaps in them, like wheeled vehicles.

• Adjust how you aim when lasing depending on whether you chose FIRST RETURN or LAST RETURN.

• The LRF has an AIR MODE that sends repeated lases to help gauge the closing rate of enemy aircraft, so that rounds fired in proximity mode will detonate close to the target.

04 M1A2 Gunnery D - Automatic Lead

• Automatic lead is continuously added while the palm switches are being squeezed.

• Steadily track the target for about 1.5 seconds and then lase the target.

• "Lase and blaze" means to lase and then quickly fire to reduce the chance that the target's range/velocity has changed by the time you pull the trigger.

• It's a good practice to dump lead before moving to another target or if the current target has changed its direction of travel. To dump lead, briefly release the palm switch.

05 M1A2 Gunnery E - FLIR

• FLIR is preferred over day optics.

• Keypad + to turn the FLIR on and off.

• Keypad - to reverse the polarity of the FLIR.

06 M1A2 Gunnery F

• When a target is spotted, the TC will issue a short warning, such as "Gunner, sabot, tank!" or just "Tank!".

• When the TC orders a change of ammo type for the main gun, the loader will not remove the round that's currently loaded. Once a round is loaded in battle, it comes out only by being fired. The TC indicates that he wants the loader to start loading a different ammo type when he issues the order to fire. For example, he would say "Fire! Fire HEAT!" instead of just "Fire!".

• On the M1A2 the gunner must mentally keep track of what ammo type is currently loaded in the main gun and set the AMMUNITION SELECTION SWITCH to that ammo type.

• INSERT selects Sabot (default)

• END selects MPAT (Default)

• DELETE selects HEAT

• HOME selects Canister.

07 M1A2 Gunnery G

• You can use the gunner's control display panel (GCDP) to manually enter a range.

• The GCDP looks like a keypad. Left-click the round black button under the word "Sensors", then left-click the black button under "Range". Next, left-click the digits for the range you want and then left-click the "Enter" button.

08 M1A2 Gunnery H - Emergency mode

• In NORMAL mode the gunner's handles move the GPS (gunner's primary sight) and the gun follows. In EMERGENCY mode the gunner's handles move the gun and the GPS follows.

• Firing should be done only at a halt.

• Superelevation is still calculated if you lase or manually enter a range.

• "." to switch to emergency mode.

• "," to switch to normal mode.

• You can also click on the FCM box at the left of the gunner's screen.

09 M1A2 Gunnery I - Gunner's auxiliary sight (GAS)

• F3 to use the GAS.

• The GAS is a backup 8x telescopic sight.

• It can be useful to make sure the gun can clear a hill, since the GPS is a periscope, not in-line with the gun.

• You can estimate range by fitting a tank inside one of the stadia lines at the top of the reticle.

• Press the R key to toggle the reticle between Sabot and HEAT.

10 M1A2 Gunnery J - Manual fire control mode

• "/" to switch to manual mode.

• In manual mode you turn hand-cranks to move the gun.

• Arrow keys to turn the hand cranks, each press is one turn.

11 Driving A

• W - Drive at the next higher speed level

• X - Drive at the next lower speed level (or reverse if halted)

• S - Stop

• A, D - Turn left/right continuously while these keys are held down.

• Shift+A,D - Turn left/right 22.5 degrees

• E - Stop and try to find hull down position in hull's direction.

• C - Continue on last route

• As TC, hold the Ctrl key and you'll see a checkpoint icon on the screen. Aim somewhere and release the Ctrl key to tell your driver to go there.

• Hold the Shift key while pressing and releasing the Ctrl key to leave a marker on the map at that location.

• Left-click a unit icon at the bottom of the screen and issue an order to advance/retreat to a point.

• To create a route on the map screen, right-click on your unit's icon, select "New Route" and then "Engage", and left-click on the map. To end the route, right-click anywhere.

• If you start "manually driving" and want the driver to return to following the route, press "C".

• E - Attempt to find a battle position (hull-down to any visible enemy).

12 Driving B

• You can adjust the vertices of a route by left-clicking on the route, then left-click-and-holding on the vertex and then dragging it around.

13 Driving C

• A route consists of a series of vertices that ends with a waypoint. Routes can originate from units or waypoints, and multiple routes can originate from a single unit or waypoint.

• Routes store the following properties: Speed, Formation, Spacing, Fire-control, Tactics.

• Tactics:

  • Scout - Always stop to find a turret-down position (where only the periscope is visible).

  • Engage - Stop to find a hull-down position (where the gun is visible) if in range.

  • Assault - Always continue on route.

  • Retreat - Always continue on route (usually in reverse).

  • March - Continue on route unless under fire or enemy is near and flanking.

• You can change the properties of a route by right-clicking on it.

• You can create routes in both the planning phase and the execution phase.

• When you deviate from a route, your unit will adopt ASSAULT tactics until you return to the route.

14 Driving D - Moving a platoon

• The other tanks will follow your position automatically, like in OFP.

• ] - Line formation

• Shift+[ - Wedge formation

• Shift+] - Column formation

• "+/-" Increase/decrease spacing

• H - Hold fire

• F - fire at will

• Vee formation is more of interest at the company level than the platoon level.

• Column is useful to stay unobtrusive and to minimize the risk from minefields.

• Press F9 to switch to another tank.

15 Driving E - Understanding waypoints

• A unit can only arrive at a waypoint (and thereby activate its associated tactical disposition) from a route created in the map screen; you can't just drive into it manually.

• You can create a route that leads to an existing waypoint by just placing the last vertex near the waypoint.

• Unlike routes, waypoints have HOLD, DEFEND, GUARD, or STAY tactics.

  • STAY - Will stay at the waypoint no matter what happens.

  • HOLD - Will move to avoid ICM artillery, then move back.

  • DEFEND/GUARD - Will move to avoid ICM or HE when not engaging an enemy. May also move to engage an enemy it can't see. "If a route without an embark condition originates from a waypoint with guard tactics, a unit at that waypoint will embark on the route if it comes under fire. If the waypoint has defend tactics, the unit will embark on the route if it suffers moderate losses."

• You can order a tank to embark on a particular route by right-clicking the unit on the map and selecting PROCEED TO.

16 M1A2 TC A - Basic TC controls

• B button to button/unbutton the tank.

• N to use binocs if unbuttoned.

• E to assume a battle position.

• WASDX to drive.

• CDU - Commander's Display Unit - Includes the CITV and the CTP

• CITV - Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer

• CTP - Commander's Tactical Panel

• CITV Scan Modes - These determine how you'll scan for the enemy.

  • Auto scan - You set a scanning sector and scan-rate. To set the sector, click the VEH SYS button, then CITV SETUP, then SECTOR LIMITS. The sector is set relative to the hull's orientation. To adjust the scan rate, click RETURN then SCAN RATE ADJUST. Press the palm switch to switch to manual scan mode.

  • Manual scan - Press the palm switch to operate the CITV. You can't engage targets in this mode.

• Fire control modes

  • CITV GLOS - Slaves the gun to the CITV sight when the TC engages the palm switch. Use the CITV screen (F3) to fire the gun.

  • GPS GLOS - Slaves the CITV to the GPS (gunner's primary sight). Use the GPSE (F2) to fire the gun.

17 M1A2 TC B - Designating targets

• When the palm switch is depressed, you can aim/lase/shoot the main gun as if you were in the gunner's position.

• Hold shift while pressing the palm switch button to make it 'sticky'.

• When the gunner says "Identified!", press the 'fire' button to issue the order to fire.

• You can order the gunner to slew the turret in a certain direction by pressing the joystick hat left/right while holding the Shift key. This is especially useful if the fire control mode is 'manual' mode.

• If the gunner says 'Tank!', you can press the joystick hat button up or arrow-up key to line up the TC's eye view to the turret's direction.

• The NFOV (narrow field of view) magnifications of the CITV can display different reticles.

• Press the N key to zoom.

• To use the stadia to manually acquire the range to a target, place the CITV in MAN mode, zoom into at least 13x, then use the up and down arrow keys to resize the top and bottom of the rectangle around the top and bottom of a T-72 sized target, or middle rectangle around the top and bottom of the turret.

• To designate targets, place the CITV in an NFOV magnification and move it over a target in MAN mode. Press the O key to designate (this puts the CITV in CITV GLOS mode). When the gunner says "Identified!", release the palm switch and press the fire button to issue the order to fire.

18 M1A2 TC C - More TC controls

• You can see exactly what the gunner is seeing by looking through the gunner's primary sight extension (GPSE, F2). Use this to if you want to lase and shoot the target yourself.

• Press Alt-F3 to view the .50 cal iron sights.

• To designate to use certain ammo:

• Insert - Sabot

• End - MPAT

• Delete - HEAT

• M - Toggle between main gun and coax

19 Artillery

• ICM - Improved conventional munitions - Dangerous for armor.

• FASCAM - Family of scatterable mines

20 Commanding multiple units

• Friendly units that the player can control are shown as light blue icons on the map.

Good first scenarios for beginners

• Background:

  • IIRC I found this list of scenarios in a comment in a SB forum. I lost the link where this list was posted.

  • “These have been placed in order of perceived difficulty.”

• Scenarios

  1. Tank Platoon - Movement to Contact

  2. Tank Platoon - Attack

  3. M1 Abrams Battle Tank Campaign

  4. Platoon Recon

     1. Included with the base game. Find it by clicking on Offline Session, then click on the Single folder.

  5. Tank Commander - Revingehed

     1. Included with the base game. Find it by clicking on Offline Session, click on the Single folder, then click on Version 4.3

  6. Operation Talon Strike

  7. Combined Arms Attack

Communities

Kanium

Rules / stuff-to-know

1. If you sign up, show up or provide notice.

2. Family is more important than the game.

3. No titles.

4. Politically incorrect.

5. Be polite.

6. If you need training, they have lots of knowledgeable people (people with real-world experience).