Copyright © 1996–2019 by eSim Games, LLC. All rights reserved.

This manual and the computer programs on the accompanying DVD are
copyrighted and contain proprietary information. No one may give or sell
copies of this manual or the accompanying DVD to any person or institution,
except as provided for by written agreement with eSim Games. Disassembly,
reverse compilation, and any other form of reverse engineering of the
programs on the DVD are unauthorized. No one may copy, photocopy,
reproduce, translate this manual, or reduce it to machine-readable form, in
whole or in part, without prior written consent of eSim Games, LLC. Any
person (or persons) reproducing any portion of this program, in any media,
for any reason, shall be guilty of copyright violation and criminal liability as
provided by law, and shall be subject to civil liability.

WARNING
Extended projection times of still images can burn into the screen of some TV
sets (especially projection- and rear-projection sets) and deteriorate image
quality. Therefore, it is not recommended that you use a TV or wide-screen
projection set as an output device for an extended period of time.

SEIZURE ALERT
Under special circumstances, epileptic seizures or impaired consciousness can
result from exposure to flashing lights or special effects. This may occur while
playing computer simulations. If you or a family member has ever
experienced epileptic symptoms or symptoms that may be related to epilepsy
such as impaired consciousness or black-outs, please consult a doctor before
running this program.

Even if you have no prior history of epilepsy or other types of

seizures, please read the following carefully before playing this
simulation.

If dizziness, vertigo, visual trouble or impairments, eye or muscle tremors,

loss or impairment of consciousness, cramps, twitching, or any other kind of
involuntary movement occur, stop playing, turn off the simulation and contact
a physician IMMEDIATELY.

Take the following precautions while playing any computer simulation:

• Do not sit too close to the screen.
• Use a flicker-free screen.
• Do not play if tired.
• Do not play if sleep-deprived.
• Ensure a proper flow of air through the room in which the game is being
played.
• Pause or stop the game at least once an hour and take a ten- to fifteen-
minute break.
• If you experience any dizziness or impaired consciousness not normally
related to fatigue, or involuntary eye, face or body movements, stop
playing immediately. Turn off the game and the computer. Contact a
physician at once.

i
 Acknowledgements

eSim Games acknowledges the use of the following 3rd party libraries in
Steel Beasts Professional; all licenses can be found in docs\ThirdPartyLicenses
under the installation folder:

AlphaNum
http://www.davekoelle.com/alphanum.html

boost
http://www.boost.org/

EASYBMP:
Copyright (c) 2005, The EasyBMP Project (http://easybmp.sourceforge.net)
All rights reserved.

expat XML parser

http://expat.sourceforge.net/. The license can be found in expat.txt.

GeographicLib
http://sourceforge.net/projects/geographiclib/. The license can be found
in GeographicLibLICENSE.txt.

libKML
https://code.google.com/p/libkml/. The license can be found in
libkmllicense.txt.

libnova
http://libnova.sourceforge.net/. The license can be found in libnovalicense.txt.

log4cxx
http://logging.apache.org/log4cxx/. The license can be found in
apacheLicense20.txt.

PathEngine
Agent movement powered by
PathEngineTM – www.pathengine.com

Shapefile C library
http://shapelib.maptools.org/. The license can be found in
Shapefilelicense.txt.

ii
SNAPPY:
http://google.github.io/snappy/. The license can be found in
SnappyLicense.txt.

uriparser
http://uriparser.sourceforge.net/. The license can be found in uriparser.txt.

xxHash
https://github.com/Cyan4973/xxHash

lock-free queues
http://moodycamel.com/blog/2013/a-fast-lock-free-queue-for-c++
http://moodycamel.com/blog/2014/a-fast-general-purpose-lock-free-queue-for-c++

iii
 CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION .................................................... 12
About this manual .................................................................................... 13

2 INSTALLATION AND SETUP................................... 14

Anti-Virus Software ................................................................................... 14
Updating Steel Beasts ............................................................................... 16
CodeMeter ............................................................................................. 16
Updating the Firmware of a CM Stick ................................................. 17
Virtual CM Sticks/Time-based Licenses ............................................... 17
Multiple Machines with One CM Stick ................................................. 18
Updating Licenses............................................................................. 19
Setting a CodeMeter stick to HID mode.............................................. 20
CodeMeter Stick Basic Troubleshooting .............................................. 20
Windows 8, 10 ......................................................................................... 21
Safe Mode ............................................................................................. 21
File Structure ........................................................................................... 22
PERSONAL ....................................................................................... 22
Mod files .......................................................................................... 23
Map packages .................................................................................. 23
COMMON_APPDATA ......................................................................... 25
APPDATA ......................................................................................... 25
PROGRAM_FILES .............................................................................. 25
Unit and Callsign Templates .............................................................. 25
Language/Localization .............................................................................. 26
Adding a New Language ................................................................... 27
Multi-byte Character Sets .................................................................. 28
Improving System Performance ................................................................. 29
Graphics Detail settings..................................................................... 29
Shadow Mapping .............................................................................. 29
High detail tank tracks ...................................................................... 29
Volumetric Clouds ............................................................................. 29
Anti-Aliasing ..................................................................................... 29
Particle Effects ............................ Fehler! Textmarke nicht definiert.
HDR Bloom ...................................................................................... 30
Terrain Detail Distance ...................................................................... 30
Screen Resolution and Frame Rate .................................................... 31
Graphics Driver Settings .................................................................... 31
Fullscreen Anti-Aliasing (FSAA) .......................................................... 31
Anisotropic Filtering (AF) ................................................................... 31
Vertical Synchronization .................................................................... 31
Z-Buffer ........................................................................................... 32
Network Connections ................................................................................ 32
Sound ............................................................................................. 32

3 THE MAIN MENU............................................................. 33

4
4 DEFINITIONS ................................................................. 35
Unit ............................................................................................. 35
Tactics ............................................................................................. 35
Waypoint ............................................................................................. 35
Route ............................................................................................. 35
Battle Position .......................................................................................... 36
Condition ............................................................................................. 36
Event ............................................................................................. 36
Trigger ............................................................................................. 36
Runtime ............................................................................................. 36
Virtual Simulation ..................................................................................... 36
Constructive Simulation ............................................................................ 37
Tactical Exercise Without Troops (TEWT) ................................................... 37
Vehicles with crew positions ...................................................................... 37

5 THE MAP SCREEN ........................................................... 38

Control Panel (Mission Editor) ................................................................... 38
Control Panel (at Runtime) ........................................................................ 39
Rotary Dial ............................................................................................. 40
Terrain ............................................................................................. 40
The LOS Map ........................................................................................... 40
Report/Score ............................................................................................ 40
Briefing ............................................................................................. 40
Information Windows ............................................................................... 40
Slider Controls .......................................................................................... 40
The Menu Bar .......................................................................................... 41
The Display Window ................................................................................. 41
Tactical Symbology ................................................................................... 41
The ‘View’ symbol – Freeflight Camera....................................................... 43
The LOS Map ........................................................................................... 43
Printing Maps ........................................................................................... 44

6 BASIC SIMULATION CONTROLS..................................... 45

Mouse use ............................................................................................. 46
General Controls ....................................................................................... 47
Position Controls ...................................................................................... 48
View Controls ........................................................................................... 48
Driving Controls........................................................................................ 49
Driving from the Driver’s Position....................................................... 49
Controlling UGV and Micro-UAV ......................................................... 50
Driving from Outside the Driver’s Position .......................................... 50
Unit Controls ............................................................................................ 52
Gunner Controls ....................................................................................... 53
Commander Controls ................................................................................ 55
Infantry Controls ...................................................................................... 56
Command menu ....................................................................................... 56
Formation Controls ................................................................................... 57
Sensor Controls ........................................................................................ 57

5
 7 CREATING A MISSION.................................................... 58
Distributed Scenario Development ............................................................. 58
Documentation ......................................................................................... 59
The File menu .......................................................................................... 60
Selecting a Map ........................................................................................ 61
Map Edges ....................................................................................... 63
Nav Meshes...................................................................................... 64
Use and purpose .............................................................................. 64
Setting Mission Options ............................................................................. 65
Weather and Mobility ................................................................................ 66
Placing Units ............................................................................................ 69
Battle Positions......................................................................................... 71
Unit Call Sign Templates ........................................................................... 72
CALL SIGN SYMBOLS ........................................................................ 72
Editing Call Sign Templates ............................................................... 73
Creating Mixed Vehicle Platoons ................................................................ 73
Infantry, Dismounting, Medics ................................................................... 73
Engineers ............................................................................................. 75
Snipers ............................................................................................. 75
Editing Equipment Options ........................................................................ 75
Formation Templates ................................................................................ 76
Spawning Units ........................................................................................ 77
Buildings ............................................................................................. 78
Modifying Unit Properties .......................................................................... 79
Options ............................................................................................. 80
Other options ................................................................................... 83
Barrel warp ...................................................................................... 85
Barrel warp settings ............................................................... 85
Ammo thermal load settings ................................................... 85
Adding Routes and Waypoints ................................................................... 86
Mech Units: Mount/Dismount, if… ...................................................... 87
Adding a UAV Video Playback Route .................................................. 87
Adding Obstacles ...................................................................................... 87
Adding Vehicle Emplacements and Bunkers ................................................ 88
Adding Regions ........................................................................................ 88
Special Regions ................................................................................ 88
Civilians: Source and Drain Regions ................................................... 89
Adding Map Graphics ................................................................................ 91
Editing Operations .................................................................................... 91
Running Operations .......................................................................... 91
Designing Operations ........................................................................ 92
The not very intuitive Phases Dialog Box ............................................ 92
Using conditions ............................................................................... 93
Operation Spawn Zones .................................................................... 94
Important Advice about Consistent Callsigns and Unit Identities! ......... 95
Adding Scoring ......................................................................................... 96
Scores ............................................................................................. 96
Sub-scores ....................................................................................... 97
Force Strength ................................................................................. 98

6
 Example ........................................................................................... 98
Regions............................................................................................ 99
Events and Conditions..................................................................... 100
Gunnery (simple) ............................................................................ 100
Advanced Gunnery ......................................................................... 100
Finishing Touches ................................................................................... 102
Testing ........................................................................................... 102
Mission Debugger ........................................................................... 103
SB Pro Briefing Check list ........................................................................ 103
The Camera Animation Window ............................................................... 105
Display........................................................................................... 106
Using the Camera Animation ........................................................... 106
Hotkeys ......................................................................................... 106

8 MOVING UNITS ON ROUTES ........................................ 107

Creating a Route .................................................................................... 107
Route Properties..................................................................................... 108
Default route properties .......................................................................... 109
Unit behavior (vehicles) for route tactics .......................................... 110
Unit behavior (infantry) for route tactics .......................................... 112
Waypoint Properties ............................................................................... 113
Unit behavior for waypoint tactics .................................................... 113
Conditioned Routes ................................................................................ 114
Implicit movement conditions .......................................................... 114
Deciding Which Route to Take ......................................................... 115
Troubleshooting Routes .......................................................................... 115

9 FIRE SUPPORT, OBSTACLES, FORTIFICATIONS .......... 116

Abstracted Fire Support .......................................................................... 118
Mortars and Rocket Artillery .................................................................... 118
Artillery Munitions ................................................................................... 119
Calling For Fire ....................................................................................... 120
Prepared fires................................................................................. 120
On Call during a mission ................................................................. 120
Type of Mission .............................................................................. 120
Method of Control ........................................................................... 120
Location ......................................................................................... 121
Attitude.......................................................................................... 121
Equipment ..................................................................................... 121
Protection Level .............................................................................. 121
Type of Round................................................................................ 121
Tubes ........................................................................................... 121
Call Fire Support from the 3D view .................................................. 121
Troubleshooting Call for Fire ........................................................... 122
Obstacles ........................................................................................... 122
Mines ........................................................................................... 123
Clearing Obstacles .......................................................................... 124
Bridging Obstacles .......................................................................... 125
Fortifications .......................................................................................... 125

7
 10 OTHER SUPPORT VEHICLES ......................................... 127

11 UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES .................................... 129

Planning Phase ....................................................................................... 129
Execution Phase ..................................................................................... 130
Troubleshooting UAVs............................................................................. 131

12 CONTROL LOGIC........................................................... 132

Conditions ........................................................................................... 132
Statements ........................................................................................... 133
Events ........................................................................................... 134
Global Conditions ................................................................................... 134
Triggers ........................................................................................... 135
Tips for Using Control Logic .................................................................... 135

13 RUNNING A MISSION................................................... 136

Opening older missions ........................................................................... 136
Planning Phase ....................................................................................... 136
Execution Phase ..................................................................................... 137
The Menu Bar ........................................................................................ 137
Bookmarks ........................................................................................... 143
AAR Purgatory........................................................................................ 143
After Action Review Phase....................................................................... 144
AAR Files ........................................................................................... 145
Tabular Report ....................................................................................... 145

14 NETWORK SESSIONS ................................................... 146

Overview ........................................................................................... 146
Who Controls What? ............................................................................... 147
Instructor Host Mode .............................................................................. 148
Moving and Observing .................................................................... 148
Damage and Repair ........................................................................ 149
Moving Units .................................................................................. 149
Fire Support and Obstacles ............................................................. 149
Disabling Chatting .......................................................................... 149
Disabling Unit Jumping ................................................................... 149
Lines of Fire ................................................................................... 149
Remote screenshots ....................................................................... 149
Starting a Network Session ..................................................................... 150
Coordinating Participants ................................................................ 150
The Network stack .......................................................................... 151
Performance Considerations .................................................................... 151
Hosting a Network Session ...................................................................... 152
Manually Joining a Network Session ................................................. 152
Automatically Joining a LAN Session ................................................ 153
The Assembly Hall .................................................................................. 153
Running the mission ............................................................................... 155

8
15 Steel Beasts Pro CNR Integration ................................ 156
Overview ........................................................................................... 156
Components ........................................................................................... 156
CNR Log ........................................................................................... 156
Steel Beasts host .................................................................................... 156
Steel Beasts client(s) .............................................................................. 156
CNR Sim ........................................................................................... 156
Requirements ................................................................................. 157
Configuration ................................................................................. 157
CNR ........................................................................................... 157
Steel Beasts Pro ............................................................................. 157
Workflow ....................................................................................... 157
Association details .................................................................................. 158
Based on IP ................................................................................... 158
Based on name .............................................................................. 158
AAR replay details .................................................................................. 158
Performance Considerations .................................................................... 159
Troubleshooting ..................................................................................... 159

16 CONSTRUCTIVE SIMULATION ...................................... 160

Basic Concepts ....................................................................................... 160
Training Model ....................................................................................... 160
Using Steel Beasts .................................................................................. 161
Use of OPFOR ........................................................................................ 162
Interaction from the IHWS ...................................................................... 163
AAR ........................................................................................... 163
Limitations ........................................................................................... 164
Overcoming Some Limitations ................................................................. 164
Conclusion ........................................................................................... 165
Batch Mode ........................................................................................... 165
Simulation Exercise Check list.................................................................. 166
General ........................................................................................... 166
Simulation Scenario Requirements ........................................................... 166
Exercise Appointments ............................................................................ 166
Key Dates ........................................................................................... 167
Training ........................................................................................... 167
Documentation ....................................................................................... 167
Administration ........................................................................................ 167

17 THE MAP EDITOR ......................................................... 168

Basic Concepts ....................................................................................... 168
Map package creation wizard .................................................................. 169
Converting legacy maps .................................................................. 169
Editing maps .......................................................................................... 170
Area Covers ................................................................................... 171
Powerlines ..................................................................................... 172
Legacy Objects ............................................................................... 172
Annotations .................................................................................... 172
File Menu ........................................................................................... 172

9
 Options Menu ......................................................................................... 173
Editing roads and objects ........................................................................ 174
Theme Editor ......................................................................................... 175
Help Menu ........................................................................................... 178
Importing Map Data ............................................................................... 178
Importing Height Data ............................................................................ 179
Importing Shape Data............................................................................. 179
The Shape Import Dialog ........................................................................ 179

18 TROUBLESHOOTING ..................................................... 183

Debug Log Files...................................................................................... 183
Windows Error Reporting ........................................................................ 183
Points of Contact .................................................................................... 184

19 Appendix A: BASIC GUNNERY CONCEPTS .................... 185

The Crew ........................................................................................... 185
Vehicle Systems ..................................................................................... 185
Fire Control Modes ................................................................................. 187

20 Appendix B: TANK TACTICS ......................................... 188

The Single Tank ..................................................................................... 188
Armor Protection .................................................................................... 188
Armament ........................................................................................... 189
Mobility ........................................................................................... 189
Tank Platoons ........................................................................................ 189
Formations ........................................................................................... 189
Line ........................................................................................... 190
Column ........................................................................................... 190
Echelon formation .................................................................................. 190
Wedge ........................................................................................... 190
Rare, or derivative formations ................................................................. 190
Tank Companies ..................................................................................... 191
Four-Tank Platoons................................................................................. 191
Three-Tank Platoons............................................................................... 191

21 Appendix C: A BRIEF HISTORY OF TANKS ................... 192

22 Appendix D: BATTLEFIELD HAZARDS ........................... 195

Tank Ammunition - APFSDS technology ................................................... 195
Tank Ammunition - HEAT technology ....................................................... 200
Tank Ammunition - Other........................................................................ 202
Autocannon ammunition ......................................................................... 203
Anti-Tank Guided Missiles ....................................................................... 205
Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons ................................................................... 209
Artillery ........................................................................................... 211

23 Appendix E: ARMOR TECHNOLOGY .............................. 213

Basics ........................................................................................... 213
Armor Materials and Composition ............................................................ 214

10
 Steel ........................................................................................... 214
Aluminum ...................................................................................... 214
Titanium ........................................................................................ 214
Honeycomb Structure & Fuel Cells. .................................................. 214
Composites .................................................................................... 215
Spall Liners .................................................................................... 215
Ceramics ........................................................................................ 215
Spaced Armor ................................................................................ 216
Explosive Reactive Armors............................................................... 216
Kontakt-1 ERA ..................................................................... 216
Kontakt-5 ERA ..................................................................... 217
Non Explosive Reactive Armor NERA ..................................... 217
Layering ........................................................................................... 217

24 Appendix F: SIMULATING TANKS................................. 218

Home and Office Environment ................................................................. 218
Input Devices ......................................................................................... 218
Physical Stress ....................................................................................... 218
Communication ...................................................................................... 219
Terrain Rendering................................................................................... 219
Monitor Resolution.................................................................................. 219
Visibility Range ....................................................................................... 219
The Looks of an Artificial Environment ..................................................... 220
Artificial Intelligence ............................................................................... 220

25 Appendix G: ENDNOTES ............................................... 221

11
 1 INTRODUCTION
Steel Beasts is a virtual simulation of contemporary armored and mechanized
combat, using combined arms and focusing on small-unit tactics. It models
individual weapon systems in detail, yet is able to keep track of several
company teams in a single scenario.

The student is placed in the position of a crew member of a virtual fighting

vehicle such as a main battle tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, or a support /
reconnaissance vehicle, or in control of an infantry unit, within a mission
created by the instructor. Missions, also called scenarios, can be played in
solitaire mode against the computer or in network mode against and with
other students and computer-controlled units over a network.
Steel Beasts’ military style maps, extensive NATO symbology and After Action
Review (AAR) capability also make it suitable to conduct constructive
simulation training up to brigade level. The student can be placed in the
position of a commander of a large force because of the sophisticated
automation available in Steel Beasts. The instructor is able to review the
students’ planning procedures and examine key events in the AAR highlight
the training objectives. See Chapter CONSTRUCTIVE SIMULATION.

There are two separate product lines for Steel Beasts Professional: the
Personal Edition (SB Pro PE) and the classroom version (SB Pro). As the name
indicates SB Pro PE is for personal use and has some limitations on the
number of players and functionality.

Missions are created on a military style contour map using context-sensitive

menus and click and drag techniques. Once created, a mission can potentially
be played from the positions of commander, gunner, driver, loader, squad
leader or observer, looking out into the virtual 3D battlefield in combination
with a map screen. Individual missions can vary widely in complexity from
simple, in which the student might be just the gunner in a single tank, to
large and complex, in which the student might assume command over a
company or more of a mechanized task force. It all depends on what the
mission designer created.
Steel Beasts features a variety of armored and unarmored vehicles, as well as
infantry. The technical strengths and limitations of fighting vehicles from
different nations are accurately modeled, within the limitations of open source
technical information, allowing the student to learn how an opponent might
employ his weapons and to respond appropriately.
This results in a fairly complex piece of software which can demand much
from the student. An extensive set of tutorials for the most important vehicles
will help familiarize the student to Steel Beasts. These tutorials introduce new
concepts and controls step by step. It is strongly recommended that
students complete all of the tutorials in the correct order for at least
one of the vehicles before playing or creating a mission.

12
To play a tutorial you must first install Steel Beasts on your computer, as
described in Chapter 2, INSTALLATION AND SETUP. In some environments
you may need to be system administrator to perform this function. Once
installed, select Tutorials from the main menu and open the tutorial of your
choice. Tutorials that do not begin with a vehicle designation (such as “M1” or
“Leo”) are common to all vehicles, whereas tutorials that do begin with a
vehicle prefix discuss system-specific aspects. For example, Driving A is found
in both the M1 tutorial folder and the Leopard tutorial folder and contains
information that is not specific to a particular vehicle. It is not necessary to
play both of these tutorials. On the other hand, M1 Gunnery B and Leo
Gunnery B discuss topics that are specific to the M1 and Leopard,
respectively.

About this manual

This printed user manual is only a part of the documentation included with
Steel Beasts. In addition, a number of electronic documents can be found in
the “Documentation” folder, which can be found in the Windows Start Menu
under eSim Games | Steel Beasts Pro.
The website www.SteelBeasts.com also offers the “Steel Beasts Wiki” with
more information about simulated equipment as well as software design
concepts. The website also contains the answers to Frequently Asked
Questions, and a user forum. All Steel Beasts users are encouraged to make
use of these additional resources.

13
 2 INSTALLATION AND
SETUP
Steel Beasts requires an IBM compatible PC with 3D graphics card and, if
used with a (physical) CodeMeter stick, one free USB port. The system
recommendations for Steel Beasts are:

• Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 (all x64 only)

• DirectX 9.0c (included in the installer)
• 2.5GHz multi-core CPU (faster is better) 8 GB RAM (Windows 7, 8, 10)
For high resolution map conversions we recommend 16-32 GB RAM.
• 6 GB free hard disk space (up to 12.5 when installing from local harddisk,
and “a lot more” when importing and editing high resolution map data)
• 2GByte video RAM (4GByte recommended)
DirectX 9.0-capable graphics card (Shader Model 3.0)
• Three-button wheel mouse, monitor, and keyboard
• DVD drive or broadband internet connection
• Sound card

A steering wheel/driving control or a two-axis joystick or control handle

replica with up to 16 buttons may be used as well.

Important: For Steel Beasts to run properly, you must have Microsoft
DirectX 9.0c installed on your system. DirectX 9.0c is included with Steel
Beasts Pro; it is however possible to download a separate installer from
Microsoft's website:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34429

Users of MS Windows 7 or newer must install DirectX 9.0c in parallel to the

default DirectX11/12. Also, make sure that you have the latest drivers for
your graphics card. Almost all graphics problems are caused by outdated or
faulty drivers, even for new graphics cards. 1

Anti-Virus Software
Some Anti-Virus software may occasionally be a source of trouble for some
users. If an installation fails on the first try, the next step should be to disable
the AV program during the installation. Note that some AV programs only
pretend to shut down, but a service (or the executable itself) remains listed as
active in the task or in the services list.

1
In rare instances, however, new drivers introduce new errors. Going back
one version may in these cases solve such a problem.

14
Also, changing configuration options of Steel Beasts (like the hotkey
assignment (Alt+C) during the execution phase) may trigger a false alert
which may result in the program executable to be erased.
We therefore recommend to whitelist the program executable in these anti-
virus softwares, and/or to exempt Steel Beasts related folders from their
surveillance. The folders are described in the section “

15
 File Structure” below on page 22ff. in this chapter.

Updating Steel Beasts

Major releases such as SB Pro PE 4.0 should always be considered as a
completely new application. They cannot be installed over an existing version.
Unless specifically mentioned otherwise new releases of Steel Beasts are
always intended to be installed separately. We strongly suggest
uninstalling previous versions of Steel Beasts and the CodeMeter runtime
software before installing it.
To make sure that there are no leftovers from even older installations, we
recommend using the Windows System Settings’ utility “Add/Remove
Programs” (or “Apps”, in Windows 10).

Note: New versions may require upgrading your software license.

While it is possible to have multiple parallel installations of Steel Beasts, it

requires elevated user awareness if the different installations incur changes in
the file data structure of especially map and scenario files. The general advice
therefore is to uninstall the current version first (and the CodeMeter software)
before updating to a new version of Steel Beasts.
The majority of users will probably download the software from a web server
like http://www.eSimGames.com/Downloads.htm. Please refer to the release
notes of each version for download and installation instructions.
To install Steel Beasts on your computer, insert the Steel Beasts disc into the
DVD drive. The installation program should start automatically. If it does not,
click Start | Run and then select Browse. Locate your DVD drive (usually drive
D:\) in “My Computer.” Double left-click SteelBeastsSetup.exe in the root
directory of the DVD. Follow the instructions to complete installation. (In
some environments you may need to be system administrator to install new
programs.)

The software for the CodeMeter USB stick will be installed automatically along
with the installation of Steel Beasts. This installer includes the CodeMeter
runtime version 6.60a.
Hint: Do not insert the stick into the USB port until the software has
been properly installed.

To run Steel Beasts from the Start menu click Start | Programs | eSim Games |
Steel Beasts. You do not need to insert the DVD to start or run Steel Beasts,
although versions of Steel Beasts that come with the CodeMeter stick must
have the CodeMeter stick inserted into a USB port in order to run.

CodeMeter
Most versions of Steel Beasts come with a CodeMeter USB stick. In these
versions, the CodeMeter stick must be inserted into a USB port for Steel

16
Beasts to run. (The Steel Beasts software should be installed before inserting
the CodeMeter stick into the USB port for the first time. This will ensure that
the CodeMeter software is properly installed.) If the computer is not booting
properly with the CM stick inserted, try disabling USB boot in the computer’s
BIOS.
The Personal Edition of version 3.0 and higher will also install a virtual
CodeMeter stick which ties time-based software licenses to the computer
hardware and operating system on which it is installed. These virtual CM
containers can be recognized by their serial code 128- /32767- followed by a
ten digit number. Physical CM sticks can be recognized by their serial code 1-
/2-/3- followed by a seven digit number.

Updating the Firmware of a CM Stick

As a form of preventive maintenance we recommend to update the firmware
of physical CM sticks once a year, or at least prior to upgrading Steel Beasts.
To do so, start the CodeMeter Control Center, locate the button with the
circular arrow, click it, and follow the on-screen instructions (basically do
nothing for a minute or two) and do not remove the CM stick during the
process.
Virtual CM sticks do not require such firmware upgrades.

Virtual CM Sticks/Time-based Licenses

Since version 3.0 eSim Games offers a software rental option. This option is
primarily aimed at users who do not already own a CodeMeter USB stick.
Time-limited licenses are issued for one, four, and twelve months
respectively.

Virtual CM sticks are exclusively used for a single, time-based Steel Beasts Pro
PE license. These CM containers are being stored as a set of files on the
system drive; for Windows 7 the typical path is
C:\ProgramData\CodeMeter\CmAct.
• Only one license can be installed per computer. Activating multiple
licenses on the same computer will only extend the duration of the
single license, not add multiple licenses to the same computer. For
example, if you buy a four-month and a one-month license, activating
both will result in one license valid for five months.
• There is no automatic renewal of licenses; it is not a subscription fee
that requires termination. Instead a warning will appear on program
start if the license is about to expire (or if it already has expired); note
that Steel Beasts will keep nagging about the impending doom of a
license expiration even if a new license has been activated – until the old
license is used up. We can but apologize for the inconvenience.
• Licenses that have been purchased need not necessarily be activated
immediately. You may buy five licenses but activate only one at a time if
you wish. You just need to save the email with the ticket URL for future
reference.

17
 Licenses on virtual CM containers are bound to the operating system and
various serial numbers of hardware elements of the local computer, such as
the MAC network adapter address, the mass storage device serial code, and
more. Some of these elements may be replaced while maintaining the validity
of a license, but obviously the “identity” of a computer must remain
recognizable to the CodeMeter runtime software. A practical consequence of
all this are the options and limitations of backing up and restoring license
containers:
As long as the Windows installation remains the same, restoring a backed up
CM container file is quite possible. It is as easy as simply copying the old
license files into the same directory. However, migrating the license to a new
PC or a new operating system is not possible! In this case there are two
recommended workarounds.
1) Use up the existing license on the old computer until it expires
2) Configure the old computer as a license server and keep it connected via
LAN to the new machine. The old machine will then provide the
necessary license while Steel Beasts is run on the other computer until
the license expires. Setting up a license server is described in the
following section.

Multiple Machines with One CM Stick

Steel Beasts uses floating, concurrent licenses. That means if the CodeMeter
stick contains multiple licenses, Steel Beasts can run on multiple machines in
a LAN with a single CodeMeter stick inserted in just one machine on the LAN
– but only for the number of licenses in the CodeMeter stick. For this to work
properly, the Run Network Server check box must be selected in the CodeMeter
Web Administration program. (Right-click the CM tray icon and select
WebAdmin, or start it from the CodeMeter Control Center. Then click on
Configuration | Server.)
To check the number of licenses on a stick click on Content in the WebAdmin
program window, then Licenses, and confirm the number in section 100146:
eSim Games.

Multiple sticks can be on the network in which case the number of licenses is
added together. Machines in excess of the total number of licenses will not be
able to run Steel Beasts, and the following message will be displayed:
"License Failure - please ensure that the CodeMeter Control Center is running,
and that you have a valid software or USB-dongle license of the following type
available: 'SB Pro PE'"

For the Personal Edition the error message is as follows:

“One of the following licenses is required:

18
 ∙ CodeMeter 100146:11111 2
Failure reason: CmContainer entry not found, Error 200.
∙ CodeMeterAct 5000173:71091
Failure reason: The usage period is overrun - the en-/decryption cannot be
operated, Error 71.odeMeter error: Please ensure your CM stick is securely in a
USB port.”
In both cases, if the CM stick is plugged in, the most likely reason for the
error message is that the required license is not installed, e.g. only an SB Pro
PE license version 2.6 when a .0 license is necessary.

Updating Licenses
Different versions of Steel Beasts will usually require different licenses. For
the Personal Edition purchase these license updates in the eSim Games web
store 3. The web store will send out two emails, the order confirmation and
the link to the “web depot”. Some overly eager spam filters may prevent you
from receiving that second email. In that case check your spam filter or
contact eSim Games 4.
The web depot holds your ticket, which can be activated to transfer the
license information into your chosen CM container. Two activation methods
are offered: the direct activation and the offline activation.
The direct activation is usually the fastest and most convenient option. With
CodeMeter runtime versions prior to 5.10a Java or ActiveX are required.
Version 5.10a or later no longer depends on these web technologies.
However, the web browser’s security settings must still permit information
exchange between your computer and the web server. (The connection to the
web depot is https secured.)

Please note that the Edge browser has been reported to fail with license
activations; we recommend using a different browser when visiting the
WebDepot to claim your license ticket.

If you cannot change your browser settings, or if you want to transfer the
license to a remote computer with no direct internet connection, choose the
offline activation method. The offline activation requires that you first create a
“license request” or “context” file. Unfortunately the name for this file type is
not consistent throughout CodeMeter runtime software – depending on the
method of creation; so far we identified “Wibu Control File”, and “License
request file”. Irrespective of the different names, it is but a single file type
with the file extension *.WibuCmRaC.
To create it, start the CodeMeter Control Center, and click the button Create
license request at the bottom of the window. This will start the wizard to guide
you through the process. First time users with a physical CodeMeter stick

2
Depending on your Steel Beasts version, a different product code will be
shown
3
http://www.eSimGames.com/purchase.htm
4
[email protected]

19
 must at some point enter the vendor ID (or “firm code”) of eSim Games,
which is 100146. Once the file is created, follow the link to the web depot
and select the offline activation. This will prompt you to designate the location
of the license request file (*.WibuCmRaC). After uploading the file to the web
depot, the web server will generate the license update file (*.WibuCmRaU).
Save this file and transport it to the computer on which you want to transfer
the license.
Note: Your browser settings may suppress automatic downloads of files, so
make sure that you can actually receive the license update file. If for
some reason you accidentally botched the download, contact eSim
Games3 and provide the complete number of your ticket. We will then
send you the update file by email.

Setting a CodeMeter stick to HID mode

Some users may have software installed to supposedly accelerate USB data
transfer rates for USB 2.0 devices. These programs or drivers are not
compatible with the CodeMeter USB stick while the stick is in its default
configuration as a USB Mass Storage device.
This leaves three options,
• to use time-based licenses, or
• to uninstall the USB accelerator software, or
• to switch the CodeMeter stick into the Human Interface Device mode

This requires a CM stick with serial code 3- or 2-xxxxxxx, firmware version

2.02 or higher, and the latest CM runtime software
A description how to change the CM stick's operating mode can be found in
an instructional document on the Wibu Systems homepage.

CodeMeter Stick Basic Troubleshooting

Problem: A machine on the network cannot find the CodeMeter stick.
Confirm the following:

• Are there a sufficient number of licenses on the CodeMeter stick/sticks, or

are they of the right type (“product code”)?
• Is there a CodeMeter stick running on the network?
• Some firewalls may be blocking communication on the default port 22350
• Is the license server machine physically connected to the network?
• Is the latest version of the CodeMeter runtime installed? (download the
latest version from http://www.wibu.com/downloads-user-software.html
• Is the latest version of the CodeMeter firmware installed? (to update it,
open the CodeMeter Control Center, click the circular arrow, and follow the
on-screen instructions to the end)
• Is the CodeMeter stick set to Run Network Server? (Check the WebAdmin
at Configuration | Server)
• Is there a red light that stays lit, or permanently flashing on the
CodeMeter stick? This could indicate a hardware problem. (In this case,
the CM stick may need to be replaced by eSim Games).

20
If this does not fix the problem, more help can be found here:
http://CodeMeter.com/us/
http://wibu.de

When contacting [email protected], run the CmDUST program first

(Start | All Programs | CodeMeter | Tools | CmDUST). This creates a file named
“CmDust-Result.log” with information relevant for troubleshooting. Please
attach it to your email requesting support.

Windows 8, 10
While the latest versions of Steel Beasts are designed for Windows 8 and
Windows 10, the latter is undergoing a constant update process that may
invalidate Steel Beasts installers over time. Likewise, if you are trying to install
an older version Steel Beasts, the following recommendation may help:
Before installing, download the latest CodeMeter Runtime software from the
CodeMeter support website 5 (version 6.30c or higher). Install it before
starting the installation process for Steel Beasts.

Safe Mode
Steel Beasts can be run in safe mode with the --safemode command line
option. In this case it will run in a window, using 1024x768 resolution. A
suitable program shortcut has been created and can be found in the
Troubleshooting subdirectory of the Steel Beasts program folder (Windows Start
Menu) – see also chapter 18, TROUBLESHOOTING.

If Steel Beasts is started in this mode, it will ignore and overwrite the
student's Options file with the default options file. This can be used to recover
from a wrong or invalid configuration (for example if a screen resolution that
is not supported by the current display was specified).
Note that specifying this command line will make the program ignore all other
options (the log level will be set to TRACE).

The language will not be set. For users of Version 3.0 or later, Steel Beasts
will therefore show the Select language screen directly after the first startup.
For classroom versions (3.1 and later) the program will preselect suitable
languages, depending on the national version (i.e. Deutsch for German or
Austrian versions, Greek for the Hellenic version, etc...).

5
http://www.wibu.com/downloads-user-software.html

21
 File Structure
The file structure in Steel Beasts is set up for the multi-user environment of
Windows (i.e., multiple Windows user accounts on a single machine). Files
such as personal missions, saved images, mission reports, and mods, are
stored in each user’s personal directory. Other files such as maps and shared
missions are stored in a common directory for all users to see.

The system administrator can limit write access to the common directory to
prevent users from modifying these files. (In this case, only users with write-
permissions to this directory will be able to use the Map Editor or edit common
scenarios.)
By default, the Steel Beasts Pro PE installer will assign “write” access
privileges to scenario and terrain data content directories. Consult Windows
Help for your particular operating system to learn how to set folder
permissions e.g. via Group Policies. If you do not want other users on your
computer to use the Map Editor you may want to restrict access to the
following folder again:
C:\ProgramData\eSim Games\Steel Beasts\maps

Alternatively, Windows Vista and later allow to run the setup program in the
security context of the Administrators account (hold the shift key, right click
setup.exe and select “Run as Admin”). Note that this puts the entire
application into the security context of the Admin account, which is less
secure than setting the folder permissions individually.

Note: Some of the folders listed below are “hidden” folders. The Windows
Explorer will not display them with its standard settings. You either
have to adjust the Display options in the Extras menu, or directly open
the folder by using the command line
Start | Run... | explorer %VARIABLE%
where VARIABLE stands for the bolded text listed below; alternatively,
enter %VARIABLE% into the Windows Explorer’s address bar:

PERSONAL
This directory serves as a repository for a user’s personal files. A typical path
is C:\Users\<username>\Documents\eSim Games\Steel Beasts; “typical” in this
context means that the user’s document folder may actually be located on a
different harddrive, if the Windows installation is configured that way. The
PERSONAL directory contains:
• Personal scenarios (*.sce, *.mastersce, *.splitsce)
• After-action-review (*.aar) files
• Mission reports (*.htm)
• Saved images (*.bmp, *.jpg, or *.png)
• Exported files (*.htm, or *.txt)
• Log files (*.txt)
• Formation templates (*.template)
• Callsign templates (*.cst)

22
• Operation status files (*.ops)
• Personal mods (e.g., skins (*.bmp, *.dds, *.jpg) and sounds (*.wav)),

and possibly

• KML files (*.kml)

• Media files (currently only *.wav is supported)
• Operation configuration files (*.opc)
This directory is created for the user when Steel Beasts is run for the first
time. Each user has his own PERSONAL directory. This is the only directory
that most users will have an interest in (to look at saved images, or read a
mission report, for example).

Mod files
The Personal folder also contains a subdirectory ‘mods’ which is intended as a
repository for texture files and sounds that are not part of the standard
installation. The directory mirrors selected directories of Steel Beasts’
%Program_Files% installation path, allowing the user to store files of identical
name and format to override the use of standard files. That way textures and
sounds may be modified without damaging the actual program files.

Sound mods (.wav files) belong into the subdirectories Voices and FX. These
folders contain text files listing all .wav-files of the standard installation. Mod
files must be named accordingly and moved into the appropriate folder.

Texture files belong in the subdirectories Autumn, Desert, Woodland, or Winter,

depending on the terrain of the scenario. These folders contain nation-specific
subdirectories, which can, for example, be used to change the appearance of
vehicles for a certain nation. If a mod-file is placed in one of these nation-
specific subdirectories, it will only have an effect on the game if the texture
used in the scenario matches the chosen folder and the nation is chosen as a
party on either side of the scenario. Note that “mod” textures will override
map-supplied texture (see below in the “Map packages” section)

For example: If a scenario designer adds tank textures to the folder sy

(Syrian) and ussr (Soviet) in the parent directory Desert, these textures
will only show up in game sessions with the desert theme, and if the
camouflage option for sy and ussr were selected in the Mission Editor.
Note: “Decals” type textures will be ignored in the theme-specific folders like
woodland or winter. They must be copied into the nation-specific
subdirectories.

Map packages
Hint: This section describes functionality of version 4.1 or later.

Map packages are stored in folders containing all required data for a given
map. Usually these folders have the same name as the map.

23
 Note: The name of the map package and the name of the folder are not
linked. It is possible to rename the folder without changing the
name of the map package (for example if a user somehow ends up
with more than one folder of the same name), as the application
stores the map’s name in the (encrypted) metadata.mrf file which is
part of the map package. (Being encrypted is nature’s way of
saying “Do Not Touch This”.)

Map Packages are hierarchically organized: there are so-called “base” and
“delta” packages. A “delta” package can be thought to be an alteration of its
“base”, changing some (or all) of its properties. The idea is that, due to the
potentially large size of the terrain (actually only height) dataset, a shared
“base” map will hold the bulk of the data, while the smallish (and much more
numerous) “delta” maps will only tweak certain aspects.

Accordingly, “delta” maps will be placed beneath “base” maps in the file
system (hence ensuring that the “base” map exists). However, when using
Steel Beasts in any other mode than in the Map Editor, the user will not see
any difference in behavior between “base” and “delta” maps.

Map Packages are identified by their name, but since multiple maps may
share the same name, author and even description, there is a need for a
unique way of identifying a package. For this purpose a so-called “Globally
Unique Identifier” (or UID) is used, which links a “delta” map to its “base”
map, or a scenario file to the map on which it is based.

Since a “delta” map package changes certain aspects of its “base” package,
this “base” needs to remain constant from this point on. This is ensured by
enforcing a so-called “package lifecycle”, which requires a base package to be
moved into a so-called “published” state – negating any subsequent changes
to this package! – before any delta map package may be created!

Note: Scenarios are also dependent on the assigned map package

(either “base” or “delta”). Therefore a scenario may only be used
productively if its underlying map was published (note that there
are certain exceptions, see later in this manual).

Finally, “unpublished” map packages will typically consume much more hard
drive space than “published” ones since they are stored in a access-speed
optimized manner (to ease working in the Map Editor), while “published” ones
will be compressed (reducing memory demand and (online) transfer size).

Every base map package may contain textures which override Steel Beasts
default textures, similar to the “mod” files described in the previous section.
These textures are stored in the actors subdirectory and apply only to this
map. Delta maps automatically access the folders of their base maps. To use
a map without these modifications, the old map must be saved as a new base
map package.

24
 Note: This feature is intended to be used for non-combatant models
(for example buildings or traffic signs) and should not be used with
vehicles.

In addition, every base package may contain terrain textures specified via the
maps’ ‘theme’ (see Chapter 17, THE MAP EDITOR). These textures should be
put into the ‘terrain’ subdirectory.

More information on maps and how to create and edit them can be found in
Chapter 17, THE MAP EDITOR.

COMMON_APPDATA
This directory contains application data for all users. A typical path is
C:\Program Data\eSim Games\Steel Beasts. The COMMON_APPDATA directory
contains
• Map packages
• (Possibly legacy maps (*.ter for land use data; *.hgt for legacy
heightmaps)
• Terrain themes
• Common (shared) operations files (*.opc, *.sce, and *.jpg)
• Common scenario files (*.sce)
• Formation templates (*.template)
• Callsign templates (*.cst)
The system administrator might want to restrict write-permission to this folder
in order to prevent users from modifying these files. In this case, only users
with write-permissions to this directory will be able to use the Map Editor.

APPDATA
This directory serves as a repository for application-specific data. A typical
path is C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\eSim Games\Steel Beasts. The
APPDATA directory contains
• Options file (options.dat)
• Hotkey file (std.hkf)
• Records file (*.ppf)

PROGRAM_FILES
The directory containing those files necessary to run Steel Beasts. A typical
path is C:\Program Files\eSim Games\SB Pro; “typical” means that during
installation a different program path may have been selected.
Files within this directory should never be modified. Typically, only the
system administrator has the permission required to break things.

Unit and Callsign Templates

Unit and Callsign Templates are located in their own dedicated folders. In
addition, the program distinguishes between “shared” and “personal” files.
The latter are stored in the “Personal” hierarchy (see above) in the “My Unit

25
 Templates” and “'My Callsign Templates” folders. The “common” version of
these folders (located in the %PROGRAMDATA% hierarchy) are called simply
“Unit Templates” and “Callsign Templates”.

The “Personal” folders will only ever hold templates created by the user (and
thereby remain on the harddisk after uninstalling Steel Beasts).

Unit templates
When loading Steel Beasts, the content of “common” and “personal” folders
are merged; depending on the user's Windows access privileges to the
“common” folder the application will save newly created templates either to
the “common” or the “shared” directory:
• Entirely new unit templates are always saved in “My Unit
Templates\Default”
• When changing or renaming an existing unit template, its location
depends on the user's access privileges and the original file location:
• If the original file was located in the “My Unit Templates” hierarchy, it
will always remain in that hierarchy.
• If it was located in the “Unit Templates” (=shared) hierarchy, it will
be copied into the “My Unit Templates” hierarchy if the user does not
possess sufficient rights to change/rename the original file.

Callsign templates
Note that for “callsign templates”, if the user elects to replace the existing
files in the “shared” folder, future re-installations or updates of Steel Beasts
may overwrite them!

The default callsign templates to be used are defined within a configuration

file called “defaults.xml” located in the “common” template folder. Within that
file, the user may, define a number of callsign templates for each party. The
parties are defined by their internal index (starting with “0” for the “blue”,
party, “1” for the “red” party etc). It is possible for a user to override this
default configuration by placing a “defaults.xml” file into this “personal”
callsign folder – in this case the “common’ defaults will be entirely ignored!

Also note that if the user creates a new scenario the program will initialize the
parties' callsign templates from the “My Callsign Templates” folder with priority,
and fall back to the (shared) “Callsign Templates” if the first doesn’t contain
the necessary files.

Language/Localization
Steel Beasts is localized, to varying degrees, for multiple languages. From the
Main Menu in Steel Beasts, click on Options and then Language to make your
choice.

26
Adding a New Language
New or modified languages can be added to Steel Beasts by simply adding
additional folders and files to the Steel Beasts installation folder as explained
below. If you would like to have your new language become part of the
official Steel Beasts release please contact us.

Localization information for Steel Beasts is contained in the loc folder within
the PROGRAM_FILES folder. (See the previous Chapter for the location of
PROGRAM_FILES.) Each language recognized by Steel Beasts has a folder in
the loc folder. The easiest and safest way to add a new language is to copy
the English (US) folder and paste it back into the loc folder, changing the new
folder’s name to the desired language’s name. The new folder’s name will
now appear in the Steel Beasts language option screen. Selecting this new
language in Steel Beasts will, of course, give the same results as selecting
English (US) until the new localization files have been modified properly.

Note: The language folder name may not contain non-ASCII characters.
Otherwise Steel Beasts may fail to run.

P strings.tx t is the most important file to modify within the newly created
language folder. It contains the text strings that Steel Beasts displays as it
runs. Each line of this text file contains a string identifier in capital letters
followed by one or more spaces or tabs and then the text to be displayed in
quotation marks. For example, a typical line would look like this:
STRING_INTERIOR “Interior”
To modify this file properly, change only the text within quotation marks. For
example, if the proper Qwghlmian translation of interior were wkrstfksft 6, one
would change
STRING_INTERIOR “Interior”
to
STRING_INTERIOR “wkrstfksft”

Be very careful not to add or remove any quotation marks!

Hint: Note that each string is strictly limited to 80 characters in length,

including special characters like \n which denote a line break.
Exception: STRINGX_... (eXtended strings) are not bound by this 80
character limit!

Credits.tx t is a text file that lists the names of those who contributed to the
development of the software. It contains control tags, similar to HTML tags
that are delimited by < and >. Do not change any text within the < >
delimiters. The credits list is displayed only in the Personal Edition.

I nitBriefing.tx t is a text file that contains the default mission briefing that is
added to new missions created in the Steel Beasts Mission Editor.

6
The language of the island Qwghlm does not contain vocals.

27
 The Scenarios subfolder replicates the scenario folder structure in the
COMMON_ APPDATA folder. Text files with the same file name (minus file
extension) as scenarios in the COMMON_APPDATA folder will be used to
display an alternative mission briefing text.

The Voices subfolder contains the resource file voices.mrf, which is a

compilation of the voices used by Steel Beasts, as well as all the individual
sound files for those voices. Substitute voice sound files can be added to the
mods\ sounds\voices folder within the PERSONAL directory. If you have a
complete voice translation, eSim Games can compile a new voices.mrf file for
your language and make it part of a future official release. (Please contact us
for more information.)

Multi-byte Character Sets

Steel Beasts does not support Unicode. Therefore the attempt to translate the
text files listed above into most Asian languages would be futile.

28
Improving System Performance
In the Options screen, several elements are available to influence the
performance of Steel Beasts on your system. Since the preferences for good
performance are based on individual taste, only areas that influence the
performance in general are listed below, in descending order of importance.
You may need to experiment with the settings to find a solution best for you.

Graphics Detail settings

The hotkey Alt+G will open a dialog box to configure a number of scene
rendering options; the dialog box is available anytime, including when running
an exercise in the 3D view. Alternatively, the dialog can be accessed through
the Main Menu | Options | Graphics.

Shadow Mapping
This element is currently the single most influential factor with respect to the
overall frame rate. Its ten settings are gradually more demanding on the
graphics card. For the higher settings a graphics card with at least 1GByte
video RAM is strongly recommended.
• Setting 0 disables all shadows
• Setting 1 enables self-shadowing for nearby vehicles
• Setting 2 adds ground shadows for nearby vehicles and buildings
• Settings 3 … 10 gradually increase the intensity, resolution, and range of
shadow effects
• Soft Shadows: Disabling Soft Shadows can increase the frame rate at
minimal effect on image quality

High detail tank tracks

This slider will control the range out to which tank tracks are rendered in high
detail. Higher slider settings may incur a significant frame rate penalty –
particularly if several tracked vehicles supporting this option are rendered in
the same scene.

Volumetric Clouds
Even for modern graphics cards the settings for this item may result in a
10…15% loss of framerate, which can be significant. Therefore the 'Volumetric
Clouds' option defaults to off. Typically, the student’s attention will be focused
on the ground and the horizon. Enabling this element won’t change the cloud
cover as such, only the visual appearance.

Anti-Aliasing
Anti-aliasing will reduce the perceived “jaggedness” of straight lines that
aren’t perfectly aligned with the monitor’s strictly horizontal and vertical pixel

29
 matrix. For modern graphics cards moderate settings will have no significant
effect on the overall frame rate. For older cards or integrated graphics
chipsets the effect may be significant however.
The dialog contains two sliders. The first slider is Anti Aliasing and controls the
number of samples (2x, 4x, 8x, 16x). Its default value is 0. A setting of "0"
enables the second slider, called Non-Maskable Anti Aliasing (Advanced) (default
value 0). This is for users who may experience driver bugs and cannot use
the first slider without issues/artifacts.
This second slider ranges from 0 to 100%, and it does pretty much what the
first one does, but using a different method. Additionally, the users may,
depending on the video driver, override the in-game AA settings with their
control panel AA settings when both sliders are set to 0.

The Anti-Aliasing sliders will be grayed out if their input is not being used by
Steel Beasts. This means:
• the Anti Aliasing slider will be grayed out if its value is set to 0 and the
Non-Maskable Anti Aliasing (Advanced) slider is set to a non-zero value
• the Non-Maskable Anti Aliasing (Advanced) slider is grayed out if the Anti
Aliasing" slider has a non-zero value.

HDR Bloom
High Dynamic Range Rendering will alter the scene rendering with a more or
less perceptible adaptation of brightness and shadows. Older graphics cards
may not handle HDR effects well and by turning it off a substantial frame rate
increase may be experienced in such a case. For current graphics cards this
setting is largely irrelevant and a mere matter of personal visual preferences.

Terrain Detail Distance

This dialog box is available from the Options screen, and is also adjustable at
scenario runtime using a hotkey (default is Alt-D). The top slider (General)
controls the distances at which the levels of detail (LOD) transition; most
notably the terrain geometry. The middle slider (Ground) increases or
decreases the LOD transition distance for terrain textures only. The bottom
slider (Ground Cover) controls the distance at which ground clutter, consisting
of small 3D models of plants or rocks, is faded out.
Reducing Ground Cover may have the greatest effect on frame-rates, and it is
recommended to lower this first if better performance is required. In
particular, if the mission is to be played mostly from a helicopter the ground
clutter will not be noticeable and it makes sense to set it to zero. On the other
hand, the distant ground geometry will become more important from the
helicopter view so that the upper two sliders should be increased over the
default values.
In network sessions, the session host’s settings will override those of the
connected clients.

30
Screen Resolution and Frame Rate
Visual quality is usually judged by screen resolution and frame rate. A high
and stable frame rate is desirable because it will create the impression of fluid
motion. A high screen resolution is desirable because it allows you to see
more details, thus increasing your chances to identify a target at longer
ranges. To display the frame rate counter press Alt+F12.
The screen resolution is limited by the computer monitor’s capabilities and the
resolution modes that the graphics driver provides. High screen resolution
might also reduce frame rates, so a compromise between frame rate and
screen resolution might need to be found for your system.

Depending upon the graphics card generation installed on your computer, the
following trends will apply:
All graphics cards suitable to run Steel Beasts must support a screen
resolution of at least 1024 x 768 pixels; later generations of graphics cards
will support higher screen resolutions without noticeable frame-rate loss,
although every card will have its individual limit after which the frame rate
could drop noticeably.

If you are experiencing a stuttering image while scanning the scene for
targets, you may want to reduce the screen resolution to improve the overall
performance.

Graphics Driver Settings

Most graphics card drivers allow you to change certain settings which can
have a noticeable impact on system performance. Typically, they present a
trade-off between image quality and frame rate. The most important settings
are:

Fullscreen Anti-Aliasing (FSAA)

In addition to what was described in the anti-aliasing section above, adaptive
anti-aliasing for textures with transparency is worth mentioning. Disabling it
may yield a noticeable gain in frame rate without sacrificing much image
quality.

Anisotropic Filtering (AF)

This helps to show more detail in textures of objects seen at low angles.
Reduce it to the point where further reductions result in a much worse image
quality; personal preferences will vary, but typically “8x” gives satisfactory
results for most people.

Vertical Synchronization
Usually the v-sync should be activated. Without vertical synchronization, the
graphics card will draw to the frame buffer as soon as it can, rather than

31
 waiting for the scanning pause during a vertical retrace. This results in tearing
artifacts such as tree trunks seemingly chopped in half while scanning for a
target. The considerable upside of disabling v-sync is a gain in frame rate,
however.

Z-Buffer
The Z-buffer setting will not affect the frame rate and should be set as high
as possible (24 bit), except in those very rare cases where there are obvious
problems with the looks of the 3D environment and the 16 bit setting fixes
those problems. Computers showing this problem are probably no longer
adequate to run the latest versions of Steel Beasts Professional.

Network Connections
Occasionally with internet connections you may see a “Network overload”
warning message.

Hint for network administrators: Overload means that package loss

of more than 15% for a particular client has been observed. This
does not indicate real information loss, it only means that a client
did not acknowledge a package and hence the server had to
resend it. This usually happens once there is more data to be sent
than bandwidth is available.
The overload message should show up in green during the mission, but you
can also see it in the text during the AAR and the HTML report.
For clients, the only send queue is to the host. The host has send queues for
all the clients. So, if all the host's send queues are overloaded, that indicates
a problem on the host's side. If the host shows that only one player's send
queue is overloaded, then it's probably a problem with that client.

Network clients will monitor the number of network messages being sent in a
given time interval to the host and, if set to the default level WARNING, will
log the message ID in case a certain threshold is exceeded. Both the time
interval and the threshold are configurable via the command line. Use the
options netalarm_windowsize and netalarm_threshold, respectively. The default
is a 5 second time interval and a 120 message threshold.

Sound
Version 4.0 introduces a new hotkey (Alt+S) bringing up the 'sound
configuration' dialog. There is also a (rudimentary) 'Audio' dialog in the 3D
view's 'File' menu allowing the user to set the master volume; two commands
to increase and reduce the volume are enabled, but by default no hotkey is
set for them.
Suggested hotkeys for those users who do not want to use the Windows
Sound Mixer are Alt+1 and Alt+3.

32
 3 THE MAIN MENU
After Steel Beasts is started and an initial splash screen is displayed, the user
is placed in the Main Menu screen. The main menu consists of the following
items:

Tank Range:
A mission to measure and sharpen gunnery skills against targets that don’t
fire back. Tank Range missions yield a “Gunnery Score” which, in Offline
Sessions, determines the gunnery skill of all friendly vehicles. This was added
to encourage players to become proficient with at least one weapon system
modeled in Steel Beasts. Only the best gunnery score will be used (you can’t
ruin previous, better achievements).

Instant Action:
Another gunnery mission, now with the enemy firing back. Unlike the Tank
Range, combat results in Instant Action (no matter how embarrassing) will
not affect the user profile’s gunnery score.

Tutorials:
Screen to browse through and run special missions designed to introduce the
student, step by step, to Steel Beasts.

Offline Session:
Screen to browse through all available missions and select one to run in
solitaire mode.

Operation:
Screen to browse through all available operations and select one.

Network Session:
Screen to browse through all available missions and select one to run in
networked mode. More information on running a network session can be
found in chapter 14, NETWORK SESSIONS

Load AAR:
Screen to browse through all saved after-action review files (AAR), and select
one to load for viewing.

Mission Editor:
Editor for creating scenarios for Steel Beasts. Clicking opens the editor with a
blank slate. Use Shift+Click to open a file selection dialog to directly load a
scenario for editing. Use Alt+Click to jump directly into test mode with the
selected mission.

33
 Map Editor:
Editor for creating and editing digital terrain data for Steel Beasts. These
maps can then be selected in the Mission Editor when creating a mission.

Records:
Screen to add, remove and view student records. A record contains some
basic statistics of the student’s performance and a list of the missions that the
student ran, along with the highest score for each mission.

Options:
Screen to adjust some optional elements of Steel Beasts, including settings for
language, graphics, difficulty and realism, or shifting the storage location for
terrain data.

Difficulty
This setting shifts the reaction time balance between the player's party
and units of hostile parties. Also, it increases the gunnery accuracy of
hostile parties.
In Solitaire mode the player’s party’s accuracy of computer-controlled
gunners depends on the player's gunnery rating (as a result of his
performance on the Tank Range); in Network Sessions, a universal
gunnery rating of 90% is applied.

Realism
Changes of this setting do not affect the validity of simulation results, at
all. Rather, it toggles certain “helper elements” (mostly in the 3D view)
such as an indicator at the bottom of the 3D screen to reference points
in the map screen (corresponding to the color that has been set there),
or the red asterisk mark in the map view to denote a previously lased
location to help the student identify what he was looking at.

Classroom version only: You may also set student machines to automatically
search for network sessions after start-up here. This may help to cut down
exercise preparation times.

Controls:
Window to read and set all the hotkeys in Steel Beasts. Note that the
command list can be filtered by vehicle-specific hotkeys. The student may
reconfigure the key layout, search for commands (no reverse search of a
given hotkey possible) and export his configuration into an HTML file suitable
for later editing and printing. Also, layout files can be exported and imported.
The dialog is also used to configure joysticks and control handle replicas as
input devices. Note that Steel Beasts will accept input only from the “primary
game controller” (also called the “preferred device” in some Windows versions).

Exit:
Exits the simulation.

34
 4 DEFINITIONS
Before proceeding further, it is worthwhile to define some terms that have special
meanings within Steel Beasts.

Unit
A “unit” is any collection of vehicles or soldiers (entities, or agents) that moves and
acts in a coordinated way, usually in formation. One entity of the unit is always
designated as the leader. A unit may be owned by the computer or by a human
player and may be friendly, enemy, or neutral. Units can consist of a single vehicle
or soldier, a section, squad, team or a platoon. Companies, and even battalions, can
be created by adding multiple platoons to the map but the simulation provides no
way to combine several platoons into a single unit that moves in formation. Finally,
transport vehicles may contain soldiers or other personnel, organic or foreign (but
only of the own party).

By default units are homogeneous groups of vehicles. There is however a method of

creating a unit with different types of vehicles. More information on this method can
be found in Chapter 7, section Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden
werden..

Tactics
“Tactics” in this context are response behaviors that are assigned to units. For
example, tactics can determine whether a unit stops to engage an enemy or
continues on a path. It is important that the mission designer and student are
familiar with the tactics definitions so that planned actions are carried out by units
as intended by the designer or instructor. Details are described in Chapter 8,
MOVING UNITS ON ROUTES.

Waypoint
A “waypoint” is a geographical point in the virtual world that is used to mark a
special location such as the beginning or end of a route. Waypoints have properties,
such as tactics, that are passed on to units that reach the waypoint. The map
symbol for a waypoint is an X, although it will change to a line with bent ends if it is
assigned special tactics (Hold, Defend, Guard, Stay or Suppress). Details are described
in Chapter 8, MOVING UNITS ON ROUTES.

Route
A “route” is a sequence of geographical points (vertices) in the virtual world that
defines a movement path for units to travel along. Routes define one-way
movement, although in certain cases units can retreat back along a route to its
starting point. Routes can originate from units or waypoints; multiple routes can
originate from a single unit or waypoint. Routes may branch, loop, or merge at

35
 waypoints. Routes have properties, such as tactics, that are passed on to units that
embark on the route. Details are described in Chapter 8, MOVING UNITS ON
ROUTES.

Battle Position
A unit with Hold, Defend, Guard, Stay or Suppress tactics is said to be in a “battle
position” and an adjustable battle-position line will be drawn on the map to indicate
the location and orientation that the unit should maintain. See Chapter 7, Section
Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden. for more information.

Condition
A “condition” is an expression that can be tested for a true or false result.
Conditions can be assigned to a variety of different objects, such as routes,
waypoints and events, to activate different actions such as embarking on a route.
Conditions yield present-oriented information (“What is right now?”).

Event
An “event” is an expression that can be tested for a true result. Events once true
remain that way for the rest of the mission.
Therefore they yield past-oriented information (“Has X ever happened?”).

Trigger
A “trigger” is a method for a player or instructor to set off a planned action during
the mission. Triggers can be activated and deactivated repeatedly during the
Execution Phase.

Conditions, Events and Triggers and their use are described in Chapter 12,
CONTROL LOGIC.

Runtime
The term “Runtime” is used to describe the actual performance of an exercise with
its three phases (Planning, Execution, After Action Review), once the Start button is
pressed – as opposed to working in Mission Editor or waiting in the Assembly Hall. It
is important to understand the difference as the menu options available to both
students and instructors differs between modes.

Virtual Simulation
“Virtual Simulation” is used to describe an exercise that focuses on the use of
simulated equipment. Students can access models of their real-life equipment in a
synthetic (virtual) environment, interacting with the models as they would in real
life, within the limitations of the simulation. The level of fidelity is intended to
support crew procedure and tactical training, unlike simulations for equipment
experimentation or quantitative statistical analysis.

36
Constructive Simulation
“Constructive Simulation” is used to describe an exercise that focuses on inputs and
outputs of a simulated system. Students of various levels are required to assess
output data from the simulated system and issue orders or instructions to be
inputted back into the simulation with the corresponding results reported back to
them. This is different from simulations in the first person mode or to support
experimentation. An informal definition of constructive simulation is “a wargame
from the map screen”.

Tactical Exercise Without Troops (TEWT)

“TEWT” is a tactical training method where students produce theoretical tactical
plans from a set of given information. It may result in a set of theoretical orders for
a force. TEWT outputs are able to be played through beyond H Hour via Steel
Beasts and the theoretical outcomes tested and reviewed.

Vehicles with crew positions

Not every vehicle in Steel Beasts offers crew positions for the student. The majority
of vehicles will only allow the student to control them from the external observer’s
position. These vehicles will be shown grayed out in the Mission Editor when
selecting New Unit from the context menu. Vehicles that do allow the player inside
are listed in black.
Even then, depending on the settings of the individual scenario, access to vehicles
and crew positions may be disabled even if they are designed to support this
feature.

37
 5 THE MAP SCREEN
The map screen appears in all phases of the simulation as well as in the Mission
Editor, so it’s important to become familiar with it. Most things in the map screen are
accomplished through context-sensitive menus that appear by right-clicking on
objects in the map or on the map itself. The map screen contains a menu bar at the
top, the display window as the largest item, the control panel on the right and the
overview map in the lower right hand corner.
(Note that the Map Editor has a different user interface.)

Control Panel (Mission Editor)

The controls are placed on a control panel situated on the right side of the map
screen and can be used by mouse click. The first control is the green Test button. It
is used to enable the mission designer to test a scenario in standalone mode while
allowing him access to the view function and any party. The next control is the Side
Selector switch. It is used to switch between parties. Underneath the Test button is
the Display Selector, located near the upper left part of the control panel. It
determines what will be shown in the display window of the map screen: the Terrain
Map, the Line-of-sight (LOS) Map, the Briefing Display or the Summary Display. Not all
of these choices are available in every phase of the simulation.

The Overlay Switches control what information is displayed in the terrain or LOS
maps. Using these overlay switches can help to declutter the map while still showing
the desired amount of information.

The Route Overlay switch controls which routes and waypoints are shown. Selecting
On displays all the routes and waypoints, while selecting Off displays none of them.
Selecting Pick displays only those routes and waypoints associated with units that
have been picked. A single unit is picked by left-clicking on it or any route or
waypoint associated with that unit. Additional units can be added to the picked list
by holding down the Shift key while left-clicking on the unit. Conversely, units can be
removed from the pick list by holding down the Ctrl key.

The Info Overlay switch controls whether map graphics (lines, regions and text) are
shown on the map. Possible settings are Complete, On, and Off. “Complete” includes
text labels for emplacements and other small elements which may be an
impediment in the Planning Phase to orient these elements; selecting “On” will
remove (only) these labels but leave everything else visible.

The Arty Overlay switch toggles the display of both the fire and obstacle plans.

Two information boxes on the right side of the map screen show the coordinate and
elevation of the cursor’s current location within the terrain or LOS map. A third

38
information box is used to display the length of a selected route in the Planning
Phase, the current mission time or time remaining in the Execution Phase, or the
time of the logged event in the AAR Phase.

The Map Zoom slider is underneath the indicator boxes. Left-clicking and dragging
the slider allows the magnification of the terrain or LOS map to be set. Alternatively,
map zoom can be controlled (and centered) with the mouse wheel. The default is
Zoom 1 and can be reset from 0.1 up 128.
To pan the map, hold the Space bar (or hold the middle mouse button), then click
and drag with the mouse.

The LOS Height slider is used to set the height (in meters), with consequences for
the LOS calculation and the terrain preview both in the Mission Editor and during
Planning and AAR Phase. If standing on the ground, a height of 1.8m would be
suitable to calculate LOS. If looking out from the turret of a LEOPARD 2, then 2.5
meters would give a more accurate LOS from that point. It also indicates the
observer cameras height above ground in the 3D preview.

A small Overview Map occupies the lower right-hand corner of the map screen. The
overview map contains a box indicating the currently shown part of the map in the
large display window to the left, as well as colored dots which denote unit locations.
Left-clicking in this box and dragging will move the box and the corresponding
displayed region. Left-clicking outside of the box will center the box on the clicked
point. The overview map also shows the positions of all known units and is helpful
for gaining a global view of the situation.

Control Panel (at Runtime)

The controls for the map screen during the Planning and the Execution Phases are
the same with the following exceptions or additions.
The Test button is now replaced with two other buttons, Start and Quit 7. In the
control window on the right hand side underneath the Display selector are now two
additional information windows (see below). At the bottom the map screen now
shows a black info panel that contains information about the currently selected unit.
If radio messages from computer controlled units were received, they are displayed
here as well. The menus at the top of the screen now present some different
options.
Get Log Report is another option that is added to the Map Screen when the mission is
ready to be tested and the LOS View item is removed.

When the Start button is pushed the Planning Phase ends and the Execution Phase
begins. The Start button is replaced with an Exit Map button and a Mission Time
counter is added under the H-Hour window.

7
If you can’t guess their purpose, try them out; in network sessions hosted by an
Instructor (classroom version only), clients may not use the Quit button.

39
 Rotary Dial
Below these two buttons is a rotary Display knob with several selections. The
selections shown available differ depending on whether Steel Beasts is in the
Planning or Execution Phase.

Terrain
This setting always brings up the map in the main window.

The LOS Map

The line-of-sight (LOS) map shows a point’s level of exposure at a given location
relative to the surrounding terrain. See below for more detailed information.

Report/Score
The next setting shows Report; during the Planning Phase the screen remains blank.
During the Execution Phase however the results of the button “Get Log Report” will
be displayed here.
In the AAR Phase (after the Quit button has been pressed) it shows the mission
Score. This brings up details of individual and collective performance as well as
some basic statistics of the battle in the main window.

Briefing
The Briefing Display shows a free text briefing, usually in military style. The exact
content of the briefing will, of course, depend on the mission designer. In addition,
a statistical summary indicating ammunition composition is automatically generated
and displayed at Runtime (cannot be seen while editing the briefing text).

Information Windows
The two windows ‘Time’ and ‘H Hour’ show the simulated time of day of the mission
and the time relative to a defined point in time such as mission start respectively.
The following two windows show the coordinates and elevation of the cursor’s
current location within the terrain or LOS map. A third information window is used
to display the length of a selected (left click to select) route (during the Planning
Phase only).

Slider Controls
The Map Zoom slider is underneath the elevation indicator box. Left-clicking and
dragging the slider allows the magnification of the terrain or LOS map to be set.
Alternatively, map zoom can be controlled (and centered) with the mouse wheel.
The default is Zoom 1 and can be reset from 0.1 up 128. To pan the map, hold the
Space bar, then click and drag with the mouse. Alternatively, click and drag with the
middle mouse button.

40
The Menu Bar
Along the top of the map screen are a series of drop down menus to allow access to
various functions of Steel Beasts depending on the mode. As with most Windows
based programs some these functions are duplicated in the context sensitive menus
accessed by right-clicking on the screen. These will be explained fully in Chapter 7,
CREATING A MISSION. In the bottom right hand corner of the map screen is the
name of the currently displayed map.

The Display Window

Steel Beasts renders a topographical map with contour lines that resembles a
standard military map. Terrain features such as woods, bogs, and bodies of water
are denoted by different colors on the map.
The terrain map can be magnified using the Map Zoom slider in the Control Panel,
with the mouse wheel, or by pressing the + or – keys. The map can be scrolled in
several ways: by pressing the Arrow keys; by clicking and dragging the box in the
overview map in the lower right-hand corner of the map screen; by holding the
middle mouse button, or by holding down the Space bar while clicking and dragging
on the map in the Display Window. Contour line spacing can be adjusted at any
time except during the Execution Phase (by default; the mission designer may
however enable this feature).
The terrain map is divided into grids of 1 km x 1 km. Each horizontal and vertical
grid line is given a two-digit number, displayed at the left and bottom sides of the
map, which together are used to create coordinates that identify small regions
within the map. The coordinates are displayed using eight digits; the first four digits
indicate the horizontal position on the map and the second four digits indicate the
vertical position. The proper way to read these grids on a map is horizontal, then
vertical (also known as "right, then up"). Since each grid line has only two digits,
the third and fourth digits are found by visually dividing the grid into 100 x 100 sub
grids and picking the closest sub grid. Note that the resolution of an eight-digit grid
coordinate is 10 x 10 meters. By typing a coordinate number into the coordinate
display and pressing enter, the map will be centered on that coordinate.

Tactical Symbology
Units are displayed as tactical icons in accordance to US Army FM 101-5-1
(included as a PDF in the folder “Other Documents” of the Windows Start Menu’s
Steel Beasts program folder). There are symbols for individual vehicles, sections,
platoons, and companies during the Execution Phase; unit icons may get
automatically aggregated and disaggregated at different map zoom levels. It is not
always possible to give commands to aggregated icons; if in doubt, zoom in.

Hint: Infantry squad icons will not be rendered if they are attached to a transport
vehicle, and 75m or closer to that vehicle.

Hint: The center of the unit symbol designates the exact location of the unit on the
map and should be used as the origin when clicking on a unit.

41
 Hint: Unit designations, their call signs, can be customized by the mission designer
and may therefore vary from one scenario to the other.

The color of the unit symbol and its border shape indicates whether it is a
friendly or enemy unit, whether it is user- or computer-owned, and whether it is
destroyed or not. Friendly units appear within round or square borders, whereas
enemy units appear within diamond borders (other, non-hostile units would appear
within a clover leaf shape). Friendly units that the student can control (player-
owned units) are displayed in a medium shade of that party's color, whereas
friendly units that the student cannot control are displayed in a light shade of that
party's color. Detected enemy units that are not destroyed are always displayed in a
medium shade. Destroyed units are displayed in a gray shade of that party's color.
The unit that the student currently occupies is of the darkest shade of all other
symbols of the same party.

Waypoints are displayed as the standard military symbol for a waypoint (an X with
an attached identifying number). The intersection of the X symbol designates the
exact location of the waypoint 8 on the map and should be used as the origin when
clicking on a waypoint. The color of the waypoint symbol has the same meaning as
the color of the unit symbol. Outside the Mission Editor waypoints can be invisible
when the route leading to them starts with a computer controlled unit or an already
invisible waypoint. These “invisible” waypoints are yellow in the Mission Editor. Dark
shades are waypoints that the student can control, whereas light shades are
waypoints that the student cannot control. If a waypoint is given hold, defend,
guard, stay or suppress tactics, it will appear as a battle-position line.
Battle-position lines - not be confused with different types of battle-position graphics
available during the planning stage - are displayed as colored lines with bent ends
(a stretched bracket symbol “[”). The color of the graphic depends on its party
(magenta, if selected). Battle-position lines always belong to either a unit or a
waypoint

Routes are displayed as a set of connected lines that form a path with either an
arrow, which indicates the route’s direction and tactics, or an information box, which
indicates the route’s formation, speed, and tactics. The information box appears
only when the route is selected, except in the Mission Editor, in which case you can
choose whether to display an arrow or an information box (menu Route Tags |
on/off). All routes end with a waypoint.

Map graphics of various types can be added to the map for informational purposes
as well as for computer control logic (AI 9). Most map graphics have the option to
add accompanying text, although plain text can also be added directly to the map.
Some map graphics form regions and can be referenced in conditional control logic.

8
Unlike in archaeology, the X may mark an important spot in military tactics.
9
A.I. stands for artificial intelligence, which is all artificial and usually not very
intelligent. However, this term has found wide acceptance and will therefore be
found in this manual as well, acknowledging that artificial dumbness would be
equally misleading.

42
Obstacles such as minefields, dragon’s teeth, abatises, and others appear on the
map as the standard graphic for each item. However, they are more than just
informational graphics; they actually create the obstacle in the virtual world.

Artillery target zones appear on the map as red rectangles. Active artillery target
zones will flash on and off, whereas planned artillery targets that can be modified
will consist of dashed red lines denoting their planned nature. Light red rectangles
denote inactive artillery zones, such as artillery missions that have already executed
and are awaiting termination, adjustment, or a repeat command. However, with
Realism set to ‘High’ in the Options Menu, neither planned nor active artillery strikes
will be shown on the map - just in the fire support queue list in the game.

The ‘View’ symbol – Freeflight Camera

The 3D freeflight (or “hover”) camera allows the player to view the terrain during
the planning stage. The viewpoint can be raised and lowered, moved forward and
backward, turned left and right, and zoomed in and out with the default commands
for these functions. Its position and orientation is denoted on the map by a small
red circle with a bar 10. The direction of the bar from the circle denotes the current
orientation of the 3D world camera. With the exception of the Execution Phase, you
can view a position in the 3D world from the map with the following restriction:
Normal students cannot access it during the Execution Phase. One method of doing
so is by right-clicking on the map and selecting View. You can then view the area
and move the camera around. Once you exit the 3D world view, the position and
orientation of the camera position icon will be updated on the map screen.
Alt+Q will toggle the camera altitude control between absolute and relative height
(above ground); absolute height allows for smoother camera movement but may
collide with hills (and then stay at the highest last altitude)

Tip: When returning to the map screen after moving the camera in the 3D world,
hit F2 to center the map on your last position (the red turret symbol
(“tadpole”)).

Hint: When testing a scenario from within the Mission Editor the freeflight camera
may also be used at any time.

The LOS Map

The line-of-sight (LOS) map shows a point’s level of exposure at a given location
relative to the surrounding terrain. To use this tool, select the LOS Height from the
slider bar on the Control Panel, right-click at a point of interest on the map and
select Mark LOS from here, or set the Display Selector to LOS (in this case, left-clicks
will define the point of interest). After some calculations a color-coded map will
appear that shows the visibility of a typical vehicle. The value of LOS Height slider in
this case corresponds to the roof of the tank’s turret. The hull is estimated to be 80

10
the icon of a tank’s turret

43
 cm below this value for color-coding its visibility. The visibility depends on the
weather condition at mission start. 11 Visibility is scaled to match the chosen height
of the LOS Height slider located at the clicked point from surrounding areas. Pink
indicates that most of the vehicle is visible (with dark pink signifying visibility only
in the thermal view); white indicates that only the top 80 centimeters of it are
visible; and darkened colors indicate that the vehicle cannot be seen (dead space).
The LOS tool makes it easy to find tactically important ground for the student and
the enemy, which may be very helpful in creating an effective battle plan. The tool
is NOT available in the Execution Phase, although point-to-point LOS analysis is
available in all phases: Hold down the Alt key, select a location by left-clicking and
then drag the mouse over the map. A black mouse pointer indicates a broken LOS;
a transparent pointer indicates an unobstructed LOS.

Printing Maps
After completing a scenario (see Chapter 7, CREATING A MISSION) the resulting
map with its mission graphics can be printed by using the Print blank map or Print
displayed map options in the file menu. If the Print displayed map option is used, only
the part of the map currently on the screen will be printed (as distinct from a screen
capture). If the Print blank map option is used, the entire scenario map, without
graphics, will be printed.

Tip: With an image editing software like Photoshop, multiple overlapping

screenshots can be combined into one large mosaic. This may be desirable for
high resolution prints, especially if the students are supposed to use the
printed map during an exercise instead of the map screen. You may want to
use a zoom factor of three or four to make the screenshots. Remember to
keep an overlap of the map portions, and to stick with one zoom factor.

11
Subsequent changes of visibility conditions in the weather menu will not be
considered.

44
 6 BASIC SIMULATION
CONTROLS
This section lists the basic controls for the simulation in general, and the controls
common to most vehicles and infantry as applicable. Details about how to operate a
specific vehicle with virtual crew positions can be found in the tutorials. The tutorials
are essential to learning the operation of specific vehicles and should be considered
required training material. They also highlight some of the strengths and limitations
of the various systems.

Hint: At any given time, Alt+C will open the Controls dialog window that lets
you search for commands, reconfigure the key layout, display vehicle-
specific command lists, and to export your configuration into an HTML file
suitable for later editing and printing.
Controls can also be accessed through the Main Menu | Options.

Most of the keystrokes and commands listed below are represented on the keyboard
chart available in the “Docs” folder. It should be reproduced in color, to distinguish
the various functions. The chart should be used in conjunction with the Tutorials as
the first step for a student to learn to interact with the Steel Beasts interface.

In addition to the default hotkeys listed in the following tables, most of the
commands can be given through menus at the top of the screen in the 3D view.
(The menu bar will appear when the mouse is moved near the top of the screen and
will retract when not in use.) Some commands can also be given by clicking on hot
spots in the 3D interior of the vehicle.

Hint: Connecting and disconnecting joysticks or Control Handle replicas

require the student to enter the Controls dialog and to press the Refresh
Joysticks button.

As with most Windows based menus, grayed out items are not available. There is
one important exception: during the creation of new units in the Mission Editor,
some vehicles in the lists of weapon systems are shown in gray. These vehicles
have no virtual crew positions which can be occupied by the student.

Note: The most basic points to remember about controlling icons is that the
user may only give instructions and control units that he owns.

It is possible to change unit ownership via the Instructor Host Workstation (IHWS);
also, owners of a unit may use the Give To… command (in the Map screen) to hand
over the control to a different participant of an exercise.

45
 Mouse use
Outside of gunnery training with control handle replicas and, potentially, partial or
full instrumentation the mouse is probably the dominant input device for the
student, particularly when using Steel Beasts for tactical education.
Mouse control has been designed to facilitate several use cases:
1. Interacting with Steel Beasts on the application level
In the Main Menu and some of the sub-menus the mouse pointer will
change into a hand icon to indicate elements with which the student can
interact by left click. This is about as simple as it can be.
2. Interacting with the map screen and the integrated editors
In these cases both left click and right click actions are available. Steel
Beasts should largely act like a regular Windows application, conforming to
operating system standards. In addition the mouse wheel may be supported
with selected elements, like zooming in and out.
3. Looking around in the 3D view
If the mouse pointer is visible, it is not controlling the view direction. A left
click will toggle between the view control and interacting with application
control elements such as icons at the bottom right of the screen (in some
views), or the (retractable) menu bar at the top of the screen.
4. Interacting with 3D objects
Steel Beasts offers virtual 3D interiors of a number of vehicles with crew
positions. Often these 3D interiors replicate buttons and flip switches like
the real vehicles do. These elements often allow interaction by way of a left
click, or click and drag action, or the mouse wheel while the mouse pointer
hovers above the 3D element. These actions are available both while
controlling the view and while not.
In the first case the center of the screen is the sole input detection point
which may make the mouse interaction awkward. In the latter case the
mouse pointer is visible and can be moved directly to the objects in the 3D
space. If a control is available for interaction, the mouse pointer will
change into a hand symbol (or into some other custom shape).
5. As an input device for a virtual fire control system
As detailed in the various tutorials (and the following pages) the right
mouse button and the center mouse button or mouse wheel may have vehicle-
and crew-specific functions. The left mouse button is not available as a fire
control input element because it toggles the view control mode.

46
General Controls
Note that only in a very few cases the common Windows function of copy and paste
is available, most notably pasting text into editbox controls by right-clicking the
mouse while the input focus is set to this control (Ctrl+V works, too).
Text list widgets, such as those in the File selection windows, will scroll the contents
of the list when rolling the mouse wheel, instead of selecting the previous or next
item in the list.

The following tables describes general (keyboard) hotkeys to control Steel Beasts.

DEFAULT HOTKEYS FOR GENERAL CONTROLS

Default Hotkey Command

Escape Quit
Pause Pause the Execution Phase (instructor only in
network)
F12 Time-accelerate Execution Phase (non-networked
only)
Shift + F12 Capture screen shot
Alt + F12 Display frame rate and additional statistics
Alt + J Center Joystick
Ctrl + J Invert Joystick Y value
Alt + W Windowed mode (one-way only)
Alt + D Show terrain detail distance window
Alt + C Shows the Controls dialog
Alt + S Shows the Sounds dialog

47
 Position Controls
Note that some of the positions or view modes listed below might not be available
on certain vehicles or might be disabled by the scenario designer in any mission.
The setting for the positions is an embedded option of the individual scenario file
and is applied to all units of all parties in that mission. The option Manual driving not
only controls access to this crew position, but also the student’s ability to issue
direct driving orders to a computer controlled vehicle driver. Therefore it should
not be disabled unless required.

DEFAULT HOTKEYS FOR POSITION CONTROLS

Default Hotkey Command
F6 Gunner’s position
F7 Commander’s position
F8 External observer’s position
Toggles between External and ‘Overhead View’
F9 Driver’s position
F10 Loader’s position
F11 Mounted squad leader’s position
Alt + F10 Lead vehicle in next unit
Shift + F10 Next vehicle in current unit
Shift + F11 Next engaged unit

View Controls
Note that some of the views listed below might not be available for all crew
positions on any vehicle. Also, the map view (or its automatic updating) can be
disabled by the mission designer in any mission.

DEFAULT HOTKEYS FOR VIEW CONTROLS

Default Hotkey Command
F1 View 1 (usually eye view)
F2 View 2 (usually primary sight)
F3 View 3 (usually secondary sight)
F4 View 4 (usually vision blocks)
F5 Map view
Alt + F1 Alternate view 1 or View 5
Alt + F2 Alternate view 2 or View 6
Alt + F3 Alternate view 3 or View 7
Alt + F4 Alternate view 4 or View 8

48
Driving Controls
Care should be taken when driving to avoid collisions with other vehicles and
obstacles, especially at higher speeds, as vehicle damage and crew injuries are
likely. Top speed movement on rough ground, in woods, or through boulder fields is
usually risky whether on a route or being manually driven.

Driving from the Driver’s Position

When in the driver’s position, the vehicle can be controlled using either the joystick
or hotkeys. Moving the joystick forward or backwards controls the speed of the
vehicle, while moving it left or right controls the steering. Alternatively, pressing the
W key will increase the speed, the X key decreases the speed, and the S key stops
the vehicle (the W and X keys must be held down a second or so to reach maximum
values). The A and D keys steer the vehicle left and right, respectively.

A vehicle's driver can Glance left and right using hotkeys, allowing him to quickly
check his surroundings without having to let go of the keyboard or joystick in order
to grab the mouse and slew the view.

Hold the hotkey Face left of gun or Face right of gun to smoothly move the view 90
degrees to the left or right, while the (by default unmapped) hotkeys Face right
forward (driver) and Face left forward (driver) will make the view move to +-45
degrees. Letting go of the hotkey will make the view return to the straight-ahead
position. Changing the view direction using the mouse while glancing will cancel this
'auto-return' functionality.

Note that the driver's view limits might actually not allow the view to reach the full
90° limit (the Glance command will not override these limits).

If the student is in the driver’s position of the unit’s lead vehicle, the other vehicles
in the unit will follow, attempting to stay in formation. If the student’s vehicle is not
the lead vehicle, then it is the responsibility of the student to stay in formation. In
any case, manually driving a non-lead vehicle will cause it to detach from the unit
and become the lead vehicle of a new unit. This will now be shown on the map as a
single vehicle icon (or a vehicle section).
DEFAULT HOTKEYS FOR DRIVER CONTROLS (WHEN IN THE DRIVER’S POSITION)

Default Hotkey Command

W Increase speed
X Decrease speed
S Stop
A/D Steer left / right
Q Move up (above hatch)
Z Move down (below)

49
 Controlling UGV and Micro-UAV
Infantry – specifically, their command sections - can be equipped with an
Unmanned Ground (or Aerial) Vehicle in the Mission Editor by selecting UGV (or UAV)
in the context-sensitive options menu when right-clicking on either an infantry unit
or a vehicle unit that has mounted infantry. The UGV is a small remotely operated
generic wheeled vehicle with a day and thermal channel camera mounted on an
extendable arm. The UAV ("SensoCopter" model with day sight camera) has a flight
time of 15 minutes. Its range is similarly limited as the UGV’s. If an infantry unit is
equipped with either, you can deploy it by occupying the squad leader’s position
(F7), then pressing the Drop hotkey (default is Z). The drone can be picked up by
pressing Shift+Z as long as the infantry unit is close enough.
When the UGV is deployed, it can be driven from View 2 (F2) or View 3 (F3) by
using the standard driving keys (W, A, S, D, X). In addition the UAV’s flight height
can be controlled by Q und Z. View 2 provides a view from the soldier controlling the
UGV. View 3 provides a view from the UGV camera. The maximum control range of
the UGV is roughly 250 meters from its operator; it is 400 meters for the UAV.
When in View 3 the UGV camera can be: steered using the mouse or joystick; raised
or lowered with hotkeys Q and Z; zoomed in and out with the magnification hotkeys
N and Shift+N; and toggled between day sight and thermal view with Numpad +. The
UAV works in a similar way, except that the camera can only be moved vertically.
The operator must rotate the UAV horizontally and may only look up and down. The
camera has a low resolution and is unstabilized, making it difficult to use when
moving over rough ground.

Driving from Outside the Driver’s Position

It is also possible to issue driving commands to the computer-controlled driver from
the gunner’s, the commander’s, or external position in any view except the map.
Driving commands can be issued using the menu bar or the driving buttons at the
bottom of the 3D-view screen. However, hotkeys are more convenient.

DEFAULT HOTKEYS FOR DRIVING COMMANDS (WHEN NOT IN THE DRIVER’S POSITION)
Default Hotkey Command
W Move at next higher speed level
X Move at next lower speed level
S Stop
A/D Turn left / right continuously
Shift + A / Shift + D Turn left / right 22.5 degrees
Q Move up (when applicable)
Z Move down (when applicable)
E Assume battle position (towards view direction)
C Return to route / Go to next route
Ctrl or Joystick button 2 Move to this point (commander or external view)
or right mouse button

50
If the student is commanding the unit’s lead vehicle, the other vehicles in the unit
will follow, attempting to stay in formation. If the student’s vehicle is not the
lead vehicle, issuing driving commands to the vehicle will cause it to
detach from the unit and become the lead vehicle of a new unit. When this
occurs, if the student wants to rejoin the parent formation he will need to attach his
vehicle to the parent unit. This can either be done from the context menu on that
vehicle's icon in the map view, or with the context menu on that vehicle's lower
right icon in the 3D world.

Note: For a successful merge order the vehicle must be closer than about 400m to
the parent unit’s leader vehicle.

In the external and commander positions, the student can mark any point on the
terrain and order the driver to move to that location. To do this, hold down the lase
button and a red checkpoint icon (square with a triangle below) will appear in the
center of the view. Move the view to aim the icon and release the lase button at the
desired location. The driver will now drive towards that point.
Pressing the E key puts the student’s unit in a battle position. As used in this
manual, a battle position is a unit state in which the vehicles face a designated
direction at a designated location and attempt to move into a certain position such
as a hull- or turret-down position. Make sure to look in the direction the battle
position is to face before pressing E. If there is no hull-down position within 160
meters in front of or behind the tank, the driver will return to the starting position 12.
The battle position order also serves as an Engage/Fire at Will order when an enemy
is detected. If an enemy is present when the unit is in a battle position, the driver
will try to find a hull-down position facing the enemy. Computer-controlled crews
adjust their battle position automatically as soon as the enemy is detected. They
move back and forward in order to minimize their silhouette.

If a unit is on a route, the unit will deviate from the route if:
1. It is ordered into a battle position.
2. The student’s tank is steered left or right (A or D).
3. The W or X key is pressed three or more times in rapid succession.
4. The driver is ordered to a terrain point marked with the lase button.
(see Chapter 8, MOVING UNITS ON ROUTES for more about routes)

Some driving commands will NOT cause the unit to deviate from a route: Pressing
W, X or S will only affect the speed, but not the route of a unit.
If a unit is on a route and the student issues a driving command that causes the
unit to deviate from a route, pressing C will order the unit to return to the route. If
the unit is stopped at a waypoint, pressing C will order the unit to embark on the
first route originating from that waypoint.

12
Computer-controlled vehicles will look in front of their current position first;
failing to find a hull-down position there they will reverse to the original position,
and then look behind that location. If no suitable hull-down position can be
found, they will finally return to the point where the battle-position command
was given.

51
 Unit Controls
The controls listed in the following table will affect all the vehicles of the unit. These
controls can be issued by the player only if the player owns the lead element of the
unit.
DEFAULT HOTKEYS FOR UNIT CONTROLS
Default Hotkey Command
[ Echelon-left formation
] Line formation
\ Echelon-right formation
Shift + [ Wedge formation
Shift + ] Column formation
Shift + \ Vee formation
- Decrease formation spacing
+ Increase formation spacing
H Hold fire
F Fire at will
Tab Pop smoke
Shift + Tab Toggle engine smoke on / off (if available)
Shift + Backspace Toggle engines on / off
U Unload troops (if applicable)
Shift + U Load troops (if applicable)
T Launch UAV (if applicable)
Shift + T Retrieve UAV (if applicable)
Z Drop UGV (if applicable)
Shift + Z Pick up UGV (if applicable)
Alt + B Toggle Troop hatches open / closed

In addition to the hotkeys above, a unit or elements of a unit can be ordered to

transfer ammunition from the stored compartment to the ready compartment by
using the reload menu item available in the top menu bar in the 3D-world, or by the
context-sensitive menu that appears when clicking on the unit or vehicle symbol at
the bottom right of the 3D world view.

52
Gunner Controls
To steer the gun in normal and emergency modes, simply move the joystick left,
right, up or down. Alternatively, the mouse can be used by first left-clicking in the
window and then positioning the mouse left, right, up or down with respect to the
center of the screen. To stop steering with the mouse, click the left mouse button
again. In manual mode on some vehicles, the gun can be moved only by repeatedly
pressing the Arrow keys (this is meant to mimic the operation of hand cranks on the
real vehicle). Steel Beasts also supports rotary encoder controllers for hand crank
replicas.

DEFAULT HOTKEYS FOR COMMON GUNNER CONTROLS

Default Hotkey Command

Q Move higher in turret
Z Move lower in turret
Alt + B Toggle hatch open / closed
Space bar or Joystick button 1 Fire gun
Ctrl or Joystick button 2 or Lase
right mouse button
N or Joystick button 4 Toggle magnification / head forward
M Toggle main / coax (or fire MG)
T Ask commander to stop overriding
I Ask commander to slew to target
Ins Set ammo select to main gun ammo 1
Del Set ammo select to main gun ammo 2
Home Set ammo select to main gun ammo 3
End Set ammo select to main gun ammo 4
, Set fire control mode to NORMAL
. Set fire control mode to EMERGENCY
/ Set fire control mode to MANUAL
Page Up Cycle fuse setting
Page Down Cycle rate-of-fire setting
Alt + Page Down Cycle salvo length
Shift + B Toggle sight shield doors
Keypad + Toggle TIS: on / standby
Arrow keys Hand-crank gun steering

53
 To control the gunner’s viewing direction when in the eye view, simply move the
joystick left, right, up or down. Alternatively, the mouse can be used by first left-
clicking in the window, and then moving the mouse. To stop controlling with the
mouse, click the left mouse button again.
The previous table lists the basic controls for the gunner’s position. For more details
or for controls specific to certain vehicles, refer to the gunnery tutorials for the
vehicle of interest.

54
Commander Controls
To control the commander’s viewing direction, simply move the joystick.
Alternatively, the mouse can be used by first left-clicking in window and then moving
the mouse. To stop controlling with the mouse, click the left mouse button again.
For most combat vehicles, the commander can override the gunner and directly
control main gun, usually to direct the gunner to the next target (the method of
override varies for different vehicles and is covered in the tutorials for each vehicle).
When overriding, the commander controls the gun using the joystick or mouse in
the same way as described earlier for the gunner.
The following table lists the basic controls for the commander’s position.

DEFAULT HOTKEYS FOR COMMON COMMANDER’S CONTROLS

Default Hotkey Command
Q Move higher in turret
Z Move lower in turret
B Toggle hatch open / closed
Alt + B Toggle Troop hatches open / closed
Space bar or Joystick button 1 Order gunner to fire
N or Joystick button 4 Toggle magnification / head forward
M Order gunner to use main / coax
Ins Load main gun ammo 1 next round
Del Load main gun ammo 2 next round
Home Load main gun ammo 3 next round
End Load main gun ammo 4 next round
Shift + ammo key (above) Order transfer of selected ammo type
from stowed to ready compartment
Shift + Page Down Order transfer of all ammo types from
stowed to ready compartment
, Order gunner to NORMAL mode
. Order gunner to EMERGENCY mode
/ Order gunner to MANUAL mode
Backspace Enter battlesight range
Shift + Arrow keys Order gunner to move turret front, left,
right with respect to hull

If the commander is overriding, then many of the gunner’s commands will take
effect instead. For example, if the commander is overriding, the Space bar will
actually fire the gun instead of just ordering the gunner to fire. For more details or
for controls specific to certain vehicles, refer to the tutorials for the vehicle of
interest.

55
 Pressing the Backspace key not only enters the battle sight range into the ballistic
computer, but also forces the computer gunner to skip lasing the target and to fire
the gun quickly without waiting for an order to fire.

Infantry Controls
The user interface in the 3D view has been designed for a maximum span of control
over dismounted infantry for a single user.
Most notable additional controls are three stamina indicators (a green, a yellow and
a red status bar), as well as three combinations of position and movement
commands (squares and one or more arrows on top of them).

The position and movement commands are grouped into three postures; on the left
infantry will go prone, and if ordered to advance slowly, will crawl. The middle
indicator set puts infantry on a kneeling posture and allows for crouched march,
jogging, and sprinting respectively. On the right infantry will stand erect if stopped
and assume an upright walk if ordered to move.

With the green stamina bar still visible a unit is considered fully rested and all
movement types are available. While only the yellow indicator is visible, infantry is
considered tired and can no longer sprint. With only the red indicator visible the unit
is considered exhausted and may neither sprint nor jog. If all stamina bars are gone,
the infantry is fully exhausted and will require an extended time to rest and recover.

Stationary infantry will attempt to take cover. Open terrain provides cover
depending on the bumpiness settings of the current terrain type as defined in the
terrain theme (see Chapter 17, THE MAP EDITOR); bumpiness controls undulations
of the terrain below the resolution of original terrain data (version 4.1; older
versions of Steel Beasts cannot visualize bumpiness at all). It will have the effect
that prone infantry will sink below the visible surface – only a little for low
bumpiness values, and up to their heads at maximum. If positioned behind a
building, infantry will enter the building and assume firing positions near the
windows, at the ground floor if ordered to defend, at the upper levels for hold
orders (by default). The building will become semi-transparent for the owner of the
infantry unit. In addition, infantry may enter bunkers, if present.

Weapon Teams
A number of heavy infantry weapons are available for the student’s direct control in
the role of the team leader. In the eye view, assume the leader’s point of view with
the F7 hotkey. F2 will usually bring you in the weapon’s sight/aim pose.
With most machine guns, light or heavy, the following options are available:

Default Hotkey Command

N Toggle field of view (lean forward/back)
O Toggle “peak view” to walk tracer fire into the target
R Toggle reticule (Air/Ground aim)

56
Command menu
The eye view’s unit command tree in the bottom right of the screen lists all
maneuver elements of a mechanized platoon – both vehicles and organic infantry,
down to infantry teams. This allows to direct all these elements from the 3D view,
including commands to apply suppressive area fire, to target (moving) units, and
more. To open the command menu simply left-click the sub-unit’s tactical icon in the
lower right hand corner.
Selected commands, such as Shoot at unit have a hotkey, which by default is T.
The 1...9 keys allow a direct selection of your squads in the formation.
These commands may change the mouse pointer into designation mode, a square
with a downward pointing tip, to select the area or a target. The right mouse button
will cancel any of these 'special' modes.
When in the overhead view, rotating the view (Shift+right mouse button drag) does
not cancel whatever command mode is currently selected.

(Vehicle) units may also be split in the 3D-view screen during the Execution Phase
by ordering a subset of the vehicles to Advance to or Retreat to, etc..., a certain
location by left-clicking on the unit’s symbols at the bottom of the screen. In
addition, a non-lead vehicle will detach itself from the unit and form a separate unit
if it is manually driven by a human player.

Formation Controls
You may assign up to 240 units to one of up to six preset groups – e.g. a company
team. It is then possible at runtime to enter a New group route that will automatically
get copied over to all other members of that preset group; the first route leg is
always on hold to allow individual route adjustments before then a group proceed
command can be given.
Groups can be composed at runtime (both Planning and Execution Phase) while in
the Map screen, System menu, Edit preset groups. This will open a dialog box listing
all units owned by the individual student which he can then move into his groups.

Note: Every unit can be member of only one of the up to six preset groups.

Sensor Controls
Some sights represent electro-optical sensors – thermal sights, CCTVs, LLTVs, or
image intensifiers. Some of these camera systems may be adjusted by the depth of
focus setting (Alt+mouse wheel, or Keypad Del, or Keypad / and Keypad *), or their
polarity settings (Keypad -). Some may have a (permanent) autofocus, or be of a
fixed focus type.

57
 7 CREATING A MISSION
Steel Beasts provides an integrated editor to create and modify scenario files. To
open the editor, left-click on Mission Editor from the Main Menu screen. Hold the Shift
key and click Mission Editor. This opens a file selection dialog to select the desired
scenario file immediately with the Mission Editor. Alt+click opens an existing scenario
file in test mode.

Distributed Scenario Development

Steel Beasts supports splitting a scenario into several parts which can be edited
individually, and later merged back into the final result. This allows several people to
work on the same scenario simultaneously, potentially reducing the development
time considerably. This feature can also be used for large scale networked exercises
as a substitute for the Planning Phase (e.g. hand out a split scenario to each party’s
commander to develop his battle plan without being able to check out what the
other commanders are doing. Before the start of the actual exercise the individual
parts would then be merged back into one common scenario that is then distributed
to all clients.)

The scenario must be defined first by setting up the parties, and placing units to
each party. After saving, split the file into one “*.mastersce” and a number of
“*.splitsce” files. Hand them out, have them edited, the put them back into one
common folder. Load the *.mastersce, then select “merge” to pull all *.splitsce files
in. Save it as a new scenario file.

Note: The original mission designer may impose limits as to what the
individual parties’ commanders may change. Certain things must remain
the same (like time, map, or weather conditions), others may not be
desirable to be changed (like the force composition and artillery support).

Ctrl+mouse click will immediately open the Mission Editor’s dialog to merge scenarios.

However, a number of restrictions need to be considered:

In order to allow several people to work on the same scenario, it must first be
created and it must contain multiple parties. Then split the scenario, hand it out to
the other mission designers or team leaders in an exercise, to be edited individually,
and finally merge these back into the final scenario. To do so,

1. Open the Mission Editor and create (or open) a scenario from which
everything else will be developed, the "seed scenario" if you will. (It is a
regular scenario file and called "seed scenario" in this context only to
distinguish its functional role.) As an absolute minimum, create all required
parties within this "seed" before attempting anything else (please see the
next step first).

58
 2. Go to the File menu and select the 'Split Scenario' option. You can now
create a 'master scenario' and a number of scenario splits, one for each
party, from this "seed". The 'master scenario' has a new file extension:
'.mastersce'. It contains information about all the different party-specific
scenarios that were split off from the "seed" before. The 'split' scenario
files (*.splitsce) will be created automatically - one per party. During this
step, the user may allow the designers of the 'scenario splits' to create
units (or not), to change units, to change scenario logic or to edit scenario
scoring.
Note: If you don't allow designers to create new units, you must
create them in the "seed scenario" before splitting it!
3. Now send out the 'scenario splits' to the students (or fellow mission
designers, if it's about accelerated scenario development rather than
tactical instruction). Note that the mission editor GUI for 'split' scenarios
will feature some grayed-out options, as these would impact the scenario
as a whole (i.e. for all parties).
4. After finishing their work, the students must now return their modified
'split' scenarios to the "master designer".
5. You should now save the merged scenario and/or perform further changes.
• Put the 'master' scenario and all 'split' scenarios into the same folder
• Now you can either use the Merge Scenarios menu option in the
Mission Editor (there is no need to load any scenario!), or press the
'Ctrl' key while clicking on the Mission Editor button in the main menu.
• Alternatively, select the Split/merge dialog to specify the 'master'
scenario; Steel Beasts will then automatically attempt to locate the
split parts for all parties (it will confirm whether they were found, or
show an error message)
• Steel Beasts now merges all parts and opens the result in the Mission
Editor
6. You should now save the merged scenario and/or perform further changes

Documentation
Mission design is somewhat time-consuming. And missions, once released to the
public, develop a life of their own; expect some of your scenarios to be used for
much longer and by more people than what your immediate intent suggests. Once
released, the mission designer will usually lose control over the distribution of his
work, and eventually multiple versions of a scenario file will float in the digital
domain.
To make your own life easier, and that of mission designers after you, be advised to
document your intent and your activities. This is not necessarily something that you
want to share with the average player of a mission as it might give away some
information which, for better training effect or entertainment purposes, is better
served by surprise. But there still are things that you can do, e.g. using descriptive
names for variables. Likewise, you can create transparent text and map graphics
objects which the normal player cannot see. They can transport some crucial
information. If, for example, the player’s mission is to capture a region and you
want him to be ambushed after he reached the objective, a mission order “Capture

59
 region ‘Ambush site 1’” is obviously disingenuous. But you could create two identical
regions, one of which is transparent, named “Ambush site 1”, and which is
referenced to in the behavior of the enemy while the visible copy of the region is
named “Objective”.
Maintaining a version count in the Summary text and some information about the
Steel Beasts version with which the scenario was last modified can also help others
a lot.

The File menu

Arguably the File menu is the most fundamental and least exciting menu of the
Mission Editor. It lets you open existing scenarios files, save them (even under a
different name), and delete obsolete saves, and activate an Autosave mode that lets
you set the save interval time. It will create and overwrite a separate file, [Scenario
name] autosave [date/time].sce; up to ten autosaves per scenario will be created; the
original scenario file will get overwritten only by human “Save” command.
Also in the File Menu you will find options to import and export briefing text (File |
Mission text). You may protect every party of a given scenario with an individual
password against nosy students (be sure to pick one that you can remember,
though). Also, there are various Print commands. Please note that during the
Execution Phase, the student can only print while the scenario is paused. This
extends to all printing functions (maps, reports, briefings). The Mission Debugger will
be explained in a separate section near the end of this chapter.

Note: If a scenario, which has already been played and saved in progress is opened
in the Mission Editor, the following will happen:

• The Mission Time will be reset to 0

• The mission start time will be set to the in-game time when the scenario
was saved
• Any conditions/events/scores that use 'mission time' will be adapted to
account for the change in the mission time. (If, for example, there was a
condition including a 'if mission time > 5:00' subcondition and the
scenario was saved at mission time 3:30, then the condition will be
automatically changed to state 'if mission time > 1:30'.)
• Incremental time subconditions will be not be changed, but internal
timekeeping is updated so that any conditions should trigger correctly
• The H-hour time will not be changed
• Weather Control Points are adapted ('past ones' will be deleted and a new
initial weather condition will be calculated)

These changes will not be automatically saved; the editor will however show the
Scenario has changed indication.

60
Selecting a Map
The first step in building a new mission is to pick a subset of an existing map for the
mission. In the Mission Editor, select Map | Pick map from the top menu and browse
through the available maps. For a map to be available for selection, it must first be
installed in the Map Folder, in the location described in Chapter 2, INSTALLATION
AND SETUP.
A very basic set of maps will be installed along with the Steel Beasts installation. In
addition, eSim Games provides a separate installer containing all the maps required
to run all scenarios provided with the installer. Finally, by using an optional
component called the Steel Beasts Map Package Download Service, additional map
servers can be used to download maps on demand (when opening a scenario
requiring a map which is not present, or by querying the server for a map, specific
by its unique ID (or UID).
After a map has been chosen, the map will appear with a bounding box. Drag the
edges of the bounding box to select a subset of the map for the mission, or drag
the entire selection to move the subset. Map subsets can range in size from 6 km x
6 km to the entire area of the original map.

Hint: The Personal Edition is limited to selecting map sizes of 22 x 22 km² or

less. Scenarios created with the classroom version of Steel Beasts may
still be edited, even if they exceed the 484km² limit.

For performance reasons, the subset should be chosen as small as possible, since
larger areas mean more memory is required. To find the smallest possible area
needed for a mission, determine the maximum area that the units will require for
the mission. For better visual results, add a border around this region equal to the
visibility distance set for the mission. For example, if maximum visibility is set to
5,000 meters, add 5,000 meters in each direction to the mission area for the final
map.
Although Steel Beasts will support the use of maps up to 120km x 120km in size,
the computer to run it will require a corresponding increase in memory, and a
corresponding decrease in frame rate.
After the map has been selected, map-specific text labels may appear on the map
screen (for all parties). These map annotations are text objects which may be edited
or deleted like any other; usually they are however a welcome element to give
names to settlements, rivers, and other named elements of the landscape.

The Map menu at the top of the screen in the Mission Editor also has an option to
either Embed the height map into the scenario file (version 4.0 and older) or Link to
it (in version 4.1, this is the only option). Embedding the height map will increase
the size of the scenario file (with high-resolution map data in 4.1 the size inflation is
no longer acceptable), but the scenario file can then be run by any other student
even if the associated height map is not locally stored; consequently, in version 4.1
this is no longer a supported feature; the corresponding map package must be
distributed as a separate item. In 4.0 and older, embedding height maps will involve
a wavelet compression which incurs minor distortions of the terrain profile (usually
not noticeable).

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 Note: Scenario files with embedded height maps can only be edited if the
original height map (or map package) is available on the local computer.

Note: The embedding of map data into scenario files, while convenient, has
been eliminated in version 4.1 with the introduction of the new
terrain engine, suitable for high resolution terrain data.

Also, in the same menu, the contour line spacing can be set (which may later be
adjusted by the player during the Planning Phase). The mission designer can also
specify the application of a shaded Relief map style which can help to distinguish
elevations from depressions better; this option can be limited to the Mission Editor,
or be made available to students when running an exercise.

In the Pro version, this menu contains another option for selected vehicles: Show
view cones. It allows transmitting, displaying and logging information about the view
directions and modes of human participants.

In order to use this option the instructor host must enable the logging of this kind of
information in the Planning Phase by ensuring that Disable view logging is
unchecked. This allows all instructors to receive the view information of selected
vehicles with human participants as crew members. Please note that this
information is stored in the AAR of the host only. It is stored in intervals of 4
seconds, which might result in loss of information about very rapid movements.

While the scenario is running and during AAR the display of these semi-transparent
view cones can be enabled by checking the option Show view cones. Instructors can
right-click a vehicle and select the crew position, whose current view direction (and
FOV) they want to see (for example only the CDR and GNR). The color of the cones
shows the selected crew position and its view mode, the width visualizes the current
field of view.

Note: This feature does not cover the case where the crew is in the 'eye' view
but is actually looking at either GPS or VIS displaying the output of one of
the turret/chassis mounted cameras (it does cover the case where the
crew is 'zoomed in' to the VIS though). It does not cover the cameras
mounted on the hull-side (ie the 'left cam', 'right cam' and 'split'
viewmodes). It does cover the rear-camera mod. It does not cover the
squad crew position

The option to Use theme colors can further help to gain clarity about terrain types
which would normally not be identified on a topographical map.
Finally Map info may be selected to check meta data about the height and terrain
map files that are being used.

The Map menu also has selections to refresh, replace, and (prior to version 4.1) to
extract the map, as well as a selection to replace and extract the map's theme.
Refresh map is used to update the map that is currently being used. Replace map will
replace the map in a scenario entirely. However, this command is only practical for
selecting a different terrain map that is based on the same height map. Extract map

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(a feature of version 4.0 and older) is used to extract the terrain map that is
currently used in that scenario, and save that map to a file that can be modified in
the Map Editor, or you can use the terrain in another scenario file.

Note: Extracting a map will only extract the terrain map data of the area that
is covered in the scenario file, the map areas outside of the scenario's
boundaries will be empty.

Replace theme is used to swap the current theme file, such as with a theme that is
seasonally different or has different mobility properties. Extract theme is used to
extract the currently associated theme file that is being used in the scenario and
save it to a theme file, which will allow you to edit the theme in the Map Editor. For
more information on the Map Editor, see Chapter 17, THE MAP EDITOR. If Use theme
map colors is checked, the scenario will use the colors as defined in the current
theme for drawing its map. Old scenarios will be unchanged as the default is to use
the 'standard' map colors.

Note: Not all colors will be replaced: the exceptions are wooded areas, ground
declared to be water and ground whose hardness is less than 33% (this
is declared to be a 'swamp' area and be drawn in a special color). These
colors are the same as the ones in the Map Editor.

In version 4.0 and older: To run the mission on the selected map, the Height File
for the map must be in the Map Folder location described in Chapter 2,
INSTALLATION AND SETUP. If not an error message will be displayed (see
troubleshooting section in Chapter 13, RUNNING A MISSION).
In version 4.1 and later: The corresponding map package must be available for
any meaningful use of a scenario file.

Hint: The error message might be invisible when running Steel Beasts in
fullscreen mode. In this case it may appear as if the application hangs;
press Alt+W to switch into windowed mode.

Map Edges
While the selection of a piece of map by definition incurs a decision about what not
to include, one fundamental design concept of Steel Beasts is that the edge of the
mapped terrain is not the edge of the world. It is quite possible, for some scenario
concepts even desirable, to move units beyond the edge of a map.

Not placing enemy units beyond the borders of the mapped area creates an
incentive for students to “creep along the edge of maps” because the edge promises
a safe flank. Steel Beasts’ design is intended to discourage such artificial behavior.
Traditionally Steel Beasts simply repeated the mapped terrain in all directions 2³²
times (creating a torus world of multiple times the surface of our planet). In
version 4.1 this near-infinite repetition has been eliminated; a border area of about
5…10km depth could be retained (beyond which the terrain is still there, but
becomes invisible). In addition the border area (in version 4.1) has been changed to
no longer simply repeat the terrain, but to mirror it. This eliminates noticeable

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 transition zones where one edge of a map was of a significantly different height but
had to be “stitched together” nevertheless. Mirroring increases the amount of
“usable” mapped area in a mission.

Nav Meshes
Nav meshes are an essential aid to the navigation of computer-controlled units –
their ability to avoid complex obstacles and to find the shortest route to their
intended destination. We use them also for a few comfort features (see below).
With version 4.1 nav meshes are being generated automatically and cannot be
removed. Legacy scenarios that were created without a nav mesh will generate it
while loading, or when opening the file in the Mission Editor (so you get prompted to
save even if you didn’t consciously changed anything).
With version 4.1, nav meshes are not saved out with the scenario. This default
setting can be changed by enabling the option Map|NavMesh|Save with scenario in the
Mission Editor. When a scenario without an embedded nav mesh is loaded, the nav
mesh will be generated automatically as part of the loading process; the file size is
smaller, but loading times increase slightly. Scenarios made for network sessions
can be transmitted faster, which may overall save time.

Use and purpose

For automatic path optimization, Steel Beasts will add vertices (turn points) to
your route, usually to avoid obstacles that aren’t visible on the map. These vertices
will be rendered in magenta. User-defined vertices are shown as black dots.
Automatically generated vertices may be converted into user-defined by simple click
& drag action.
Movement paths will get optimized by Steel Beasts, if a nav mesh is present. You
will quickly get used to it if you memorize the following modifier keys for plotting
routes:

When creating routes

• Hold Shift to force road-bound navigation between the current route node
and the next (similar to the “snap to road” function of versions prior to
3.0); note that not all roads are considered to be of equal quality. When
calculating the optimal route, Steel Beasts gives preferences to larger
roads. You may be required to set manual waypoints at shorter intervals.
• Hold Alt to disable route optimization between the current route node and
the next except during the Execution Phase; see note below
• Hold Ctrl and click to delete a route vertex
• Without a modifier hotkey, the route will be optimized for obstacle
avoidance in off-road navigation
• Aircraft routes will not be modified whatsoever but always take the direct
route; if there is unexpected route optimization, simply hold the Alt key
when plotting a route (see above)

Note: Per user request the user interface was changed to allow deviating
behavior of the hotkeys depending on whether you are in the Execution
Phase or planning or creating a mission. The default setting is that route

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 optimization is disabled during the Execution Phase. Hold the Alt key
to enable obstacle avoidance.

Hint: In the Mission Editor, go to menu Options | Hold Alt key to plot Navmesh
routes in order to enjoy a less convenient but more consistent user
interface.

“A nav mesh” in this version 4.0 actually comprises of several nav meshes – one for
infantry and one (or more) for vehicles. Infantry nav meshes will ignore certain
types of obstacles such as hedges, fences, and smaller walls because they can be
climbed; infantry will “diffuse through” these obstacles for lack of detailed
climb/crawl/jump/equipment handling animations.

Vehicles will attempt to honor light obstacles but may still crush them if driven
manually (or by accident), – if the vehicle is massive, and the obstacle is not.
All road types have now “travel costs” applied to them, favoring (somewhat) longer
routes on multi-lane roads over narrow roads and forest service trails. If you want
to force the use of secondary roads while entering a new route, click more often to
set manual waypoints.

The menu option Map|Navmesh|Regenerate allows you to remove an embedded nav

mesh, and to replace it. Usually Steel Beasts will automatically detect such a
necessity, and regenerate the nav mesh when loading the scenario. Also, by default
nav meshes are not embedded in scenario files (after version 4.1) to help mini-
mizing scenario file sizes. However, if for unforeseen reasons it actually becomes
necessary to replace a nav mesh manually, this would be the option to use.

Setting Mission Options

The Options menu (at the top of the map screen) allows the mission designer to
assign some global parameters to the mission, meaning that options set here
will apply to the whole mission as opposed to applying to individual units/icons:

Mission date and time...: Opens a dialog box that allows the author to specify the
date and time of day at mission start. The light level will be appropriate to the
associated map location, date, time of day, and the specified minimum light
level. All of this can be previewed in the 3D world using the F1 key. The
Hotkey Alt+S brings up the 'Set Mission Time' dialogue when in the scenario
designer's 3d preview window. In this mode, it will feature an additional 'apply'
button that can be used to enter the new time setting without closing the
dialog. It also indicates whether the light level at the configured start time will
overload night vision goggles; this dialog is not available while in the map
view.

Time limit: This can be used to specify a finite duration of time for the mission
before it will end, which can be randomized to a certain extent. During the
Execution Phase, the mission clock will show the seconds remaining, instead of
the elapsed time. If a random element is added, the displayed time remaining

65
 will be prefixed with a “~” to indicate that the remaining time is approximate.
A condition forcing the end of the mission can also be assigned.

Weather and Mobility

Weather: This opens a dialog box to set “Weather Control Points” with a multitude
of self-explanatory options, including (optical) visibility range. Steel Beasts will
then perform a linear interpolation between the parameters set in this dialog
box.

Hint: Thermal imagers will offer up to three times the specified (optical)
visibility range (but no more than 18,000m). Computer-controlled units
with thermal imagers will however not report targets beyond 6,000m to
reflect the limitations in sensor resolution.
Note: Weather conditions will influence the terrain mobility properties by
interpolating between the extreme conditions set in the terrain Theme
(see section Theme Editor in Chapter 17, THE MAP EDITOR). A slider in
the Weather control dialog window primes the water saturation of the
ground.
• Technically, a fully saturated ground will dry up within four days.
For all practical considerations in a Steel Beasts scenario, once that
the ground is wet it won’t dry up in a noticeable manner.
• “Drizzle” type precipitation will require 150 minutes to change the
ground from “dry” to 10% water saturation (25 hours for full
saturation). “Extreme” downpour will wet the ground to 100% water
saturation within 100 minutes.
• The Theme’s other mobility parameters (Hardness, Traction, Drag,
and Dustiness ) will gradually transition from their dry to their wet
settings.

Camouflage scheme: This specifies the visual appearance of troops for the
individual party. It also governs the appearance of binocular view reticules. It
includes AT, DK, RU, and a generic NATO style.

Support...: This sets the quantity and parameters for the use of off map fire
support. For more detail about adding fire support, see the section “Adding
Fire Support” below.

Unit Call Signs...: See section “Unit Call Sign Templates” on page 71.

Masking…: This option (classroom version only) allows to “swap out” the visual
appearance of one’s own vehicles to enemy units, useful in “force on force”
online sessions where one group of students faces off against another group,
both using the same vehicles. For each vehicle used by a given party, the
designer can pick a “similar” vehicle that will appear in its place to all enemy
combatants.
Example: Suppose a scenario features a “blue” and a “red” party, both
equipped with Leopard 2A4 tanks, both intended to be crewed by actual 2A4
gunner trainees. Since the students are not to be encouraged to shoot at 2A4

66
 tanks, the “blue” party will use the “Masking” feature to make them appear to
the “red” (the only enemy) party as T-72M1 tanks, while the “red” party will be
configured to appear to the “blue” party (its only enemy) as T-80U vehicles.

Note: For damage modelling purposes the original vehicle’s properties will be
used!
Also, instructor host machines will always display the vehicles unmasked!

AI Smoke: If checked, computer-controlled vehicles are allowed to utilize smoke

grenades and smoke generators.

Map View: If checked for a party, all its members will have access to the map view
during the mission through the use of the F5 key. Otherwise all participants are
restricted to the 3D view. Local damage, a unit property, may also disable the
map view.

Hint: A print out of the map should be provided to students if access to the
map view is not allowed.

Note: Students occupying vehicles with a battlefield management system

(BMS) screen in the virtual 3D interior may still access the map screen
through their BMS, even if the map view has otherwise been disabled.

Map Updates: This entry contains a nested list of all parties that have so far been
created. For each party, select one of three entries, Disabled, Own party, or
Enabled. If Disabled is checked, Steel Beasts will present a static map screen
where unit icons can be moved by the user manually (with click and drag
action). Even then movement commands can be given to subordinate units;
it’s just that their exact position is never shown.
Checking Own party enables automatic position updates for all own units
without radio damage. Enemy units, however, will not appear on the map
screen.
If Enabled is checked, both friend and foe locations will be updated
automatically.

Allow Chatting: If checked, students will be allowed to transmit text messages in

the bottom of the window during the mission.

Allow unit jumping: If checked, students will be allowed to jump between units
using the F10 key or by double-clicking on the map screen.

Friendly ID: If checked, students will be allowed to see the unit designation of
units in the 3D world view by holding down the Shift key while in the 3D world
view. When the button is held, a green star icon will appear in the center of
the view; position this over a nearby friendly unit and the unit's
name/designation will appear on screen.

Require Manual Azimuth Determination: This feature disables the display of

the “tank clock”/compass elements in the eye sight view. Instead the student

67
 will be forced to stop his vehicle, look steady in a certain direction, then use
the hotkey (K) to get a compass reading. The compass reading fades out once
that the student moves or looks in a totally different direction.

Drive on left side: Switches to left-hand traffic for all parties.

Helicopter altitude restriction: Restricts the altitude for computer-controlled

helicopters to noeheight or treetopheight (for no restriction use normalheight).
This feature can be used to simulate the effect of ground-to-air missiles.
Human users can override this restriction.

Construction times: The dynamic terrain used in version 4.1 allows engineering
vehicles and other units to do groundwork at runtime. This menu item allows
to choose between realistic, moderate or rapid construction time.

APS Config: In the classroom version, selecting this entry will open a dialog
window listing the defined active protection systems and their basic
performance characteristics, such as effector type, intercept range, minimum
caliber size. In addition, you may define the following properties of these
active protection systems:
• Intercept [%]: Sets the likelihood of the APS to intercept an incoming
missile (which must still match the individual system’s caliber and
trajectory envelope) - provided that the system is activated and has
countermeasure effectors ready.
• Damage KE [%]: Sets the percentage by which intercepted kinetic
energy projectiles will be degraded in their performance.
• Damage HE [%]: Sets the percentage by which intercepted high
explosive warheads will be degraded in their performance.
• Interval [ms]: Sets the dead time between subsequent intercepts in the
case of simultaneous attacks
• HEAT UXO rate: Sets the likelihood of the fuze mechanism of incoming
rounds to be disabled. They will still impact the target with their residual
kinetic energy
Note: HESH rounds have a much higher failure rate for intercepts exceeding
that of the set UXO rate in this dialog.

Killed when hit: This is primarily used for gunnery training scenarios; when
checked, units will be killed instantly when hit by direct fire even if the
projectile would normally have no lethal terminal effect. This applies to all
parties in a scenario.

Remove when killed: This is primarily used for beginner level gunnery training
scenarios; when checked, killed vehicles will disappear after a few seconds
from the 3D world. A boundless application of this feature is not
recommended.

Manual driving: If unchecked, students will be denied all ability to manually move
the vehicle/unit either from the map view or in the 3D world; access to the

68
 driver's position is also restricted. In other words, it would only allow
movement along routes that have been scripted by the mission designer.

Commander position: If unchecked, students will be denied access to the

commander's position.

Gunner position: If unchecked, students will be denied access to the gunner's

position.

Observer position: If unchecked, students will be denied access to the observer's

position. This option has no effect in Network Sessions, it is only used in
Offline Sessions.

Overhead View: This option enables a bird’s eye view of the battlefield for the
user at regular runtime (which was previously possible only for Instructor Host
mode, or while testing a scenario). To access the view (if available), press F8 while
already being in the external observer’s position. Holding the right mouse button
allows adjusting the camera angle, the mouse wheel or the regular “up” and “down”
hotkeys will set the camera elevation.
Note that the “fog of war” is maintained in this view; enemy units that have not
been spotted by computer-controlled units will remain invisible to the player even if
his elevated camera position has line of sight. Surrendered units will also remain
invisible here.

The overhead view can be easily re-tethered using Num+7 (or Home key).

Hold Alt key to plot Navmesh routes: If unchecked, Steel Beasts will by default
attempt to connect every route, while you plot it, via the shortest way across
open ground while avoiding obstacles that may not be visible on the map
screen. Otherwise hold the Alt-key, as suggested by the wording.

Default route waypoint tactics…:

This allows a per-scenario setting of waypoint tactics at the end of every plotted
route, depending on the chosen route tactics.

Default behavior in buildings…:

This allows a per-scenario setting of waypoint tactics-dependent behavior of infantry
when in the vicinity of buildings – to stay outside or to enter them, and if, to give
preference to certain firing positions.

Adding Fire Support

Details will be described in Chapter 9, FIRE SUPPORT, OBSTACLES,
FORTIFICATIONS

Placing Units
To place a unit, right-click anywhere on the map and a menu will pop up. Select New
unit and then choose the desired unit type. For example, to place a platoon of

69
 LEOPARD 1A5S on the map, right-click on the map, select New unit | Tank, and finally
Leopard 1A5 from the submenu. A dialog box will appear to allow the size of the
platoon to be set, and to choose whether to designate the unit as a CO or XO. Note
that the default strengths of platoons will vary with the equipment to reflect the
most common doctrine associated with it. Some specialized vehicles such as the
FIST-V can only have a “platoon strength” of one. Units are created as platoons,
filling first A company, then B company, etc… No more than 15 units per company
are allowed.

Note: At the top right of the Mission Editor, next to the Test Button, there is a drop
down menu that allows you to manage and to change between the different
parties. Make sure to have selected the desired party before placing units on
the map. Units, objects and map graphics are placed on the map for only
one party at a time, and belong to the chosen party. 13

Hint: Aquatic units may only be created on water (and only with the classroom
version). For land units no such restrictions apply (but they may drown
immediately on mission start)

Once a unit is placed, it can be moved anywhere: left-click in the middle of the unit
symbol to select it, keep the left mouse button pressed and drag the unit to the
desired location – or right-click the icon, select the Move this to... menu item and
place the resulting cross hair where the icon is to be moved to and left-click. The
initial position for the unit is the point where the mouse pointer was at the time of
selecting the unit type.

A platoon can be split up into sections and even individual vehicles by right-clicking
on the unit and selecting Divide unit. A section or an individual vehicle can be
deleted by selecting the unit and then pressing the Delete key. Units from the same
platoon can be recombined by right-clicking on one of the units and selecting Attach
to, then left-clicking on the second unit. The two units must be within a few hundred
meters of each other to be attached. For example, to create a platoon of three
tanks plus a single tank from a platoon of four tanks, first divide the original
platoon, resulting in two sections of two tanks each. Divide one of the sections into
two individual tanks. Finally, attach one of the individual tanks to the section of two
tanks.
This method can be used to create mixed vehicle platoons. More on this can be
found under Creating Mixed Vehicle Platoons later in this chapter.

Note: The default tactics for new units placed on the map is “None”, Wedge
formation, 50m spacing, facing east. This may lead to delays at mission start
if the unit is supposed to immediately start traveling in a different formation
and direction, especially if the surrounding terrain is rather restrictive.

Hint: It is strongly recommended to adjust the initial formation, orientation, and

unit spacing to match the local terrain. Assign a battle position tactic

13
A consequence of this design decision is that abandoned equipment cannot be
captured.

70
 temporarily (e.g. Stay), use its bracket symbol to orient the unit, set
formation and spacing, and finally remove the tactic again.

To make a unit assume a battle position at the start of a mission, right-click on the
unit and select Hold, Defend, Guard, Stay, or Suppress from the Tactics menu. Set the
initial formation, spacing and fire control for the unit in a similar way.

Hint: For an Offline Session you can set the student’s default unit. Double-click its
icon. It will change its color to a darker tint.

Battle Positions
A unit with Hold, Defend, Guard, Stay or Suppress tactics is said to be in a battle
position and an adjustable battle-position line will be drawn on the map to indicate
the location and orientation that the unit should maintain.

When this line is selected, a wedge with a “LOS bubble” is drawn to indicate the
focus of attention for the computer-controlled crew; the crew will spend about 25%
of its observation time within this cone. A very narrow arc of attention gives quick
response to targets appearing within the covered area, with correspondingly lower
responsiveness to flank and rear threats. At a 90° opening angle the crew’s
attention will be evenly distributed in all directions
The LOS bubble is used to set the range at which vehicles will attempt to be hull- or
turret-down (depending on fire control settings, and only while no enemy is spotted
and not with Stay tactics). Transparency of the bubble indicates a line of sight (LOS)
from the battle position point to the location at the center of the bubble. The LOS
bubble is no indicator of the quality of a chosen battle position.

Vehicles with Stay tactics will line up on the battle position line and stay there. Stay
is the only battle-position tactic that allows the unit to adopt different formation
styles. All other battle-position tactics will adopt line formation and seek hull- or
turret-down positions with respect to the LOS bubble while no enemy has been
detected, staying within about 150 meters of the battle position line. If enemies are
present, the unit members will individually try to find a hull-down position with
respect to the enemy, again staying within about 150 meters of the battle position
line.

Suppress tactics are similar to Hold except that the unit will fire at an area around
the LOS bubble regardless of whether there are enemy detected or not.

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 Unit Call Sign Templates
Different nations use different naming conventions to assign unique identifiers (call
signs) to each tactical unit. To reflect that, Steel Beasts offers a method to
customize these call signs. In the Options menu, select Unit call signs | Blue, then
New or the default setting, “US-generic”. Either option will open a dialog box either
empty or with already defined alphanumerical elements and their separator
symbols. You can Import… or Export… these templates, Delete all the elements in
the dialog box, Cancel any changes, or finish your editing by clicking OK.
Changes will have immediate effect and you can go back at any time to edit the
template to fit the intended unit names.

Hint: A single party may actually use multiple call sign templates. Assign each
template to a specified range of units, e.g. the first five companies with one
template, companies six to eleven with a different one, and the rest with a
third template by choosing the appropriate *.CST in the Apply if section of the
dialog box.

The next two sections are Text callsign and Map callsign with various pull-down
menus and empty blocks in between for separator marks or symbols (e.g. - ^ / \ :
# * ).

The section Text callsign sets up how a unit is listed in the text area on the bottom
left of the screen. There are three levels how a unit can be displayed (Platoon,
Section, Team).

The section Map callsign sets up how a unit is displayed on the map screen. Again
there are the above mentioned three levels of how a unit can be displayed on the
map. The Map icon is the basic map symbol for that unit at platoon, section or team
levels. Unit designations may be displayed on both sides of the map icon depending
on where you place the Map icon label in the pull-down lists.

Note: Infantry formations will use the Squad text, while vehicle formations will use
the Section text exclusively (ignoring the 'squad' entry). This may sow
confusion – apologies – but gives more flexibility. If in doubt, use identical
text for both. Only one will show up, depending on the context of the unit’s
icon.

CALL SIGN SYMBOLS

This section sets up how you want your units designated at the Company, Platoon,
Section, and Team levels. Each entry accepts numbers, letters, and/or symbols and
may contain up to 99 characters. Additionally, there are spots for the CO and XO
elements to have their own designations.

Note: Although three of the four lists are numbered 1-16, there are ONLY 15
companies per faction, and the 16th company, section, or team will not be
displayed.

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Editing Call Sign Templates
Every actor in Steel Beasts has its own unique identifier. What is shown to the
student is its assigned call sign as defined in the call sign template. Careless editing
may result in the assignation of identically looking call signs to different units. Only
cruel mission designers will do this.

Creating Mixed Vehicle Platoons

To create a platoon of mixed vehicles, place a platoon containing at least two
vehicles on the map. Divide the unit as previously described. Pick out one of the
divided vehicles and right-click select, Options | Change unit type. Change the vehicle
to the type required. Now rejoin the vehicle to the original platoon using the Attach
to function described previously. The resulting single icon now has a mix of vehicle
types in it. It will move and can be given routes and instructions like any other unit.
Infantry cannot be mixed with vehicles and vice versa. To be merged into one, the
icons must start out from the one parent icon.

Tip: Especially if the platoon is supposed to travel in column formation, the order of
vehicles can be important for mixed vehicle platoons. In Steel Beasts, the
sequence in column formation is: 1-4-2-3-5-6 (this is also the command
hierarchy). In Line/wedge/echelon formation, the vehicles arrange side by side
in 5-2-1-4-3-6. Note that vehicle #4 is the other section leader vehicle.

Tip: Check the ammunition allocation of the units once the Change unit type has
been done to ensure that the ammunitions holdings of the changed units have
also been changed.

Tip: When creating elaborate modifications of a platoon’s composition and/or the

equipment of dismounts it is a big time saver to save the result as a formation
template. Formation templates are described in a section further below in this
chapter.

Infantry, Dismounting, Medics

In addition to infantry units being added and used as described in the previous
sections, infantry also come attached to certain vehicles, for example IFVs,
motorized infantry, or special vehicles such as artillery observers. Right-click a troop-
carrying unit and select Troops | Dismount to inspect or to modify their personnel
strength and equipment.

Note: When shifting a unit’s location after dismounting its troops, the troops will be
automatically moved with the vehicles unless they have been assigned to
battle positions.

When testing a scenario the Platoon drop down menu item (in the 3D view) has no
option to “unload troops” (the U key) if the vehicle has no troops mounted.
Mounted troops will assume the map icon of their transport vehicle. While
dismounted, their own icons will appear with call signs subordinate to the vehicle if
the zoom factor of the map screen is set to 6.0 X or higher.

73
 Unloading troops from a vehicle can only be performed in 3D view when the vehicle
is stationary. Go to the top of the 3D screen and to the menu item Platoon and
select Unload troops or press U. The vehicle doors will open and the troops will get
out and take up positions on either side of the vehicle (in the map view infantry
icons will now appear for each squad). The infantry can now be controlled
separately from the vehicle and be given instructions. The vehicle can be moved
away from the infantry.

Hint: Troops that have remounted their transport vehicle will also restock depleted
ammunition, e.g. smoke grenades, RPG rounds, etc.

After dismounting, mech platoons will form a platoon command section of four,
including the platoon commander, the platoon sergeant, and a medic. This medic
can be sent to squad locations where casualties occurred, with a substantial chance
to restore the casualty back into fighting condition.
Infantry squads will generally apply first aid with a chance to revive casualties;
depending on the troops’ assigned quality level (see Mission Editor) the chance
ranges from “minimal” to “not so great, but noticeable”. The platoon medic always
has a much better chance.

Hint: Medics need to be sent to the actual casualty, not the surviving rest of the
infantry unit. Finding those casualties can become difficult if the infantry unit is
on the move. When casualties occur, halting movement should be considered
(which however poses its own set of risks).

If the “load troops” (Shift + U) command is used the troops will follow after the
vehicle and remount (the vehicle may also back up towards the troops to speed up
the mounting process). This might lead to unwanted exposure of either side (or
even both sides), possibly resulting in severe losses. To avoid this, not only timing is
of great importance. It might also be a good idea to search for a suitable starting
position for one or both parties first. This can only occur if the vehicle is stationary.
If the command is given while the vehicle is moving away from the troops, it will
stop, reverse towards the troops, halt and allow them to remount. Aside from the
orders in the 3D view, mounting and dismounting of troops can be programmed in
the Mission Editor. Troops | Mount, if… and similar orders are part of the context-
sensitive menus of routes and waypoints. When troops are dismounted on a route
by the use of these orders, they remain at the dismount point. If dismounted at
waypoints, however, they are subject to the normal rules of the routes leading away
from the waypoint.
The rules for mounting troops described above still apply. If while dismounted the
troops are on a separate route and the load command is given, their routes will be
cancelled and they will seek to remount the vehicle. Of course the vehicle will move
as well, in order to shorten the distance and follow its former route after mounting
the troops.

Hint: Dismounted troops that were revived from the IHWS need to be reassigned to
their transport vehicle before they may remount it.

74
If a coordinated assault between the AFV and the infantry that come mounted in
them is required, this can be achieved by the setting of tactics and speed from their
designated dismount point. The chosen dismount point should begin at the end of
the approach route. At this point set the tactics to Engage and the speed to Slow.. If
there is no separate route for infantry leading from the dismount point, vehicle and
troops will coordinate their actions. The dismounted infantry will move forward, the
AFV will be moving behind them in some distance at the same speed. It will fire
upon enemies, if necessary.

Hint: This is more suitable for computer controlled units and would require testing
and adjustment.

Engineers
Engineers are a special type of infantry. Engineers are equipped for breaching a
range of obstacles; they can sweep lanes for mines, and will automatically defuse
IEDs while doing so. 'Engineer' infantry squads may be split into teams. Engineer
infantry will mark defused IEDs and Claymores with red, and cleared lanes with blue
spray paint.

Snipers
Another specialist version of infantry are Sniper teams; you may occupy the
observer’s (F8), or the spotter’s position (F7), and designate targets to the
(computer-controlled) shooter. In addition, snipers will automatically engage (only)
non-vehicle targets that have been designated as High Value Targets in the Mission
Editor.

The sniper teams’ Ammunition dialog implicitly sets the weapon equipment.
Engagement ranges are listed for man-sized targets.
o M2 Barrett (cal .50)
o TRG-42 (.338 Lapua Magnum)
o Dragunov (7.62mm x 54R)
o M24 (.300 Winchester) (currently substituted by a TRG-42 3D model)
o Assault rifle with scope (7.62mm x 51) (currently substituted by a Dragunov
3D model)
o Lee-Enfield (.303), intended for rag-tag militia in asymmetrical scenarios

Editing Equipment Options

The default selection for rifle ammunition or other equipment of mechanized units’
organic infantry may be changed. Right-click the unit, then select Troops | Dismount.
At map zoom levels 6x and higher they will now appear next to each vehicle. Select
all infantry teams whose equipment you want to change, then open the context
menu and select the corresponding entries. When you are done, right-click the
parent unit again and select Troops | Mount.

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 Formation Templates
Creating mixed platoons or changing the equipment properties of units can be a
tiresome procedure. It is best to do this only once and then to save a force structure
as a unit template.

Templates allow the mission designer to combine multiple units into one 'formation'
and to store this as a file for later reuse. Steel Beasts will store all formation and
combatant-specific information (including relative position), except for conditional
properties (e.g. 'spawn if', 'damage if'); things like route settings will not be stored.

In order to generate such a template the mission designer has to mark one or more
units, then right-click and select Save To Template. Doing so will then bring up the
Manage Templates dialog with the newly generated template selected. Here the user
can then edit the template's title, description and filename.

There are two ways of creating units from a template: the first is to right-click on a
point on the map, then select New unit… From template and select a template from
the list of templates shown in the popup menu that will appear. Clicking such an
entry will bring up a dialogue prompting the user to select the ID of the company
the units should be inserted into. Once that is done the units should be generated
on the map. The second way is similar to the first, however, the user should not
directly click on one of the templates in the popup menu but rather select the
Manage templates option - this will bring up the corresponding dialog, which allows
to place units for a given template on the map.

Note that Steel Beasts will check if the units contained within a given template 'fit'
into a company already existing on a map. If there are not enough unused callsign
identifiers within one company, its IDs will just not be offered to the user. There are
two categories of templates:

1. Templates containing only units from a single company (no XO or CO units)

and
2. Templates spanning multiple companies or containing XO or CO units.

Templates of type (2) require that no callsign ID of the company has already being
assigned to any unit in the current scenario while for type (1) templates simply the
next available 'slot' will be chosen (e.g. if the template contains 3 units, the user
elects to put them into company A on the map, but there is already unit 2/A on the
map, the created units will be assigned the callsigns 1/A, 3/A and 4/A respectively,
skipping the already existing unit).

Templates can be organized into various categories. By default, there exists only
one Default category. It is however possible to add one’s own to a different folder
located within the base templates folder.Note that moving templates into this
category also has to be done by using the Windows Explorer - there is currently no
way to do this within Steel Beasts. Please refer to the chapter “Unit and Callsign
Templates” for the exact location of these templates in the file system!

76
Templates are divided into three categories:
- ones that contain only units from a single platoon ('platoon template')
- ones that contain only units from a single company ('company template')
- ones that contain units from multiple companies ('battalion template')

As the name implies, 'platoon' templates require an empty (available) platoon upon
creation, 'company' templates require an empty company and 'battalion' templates
require a completely blank slate (i.e. no units for a given party may exist).

In the Manage templates dialog, the template category will be indicated by a '[P]',
'[C]' or '[B]' prefix to the template's title.

Only units from the 'platoon' templates will change their platoon specifier (i.e. a unit
which was called '1/A' in the template will be created as '3/A'). Units from other
template types will keep their identifiers - this way callsigns (as generated via
callsign template(s)) will apply to the correct units and the feature is a bit more
robust in general).
For 'platoon templates' the user may specify the company in which the units are to
be created.

Old templates (prior to version 3.0) are automatically placed into the 'battalion'
category. The best way to update them is to save them into a scenario (while still
using an old SB version 2.7 … 2.9), and then to create a new template from that
scenario file.

Spawning Units
Units can be designated to be appear “out of nothing” during a mission. A mission
designer may use the spawning feature to simulate the following effects:

• airborne troop landings

• troops disembarking from vehicles
• conceal dug-in troops from UAVs and other surveillance assets
• the arrival of reinforcements
• reserve troops

Tip: This can be especially effective if used in combination with the Jump-to-end
condition for routes. Creative mission designers may see other opportunities
for the use of spawning.

Units can only be spawned using control logic and must be set up in the Mission
Editor. The unit is placed on the map as with other units. Right-click the unit , then
select Options | Spawn if... Once selected, a Control Logic dialog box will appear for
the mission designer to set the parameters. Conditions, Events or Triggers can be
used and the units will “appear” at the grid they were placed in the Mission Editor.
Spawned units are visible in the Mission Editor as semi-transparent, they are not
visible to players when the mission is running and will only “appear” when the
spawn conditions have been met.

77
 Units that are spawned during the course of the scenario will, by default, spawn to
the area where their unit icon is located. To have the unit spawn in one of multiple
locations, the Jump to end if... feature must be used; it will work only on routes
starting directly from the unit. Once a unit spawns, the Jump condition is checked
and the unit will immediately teleport to the waypoint at the end of that route if the
jump condition is met. In this way you can put several such routes from the unit's
starting location, each with a different condition. It will then be possible to have the
unit spawn at different locations depending on the situation or on chance.

Note: Usually these jumps only work in conjunction with the spawn feature. The
sole exception are Jump conditions that make use of random variables only. In
this case the Jump conditions will be evaluated even before the Planning Phase
starts, so that the unit will appear in one of several locations.

Tip: An added advantage of spawning is that large numbers of troops can be in the
scenario without consuming any computing resources until activated.

Note: Only units with spawn condition “random variable” will be listed in the
Assembly Hall; otherwise they do not yet exist for all practical purposes.
Therefore it is not possible to assign such not-yet-spawned units to a human
player.

Buildings
Each building has a capacity of units which can take up position inside. These
capacities are limited to numbers divisible by two (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16...), increasing
the chances that infantry will deem a nearby building suitable to take up positions.
Very small buildings may only be taken by small teams like snipers. Four-position
huts are intended for team sized units to prevent unintentional overcrowding. This
should help avoiding micromanagement and helps computer-controlled units to
disperse better.

Note: Infantry units usually refuse to enter a building only because the capacity
is too low, or because some positions have already been taken by some other
unit (friend, or foe). In the execution phase you can right-click an infantry unit
inside a building to open the context menu. With Set floor level you can order
the building level to occupy. It also shows how many firing positions are
vacant there. Waypoints may be placed directly on a building in the map view
to let infantry take up positions inside.

In the Mission Editor and in the Planning Phase it is possible to set user preferences
for default behaviors – both for movement routes and for behavior in buildings
depending on the chosen waypoint tactics. These defaults can be overridden on a
per unit/per case basis once the unit is inside the building.

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Modifying Unit Properties
Once a unit is placed on the map, the default properties can be modified by right-
clicking on the unit and selecting various items from the context-sensitive menu:

New route: The use of this feature is explained in Chapter 8, MOVING UNITS ON
ROUTES and applies to the Mission Editor, as well as the Planning or Execution
Phases.

Set tactics: Tactics define the behavior of units in Steel Beasts. The use of this
feature is described in Chapter 8, MOVING UNITS ON ROUTES.

Set formation: This submenu controls the positioning of vehicles within a platoon
and establishes sectors of responsibility.

Set spacing: Use this submenu to set the relative spacing between the vehicles in
the formation.

Set fire ctrl: Here you can control whether and when a specific unit will open fire;
the default setting is Fire at will. The default for routes and waypoints is „No
change“.
Fire at Will places no restrictions on the unit's fire control; the unit will open
fire on any unit recognized as a hostile combatant 14 as long as it is within
range of the unit's weapon systems.
Hold fire instructs the unit to never open fire unless attacked with direct fire:
Use this selection with caution, since it will offer the attackers an opportunity
for unopposed approach.
Max 100 m - Max 3000 m specifies the "trigger line", that is, the distance at
which the unit will open fire. As soon as the enemy comes closer for the first
time, the instruction to „Hold fire“ is revoked and the unit will fire at greater
distances as well. However, irrespective of the fire control orders units will
always open fire if directly attacked. 15
Return fire only instructs the unit to open fire only if it is fired upon.
Note: The Return fire only status works subtly different; see section “Options”
further below in this chapter.

The Open fire, if… dialog box allows specifying parameters on when the unit
should open fire through the use of Boolean logic.

14
Some units may be hostile, but are not considered combatants, such as
ambulance vehicles protected by the Red Cross sign or unarmed civilians, even
if they were armed minutes before.
15
Unfortunately they are programmed not only to shoot back at the attacker, but
also at any other hostile combatant in range. If you want them to stop firing
again, a Hold fire command must be issued manually or the unit must be sent
on a route or to a new waypoint that has fire commands other than “No
change”.

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 Hint: It is not possible to restrict a unit’s fire to just certain types of targets.
You may only control the moment at which fire will be opened on all
known enemy units within range, in order of their relative threat level. To
make the unit hold their fire again, it must either arrive at a waypoint, or
embark on a route with new fire control settings.

Divide unit / Attach to: This context sensitive selection divides the unit into
subunits or attaches subunits (of the same organization) together.

Move this to…: This option can be used in place of clicking and dragging a unit
with the mouse.

Set unit type: This submenu tree allows the vehicle type to be changed. This is
also helpful to create variations of a scenario by changing all T-72s into T-80s,
for example, without deleting associated routes or the established control
logic.

Change unit name: This submenu lets you change the call sign of a unit.
Duplicate unit names are not allowed so that each unit in the mission can be
referenced properly in the Control Logic functions. 16

Note: Existing Control Logic functions should be checked after changing a unit
name to ensure that they reference the intended unit. They will not be
adopted automatically!

Hint: Establish the Order of Battle (OOB) by adjusting all the call signs before
working on the Control Logic to avoid errors from oversight.

Options
This menu entry opens a large set of additional selections dealing with
miscellaneous characteristics of a unit.

Note: Not every entry listed here will be available for every unit; rather, the
chosen unit’s properties determine which of the following options will be
available.

Set ammunition: The total amount of ammunition, as well as the composition

of ready ammunition and the ammunition type, can be changed here. Some
basic information about the ammunition types is shown for the user to
compare relative terminal ballistic performance.
Note: This information reflects engineering educated guesses based on publicly
available information – suitable for the purpose of Steel Beasts as a
training tool but not for quantitative statistical analysis.

16
Every actor in Steel Beasts has its own unique identifier. What is being
displayed is its assigned call sign as defined in the call sign template. Here it is
quite possible (though decidedly not advised) to assign identically looking call
signs to different units. Needless to say this would only sow confusion.

80
 Therefore, any data gathered from Steel Beasts based “experimentation”
is unsuitable for scientific analysis!

Hint: Steel Beasts keeps track of the storage location of ammunition. For
example, the LEOPARD 2 MBT has a ready rack in the turret bustle for up
to 15 cartridges of 120 mm and a hull stowage area for an additional 27
cartridges. The amount of ammunition for the stowage areas can be set
separately (up to their maximum capacities). For example, the mission
designer may place only a few rounds in the ready compartment to make
the mission start with a reloading phase, forcing the vehicle’s crew to
spend time transferring ammunition into the ready compartment.

Hint: For gunnery training missions, use the Unlimited checkbox if ammunition
management would distract the students from the purpose of the
exercise.

Set fuel level: A self-explanatory option. But this is The Manual, so let us explain:
This option sets the percentage of the unit’s fill state of its fuel supply, ready
for consumption. For scenarios designed to last under an hour of time, fuel
levels above 2…5% will usually be of no consequence. Once that the fuel level
drops to 0% however, a vehicle will be temporarily immobilized until a fuel
truck parks “next to it” (=within range).

Set owner: A unit can be made computer-owned or player-owned by accessing the

Set owner submenu. From here you can select Player or Computer. Through the
use of Boolean logic, the Player if... selection can be selected to have a
computer-owned unit become player-owned if certain conditions are met
during the Execution Phase.

Set status: This submenu controls various basic AI and functional properties for a
unit:
Normal allows the unit to function normally.
Blind specifies that the AI members within the unit will be blind, that is, it will
be unable to spot enemy units. It will, however, move around obstacles.
Because of this, the Blind setting will also keep the unit from firing. It is
possible but obviously pointless for a human commander to give orders to a
blind gunner. Blind commanders will not direct the human gunner to targets.
Impotent allows the AI to spot and engage targets but all fire from those units
will be ineffective.
Return fire only instructs computer-controlled units to function normally with the
exception that it will fire only if fired upon

Note: If a human player occupies the position of Commander, Driver, Gunner,

or External Observer, the unit will ignore its Return fire only status and
draw the fire control orders from the current route or waypoint settings!

Enemy intel. of position: This submenu specifies the level of intelligence the
opposing party will have on the unit's location in the Planning Phase.

81
 None specifies that the unit's location will be unknown to the enemy, in other
words, the unit will not show up on the opposing party's map in the Planning
Phase.
Rough specifies that the enemy will have a rough knowledge of the unit's
location: it will appear on the enemy's map in a random place around its true
location.
Exact specifies that the enemy will have an accurate knowledge of the unit's
location. Note that with the use of both Rough and Exact the intelligence
provided by this feature is lost within the first minute of the Execution Phase
(the information does not persist throughout the Execution Phase).

Damage / Damage if...: These submenus provide the ability to specify starting
damages or damages that will occur if certain conditions are met (through the
use of Boolean logic). The damages listed in the two submenus are dependent
on the specific vehicle.

Note: Damages set with the option Damage can never be repaired. If the
affected unit is supposed to be repaired at some point during the
exercise, use Damage, if… and set the condition to something like Mission
time > 0:00.

Repair if...: This submenu provides the ability to specify damages that will be
repaired if certain conditions are met (through the use of Boolean logic). Note
that some types of damage will automatically be repaired during the Execution
Phase (e.g. track damage), and some will not. This feature allows special
conditions to be set to speed up repair or to repair damages that cannot be
repaired by default.

Set quality: This selection allows setting properties of infantry units (only). Higher
quality troops have more stamina, better chances of rendering first aid within
the same squad, and shoot more accurately.

Spawn if...: This selection allows a unit to be spawned during the course of the
scenario if certain conditions are met (through the use of Boolean logic). This
feature is outlined in the "Placing Units" section of this chapter.

Arm if...: Use this option to set conditions under which the unit will appear with
weapons as specified in the Set Ammunition dialog. The intended use is
primarily for civilian characters, also special forces and terrorists (=regular
infantry modified by Set look of infantry…, see below)

Discard weapon if...: The inverse element to the previous option. The intended
use is for terrorists on “hit and run” tactics, pretending to be law-abiding
citizens after having completed their attack. Ideally used in specific locations
(e.g. safe houses) serving as a weapon stash.

Surrender if...: A hopefully self-explanatory option. Surrendered troops will auto-

disarm themselves and assume positions like arms in the air, or folded in their

82
 necks, standing, or sitting with crossed legs. They may occasionally change
their pose.

Continue fighting, if...: The inverse element to the Surrender option mentioned
above.

Configure IED: This (version 4.1) option allows to define selected units – typically
civilian characters and civilian vehicles –as suicide bombers (if person), or
“vehicle borne IED” (if not a person). Selecting the entry will open a dialog box
to pick an explosive device from a predefined list, and the number of devices
transported. Usually the danger of the bomb will increase with its caliber, and
each person (or vehicle) has a limit to how many of the selected munitions it
can carry (so the Ammo counter will stop increasing beyond an individual limit).
Finally, by clicking the button Set condition the usual dialog box is opened to
define the conditions under which the bomb will set off.

Note: This dialog window will display a warning at the bottom if no condition
has been set (so the IED will not go off)

Explode combatant, if...: In Steel Beasts versions 4.0 and lower use this option
to create scenarios involving suicide bomber type terrorists.

Set look of crew: The associated dialog allows applying this setting to all vehicle
formations made from the same vehicle type as is currently edited. The
intended use is to allow for vehicle crews with different overall uniform types,
or for crews of radically different look, particularly rebels.

Note: This functionality is not available for infantry formations.

Instead, use

Set look of infantry...: The associated dialog allows applying this setting to
selected infantry units. You may disguise them as civilians, or change their
look to rag-tag rebel groups of semi-military appearance (and some crazy
bling).

Note: These “civilians” will still move in formation and behave like the regular
infantry that they are. They also retain their tactical icon.

Other options

Battle readiness: Units can be set to start the mission as battle ready. Battle
ready means that all important vehicle systems are ready for battle (e.g. the
thermal imager is cooled down and ready, and the gunner's position is
completely powered up). If the unit does not start as battle ready, these
systems must be turned on at the start of the mission by the vehicle crew.

Note: Some thermal imaging systems require several minutes to cool down
before a usable image is available.

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 Computer-controlled crew members will turn on the systems automatically
after a brief delay at that start of the mission. Human crew members are
responsible for turning on the systems in the crew stations that they occupy.

Equipment options: Optional equipment can be provided to the unit. These

additional equipment options are context sensitive to the specific vehicle and
are listed at the bottom of the unit's Options menu as a checkable item. These
equipment items include, but are not limited to, a mine roller, mine plow,
remote weapon station, barrel cameras, sensor masts, and remotely piloted
sensor platforms (UGV, UAV).

Active Protection System: This submenu allows the mission designer to pick, if
available, an active protection system for the unit. Performance and
capabilities will vary.

Personal Optronics: This selection specifies whether or not the unit has night
vision gear (either goggles or night periscopes) or other electrooptical
sensors/devices. Units with NVGs will be able to operate normally at night,
while units without NVGs will drive very slowly in darkness. With SB Pro PE
4.0/classroom version 3.17 and higher the NVG option will double a unit’s
target detection range at night; in earlier versions the range is set to a fixed
value of 175m.

Gun dispersion: This selection specifies whether the rounds fired by any human
occupying a gunner’s position in this unit will be subjected to randomized
dispersion; by default, it is enabled. If disabled, every projectile fired by the
student will be on target with unnatural accuracy. Disabling the dispersion is
therefore recommended only for selected gunnery training scenario cases. The
actual amount of dispersion in Steel Beasts depends on an ammunition-specific
parameter.

Barrel warp: This selection is context sensitive to each specific vehicle and may
not always be available.
(Details are described in the section on the next page.)

Deflect Shot to this…: This selection allows a fixed ballistic error to be specified.
It applies to the target, not the shooter: When selected, a dialog box will open
and the error can be defined by left-clicking on the graph in the window. The
center of the graphic represents the average impact point without deflection,
the red dot shows where the round will actually go; therefore, the human
gunner must correct his aim in the opposite direction.

Set color…: This will open a dialog to pick the color of a vehicle. Ctrl+Click allows
to pick multiple colors; the chosen unit(s) will then randomize uniformly among
the selection. Picking the “?” square will assign a completely random color.

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Barrel warp
The Barrel warp feature is used to control the warping of the gun barrel. Warping is
based on a combination of the number of rounds fired, type of round and time.

Barrel warp settings

The Barrel warp settings window is available in the Unit menu (right-click on unit):
Options -> Barrel warp. Settings in the window will be applied to all selected units.
For each round fired, a thermal load value (default 1.00) is added to a counter, the
total thermal load. The total thermal load is then used to look up values in a table
to determine how much warping should be applied. To simulate cooling of the
barrel, this counter is slowly deincremented.
The Barrel warp settings window contains entries for up to three rows in the table
that determines how the warping is applied; randomization amounts; and Import and
Export functions.
Each row in the table contains the following columns:

• Thermal load: When the counter Total termal load reaches this value, the
following two colums are applied.
• Elevation warp range (mil): contains two values, which define the
possible range of the barrel warp
• Azimuth warp range (mil): contains two values, which define the
possible range of the barrel warp
• Cooling time (min): indicates the time it takes to cool down to zero
warping

Using the dropdown menu below the table randomization can be applied in two
behavior patterns:
• Setting Behavior to Trend will cause the randomization for each axis to
follow a trend instead of being independent for each breakpoint in the
table.
• Setting Behavior to Erratic will cause each breakpoint to generate random
Azimuth and Elevation barrel warp, independent from each other. This may
result in a zig-zag pattern, if the chosen warp range is large. If the range is
small, the behavior is more predictable and the randomization is only a
negligible influence.
The results of all random functions are retained across In progress saves so that the
warping is consistent when the scenario is continued later.
Import and Export are provided to make it easy to reuse the same data on other
units or scenarios.
The values for number entries can be modified by using the mouse-wheel.

Ammo thermal load settings

To allow different rounds to cause different amounts of warping, the thermal load
for each round can be changed from its default of 1.00 to other values.

85
 The Ammo thermal load settings window is available by clicking the Edit ammo thermal
loads button in the Barrel warp settings window or via Menu Options… Edit ammo
thermal loads.
This dialog window allows you to assign each round a value that determines how
quickly warping will occur.
The default value for all rounds is 1.00. This means that each time you fire a round
1.00 is added to the gun’s total thermal load. This value can be changed so that a
round causes warping to be applied at different rates. Thermal loads can be
fractional, so values like .90 or 1.10 are valid.
By default, only the rounds used by the selected unit(s) are displayed, however you
can display all rounds used in the scenario by changing the Filter from Selected
formations to All parties formations.

Note: The values entered in this dialog window are global and will apply to all
units in the scenario.

Import and Export are provided to make it easy to reuse the same data for other
scenarios.

Adding Routes and Waypoints

Routes and waypoints are used to move units around the map. A unit without a
route will remain in the general area of its current location depending on what tactic
is assigned to the unit. Waypoints are used in conjunction with routes to coordinate
movement and define what a unit will do once it arrives at that location. For
detailed information about routes and waypoints, see Chapter 8, MOVING UNITS ON
ROUTES.

In the Mission Editor, waypoint (and with them the associated routes) of computer-
owned units are invisible by default (if the previous waypoint already is invisible).
Their visibility to the student during the exercise can be toggled by setting the
Display option to Off in the context-sensitive menu. Invisible waypoints are drawn in
yellow in the Mission Editor. If a unit has been set to be owned by the computer, the
default display setting for routes and waypoints for that unit is Off. It may be helpful
to de-clutter the map by flipping the Routes switch in the middle of the right Control
Panel to Off or Pick. Pick displays the selected unit and all routes connected with
that unit; pick additional platoons by using Shift + Click (notice the Plus sign on the
mouse cursor) or deselect from a group by using Ctrl + Click.

Assign explicit conditions for embarking and retreating on a route by right-clicking

the route and selecting Embark if… or Retreat if… . Assign an open-fire condition to
waypoints by right-clicking on the waypoint (all waypoints are numbered
sequentially and can be referenced to in the control logic menus) and selecting Open
fire if…. This is useful for setting up ambushes or simulating constraining Rules of
Engagement (ROE). Examples of these are shown in Chapter 12, CONTROL LOGIC.

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Mech Units: Mount/Dismount, if…
The mounting and dismounting of infantry and other personnel can be scripted in
both the Planning Phase and the Mission Editor with the help of the “Mount,
if…”/“Dismount, if…” command to vehicles, waypoints, and routes.
Like other properties for routes and waypoints, the mount/dismount settings get
passed on to a unit when it arrives at a waypoint or embarks on a route
One important distinction concerning dismounting is that a waypoint dismount
will cause the dismounted troops to act as if it also just arrived at the waypoint,
thus allowing them to embark on routes that start from that waypoint. On the other
hand, a route dismount will force the troops to simply stay where they are (at the
start of the route or between waypoints, depending on when the dismount condition
becomes true). This is the (only) way to leave troops behind until a Mount command
is given again.
Also, if dismounted troops and the mounting vehicle are traveling along the same
route at slow speed, the vehicle will coordinate its movement with the troops. It will
let them advance before proceeding. At faster speeds, the vehicle will ignore the
troops
The student can order a unit he owns to mount/dismount during a session or set
the mount/dismount property for a route or waypoint as well, in which case his
orders will override the scripted orders.

Adding a UAV Video Playback Route

In addition to adding a UAV unit to a mission, the mission designer can also choose
to add a UAV flight path without an actual unit. Select New UAV route in the map
screen. Such a UAV route is set in a similar fashion to other routes, by a series of
points that define the path of the flight. Its intended use is as a tool to provide
intelligence by providing fixed video footage of a “recent overflight” during the
Planning Phase. For more information about UAVs and static UAV routes, see
Chapter 11, UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES.

Adding Obstacles
Obstacles can be added to a mission impede or canalize movement. To add an
obstacle to the map, right-click on an empty area of the map and move the mouse
over the New obstacle submenu, which will expand and display several types of
obstacles you can choose from. Once placed on the map, the size, orientation and
position of most obstacles can be adjusted in the Mission Editor by first left-clicking
on the icon in the map screen and then clicking and dragging on the control points.
Minefield, abatis, ISO container, concertina wire type obstacles and bunkers may be
duplicated by right-click based copy and paste. Some obstacles have properties that
can be adjusted after placement by right-clicking on them and selecting an item
from context sensitive menu. For example, ISO containers (large box-shaped
shipping containers made of corrugated steel), are available in three variants – Air
filled containers which block observation and small arms, Accommodation containers
which block observation but will burn if hit by large caliber explosive or incendiary

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 weapons, and Sand filled containers which offer significant ballistic protection. The
choice of how the obstacle can be moved (deployed) by students in the Planning
Phase is also adjustable. For more information about using and breeching obstacles,
see Chapter 9, FIRE SUPPORT, OBSTACLES, FORTIFICATIONS.

Adding Vehicle Emplacements and

Bunkers
Vehicle emplacements and bunkers can be added to a mission to fortify an area. To
add a fortification to the map, right-click on an empty area of map and move the
mouse over the New fortification submenu, which will expand and display several
types of obstacles you can choose from. When selecting a Vehicle emplacement,
make sure the correct vehicle is chosen for the emplacement so that it has the
proper depth to accommodate the vehicle. The size, orientation and position of a
vehicle emplacement can be adjusted in the Mission Editor by first left-clicking on the
icon in the map screen and then clicking and dragging on the control points. As with
obstacles, vehicle emplacements and bunkers can be set up to be deployable by
students in the Planning Phase. Infantry may occupy a vehicle emplacement but
vehicles cannot occupy an infantry bunker (not even if the tank is called “Maus”) 17.
The protection offered to either infantry or vehicles is described in Chapter 9, FIRE
SUPPORT, OBSTACLES, FORTIFICATIONS.

Adding Regions
Regions are closed map graphics (rectangles, ovals, or custom polygons) which can
be created in the Mission Editor by right-clicking on the map and selecting New
graphic. Regions can be referenced by conditions and events and can also be used
as informational aids to the student, such as denoting an objective area. To render
a region invisible during all stages of an exercise, right-click the region and select Set
color | transparent from the context-sensitive menu (this can be useful to hide a
region that is used for control logic). When a region is selected, it is framed by a
rectangle with four small square dots, allowing the user to stretch the graphic. Hold
the Shift key down while dragging to maintain the proportions of the graphic. It is
also possible to mirror a graphic via the context-sensitive menu.

Special Regions
The user can also convert an ordinary region into either a penalty zone or a
deployment zone. In the Mission Editor, right-click on the region and select either
Deployment zone or the Penalty zone submenu. The Penalty zone option allows the user
to select the type of penalty inflicted, as well as the likelihood that the penalty will
be applied, and whether or not something is exempt from the penalty.
Penalties are assessed every 30 seconds on units that enter the region. For the first
30 seconds a warning will be displayed before any penalty is inflicted. Warnings are

17
Not that the PzKW Maus were actually included in Steel Beasts.

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only given in the 3D view to the current owner of the unit, if crewed by the student,
when it enters a penalty zone. They will apply however even if the student is
currently occupied with a different unit, if he controls more than one.
Penalty zones can be useful in controlling unit or formation boundaries by inflicting
damage or a penalty to those who go outside their allocated boundaries without
permission.
Some units can be exempted from penalty zones.

Hint: The mission designer should be aware that by inflicting penalties an implicit
educational message is always involved. Obviously, the strict and immediate
application of a harsh penalty like “100% kill likelihood after 30 seconds” is a
very strong disincentive to enter a penalty zone. On the other hand, a 2%
likelihood of exposing the unit’s location to the other party is close to the
opposite end of the spectrum, inviting the student to think in terms of trade-
off between reward and penalty.
What is appropriate depends on the individual case, corporate culture and
mentality – in other words, is a matter of value judgment. In any case penalty
zones should be clearly communicated in the mission briefing – their location
as well as the severity of punishment.

A Deployment Zone is used to define areas in which one party’s assets may be moved
during the Planning Phase. In the map screen during the Planning Phase, a student
can click and drag any owned and commanded unit to move the unit anywhere
within a (and between several) deployment zone(s) of the same color.
When planning to use control logic to automate a number of functions in a scenario,
regions are important because they can be referenced in the Control Logic menus
and can have actions linked to them.

Civilians: Source and Drain Regions

Steel Beasts scenarios may be filled with a local population, refugees, commuters –
in short: Autonomous traffic of cars and pedestrians alike. To achieve that, the
MISSION EDITOR allows the creation of custom source (spawn), and drain regions. The
mission designer doesn’t have to script the behavior of each individual (which would
be impossible for all practical purposes). The key to achieving this is to create a
“clone army” of autonomously acting characters.

Agents, i.e. one or more pedestrians, mixed civilian formations (e.g. parents and
their children), or cars can be referenced for a source region as the source’s
“prototype unit”. Multiple source regions can reference the same prototype units.
Set how many clones the “actor pool” should contain. The actors will spawn at a
random location inside the source region; they will then pick a random location in
the drain region, and move there autonomously. When reaching the destination,
they disappear and are returned to the agent pool (where they get recycled in an
environment-preserving way; after some plastic surgery and change of dress they
may reappear in a new place).
One can have more prototype units than the size of the actor pool. If e.g. ten
prototype units are referenced to a pool size of five, only half of the units will
appear at any given time. If you have only one prototype unit and a large pool size,

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 many identically looking “clones” will walk or drive around. Usually one will probably
want to avoid that unless it’s supposed to look creepy and unnatural.
Via the Set Frequency dialog the mission designer determines how often agents
appear in the source region. They may appear in regular intervals, or with a bit of a
random distribution (recommended). The shorter the interval and the less varied the
prototype units, the more the resulting action will resemble an uncanny “stream of
cloned lemmings”.
Source regions may have multiple drain regions, including themselves.
As a last (optional) step, set start and end conditions for the spawning of
autonomous actors. That way you could create a rush hour in the morning from
suburbs to a city center or the reverse flow in the evening.

Some objects can have randomized colors through their context menu (especially
civilian cars and container obstacles), or be set with one or several specific color
(each vehicle will only have one base color, but if multiple clones are generated
from a prototype, all clones will have one of the selected colors and no other). Use
CTRL-CLICK to select multiple colors among which the car colors will be randomized

The looks of selected troop units (e.g. mortar teams, motorcyclists) may be
switched to civilian clothing; right-click the icon and select Set look of Infantry. This
will bring up a dialog box that lets you put any of the available civilian characters
into the team or squad. Note that these units will still behave like armed soldiers;
it’s just that they are wearing civilian clothing as a disguise.

It is also possible to create a large group of civilian characters in one step. In order
to work this feature requires one available (empty) company callsign range per
category (Business/Casual/Child/etc.). Steel Beasts will loop through all companies
looking for empty ones; it will report an error (and abort the creation) if an
insufficient number could be found. Each type will be assigned one squad with one
unit each.

It is also possible to (multi)select units and to then assign them as prototype units
to spawn zones (by selecting the new 'Use as prototype' item in the context menu).
Note that only already existing spawn zones will be added to the list of regions that
will be displayed. If a specific unit is added multiple times as a prototype for the
same region it will only be used once.

If multiple units are selected, and at least one of these units serves as a prototype
for a given spawn zone, the associated popup menu row will have a checkmark.
Selecting that region in the 'Use as prototype' menu will then remove all selected
units from the list of prototypes. If, on the other hand, none of the units serve as a
prototype, the menu entry associated with a spawn region will not have a
checkmark, and selecting it will add all selected units as prototypes.

General advice:
When creating 'pool units' from killed vehicles, keep in mind that killed vehicles
cannot have a certain status (e.g. blind). Therefore, spawned clones of the dead unit
will neither be blind, nor impotent or whatsoever.

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Adding Map Graphics
A variety of different graphics can be placed by right-clicking on the map and
selecting New graphic. Map graphics, which can be given text labels, serve as
informational aids to the student. Additionally, the user can set various display
properties of the graphic by right-clicking on the graphic to bring up the context-
sensitive menu. To change the position, shape, and orientation of the map graphic,
left-clicking on the graphic to select it then left-click and drag on the graphic or on
its control points.

Tip: Remember that the aim of graphics is to aid the student or to make
instructions or the commander's intent clearer. Be careful not to overuse
graphics and clutter up the map with information and symbols that may
confuse students.

Tip: To duplicate an existing map graphic right-click the object and select Copy to all
other parties. This creates a copy of the same object on the map of all other
parties (bet you didn’t guess that). You can then copy the object back to the
original party by using the same command, which may occasionally be less
cumbersome than creating the same object with all its properties from scratch.
This workaround will have to do until the Mission Editor’s user interface
supports copy and paste actions.
Some types of objects such as obstacles, fortifications, bridges may be
duplicated directly, also when selecting multiples of them.

Editing Operations
An 'Operation' consists of a number of scenarios, henceforth called 'Operation
Phases', linked into some kind of tree structure. There's only one root - the start
phase - but there may be multiple tips, where the operation ends. Unlike real trees,
branches of an operation may merge and loop back into themselves.

The mission designer specifies the order in which the scenarios are played during
the course of an operation. This can either be done unconditionally (phase B follows
phase A regardless of its outcome), or conditionally. More on the use of conditions
can be found later in this section.

To illustrate the new feature, the 1973 SINAI OPERATION was added.

Running Operations
Existing Operations can be accessed from the Main Menu. Just like scenarios they
are split into Operations and My Operations. After selecting an operation, the phase
selection screen opens. Here you may click Resume Operation; if no previously saved
state is available, the remaining option is to select Start new Operation.
Unlike normal scenarios, games that are part of an operation cannot be saved in
progress. However, they save automatically at the beginning of a new phase (that
is, when you end the AAR of the current scenario). That means you can immediately

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 replay the current phase of the operation. You can also end at any time in the
Planning Phase. In this case the operation’s phase is considered not to have
happened at all, instead of having been started and ended immediately. After the
operation has been completed, the user gets taken to a preliminary OPERATION
END screen.
Steel Beasts tracks the student’s progress in an operation. You can always save and
exit a phase and start again with it later.

Designing Operations
Operations are created in the Mission Editor and saved in a folder, which Steel
Beasts automatically creates, when you create or edit an operation.

It contains the Operation Control file (*.opc), a collection of scenarios and the
Operation State file (*.ops), which keeps track of the operation’s progress. It is also
used as target directory for the student’s saved files.

Hint: Once you have finished working on the operation, the entire directory can be
moved to the “Operations” folder and/or published as a ZIP file.

File | Create / Edit Operation will set up the framework and the definition of phases. It
opens a dialog box. Click New/Reset first. You may now enter the Title of the
operation as later displayed for the student. Type in the Folder name in which you
want to collect all relevant files. An optional field to fill in is the picture to illustrate
the operation as a whole. It can be of the image file formats (*.BMP, *.JPG, or
*.PNG) and should have an aspect ratio of 4:3. Finally, enter a descriptive text for
the operation that provides the student with some information about what to
expect.
You may also load previous work or save your current effort.
Click Apply at any time. Clicking OK will actually close the dialog window. To proceed
with the editing process, click on Phases.

The not very intuitive Phases Dialog Box 18

The Phases dialog box consists of three list boxes at the top, and corresponding
editing areas below them. These are:
• Operation Phases (corresponding editing area is Phases on the left)
• Phase Successors (corresponding editing area is of the same name right in
the middle of the dialog box)
• Operation Conditions (corresponding editing area is Conditions at the bottom)

First, collect all scenarios for the operation with the Phases editing area. At this
stage do not worry about which scenario comes first and about possible branches
and conditions. As the file names must be typed in, it is advisable to copy them
from the Windows Explorer and then to paste them into the Filename box. The
suggested workflow is to paste the scenario name into the Filename box, then to
click Add, and to repeat that procedure until all operation phases are collected. Then

18
…but we haven’t yet found a better way to describe a complex feature.

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click on each item in the list box Operation Phases and enter a corresponding Title
and Description in the Phases editing area. When done, click Apply and select the
next operation phase (rinse and repeat). You may also define a picture for each
phase here. Note that End Phases have actually no corresponding file name. They
represent the final outcome of an operation, be it win or failure, and present the
user only the description text and possibly a corresponding picture. Classic examples
from computer game history are victory parades on the Red Square, or a graveyard.

The next step is to define Phase Successors. You will notice that the Phases
dropdown list contains all operation phases previously added. First you must select
the starting mission of your operation by clicking on it in the Operation Phases list
box. Then go to the Phases dropdown list and select one or more phase successors
(in other words, scenarios that will follow the completion of the first mission). For
each successor, click Add. In order to add or delete a successor phase to the
selected phase, use the dropdown box in the Successors group box.

Hint: It is advisable to use descriptive scenario filenames which indicate to which

phase in the operation they belong. Example: Start.sce followed by
p1a_attack.sce or p1b_defence.sce. Phase two missions could be named with the
p2 prefix to the filename, etc.

Using conditions
Once the operation’s phase hierarchy (or flow logic) is set, it is time to define the
conditions that will determine the choice of the successor phases. If more than one
successor has been defined, it is time to add operation conditions. Conditions are
first added and later assigned to the phase successors. By clicking the Add button in
the Conditions editing area, you open a dialog box Operation Condition, where you
may select between the three fundamental types of conditions. These are:
• Score
This is pretty straightforward. Define the upper and lower threshold of the
mission score of the previous mission. In other words, if you must win the
previous mission with at least 80% of the mission score, the lower
boundary must be set to 80 and the upper bound must be 101.
• Logic
Logic allows you to test the status of triggers, events and conditions of
each party to be set or not set. In other words, this exclusively focuses on
the end state of the preceding scenario.
• Operation
Here you can reference operation events for each party to be true or not.
Operation events behave like regular events, except that once true, they
will remain true throughout all phases of an operation. They are the only
element of persistent memory in an operation.

Currently only one condition may be specified. It is not possible to check for multiple
events.
An operation condition that has been added will be listed in the corresponding list
box with a prefix (#n) where n is sequentially numbered. Once that you assign an
operation condition to a phase successor, the Phase Successors list box displays its

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 items with the prefix of the corresponding operation condition. Meaningful naming
of conditions is strongly recommended!
To assign an operation condition to a successor phase, mark the phase in the
middle list box, mark the condition, and press the Assign button (there is also an
Unassign button).

Hint: If a phase has two successor phases, one conditioned, one unconditioned, the
game will first evaluate the condition; only if not true the unconditioned phase
is chosen. Note that at this point the order of evaluation for multiple
conditioned and unconditioned child phases is not specified (=should be
avoided).

To remove or edit operation conditions, use the buttons in the lower right Conditions
group box. Pressing Add or Edit will bring up the operation conditions window. Note
that clicking Edit does not allow to change a condition's type (e.g. turning an
operation event condition into a score condition). To do that the original condition
must be deleted, and a new condition must be created. Be careful to check all
phases to make sure that they didn't 'lose' a condition!

Phases without a scenario name are considered 'end states'. Their description (and
picture) will be shown to the user after the operation is completed. At least one
phase without a successor is needed as the (proper) end of the operation. While it
is technically possible to loop every branch back into the mission tree (if every single
phase has a successor) this is hardly promising satisfying game play.

Operation Spawn Zones

Conditions can be used to control the appearance of some units. This is done by
placing a party's units into an Operation Spawn Zone (OSZ) and assigning them a
route similar to a jump to end, if… condition. In this case, however, use Enable for
Operation.

To create an OSZ, click anywhere on the map, then select Control Logic | Create
Operation Spawn Zone (multiple clicks with the zone already existing will do nothing).
This zone is set to be transparent (so the user does not see it), and may be resized
and moved. Units placed in it will retain all the normal context menus. However,
routes originating from these units will only have one menu option, 'Enable for
operation'; clicking on this entry will bring up the operation condition dialog.

Routes enabled for operations work just like jump to end if… conditions. If the
enabling condition is satisfied, units will appear at the waypoint at the end of the
route (and, annoyingly, report that they reached their waypoint once the scenario
has started).
Units placed into the Operation Spawn Zone, but left without routes or with routes
whose conditions are not satisfied, will not show up during the mission. In other
words, a unit must be ‘enabled for operation’ in order to become visible and
playable.

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 Note: An OSZ’s text label is “read only” in the Planning Phase since it’s
mission critical for the associated control logic.

Important Advice about Consistent Callsigns and Unit Identities!

If your intent is to follow a specific unit’s fate through a series of missions. (e.g. if
1/A is an Ulan IFV platoon in the first mission, 1/A should remain an Ulan IFV
platoon in successor scenarios): Be consistent with your callsigns and unit
identities in all the scenarios which are supposed to belong to the same operation.

Of course that’s not the only way to define an operation; the various operation
phases could still be linked by a common narrative, but yet be relatively
independent. Future expansions of functionality may introduce unit state tracking.

So, if you want it to be about one specific company, consistency in callsigns and
unit types will reduce your future workload tremendously if you want to update an
operation with these features.

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 Adding Scoring
Scoring in Steel Beasts is flexible, at the expense of some complexity. Scoring does
not need to be added to missions, which would leave it up to the instructor to
dictate the success or failure of the mission. However, there are many cases where
scoring may be desirable, such as in a homework environment, or as a method to
clearly define a victory or a defeat.

Scores
Two types of scores are available to each party in a mission. One is the Mission
Score; the second is the User Score. All users of a party will have the same mission
score, and each student can have a different user score. Each party has its own
mission and user score: the mission designer must define this for all parties if
students on other parties and scoring are used. Both the mission score and the user
score are calculated in a similar manner and have their own assignable maximum
scaled score. (See below for an explanation of this term.) Different sub-scores
comprise the mission score and the user score. The mission designer can choose to
add the mission score, user score, both, or neither to each party.

Two key terms to understand in scoring are evaluated points and maximum
points. Maximum points are quite simple; they are the maximum points attainable
during a mission no matter if they can realistically be attained or not. If for example
bonus points are given for reaching a goal fast without applying an upper limit, the
maximum number would be given for reaching the goal immediately on starting the
mission – which is of course not a good way to measure performance. This is the
reason why the mission designer should always set a maximum number for bonus
or penalty points. Maximum points include all baseline points as well as any bonus
points. Evaluated points are the points actually achieved during the mission by all
players on a particular party for that team’s score and by the individual user for the
user score. Evaluated points will include all baseline points achieved as well as any
bonus or penalty points assigned to a party or player by the appropriate scoring
logic created by the mission designer.

A vital entry is the maximum scaled score. It is the highest possible final score to
be displayed upon mission completion. The maximum scaled score value can be any
arbitrary number that the mission designer enters into the scoring window. The final
percentage of points achieved during the mission will then be scaled to fit within the
maximum scaled score range. A specific example is a maximum scaled score of 4.0,
with 80% of the maximum points achieved by the party, leading to a final (scaled)
score of 3.2. In mathematical terms:

Displayed score = Maximum scaled score • (evaluated points / maximum points).

Hint: An easy way to know the percentage of points scored during a mission is to
enter 100 as the maximum scaled score. On the other hand, it is also
possible to adjust the maximum scaled score according to the difficulty of the
mission, making a mission which is five times as difficult worth five times as
many points.

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Note: Without a numerical value entered for the maximum scaled score, no score
will be displayed at all.

Sub-scores
To access the scores, left-click on Scoring in the top menu in the Mission Editor and
select the desired score-type menu item. This will bring up the appropriate score
dialog box. Here the user can add to, remove from, and modify sub-scores on the
sub-score list. There is no limit to the number of sub-scores allowed in the list and
there are no restrictions about which sub-score categories can or cannot be used in
the list. After one or more sub-scores are added to the list the user must assign the
maximum scaled score.

Any sub-score can also be made conditional by clicking on the Apply if… button
which assigns a condition to the sub-score. If it is not true, the sub-score will have
no effect on the final score.
The dialog box for the mission score also allows the mission designer to assign one
of the following descriptive score values (or labels) based on the percentage of
points earned: Mission Complete, Major Victory, Victory or Major Defeat.
This is done by designating minimum or maximum point percentages for each
descriptive label. The top label, Mission Complete, is a special label: if a non-zero
minimum point percentage is chosen for this label, then no other labels apply. In
this case, the mission score is labeled as either complete or incomplete. If anything
but 0% is chosen for Mission Complete (the default), then the mission score will be
labeled as major victory, victory, defeat, or major defeat based on the point
percentages earned and the values chosen for each label.
Although there are different categories of sub-scores, the dialog boxes share some
common attributes. All sub-score dialog boxes have an edit box to designate a name
(limited to 15 characters) for the sub-score, which can be very helpful for identifying
the sub-score in the sub-score list. The sub-score dialog boxes also have edit boxes
for baseline parameters, baseline points, bonus points, penalty points, maximum
bonus points, and maximum penalty points, all of which behave similarly for
different sub-score categories. The baseline parameters are used for comparison
when determining bonuses or penalties. The baseline points are points that are
usually given regardless of whether the baseline parameters have been met.
(Specific cases will be explained later.) In many cases, the mission designer may not
find it necessary to have baseline points at all, relying instead only on the bonuses
or penalties, but this depends on how he wishes to assign points. Bonuses and
penalties are entered as positive numbers in the edit boxes which are either added
(bonuses) or subtracted (penalties) from the baseline points. Maximums for
penalties and bonuses are also entered as positive numbers. As the name implies,
the maximums set a limit to the bonus or penalty. If the maximum edit box is left
blank, no limit is applied. Due to the reasons given above, we do not recommend
this.

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 Force Strength
The sub-score for force strength (available in the mission score) allows to assign
points based on the final strength of part or all of friendly or enemy forces. Bonus
and penalty points are added or subtracted based on the final force strength in
comparison to the baseline parameter. If friendly forces are chosen, then penalty
points are subtracted when the actual percentage of the selected friendly units
destroyed is greater than the baseline percent destroyed. Bonus points are added
when the actual percentage of the selected friendly units destroyed is less than the
baseline percent destroyed. The situation is reversed if enemy forces are chosen;
that is, penalty points are subtracted when the actual percentage of the selected
enemy units destroyed is less than the baseline percent destroyed, and bonus points
are added when the actual percentage of the selected enemy units destroyed is
greater than the baseline percent destroyed.

Note that for mixed forces (tanks with IFVs, for example), the percent destroyed is
not based on a strict numerical count, but on relative combat strength.

Example
A platoon of four friendly tanks is selected. Baseline parameter = 15% destroyed.
Baseline points = 20.
Penalty = 0.5 points / percent. Max penalty = 20
Bonus = 2.0 points/ percent.
Max bonus = blank (no maximum)

Case 1: At mission end, the selected tank platoon lost three out of four tanks
(75% destroyed).
Points earned = 20 – min {0.5 * (75-15), 20} = 0. (Note that min {a, b}
equals the lesser of a or b.)
Explanation: The player automatically gets 20 baseline points but the penalty
is applied because the percentage destroyed is greater than the baseline
15. The penalty is equal to the percent destroyed of 75 minus the
baseline parameter of 15, which equals 60, times the penalty per percent
of 0.5, which equals 30, but is limited to a maximum of 20.

Case 2: At mission end, the selected tank platoon lost zero out of four tanks
(0% destroyed).
Points earned = 20 + 2.0 * (15-0) = 50.
Explanation: The player automatically gets 20 baseline points but the bonus
is applied because the percentage destroyed is less than the baseline 15.
The bonus is equal to the baseline parameter of 15 minus the percent
destroyed of 0, which equals 15, times the bonus per percent of 2.0,
which equals 30.

Case 3: At mission end, the selected tank platoon lost one out of four tanks
(25% destroyed).
Points earned = 20 – min{0.5 * (25-15), 20} = 15.
Explanation: The player automatically gets 20 baseline points but the penalty
is applied because the percentage destroyed is greater than 15. The

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 penalty is equal to the percent destroyed of 25 minus the baseline
parameter of 15, which equals 10, times the penalty per percent of 0.5,
which equals 5.

Note: Strength-based scores work somewhat intuitively when specific units are
referenced, since these units are usually homogeneous in composition. When
referencing an entire party by using total strength however, Steel Beasts
applies a combat strength multiplier based on the category of unit, which can
make the end result rather unpredictable.

• MBT platoons at maximum strength will be counted with a relative

combat strength value of “100”

• APC units would be counted with a relative combat strength of “40”

MBTs and AFVs will receive modifiers to their combat strength values if
immobilized, unable to rotate their turrets, have lost radio connection
and other factors.

• All other units categories are counted with their relative combat
strength value of “4”

Infantry will be counted with a strength of “1” if their unit is at 40% of

its original strength, or less

As of the publishing date of this manual eSim Games recommends to avoid

using the total strength option in score formulas, or at least to be prepared for
counterintuitive results.

Regions
The sub-score for regions (available in the mission score) allows the mission
designer to assign points based on whether and when one or more regions in a
selected region group is captured or held. The method of assigning points is similar
to the sub-score for force strength with one notable exception: the baseline points
might not be given in all cases. If Capture before is selected, then the region must
still be held at the end of the mission in order to receive the baseline points. If Hold
until is selected, then the region must have been held before the selected time unit
to receive the baseline points. The exact time that the region was held until or
captured before is then used to calculate the penalty or bonus in a manner similar
to the force strength sub-score.

Tip: To setup an region as an objective that determines ownership at the exact

moment the scenario ends, use capture before with a base line of { hold until } {
0 } : { 0 }, for XXX number of points. This approach is useful in a meeting
engagement where an objective might be in the center of two forces, or it can
be used in an attack or defense. This method allows a mission to end early
based on "end if" conditions, while still calculating ownership (as opposed to

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 requiring the a party to hold a region for a fixed duration of the mission). The
drawback to this approach is that if this method is being used in and attack /
defense, the mission designer should place defending units in the objective at
start so as to initialize the ownership of the region to the defending side when
the Execution Phase begins (regions that neither side start in or pass through
will remain un-owned by either side).

Note: For mixed forces (tanks with IFVs, for example), the percent destroyed is not
based on a strict numerical count, but on relative combat strength where a
tank counts 100 points, APCs 40, and a single soldier four. A dismounted mech
platoon is therefore more valuable than a pure tank section.

Events and Conditions

The sub-score for events (available in the mission score) allows the mission designer
to assign points based on the state of a selected event or condition. The method of
assigning points is similar to the sub-score for force strength, with one notable
exception: the baseline points are not given in all cases. If At mission end is selected,
then the baseline points are given only if the state of the event or condition at the
end of the mission matches the selected state. If Before or After are chosen, then
the event must have been set to true at some time during the mission in order to
receive the baseline points. The exact time that the event became true is then used
to calculate the penalty or bonus in a manner similar to the force strength sub-
score.

Gunnery (simple)
The sub-score for Gunnery (available in the user score) allows the mission designer
to assign score points for accuracy (Hit percentage), quickness (Average time to kill),
and attrition (Kills). In addition, a general fratricide penalty can be assigned to
ensure the crews pay thorough attention to proper target identification procedures.
The gunnery log can only be disabled in a network session. In offline sessions
gunnery events are always logged

As in other sub-score dialog boxes, baseline parameters and baseline points can be
set in the first three categories. Penalties and bonuses can be assigned for missing
or exceeding the baselines. As already explained above in section Sub-scores, it is a
good idea to set maximum values for each bonus and each penalty. For example:
never missing a single shot; engagement times of zero seconds; and killing all
targets down to the last man. Since these fantastic performances cannot be
achieved in reality, neglecting bonus caps can result in bad scores even if the
student performed excellently.

Advanced Gunnery
The sub-score for Advanced Gunnery (available in the user score) allows the mission
designer to define a target group and assign score points for gunnery performance
specifically on this target group. The mission designer can pick any combination of
enemy units in the right half of the dialog box and move them into the left half to

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compose a target group. A target group can consist of just a single vehicle, if
desired.

There are four basic categories for which points can be assigned as described
below. Any, all, or none of them can be used in the advanced gunnery sub-score.

Total rounds fired: Set a baseline value of main gun ammunition to be expended on
the target group. For obvious reasons, the smallest number of rounds for a target
group should be at least as large as the number of targets in that target group.
Define a penalty for exceeding the baseline number of rounds; define a bonus for
using a fewer number of rounds.

Total shoot time: Sets a baseline time for firing the main gun. Penalize the gunner for
exceeding the time limit; reward him for using less time. During a mission, the
timing starts when any target in the group has been detected by the gunner or
commander and stops at the time the last round is fired at the target group.
The target group need not be destroyed to stop the timing! The purpose of
this category is to grade only how fast the gunner shoots the main gun. Note
that the time limit consists of two parts: a constant value, which can be
negative, and a value added for each round fired. Thus, it is possible to give
more or less time for the first shot than for subsequent shots.

Total engagement time: Sets a baseline time for destroying the target group. Penalize
the gunner for exceeding the time limit; reward him for using less time. During
a mission, the timing starts when any target in the group has been detected by
the gunner or commander, and stops when the last target in the group has
been destroyed.

Engagement priority: For target groups that consist of mixed combatant types (tanks,
PCs, trucks, etc.), a priority of fire can be established here and a penalty
defined for violating the priority. As with most other sub-scores, the baseline
points entered for the categories above will be given regardless of the gunner’s
performance; only the bonus and penalty points will vary.

For all categories above except engagement priority, the mission designer can
choose to deny the bonuses if the target group is not completely destroyed or if any
technical or procedural gunnery errors were made. These errors must be
determined by the instructor during the after-action-review in the Gunnery protocol
for each crew. Students can only see them as part of a general AAR. These remarks
are also saved in the HTML-protocol of the mission for later evaluation. In addition
to the categories listed above, the advanced gunnery sub-score allows for: a kill
bonus, which adds points for each target destroyed; a miss penalty, which
subtracts points for each round fired that fails to hit a target; and a procedure
penalty, which subtracts points for each procedure violation that the instructor
declares in the evaluation of a network session’s AAR. Any of these items can be
used or ignored in the advanced gunnery sub-score.

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 Finishing Touches
Write the briefing. Set the display switch to Briefing and type the briefing that the
student will read at the start of the mission. Since the text editor in the briefing
screen is basic, it may be more convenient to compose the briefing in an external
text editor and then import it (from TXT format) into the Mission Editor. Select File |
Briefing for import and export options. The required location of the text file (so that
it can be imported) is outlined in the section on file structure, see Chapter 2,
INSTALLATION AND SETUP.

Write the Summary. Set the display switch to Summary and type the summary that
the student will read when browsing through the missions. The summary should be
a one- or two-sentence description of what the mission is about and which version
of Steel Beasts is required to run it. The mission designer can choose to leave the
summary blank, in which case the entire briefing will be shown in its place.

Hint: It is good practice to use the summary screen for copyright remarks, contact
information, and keeping track of the version history.

Also, to protect your work, you can password protect a mission through the use of
File | Password | Blue (etc.). This allows a password to be specified to each party
which will prevent access to that party in the Mission Editor. A password should be
applied to a party to prevent students from studying enemy dispositions and
behavior, or to protect your work from modification. Of course they could work it
out by trial and error – but this would be time-consuming.

Testing
The necessity for thorough testing cannot be overemphasized.
Only this way the designer ensures that the scenario functions properly.
Left-clicking on the Test button will start the mission in a special "test" mode. The
test mode is used to make sure the scenario plays out as you expect. A helpful tool
is the Mission Debugger, which is explained in more detail later in this chapter. From
the top level menu in test mode, tactical icons can be toggled to show all units
(Show | Unit icon (actual)), only reported units (Show | Unit icon (reported)), or as
individual vehicle icons which include airborne projectiles and missiles (Show |
Vehicle icons). It is also possible to switch back and forth to either party.
Additionally, the mission designer can toggle the thermal display at full screen
resolution while in the world or external views with the Keypad + key.
A test session will follow all the regular exercise phases: the Planning, Execution,
and AAR Phases. If required, the mission designer can go back to the Mission Editor
and make changes and test it again until satisfied with the results.

A scenario can also be loaded for testing without having to go through the mission
editor. This is done by holding down the 'Alt' key while clicking on the 'Mission
Editor' entry. A dialogue will open asking the user for the file to be tested. If all
parties in the scenario are password-protected, the user will be returned to the main

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menu, otherwise he will start testing the scenario as the first non-password
protected party (note that it is possible to switch parties while testing, provided the
party passwords are known). If the user presses Quit from the AAR Phase, he will
then load the Mission Editor, just as if he had commenced testing from within the
Mission Editor.

Tip: Experienced mission designers recommend running two instances of Steel

Beasts on the same computer when testing a scenario. In one program
instance you run the scenario (and pause it whenever a problem has been
identified). In the other instance that problem can be immediately corrected by
amending the scenario file. Once the test is complete, the other instance is
used for the next test run while the first loads the updated scenario file version
for further editing.

Mission Debugger
When testing a mission, the designer often sees himself confronted with two
questions: “1. How can I make chance work here?” and “2. Why does this happen
now?”
In missions with random variables, some events happen so rarely that reproducing
them during tests would be tremendously difficult (let alone reproducing it various
times in order to correct a mistake). The Mission Debugger can help during the
Planning Phase by manipulating the value of each random variable. So even events
with a probability of only 5% can be reproduced reliably. The easiest way to find an
answer to the second question in sufficiently complex scenarios is to look at the
variables directly during runtime. All the data are updated in real-time (using the
current frame rate).

Note: You can access the Mission Debugger window while working on the scenario
in the Mission Editor, or while testing a scenario from within the Mission
Editor. In that case you can open the Debugger only from the Map Screen.

Hint: Certain tabs in the debugger will yield useful information only under certain
circumstances. For example, the “Region” tab will only show those regions
that are referenced in the mission’s score formula as a “Region Score”
(capture or hold region X)

SB Pro Briefing Check list

If you plan on utilizing a briefing, the briefing needs to contain sufficient information
for the students to understand the mission and what they are expected to
accomplish.
A good briefing will help students understand the complex set of conditions and
events that the scenario might contain, as well as preemptively answer any
questions they may have about the task ahead of them.
Also, the briefing is the first thing a player sees of your scenario. It can be the
gauge of how much attention to detail a designer has put into it.

Some basic writing tips:

• Use a word processor and import your text files.

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 This will give you a broader set of tools to work with. Use the computer for
what it is good at.
• Check spelling and grammar in the word processor.
• Edit and check your work. If possible, have someone else read through the
briefing without looking at the map to see if they can visualize the plan.

Some preliminary questions to answer about the briefing:

• Are you writing a realistic briefing? Your briefing should be suitable to the
mission goal. A complete briefing in military structure is not always the best
solution. Ask yourself: „Which form works best for my training goal?”
• Will the briefing follow a standard format or is it free form?
• Is the briefing written in a narrative?
• Will the briefing be identical to both parties (This rarely happens in reality, but
for missions intended as a competition between teams it might be a good
solution)
• If the briefing a full operations order or a fragmentary order? (The later will
apply in most cases.)

Many factors will be determined by what type of scenario you are writing. Single
player briefings usually need to be larger and more detailed than multiplayer ones.
However, do not neglect at least a minimum level of detail in your briefing for
multiplayer missions (such as the mission, information about enemy forces, time
limits, and scoring information). Also, a proper briefing can be considered to be part
of the scenario documentation (see initial section of this entire chapter).

There are many international standards for written briefings and operations
orders. They generally try to convey the same information. The standard U.S. Army
format for orders includes 5 important factors: Mission, Enemy, Time, Terrain,
and Troops (METT-T), built into a five paragraph OPORDer format.. This also
happens to be an excellent checklist for writing briefings, to ensure your players are
getting the most out of your scenario.

Mission
• Are the mission goals clearly defined?
• What other factors affect the mission?
• Are there additional actions or Control Logic? Are they clearly defined?
• Does the student know what they have to accomplish?
• Are there (intentional) inaccuracies in the intelligence picture reported in the
briefing that will affect the scenario design?
• Are there past experiences or items of note that pertain to the enemy situation?
• What is the commander's intent?

Enemy
• What is the enemy’s intent?
• What are the enemy’s capabilities?
• What does the student's party know about it?

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• What (if anything) does the player know about the enemy equipment?

Terrain
• Are there notable map features to be pointed out in the briefing?
• Are there Objectives, routes, known enemy positions or other map-based
illustrations that need detailing?
• How will the terrain affect the play? What is the level of mobility?
• Are there visibility restrictions?

Troops
• What forces does the user control?
• What supporting forces are there?
• What level of artillery support or close air support is available?
• Are there reinforcements available? Under what conditions will they become
available?
• What are acceptable loss levels?

Time
• How much time does the student have to complete the mission? What ends the
mission?
• Are there other time factors or events expected to happen within the mission?
• Does the student know when to expect enemy contact or friendly
reinforcements?

The Camera Animation Window

The Camera Animation Window contains a timeline and several buttons. Its intended
use is to provide a tool for video production that allows for smoother camera
movement than what is possible with manual movement of the hover cam.

To use this option, open a scenario in the Mission Editor, and start it in Test mode.
Enter the tethered view with SHIFT+F8 and open the Camera Animation Window with
ALT+SPACE. This window contains a timeline ranging from 0 to 100 seconds; the 3D
view shows at least one adjustable Focus Point, and indicators for camera
movement after more than one keyframe has been set.

The Focus Point is indicated by a yellow circle, which is always centered from the
current camera view. The distance can be adjusted with the LASE button.

Tip: In many cases it’s easier to prepare camera animations while the progress of
time is suspended; move to the 3D view, hit the Pause key, then open the
Camera Animation Window. You may move in the 3D space with the usual
movement keys and use N and Shift+N to adjust the field of view for your
cinematic requirements.
For more cinematic sequences, hide HUD elements with the hotkey
combination Alt+H.

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 In the timeline solid red vertical lines show key frames already set. A blinking red
line shows the current position of the time cursor and during playback a green
triangle shows the current playback location. The cursor can be moved via left clicks
or right clicks. Left clicks only move the time-cursor but don't change position or
focus of the camera, while right clicks move the time cursor and also change the
camera's position and focus accordingly to the path defined by the set key frames.
The two buttons below the timeline on the left move the time cursor to the previous
or next key frame. Another set of three buttons consists of a play button in the
middle and two buttons to move the time cursor one second backwards or forwards.
Additional buttons are used to load, save or clear the path or to exit the Camera
Animation Window.

Display
After setting the first key frame Steel Beasts shows the location of the camera with
a red circle, the focus point of the key frame with a yellow circle and links these two
circles with a red arrow. If a second key frame is set, Steel Beasts shows the same
graphics as above for the key frame and adds a line of white arrows between the
camera positions and a line of yellow arrows between the focus points. With two
key frames, the path is linear. If more key frames are added, the path is spline
based.

Using the Camera Animation

After entering the tethered view and opening the Camera Animation Window, set the
time cursor to 0, move the camera to the location of your choice and sets the focus
depth. Then press the +-button in the animation window to set the first key frame.
Afterwards set the time cursor to 10 seconds, move the camera to a new location,
set the focus depth and press the +-button again to set a second key frame. You
can add additional key frames or play the animation with the Play button or the
Alt+SPACE control.

Hotkeys
The following hotkeys are available:

LASE sets the focus depth

Alt+SPACE toggles between Camera Animation Window and playing the animation
CTRL+Screenshot toggles between AVI export and regular screenshot
CTRL+time forward starts a timelapse mode (30 seconds per frame at 60
fps=30min/sec)
ALT+H toggles HUD on/off

Hint: By going back to the first key frame, and then entering the same key frame
settings as the last frame, a permanent orbit can be created.

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 8 MOVING UNITS ON ROUTES
There are two basic ways to get a unit to move in Steel Beasts: manually drive the
lead vehicle of the unit (discussed in a previous section on driving controls) or place
the unit on a route. (A third way is “magic move” by the Instructor Host during
network sessions). Complex unit movement can be coordinated by modifying the
properties of routes and waypoints and adding conditions for embarking or
retreating, thus enabling computer controlled units to respond to a dynamic
situation. Routes will also control a part of the unit’s behavior, especially its
response to a threat. Therefore it is essential for every user of Steel Beasts to fully
understand route properties and their consequences. These properties and
behaviors are explained in this chapter.

Creating a Route
To create a route in the map screen follow these steps:
1. Right-click on the map symbol for a unit or waypoint and highlight New
Route from the context-sensitive menu.
2. Choose one of the standard route tactics (Assault, Engage, March,
Retreat, Scout or Breach) to start the route.
3. Define the movement path by left-clicking on the map to add vertices.
(Hold the Shift key down to snap the vertex to a nearby road.)
4. To end the route, right-click anywhere on the map and the last route
vertex will change into a waypoint with a unique identifier number. If
the last vertex was near an existing waypoint, the route snaps to the
existing waypoint, otherwise a new waypoint will be created.
5. If the route is to follow a defined path e.g. over a bridge, or through a
breach lane in a minefield, zoom in (e.g. by mouse wheel) to a
suitable view to allow for accurate route definition. Computer-
controlled units will try to compensate for minor inaccuracies, but at
the end of the day they still are nothing but brain-dead zombies who
do as told, not follow your intent.
Hint: If the route was created from a unit during the Execution Phase, the unit will
immediately embark on a route as soon as the end point is defined; thus
abandoning the route it was previously following.

To edit a route’s path, first click on the route in the map screen to select it and then
click and drag on a vertex or line segment. The active route leg properties can be
altered by right-clicking on it and changing the selection.
Tip: When creating a route that follows a road, it is not necessary to trace every
small curve of a road. Unless the change in direction to the next vertex is
greater than 30°, a unit in column formation will follow the road. Also, be sure
that the vertices fall on the road (use the snap-to-road feature) to prevent
zigzag movement that can result from vertices that are near, but not on, the
road.

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 During the Execution Phase, a simple one-point route can be created in the 3D-view
screen as follows:
1. Left-click on a unit symbol at the bottom of any 3D-view screen.
2. Select Advance to, Retreat to, etc... from the menu that pops up.
3. Aim the mouse cursor at the desired destination on the terrain; upon
release of the left mouse button the command is issued (abort it by
moving the mouse pointer into the sky). When arriving at their
destination, units will assume a battle position with Hold tactics (see
section Waypoint Properties in this chapter).

Tip: A typical beginner’s behavior is to create relatively long routes. This appears to
be more convenient at first sight. It often is better however to break up long
movements into small segments of less than a kilometer unless doctrinal rules
or tactical considerations dictate longer movements. Shorter routes ease
scenario file maintenance later. They allow to adapt the spacing and formation
of units and thus to behave tactically more adept. Shorter routes also allow
variations in speed of movements. Make refinements to a mission by adding
more alternate routes to make the reaction of computer-controlled units more
flexible.

Tip: A unit will embark immediately on its first route created in the Mission Editor or
in the Planning Phase if that route has no condition attached to it. If this is not
desired an embark condition must be added. Setting these conditions will be
detailed in Chapter 12, CONTROL LOGIC.

Tip: With version 4.1 and later, routes can be set to a specific speed limit. In this
case a second route tag will be added, a blue square with the speed in white
letters.

Hint: All road types have “travel costs” applied to them, favoring (somewhat)
longer routes on multi-lane roads over narrow roads or forest service trails. If
you want to force the use of secondary roads while entering a new route, set
manual waypoints at shorter intervals.
Generally it is good practice to keep routes short in mission planning and in
mission design, and be it just to be able to insert alternative routes at a later
point.

Route Properties
Routes contain properties for tactics, formation, spacing, speed, and fire control. When
a route is first created, it is given a default set of properties based on the type of
route created. These properties can be changed by right-clicking on the route in the
map screen and selecting the appropriate item in the context-sensitive menu. The
default setting for Fire control is No change from the previous state. The default
properties of a new route are listed in the following table:

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Default route properties
Tactics Formation Spacing Speed
Engage route Engage Wedge Normal Fast
Assault route Assault Line Normal Top
March route March Column Normal Fast
Retreat route Retreat Line Normal Reverse, then
top
Scout route Scout Wedge Normal Slow
Breach route Breach Column Normal Slow

When a unit embarks on a route, the unit adopts the route properties. The
Formation and Spacing determine the locations of the unit’s members relative to
each other. Speed determines how fast the unit travels.

The Fire control property determines the maximum range at which a unit will open
fire at the enemy. Hold fire and Fire at will are special cases that correspond to
maximum ranges of about 500 meters (200 for troops) and infinity, respectively. A
unit will always open fire if fired upon (unless the enemy is beyond the effective
range of the vehicles’ weapons), ceasing only when new hold-fire orders are issued.

The tactics property determines some aspects of the unit’s behavior, such as how a
unit responds to enemy contact. Tactics are different for units traveling on routes
vs. those that are at waypoints. The following table lists the behavior for a unit on a
route for the different route tactics.

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 Unit behavior (vehicles) for route tactics
Route tactic Unit behavior
• If enemy is within range, stop to find a hull-down position
Engage facing enemy. The maximum range is determined by the
value of the fire-control property and ammo range.
• If in column formation, try to stay on roads.
• Always stay on route. (Stop if entering an ICM artillery
Assault field.)
• If in column formation, try to stay on roads.
• Stay on route unless under direct fire and enemy is near
March and flanking (in which case stop to find a hull-down
position facing enemy).
• If in column formation, try to stay on roads.
• All vehicle types travel at the same speed if given the
same speed setting.
• Always stay on route. (Stop if entering an ICM artillery
Retreat field.)
• At the start of route, back up and pop smoke if enemy
are present.
• If in column formation, try to stay on roads.
• Always stay on route. (Stop if entering an ICM artillery
Breach field.)
• Units with obstacle reduction capability will attempt to
create a lane through an obstacle on such a route.
• Bridge layers will try to lay a bridge over water if the
bridge is long enough to span the water.
• Do NOT try to stay on roads.
• Minimally avoid water.
• If an enemy is encountered, always stop to seek a
Scout turret- down position facing enemy.
• If under fire, retreat back along route (thus taking on
retreat tactics).
• Look for and expose enemy minefields.
• Do NOT try to stay on roads.

A unit embarking on a retreat route will always start the route in reverse. After a
default distance or if no enemies are noticed, that unit will switch to the speed
designated by the route. The default reverse distance depends on the type of unit:
Western tanks can move in reverse much faster than Russian tanks, and so will
travel in reverse much longer than Russian tanks.

Note: The movement behaviors described above apply to a unit only when the
computer is acting as the commander in the lead element of that unit. Once
a human player takes over the role of unit leader, all decisions
about when to stop and move are the student’s. If the student is the
unit leader and the unit is on a route, it will continue to follow the route until

110
 the student issues an order to do something else, such as assuming a hull-
down position facing the enemy or a particular direction.

Note: Vehicle units will look for enemy minefields only with Scout tactics, and they
will only have a reasonable chance to succeed without being destroyed or
immobilized if traveling at slow speed (the default speed for a Scout route).
A unit on a Scout route is not guaranteed to find enemy minefields, although
it will usually uncover the mines before sustaining any damage.
The speed property generally determines how fast the unit will travel while
on the route. For all tactics except March, the speeds for the settings of
Slow, Fast and Top are based on a percentage (25% for Slow, 50% for Fast
and 90% for top in full daylight over smooth terrain) of the vehicle’s
maximum speed, which will vary from vehicle type to vehicle type. Reduced
visibility and rough terrain will cause the computer driver to reduce speed.
Units with Reverse settings will travel at the maximum reverse speed for that
vehicle type. For March tactics, the speeds for the different settings are set to
fixed values regardless of the vehicle type (20 km/h for Slow, 35 km/h for
Fast, and 55 km/h for Top) so that units of different vehicle types can all
travel at the same speed. Keep in mind, though, that individual vehicles in
formation will speed up or slow down in order to maintain their formation.
Because of this, single vehicle units will tend to have a higher average speed
than multi-vehicle units. In all vehicles with a 3D drivers’ position, the
vehicles speed will be displayed in KM/H.

Tip: To help a convoy of units on a road march move in an orderly fashion, make
sure that units are spaced far enough apart so that vehicles from different
units don’t get intermixed. Vehicles will try to maintain spacing with respect to
other vehicles in their own unit, so if a vehicle from a different unit gets in
between them on a road march this will cause problems. In addition, be sure
to give all units in the convoy march tactics and set the speed settings to be
the same.

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 Unit behavior (infantry) for route tactics
Route tactic Unit behavior
• Infantry will advance to contact and once in contact will
Engage stop and engage if able to do so
• SLOW routes will cause the infantry to advance by
crawling
• FAST routes will cause the infantry to advance by jogging,
until exhausted
• TOP SPEED routes will cause infantry to advance by
l h to d
• Infantry will advance contact and once in contact will
Assault continue advancing by crawling while under fire
• SLOW routes will cause the infantry to advance by
crawling (before under fire)
• FAST routes will cause the infantry to advance by
jogging, until exhausted or under fire
• TOP SPEED routes will cause infantry to advance by
sprinting, until exhausted or under fire
• Infantry will advance to contact and once in contact will
March stop and engage if able to do so
• Regardless of route speed setting, infantry will advance
by marching
• Infantry will attempt to break contact with the enemy
Retreat and will use smoke grenades if available
• SLOW routes will cause the infantry to retreat by
crawling
• FAST routes will cause the infantry to retreat by jogging
• TOP SPEED routes will cause infantry to retreat by
sprinting
• Infantry will advance to contact, then once established
Scout will observe the enemy
• Once under fire, infantry will automatically retreat back
by crawling in the direction it advanced from
• SLOW routes will cause the infantry to advance by
crouch-walking
• FAST routes will cause the infantry to advance by jogging
• TOP SPEED routes will cause infantry to advance by
sprinting
Breach • Engineer infantry will apply induction coil sweepers
• Regular infantry will crawl and probe the ground
• Units will adopt line formation with adjacent/overlapping
lanes to form a lane of vehicle width
• Units will not stop under fire
• Barbed wire obstacles will be cut (one segment)

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Waypoint Properties
Every route ends in a numbered waypoint. When a unit on a route reaches the
waypoint at the end of the route it adopts the tactics, formation, spacing, and fire
control properties of that waypoint (unless it immediately embarks on another route
that originates from that waypoint). Understanding waypoint properties is essential
for the controlled behavior of your units.

Unit behavior for waypoint tactics

Wpt tactic Unit behavior

Hold • While no enemies are detected, assume a turret-down

position facing a specified direction.
• Temporarily move from position to avoid ICM artillery attack.
• Do NOT move from position to engage enemies that cannot
be seen, or to avoid HE artillery attacks.
• Infantry will enter nearby buildings.
Defend • While no enemies are detected, assume a turret-down
position facing a specified direction.
• Temporarily move from position to avoid ICM artillery attack,
or to avoid HE artillery attack if not engaging an enemy.
• Can move a few hundred meters from position to engage
enemies on front flanks that cannot currently be seen.
• Embark on the first attached, non-conditioned route if
moderate losses are sustained.
• Infantry will enter nearby buildings.
Guard Same as Defend except:
• Embark on the first attached, non-conditioned route if under
fire.
• Infantry will stay outside nearby buildings.
Stay The unit will just sit and not move regardless of the tactical
situation and enemy presence. This obviously is a dangerous
option and should be used only in special cases such as resupply.
You can assign typical resupply formations like herringbone and
coil to a unit staying at a resupply point.
Suppress Same as Stay except:
• The unit will fire at the focus point of the battle position. The
rate of fire will slow down over time unless the order to
suppress (or “fire here”) is renewed.
None Use None to remove any other tactic previously assigned.
In essence, having no tactic assigned allows a unit to seamlessly
continue onward to another route.
With None selected without a follow-on route to go:
• The unit will remain in place and will not move except
temporarily to avoid incoming artillery.The unit will orient
on any enemies they see.

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 Note: To represent the tactics that are required of a unit it is important for users to
be familiar with the properties for both units and waypoints outline in
the previous tables. Understanding and correct application will ensure a unit
follows the behaviors that it would normally apply or those that the user
wishes to be applied.

Conditioned Routes
The key behind complex unit movement in Steel Beasts is the use of conditioned
routes. There are two types of conditions that can be placed on any route: Embark
conditions and Retreat-back conditions. Embark conditions determine when a
unit at the start of a route will embark on that route. Retreat-back conditions
determine when a unit already on the route will return to the beginning (root
waypoint) of the route. Once the unit has arrived at the root waypoint it will act as if
it just arrived there; it will NOT continue to retreat back along routes that ended at
root waypoint even if the retreat conditions for those routes are satisfied.

For routes that originate directly from a spawning unit, there is also a Jump-to-
end condition. If this condition is true, the unit will instantly be transported to the
end of the route. This is useful to move spawned units to one of several alternative
locations at the start of or during a mission. The jump to end feature is described in
greater detail in Chapter 7, CREATING A MISSION.

To attach conditions to a route, right-click on the route and select Embark if…,
Retreat back if…, or Jump to end if…, and then fill out the condition dialog box, which
will be discussed later. To help the user keep track of the conditions assigned to
routes, the map screen displays routes differently depending on the conditions
assigned to each route:
• Routes with no movement conditions are drawn with continuous black lines.
• Routes with embark conditions are drawn with dashed black lines.
• Routes with retreat-back conditions are drawn with continuous blue-green lines.
• Routes with embark and retreat-back conditions are drawn with dashed, blue-
green lines.

The Embark and Retreat-back conditions are explicit route conditions. There are
also implicit route conditions that arise only in certain circumstances. The
following table lists all of the possible implicit conditions for embarking and
retreating back. Note that an implicit condition applies only if there is no
explicit condition overriding it.

Implicit movement conditions

Unit’s situation Implicit condition on route Conditional type
Defend tactics at WP Unit suffers moderate losses Embark
Guard tactics at WP Unit comes under fire Embark
Scout tactics on route Unit comes under fire Retreat back

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Note: Implicit embark conditions can have an effect only if there is at least one
unconditioned route leaving from the waypoint.

Deciding Which Route to Take

More than one route can start from a single waypoint, enabling virtual forks (or
“branches”) in the movement path. When a unit arrives at a waypoint with multiple
routes, it must decide which route, if any, to follow. The unit will constantly check to
see if it should embark on any of the routes as follows:
First, all routes with explicit embark conditions are checked. If the embark
condition assigned to the route is satisfied and the retreat-back condition is
NOT satisfied, the unit will embark on the route.
Next, all routes without explicit embark conditions are checked. If the retreat-back
condition is NOT satisfied and either
a) the waypoint does NOT have a battle-position line or
b) the implicit embark condition is satisfied, then the unit will embark on the
route.

Note: A unit stuck at a waypoint can be forced to take a route by ordering it to

Proceed. (If multiple paths branch from the current waypoint, the right-click on
the unit icon opens the menu item Proceed to… with the numbers of the
possible waypoints at the end of each alternative route).

Note: Implicit retreat-back conditions rule supreme. A unit can never embark on
any route unless the retreat-back conditions, both explicit and implicit, are
NOT satisfied. Since implicit retreat-back conditions appear only in scout
routes, be careful when using them. A unit will not embark on a scout route if
it is under fire because its implicit retreat-back condition is satisfied.

Troubleshooting Routes
Problem: A unit will not move.
Check the following:
• Do you own the unit (you cannot give movement instructions to a unit you do
not own)?
• Did you start the mission as a driver or gunner?
• Does the unit have a movement route?
• There is an unsatisfied condition on the route?
• Is the unit damaged?
• Does the unit have fuel?
• Is the unit under fire or being suppressed?

Hint: The Mission Debugger (see Section Testing in Chapter 7, CREATING A

MISSION) may help to find answers to these questions.

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 9 FIRE SUPPORT, OBSTACLES,
FORTIFICATIONS
The successful execution of a mission depends as much upon the appropriate use of
support elements as upon tactics. This section explains the use of fire support,
minefields, and other obstacles.
To enable players to access fire support during a mission, the parameters for use it
must first be added during the planning in the Mission Editor.

Consideration of mission intent or the training objectives of a constructive simulation

should be at the forefront when planning the use of fire support. Excessive or
indiscriminate use of fire support could detract from the desired outcomes of a
mission. To apply some control to the access and use of fire support, the mission
designer should consider the following points:

• To how much fire support should each party have access?

• Is there close air support in the scenario?
• What types of ammunition should be in the scenario?
• Who should be able to Call for Fire in the mission?
• Are priority targets a consideration?
• Should computer-controlled units be able to call for fire?
• Are the students supposed to handle ammunition logistics?
• Should the students manage artillery firing position areas?
• Should the students consider air space management?

The obvious way to add fire support to a mission is by generating artillery platoons
on a suitable spot of the terrain. But in this case the mission designer and the
students must keep in mind a number of parameters during Planning and Execution
Phase:
• Range of the guns
• Ammunition supply
• Choice and definition of firing position areas
• Relocation of firing positions
• Time needed to become ready for fire

If the Option unlimited is not activated for the gun (in the Ammunition dialog), like in
real life a constant supply of ammunition is a must. When simulating this as a kind
of shuttle service between a depot and the firing position areas, sufficient supply
vehicles must be planned as well. As a consequence this would make area planning
and use of the traffic commodities a quite important factor. In short: Providing fire
support becomes more of a hassle. This might be desirable if the complex
interaction of extensive forces is the goal of the mission, but in every other case it
needlessly complicates the situation. Here the use of a simplified artillery system is
recommended. Choosing fire support opens a dialog box in which the amount of fire
support for each party can be chosen.

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That said, placing artillery units in the 3D world without supply vehicles is a simple
way of limiting the artillery ammunition allotment for a given exercise. Note that any
ammunition supply vehicle will restore the ammunition count on any vehicle.

Selecting Support... from the Options menu will bring up a dialog box to specify the
amount of fire support available to each party. The following items can be set in the
sections with the dialog box:

Tubes: This section contains settings that specify the number of off map tubes in
each battery and the number of batteries available to that party (tubes x
batteries = total tubes). Each call for fire during the Execution Phase will
occupy one or more batteries. The larger the number of tubes per battery, the
larger the area will be that a single battery can effectively cover. However, if a
target area requires even just a single additional tube, another battery must
fire into this target area (and displace to a new location after completing
several missions) 19. Therefore large batteries bring more punch at the expense
of reduced flexibility.

Who can call for fire: This section contains settings that specify whether all units
can call for fire, or only dedicated forward observer units (e.g. UAV, M981
FIST-V, MT-LB FO, FV-90, or dismounted FO team). This section also contains
a check box that allows computer-controlled units to call for fire. This can be
important for network sessions where the use of fire support is integral to the
training intent. Fire support – especially if not initiated and controlled by the
students – will obviously influence the course of action and outcome of an
exercise.
Hint: Be prepared for unexpected combat results if computer-controlled units
are permitted to call for fire. They will aggressively exploit such an option
and therefore reward a behavior of frequent changes of fire and
observation positions.

Priority of fire: This section contains drop down menus that specify which units
will have priority access to fire support. Once a unit is placed on the map, that
unit can be selected in the drop down menu to have first, second, or third
priority.
Hint: Target reference points (TRP) for preregistered priority fire locations are
to be set directly on the map. Right-click a spot, then select Reference
Point… and specify the type. The mission designer may set an owner for
these Target Reference Points, who can then manipulate these points
during the Planning Phase. If no owner is set, the highest ranking
combatant of the party takes control (of course, Instructors can always
manipulate these points). Any changes will automatically be
communicated to all party members.

19
The relocation of batteries is abstracted as a time penalty in the fire mission
queue.

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 Abstracted Fire Support
Available rounds: This section contains check boxes that specify what types of
ammunition are available to that party's fire support. Note that regardless of
how many tubes and batteries are specified, if nothing in this section is
checked then no support will be available.

FASCAM: This section contains drop down menus that designate the number of
scatter-mine missions available, as well as how long the scatter-mines will
remain on the ground before they self-destruct. FASCAM missions can be
called only at special FASCAM type reference points that must be placed on the
map in the Mission Editor. Although the number of FASCAM reference points
does not need to be the same as the number of FASCAM missions set in the
dialog box, FASCAM can only be requested on an area that is marked with a
FASCAM type reference point. At least one FASCAM reference point must be
present in order to call for FASCAM during the Execution Phase. In most cases
it is a good idea to have more reference points than FASCAM missions in order
to offer the students some choice.
Note that FASCAM markers (and TRPs) may be made adjustable to the student
if they are placed within a deployment region and within their context menu
(right-click the marker icon and select Deployable).
If you set a FASCAM destruct timer in the support menu, and then plot
FASCAM fire missions, the resulting mine obstacle obeys that timer, rendering
the minefield inoperable at a specific time.
You can activate the FASCAM in the Support menu and not give
any FASCAM reference points. Computer-controlled units will then not be able
to call FASCAM missions. But the settings in the artillery support dialog are
applied to all scripted FASCAM fire missions.
In short, select FASCAM, to gain access to the timer, set the timer and then
set the Missions to zero. If there are no Missions and/or no FASCAM reference
points computer-controlled forward observers cannot call FASCAM missions but
the scripted FASCAM fire missions will still obey the timer.

Priority targets: This section contains a drop down menu allowing you to specify
up to thirty priority targets. These priority targets are associated with Target
Reference Points that were previously placed on the map. During a mission,
artillery called on priority targets will arrive faster than normal.

Hint: For collective training it is often useful to assign one student to assume the
role of fire support coordination officer who may also control selected supply
and/or combat support units. This is expanded on in Chapter 16,
CONSTRUCTIVE SIMULATION.

Mortars and Rocket Artillery

When placing artillery units on the map, it is also possible to choose from a variety
of alternatives to the classic self-propelled armored howitzer (SPAH). These range
from dismounted mortar teams with a short barreled 60mm mortar to multiple
rocket launcher systems (MLRS). Computer-controlled units will not utilize these

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non-howitzer artillery systems. Since their effect on target is very specific, their
employment is best left to the student’s human judgment. Also this guarantees that
human operators never have to form a queue when requesting either low level
mortar support or the Schwerpunkt weapon of multiple artillery rocket launchers.
The obvious downside is that if the opposing force is supposed to utilize such
assets, it requires a human opponent to draw upon these resources.

Artillery Munitions
In real life calls for fire are being processed in a fire direction center (FDC). Steel
Beasts simulates the FDC with internal routines, assigning fire missions to available
artillery units, considering their range envelope.
Steel Beasts has a variety of fire support that can be called during a mission. They
include the following:

HE: High explosive rounds are useful against infantry, unarmored and lightly-
armored targets. Tanks can be immobilized by HE hits and can also take
damage to fire-control equipment, external equipment, and exposed crew
members (notably the loader and commander).
Smoke: Smoke rounds lay smoke screens. Depending on the capabilities of the
opposing force, smoke can be very effective for cover and concealment, or it
may be only a marginal nuisance. Normal WP smoke and dust clouds will block
optical line of sight but not thermal imagers or laser range finders (LRF). Thick
WP smoke may block LRFs. Multispectral smoke will block thermal imagers and
LRFs.
ICM: These rounds are actually canisters which burst over the target area and rain
anti-armor and anti-personnel bomblets on the enemy. 20 ICM is very effective
against all targets, be they tanks, trucks, APCs, or infantry. ICM rounds are the
only rounds which will routinely destroy tanks.
FASCAM: This is an artillery-deliverable minefield. FASCAM fields will routinely
disable vehicles that try to drive through them unless the vehicles are moving
at slow speed. The mines simulated in Steel Beasts are of the Type AT-2.
These mines erect themselves by spreading their legs around the base after
impact. It is triggered when the antenna-like wire fuze is bent by pressure.
The real mines are programmable to self-destruct after a chosen period of
time ranging from a few hours to several days; in Steel Beasts, to
accommodate shorter mission durations, the self destruct timer can be set to
multiples of 15 minutes for up to one hour.
Air strike: This consists of single drop of two unguided 500 lb bombs arriving on
target 10-15 seconds after being called for.

20
According to the Convention on Cluster munitions signed in Dublin in 2010 the
signatory countries are prohibited from using this kind of ammunition.
However, since not all countries have ratified this treaty, the ammunition is still
to be expected on the battlefield. Therefore it is simulated in Steel Beasts as
well.

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 Calling For Fire
There are a number of ways for Fire Support to be called for during a mission. This
will depend on the mode that the player is in and how it has been planned in the
Mission Editor.

Prepared fires
The available Fire Support can be done in two ways:

Adding TRPs in the Mission Editor, that a player can then access during the mission (
in 3D mode only) via a set of instructions using the “Call Artillery IF” from Control
Logic menus.

On Call during a mission

Fire Support can be a called by a player in Map view by: right-clicking on the map
screen to bring up a pop-up menu. A dialog box will appear, presenting the student
with several options:

Type of Mission
Fire For Effect (FFE): a deliberate concentration of shells at a given location. Time
to splash (impact) from request is a minimum of two minutes, fifty seconds.
Less time is possible if the comes from a closely positioned artillery unit in the
3D space, for example a mortar.
Immediate Suppression: Similar to FFE, but the fire mission is executed within
seconds of the request. In real life the precision of fires may be lacking. This
effect is currently not being simulated in Steel Beasts.
Adjust Fire: A request to move the area of impact of the artillery fire. If there are
more than one tube allocated to the mission that will automatically be done by
one tube. Adjusting fire can occur before or during the splash. A dialog box will
open, prompting the student to adjust fire left / right, add / drop, and up /
down. Adjustments are made in varying increments depending on the
particular adjustment direction and the necessary distance to be adjusted.
When the observer or player is happy with the adjustment and uses the Fire
for Effect command, the remaining tubes will fire the mission on the adjusted
target.
Note that the up/down correction option is currently without visual, or terminal
ballistic effect.

Method of Control
Fire when Ready: Tells the battery commander(s) to start firing as soon as the
guns can be brought into action.
At My Command: Guns await a signal from the support requester to commence
firing.
Time on Target: Guns will fire at the time entered by the student, or when the
artillery units are ready to fire, whichever is longer. For “off-map” artillery
support, the preparation time is always two minutes and fifty seconds.

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Location
Adjusts the impact area for length and width at the location of the attack.

Attitude
Adjusts the angle of the major axis of the impact area between 0 - 3200 mils.

Equipment
The type of enemy force(s) being attacked: tanks, PCs, trucks, or troops. The
student enters the type and number of forces being attacked.

Protection Level
Expressed as one of four levels: In the open, Overhead Cover, Trench without
Cover and Standing.

Type of Round
Artillery round type requested: HE, Smoke, ICM, FASCAM, Air Strike, or
Illumination. Note that illumination rounds are still in preparation, and not yet
simulated in Steel Beasts.

Tubes
The number of guns participating in the fire mission. Numbers that are not multiples
of a platoon size will tie an entire additional platoon that cannot support other
missions. Also, all platoons participating in a fire mission will relocate after
completing the mission to evade counter-battery fire and will require additional time
to refill depleted ammunition stocks. Therefore, the user should employ fire support
assets economically.
A support menu is available to manage fire support missions from the map screen.
This will display the number of tubes assigned to a mission and allow missions to be
fired, adjusted, ended or repeated.

Tip: Remember when either planning a TRP or calling for fire during a mission, the
grid used is the location designated by the tip of the cursor at the time of
accessing the “New Reference Point” or “New Arty Call” menu item.

Call Fire Support from the 3D view

Additionally during a mission a player may by using the Support Menu at the top of
the screen. This method only allows access to TRPs that have been pre planned in
the Mission Editor or calls for fire that are in progress. Selecting an existing fire
mission in the support menu will allow the student to adjust, modify or cancel the
fire mission. If a UAV is in the mission target grids may be added to this list by the
UAV operator using the UAV’s laser. This is outlined in Chapter 11, UNMANNED
AERIAL VEHICLES.

Instructor Host Workstation. In networked sessions the IHWS may also call in
fire support. This will arrive almost immediately, simulating Priority Call for Fire and

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 can be repeated may times and should therefore be controlled by an instructor so
as not to alter the aims of the training.
Fire mission requests are granted in the order received, except for immediate
suppression missions, and are subject to tube usage. Tubes are committed to
current or future fire missions at the discretion of the student. Fire mission requests
that ask for more tubes than currently available will not be granted (Awaiting
Authorization message will appear next to new missions) until one or more missions
have been cancelled or all current missions have been completed. The next request
will then be granted and a box will appear on the map indicating time-to-impact.
Note: In order for this box to be seen the realism option must be set to medium or
low.

Tip: For network training, it may be best to assign the job of an artillery observer
and liaison officer to one participant or instructor assistant.

As indicated previously, if in the 3D view the Support Menu is grayed out, denying
access, one of the factors below may be causing it.

Troubleshooting Call for Fire

Problem: The Artillery will not fire. Check the following:
• Was artillery added to the mission in the Mission Editor
• Is the Call for Fire restricted to set units
• Does the unit calling for fire have a radio
• Is the type of Ammo requested in the scenario
• Are the fire support units already committed to other missions
• Are the correct type of TRPs present in the scenario
• Players occupying the Drivers position cannot call for fire
• Players occupying the Gunners position cannot call for fire
• Vehicle Commanders can only call for fire if they are out of the hatch or looking
through the Commanders sight ( this restriction does not apply to FO vehicle
commanders)

Note: In reference to the second bullet point. If Call for Fire is limited to FO units
(set in the Red or Blue support window of the scenario options menu), and
the FO units are destroyed, Call for Fire will no longer be available to player
units and will be restricted to the IHWS.

Obstacles
Besides minefields obstacles Steel Beasts offers three types of point obstacles:
Abatises, IEDs, ISO containers, and two types of area obstacles: Dragon’s Teeth
and steel beams. As an additional option the map editor offers walls which have a
certain block effect, depending on the weight of the colliding vehicle. Heavy vehicles
break through walls, which might be an impenetrable obstacle for light vehicles.
Some walls are made up from mobile concrete elements, they should be regarded
as an area obstacle. For the sake of a consistent user interface they can be found in
the Map Editor.

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Abatis: A point obstacle made of felled trees. In real life these may or may not be
interlaced with barbed wire and mines.
Claymore: These are command-detonated fragmentation explosives, highly lethal
against exposed infantry. They require the presence of a brave infantry unit
within range of the (not very long) 25m detonator wire, preferably behind
cover. Claymores are invisible in the 3D view. Note the sectors surrounding the
map symbol, indicating lethal 360° range and the lethal, “this side to enemy”
fragmentation sector of considerably longer range.
Concertina wire: A barrier in form of a coil of barbed wire which can be expanded
like a concertina. This type of obstacle can be created in the Mission Editor, or
at runtime by (dismounted) infantry, if vehicles are nearby carrying concertina
rolls from which to construct the obstacle. No construction animations will be
shown, the obstacle will automagically appear in phases, as long as there’s
sufficient supply of concertina rolls; infantry will start with their own vehicle
but will also plunder units in the vicinity that have more.IED: An improvised
explosive device. IEDs in Steel Beasts are invisible. A condition will determine
when the device will set off.
ISO container: Corrugated steel shipping containers, available in three variants:
Air filled, which blocks observation and small arms fire; Accommodation
containers, which block observation but may burn if hit by explosive or
incendiary munitions; finally Sand filled containers which offer significant
ballistic protection.
Dragon’s Teeth: Dragon’s teeth are steel or concrete poles coming out of the
ground to block the passage vehicles. Infantry are not affected by Dragon’s
Teeth. No vehicle can break through Dragon’s Teeth.
Steel Beams: As with dragon’s teeth, infantry are not slowed by steel beams.
Unlike the other point obstacles, steel beams can be breached with mine-plow
equipped tanks.
Minefields: This is an area of concentrated mines.

Unless confronted with steel beams or minefields, it’s often best to bypass
obstacles. Steel Beasts provides no effective means of breaching abatises, dragon’s
teeth or ISO containers, and IEDs cannot be detected before they explode.

Note: Point and area obstacles and bunkers will be hidden to all opposing players
during the Planning Phase, unless be made visible with the “visible while
planning” option (from their options menu) by the mission designer. They
will however be revealed from UAV route footage (see section “Adding a UAV
Video Playback Route” in Chapter 7). ISO containers will also be invisible in
the Planning Phase unless they were added in the Map Editor and therefore
become part of the terrain.

Mines
Minefields can slow down and disrupt an attack by immobilizing or destroying the
vehicles conducting the attack. Computer controlled units will avoid going through
detected minefields, and can be channeled into attacking along avenues prepared
by the defender. Mines do not destroy a lot of units by themselves. Their main

123
 purpose is to control enemy attack movements. In combination with prepared
artillery fire they could have a devastating effect on an enemy which is hindered in
its forward movement.

Steel Beasts Pro models five types of minefields. They are:

Conventional blast mines: surface-laid or buried.

Advanced anti-tank mines with hollow or projectile-forming charge: surface- laid or
buried.
Scatter mines (depicted as German AT-2 tilt-rod anti tank mines), which cannot be
buried.

The various minefields affect units similarly; the functional difference is that surface-
laid obstacles are clearly visible to students observing the 3D environment and have
a higher chance of being detected by computer-controlled units, while buried mines
are always invisible. The minefields only show on the Map View to the party that
created them and occupy a maximum area of 600m by 100m per single minefield
object. For larger obstacles, create several minefields and align them with a minimal
overlap. The smallest minefield object is 100m by 100m. “Conventional” and
“Advanced” types will form nine rows with twelve mines in irregular spacing.

Hint: It may be beneficial for tactical instruction to place panel flags around mine
obstacles. This could be used for deception purposes by placing just the panels
without a mine obstacle.

Clearing Obstacles
Minefields and steel beams can be breached by mine-clearing equipment such as
the MICLIC trailer and vehicles equipped with mine rollers or mine plows. Engineer
infantry may sweep lanes while dismounted with induction coil type equipment. This
is a slower method than what engineering vehicles can do. General infantry may
also breach lanes through minefields, but are limited to the (very) slow method of
probing the ground with search needles.
Abatises and dragon teeth cannot be breached.

Note: If multiple breach lanes through a single minefield have been created, the
computer-controlled crew will recognize only the last breach that was made.
The recommended action for mission designers is to create arrays of multiple
small minefields, rather than one large one. This will also force human
players to properly reconnoiter the dimensions of the obstacle

In Steel Beasts, the most reliable (and most time consuming) way to breach an
obstacle is to send in a MICLIC vehicle first. Create a waypoint about 50 to 70
meters before the breach site and create a route with Breach tactics straight across
the (suspected or identified) obstacle. Create a standard route toward that first
waypoint. Once the towing vehicle arrives at the waypoint, it will automatically
launch a rocket from the trailer pulling a line-charge of explosives across the
minefield. The charge detonates when the rocket reaches its maximum range. The
detonation causes some nearby mines either to detonate or be thrown clear by the
blast wave.

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Note: MICLIC vehicles are not capable of clearing obstacles other than mines.
Furthermore, MICLICs will never completely clear a path through a minefield.
A breach lane created by MICLIC should be gone through again by mine
rollers or mine plows. If computer controlled, once the MICLIC has fired its
charge it will follow the breach route into the minefield; it’s better to create
an alternative path leading away from the obstacle to move it out of the
way. This allows mine plows or rollers to come through.

Mine rollers and plows should be given the same breach route as was created for
the MICLIC: Send the tanks to a waypoint in front of the minefield, then let them
follow a straight route across the obstacle with Breach tactics. As the tanks cross the
obstacle their plow or rollers will detonate mines or clear away steel beams. While
mine rollers or mine plows are sturdy and designed to absorb the shock of a few
mine detonations, they are not indestructible and will eventually be ripped off from
their carrying vehicles after sustaining several mine hits. Since detonating mines in
front of a tank might still damage the gun tube, computer-controlled crews will
follow the standard procedure to rotate their turrets to the three or nine o’clock
position. This makes them somewhat vulnerable (since it exposes less-armored
parts of the turret) and less capable of returning fire effectively. Therefore it is
imperative to overwatch mine rolling with suitable forces to suppress the obstacle’s
defenders.

Bridging Obstacles
Obstacles such as small streams or tank ditches can be bridged using a bridge layer
vehicle such as the Biber or MT-55. To bridge an obstacle using one of these
vehicles, simply create a route with breach tactics that crosses the obstacle and the
computer-controlled crew will lay down the bridge automatically. If the obstacle is
too wide, the computer-controlled crew may refuse to lay the bridge. When deciding
to manually lay the bridge an accurate recon of the site needs to be done. If the
bridge is manually laid over a span that is too wide, the bridge section will be
dropped in the water or gap and may no longer be recoverable. This cannot be
“repaired” by the Instructor Host Workstation. To manually lay the bridge, press the
space bar while in the bridge layer vehicle. To pick up the bridge, line up the bridge
layer vehicle near the end of the bridge and press the space bar. In network
sessions, only the owner of the vehicle can lay or pick up the bridge.

Fortifications
Field fortifications are used to improve the survivability of dismounted infantry and
combat vehicles in terrain that does not offer sufficient natural protection.

Bunkers and vehicle emplacements are placed in the same manner as obstacles.
Bunkers cannot be lengthened or widened, only rotated and shifted by clicking and
dragging. Vehicle emplacements can be adjusted in length (within limits) to
eventually allow a covered approach, the terrain permitting. Both fortification types

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 are available under the New Fortification menu item. It is also possible to Duplicate
an existing fortification (bunker or vehicle encampment) or abatis obstacle.
Bunkers: A bunker is a reinforced position from which infantry can fight. The cover
provided by a bunker makes it difficult to damage with small-arms and
machine-gun fire. A hit from a HEAT or HE round will destroy a bunker and the
units in it. A direct hit from artillery (HE or ICM) will also destroy a bunker.
Only infantry may occupy a bunker. Computer-controlled vehicles will attempt
to go around rather than over a bunker, but bunkers can be destroyed by
manually driving over them.

Vehicle Emplacements: Steel Beasts offers two-tier emplacements for most

combat vehicles to allow effective hull-down and turret-down positions. Dug-in
vehicles present a small target and are better protected through the
surrounding earthwork. The menu selection for vehicle emplacements activates
another menu to specify the particular vehicle to be dug-in. Different vehicles
are of different heights; what will be hull-down for one vehicle will not
necessarily be hull-down for another. Therefore, take care when selecting
vehicle emplacements to ensure that the correct vehicle goes in the correctly-
sized location. Vehicle emplacements will be visible during the Planning Phase
and have the following properties:
• Single tier, or two tier emplacement. The first offers only a hull-down
position, the other also a turret-down level
• Camouflage. The emplacement’s berm will assume the texture of
surrounding terrain (or not).

The easiest way to get a unit to automatically enter an emplacement is to place

a battle position line about 30 meters before the entrance of the emplacement. A
vehicle in a unit that reaches a battle position line will automatically move into a
nearby emplacement, but only after it first moves up to the battle position line.
Because of this behavior, it is important to place the battle position line well before
the emplacement. Otherwise the vehicles will move up to the battle position first
and then move back down and sidle over to the emplacement, creating unnecessary
and possibly dangerous movement. If the vehicles do not go to the emplacement
set for them they can be manually forced to occupy them. Remember: Infantry can
occupy vehicle emplacements but the reverse is not true.

In combination with deployment zones vehicle emplacements and bunkers may be

shifted during the Planning Phase to support the students’ operations plan. If
desired, this can be prohibited in the context-sensitive menu of the emplacement
(Deployable). The default is In deployment zone, other options are Anywhere and
Nowhere.

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 10 OTHER SUPPORT VEHICLES
In addition to the mine clearing and bridging vehicles discussed in the previous
section, Steel Beasts also has supply and fuel vehicles as well as ambulances, and a
recovery vehicle.

Supply vehicles will resupply ammunition and repair most damage to other
vehicles within a radius of about 75 meters, provided that the vehicles are not under
attack and have been sitting still for about a minute. Resupply and repair will then
begin, although it will take some time before they are completed. Fuel vehicles will
refuel other vehicles in the same manner. Some fuel vehicles can refuel two vehicles
at a time, while others can refuel only one at a time. Putting a unit in Coil formation
with close spacing is a good way to ensure that the vehicles stay close to the supply
or fuel vehicle.
In the map screen supply vehicles will display a semi-transparent, blue 90m supply
radius for each individual vehicle. Supply vehicles in formation will only show the
lead vehicle’s radius. For better control it may be advisable to temporarily split the
unit into individual vehicles until they need to move out again.
The indications that the resupply is taking place can be seen in the 3D view in the
top right hand corner where the percentage clocks will begin to increase as the
resupply takes place. If the unit group comes under fire during a resupply procedure
the vehicles will cease to take supplies. This is obviously a moment of greatest
vulnerability.
Ambulances are special vehicles that are able to “repair” disabled crew members
of vehicles. Ambulances have no effect on infantry. The ambulance will start its
repair work when it gets within about 75 meters of a vehicle with a disabled crew
member. Both vehicles must be stationary in order to do so. Ambulances are
considered special vehicles and will not be targeted by enemy units. Human
students are often tempted to abuse this special status according to international
law „in the game“, for example for reconnaissance in force. This is the reason why
students cannot use binoculars in an external observer’s position. Medics are not
counted when comparing combat strengths in order to define the owner of a region.

Armored recovery vehicles (such as the M88A1, or Wisent) can be used to

accelerate the repair of immobilized vehicles, and can recover vehicles which are
bogged down, disabled or have been destroyed. To tow a vehicle, move the
recovery vehicle close to the disabled vehicle, left-click on the recovery vehicle icon
at the bottom of the 3D view, select Tow vehicle... from the menu, and click on the
immobilized vehicle in the 3D view. If successful, a message should appear
indicating that the vehicle is being hitched. An additional delay may occur while the
vehicle is winched close to the recovery vehicle. Once the vehicle is hitched and
close, the recovery vehicle can be driven in the usual way and the disabled vehicle
will follow in tow. To unhitch the disabled vehicle, left-click on the recovery vehicle
icon at the bottom of the 3D view and select Unhitch from the menu. This function
can also be performed if the towing vehicle has been destroyed.

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 Note: Every (military) vehicle may tow any other (military) vehicle – except
helicopters. They must however move closer to the target vehicle than an ARV
(no winch, just fixed length cables), it takes longer to hitch (and disconnect) a
target, and the towing vehicle must be of the same or higher weight class.

Hint: Recovery vehicles display a blue, semi-transparent 250m recovery radius in the
map screen. In addition, it is possible to script recovery actions with the help
of the corresponding commands ARV options | Hitch nearby vehicle, if… (default
option:not towing vehicle) and Unhitch vehicle, if… (default option: is towing
vehicle), referring to the activity, not the vehicle’s class as a recovery vehicle
as one might think. Note that if the condition Hitch nearby vehicle is set, the
battle position/waypoint marker will receive a blue recovery radius symbol too.

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 11 UNMANNED AERIAL
VEHICLES
An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is a drone aircraft equipped with electro-optical
sensors which can be used to gather data on enemy deployments during the
Planning or Execution Phase. They can also be used as an observer platform for
artillery. These types of UAVs are not armed.
Steel Beasts allows the mission designer to provide students with an option to use
UAV routes in a scenario to gain intelligence of enemy positions prior to the start or
during the conduct of a mission by simulating flights.
The two ways to utilize the UAVs are not mutually exclusive. The first method is for
a pre-mission UAV flight that simulates the student receiving pre mission intel in the
form of video footage. The view comes from a flight down a predetermined route at
a height of approx 250 meters. It will show a trapezoid part of the terrain from
about 700m to 1500m forward of the drone location, and approximately 40°
horizontal field of view.
The second way is to fly a playable UAV during the mission, much the same as
flying a helicopter, on a route and at a height determined by the operator (pilot).
Visual images of the battle space can be seen and a laser used for target location.

Planning Phase
Right-click the map screen in the Mission Editor. Select New UAV route to include UAV
reconnaissance for the students in the Planning Phase. Multiple routes may be
created. A UAV route is created in the same way as routes for other units. They are
rendered as a bold white line. UAV routes may be altered, moved and deleted as
with other routes. They may not be assigned conditions and do not have properties.
The flight of a UAV over the route(s) can only be played back by the student during
the Planning Phase (both in solitaire and network sessions). Once the mission has
started, access to the UAV flight is lost and the data is not recorded as part of the
AAR. VCR-style controls are used to view the footage recorded by the UAV; a
student may elect to view the terrain in forward or reverse directions at normal or
fast speed and may pause the playback at any point. UAV overflights will reveal
troops and emplacements within their field of view. In the Map Screen (F5) a red
pointer denotes the position of the UAV at any point along the route and indicates
the direction of the UAV at that point. In 3D view the direction of the flight is
indicated by the red turret at the top right corner of the screen. The replay will be
repeated until stopped by the student.

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 Execution Phase
Right-click the map screen in the Mission Editor. Select New unit | Others | UAV. They
are available as single units and may be treated in the same way as other units.
Infantry units can also be equipped with micro-UAVs; further information on this
option can be found in Chapter 6, section “Controlling UGV and Micro-UAV”. A UAV
flight route is created in the same way as routes for other aerial units and may be
altered, moved and deleted. UAV routes may be assigned conditions and do have
properties. If a UAV is given a route with the direction, height and speed set before
it starts it will take off on the route when the session starts, unless the route has
been given another condition. If a player alters the preset parameters of the UAV
route it will disregard the route and continue to fly, this includes using the waypoint
feature in 3D mode. It must now be taken over by a human player or given another
route.

Hint: UAVs cannot hover. When reaching the end of a route, they will start to circle
until a new command is given. If you set the height at ground level and the
movement route is blocked by a condition tested to be false, the drone will
be forced to circle with flight speed at ground level, which will almost
certainly lead to a collision and a crash.

The UAV is controlled by a player using the same keys to control any unit’s
movement, with the added keys of Q and Z to change the UAVs altitude. When
flying a UAV, the student may toggle the thermal view by using the default hotkey,
Num+. Use the mouse to control the view, and N or Shift+N to zoom in and out. In
the Map Screen (F5) the unit icon denotes the position of the UAV, as with other
units. In 3D view (F8) the direction of the flight is indicated by the compass reading
at the top of the screen. Underneath that from left to right is the grid reference,
height in feet and the speed in knots (1 knot is 1.852 km/h). The red vehicle icon in
the bottom right hand corner still gives an indication of the direction of travel, as for
all icons. In the Commander’s position (F7) the view changes to day thermal camera
with a set of white cross hairs which are the indication of where the camera/laser
range finder is pointing with another set of figures at the bottom of the screen
indicating azimuth, range, grid and elevation of the point the laser is locked onto.
While in the Commander’s position (F7) the mouse is used to shift the point at with
the camera/laser is looking. Upon activation (Ctrl) the laser will designate a target
point on the ground until a new steering impulse is given by mouse or joystick. The
lased grid is also sent to the artillery target list and is recognized from other targets
with the prefix LRF. The grid/target can then be engaged as all normal artillery
targets.

WARNING: If flown low and slow the UAVS are vulnerable to ground fire. If
flown high, air defense units such as the 2S6 Tunguska may still
successfully detect and engage them. The UAV has approximately 3
hours endurance and will run out of fuel if left unattended. Once
grounded, the instructor can use the function Repair all to repair the
drone in order to restore its functionality.

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Troubleshooting UAVs
Problem: A UAV will not fly.
Check the following:
• Do you own the UAV( you cannot give movement instructions to a unit you do
not own)?
• Does the UAV have a movement route?
• Is there an unsatisfied condition on the route?
• Is the UAV damaged?
• Does the UAV have fuel?

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 12 CONTROL LOGIC
Control Logic enables a mission designer, instructor or student to control multiple
units, to coordinate a number of simultaneous activities and to automate certain
functions in a mission. The use of Control Logic is a simple example of using
computers for things they are good at instead of a human player.
Control Logic is a set of programmed instructions that can be given to units, both
computer- and player-controlled before and during a mission.
The three basic types are Conditions, Events, and Triggers:
A Condition is present-orientated information that is evaluated continuously
throughout the mission. Conditions can therefore be true or not true
many times throughout a mission. They can be applied to units, routes,
waypoints and to any party of a given scenario.
An Event is past-oriented information that is evaluated until it becomes true.
Once true it remains that way for the rest of the mission. Events can be
tied to a Condition and applied to any party of a given scenario.
A Trigger is a binary state variable that can be set and reset many times only
by human players during a mission and applied to any party of a given
scenario.
At the very least, mission designers must be proficient with the use of Control Logic
in Steel Beasts. But everybody will profit from it, e.g. students during the Planning
Phase of a mission.

Conditions
As defined previously, a condition in Steel Beasts is an expression that can be tested
for a true or false result. Conditions can be assigned to a variety of different objects
such as routes, waypoints, and events in order to activate different actions such as
embarking on a route. Conditions are assigned in the map screen through context-
sensitive menus. Special global conditions can also be defined in the Control menu of
the Mission Editor.

A condition is defined by filling out entries in a dialog box, which will pop up when
the mission is assigned. The dialog box opens in case of items in the context-
sensitive menu containing an „...if...“, or in case of global events and conditions
from the Control menu. The upper part of the dialog box shows a Boolean grouping
of up to seven statements. (A Boolean expression can be only true or false.) The
lower part of the dialog box displays the possible statements that can be selected.
For the entire condition to be true, the whole Boolean expression on top must be
true, which in turn depends on the statements selected. Only the boxes in the
Boolean expression that have check marks play any role in evaluating the
expression. Boxes without check marks are ignored.

To assign a statement in the Boolean expression, click on one of the white boxes in
the upper part of the window. The box will turn green. Now select one of the

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statements in the lower portion of the window by clicking on the radio button next
to the statement. Once a radio button is clicked, a check mark will appear in the
green box of the Boolean expression above, indicating that the selected statement
has been assigned to that box. Change a statement by clicking on its text boxes.
Left-clicking the text box will show the next available value in the text box; right-
clicking will show the previous available value. To clear the statement, click the Clear
button at the right of the dialog box.

Once the Boolean expression is evaluated as true, the condition remains set to true
until it is reset. The embark condition of a route is reset whenever a unit arrives at
the waypoint where the route begins. The retreat condition of a route is reset
whenever a unit embarks on the route. The open-fire condition at a waypoint is
reset whenever a unit arrives at the waypoint. Global conditions in the Control Logic
menu of the Mission Editor are constantly reset, so they always reflect the current
status of the Boolean expression.

A delay can also be added before the condition is tested or after it becomes true by
entering delay times in the two boxes to the right of the Boolean expression. Adding
a delay before testing is useful, for instance, at an embark condition in which the
unit should advance if it doesn’t see any enemies. In this case, the unit should stop
for a moment at the waypoint and observe the surrounding area for a while before
determining that there are really no enemies around. To have a simple delay
condition, leave the Boolean expression blank and just fill in a delay time. To delay
the execution of a decision, use the Delay after True option.

Note: The delay checkbox is only available if there is already a condition set upon
which the delay can be applied.

Statements
Most condition statements are self-explanatory, although a few items deserve some
clarification.

• The terms friendly and enemy have relative meanings. For Blue forces, Red is
the enemy, and vice versa. Of course this depends on the settings chosen in
the Party Configuration dialog box.
• Known enemy refers to enemy combatants that have actually been detected by
friendly units, and about which the deciding unit is informed; if the unit that has
spotted the enemy has radio damage and cannot send a spot report, the
deciding unit will act on the presumption that no enemy is present.
• Regions must first be created (by creating a closed polygon map graphic)
before they can be referenced in a statement.
• Incremental time is the time since the condition was reset (such as when a unit
first reaches a waypoint).

Finally, the random number statement needs some explanation. At the start of a
mission, a set of 63 numbers (X1, X2, … , X63) are initialized to independent random
values between 0 and 100. Once the mission starts, these numbers do not
change. The value of any one of these 63 random numbers can be tested in the

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 random-number statement. For example, the statement might be true if random
variable X8 is greater than 0 and less than 20. By using the same random number in
different conditions, coordinated random behavior can be created – like
randomly chosen alternative courses of action for a computer-controlled body of
multiple units.
The random number New is an exception and is randomly generated every time the
condition is reset.

Events
An event, which is created in the Control menu of the Mission Editor, is a binary state
variable with a condition assigned to it. Events, which can be either true or false,
start out as false and become true when its assigned condition is satisfied. Once an
event is true, it stays true until the Execution Phase ends. This is unlike a Condition,
which can be reset as often as desired (i.e. to a maximum number of 60 times a
second) during the Execution Phase.

Some Conditions can also reference Events. Events are useful for displaying radio
messages during the Execution Phase and can be given a name for a more
convenient reference in other dialog boxes. Events are also an important part of
scoring, which is discussed further below in this chapter.

Scenario Events may play embedded media files when their condition is true.
Supported file formats are:
• avi • mpg • mov
• mp3 • mpeg • wav
• mp4 • mkv • wmv
The media files will be embedded in the scenario file. The 'Event' logic window
allows playing back a test sound sample for the mission designer to compare their
custom sound sample’s volume; the volume may require to be adjusted by an
external application. The Event dialog box allows to pause a mission during playback
(or not).

Global Conditions
A global (or “nameable”) Condition, which is created in the Control menu of the
Mission Editor, can be used much like an Event. Unlike Events, nameable Conditions
can switch back and forth between true and false during the Execution Phase. Steel
Beasts keeps track of the length of time that a nameable Condition has been in its
current state, and this can be used in other Conditions. For example, an embark
condition might have this line in it: “Condition 1 is true for at least 1:24.”

Global Conditions can be used to simplify mission design. If there is a common

condition that is used in more than one place, it’s better to set one global Condition
and then reference it throughout the mission. If a change is needed later on, only
that one Condition needs to be changed instead of changing multiple instances of
the same condition.

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Nameable Conditions also allow more flexibility in the scoring formula, especially
concerning the status of a mission when it ends.

Triggers
A Trigger, which can be named in the Control menu of the Mission Editor, is a binary
state variable that is set or reset by the player at any time during the planning or
Execution Phases. Please open the dialog box for triggers in the control menu. In
this dialog box you can set the name of the Trigger. Additionally you can set the
owner of the trigger as well. This is a good idea when preparing a network session.
It can prevent the students from using a Trigger for which they are not responsible
accidentally or with destructive intent. A Trigger starts out as reset and can be set
and later reset any number of times by using the menus or by pressing the hotkey
Shift + Trigger number. Since Triggers can be referenced by most conditions, they
provide a simple way to coordinate actions such as having certain units embark on
routes.

For example, the mission designer can create one set of conditioned routes for a left
flank attack and another set of conditioned routes for a right flank attack. The
embark conditions for the left flank routes might be set to Trigger 1 and those for
the right flank routes might be set to Trigger 2. This way, the student can quickly
choose which way to conduct the attack by simply pressing a hotkey during the
exercise. Triggers can also be given names to make the meaning of the Trigger
clear.

Tips for Using Control Logic

If a mission designer, instructor or student intends to use some of the aspects of
Control Logic in a mission they may need to consider the following points:

Plan the use of Control Logic. Indiscriminate use of control logic will not assist
and may hinder the conduct of a complex mission. Users should plan
wisely for the use of the various elements, what to use, when and why.
Document the intent of the Control Logic. It is a common mistake to neglect
documentation and regret it later. If the mission is to be used by others
as a training event at a later time, the control logic should be
documented so future players can follow what was intended.
Use easily understood names. Where the control logic can be named, e.g.
Triggers, use easily recognizable names so that players are able to
quickly understand the intent of using the Trigger.
Practice. Designers and players will need to rehearse the application of the
Control Logic to ensure it is producing the outcome that was intended.

Tip: Leave Triggers 1…10 to student use, e.g. when developing the course of action
in the Planning Phase. These can be activated through hotkeys like Shift+1 …
Shift + 0. Triggers 11 … 63 can only be set off through the System menu by
deliberate mouse action.

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 13 RUNNING A MISSION
Training sessions in Steel Beasts, whether networked or not, are centered around
the individual mission, which can be divided into three distinct phases: the Planning
Phase, the Execution Phase, and the After-action review (AAR) Phase.

When opening a mission Steel Beasts checks whether the map package for this
scenario is available.

Opening older missions

Version 4.1 introduces significant changes to the data structure for maps used in
missions. When opening a legacy mission (i.e. a mission created with an older
version of Steel Beasts), Steel Beasts tries to restore the map embedded in this
mission. Then, depending on the result, Steel Beasts displays a window with
instructions on how to locate or migrate the map. In order to play the mission the
user has to follow these instructions in order to locate or, as a last resort, to extract
the needed map.

Planning Phase
After opening a mission, the Planning Phase of the simulation begins. The Planning
Phase provides the student with a text briefing, interactive contour map, and terrain
preview to aid in planning a course of action for the mission. The mission clock does
not run during the Planning Phase.

Only allied units will be shown (even for instructors - they can, however, simply
switch sides). Some missions might also show initial enemy positions and strengths
on the Map Screen. Read the mission briefing carefully because these enemy
positions could contain deliberate errors by the mission designer to reflect imperfect
intelligence.

During the Planning Phase the student can specify initial routes and response tactics
for units under his control. Range rings can be displayed to indicate the maximum
weapons range of a combatant. Informational map graphics can be added and sent
to other players if in a network session. A hard copy of the map can also be printed
out. In some training exercises it is in this stage that the student can “divide” his
forces into the groupings he deems appropriate after considering the tactical
problem. This is particularly useful if using Steel Beasts as the practical application
of a Tactical Exercise Without Troops (TEWT) plan.

The line-of-sight (LOS) tool, which shows a vehicle’s level of exposure at a given
location relative to the surrounding terrain, is also available in the Planning Phase as

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an indicator for the vulnerability of a possible battle position. (see Chapter 5, THE
MAP SCREEN).

A Logistics state report can be displayed in the map view and printed from the File
menu in the Planning Phase. The report consists of the unit currently controlled by
the player and subordinate units, if any. If the student owns the CO unit, the report
displays the ammunition and fuel levels for all platoons of the company owned by
the student. If the student is only the owner of two platoons of the same company,
the report only shows the fuel and ammunition level of his current platoon.
To examine the terrain in 3D, select a location by right-clicking on the map and click
View. This option provides a 3D view of the select area. Navigate the terrain by
pressing W to accelerate, X to decelerate, S to stop, A and D to move left and right,
Q and Z to move up and down. Click the left mouse button once to use the mouse to
control viewing direction. The hotkeys N and Shift + N adjust the zoom level.
Although all regions will be visible, no enemy units will be shown in this mode.
Return to the map view by pressing F5; to switch back to the 3D view, press F1.
This may be useful for a student to move around the battle space and view his
defensive locations from the enemy perspective.

Some options such as disabling the Gunnery Log (to reduce memory usage) can be
set through the menu bar at the top of the screen in the Planning Phase. The
student may also customize the default behavior of infantry in buildings, and the
default waypoint tactics at the end of each type of a new route. While the former
will show the effect during the execution phase, the latter will immediately affect
the student’s workflow.

Hint: Before you enter the Execution Phase, be sure to adjust the contour line
spacing of the map view to your preferences. Most users consider the
default contour line spacing too large.

Execution Phase
The Execution Phase begins once the green Start button at the top-right corner of
the screen is clicked in the Planning Phase. In network sessions the host (or the
instructor) chooses when to click it. In solitaire mode, the student does. The
mission clock will now run and the action will unfold. During the Execution Phase
the student can occupy the position of observer, commander, gunner, driver, or
mounted squad leader in any vehicle that the player owns. Some crew positions
may not be accessible because they are not modeled or because access to these
positions has been restricted by the mission designer. Wherever no human crew
member is present the simulation will substitute it with a computer-controlled crew
member.

The Menu Bar

In any non-map view, a retractable menu bar is located at the top of the screen.
Many entries in the following menus are designed not to show the current status,
but to indicate the effect if activated. These buttons support activation by

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 mousewheel. So putting the mousecursor over (e.g.) the 'realism' button, scrolling
up will cycle through 'high > med > low' while scrolling down will cycle 'low > med
> high'. The menu bar contains the following items; note that not every entry is
available at any time, some are vehicle specific, others may only be available
depending on the scenario’s settings:
• System
o Quit
Ends the Execution Phase and proceeds with the AAR
o Create Bookmark
Adds a bookmark for the AAR (see below)
o Enable Detail Cam
Follows the chosen unit in the external position and toggles between
several animated tracking shots. Note that the displayed toggle state
represents what will happen if you activate it. So the default enty is
Enable Detail Cam ON, because it is switched off (Click this entry to turn
the detail cam on. Click it again to turn it off.)
o Smart Cam ON/OFF
This toggles automatic camera behavior in the observers position. Again,
the displayed toggle state represents what will happen if you activate it.
o Show frame rate/Hide frame rate
As with the previous entry the menu (or Alt+F12) reads what will happen
if you click it. In this case it will display the frame rate counter in the
upper left hand corner in orange color. In addition, statistics of memory
usage and packet loss rates are shown.
o Show mouse vector/Hide mouse vector
This command draws a line from the screen center to the invisible mouse
position. As before, the menu state doesn’t show the current setting, but
what will happen if you activate it.
o Controls
This (or Alt+C) opens a dialog box to look up and to reconfigure hotkeys
of the keyboard layout. It contains a search field that allows the student
to do an incremental search in the descriptions of all available commands
- only the descriptions which contain the search term will be displayed.
o Graphics
This (or Alt+G) opens a dialog box to configure some scene render
options.
o Terrain detail distance
This (or Alt+D) opens a dialog box to configure other scene render
options.
o Visibility
This entry (Alt+V) is only available for the host of a network session. It
opens a dialog to set the visibility limit (independent of the weather
settings) and the minimum brightness (independent of the time of the
day) for all participants of the network session.
o Audio options
This entry opens a slide control to set the overall volume (Alt+S).
o Triggers
This entry will open a nested submenu displaying the list of all available
triggers in the current exercise. Note that the availability of triggers may

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 depend on the ownership of certain units, and that it does not make a
statement about whether the triggers will actually do something.
Hopefully the mission briefing clarifies that bit.
o Onlinejoin wizard
This entry is only available for the host of a network session. It pauses
the current session and opens a dialog allowing additional participants to
join the network session; for these clients it appears as if you were
entering the Assembly Hall.

• Position
The Position menu shows a checkmark in front of the position in which you
currently are. Clicking on a different entry magically transports you there.
o Next unit
This command cycles through all available units under your command (if
there are more than one). You will teleport to the leader vehicle of each
unit.
o Next vehicle
This command cycles through all available subordinate vehicles under
your command (if there are more than one). You will teleport into the
observer’s position of the next vehicle.
o Gunner position
o Commander position
o Observer position
o Driver position
o Squad Leader position

• View
The View menu shows a checkmark in front of the view that you currently see.
Clicking on a different entry magically changes that.
o Toggle mag./Zoom in
Depending on the position in which you are, this may bring up a
binocular view or a weapon scope or simply zoom in the camera.
o Eye view
An unmagnified view of what a person would normally see. Note that
during the absence of sunlight you may be able to activate night vision
goggles if your current unit happens to be equipped with them.
o Gunner’s primary sight /IR sight /Remote weapon station
Instructor Host only: Instructors may use these entries from the
observer’s position to monitor what the crew is currently seeing.
o Gunners auxiliary sight /Day sight
Instructor Host only: Instructors may use these entries from the
observer’s position to monitor what the crew is currently seeing.
o CWS sight
Instructor Host only: Instructors may use these entries from the
observer’s position to monitor what the crew is currently seeing.
o Map

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 • Formation
o Close
Reduces the distance between vehicles to half the normal range.
o Normal
Typically, this will set the intervehicular spacing to fifty meters.
o Wide
Increases the distance to twice the normal range.
o Echelon left
Concentrates a platoon’s observation and firepower to the front and left.
o Line
Concentrates a platoon’s observation and firepower to the front. Works
for infantry as well (as a staggered line).
o Echelon right
Concentrates a platoon’s observation and firepower to the front and right.
o Wedge
Disables a platoon’s observation and firepower concentration for an all-
round security.
o Column
Reduces a platoon’s observation and firepower to the front to a
minimum. Best used in narrow spaces. Works for infantry as well.
o Dual Column
A more compact, staggered variant of the (single file) column formation.
Available for infantry squads, too.
o Vee
Almost disables a platoon’s observation and firepower concentration with
only a slight emphasis to the front.
o Coil
Only for stationary use during resupply.
o Herring bone
Only for stationary use during resupply.

• Vehicle
o Unbutton / Button up
As the vehicle commander, you may order other crew members to open
or close their individual hatches.
o Pop smoke
Fires a salvo of smoke grenades to obscure your current position or to
confound the enemy about your intent (if any).
o Reload | …
Lets you select the transfer of ammunition from vehicle storage to ready
compartment, be it a specific type or all of them. Some vehicles need to
rotate the turret into a specific position. Generally a vehicle crew’s
attention will be absorbed with the ammunition handling and their
attention level drops to a minimum. For both reasons it is a good idea to
enact a reload only in defilade and with other vehicles or other platoons
providing local security.

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 Note that computer-controlled units without movement orders and in the
absence of spotted enemy will initiate ammunition reload on their own
initiative. 21
o Change barrel …
A submenu lets you select among the mounted machine guns to prevent
overheating of gun barrels. To access this menu the student must not
only be in the correct crew position, but also in the right location to
service the weapon. Typically this would be unbuttoned next to the
weapon itself, be it the commander’s heavy machine gun or an HMG
mounted on a remote weapon station.

• Platoon
(only enabled if the player is owning the platoon's ranking combatant)
o Hold fire /Open fire
This menu entry toggles with the fire control state of the unit, displaying
the effect of the entry if activated.
o Return fire only
Orders the unit to fire only if fired upon. This provides you with the moral
high ground at the expense of initiative and force preservation.
o Smoke gen. ON/OFF
This toggles the current vehicle’s smoke generator (if any). Note that the
displayed toggle state represents what will happen if you activate it.
o Engines ON/OFF
Initiates a short count followed by synchronized engine shutdown (or
start) to conceal the number of vehicles in your platoon from enemy
noise interception (big ears). Note that this command only works at a
platoon level. A company-wide vehicle start-up would require the
coordination of human players each in the platoon leader’s position. The
short count automation works only for those vehicles under computer
control. Such a command will be ignored by human drivers (they will
hear the countdown radio message and may or may not act on it). For a
vehicle with an AI driver, only its owner (typically its commander) is
allowed to command to turn the engine on/off. For a vehicle with a
human driver, only he is allowed to command to turn the engine on/off
(so the human driver need not be the owner of the vehicle!)
In case some vehicles in a formation have their engines off and others
have it on, the 'platoon' menu in the status bar will show both 'engine on'
and 'engine off' commands to allow the formation leader to force a given
state. Using the engine toggle key in such cases will take the formation
leader's vehicle as a reference (i.e. if his vehicle has the engine on, he
will command the platoon to turn their engines off, and vice versa).
o Unload troops / Load troops

21
This may turn out to be a source of frustration, should the enemy choose this
inopportune moment to surprise them. This surprise will almost guaranteed to
be negative. Unfortunately, the alternative would be to run out of ammunition
after a series of fire fights, which would probably be equally frustrating – just in
a fresh and different way.

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 • Ammo
Lets you order the type of ammunition for your next engagement (if you are
the vehicle’s commander; the gunner and loader have no say in this decision,
even if they are human and the commander is not.)
o KE
Any kind of kinetic energy round loaded in your vehicle, be it API,
APFSDS, APDS, FAPDS, or plain ball ammo.
o HEAT
Typically used for hollow charged munitions; IFVs will however typically
use HE-munitions here or other multi-purpose rounds.
o Special 1
Could be anything including canister, PELE, MPAT, OR, or smoke.
o Special 2
Could be anything other than Special 1.
o Coaxial MG

• Support
o A list of the queue of fire support missions
This includes active missions, missions waiting for approval, and old fire
missions that have not yet been terminated and which are therefore
blocking the queue. You may need to clean up the mess.
o Call for fire
This opens a dialog box to call for fire (if artillery support is available; see
Chapter 9, FIRE SUPPORT, OBSTACLES, FORTIFICATIONS)

A logistic state report can be displayed in the map view and printed from the File
menu in the Execution Phase. This report displays the ammunition and fuel levels
for the platoon, (or for the entire company if the student owns the CO or XO unit).

During the Execution Phase the student can check the positions of units and issue
orders to any player-owned units from the map screen. (What a player owns and
the meaning of certain icon colors will be expanded on in Chapter 5, THE MAP
SCREEN; this assumes that the map screen and map updates have not been
disabled by the mission designer.) The locations of units are updated on the map
only after a friendly unit has sent a report. If radio contact is lost, reports cannot be
sent or received – this includes calls for artillery support. Enemy units are shown
only if a friendly unit has detected the enemy and has sent a report; the reported
position will disappear after a few minutes if contact is lost. Since reports from
friendly units in other companies and battalions are delayed, the detected unit might
not be shown or updated until some time after the enemy has actually been
detected by those friendly units.

Just right of center at the bottom of the 3D-view screen is a set of unit symbols
that graphically represent the unit that the player currently occupies. Symbols for
the individual vehicles that comprise the unit are displayed below the unit symbol. A
pop-up menu will be displayed when clicking on the unit or vehicle symbol, from
which commands can be issued to: reload ammunition (from stored to ready rack);
hold or open fire; move to, observe (direction) or fire upon (suppress) a point to be
selected in the 3D view. Points and directions must be set later in the 3D-view by

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left-clicking. Vehicles with mounted troops have additional menu items similar to
those just described to control each squad.

In the classroom version, the Instructor Host option is available for Network
Training sessions, which allows the instructor to observe and control and interact
with the session to enforce any rules that have been set, “healing” unwanted
developments by for example moving a stuck unit to another place or repairing
damages. and ensure training points are highlighted. It allows special capabilities
such as creating or removing obstacles, calling fast-arriving artillery, magic moving
vehicles, units or damaging and repairing vehicles. The Instructor Host can also see
all combatants on the map and the 3D view if desired. In addition he can use a
freeflight camera for the movement in the 3D-view. Finally, he may assign the role
of assistant instructors to a select group of participants.

Bookmarks
(Only) Instructors – in version 3.315 or later – can create bookmarks during the
exercise which will then serve as reminders in the following AAR (see below). In
essence, they are text labels with an automatically generated time stamp, the
Instructor’s callsign, and a coordinate of the instructor’s location at the bookmark’s
creation time. To create a bookmark, use
1. the File Menu… Create bookmark, or
2. the hotkey Alt+Num*
This will open a window showing the current timestamp with a combination element
of a text field and a drop-down menu. You may now enter your text, or select from
a list of preconfigured comments.
Click OK (or press Enter) to store the bookmark in the AAR event stream.
You may preconfigure your most commonly used phrases in the folder
Documents\eSim Games\Steel Beasts\export by creating the file bookmarkstrings.txt.
The drop-down menu will display all lines of this text file to select from.

Note: Limit your entries to about 50 characters in length to prevent text

overflow. Also, while you can store a nearly unlimited number of entries
in the bookmarkstrings.txt file, doing so probably defeats the purpose of
a quick reference.

AAR Purgatory
In a network session, after the end of the Execution Phase, and if the current
mission contains an Advanced Gunnery Score, the Instructor Host may screen the
gunnery events of his students for procedure violations. Short free text comments
(under 32 characters) may also be added. Once complete, the session will continue
for the students with the

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 After Action Review Phase
Steel Beasts supports exercise debriefings with its After Action Review event
playback functions. (The exercise debriefing focuses on the performance of the
participants in relation to the training objectives.) Further information can be found
in Chapter 16, CONSTRUCTIVE SIMULATION.

Once the student quits the mission (by pressing Esc) if playing an Offline Session,
or if the mission ends on its own (if all player-owned units are destroyed, or if the
mission designer sets a time limit or a condition to end the mission), the Execution
Phase ends and the After Action Review begins. The initial view displayed in the
map screen shows some basic statistical information about the students’
performances and the overall mission results including a descriptive score (if defined
by the scenario designer). In Network Sessions only the Session Host workstation
can end the mission.

The locations and state of friendly and enemy units at different times during the
battle can be reviewed by using the playback window, which has a time slider bar
and VCR-type controls. Click the Play button with the Non-events box checked for a
replay of the entire scenario (captured at intervals of 4 seconds at most). Check the
Events box to stop the playback at tactically relevant events and bookmarks created
by the instructor. Check the Gunnery box to stop the playback at gunnery events (for
classroom version). The time slider bar can also be clicked and dragged to any point
on the time scale.
If bookmarks were created, there is also the button Bookmarks. Open all bookmarks
by all instructors with one click. A simple left click will then move the map and the
timeline to the point, where the bookmark was created by the instructor. 22

The recorded state of the battle can be viewed in either the map screen or in the 3D
world by selecting the appropriate dropdown menu entry of the playback window.
(F1 and F5 will also switch between the 3D world and map screen.) In addition,
Gunnery events can be viewed from various sights and sensors so that the
instructor can see what the student saw when the student lased, fired and hit the
target (or the ground). In the world view, direction bars are drawn to show where
and how the vehicle was hit (the bars’ diameter reflects the projectile caliber, their
color denotes the ammunition type). Additional recorded information is also
displayed in the text box of the playback window to help the instructor determine if
the student followed proper procedures.

The map screen can display friendly and enemy units in different ways through
settings contained in the menus at the top of the map screen. The map unit
symbols can be toggled in the Options menu to show perfect knowledge of all
combatants, or just detected units. By choosing the corresponding party the user
can see what units were detected from either party. The Show menu also allows the
unit symbol of any friendly combatant or group of combatants to be filtered out
from the map. (Note that the meanings of friendly and enemy are relative to the

22
Yes, think in four dimensions here!

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selected party.) When a friendly combatant is filtered out by unchecking it in the
Show menu, then its unit symbol will not appear on the map, and any enemy units it
detected will no longer be shown on the map of detected enemy units. For example,
by selecting only one unit in the Show menu, the display will show only that one
friendly unit and only those enemy units that the one friendly unit detected. As in
the Planning Phase, a hardcopy of the map can be printed, and the LOS tool is also
available.
The AAR is held in the memory of the Instructor Host Work Station and all player
workstations until they are shut down.

AARs record the state of the vehicle crew, i.e. whether they're inside the vehicle,
peeking out of the hatch or all the way out of the hatch.
Also recorded are the position of the troop hatches and troop doors; as currently in
the Execution Phase, an open troop hatch implies infantry looking out of that hatch.

Note: Crew hatch positions are coupled to crew state (which may not 100%
reflect what happened in the scenario); if a crewmember is all the way in
the hatch it will be shown as closed. For the commander, the 'open
protected' position will be shown if he was just peeking out of the hatch
and the 'all the way open' position if he is completely out of the hatch.

AAR Files
When Quit or Esc is selected a splash screen will prompt the operator to save the
AAR. If selected the AAR will be saved in a file location as described in Chapter 2,
INSTALLATION AND SETUP and can be replayed at a later time by accessing the
AAR file from the Main Menu’s Load AAR item. The issue of backwards compatibility
of AAR files applies the same as for missions. Older files can be opened in newer
versions of Steel Beasts. Newer files cannot be opened in an older version. If disc
space is an issue students and instructors need to be aware that AAR files can be
quite large.

Note: Legacy AAR files will lack crew state information; for them all crews are
shown in the buttoned position, all crew hatches, troop doors, and
hatches rendered as closed.

Note: On from versions SB Pro PE 4.0 / classroom 3.317 and higher AAR files
may exceed the previous 2GByte file limit (up to the rather theoretical 64
bit address space limit, somewhere in the Exabyte range).

Tabular Report
In addition to the information available in the AAR, a tabulated HTML report of the
mission is generated automatically when the Execution Phase ends. The report can
be found in the reports folder within the PERSONAL directory. (See Chapter 2,
INSTALLATION AND SETUP, on the file structure for more information on the
directory location.) This report can be viewed later or imported into a spreadsheet
program for further analysis.

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 14 NETWORK SESSIONS
Important: Some (really) old computers may have a power-saving feature that
dynamically changes the processor clock speed without properly communicating
with active applications. Steel Beasts uses the processor’s clock to maintain
synchronization during network sessions. If the CPU fails to signal its change of
clock speed this kind of power-saving feature could cause the host to drop the
connection. In the very rare case that you experience such a problem we
recommend that you turn off the power-saving feature. This is usually done in the
BIOS of the computer, but we recommend that you read the operating manual of
your computer before attempting to disable it.

Overview
A network training session in Steel Beasts is very similar to Offline Sessions except
that more than one vehicle and crew position can be occupied by students, the
instructor, or both. Both cooperative and competitive engagements are possible.
Any mission available for Offline mode can be used for network training as long as
the mission contains at least one player-controlled combatant. Before the mission
begins, each student chooses a party and initial position (or is assigned one by the
Instructor Host Workstation). As with Offline mode, all unoccupied combatants and
positions will be controlled by the computer. Similarly, once the Execution Phase
begins, students may jump to any unoccupied position of any vehicle or squad on
their party (with some restrictions, explained later). When the mission is over, the
score calculations are determined exactly the same way as in Offline training.

Depending on the mission and how the participants choose parties and positions,
any form of cooperative or competitive training is possible. Depending on the
vehicle, students can even occupy the same virtual vehicle as commander, gunner,
driver, and squad leader. For purely tactical training, a one-on-one competitive
mission is very much like performing an Offline training session except that a
human, rather than a computer, is controlling the other party.

Although any mission can be used for either Offline or Network training, inherent
differences in the training intent and general level of responsibility make certain
missions better suited for one or the other. Of course, if you don’t find a mission
that exactly suits your needs you can always create it using the integrated mission
and map editors. Please read the section on Distributed Scenario Development in
chapter 7 for large scale network exercises.

If you are a new customer of the Personal Edition you may find the
online community's tips and tricks useful which were collected in the
SB Wiki. 23
23
http://www.steelbeasts.com/sbwiki

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Who Controls What?
One complication of network based team training is ensuring that not more than
one student controls the same vehicle or unit at the same time. Although it is
straightforward to prevent students from occupying the same position in the same
vehicle, the potential problem of multiple humans issuing conflicting routes or
orders to the same unit still exists.
The approach used in Steel Beasts to solve this problem is to assign ownership of
each unit to a single student before the mission begins, and then allow only the
owner of a unit to issue driving commands to that unit – quite similar to military
hierarchy of clearly defined and limited authority. Different students can own
different units, but each unit has only one owner. Once the session begins,
ownership does not change, unless one student gives a unit he controls to another,
a student drops out of the session, or ownership is changed by the Instructor Host
Workstation. Only the owner of a vehicle can occupy the TC position, issue driving
commands to the computer-controlled driver, or assign routes to that unit. Other
players can jump into the external position or gunner’s or driver’s positions, if
allowed, but they cannot issue driving commands to the computer-controlled driver
or create routes for the unit.

Just before the session begins, all the units are assigned to an owner. The decision
of who owns what is based on the rank of the vehicle initially picked in the Assembly
Hall. The higher the rank, the more units are controlled. The general rules for
assigning control at the start of a session are as follows:
• Gunners and drivers own no vehicles. If you want to create routes or issue
driving commands to the computer-controlled driver, start in the commander’s
position.
• Vehicle commanders always own their vehicle.
• Platoon leaders always own their vehicle, as well as all vehicles in their unit that
do not have a human commander.
• Company commanders (or the player with the highest rank in the company, if
there is no CO) own their vehicle and all vehicles in their company that are not
owned by a human commander or platoon leader.
• If there is a company that has no human commander, platoon leader, or CO,
then all the vehicles in that company are owned by the player in the overall
highest ranking vehicle.

Once the mission begins, you can tell which units you own by looking at the map
screen. Units in medium blue are owned by you, whereas units in light blue are
owned by either the computer or another player.

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 Instructor Host Mode
Note: In this manual we distinguish between “Instructor”, a short form for
Instructor Host Workstation, and “instructor”, the training supervisor.

Steel Beasts Professional differentiates between the instructor and students by

assigning special capabilities to the operator in control of the network server. The
instructor can view all units as if he were omniscient and manipulate the training
session during the Execution Phase almost as if he were using the Mission Editor.
Note that the Instructor Host Mode is not available in the Personal Edition of Steel
Beasts. When using the Instructor Host Workstation (IHWS) in a training mission
the use of its functionality, e.g. repairing killed units, should be controlled by an
Instructor to ensure the integrity of the mission.
In the Assembly Hall the Instructor may elevate the status of a participant to
assistant instructor. They will have the same powers, except ending the exercise.

Moving and Observing

Unlike students, the instructor is not bound to any vehicle or party and is not limited
in information about friendly and enemy units. He does not need to select a vehicle
or party in the Assembly Hall and can move at will in the 3D terrain with a free-flight
camera.
From the menu items in the map screen, the instructor can choose to change sides
and view what the other party can see or he can set the display icons in the options
menu to see all combatants (to issue orders or activate context menus he still needs
to switch to the corresponding party). The Participants menu presents a list of all
students by computer name or call sign, who are logged into the current session as
well as the instructor’s call sign. Clicking on a name will center the map on this
participant’s unit. For ease of identification in a large scenario recognizable call signs
or names should be used rather than computer names. This also assists the
Instructor when observing the Assembly Hall to ensure all players are in the mission.

The Instructor can right-click any terrain spot in the map screen and select View
from the context sensitive menu to view the 3D world. Movement and view controls
in the 3D world are similar to those in the map preview of the Planning Phase. From
the external observer’s position (F8), the Instructor may select sight view hotkeys
such as F2 to replicate the students’ sights. The Instructor can also tether his
observation to any unit by right-clicking on the unit in the map screen and selecting
Tether view from the context-sensitive menu. Similarly, the Instructor can jump into
a vehicle, go to the external view, or press Shift + F8 to switch into tethered view
mode. By pressing Q or Z the instructor can adjust his viewing position while
keeping his view tethered to the vehicle. Use of other movement hotkeys will
disconnect the tether and activate the free-flight camera.
Additionally, while in external or world view mode the Instructor also has thermal
view capabilities at full screen resolution just as if he were viewing through a
gunner’s sight with the thermal imaging equipment switched on.

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Damage and Repair
The Instructor has the ability to damage and repair any unit at any time during the
Execution Phase. Right-click on the unit in the map screen and select the desired
elements from the context-sensitive menu.

Moving Units
If the Instructor needs to relocate units to a different place, select Move to… from
the unit’s context sensitive menu and then click the target location on the map.
Movement paths will not be severed from the unit, so it may be necessary to delete
the currently active movement path prior to the movement.

Fire Support and Obstacles

The Instructor can call for fire at any time in the map screen, and it will arrive with
very little delay. Obstacles can also be placed on the map during the Planning and
Execution Phase as desired.

Disabling Chatting
The Instructor can disable the chat function in the Options menu during the Planning
Phase. Only the Instructor can then transmit text messages to the students in the
hosted session.

Disabling Unit Jumping

The Instructor can disallow students from jumping to a vehicle that they do not
own. This might be useful to prevent students from cheating in certain missions by
seeing things they should not.

Lines of Fire
The Lines of Fire menu is used to control the display of direct fires. Enabling lines of
fire will make straight colored lines drawn from a combatant to the corresponding
target while the missile or the projectile is in the air. The line will be of the color of
the attacking combatant’s party. Upon a miss, the line will flash in a gray color. If
the target is hit the line will flash yellow. You can select to have all direct fires of a
selected party shown, or direct fires for only those vehicles that you own (see the
previous section Who Controls What? in this same chapter). Of course you can also
have all direct fires displayed.

Remote screenshots
While in the map screen, the session host may access a new top-level menu "screen
capture". It lists all players in the current network session.
By selecting an entry a screenshot will be taken at the client (Steel Beasts window
only, not the whole desktop) and sent to the host. Its file format is always JPG,
irrespective of the normal screenshot settings, to preserve network bandwidth.

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 These screenshots will be saved on the host’s usual screenshot directory, with an
additional "Remote" subfolder. Screenshots will be named as usual, with the
addition of the client name. Example: <screenshot folder>\mm-dd-
yy\Remote\SS_<clientname>_HH_mm_ss.jpg

Starting a Network Session

Coordinating Participants
Usually Steel Beasts will be used for networked team training in LAN environments.
Here the instructor will set up a session which the students can then easily join, or
the instructor can configure all the client machines to join a LAN session
automatically upon start-up. No coordination, beyond organizing the students in the
simulation lab, is necessary.

Steel Beasts also supports low bandwidth TCP/IP networks, such as DSL Internet
connections. Students trying to join a network session over the internet must know
the IP address of the hosting server to connect to it. This information must be
conveyed prior to the session (using instant messengers to exchange IP addresses,
for example). To find the session host’s external IP address (if the server is
connected through a firewall / router to the internet), ask your network
administrator for the necessary IP address information. 24 For a LAN network
session, no IP address is needed.

Note: Your network configuration may require certain ports to be opened through
your firewall. For Steel Beasts versions 3.011 and older the default port
numbers are TCP and UDP 2300—2400, and UDP 47624.

Starting with all releases version 3.025 and higher, only the UPD ports
2300 and 2400 must be opened, and only on the host side of the network
connection. Clients need not to worry about these details.
For network connections other than high bandwidth Ethernet LAN it is
recommended to set bandwidth limits in the Options | Network menu at
approximately 80…90% of the actual capacity; e.g. a DSL connection with
8Mbit/s downstream and 1Mbit/s upstream should be set to 7000 and
850kBit/s respectively.

Hint: The first time a Network Session is chosen after installing Steel Beasts, the
Firewall software may open a dialog box whether to continue blocking the
Steel Beasts executable. This dialog box may go unnoticed if Steel Beasts is
run in fullscreen mode. If you can’t connect, try Alt + Tab to see if you need
to confirm a warning message in the background.

24
Alternatively, consult http://www.whatismyip.com/

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The Network stack
You may override the dynamic bandwidth allocation by specifying the maximum
incoming and outgoing network bandwidth (in kbit/s) that Steel Beasts should use.
Adjusting is possible in the Options | Network screen.
By default (0), SB will use as much bandwidth as is available (i.e. "unlimited").
However, if you are on a "slow" network line, you might want to restrict the
maximum bandwidth in order to have some "spare" bandwidth available for other
network services like voice chat or similar.
Please note that this is an individual setting for each machine. There is no need that
clients and host specify the same settings, each participant can adjust this setting
exactly tailored to his individual network connection and needs.

Performance Considerations
For good performance with Internet connections it is important that the host
machine has a connection with fast upstream and down-stream data rates.
Hopefully this is also the most powerful computer as well. While most home DSL
and cable modem connections offer very fast download rates, the upload rates are
usually much slower (often less than 768kBit/s). Unfortunately, during a session the
server machine will usually have to upload more information than it receives from
the clients, so the session host’s upstream bandwidth is usually the limiting
factor. As a minimum, calculate with 30kBit/s bandwidth demand per connected
client. More is better, to compensate for transient fluctuations in network
performance. Otherwise packet delays may occur. While Steel Beasts will attempt to
continue with the network session, packet delays can result in temporarily
inconsistent combat results between network participants; the later (retroactive)
resolution of these inconsistencies after the network congestion has gone away may
be experienced as erratic combat results on the client side.

Since the hardware environment usually is the least flexible element in the chain of
systems that determine the overall performance, you may want to adapt your own
training scenarios. Generally speaking, the complexity of a scenario can dictate the
bandwidth usage during a network session. To be precise, the combatant density
in a mission can make the difference between packet loss (and subsequent
inconsistent mission display on the instructor’s and students’ machines) and a
smooth experience. The more units that are within detection range of each other,
the more data must be transmitted. Clever scenario design may help to remedy
such a situation. For example, the Spawn, if… feature in the Mission Editor can help
to create enemy units on demand. As long as they are not present on the
battlefield, no calculations must be made about what they can or cannot see, let
alone ballistic calculations for engagements.

Likewise, a wider distribution of forces may still be in accordance with the

instructor’s training goals. Some engagements could be set in a more sequential
order provided that this does not conflict with the training objectives.
Finally the creation of crews (human gunner and human commander in the same
virtual combat vehicle) requires more bandwidth than the one-man-one-vehicle rule
of thumb. Of course, the number of students connected to a training session will

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 affect the network performance as well. These are not significant issues in LAN
environments, but can make a difference with internet sessions.

Hosting a Network Session

To host a session, start Steel Beasts and select Network Session from the Main Menu.
Once in the Network setup screen, ensure that the first line below the title reads Act
as: Host or Act as: Instructor Host. (If it reads Act as: Client, click on the word Client.)
The Instructor Host mode grants the host extended capabilities to observe and
control the training session, as discussed in the previous chapter.

Next, enter a call name that will identify you to other players. If you’ve previously
entered a name in the Records screen, that name will automatically be entered
whenever you start a network training session. Finally, click on Go. The screen will
list all IP addresses of installed network adapters in your computer. You may need
to identify the one that is connected to the network segment where the clients are
located and tell them the proper address. If in doubt, contact your network
administrator.

You will now be transported to the Host Session screen. Enter a session name so
that players who are joining your session can identify it. Select a mission for your
training and then click on Open to go to the Assembly Hall screen, which is discussed
later in this chapter.

Manually Joining a Network Session

To join a session in normal network mode, start Steel Beasts and select Network
Session from the Main Menu. Once in the Network screen, ensure that the first line
below the title reads Act as: Client. (If it reads Act as: Host, click on the word Host.)
Next, enter a call name that will identify you to other players. If you’ve previously
entered a call name in the Records screen that call name will automatically be
entered whenever you start a network game. Click on Go.
You will now be transported to the Join Session screen, which lists all the sessions
that you can join. (If you are connected to the host through a LAN, Steel Beasts will
automatically locate the available sessions (in an IPv4 network environment).)
Select the session you want to join and click on Join to go to the Assembly Hall
screen.

Hint: With IPv6 connections automatic session detection is not available.

Tip: If a name has not been previously selected clients will be identified by their
computer name. This becomes significant in the Planning Phase where units
may be required to be moved from client to client and back again and during
the mission for the same reason by the IHWS. Use an easily identifiable name.
This will facilitate the moving and reallocation of forces during planning or
during the mission (IHWS only).

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Automatically Joining a LAN Session 25
Hint: With IPv6 automatically joining network sessions is impossible. The following
text is aimed exclusively at IPv4 classroom LAN environments

To make it easier to conduct large network sessions, Steel Beasts can be configured
on client machines to automatically search for and join a LAN session upon start-up
without any human interaction on the client machine. This option is set in the
Network Options screen. (From the Main Menu screen, select Options, then select
Network.) The default network mode is Normal. Clicking on the word Normal will
toggle to Join LAN session on startup, and a text box will appear providing an option
to specify the name of a particular session to join; the first session found will be
joined if the session name is left blank. (The typical session name is the same as the
host player’s callsign.)

On the right hand side of the Network Options screen you find four boxes to set
host priorities. Enter the IP addresses of these machines here. This is particularly
useful in large network environments with multiple training sessions running
parallel.

This ”auto-join” mode will take effect once Steel Beasts is shut down and restarted.
Upon start-up, Steel Beasts will automatically look for and join the first suitable LAN
session it finds. Pressing the Escape key or clicking on the Exit button while Steel
Beasts is searching for a session or when in the assembly area screen will
temporarily take Steel Beasts out of auto-join mode until Steel Beasts is shut down
and started up again. To prevent Steel Beasts from starting up in auto-join mode,
set the network mode back to Normal in the Network Options Screen.

Another option is to set a Player to follow. In this case the machine will not only
automatically join the LAN session, but also automatically connect to a lead player’s
chosen vehicle. Below the text box for the lead players name select the position that
this machine is supposed to assume. Available options are Observer, Driver, Loader,
and Gunner position.
This is particularly useful if the classroom is organized with dedicated crew position
machines, such as for the gunner or driver. In the Assembly Hall only the
commanders need to be assigned to their vehicles; if properly configured the drivers
and gunners will follow their commanders to the same vehicle. This even applies if
the commander jumps into a different vehicle during the Execution Phase!

The Assembly Hall

After opening the mission when hosting a session or after joining a session hosted
by another participant, you will be sent to the Assembly Hall screen where you can
see the names of all participants currently in session and chat with them by text.

25
This feature is available only in classroom versions.

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 For Host and Instructor, the Assembly Hall screen will also list the number of clients,
who have joined the session. Please note that this feature is disabled in Pro PE
(since there can only be 8 players), but enabled for Pro PE Server.

When a client computer gets the splash screen message: “Cannot find the Scenario
name, download from the server”: click Yes. The Instructor Host may get the
message, “Send Mission to Clients”, click Yes.

If you’re the host, you can assign any participant a starting vehicle and position by
highlighting the participant’s name (in the right list box) and then clicking on the
desired party (Red or Blue), vehicle, and position (in the left list box). You can also
remove any participant you want by highlighting the participant’s name and clicking
Remove.

Hint: If the client machines are set to auto-join, the clients will automatically rejoin
the session shortly after you remove them. A better solution is to assign the
participant you want to remove a starting vehicle of none. All participants
without starting vehicles will be removed from the session when the mission
starts.

As host, you can also change the scenario and decide when to start the mission.

If you’re a client, you can select a starting party, vehicle, and position for yourself
only, and you should also click on Ready to let the host know that you’re ready to
start. (The ready message is used only as an informational aid for the host. He will
also get a text message when all players are ready.)

The most critical part of the Assembly Hall is choosing which party (Red, Blue, or any
other) to join and in which vehicle and position to start. If this is not done correctly
the mission will not run properly and the only way to correct it is to stop and start
again. With experienced students the IWHS may allow the players to pick their own
positions and then confirm before starting the mission. If not the IHWS operator can
select the scenario position for all players. Remember that the rank of the vehicle
you pick will determine what other vehicles you own. To help you decide
which vehicle to pick, the vehicles are listed on the left side of the screen in
descending order of rank with the allocation of available positions for players.
Attached infantry units are listed 'below' their carrying units.

There is also a company filter, which shows either all combatants existing in the
scenario or only the ones from a specific company. Please note that the student can
choose any of the (theoretically possible) 16 companies, even if the scenario
actually contains no combatants of said company.

If you pick a vehicle to start in with additional human crew positions, you will be
asked whether you want to let other players enter your vehicle as possible crew
members. This applies not only to the vehicle you picked, but all vehicles that
you own. If a student has allowed others to join his vehicles, you can choose to be
in the gunner’s or driver’s position of his vehicle. Remember, if you start out as

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a gunner or driver, you will not own any vehicles, and hence you cannot
create routes.

Once all the students have made their choice of party and vehicle, the host should
click on Start to launch the exercise. Any players who have not selected a
starting unit at this time will be dropped from the session. Once the
simulation launches, the session is closed to all other players who might want to join
until the session ends and the participants return to the Assembly Hall.

Running the mission

Once the simulation launches, the phases are the same as in a solitaire training
session. You start in the Planning Phase, then go to the Execution Phase and end in
the After Action Review. After the AAR you can return to the Assembly Hall to quit or
start a new session.

Besides being able to chat with other students (if the instructor does not disable this
option), you can also send other participants of your party reference points and (in
the Planning Phase) map graphics and text, all of which you create in the map
screen. To send these informational objects to other team members, right-click on
the object in the map screen and select Send to…, then the recipient of this object.
The Planning Phase is a great time to draw out a battle plan and send it to other
team members to coordinate actions. Once the Execution Phase begins, the only
map object you can send to other students is the reference point, which can contain
text. The instructor is free to send more objects, as is the designated team leader
(e.g. CO/A).

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 15 Steel Beasts Pro CNR
Integration

Overview
This chapter explains the requirements, configuration and overall workflow of the
integration of Calytrix’ CNR application suite with Steel Beasts Pro (‘SB Pro’).
The overall idea is that, if desired by the user, the Steel Beasts Pro host machine
will, upon the start of a multiplayer scenario, instruct CNR to log all voice
communication on the network. Upon completion of the scenario, the recording is
stopped and Steel Beasts Pro ‘associates’ the CNR Sim radios from which
transmissions originated with the participants in the Steel Beasts Pro session and
display a graphical timeline of these transmissions, allowing either realtime playback
of a subset of all transmissions or selective playback of individual radio calls during
the Steel Beasts Pro AAR Phase. This AAR can then be saved and replayed at any
time, as long as the recorded radio data (which resides with the CNR Log
application) is still available.

Components
CNR Log
This component is tasked with recording DIS radio traffic occurring on a network.
These recordings are organized within a ‘Session’, which can be thought of as a
‘savegame’ (to be loaded/replayed later).

Steel Beasts host

The machine which hosts the Steel Beasts Pro network session and interacts with
the CNR Log component during the session (i.e. creates a new session within CNR
Log and starts, pauses and stops the recording of radio traffic). Optionally, it can
also perform the AAR (in which case it again needs to interact with CNR Log).

Steel Beasts client(s)

Any machine which participates in the Steel Beasts network session. Optionally, a
client can also perform the AAR (which would be the only case such a machine
directly interacts with CNR Log)

CNR Sim
This is the radio simulation component. It does not interact directly with SB Pro at
all. It is usually (but not necessarily) located on the same machine as the Steel
Beasts client. Typically (but not necessarily), only one CNR Sim instance per
machine is run.

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Requirements
• CNR Sim v5.6.3, including a license for CNR Log (typically a Pro license but
please contact Calytrix Technologies for details).
• Steel Beasts Pro v3.316
o The CNR integration does not require a specific license.

Configuration
CNR
CNR Log needs to have its remote access feature enabled (check the appropriate box
under Configuration|Remote access). The CNR Log server can be located on any
machine on the network, as long as it is accessible by both the SB Pro host and the
SB Pro client (if any) conducting the AAR.
In addition, for certain application scenarios, CNR Sim likewise may need to have its
Remote Access enabled (see below in this chapter section Based on name)
Steel Beasts Pro
Every machine that either hosts the session or performs an AAR needs to be
configured to be able to use CNR. The ‘CNR Log integration’ component needs to be
installed during the Steel Beasts installation. With this done, Steel Beasts Pro shows
an additional Configure Voice Communications option in the Options | Audio menu.
On this screen, the user must select the Calytrix CNR provider and enter the IP
address and port number of the machine running the CNR Log application. This CNR
Sim Discovery IP address and port number is then used during the association
process. It needs to be configured to match Steel Beasts clients to CNR Sim
instances as well. In most cases the default configuration is sufficient.

Hint: Once all settings have been entered, press the Test button for either Success
or an error message indicating the problem.

Workflow
Once the connection to CNR has been configured and verified to work, you may
host a session. Please note that the CNR integration is only supported for Instructor
Host type sessions.
At the beginning of the Planning Phase, the host needs to configure SB Pro to
actually start recording transmissions. This is done by checking the Log Voice
Communication entry in the Options menu.
Hint: At this point it is still possible to do some last-minute configuration changes to
the CNR Log connection (the session will only be created and start recording
transmission once SB Pro enters the Execution Phase.).
As soon as the Host presses the Start button and the Mission Time begins to count
up, the Host machine automatically instructs CNR Log to create a new session
(named after the SB Pro scenario) and to start recording. If the Host pauses the

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 session CNR Log will likewise pause its recording. Any transmissions occurring
before the Execution Phase starts or while it is paused will not be logged.
Once the Host stops the session, CNR Log stops recording. The Host enters the AAR
Phase, which automatically brings up the Timeline dialog featuring a Voice Comms
button. The first time this button is being pressed, SB Pro downloads a list of all
transmissions and automatically associates client machines to CNR Sim instances
(many transmissions, many radios, or slow networks may cause this step to take a
while). The dialog will then proceed to display the Radio Traffic dialog, allowing you
to select up to 8 units/players/frequencies for which transmissions should be shown
in the timeline window.

Association details
Association means establishing a link between a given CNR Sim instance (generating
radio transmissions) and a Steel Beasts client (which participated in a network
session). Steel Beasts automatically establishes this link based on one of the two
following properties:
Based on IP
This is the default mode. The SB Pro host knows the IP addresses of its session
participants and uses the CNR Sim Discovery IP/port (enabled by checking Calytrix
CNR in the Voice Communication dialog) to retrieve a list of all CNR Sim instances on
the network. It then tries to match these IP addresses.

Based on name
This is used when the CNR Sim instance is not located on the same machine as
Steel Beasts Pro. In this case the association is based on the Player name in Steel
Beasts Pro and the Application Name setting in CNR Sim’s Remote Access
configuration .
If a given student commands multiple units, SB Pro will select the highest-ranking
unit under his command for association. Please note that since this association is
performed at mission end, any clients which have already left the session (for
example due to network errors) will not appear in the Radio Traffic window.

AAR replay details

With both the AAR Timeline and Radio traffic windows shown, you might be confused
as to which dialog is actually in control of playback.
The Radio traffic window is always slaved to the AAR Timeline window; it shows a
subset of the total Mission Time (the width of this window may be configured
covering from two to ten minutes). If the AAR Timeline window is set to play back in
realtime, the cursor in the Radio traffic window will likewise progress in realtime, and
all selected radio traffic will be played back in realtime. The playback controls in the
Radio traffic window will be disabled.
On the other hand, if the AAR Timeline window’s Stop button is clicked, you may set
the cursor in the Radio traffic window to specific transmissions and use the playback
controls located within this dialog to Play, Replay or Skip between transmissions.
Once the Host exits the AAR Phase, Steel Beasts prompts you to save the AAR into
a file. If you agree the association information will be saved within the AAR file. This
allows to replay the AAR – including radio traffic – at a later time without requiring

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any of the CNR instances still to be online/present. The only requirement is that a
network connection to the CNR Log server can be established, and that the session
with the recorded radio traffic is still available.

Note: It is feasible to move a CNR Log session between CNR Log instances;
please check the Calytrix documentation for details).

Performance Considerations
For load balancing purposes, it is advisable to either pick an entirely separate
machine for the communications logging, or at least a machine other than the
session host. This may help to reduce latencies, and to improve the quality of all
audio transmissions.

Troubleshooting
In case of general problems see chapter 18, Troubleshooting

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 16 CONSTRUCTIVE SIMULATION

Basic Concepts
Constructive Simulations focus on inputs and outputs of simulated systems. In the
case of interest here, that system would be a group of forces, typically larger scale
units, modeled in Steel Beasts. Players control the group of forces (the system) by
making inputs into the simulation in the form of orders to the forces. The results of
the inputs are communicated back to the training audience, who are then required
to act upon that information. An increasing use of battlefield command-and-control
systems has and will continue to see a change in the method of communication
between the operators of the constructive simulation (LOCON) and their training
audience

Steel Beasts’ military style maps, NATO standard graphics, control logic, and AAR
capacity make it very suitable to use as a constructive simulation up to brigade
level. Large groups of forces, of any party, can be simulated and controlled by
students, or by the use of control logic. The scenario can be influenced by an
Instructor via the IHWS and then an AAR conducted to review the exercise and the
training objectives.

To avoid using the virtual 3D world, the virtual vehicle views can be locked from the
scenario requiring the students to use the map, their command-and-control systems
and communication devices to conduct the tactical play. However, it can also be an
effective option to simply limit each user to a specific vehicle, e.g. a mobile
command post vehicle, to allow the leader a direct visual assessment of the terrain
and the tactical situation. Steel Beasts will support both options.
As with any training exercise using simulation, the physical setup can vary widely,
dependent on the training space, equipment and personnel available at the time. Its
comparatively modest demands for bandwidth and performance make Steel Beasts
a rather robust solution.

Training Model
A training exercise using simulation has a number of groups and/or individuals
responsible for planning, designing, conducting and reviewing the exercise to ensure
that the desired training objectives are met.

Exercise Director. This is the person or organization who authorizes the exercise
and specifies the training objectives. Depending on the size and complexity of
the exercise, the Exercise Director might have additional staff to assist with
scenario design, objectives, and administration at the higher level. This applies
regardless of the chosen method, as for example the use of a special software
solution (e. g., inter-agency coordination if required).

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Exercise Controller. This is the person charged with directly running the exercise.
As with the OIC of a firearms range , he should be present at all times during
the exercise to ensure that the conduct is supporting the training objectives.
For complex missions Steel Beasts offers the possibility to assign the status of
an assistant instructor to chosen students. Those students have similar tools to
influence the flow of the mission.

Students. Students are the participants of a mission which have not been assigned
assistant controller status. This group is divided into trainees and other
Exercise Control staff helping to further the flow of the mission. These two
groups are not divided sharply. For example when playing a mission on
company level the platoon leaders and their XOs might be the real trainees;
their human crews and the company commander have an assisting function. In
this kind of mission the exercise director will often have the role of the
company commander and the exercise controller at the same time.
In a mission for two persons the commander of a vehicle could be the exercise
controller and his gunner might be the student. The person responsible for the
training could supervise several of these missions simultaneously in a collective
training. A last example for students in assisting functions could be a mission
with students serving as opponents of the trainees, controlling enemy or
neutral forces. Their role will be discussed further in section “Use of OPFOR”.

Evaluation Staff. For complex missions - especially those with great spatial
distribution – it might be necessary to have an extra group of assistants
watching the flow of the mission. This group has to collect their observations
after the Execution Phase and before AAR, analyze and summarize them for
the person responsible for the training or the exercise controller.

Support and Administration staff. This involves those personnel required to

support the conduct of the training. This may include technical staff and
general administrative staff.

Using Steel Beasts

As previously described, elements of the Steel Beasts functionality make it suitable
to conduct constructive simulation training events. The presentation of the digital
map in Steel Beasts approximates the maps in commonly used battlefield
management systems and contour maps (1:50,000).This means that students
usually have little difficulty relating it to what they would normally use. This is also
the case depending on the Command and Control system being used and whether it
is being incorporated in the simulation exercise. Where possible it is advantageous
to have the training audience at least using their own Command and Control system
to enhance the “feel” of the exercise. The training audience should wherever
possible use their own Command and Control systems stimulated by data from Steel
Beasts. This can be as sophisticated as an actual network connection to a real C² or
C4I system, or as low tech as a map behind glass and a grease pencil with a
telephone connection to LOCON elements. The use of real radio equipment, a
telephone line or VoIP just makes a small difference in most cases.
The steps for using SB Pro as the exercise driver are outlined below:

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 The Plan. The scenario that is produced in Steel Beasts can be the result of a
number of sources. An HQ wishing to test its elements at a particular task or
procedure can issue a set of orders requiring them to carry out some sort of
execution – a defense, an attack an advance to contact, etc. Alternatively, the
students, when presented with a tactical task at whatever level, may have
conducted an analysis and produced a plan of their own. It may be the result
of a directed TEWT.

The Conversion. However the plan is derived it can be turned into an SB Pro
scenario on a given piece of terrain. Graphics can be added to assist the
personnel playing the forces in the scenario (LOCON) to understand the intent
of the mission. If being conducted by players, orders would be issued for them
to follow. This can be done by voice commands at runtime or by handing out a
fragmentary briefing. Students and exercise controller can prepare actions of
computer controlled forces during the Planning Phase and attach them to
certain conditions. Of course this applies to all parties in which human students
can influence the behavior. Even if the flow of the mission for one party is
totally set by a script, it is a proven concept to write at least a fragmentary
briefing in the briefing window. Phrasing the mission goals is often a good way
to test if the set actions will further the training goal in a suitable manner.
Similar procedure applies to OPFOR if they are being played. If being scripted
via Control Logic the intent of the OPFOR should still be outlined in the Red
briefing area. Use of the OPFOR will be expanded in the next section.

The Conduct. The student is responsible for the execution of the mission itself. If
required the Exercise Controller would be able to interdict the scenario to
ensure it continues to run to support the original training objectives. He can do
this using the functionality of the IHWS, which is discussed in Chapter 14,
NETWORK SESSIONS and outlined below.

The AAR. At any point of time the mission can be paused, saved or ended by the
Instructor. No exercise should be left without AAR. Steel Beasts saves the flow
of the mission on the computers of all participants unless otherwise chosen by
the instructor workstation during the Planning Phase. However, there can be
inconsistencies in recording if information was lost due to network problems;
the recordings of the mission are not synchronized at the end of the Execution
Phase.
Saving the flow of the mission locally provides the students with the possibility
to reflect the events on their individual workstations. But in general a joint AAR
in an auditorium is the better way.

Use of OPFOR
The decision on how the OPFOR is to be represented and played should be
determined by the Exercise Director/Exercise Controller. It will be decided on the
same factors as other elements of the exercise, the training objectives, the size, the
area, the number of personnel and equipment etc. Although not always possible,
separation of the OPFOR from the training audience should be always be attempted.

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They should however be in easy communication with the Exercise Controller. The
three basic ways the OPFOR can be used are:
• The OPFOR is fully scripted using Control Logic
• The OPFOR is partially scripted with intervention when required from a human
player
• The OPFOR is controlled completely by human players.
Whichever of the methods is used the OPFOR actions need to be controlled to
support the achievement of the training objectives. If being used fully scripted the
OPFOR would normally follow their doctrinal procedures. If being played by human
players the OPFOR Commander would need to be briefed on the expected training
outcomes and how the actions of OPFOR would to proceed to ensure this occurred.
He and the Exercise Controller would be in close communication throughout the
training.
In rare cases there may be a requirement for a free play OPFOR. This would
normally occur with experienced students, both in their tactical knowledge and use
of simulation as training tool. This would still require a training objective and close
observation by the Exercise Controller and Observer Trainers if they are being used.
An area of OPFOR use that needs to be decided and monitored is their use of
Artillery. The amount that they have available needs to be decided at the start and
entered into the scenario (modify the file eventually in the Mission Editor). A training
exercise can quickly be derailed by excessive and injudicious OPFOR use of artillery.
This control includes setting who can call for artillery support. If AI OPFOR is able to
call for artillery they could inadvertently upset a planned event.

Interaction from the IHWS

The functionality of the IHWS has been described previously in Chapter 14,
NETWORK SESSIONS. During the conduct of a Steel Beasts training scenario the
Exercise Controller can interact with the mission to keep it on track. He can move
around in the mission, on the IHWS, observing the activities from a number of
differing viewpoints. He can revive units that have been destroyed, if their
destruction will distract from the achievement of the training. He may damage or
magic move units for the same reason. Send out graphics or instructions (via chat)
to enhance the conduct of the exercise. Call in fast arriving artillery in support of an
event.
This is all done to keep the training exercise on track. If that is not successful,
and deemed necessary, he can stop the scenario and start again.
It is a powerful, useful tool and needs to be controlled to achieve the
exercise objectives and if abused it may skew the training outcomes.

AAR
When an exercise has had training objectives set for it, the conduct of an AAR is
vital to see if the objectives were met, if not why and how to correct them. The use
of the Steel Beasts replay facility is not vital, but the conduct of some AAR by the
Exercise controller or someone appointed by him, (one of the observers) is. It is
during this process that determines what went right, wrong, why and by whom.
When conducting an intense Steel Beasts simulation training exercise it is easy for

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 the participants to become immersed in what they are doing, in some cases just to
survive. At the end, their recollection of what actually happened can become blurred
and even faulty with the passage of time. It is import to conduct the AAR as soon as
practical after the training to keep the events fresh in the mind of the participants.
The conduct of a formal AAR has been done in a number of different ways by a
number of different organizations over a period of time. The one common theme
however is that successful AARs are structured activities and relate back to the
original training objectives.
The replay facility in Steel Beasts is not an AAR, it is just a replay function. The use
of this function to conduct a review of the exercise in relation to the training
objectives is an AAR. The functionality provided by the replay facility of Steel Beasts
makes it very suitable to support an AAR. The ability to review the scenario from
either the 2 or 3 D view , from the perspective of RED or BLUE, to follow the actions
of specific units and save the results for future use, make it a valuable tool in the
support of tactical training.

Limitations
The limitations of Steel Beasts Professional are similar to most simulations. Some
which may affect its use are outlined below:

• The information used for models in Steel Beasts is derived from open sources,
and as such may found to be unsuitable for experimentation. In any case a
validation and verification should be attempted.
• Training personnel in its use is a requirement to be able to be used fully. This
can take time but needs to be done as with any other training tool.
• The current map sizes available for Steel Beasts Professional range from 6km
by 6km up to 120km by 100km. The limitation is that if a large map is to be
used the computers involved need to have sufficient resources to allow for the
map size and the models and entities in the scenario
• The lack of non-military models for certain scenarios
• Functionality of IEDs
• Functionality of Engineers

Overcoming Some Limitations

When using Steel Beasts as a constructive simulation some of the limitations listed
above may affect elements of an exercise. To overcome some of the limitations will
require intervention from the IHWS and an acceptance of what is possible in the
simulation world. Close cooperation between the Exercise Controller and the IHWS
operator will be needed.

Use of Infantry. Infantry have been described in Chapter 7, CREATING A

MISSION. If the issue is transporting infantry to a certain point on the
battlefield, the use of the spawn function, the jump to end of a route ability or
just using magic move from the IWHS may overcome this problem.
If the issue is the weapons that come with infantry in the back of APCs and
other types are needed, then consider putting in infantry from the new unit

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 menu and then setting the troops to “damage” so they will not be able to be
dismounted or dismounting and deleting those in the back of the vehicle to
prevent doubling up. If they are then required to be moved around other than
on foot, use a method described above.

Use of Engineers. If Engineers are required to perform a function in a combined

arms scenario, i.e. clearing a minefield, then some adjudication from an
observer or EXCON controller will be needed. When the Engineers move to the
correct place and carry out their doctrinal procedures and the correct period of
time has elapsed, the minefield can be deleted from the IHWS, simulating its
clearance. If a visual effect is needed to simulate an explosive clearance then a
M113 ENG vehicle fitted with the MICLIC option can be used or a small arty
mission of smoke and HE can precede the removal of the minefield from the
IHWS. A similar method may be used to simulate the removal of obstacles and
the clearing of roads etc.

Allowing for reinforcements. Other than using a spawn function, extra units can
be added to the mission that will then be owned by the IHWS when the
mission starts. If needed, they can be given to a workstation at some point
during the scenario. This is only of use if the amount of resources to be used
in the mission is not critical.

Conclusion
Using Steel Beasts for the conduct of a training exercise has a number of
advantages, including its military style maps and graphics and its ability to be
repeated and replayed. As long as there is an understanding of the desired
outcome, the functionality of Steel Beasts and its limitations, simulation training with
good level of fidelity can be achieved. The software is a tool like many others and
needs to be approached as such. It is only a simulation and needs the intervention
of human influence to make it a successful training tool. As indicated at the
beginning computers (in this case in a simulation) should be used for what they are
good at … and humans for the same reasons.

Batch Mode
For unsupervised runs of exercises instances of Steel Beasts can be invoked with the
command line parameter
--autotest Scenariofilenamewithpath.sce
this would also allow to run numerous repetitions of the same scenario with a
quantitative statistical analysis of combat results. In this case the resulting report
files may require to be sequentially numbered. To do so, use the parameter
--autotestname Scenariofilenamewithoutpath-number
Sequential numbering would need to be implemented at the batch file level.

Warning: Caution should be used when interpreting simulation results.

Limitations of AI and underlying data models w ill apply!
Often such limitations are not obviously noticeable, creating the very real
danger of drawing unsupported conclusions.

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 Simulation Exercise Check list
Many combined elements will contribute to a successful training exercise using
simulation. Listed below are some that may assist in the planning stages.

General

Exercise Name:
Conducting Unit:
Unit Contact/Lead Planner:
Name:
Contact Number:
Role:
Email:
Reference number
Exercise Date:

Simulation Scenario Requirements

Simulated Forces Blue and OPFOR:

Diagrams using standard NATO symbology are a good way of depicting what is
required
For complex scenarios tables of equipment and weapons may be needed and liaison
with the unit lead planner will be required to ensure that troop’s equipment and
weapons that need to be represented can be simulated.
Terrain
Map File by name or description (.TER) if not using a piece of existing terrain,
significant lead time may be required to have some produced
Height files (.HGT)

Exercise Appointments

The following exercise appointments will need to be known to facilitate accurate

planning:

Officer Conducting
EXCON Director
Training Audience Contact
Lead Planner
Exercise Controller
OPFPR Controller
Evaluation Staff
Administration Officer

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Key Dates

Planning Staff Convene

Initial Planning Conference
Primary Planning Conference
Final Planning Conference
Training
Rehearsal of simulation scenario
Dates/Times for Exercise Start

Training

Number of participants
Number of Exercise Control Staff

Documentation

Maps
Instructions:
General
Special
Administration
Doctrinal references (if required)

Administration

Exercise rooms required:

EXCON
HICON
LOCON
OPFOR
AAR
Admin

External Facilities or Support

Number of Simulation/BMS workstations required
Other support

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 17 THE MAP EDITOR

Basic Concepts
Steel Beasts renders the virtual 3D environment based on map data, beginning with
version 4.1 stored in so-called Map Packages. A map package contains all data
required for a map and is stored in a single folder, which can easily be copied or
moved around using Windows Explorer or shared via internet or USB-sticks. More
information on how these packages are organized can be found in chapter 2,
INSTALLATION AND SETUP.

There are two kinds of map packages: base packages and delta packages. Delta
packages always belong to a specific base package and contain only changes to the
base package. This provides an efficient way to make minor changes to a map, for
example for a given scenario, without altering the original (usually rather large)
map. There is no maximum number of delta maps for a given base map. All delta
packages are stored in subfolders of the original map package.

Note: There is no such thing as a delta map for a delta map, as this might
result in an unbearable cascade of changes to previous changes. Changes
to a delta map are always stored as new delta maps to the original delta’s
base package (or, if the designer wishes, as new base packages).

Steel Beasts uses two categories of map packages: published maps and unpublished
maps. Maps that are being worked on are always of the unpublished category
(which implies among other things that they are stored in an uncompressed manner
for faster read/write access, sometimes requiring considerable amounts of space on
the hard drive. As soon as a map designer has finished his map, he should convert it
to a published map via the option Publish map in the file menu. This map is
converted to a read-only state and compressed and any changes to this base
package will be saved as a delta package. Only published maps can be used in a
scenario, an unpublished map can however be used for testing in the mission editor
(so that the map designer can evaluate the map).

Up to version 4.0 of Steel Beasts stored maps in two proprietary formats. There
were height maps, which stored information about the ground elevation, and terrain
maps, which described terrain properties like ground type, vegetation, locations of
buildings, roads, and other stationary objects. The combination of a height map file
with a terrain map file resulted in a full description of the virtual battleground. In
version 4.1 these legacy maps of older scenarios can be converted to new terrain
maps with the Map package creation wizard described later in this chapter.

Good quality maps are essential for a smooth simulation with a high degree of
fidelity and acceptance by the users. Where possible always use good quality,
proven maps. In some instances, alterations to a given map may be needed to

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enhance a scenario or permit a training objective to be achieved. Steel Beasts allows
for maps to be edited via the Map Editor.

Map package creation wizard

There are two ways of creating new map packages using the map editor: by
creating a blank map from scratch (to which height and terrain data has to be
added either by manually editing it or by importing height and terrain data using
certain interchange format) or by converting a legacy map (ie one created using an
earlier version of Steel Beasts). Note that it is also possible to create a map package
by extracting an embedded map out of a scenario file – this is described in the
CREATING A MISSION chapter.

Both map editor approaches make use of the map package creation wizard, which
will require the user to enter the name of the map, its author and a copyright
notice, followed by a larger text field for a short description. A simulated date for
the map can be added below the description (this information is not used at this
point but might later be used to give mission designers using this map hints
regarding suitable force organization and camouflage options).

The lower half of the window contains information on map coordinates, map size,
projection, UTM zone, and terrain type. When converting existing maps some
options may be “read-only” since they are governed by the existing data (for
example the user is not allowed to change the map’s size if converting from a legacy
map).

Below these options Steel Beasts shows how large the file will be as low-resolution
or high resolution unpublished map and how much disk space is available on the
computer.

Note: If the Next-button is grayed out, the name of the map will most likely contain
invalid characters (only alphanumerical and certain special characters are
allowed here).

Converting legacy maps

Legacy versions of Steel Beasts (version 4.0 and older) stored map information in
multiple files/formats: “height” information in files using the .hgt/.raw extension and
“terrain” information in .ter files. The former contained information about terrain
elevation while the latter (which always referenced a specific “height” file) held
specifics about a map’s buildings/ground types etc. To further complicate matters,
terrain information was always, and height information was optionally embedded in
a scenario file (before version 4.1), which means that there are quite a few ways old
map information must be extracted/converted to the “Map package” format.
• Converting a height map file
• Converting a terrain map file – this implies that the height map file this
map is based on will also be converted
• Extracting a map out of a scenario file

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 In principle each of these operations can be used to create new base packages. As
however the number of height maps used with legacy maps was rather limited, and
as the size of the corresponding map package is usually quite a bit larger than the
legacy height map, a better approach is to create one shared base package (specific
to a height map), and to create terrain-map-specific or scenario-specific map
packages as delta packages on top of this base package.

The Map Package Creation Wizard will actually support this approach, as, when
instructed to convert a TER file, it will look through the list of existing base packages
to see if one of them was actually created from the same height-map file as the
terrain-map asked to convert. If such a map was found, the user will be asked
whether to create a new blank package or whether to create a delta package using
the existing base map

On the other hand, if no existing “base” package was found, the application will ask
the user whether he wants to create such a package using the “Automatically create
an empty and published base map package” checkbox. If that one is checked (which
is the default and suggested option), a “base” package containing only the height
information will be created, alongside a “delta” type package containing all the
information in the TER file. The “base” package can immediately be reused by other
map packages while the “delta” package remains for the user to be edited.

Legacy maps may lack proper georeferencing. In this case Steel Beasts will apply a
default value (47°9′S 126°43′W) which in turn will force legacy scenarios
referencing this map to apply a time of day that may be different from what was
originally set (like, the middle of the night when you’re expecting high noon). If you
want the stars to be right, be sure not to dream while glossing over the default
coordinates.

Editing maps
If a scenario requires the use of bridging equipment as part of the training the
scenario designer can go to the map and edit it by removing the bridge or if the
water courses are too narrow to provide a suitable obstacle they can be widened.
This can be achieved by saving the original map as a new name relevant to the
scenario, making the changes, save the map and use it accordingly. You now have
the original map and your edited one to keep or discard.

Hint: Be careful not to permanently alter the original map.

Hint: Typically, you would want to create a “Delta Map” of the original map, storing
only the changes that you made. Delta maps behave like any other map, but
they depend on the “Base map” from which they were derived. They will all be
stored in the same map package folder.

You must select a map package when opening the Map Editor. In case the map
package is in “published” state, you may only perform “read-only” operations like
viewing information about the map, previewing the 3D scene etc. If you want to

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change an already published map, you must first save it as a new “base” or “delta”
type map.

The Map Editor is similar to a standard paint program for 2D images. Different
ground types can be selected and painted on the ground using the mouse. Line
objects such as roads and streams and point objects such as buildings can be
placed on the map as desired.

On the right side of the screen, below the selection of ground types, are several
filter items. These can be used to filter which elements of the map are displayed
and/or can be edited. Most of these elements will be described later in more detail.

All of these filter items contain at least two checkboxes:

• The checkbox on the upper left is used to control whether this kind of
object is shown on the map or not.
• The checkbox on the upper right side is used to control whether the
objects can be selected for editing. This option includes the previous
option, because an object has to be shown on the map in order to be
selected for editing.

Some kinds of objects (roads, powerlines, bridges, and line objects) have two
additional checkboxes. These objects have in common that they consist of
connected vertices.

• The checkbox on the lower left side prevents that the object can be
selected and moved as a whole.
• The checkbox on the lower right side prevents that single vertices can be
selected and moved.
Hint: You may want to activate the Autosave function from the File menu. By
default this is not activated as you might unintentionally overwrite existing
map data that you would rather preserve; if in doubt, use the Save as…
command first and decide later which version to keep. Ctrl+S will also save
your work.

Area Covers
It is possible to cover larger areas with (closed) polygon objects featuring Asphalt,
Concrete, or Gravel textures; in addition, an ‘Area’ polygon may be created without
texture to show up in the Map Screen (e.g. to denote city boundaries. These areas
may be created manually, or imported from Shape files.
'Area cover' objects can be configured in their color in the map display (Edit | Edit
Area Colors). Four sliders are available to control the red/green/blue color
components, plus transparency. The chosen color may be applied to either the
currently selected polygon, or all polygons of the currently selected type.

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 Powerlines
A special case of objects are powerlines. They are “sparse actor lines” that
automatically place supporting pylons within type-dependent range brackets.
Steel Beasts may auto-adjust the pylon placement to avoid them standing in water,
on roads, or on/in buildings. Also, a pylon is created whenever the direction of the
powerline changes. The connecting powerlines themselves are drawn automatically.

Hint: At the point of this writing only the pylons are a collision hazard to aircraft (or
wire-guided missiles in flight), but not the connecting wires.

A single pylon may connect to multiple wires. This is done by placing two pylons at
identical map coordinates; when generating the map, Steel Beasts connect all wires
(up to four - two 'in', two 'out') to a single pylon.

Note that simply having two powerlines cross is not enough - two powerline
vertices (i.e. the ones that explicitly place a pylon!) have to be used.

Note that all wires need to be of the same type; also, the pylon's orientation will
not get adjusted to account for the additional wires that connect to it.

Legacy Objects
The original Steel Beasts game version (2000…2002) offered “ditch” line objects
that would create an artificial depression in the terrain. The feature has long been
discontinued; however, while these objects are still present when importing a legacy
map; the objects are no longer rendered on the screen and can no longer be edited.

Annotations
The Map Editor allows placing text objects (which may be formatted in size, style,
color, and rotation) that will be automatically copied to all parties in the Mission
Editor after selecting the map. Note that it is possible for the mission designer to
edit and delete these text labels in the Mission Editor.
Multiple text objects may be selected and edited in their properties at the same
time. In addition, the Edit | Edit Annotation Style Defaults dialog allows you to set the
default size, color and rotation of new 'map annotations'. These values are used
both when creating new annotations manually, and when importing them via Shape
import.
Hit Esc when editing mapgraphics text to cancel the editing mode.
For some map objects the associated text label may be set to Rotate with the graphic.
When toggled on its rotation offset will be reset to 0°.

File Menu
This menu contains some basic options for opening, editing and saving maps.

Open will display a selection window of available map packages to choose from.

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Save map package saves the current map either as a base map package or as a delta
map package.

Publish map sets the state of the map package to published (as explained above).
This leads to a compression of the file and will result in large space savings.

Export to .bmp… creates a pixel-accurate bitmap file of the terrain map and all
annotations as shown in the Map Editor. This can be useful as a basis for high
resolution printouts of the entire map of an exercise. It may be useful to edit the
Theme of the map to show white color for all terrain types but water, and forests.
By default such BMP files are created in the folder %PERSONAL%\export

Import DTED file and Import Shape file (available in classroom version only) are used
for importing map data from third party application as explained later in this
chapter.

Repair xnt checks height data for disruption (missing data points).

Import ARC/Info ASCII grid (available in classroom version only) is a function to import
LIDAR scan elevation data in ASCII (text) format.

The options Map package from TER / Map package from HGT are used to create new
map packages from legacy terrain or height maps respectively, using the Map
creation wizard.

New blank map package creates a new empty map.

Options Menu
The Road lines item in the Options menu determines how the roads are drawn in the
Map Screen. Setting the road lines to Zero width will cause all roads on the map to
be drawn with lines that are one pixel wide. This can be useful to prevent the roads
from blocking other parts of the map when editing the map. The default setting is
Normal width, which draws the roads on the map in proportion to their actual width,
allowing the user to see if a building footprint intersects with a road, for example.

You may conveniently edit these roads. For example, select multiple roads
(regardless of their width - highway/dirtpath/etc), either by clicking and dragging
the mouse (all roads where at least one 'node' falls into the resulting area will be
selected), or by clicking on roads while holding down the 'Ctrl' button (note that
clicking the same road multiple times will select/deselect it). While it is not possible
to move multiple roads, this will at least allow to delete more than one road
simultaneously.
If two roads of the same type are selected, pressing the 'M' button will merge these
roads together. Steel Beasts will pick the two closest end points and connect them
with a single straight road segment.

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 On a selected road, Shift+click creates an additional vertex, Ctrl+Click removes it.
Shift+Ctrl+Click lets you select multiple roads. Note that this complements the
existing functionality in the Mission Editor of a node being added to a path
It is also possible to split roads by holding down the Alt key while clicking on the
point of a selected road where it should be divided. The mouse pointer will change
into a scissor-icon to indicate this.
The Minimum Footprint item lets you set the size of rather small items like traffic
signs on the map screen. Options are Actual width (which is useful only at very high
map zoom factors), Normal, and Large.

Contour line spacing lets you adjust the density of contour lines.

These settings only affect how the elements appear in the Map Screen of the Map
Editor; they have no effect on anything else.

Preview the 3D terrain with the View item (or use hotkey F1, then left-click the
desired spot).

Note: Steel Beasts will only render the terrain out to about 6km in each
cardinal direction in the Map Editor’s preview.

With Map info you open a dialog box with some basic data about the terrain data –
file names, compression, projection type, coordinates, and dimensions.

Change map projection to allows you to set a different map projection to recover from
an error during the data import (see section Importing Map Data later in this
chapter).

Editing roads and objects

The Edit menu contains options for changing the properties of existing roads:
Bridge selected roads replaces all parts of a selected road crossing water with
bridges. In most cases this function should work without problems, but sometimes
road parts next to banks of rivers or lakes will accidentally be replaced by bridges as
well.
Level all roads creates a shoulder of a given width (depending on the road type) and
an embankment for all roads, causing a horizontal alignment of the road cross
section. This operation can be very CPU-intensive, depends on the size of the map
and the number of street objects. Especially in undulating or mountainous terrain, it
may cause significant (and therefore disruptive) changes to the height profile. We
recommend changing problematic parts of the road manually instead.

You can choose between Bridge selected roads (Shift+B) to create a bridge between
the end points of two selected roads chosen before (Shift+left-click).
Level selected roads opens a dialog window (Shift+F), which allows setting of the
following parameters for the chosen street:
• Max. Slope sets the grade of the street.

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• Max. cant limits the tilt of the street transverse to its course.
• Shoulderwidth defines the maximum width of the shoulder to both sides of the
traffic lane (total width of the road= with of the traffic lane plus twice the
shoulder width). It is advisable not to choose a value below 2.34, in order to
avoid visible distortings of the traffic lane.
• Embankment angle defines the tilt of the embankment. In the real world, this tilt
depends on the subsoil (and local circumstances – in some cases sustaining
walls are necessary). Steel Beasts limits the angel to values between 80°
(reccomended for rocky surface, narrow places and steep slopes) and 20° (the
natural limit for extremely loose and dry soil is about 25°).
Most military vehicles are specified to climb slopes up to 60°. If you decide to
use a greater angle, the embankment can become a severe obstacle. On the
other side, steep embankments may prove helpful to prevent large-scale
terrain changes, especially near buildings.
Flatten under selected objects opens (Strg+F) a dialog called Object Flattening
Caption. It can be used to elevate or lower the terrain below the center of a building
(or other object). Additionally, you can define the width of a fringe around the
external limits of the object. In most cases a minimum value of 78cm is sufficient.
Deselection of the box Smoothing allows to flatten without really flattening, which
in rare cases makes more sense than it seems
Add elevation to a selected road with raise selected road (Shift+R). The starting point
of the selected part of the road can be identified by a green dot. When selecting
raise selected road, Steel Beasts opens the window Elevate road properties. You may
now add start and end height and modify shoulder width and embankment angle. .
Unmodified use elevates or lowers the whole street in comparison to the
surrounding terrain. This function is almost never useful, except when you plan to
build a dike. When you select the box Create Ramp, the height profile is adjusted
linearly from the starting point (bigger, green vertex) to the end point (smaller,
black vertex). It is possible to enter the height value of the starting point and the
end point relative to the surrounding terrain or as an absolute value, when the box
Absolute Heights is checked. All values are entered directly in the dialog window.
Restore selected road profiles can be used to undo changes (Strg+S). This
functionality can only be used as long as the original height profile is still available,
for example after migrating a HGT-file. When a published base package is saved as
new base or delta package (unpublished), it is no longer possible to restore the
original profile of a road
Toggle selected road splining smoothens the course of the road.

Theme Editor
The Map Editor also allows the user to select and edit the terrain theme of the map
in the Theme menu. The edit-theme window has an option to select the type of
terrain (woodland, desert, winter, autumn), which determines the type of
camouflage that combatants will use in missions that use this map. In addition,
there are options to customize the look and behavior of up to 16 possible ground
types. Terrain themes are embedded into the terrain map, but they can also be
saved and loaded in the Map Editor and also in the Mission Editor as desired. Terrain

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 themes for a particular mission can also be extracted or changed in the Mission
Editor.

Terrain themes are a very powerful tool. A very obvious option is to change
the textures of the ground as well as the type and density of ground clutter objects,
including low-growing vegetation like small bushes or grass.
But there’s more. In the lower part of the editor window are a number of sliders to
set mobility parameters as well:

Terrain type: Defines the theme as one of Woodland (default), Desert, Winter, or
Autumn. This influences the type of camouflage used by the combatants and
other objects.

Ground Type: A drop down list of the 16 ground types, with their index number and
name. All other entries refer to the selected ground type.

Name: A brief description of the current ground type, this can be changed to more
closely represent the significant types of ground and vegetation found in the
area. The updated name is reflected in the Ground Type list as it is changed
here.

Is Water: A checkbox to specify the ground type as water. The ground under water
will automatically be deepened and a water surface placed on top. The wider
the water channel is made, the deeper the water will be.

Is Wadi: A checkbox used to indicate a dried watercourse with steep banks. The
embankment gradient will grow with the size of the Wadi (=adjacent tiles of
the same terrain type)

Is Snow: A checkbox with slider to denote an artificial elevation of the “true surface”
into which vehicles will sink; the snow surface will affect the line of sight
calculations, but not the collision detection for projectiles.

Map Color: RGB sliders used to designate the color on the 2D Map Editor screen for
the ground type.

Low texture: The low-resolution image file used to render the ground in the 3D view.
The low texture sets the general color and pattern of the ground type.

High texture: An image file with little color, used to add detail to the ground when
viewed at a close distance.

Water texture: If ‘Is Water’ is checked this controls the texture used to render the
water surface. (‘Low texture’ and ‘high texture’ are still used to designate the
textures for the ground beneath the water.)

Object: Objects to be placed automatically in the 3D world can be optionally

assigned to each ground type. Two types of ground cover can be assigned to

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 any terrain type. The two special ‘Woods’ terrain types also allow the
designation of a larger woods (tree) type.

Ground cover objects (unlike the woods objects) are rendered only at close viewing
distances with the intent that they be small, low-lying objects that can be seen
only from a near distance. Use the scale slider to ensure that the ground cover
is not too large. If large objects are used as ground cover there will be
noticeable popping during viewer movement as the ground cover objects come
into and out of rendering range.

Hint: Ground clutter objects (unlike the woods objects) are NOT taken into account
for line-of-sight calculations. If they are made too large, they will block
human vision – but not computer controlled vision.

Note: Excessive density of ground cover can easily reduce the frame rate below a
usable value. Use the density slider to choose a density appropriate for the
size of the ground cover.

A series of sliders at the bottom of the edit-theme window designate the mobility
characteristics of the selected terrain type. There are two sliders each, for dry
and wet ground conditions.
Drag specifies the resistance the ground type offers to moving vehicles. Swamps or
heavy, deep mud would typically have a high drag, also (deep) gravel pits. On
the other hand, a smooth, hard topped surface (like the dried lakes in Utah)
would offer minimal drag.

Traction specifies how well the vehicle can grip the ground – to accelerate, to brake,
or to turn. Ice will usually offer the lowest traction, and swamp and mud aren’t
great either. Dry tarmac roads usually offer the best possible traction.

Hardness specifies how deep the vehicle will sink into the ground. At a later point it
may also specify how quickly units can dig in. At the time of writing, it is a
purely visual effect that should be set to illustrate the other mobility
parameters and the chosen texture.
Terrain with a Hardness of 33% and lower is considered a “bog” and will be
rendered in teal color in the map screen. Such values should be used in
conjunction with elevated Drag, reduced Traction, and ideally not on medium or
steep slopes.

Bumpiness specifies the general roughness of the ground type. Increasing the
bumpiness will cause vehicles to bounce around more when moving.
Bumpiness levels over 0.25 are likely to cause suspension damage to fast
moving vehicles (especially those without tracks) and should be used with
caution. Computer-controlled vehicles will travel more slowly over bumpy
ground.
Bumpiness will also determine the ease with which infantry can hide into the
ground. This parameter is supposed to represent small variations of the
ground which are below the 12.5m resolution of the terrain geometry. The
introduction of a new terrain engine will visualize this parameter.

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 Dustiness specifies the amount of dust that is created when a vehicle moves or fires
over it.

Wet: While it’s raining, dry ground will transition from “dry” mobility parameters to
“wet” conditions. Ground will absorb water quickly, but dry up very slowly. In
other words, the mission designer can set weather conditions to make the
transition from dry to wet within minutes, but not from (fully) wet to dry in an
equally short duration.

Help Menu
The help menu contains just the menu option Map editor controls. It opens an
informational window with a list of all hotkeys.

Importing Map Data

(Only) the classroom version of Steel Beasts Professional allows you to import data
from third party terrain database applications such as ESRI ArcExplorer™, provided
the data are in one of several supported formats.

Tip: Some 3rd party database applications may be capable of exporting their terrain
directly into the Steel Beasts format, such as Lumo Builder™, TerraTools™,
Trian 3D Builder™, or others. These 3rd party applications us an interface
provided by Steel Beasts, the SB Map API, for this purpose.

The first step to import map data is to create a blank map package that covers the
desired geographic region. In the Map Editor, click on Blank map package in the File
menu. You will then be asked to specify the latitude and longitude (WGS-84) of the
southwest corner of the map, the size of the map, the projection type for the map
and the maps’ default terrain type. Note that any vector terrain data to be imported
should have been created using the same projection type specified here. Also, be
sure to set the North / South and East / West buttons correctly when entering the
coordinate info! Enter whatever data you deem suitable in the name, author and
description fields (note that the name need not be unique in your installation).
Steel Beasts uses a map unique identifier (map UID) that can be copied to clipboard
with Ctrl+C from a number of “map info” info boxes both in the Map and in the
Mission Editor. It can be useful to publish such map UIDs if the map is made
available through a centralized repository such as a map server.
The optional tool Steel Beasts Map Manager will schedule the download of map
packages based on the map UID.

Once the blank map is made, you can start to import DTED and Shape™ files using
the import items in the File menu.

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Importing Height Data
DTED
Multiple DTED files can be imported into the same map, since each DTED file stores
the exact geographic location of its data. Data that fall outside the map are simply
ignored, and new overlapping data will overwrite old data.

ARC/INFO ASCII GRID Import

This function allows importing of height data stored in the ARC/INFO ASCII format
(a non-proprietary ASCII raster GIS format developed by ESRI) of arbitrary
resolution into an existing (unpublished) Map Package.
ASC files with a cell size smaller than 624cm will be imported as high resolution
78cm data, while all other (lower resolution) ASC files will be imported as 1249cm
data. When source and destination resolutions do not match, the import data is
scaled with bilinear interpolation.

The geolocation of the import data boundaries must at least partially intersect the
destination map's boundaries, otherwise no data can be imported.

When the import data is a larger superset of what is covered by the destination
map, only that data which is contained within the map's boundaries will be imported
(the map's geographic boundaries remain unchanged, ie. they are not extended).

When the import data is a subset of what is covered by the destination map, only
intersecting areas will be imported and overwritten (all others remain unchanged).
The import process, especially of large, high resolution data, can be quite a lengthy
operation, taking even several hours for very large datasets.

Importing Shape Data

Steel Beasts allows to import terrain data using the ESRI Shape™ format.

At its most basic, this format simply provides a number of shapes (polygons, lines,
points – however a given file may only contain a single shape type) without any
further information, which means that it is up to the user to tell Steel Beasts what
(for example) a line represents – it may be a single-lane paved road, or a stream, or
a row of trees etc.

Optionally, additional files may be provided supplying metadata (for example

specifying that a certain shape line represents a highway), allowing to further
automatize the import process.

The Shape Import Dialog

When importing a Shape File, Steel Beasts will prompt the user to specify a file with
the .shp extension (which provides the basic data).

If a file was given, the application will automatically look for dBASE (*.dbf) files –
using the same name as the Shape file - with ancillary related data (metadata)
located in the same folder.

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 Data units
There is no standard for what the coordinates in the Shape™ file represent, so the
user must know and enter this information (meters, feet, radians, etc.) when
importing a Shape™ file. The person who created the Shape™ file should know this
information.

Importing without using metadata

In this mode – that is, if no dBASE files were found or supplied - the user must
select a terrain feature from the right panel when importing Shape™ files.
Depending on the data type in the Shape™ file (polygon, line, or point), certain
terrain types will be enabled or disabled. For example, the user cannot select a road
when importing polygon Shape™ types. Once a selection has been made, and the
OK button has been pressed, the application will create the desired objects, terrain
types etc. – one object for each entry in the Shape File.

Note that it is possible – for example when importing POINT shapes – to specify
multiple actors, out of which one will be created at random. To illustrate this,
suppose you import a Shape file containing 10 entries, representing the location of
buildings. Since you would not want to have 10 identical objects created, you select
multiple objects by holding down the CTRL key while selecting each desired object
individually, or by holding down SHIFT while clicking the last object in a range. If
you then press the OK button, Steel Beasts will, for each object to be created,
randomly select one out of this pool.

Importing using metadata

The Shape File metadata can provide multiple properties – organized in columns –
for each entry in the Shape File, each of which can be used to control certain
aspects of the imported shape, depending on the shape type. The user is however
also free to manually override settings with properties set in the Map Editor.

The following files are currently supported:

• Roads: The DBF file needs to hold the 'road-type'. The Shape File needs
to hold POLYLINE-Shapes.
• Line objects: The DBF-File needs to hold the 'actor-type' the line object is
composed of. The Shape File needs to hold POLYLINE-Shapes.
• Powerlines: The DBF-File needs to hold the ‘powerline-type' (which
controls the pylon type and spacing). The Shape File needs to hold
POLYLINE-Shapes.
• Objects: The DBF file needs to hold the 'actor type' of the object to be
placed. The Shape File needs to be either a POINT or a POLYGON shape.
When importing objects from Point/PointM/PointZ shapes, Steel Beasts can
optionally read the object's azimuth from the DBF metadata file.
• Terrain: the DBF file needs to hold the terrain type. You can choose to
read the ID of the 'detail object' from the DBF. Only a single detail object
can be specified per shape (i.e. it is not possible to sprinkle random objects
inside a polygon). In case that the file holds POLYLINE shapes, you can
optionally read the line width from the Shapefile; in case it holds POLYGON

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 shapes you can specify the density of the detail objects from the shapefile
(this should be a floating-point values in the [0;1] range).
• Map Annotations: these can be imported via POLYLINE shape primitives.
The annotation will be placed horizontally at the middle vertex of the
polyline (if a polyline is made up of 5 vertices the annotation will be placed
at the 3rd one). Steel Beasts will try to interpret the specified metadata
first as a hexadecimal value (AARRGGBB format, i.e. 0xFF00FF00 would be
fully opaque green), if this does not work, it will interpret them as a
decimal value (ie 4278255360 would be fully opaque red) and finally (if
everything else fails) as a text string. Currently supported colors are 'black',
'red', 'green', 'blue', 'white', 'yellow', 'orange' and 'gray'. You can also set
styles for these map annotation as a comma-separated list in the 'text
style' metadata column. Allowed values in this column are 'normal', 'bold'
and 'italic' (and combinations thereof). For example, bold text might simply
be specified by 'bold' (without quotes) while bold and italic text would be
specified by a 'bold,italic' value.

In case you lack documentation as to the organization of the metadata files supplied
with the Shape Files, you may want to manually inspect them – there a various ‘DBF
Viewer’ tools available from 3rd party suppliers

Note that it is not required to set all settings using the metadata file (for example,
when importing an annotation, only the text could be imported from the metadata
file while the text color and text size are set from the user interface). In case
properties have to be set via the Map Editor’s user interface (using its right-hand
side panel), blinking text will indicate this to the user.

The Shape Import also window allows you to specify that certain entries in the .shp
file should be skipped. You can specify up to two metadata columns which must (or
must not) contain a given value. The application will perform case-insensitive string
comparisons trying to match each row's value against the specified value. This
feature also works if you do not actually want use metadata to specify the type of
feature to import (so, for example, you can decide to import a POLYLINE as a
'paved road' feature - this is all manually selected - but to skip certain entries if their
associated metadata satisifies certain conditions, for example to skip all such roads
if their 'TYPE' attribute does not hold the string 'residential')

Importing Buildings
By default, Steel Beasts will treat buildings as simple rotated rectangular shapes (for
maximum performance), but the SB Map API supports the addition of building flags
and markup for different behavior. (Please ask your 3rd party database application
provider for details about setting flags and markup within each individual
application.)

With the SB Map API it's possible, notably, to flag buildings to specify that they can
be occupied by infantry, in which case troop positions should also be specified
within the building.

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 Starting from version 4.1, it is also possible to flag buildings as 'non-convex', in
which case Steel Beasts will automatically generate a set of convex polygons to
correspond to the actual physical 'footprint' of the building, for collision purposes.
This can help improve behavior around buildings with shapes that are not close to a
rotated rectangle.
Due to technical limitations, however, non-convex buildings cannot currently be
occupied by infantry. (If a building is assigned both flags, the 'non-convex' flag will
be ignored. In that case, infantry moving from one firing position to another may
clip through walls or other artifacts may become apparent.)

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 18 TROUBLESHOOTING

Debug Log Files

To support the programmers of eSim Games to locate nasty bugs that you can
replicate, a possible option is to activate detailed reporting of Steel Beasts internal
activities in a log file.
To create the most detailed error log, it may be necessary to start Steel Beasts from
the command line: the typical command would be

26
“C:\Program Files\eSim Games\SB Pro\Release\SBPro64cm.exe --loglevel=TRACE”

However, for most people it is probably more practical to use a second shortcut.
Open All programs | eSim Games | Steel Beasts | Troubleshooting in the Windows Start
Menu and start the "Steel Beasts (debug mode)" program icon
Steel Beasts will always create an error log in the subdirectory ..\eSim Games\Steel
Beasts\logs. Up to thirteen sequentially numbered logs are being stored. Typically,
the debugLog.txt file contains only a few entries, including the version number and
the date and time of creation. Trace logs contain a godawful amount of
unintelligible data (unless you are the Master of the Matrix). It may however help
the code monkeys of eSim Games to identify the cause of a problem. Please submit
these files only when asked.

Windows Error Reporting

eSim Games participates in the Windows Error Reporting program. In the rare event
that Steel Beasts crashes, you will usually get prompted to submit a report to
Microsoft. These reports will afterwards be forwarded to eSim Games and help us to
identify the cause of the problem.
Not everybody is connected to the internet, or wants to submit the information to
Microsoft (…although, if you don’t trust your operating system, maybe you should
use it in the first place). If you still want to help eSim Games, you can send the
associated data by email. In the Windows Explorer, type in
%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps in the address bar. This will transport you to the
location, where you would find files named SBPro*.*.dmp. These files compress well
and should be zipped up before submission. Please send files larger than 5Mbyte
(uncompressed) only when asked for.

26
Scary, isn’t it? The actual path to the executable may vary; also the name
of the executable may be SBProPE64cm.exe.

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 Points of Contact
At the time of writing, eSim Games does not offer a telephone hotline for technical
support. Nevertheless, help is available in multiple places:

1) Software documentation. If you are reading this, you have made the right
step to consult the user manual. Of course we cannot know how many people
actually consult the manual; maybe you are reading this because you couldn’t
find what you were looking for in it.
This user manual is only part of the software documentation. More documents
can be found in the Windows Start Menu’s Steel Beasts program folder (the
“Documents” subdirectory). It contains a pdf version of the User's Manual as
well as other information such as the US Field Manual 101-5-1 about tactical
signs and military map symbology as used in Steel Beasts.
2) Colleagues/Friends. If you are relatively new to the software, chances are
that someone had a similar problem before you and remembers the solution.
Just ask.
3) Superiors. Some of your superiors may have received special software
training, or they may have access to restricted user forums. They might know.
4) Internet forums. There are several places where answers may be found. A
good general source is www.SteelBeasts.com where you will not only find the
discussion board but also the “SB Wiki” 27 which may be a useful online
reference.
Hint: The integrated search function of the website may yield valuable
information as well.
5) If the forums can’t help you, there’s still email. You can contact eSim Games
through the contact form sheet at www.eSimGames.com

27
http://www.steelbeasts.com/sbwiki/index.php/Main_Page

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 19 Appendix A: BASIC GUNNERY
CONCEPTS

The Crew
There are typically four crew members in an AFV: a commander, gunner, driver and
loader. The commander’s main function is to coordinate the executions of the rest
of the crew. The commander tells the driver where to go; the loader (if there is one)
what ammo to load; the gunner what targets to shoot.

Unlike the gunner, who is seated deep within the tank, a vehicle commander usually
can view the outside world by with his head out of the hatch. This improves
situational awareness and makes navigating easier, but it is potentially more
dangerous for him. If the vehicle comes under fire, the commander can “button up”
by closing the hatches and then watch the battlefield through vision blocks. Because
the commander’s view is higher than both the gunner’s sight and the gun tube, it is
important to remember that he might be able to see things that the gunner cannot.

The gunners’ primary job is to aim and fire the vehicles’ main weapons to destroy
enemy targets. In a sense, the rest of the crew exists mainly to aid the gunner in
performing this task. The vehicle commander will usually designate targets to the
gunner, decide which ammunition should be used, and issue the order to fire. When
a target is spotted, the commander will issue a short warning such as “Gunner,
sabot, tank!” or perhaps just “Tank!” At the same time, the commander will override
the gunner and slew the turret towards the target that he wants the gunner to
shoot. When the gunner sees the target, he reports, “Identified!” which is the cue
for the commander to give control of the turret back to the gunner. The commander
will then issue the order to “Fire!”

For vehicles with semi combustible ammunition casings (e.g., all tanks equipped
with a 120mm smoothbore cannon) the standard procedure is not to unload loaded
ammunition, but to fire whatever is loaded before changing to the other ammunition
type with the next loading procedure. In these vehicles, the commander’s fire
command would be followed by the type of round he wants loaded next, such as
“Fire! Fire HEAT!”

Vehicle Systems
Modern armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) are amazingly accurate killing machines,
able to destroy moving targets several kilometers away in most weather conditions,
while travelling over rough terrain. This is not an easy task and requires several key
systems.

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 Stabilization: The stabilization system of an AFV keeps the main weapon aimed at
the target even when the vehicle is turning and pitching as it moves. Without
stabilization, firing on the move is an exercise in futility. The stabilization system
also makes it possible for the gunner to simply keep the target centered in his sights
while the stabilization system automatically adds superelevation and lead to the gun
to ensure a hit.

Stabilization is actually done in a two-step process. The ballistic computer uses

signals from gyroscopes and input from the gunner’s control handles to maintain a
line-of-sight reference with respect to the outside world and to stabilize a head
mirror that is located on top of the turret. (The head mirror is the adjustable top
mirror of a periscope that makes up the gunner’s primary sight.) The ballistic
computer then uses the position of the head mirror, along with the calculated
superelevation and lead, to move the turret and main gun to the proper position
through the use of hydraulic or electric servo actuators. In stabilized mode, the gun
is often said to be slaved to the sights.

Because the head mirror is light, it can be moved very quickly to compensate for the
motion of the tank. When looking through a stabilized sight, the gunner will notice
very little bounce, even when the tank is moving over very rough terrain. The gun,
on the other hand, can exceed two metric tons and is not as quick to move as the
head mirror. When the vehicle makes a sudden move or a new value of
superelevation or lead is calculated, the gun will need a fraction of a second to
catch up to where it belongs. Most modern tanks inhibit firing until the gun actually
gets to where it is supposed to be. It’s also important to keep in mind that the
range of motion of the head mirror is greater than that of the gun. In particular, the
head mirror can usually be aimed lower than gun tube can actually move, especially
when the gun tube is over the rear deck of the tank.

Laser rangefinder (LRF): A lot of information is input into the ballistic computer of a
modern AFV to help ensure a first-round hit. One of the most important of these
inputs is the range (or distance) to target. The range is needed to calculate the
proper superelevation and lead in order to hit the target. Superelevation is the angle
the gun tube must be raised above the line of sight to compensate for the distance
the shell will fall during its flight. Lead is the angle the gun must be moved left or
right of the line of sight to compensate for the lateral distance the target, tank, or
both will move during the shell’s time of flight.

The laser rangefinder is the standard instrument on modern AFVs to find a target’s
range. When the gunner lases a target, a pulse of laser light is sent out and the
return times of the reflected laser light are used to calculate the range. Note that
there may be more than one return time to measure because the laser beam might
reflect off multiple objects. Although the pulse of laser light is a focused beam, this
beam does widen over distance. At a distance of two or three kilometers the beam
will be spread out so much that the target might NOT block the entire beam. In this
case, some laser light might be reflected off the ground well in front of the target
and some may be reflected off the ground or trees well behind the target. In
addition, smoke and dust clouds will reflect the laser beam, which could result in an
erroneous range reading. The standard for most ballistic computers is to use the

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last return received – the longest distance measured. Some AFVs offer to switch to
a first-return logic.

The ballistic computer: As mentioned above, the ballistic computer receives input
about the target’s range as well as turret motion, hull velocity, cant, wind speed,
and other information about the air and the round that is being fired, to calculate
the proper lead and superelevation.

The thermal imaging system (TIS): Most modern western tanks have thermal
imaging systems. The TIS forms an image based on the relative temperature of the
objects being viewed, providing excellent night vision for the tank crew. In addition,
the TIS can see right through most types of smoke, which makes smoke screens an
almost useless defense for prospective targets. Because engines, tracks and wheels
get hot, vehicles can be easily detected in a thermal view of the landscape even
when they are camouflaged. This is why, even in daytime, the TIS is preferred over
the day optics when scanning for targets.

Fire Control Modes

There are three modes of operation for the gun and turret in most modern AFVs:
normal, emergency, and manual.

Normal mode should be used in all cases unless a malfunction has occurred. The
gun is fully stabilized in normal mode. The direction and rate of travel of the gun
and turret are controlled by either the gunner’s handles or commander’s handle.
This mode is called Stab Ein in the Leopard tanks.

Emergency mode is a backup to normal mode and should be used if stabilization is

lost. The gunner’s and commander’s handles control gun and turret movement
without stabilization in emergency mode. Because of this, emergency mode should
be used only from a stationary vehicle. Automatic lead is not added in emergency
mode, since there is no stabilization. Superelevation is added to the mirror, not the
gun, so when a new range is entered into the ballistic computer, the sight will move
and the gun must be re-laid on the target. This mode is called Beobachten in the
Leopard tanks.

Manual mode is a backup to emergency mode and should be used if hydraulic

pressure is lost. In manual mode, the gunner’s and commander’s handles are
disabled and hydraulic power is removed. The gun and turret must be steered by
turning manual crank handles. Of course, there is no stabilization in manual mode.
This mode is called Turm Aus in the Leopard tanks.

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 20 Appendix B: TANK TACTICS
By Nils Hinrichsen

The Single Tank

Three major properties influence the appropriate tactics for the single tank on the
battlefield:
• armor protection,
• the capability of the weaponry systems,
• mobility.

Armor Protection
Both the Leopard 2’s and the M1’s frontal armor are impenetrable to armor piercing
(beyond about 1500m) and simple HEAT rounds at any distance. Extremely strong
HEAT warheads of ATGMs might have a chance to penetrate, though.

Even minor HEAT warheads will easily penetrate the side armor of the turret, while
the hull’s track skirts still may deflect at least bazooka missiles. It is unclear whether
the improved turret armor is capable to protect from bomblet submunitions - it sure
won’t save your life from a top-attack guided missile. While both hulls can withstand
simple blast mines, neither of them will deflect the HEAT explosion of a modern
scatter mine like the German AT-2. So remember: It’s the front that will protect
your life as a tanker, and nothing else! Life can be uncomfortably short in wartime,
and in most cases, the crew won’t even know what hit ‘em.

Both ATGM and artillery submunitions are ‘unfair’ in two common aspects: In most
cases you won’t notice that they’re threatening to kill you in a few seconds, and you
have very little chances to survive the impact. Some other tank simulators for PCs
have shown ATGMs as small rockets with big exhaust fumes. Well, that’s been a
trick to give the player a chance to react (e.g. by throwing smoke, and back up -
bold natures will try to kill the ATGM enemy on the fly). Unfortunately, in reality
guided missiles produce very little exhaust. They’re nearly invisible. You might
notice a dust cloud emerging from the attacker in the moment of ignition, but after
that: Ten seconds of nothing but fear. Artillery submunitions are even nastier: They
fall from the sky on parachutes all of a sudden. There are no warning explosions like
mortar rounds that an inexperienced arty spotter will have having fired to determine
whether the gun crew behind is doing a good job. A MLRS battery will fire a single
rocket, track that with radar, and blow it up in mid-air ten to five kilometers in front
of the target area. That’s all the info they’ll ever need, and a minute later you have
a strike of 3000 bomblets delivered within 20 seconds.

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Armament
Your tank is equipped with the most modern conventional tank gun. In particular,
the 120mm AP rounds will reliably hit any target within a distance of 3000m, and is
most likely capable of penetrating the frontal armor plates of modern Russian tanks.
However, the T-80 has up to 2000m of range MORE than you to fire its AT-11
ATGM, whose warhead is likely to penetrate anything you’ll have, except maybe
your frontal armor. You should try to find favorable ground for your combat - e.g.
those areas who give you about 3000m range and the additional favor of the first
shot. In times in which hit means kill, he who strikes first is likely to be the sole
survivor.

Firing the gun is one thing, hitting is the other. Although the gun stabilization will
help you significantly, it’s still better not to drive at top speed (except when the
terrain is exceptionally flat) but to be moderately fast when operating the gun.

Mobility
Your tank is FAST. Especially when backing up! Fast moving targets are more
difficult to hit, especially if they have a more or less erratic course. While the “T-72“
is as fast as the Leopard 2 when moving forwards, it is incredibly slow when going
backwards.

You cannot outrun an attacking force of Russian tanks while driving in reverse, but
you’ll find cover much quicker, and if you have to back up for a longer distance,
you’re better protected, and you won’t lose that much time.

High acceleration makes it easier to cover a distance in several jumps instead of

moving at a continuous speed. You should sprint from hill to hill, and take some
time to stand still in your new position, watching. You are easier to detect when
being on the move than carefully waiting behind a hill until you can be sure that
nobody is around.

Never drive forward from any position. This will expose your soft belly and throw
your gun high in the air, revealing a unique silhouette - in short, it will blow your
cover at once. It’s better to back up for a hundred meters, and move on in a
deviating course. Try to stay as low in the terrain as possible, so you don’t show
more of yourself than necessary. Try to “drive as the water flows.“

Tank Platoons
Tank Platoons are more than assembled numbers of single tanks. At least they
should be.

Formations
Aside from driving in different formations, the spacing of the units can be of
interest, too.

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 If you’re in unclear terrain you’ll prefer to stay rather closely together. In open
terrain, it is useful to have a normal or wide spacing, also depending on the air
threat level. If you’re in the field with rather weak forces, and your mission is to
guard a certain sector, wide spacing is inevitable. It also may be useful to rely on
wide spacing if you’re expecting weak forces in a generally unclear situation.

The most common formations are line and column.

Line
The line formation gives you a maximum firepower to the front. The drawback is
that your platoon’s flanks are somewhat exposed. Enemy forces surprising you from
unexpected positions cannot be fought very well. Keep in mind that your platoon is
most vulnerable to minefields in this formation, since all of them will more or less
blow up at the same time, thus giving you almost no time to react to this new kind
of threat. Line formations work best if the enemy position is known and at least half
a mile away.

Column
The column formation is used mostly for marching. Moving in column will increase
your speed (especially in wooded terrain), but decrease your ability to observe the
terrain. Naturally, moving in column will give only the first tank a free view to the
space forward of him, while he’s blocking the view for the tanks behind him.

Echelon formation
The echelon formation is used mostly if you have to cross open space with known or
suspected enemy to just one of your flanks. It gives you good firepower forward
and either left or right to your movement direction, while totally neglecting the
other flank. Moving while having the enemy at your flank is always risky!

Wedge
The wedge formation will serve you best in unclear situations. It’s a good
compromise between firepower, observation capability, and flank protection. Of
course, a good compromise leaves everybody mad - the wedge is by no means the
best solution for every situation.

Rare, or derivative formations

These are formations which are seldom in use - the Diamond, the Vee, or splitting
up the platoon in two independent groups. Except for the Diamond, you can order
your platoon into these formations, too. However, about 75% of all combat
situations can be solved with either the line or column formation, 15% for the
echelons, and 5% for the wedge.

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Tank Companies
Concentrate your forces !
Use the high mobility of your tanks if your combat sector is very large !
Don’t waste your energy by distributing your forces evenly all over the terrain: “He
who defends everything will defend nothing in the end.“ (Frederick II., King of
Prussia)
As a German tank company leader, build your own reserve. Your platoons are
smaller, but you have four of them in your company instead of three.

Four-Tank Platoons
Four tank platoons grant the platoon leader more flexibility. He may operate in two
rather independent sections - although that’s not the regular way to conduct your
battle. And four tanks have a higher firepower than just three. On the other hand,
you could be spotted earlier, since your platoon is 33% bigger.

Three-Tank Platoons
Although these platoons feature only 75% of the gun tubes compared to their four-
tank cousins, the number of tanks in a company will still be the same. The result is
a fourth platoon at the company leader’s disposal. Usually, he’ll use this fourth
platoon as a reserve force in his battle plans, thus enhancing his flexibility. After
numerous changes back and forth, three-tank platoons are now what you get in
Germany. Also Red forces will use three-tank platoons, but a Red company will have
only three platoons. Therefore a Blue company will always have 30% more tanks
than its counterpart - but then again, a Blue company will have to deal with a whole
enemy tank battalion...

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 21 Appendix C: A BRIEF
HISTORY OF TANKS
By Nils Hinrichsen

Tank construction always has been a struggle for the best compromise between
armor, armament and mobility. In WW2, the famous German Tiger and King Tiger
tanks were the most heavily armored, and fitted with a superior gun, but the result
was poor performance in mobility. High fuel consumption and frequent breakdowns
of transmission parts were the weak side of these monstrous tanks. The Panzer V,
better known as the Panther, as well as its Soviet counterpart, the T-34, were better
compromises. Good armor protection, good weaponry, but a far better mobility
made it more useful to the tank troops than the King Tigers. After WW2, two major
development philosophies emerged. While western countries were more concerned
about their tanks’ combat survivability, the Soviet Union rated high mobility in
combination with high firepower more important than armor protection. This
required a high superiority in numbers, but the socialist empire was willing to pay
that price.

With the T-64B, the Soviet constructors built a tank with numerous new gadgets like
the automatic loader, superior speed due to suspension track wheels, and improved
night vision devices. The drawback was that the T-64 was not very reliable;
sometimes even the tracks fell apart! In the following decades, the Soviets improved
the reliability of their tanks, while reducing the amount of new developments. A
good testing ground for the quality of their material was the Near East in a series of
wars between the Arab states and Israel.

Israel developed reactive armor to deflect HEAT rounds in the early seventies. This
rather simple armor type has been subject to intense studies all over the world, and
the Soviet T-80 main battle tank, especially, features this HEAT protection from the
end of the eighties up to now. Together with improvements in their night vision
capabilities – especially the development of their own thermal imaging device – the
T-80 seems to be a reliable tank with excellent firepower, especially at long
distances (up to five kilometers), since it is equipped with the AT-11 laser beam
riding ATGM. The Russians also pioneered active defense systems with “Drozd” and
“ARENA.“ The ARENA system is based on a radar system that scans the area around
the tank for incoming missiles and gun shells. Within milliseconds, it will blast
explosives and armor plates towards the threat even before impact. Ideally this will
destroy or destabilize the incoming round so that it can no longer perforate the
passive armor. Similar systems are under development and ready to be fielded in
many other countries today.

The western tank development philosophy rated technical sophistication and

supreme training of the tank troops higher than a simple superiority in numbers.
The result was a major breakthrough in all aspects of tank construction when both

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the Leopard 2 and the M1 Abrams were put into service in 1979. Since they were
the result of a widely joint development team, it is not surprising that they feature
more or less the same properties.

Both are heavily armored with Chobham armor. While the M1 versions since the
M1A1(HA) have additional armor plates of depleted uranium (making them even
heavier than the high weighted 62 metric tons of the old M1A1, or the 55 tons of
the Leopard 2, and the 42 tons of the light weighted T-72), the Germans still “just“
use highly sophisticated steel to protect their tank crews. However, due to their
experiments on armor protection against modern AP ammunitions, the Germans
decided to give their newest Leopard 2A5 version a wedge shaped turret front,
improved armor to the driver’s hatch, and additional armor on the turret roof as a
protection against bomblet artillery submunitions.

Despite their heavy weight, both the Leopard 2 and the M1 provide excellent
mobility on the battlefield. They have proven to be comparatively reliable. Their
Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun is very accurate, accelerating its shells to a top
speed of more than a mile per second. While the tank’s HEAT shells are rather
conservative in design, the armor piercing sabots have proven to be devastating to
nearly any armor today – except, perhaps, the modern versions of the Chobham
armor featured by these two tanks types. Their thermal imaging systems made
them the world’s first tanks fully capable of conducting a battle 24 hours a day. The
laser rangefinder, the all-axes stabilization system, and the ballistics computer
increased the gun precision even far beyond their engineers’ expectations. Both
tanks were a major breakthrough in all aspects of tank construction.

There are differences, though. While the US forces preferred to have the Lycoming
gas turbine built into the M1’s engine compartment, the Germans decided to build in
a rather conservative diesel engine by Mercedes-Benz. The gas turbine will give
more torque, thus accelerating the M1 faster than the Leopard 2 despite its 15%
heavier mass (The Leopard, however, will outrun the M1 with its top speed of more
than 45 mph by a good 5 mph). Also, the high frequency noise of the turbine won’t
carry that far as the low grumble of the Leopard engines, which makes it a little bit
harder for infantrymen to locate approaching tanks beyond their visual range.

On the other hand, the gas turbine exhausts are about five times hotter than that of
diesel engines, making it much easier to locate the US tank in a thermal imaging
device. Additionally, the gas turbine’s fuel consumption is a logistic nightmare. The
good news is that it doesn’t need significantly more fuel on full speed than in idle
state. The bad news is that the M1 eats about 50 gallons per hour wile just sitting
around.

Diesel engines are equally thirsty only when pushing the surrounding tank forward
at top speed; being idle, the Leopard will need just 5 gallons per hour to keep the
engine alive. In defense operations, Leopard tank battalions won’t suffer that much
from interrupted supply lines. On the other hand, the US army traditionally is the
world leader in military logistics.

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 Nit pickers might mention the higher life time of the Leopard’s steel tracks, a more
ergonomic handling of the Leopard crew’s controls, superior deep-wading of the
German gear and other minor details. In other aspects, the M1 might be rated
higher by its crews. Summarizing these details, both the M1A2 and the Leopard 2A5
mark the acme of tank construction. This resulted in exports into numerous
countries. While the Arab world widely ordered M1 tanks after the Second Gulf War,
many European countries favored the Leopard 2; the Leopard owners club includes
all NATO members of the European continent as well as the neutral states of
Austria, Sweden, and Switzerland. France and Great Britain, however, opted for own
developments like the new Leclerc and the Challenger 2 (currently in development).

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 22 Appendix D:
BATTLEFIELD HAZARDS
by Andrew Jaremkow 1

Steel Beasts simulates the technology of the mechanized battlefield in the mid
1990s, when the last of the Cold War inspired systems were still coming into
service. 28 An MBT in that battlefield environment faces a wide range of deadly
threats, each with different strengths and weaknesses. The most immediate danger
comes from enemy tank guns and powerful anti-tank missiles, which have the
capability to destroy armored targets at a range of 3 to 4 kilometers. Man portable
anti-tank weapons and small autocannons do not have the same punch or the same
range as larger anti-tank systems, but they are widespread, and they can be just as
deadly in close terrain. Artillery shells can arrive overhead without warning,
dispensing hundreds of small armor-piercing bomblets to attack the thin roof armor
of your MBTs, or clusters of sophisticated anti-tank mines to attack their weak belly
armor.

A basic understanding of these systems is essential to exploit their strengths and

take advantage of their weaknesses. Ignorance, on the other hand, is death.

Tank Ammunition - APFSDS technology

Tank ammunition has undergone continuous development since the birth of the
tank, most of it devoted to improving armor piercing ammunition. The current top-
line armor piercing round is a type of ammunition called APFSDS (Armor Piercing Fin
Stabilized Discarding Sabot), which can penetrate modern compound armors more
effectively than any other type of ammunition fielded today.

APFSDS projectiles have two major components: a dense central penetrator, and a
wide lightweight sabot 2 that surrounds it. The penetrator resembles a long headless
metal arrow, with a pointed nose, cylindrical rod-shaped body, and tapered metal
tail-fins. The body of the penetrator is made of a very dense alloy of tungsten or
uranium, and the nose and tail are usually made of lightweight aluminum alloy. A
typical modern APFSDS penetrator is between 60 and 80 cm long from tip to tail,
and is 2 to 2.5 cm in diameter. A large lightweight aluminum adapter, called a
sabot, is fitted around the midsection of the penetrator, to fill the gap between the
penetrator and the barrel walls. The sabot is made of three identical segments,

28
Since the time of writing (2003) the historical scope of Steel Beasts has
significantly expanded in both directions, covering more and more weapon
systems of the 1960s period onward to contemporary (2014) systems.
[The Editor]

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 called petals, which fit around the penetrator and interlock with a set of threads or
grooves machined into its surface.

When the gun is fired, the gas pressure from the burning propellant pushes on the
rear of the sabot, forcing it forward at high velocity and taking the penetrator with
it. The acceleration is enormous, peaking at over 50,000 Gs, and by the time the
APFSDS projectile has reached the muzzle it is typically moving between 1600 and
1800 meters per second, or roughly Mach 5. Aerodynamic forces then break the
sabot petals apart, and force them outwards and backwards as the projectile moves
away from the muzzle. The lightweight sabot petals decelerate quickly after they
have been discarded, and they fall to the ground within a few hundred feet of the
muzzle. This leaves the dense low-drag penetrator to fly to the target on its own,
stabilized by its tail-fins.

The armor piercing ability of the APFSDS penetrator depends on its kinetic energy,
derived from its very high velocity and dense metal body, as well as its elongated
shape. When the front end of the dense rod strikes the target, its high kinetic
energy allows it to push the armor material to the side, making a narrow crater in
the armor. As the rod continues to move forward, it presses against the bottom of
the crater with tremendous force, continuously pushing aside the armor and making
the crater deeper and deeper. However, the front of the rod is continuously being
eroded while it penetrates, and the rod gets shorter and shorter, and gradually
slows down. This race between rod erosion and crater growth determines whether
the target survives. If the armor wins, the eroded stub of the rod comes to a
harmless halt at the bottom of the crater. If the armor loses, the shortened rod
bursts through the back of the armor, showering the inside of the tank with a spray
of deadly incandescent metal fragments.

Strenuous efforts have been made to improve the performance of APFSDS rods,
through a series of trade-offs between velocity, length, and strength. The longer the
rod is the longer it takes to erode, and the deeper it can penetrate into its target, so
designers try to make APFSDS projectiles as long as possible. Unfortunately,
increasing the length of the penetrator rod also increases its weight, and as the
projectile’s weight increases its muzzle velocity decreases. To counteract this the
designers make the rods thinner at the same time as they make them longer,
keeping the weight growth and velocity loss to a minimum. The slenderness of the
rod is often described by its l/d ratio, which is the length of the rod divided by its
diameter. (For example, a rod with an l/d ratio of 16 is sixteen times as long as it is
wide.) Successive generations of APFSDS rounds have had higher and higher l/d
ratios, and the US Army’s four generations of 105 mm APFSDS make a good
example. Their l/d ratios grew from 10:1 to 14:1 to 17:1 to 27:1 in the space of
fourteen years.

Increasing the l/d ratio of the rod increases penetration, but it also causes
problems. As the rod gets longer and thinner, it becomes weaker and more likely to
bend or break during the enormous accelerations of launch. Longer and sturdier
sabot petals can be used to protect the lengthened rod, but they weigh more than
shorter sabot petals, and their added mass will slow the projectile down and reduce
its performance. The need for larger sabots can sometimes be limited by making the

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penetrator out of stronger alloys, so it can withstand the stress of launch with less
support, but stronger alloys are not always available, and finding better processing
and alloying techniques is an expensive business. In addition, rods with high l/d
ratios are more likely to bend or break during impact, particularly when forces act
on them from the side, such as the forces caused by sloped armor, spaced armor,
or heavy reactive armor. Penetrator rods have to be kept thick enough to withstand
these lateral loads, and this prevents them from being made as long as the
designers might like. The effect of the lateral loads can also be mitigated by careful
processing of the dense alloys, leaving them slightly flexible so they can bend a little
bit without breaking. Balancing all of these factors (and others) within the changing
limits of metallurgical manufacturing technology is a complex art.

German APFSDS ammunition for the 120 mm L44 gun represents “conventional”
APFSDS design techniques, and there are numerous rounds worldwide which follow
the German pattern. All the German 120 mm APFSDS penetrators use a sintered
tungsten alloy, which is a mixture of dense but brittle tungsten grains (usually
forming 90% or more of the alloy) held together in a tough slightly flexible matrix of
nickel and iron, with an overall density of 17.5 to 18.5 grams per cubic centimeter.
The penetrators are held in conventional aluminum sabots that vaguely resemble
large spools.

The Germans have developed five APFSDS rounds for the Leopard 2, but the DM13
and DM23 are now out of service. In 1987 the West Germans fielded the DM33,
which fired a 4.6 kg penetrator at 1,650 m/s. The round’s dense core had an l/d
ratio of about 21, which was good for its day, and the penetrator was given a
slightly thickened nose in an effort to improve its performance against certain forms
of armor. Unfortunately, this was a high drag design, causing the DM33 to
decelerate slightly faster than comparable rounds, and the design was not repeated
on later penetrators. The DM33 is also used in the Leopard 2s of the Swiss Army,
and probably the Dutch Army as well.

The DM43, co-developed with the French, was intended to replace the DM33 in the
early 1990s, but the end of the Cold War and the costs of reunification of the two
Germanys meant that tank ammunition upgrades got very low priority. The DM43’s
development was finally finished in early 1996, but it didn’t replace the DM33.
Instead, the German Army purchased a limited number of the rounds for emergency
use, and elected to postpone total replacement of the DM33 until the DM53 (then
under development) was complete. This left the aging DM33 in service throughout
the 1990s, and it still forms the bulk of the German inventory. 3 The rare DM43 is
much longer than the DM33, with an l/d ratio of 30, and it is much faster, with a
muzzle velocity of 1740 m/s. It is also lighter, at 4 kg, and has less drag, which
reduces its drop in performance at long range.

The DM53 is the next generation German APFSDS round, and it is due to enter
service along with the lengthened 120 mm L55 gun which will be retrofitted to the
German Leopard 2s during the next few years. Few details have been released
about its performance, but it is longer than the DM43 and has improved propellant
for a higher muzzle velocity. The Swiss have committed to the acquiring DM53 for
their Leopard 2s at some point in the future.

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 American APFSDS rounds for the 120 mm M256 gun differ from German models in
one important respect: they are made of a depleted uranium alloy, not tungsten.
Natural uranium is a mixture of several isotopes, typically 99.27% U238, with
0.72% U235 and traces of other isotopes. Enriched uranium, which is used as
reactor fuel, has a higher proportion of radioactive U235 in its isotope mix, and it is
produced by removing U235 from a large amount of normal uranium and
concentrating it in the enriched material. Once the enrichment process is complete
the normal uranium only has 0.25% U235 left, so it is now called depleted uranium.
Depleted uranium is still mildly radioactive, but unless it is somehow ingested or it
gets into a wound it is not a significant radiation hazard for its operators.

The US Army chose to make penetrators out of depleted uranium for several
reasons. First, it was cheap. The Americans had thousands of tons of it lying around
as a result of their nuclear industry, so material costs were minimal, unlike tungsten
which was significantly more expensive. Second, it was dense. Uranium alloys weigh
about 18.6 grams per cubic centimeter, which compares well with tungsten alloys.
Third, it was pyrophoric. When small fragments of uranium are exposed to air they
burst into flames spontaneously, creating a useful incendiary effect inside target
vehicles.

The fourth (and most important) reason had to do with the way uranium acts under
pressure. When it is alloyed with small amounts (0.75%) of titanium, depleted
uranium becomes susceptible to adiabatic shear, which means it forms very narrow
bands of weakness under pressure and shears off along those lines. As a result, the
front of a depleted uranium rod tends to flake off in small fragments during
penetration, always leaving a pointed chisel-like tip to face the oncoming armor.
Tungsten alloys, on the other hand, do not fail by adiabatic shear (despite millions
of dollars spent trying to make them do so). Instead, the front end of a tungsten
alloy rod squashes out into a broad mushroom shape during penetration, much like
the mushroomed head of a lead bullet. Since the tungsten alloy rod forms a wide
nose, it has to force a wide crater into the armor, but the narrow nose of a depleted
uranium rod makes a narrower, more energy efficient crater. Thus, a depleted
uranium rod can make a narrower deeper hole in the target than a tungsten alloy
rod can with the same amount of kinetic energy.

The US Army currently has two 120 mm APFSDS rounds in service. The M829A1
entered service in 1990, just in time for the Gulf War, where it served alongside the
earlier M829 and earned the nickname “Silver Bullet” for its outstanding
performance against Iraqi armor. The M829A1 is a long heavy round, with a 4.9 kg
penetrator that is 78 cm long from tip to tail. The heavy penetrator and long heavy
sabot make the M829A1 rather slow, with a muzzle velocity of only 1575 m/s.
Nonetheless, its high l/d ratio of 33:1 and its depleted uranium construction give it
excellent penetrating power. The M829A1 is still the front-line round for American
tanks in overseas hot-spots like Bosnia and Korea.

The M829A2, which entered service in 1993, uses essentially the same penetrator as
the M829A1, but the M829A1’s long aluminum sabot has been replaced by one
made from carbon fiber. This lightweight sabot design, which reduced the sabot

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mass by 30%, was combined with an improvement in the propellant to produce a
dramatic rise in muzzle velocity. The M829A2 comes out of the muzzle at 1680 m/s,
despite the fact that its penetrator is marginally heavier than the M829A1’s. The
new sabot did cause a few problems at first, such as an increase in corrosion and an
occasional tendency to swell in humid conditions, but these problems have been
corrected. The M829A2 is not stored overseas, and it is only shipped from America
on an as-needed basis, so sudden crises will have to be dealt with using the older
ammunition.

The M829E3 (which will become the M829A3) is the advanced successor to the
M829A2. It is reported to have a kinetic-energy precursor to deal with heavy
reactive armor, and an advanced propellant load for increased velocity. The
M829E3’s development program has dragged on for many years, and although it is
currently scheduled for production in 2002 this may slip again.

Russian APFSDS for the 125 mm 2A46 gun uses a distinctly different design than
APFSDS rounds manufactured in the West. When the Russians first started making
100 mm and 115 mm APFSDS in the 1960s they used steel penetrators rather than
dense materials like tungsten or uranium. Since the Russians needed vast quantities
of APFSDS ammunition (they produced some 20,000 T- 62 tanks alone),
manufacturing considerations played a very strong role in their ammunition designs.
Steel was strong, easy to machine, readily available, and quite economical, so it
made sense to use it for the penetrator. Although steel penetrators were not as
effective as denser metals, they performed well enough if they could be fired at high
velocities. (Steel has a density of only 7.8 g/cm3.)

To ensure high muzzle velocities the Russians chose a very lightweight sabot
design, called a “ring sabot”. This resembled a narrow disc around the center of the
penetrator, and it weighed much less than the “spool” designs now in use in the
West. The light rounds could be accelerated to very high speeds, and muzzle
velocity was an unmatched 1800 m/s for early 125 mm rounds. However, using the
ring sabot design meant that the penetrator’s tail-fins had to touch the barrel walls,
to keep the projectile properly aligned while it was in the gun. These wide fins
cause large amounts of drag, and Russian APFSDS rounds all slow down quite
quickly, lowering their penetration at long range.

The other factor affecting Russian APFSDS design is the fact that the 125 mm gun
uses two-part ammunition. The projectile and main propellant charge are stored
separately, and loaded into the gun one after the other by a mechanical autoloader.
This means that Russian APFSDS rods can only be as long as the stowage cells in
the autoloader. On the T-72 the ammunition hoist doors are only long enough to let
a 70 cm object through, so long projectiles like the M829A1 (78 cm long) simply
cannot fit. This is the fault of the tank, not the gun, and is the price the Russians
have paid for a compact autoloader system.

The Russians fielded a large number of 125 mm APFSDS projectiles, including the
BM9 (1969), BM12 (1970s), BM15 (1970s), BM17 (1970s), and BM22 (1979). These
are no longer in front-line service with top Russian units, but some may remain in

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 storage, and many were exported or licensed to client states. Iraq, for instance, was
still manufacturing BM-15s in 1991.

The BM32 had entered service by the late 1980s, although it was not shown to the
outside world until it was offered for export in 1993. The BM32 is made of depleted
uranium, unlike all previous Russian rounds, and it has an enlarged redesigned ring-
sabot. The round is quite short, only 49 cm from tip to tail, and the penetrator
weighs about 4.5 kg. The BM32’s 1700 m/s muzzle velocity is good, but the wide
fins will slow this down fairly quickly, so long range performance will suffer.

The BM42 is part of the same generation as the BM32, with a very similar rod shape
and sabot. It was also revealed in 1993, although it was already in service by the
late 1980s. The BM42 uses a tungsten alloy core, but this particular alloy is too
weak to form the entire rod, so the tungsten is sheathed inside a strong steel casing
to keep it intact. 4 The projectile is longer than the BM32, at 57 cm, but its mixed
steel and tungsten construction means its performance is worse. The BM42 has a
1700 m/s muzzle velocity, but its wide fins slow it rapidly, just like the BM32.

The next generation of Russian APFSDS is the BM44, which is radically different
from all other Russian APFSDS because it uses a spool shaped sabot and has narrow
fins, like typical Western designs. The penetrator uses a longer one-piece tungsten
alloy body, but few other details have been released so far. Deliveries of the round
were supposed to begin sometime in 1998-99, but the state of the Russian economy
may have delayed this.

Tank Ammunition - HEAT technology

HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) rounds are a type of shaped charge, and use the
force of an explosion at the target to create their armor piercing effect, rather than
relying on the kinetic energy generated by a gun. As a result HEAT rounds have the
same power at all ranges, and they do not have to be fired at extremely high
velocities like APFSDS. HEAT rounds are the most effective type of ammunition for
piercing extremely thick steel armor, but the widespread use of compound armor
from the 1970s onwards, and the introduction of reactive armor in the 1980s, has
forced HEAT rounds into a secondary role against modern MBTs.

HEAT warheads, at their most basic level, are a cylinder of high explosive. The front
face of the cylinder has a conical cavity carved out of it, and a thin conical metal
liner (typically made of copper) is fitted tightly against the walls of the cavity. The
cylinder of explosive is detonated from the rear, causing a high pressure shock wave
to rush forward towards the liner at speeds of about 8,000 m/s. When the explosion
front passes along the liner it forces it to collapse inwards, starting from the narrow
tip of the cone. As the walls of the collapsing liner slam together, they generate
pressure so far above the yield strength of the liner material that the metal flows in
a fluid fashion, even though it is still well below the melting point, and a long jet of
liner material squirts forward through the open end of the cone. This narrow jet is
moving so quickly (around 10,000 m/s at the tip) that its impact pressure forces any

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armor it strikes to flow to the sides, opening a long narrow crater in the path of the
jet.

Shaped charge jets erode at their tip as they penetrate, rather like APFSDS rods,
gradually getting shorter as they pass through the armor, and this means that the
length of the jet determines how deeply it can penetrate. In general, larger liners
make longer jets, but this is complicated by the fact that the jet’s length is not
constant. When the jet is formed its tip is moving several thousand meters per
second faster than its tail, so the entire jet stretches as it moves forward, and it
eventually breaks up into a series of metal particles. The deepest penetration will
occur when the jet has the time and space to stretch out as long as it can without
breaking up into separate pieces. Therefore, ammunition designers try to put the
impact fuse of HEAT ammunition as far forward of the liner as possible, to give the
round the standoff it needs to form a long efficient jet. Standoff is usually measured
in cone diameters (CD), for ease of comparison. (A warhead with its fuse 160 mm in
front of an 80 mm wide liner would have a standoff of 160 / 80 = 2 CD.) Optimal
standoff distances vary from one design to the next, but they are usually in the
region of 4 to 7 CD for modern HEAT warheads. This makes it nearly impossible to
build optimal standoff into large warheads, and small liners can sometimes
outperform larger liners, simply because they have better relative standoff.

In addition to manipulating the standoff of the warhead, designers can also vary the
shape of the liner to get improved performance. Liners with long sharp conical
shapes produce thin high-velocity jets that penetrate deeply, but have reduced
behind-armor effects. Liners with short broad conical shapes produce slower wider
jets with less penetrating ability, but more damage causing potential. The way in
which the liner collapses can be manipulated by inserting a wave shaper (made of
inert material such as polyethylene, or a slow burning explosive) into the main
charge. This temporarily retards the front of the advancing detonation wave, turning
the curved wave-front into a flat wave-front which causes improved liner collapse.
Differences in liner thickness, liner alloy, and even the way the liner was machined
and processed, all have significant effects on jet penetration, and high
manufacturing tolerances are essential for high performance.

The US Army and the German Army field the same 120 mm HEAT round, which is
called DM12 when it is produced to German standards and M830 when it is
produced to American standards. Although there are modest differences in fusing,
safety features, and other details, the two rounds are essentially identical in terms
of performance. The DM13 and M830 use a copper liner with a wave-shaper, and
have a standoff of about 2.25 CD.

The Russians, on the other hand, have a series of HEAT rounds for the 125 mm
gun. The current standard HEAT round is the BK18, which replaces the earlier BK12
and BK14. The BK18 uses a copper liner with a wave shaper, but its outer walls are
thicker than the M830’s, so the actual liner is smaller. However, the BK18 has a
better standoff distance (3 CD) than the M830, and the liner has a longer sharper
cone shape, so the BK18 has slightly deeper penetration than the DM12 / M830.
The BK29 is similar to the BK18, but it has a strengthened nose designed to pierce

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 light reactive armor before the warhead detonates. This prevents the jet from being
disturbed by the reactive armor.

The Russian BK21B is an unusual HEAT round, because its liner is made of depleted
uranium instead of copper. Depleted uranium is over twice as dense as copper, and
a jet made of such dense material would, in theory, penetrate over 40% deeper
than a similar copper jet, simply due to the increase in kinetic energy. However,
dense liners collapse more slowly than light liners for a given warhead size, so the
actual performance advantage is closer to 20%. The dense material is also more
efficient at penetrating ceramic armors, and the uranium will have its normal
pyrophoric effects as an added advantage. The BK21B is not in widespread issue at
this time.

Tank Ammunition - Other

Although tanks have traditionally carried HE (High Explosive) shells, the Germans
and Americans currently do not field an HE round for their 120mm guns, although
there are rounds in development. As a result, all anti-personnel work has to be done
with HEAT rounds, which have inferior blast and fragmentation patterns compared
to HE rounds of the same caliber. The Russian tanks, on the other hand, have
always fielded HE rounds, and they form the largest proportion of each tank’s
ammunition load. (The current 125 mm HE round is the OF26.) This means Russian
tanks are far better equipped to tackle infantry, especially in urban conditions, than
any of the NATO armies. The Swedish Army has a similar ammunition doctrine to
the Russian army, and they field a 120 mm HE round on their Leopard 2s. The 120
mm and 125 mm HE rounds are fast enough and heavy enough to cause
catastrophic damage to lightly armored vehicles, like APCs and some IFVs, and even
MBTs cannot ignore the damage a direct hit can do to the running gear and optics.

Other ammunition types, like flechette, canister, and smoke rounds, were all
produced for rifled tank guns of previous generations, but they haven’t been fielded
for most 120 mm and 125 mm systems. After failed experiments with Israeli
prototype flechette rounds, the US Army has introduced the M1028 Canister round
for its Abrams tanks. This is like a giant shotgun shell fired from the 120mm gun. It
is fired over very short ranges as the tungsten pellets disperse and lose energy
quickly. The maximum useful range is 700m, and it is fired using the battle sight
HEAT reticule only. Smoke rounds simply haven’t been considered important enough
to be developed yet.

The US Army has fielded an anti-helicopter round, known as the M830A1 HEAT-MP-
T, or MPAT (Multi-Purpose Anti-Tank), since 1992. This small saboted HEAT round
has a muzzle velocity of 1,410 m/s, to enable it to reach distant targets quickly, and
it has a proximity fuse to detonate it when it passes near an airborne target. When
the proximity fuse is switched off, the round can be fired at ground targets, but the
small size of the MPAT warhead means penetration is less than the basic M830. The
US Army partly developed a top-attack round for the Abrams, called the XM943
STAFF, but the program was cancelled before the round reached production. Work

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is continuing on another ambitious smart round program called TERM, but it will not
produce rounds before 2007 at the earliest.

PELE or “Penetrator with Enhanced Lateral Effect” is actually a conversion of

obsolescent DM33 rounds to enhance their effectiveness against IFVs and
structures. The penetrator is bored out, forming a hollow tungsten cylinder
surrounding a low density low compressibility inert plastic core. During penetration
of plates more than a few millimeters thick a significant amount of energy is stored
by compression of the plastic filling. Once the round has perforated the target the
stored energy is released causing the failure of the projectile body. The resulting
fragmentation is much more extensive than for a conventional APFSDS round. There
is no explosive contained in the round, so less risk of collateral damage than
conventional HEAT or HE rounds. The PELE round has a reduced density so has a
somewhat shorter effective range and less penetration than the original DM33
round.

Autocannon ammunition
The small high velocity autocannon mounted on modern IFVs have a nasty sting for
their size, and an IFV firing at the flank or rear of an MBT at close range may be
able to kill it. Even if the IFV cannot kill the tank, the high rate of fire of the
autocannon means that damage to optics, running gear, and other external fixtures
is almost a certainty. The small shells of autocannons lose velocity rapidly,
compared to tank guns, and the useful range of the autocannons is only one or two
kilometers.

The Rh202 20 mm autocannon mounted on the Marder IFV is the smallest and
oldest of the autocannons in the game, and its AP round set the standard for the
frontal armor on the Russian BMP-1. The DM43 API round fires a small (111g)
projectile at 1,100 m/s. The shell is an APCR (Armor Piercing Composite Rigid)
design, with a small tungsten carbide core carried inside the steel shell body and
covered with an aluminum windshield. Although the round can penetrate about 60
mm of vertical steel armor at point blank range it is very inefficient when
penetrating angled armor, and its velocity and penetrating power decline rapidly
with range. The DM43 was superseded by the DM63 APDS (Armor Piercing
Discarding Sabot) round, which carries a short bullet-shaped tungsten penetrator
completely inside a plastic and aluminum sabot. After the round is fired (at 1,150
m/s), the sabot breaks apart and is discarded, and the small dense penetrator
continues downrange, stabilized by spin like a normal bullet. The DM63’s
performance isn’t any better than the DM43’s at point blank range, but it is much
better against angled targets, and it loses velocity much more gradually giving it
superior long-range performance. The DM81 HE-I (High Explosive Incendiary) round
provides the Rh202’s soft-target capability, but 20 mm HE rounds have tiny bursting
charges, and their explosive effect is minimal.

The M242 25 mm Bushmaster is the very capable cannon mounted on the Bradley.
Its best armor piercing round is the M919 APFSDS round, which fires a tiny 96 gram
depleted uranium long-rod penetrator at 1,385 m/s. This small penetrator can

203
 pierce over 90 mm of armor at point blank range, which is exceptional for such a
tiny weapon. The M919 had a higher velocity (1,420 m/s) when it first entered
production in 1990, but problems with excessive barrel wear caused the round to be
withdrawn for several years of redevelopment. A lower temperature propellant
solved the erosion problem, but also led to a loss of performance. The earlier M791
APDS round remained in service while the M919’s problems were being solved. This
has a velocity of 1,345 m/s, but the stubby 102 gram tungsten alloy penetrator can
only defeat about 60 mm of armor at point blank range, and its performance
against sloped armor is worse than the M919’s. The M792 HE-I round completes the
Bradley’s ammunition outfit.

The 2A42 30 mm autocannon on the BMP-2 is the standard by which Western IFV
armor is judged today. Its primary armor piercing round is the 3UBR6 AP round,
which uses a conventional steel bodied AP projectile. The heavy 400g projectile is
fired at a relatively slow 970 m/s. Its size gives it a reasonably good penetration of
over 60 mm of armor at point blank ranges, but its speed and penetrating power
drop fairly quickly with range, and its performance against angled armor is poor.
There is also a 30 mm APDS round for the autocannon, with a muzzle velocity of
1,120 m/s, but it is much rarer than the AP round. Its point blank performance is
about 70 mm of armor, and it has better performance than the AP round at long
ranges and against angled armor. Soft target capability is provided by a 30 mm HE
round.

The 40mm Bofors L70 autocannon is one of the weapons available for the CV90
series. This is a significantly more powerful weapon than the 25-30mm class. The
Slprrj 95LS is the most recent APFSDS round, and is classified as an insensitive
munitions. The 200 gram 11mm diameter penetrator is fired at 1450m/s, and can
penetrate over 170mm of steel - a level of performance that threatens even heavily
armored MBT from the flanks and rear over a wide range of angles and at extended
ranges. There are three types of HE round, the first a simple HE-T round is fired at
1025m/s and weighs 970g. There are two type of proximity fused rounds, the PPFE
Kulsgr90 which has impact and proximity modes, and the PFPPX Kulsgr95 round
with multiple fuse settings. These are both programmed at the time of firing by the
vehicle fire control system, and have fragmentation casings with preformed
tungsten pellets. PFPPX (also known as 3P) modes include impact, impact with
delay, proximity, gated proximity, gated proximity with delay, time and time spread.
The proximity modes are intended for engagement of low flying aircraft such as
UAVs and helicopters, with the gated function avoiding unwanted fuse activation by
terrain below the LOS to the target. The time function adjusts the superelevation of
the gun to pass the round 5m above the LOS, and detonates the round at the target
range, time spread fires rounds at a spread of ranges around the calculated aim
point.

The 40mm AGL is a weapon option with the remote weapons stations and an
infantry crew-served weapon. It is a very low velocity weapon with relatively light
rounds for the caliber. They do carry a respectable HE filling and are useful against
infantry in cover and light vehicles. Ammunition types are HE, HEDP, and HEAT. HE
has almost no anti-armor effect. HEAT has a significant armor penetration capability
but less effect against dispersed infantry. HEDP is a compromise between HE and

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HEAT with roughly half the penetration of HEAT but much better HE effects. Mixed
belts are not currently possible in Steel Beasts.

Anti-Tank Guided Missiles

The development of ATGMs (Anti-Tank Guided Missiles) put highly accurate long-
range firepower into the hands of infantry and lightweight vehicles, and modern
ATGMs are still a serious threat to tanks despite advances in compound armor. The
earliest ATGMs were simple rocket propelled airframes, with large fins,
excruciatingly slow flight speeds, and a guidance system that was no more
sophisticated than a soldier with a joystick and a pair of binoculars. The soldier had
to watch both the missile and the vehicle he was aiming at, guide the missile onto
the line of sight between him and the target, and manually fly the missile all the
way to a successful impact. This took a steady hand and a great deal of skill, as well
as strong nerves to endure return fire during the long flight. This sort of guidance,
known as MACLOS (Manual Command Line Of Sight), was soon replaced by a
partially automated system known as SACLOS.
SACLOS (Semi-Automatic Command Line Of Sight) guidance uses a computer to fly
the missile, and allows the operator to devote all of his attention to tracking the
target. The computer typically observes a flare carried on the missile’s back end,
and then compares the position of the flare to the line of sight between the
launcher and the target being tracked by the operator. If the missile (and its flare)
is flying below the line of sight the computer commands it to climb, and if it is above
the line of sight the computer commands it to dive. Similar corrections are made if
the missile is drifting left or right. As a result the missile flies a slightly corkscrewing
path along the line of sight, and as long as the operator keeps that line of sight
aligned with the target, the missile should make a successful impact. The steering
commands are usually sent along fine wires that are paid out behind the missile,
although some systems use infra-red or radio command links. Battlefield experience
has shown that hit rates of 90% or more can be achieved in combat by using
SACLOS guidance systems, even at extreme ranges. However, SACLOS ATGMs still
have difficulty functioning at shorter ranges, before the missile has been fully
acquired and steered onto the line of sight by the automatic tracking system. During
that time the ATGM is little more than a large expensive rocket-launcher.

ATGMs rely on HEAT warheads to kill enemy AFVs 5, and heavy ATGMs carry large
warheads with outstanding penetrating power. However, the performance of the
whole ATGM on the battlefield will usually fall below the maximum performance of
the warhead under laboratory conditions, and the enormous penetration figures
claimed by some manufacturers can be somewhat misleading. Laboratory shots can
be conducted at the ideal standoff distance, to obtain maximum warhead
penetration. However, the standoff allowed by the fusing arrangement on the
missile is usually much shorter, greatly reducing the missile’s actual penetration.
Furthermore, when the missile is in flight it is almost always flying with an angle of
attack, either to generate lift or to generate turning forces, and this means that the
warhead is not pointing directly along the flight-path. This introduces an off-axis
velocity component to the jet, forcing it to carve a slightly wider crater than normal,
which results in a measurable decline in penetration. American ATGMs currently

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 include the heavyweight TOW, the man-portable Dragon, and its replacement, the
Javelin.

TOW (Tube launched Optically tracked Wire guided) is an aging system, first
introduced in the early 1970s and regularly upgraded ever since. TOW was one of
the first missiles to use flare-tracking SACLOS guidance, and the steering commands
are transmitted from the launcher to the missile along a wire command link. The
missile is ejected from its launch tube by a fast-burning boost motor, and once it
has travelled to a safe distance from the launcher, its flight motor ignites, burning
for 1.6 seconds and accelerating the missile to a maximum speed of 330 m/s. After
the motor burns out, the missile glides towards its target, steering with its tail-fins
and gradually slowing down. TOW has a minimum range of only 65 meters, but it
takes nearly 22 seconds to fly to its maximum range of 3750 meters.

TOW-2A (BGM-71E), which is the fifth version of the missile 6, was introduced in
1987. It carries a front mounted 152 mm HEAT warhead, with a spring loaded
telescoping nose-probe that extends after launch to give the main warhead a
standoff of about 3.3 CD. The probe also contains a tiny precursor warhead, which
is designed to detonate reactive armor prematurely so it cannot interfere with the
jet from the main warhead.

TOW-2B (BGM-71F), the sixth and final TOW variant, entered service in 1992. It is
an overflight top attack missile, and it does not impact directly on the target to
destroy it. Instead, it flies about one meter above the target and fires two warheads
downwards into the weakly armored roof of the vehicle. This strategy allows the
missile to completely bypass the heavy frontal armor of modern tanks, and achieve
reliable kills from any direction.

The missile carries a completely redesigned warhead section, which contains two
EFP warheads that face downwards. EFPs (Explosively Formed Projectiles) are a
type of shaped charge, but they use a shallow dish shaped liner rather than a deep
conical liner like a HEAT warhead. When the EFP warhead detonates, the liner
collapses into a compact slug, which is hurled towards the target at speeds between
2,000 and 3,000 m/s. The EFP slug cannot penetrate as deeply as a HEAT jet, but it
doesn’t need to in this application because it is only facing weak roof armor. When it
does penetrate, the EFP makes a much larger hole than a HEAT jet and causes
more damage to the inside of the tank.

Since it doesn’t strike its target directly, the TOW-2B uses a dual mode proximity
fuse to detect its target. The fuse includes a magnetometer, to find large masses of
metal, and a tiny laser altimeter to measure the shape of the terrain under the
missile. The warheads are detonated when the laser detects a shape that matches
typical armored vehicles, and the magnetometer confirms that the shape is made of
metal. Unfortunately, the system cannot tell the difference between friend and foe,
or active tanks and wrecks. Any armored vehicle the missile overflies will be
attacked, regardless of nationality or status. TOW-2B can also attack soft targets,
like trucks or field fortifications, by using a backup impact fuse, but it has no
worthwhile armor piercing capability in this case.

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Dragon (FGM-77 series) is the infantry-portable ATGM that the US Army fielded at
the same time it introduced TOW, and it uses flare-tracking SACLOS guidance and a
wire command link, just like TOW does. Unfortunately, the resemblance ends there.
Dragon does not have a flight motor to boost it to high speeds, and it does not have
fins to maneuver with. Instead, it uses a series of tiny one-shot solid fuel rocket
motors to push the missile in the proper direction and keep it airborne. When it is
fired in windy conditions or used against maneuvering vehicles, Dragon can actually
run out of steering motors before it reaches its target. Furthermore, the system is
fired from the shoulder of a sitting soldier, and every twitch, flinch, and breath of
the soldier is transmitted to the Dragon as an unwanted steering command.

Dragon launches are easy to detect, since the missile’s ejection charge kicks up a lot
of dust, and each little steering motor produces a bright spurt of flame when it fires.
The missile seems to bounce downrange in a series of bright eye- catching flashes
which are sure to draw unwanted attention. Dragon only has a range of 1,000
meters (and it takes a slow 11.5 seconds to get there), and the missile’s penetration
is unremarkable, even in the Dragon II version which added an improved warhead.
With its many disadvantages and lack of any redeeming features, it is no surprise
that Dragon has a very poor reputation. (The only good thing about Dragon is that
it now comes with a small thermal imager, which can be detached and used for
observation.)

Javelin is a sophisticated fire and forget missile that began replacing Dragon in
1995. The Javelin missile locks onto its target before being fired, using a built-in
imaging infra-red seeker in the missile’s nose, and once it is launched it is
completely autonomous. Javelin climbs under power to a height of 150m, and then
glides towards its target, maneuvering with fins as it dives to attack the weak upper
surface of its prey. (Javelin can also fly a level attack profile to strike targets hidden
under overhead cover.) The missile has a range of over 2500 m, and carries a 127
mm main warhead and a large precursor warhead, enabling it to kill reactive-
armored targets. Javelin is quite expensive, and is still rather rare. Only 2585 pieces
have been delivered to the US Army by the end of 1999. German ATGMs include the
HOT and Milan systems, both made by the Euromissile consortium of Germany and
France. Since HOT is a specialist heavyweight system used by helicopters and
dedicated tank destroyers it is not simulated in Steel Beasts.

Milan is an infantry-portable ATGM, using flare-tracking SACLOS guidance with a

wire command link. It is easily the most successful infantry ATGM of the last three
decades. Milan is fired from a low stable tripod and operated in the prone position,
but it can also be fired from a mount on the turret of the Marder. Milan missiles
steer by deflecting their rocket exhaust gases with movable vanes, rather than using
drag-producing aerodynamic fins. As a result, the flight motor is designed to burn
throughout the entire flight to provide turning power. This gives the Milan good
cornering ability at all ranges and a relatively constant speed, at the expense of a
heavier motor and a more pronounced smoke trail than boost-glide missiles like
TOW. Milan reaches its maximum range of 2,000m in 12.5 seconds, and can even
strike targets as close as 25 m away.
Milan 2 entered service in 1984, introducing an improved 115 mm warhead with a
short fixed probe giving a standoff of about 2.5 CD. The Milan 2T was introduced in

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 1993, with a further improved warhead with a standoff of 4 CD. The lengthened
nose probe contains a small precursor warhead to detonate reactive armor
prematurely, and prevent it from interfering with the jet from the main warhead.
The improved warhead is heavier than that on the Milan 2, and the missile’s range
dropped to 1920m as a result. The Milan 3, with the same warhead and an
improved guidance package, was unveiled in 1995, but so far it has not been
adopted by the German Army.

Russia is the most prolific ATGM producer in the world, and has fielded at least 15
different types of missile, most of which have several variants. During the Cold War
Russian missiles were each assigned a code name and number, such as the AT-3
“Sagger”, since NATO was not always aware of the proper designations. The
Russians actually use Industrial Index numbers for the entire ATGM system (9K11)
and its various missiles (9M14, 9M14M, 9M14P, etc.), as well as giving the system a
code name.

The AT-3 “Sagger” series (9K11 “Malyutka”) was the last of the manually steered
Russian ATGMs. This compact wire-guided missile flew to a range of 3000 meters at
the sedate speed of only 115 m/s, steered by deflector vanes in its rocket exhaust.
Like all manual systems it had a large minimum range, and wasn’t much use against
targets closer than 500m. It entered service in 1961 as a man- portable system, and
was soon deployed on tank destroyers, helicopters, and IFVs like the BMP-1.
SACLOS versions began entering service on tank destroyers in 1969, and a variety
of upgraded warheads were introduced in the following decades. The “Sagger” is
now obsolete, but vast quantities were made and low readiness units kept them well
into the 1990s. The last of the widely issued “Sagger” missiles was the 9M14MP1,
which had an improved warhead with a probe mounted fuse for better standoff.
Although later “Sagger” versions have been made for the export market, they did
not enter widespread Russian use.

The AT-5 “Spandrel” (actually called the 9K113 “Konkurs” missile system) is a
conventional flare-tracking fin-steered SACLOS missile with a wire command link,
much like TOW or Milan. It entered service in 1977, and forms the ATGM armament
of the BMP-2, as well as some tank destroyers. The system offers a significant jump
in capability over the “Sagger”, due to its shorter flight time, semi-automatic
guidance, reduced minimum range (75 m), and longer maximum range (4000 m).
The basic missile (9M113) was superseded by the AT-5b (9M113M), which appeared
in the 1990s, and has an extendible nose probe for improved standoff and a
precursor warhead to defeat reactive armor.
Russian infantry have several man-portable ATGMs, including the AT-4 “Spigot”,
which has a very strong resemblance to the Milan, and the AT-13 (9K115-2 Metis-2)
system. This fires a canard-steered missile (9M131) and uses flare- tracking SACLOS
guidance with a wire command link. The AT-13 missile (9M131) can reach a range
of 1500 m in 9 seconds, although it becomes unguided after 1000 m, and it has a
powerful 130mm HEAT warhead with a precursor charge. The missile is fired from a
low tripod, but it is light enough to be fired from the shoulder if necessary. The
earlier AT-7 “Saxhorn” used the same type of launcher system, but with a much
smaller and lighter missile carrying a 94mm HEAT warhead. The AT-13 shows what
Dragon could have been if it was done right.

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The Russians have developed four missile systems that can be fired from tank guns.
The AT-11 “Sniper” (9K120 “Refleks”) is the 125 mm missile system built into
modern versions of the T-72 and T-80. It uses a short bullet-shaped missile and a
special low strength propellant charge which are stowed in the autoloader and
loaded like normal 125 mm ammunition. The propellant charge ejects the missile
from the barrel at low velocity, and the flight motor accelerates the missile to
supersonic speeds once its fins have deployed. The missile is quicker than most
western designs, and can reach a range of 4000 m in about 13 seconds, compared
to about 23 seconds for a TOW-style missile. Since the AT-11 can reach targets as
far away as 5000 m, it can threaten all Western ATGM platforms, and its high speed
allows it to engage nimble targets like helicopters with a reasonable chance of
success. The AT-11’s warhead has a good standoff distance (3.3 CD) without the
complication of a nose probe, because the warhead is mounted behind the rocket
motor and maneuvering canards. The initial missile (9M119) was supplemented by
the 9M119M in the late 1990s, which has a precursor charge to defeat reactive
armor.

The AT-11 missile system uses a guidance technique called laser beam riding, which
allows it to travel along a wide laser beam projected from the gunner’s sight
towards the chosen target. Each missile has a rear mounted laser detector that
looks back towards the tank that launched it and tracks the projected laser beam.
The missile measures its position inside the beam, and calculates and executes
steering commands that will move it closer to the beam’s center. All the gunner
needs to do to ensure a hit is to keep the center of the beam aligned with the
target. Laser beam riding missiles do not need a wire between the missile and the
launcher, allowing them to travel faster and further than a wire- guided missile, and
the launching tank can move while the missile is in flight without breaking guidance
wires.

The earlier AT-8 “Songster” (9K112 “Kobra”) is the 125mm system built into the T-
64B and T-80B. It is stowed in the autoloader and fired much like the AT-11, but it
uses conventional flare-tracking SACLOS guidance rather than laser-beam riding
guidance. The AT-8 system avoids the hindrance of guidance wires by transmitting
its steering commands over a UHF radio data link, and the missile is fast (maximum
speed 400 m/s) and long ranged (5,000 m) as a result. The HEAT warhead is
mounted frontally, and it does not have the same good standoff as the later AT-11.

Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons

Infantry are not helpless targets, and they carry a number of lightweight anti- tank
weapons that can be used to attack tanks and other AFVs. Although the HEAT
warheads on these weapons are usually too small to penetrate the frontal
compound armor of modern tanks, they can easily pierce the thin sides and rear of
a careless MBT that gets too close. Infantry anti-tank weapons are most severely
limited by their fire control, which is based on the hasty judgment and shaky
shoulder of the operator, and they have an effective range of a few hundred meters
at best. Miniature computerized fire control systems are beginning to appear that

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 will improve the situation dramatically in the future. American infantry carry the AT-
4, a shoulder fired recoilless launcher with an 84 mm HEAT warhead. The AT-4 has
a muzzle velocity of 220 m/s, giving it an effective range of 100m and an extreme
range of 300m. The warhead is reasonably effective, but it cannot penetrate
modern tanks from the front. The AT-4 is a one shot weapon, and once the round is
fired, the empty tube is discarded.

German infantry use a larger and much more sophisticated system called the
Panzerfaust 3 (or PzF 3), which entered volume production in 1990. This is a
shoulder fired rocket launcher with a recoilless launch system. The basic rocket is
the DM12A1, which has a large 110 mm HEAT warhead with a probe-mounted fuse
to give it a reasonable standoff distance of 2.5 CD. The over-caliber warhead is
much larger than the 60 mm rocket body, and it does not fit inside the launcher
tube. This means the system can be easily upgraded to take larger or longer
warheads without changing the entire launcher. This was done in the late 1990s,
when the PzF 3T entered service with a new warhead carrying a precursor charge in
the enlarged nose probe, to defeat reactive armor.

The PzF 3 uses an innovative countermass system that ejects a mass of iron filings
from the rear of the launcher when the rocket is fired. The recoil of the rocket and
the countermass cancel out, so the gunner feels no kick, and the iron filings
disperse into a harmless cloud of dust within a few feet of the launcher without
causing a dangerous and conspicuous backblast. This means the PzF 3 can be fired
from enclosed positions without injuring the gunner. The rocket leaves the launcher
at a velocity of 160 m/s, and its flight motor quickly boosts it to a speed of 243 m/s.
The system has a good optical sight, and is said to have an effective range of 300
m. The sight and trigger assembly detach from the empty launch tube after the
weapon is fired, and a fresh tube and rocket are clipped into place to reload the
weapon.

Russian infantry have a large number of weapons to choose from. The deadliest of
the Russian systems is the RPG-29, which entered service in the early 1990s. This is
a re-usable bazooka-like rocket launcher firing an advanced 105 mm HEAT warhead.
The main warhead, which may have a dense liner, has an excellent standoff of 4.5
CD, and is equipped with a large precursor warhead to neutralize reactive armor.
The rocket has a muzzle velocity of 280 m/s, and its normal maximum combat
range is considered to be 450 m, although its effective range is less. The RPG-29
has been used in combat in Russia’s internal conflicts, and it is one of the best
infantry anti-tank weapons in the world today.

The reliable RPG-7, another reloadable rocket-launcher, continues to soldier on in

Russian service. The RPG-7’s rockets use over-caliber warheads, and this has
allowed the same launcher to be regularly refitted with better warheads for
decades. The PG-7L rocket carries a conventional 93 mm HEAT warhead, with much
better penetrating power than the 73 mm and 70 mm warheads on earlier rockets.
The rocket is launched with a velocity of 112 m/s, and accelerates to nearly 300 m/s
when the flight motor ignites. Targets can be engaged at distances up to 300m,
although accuracy is poor at those ranges. The best rocket for the RPG-7 is actually
the PG-7VR, which is essentially the RPG-29’s warhead fitted to the RPG-7’s rocket

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motor. It entered service in the early 1990s and was used in combat in Chechnya in
1995. Unfortunately, the heavy warhead reduces the range of the rocket to only 200
meters.

The Russians also have several one-shot disposable rocket launchers, the best of
which is the RPG-27, which takes the RPG-29’s 105 mm HEAT warhead and puts it
into a short disposable launcher. The RPG-27 became available in 1992, and has a
range of about 200 meters.

Artillery
The traditional HE (High Explosive) shell is still very much in use with modern
artillery batteries. HE shells are cheap and easy to manufacture, rugged enough to
be fired at very high velocity, and useful against a wide range of targets, including
infantry in buildings and sturdy field fortifications, which are difficult to tackle with
more “advanced” ammunition. Although armored vehicles are not in immediate
danger from HE shells, fragmentation damage can still strip off radio antennae,
damage running gear, and disable vital optics. Furthermore, the longer an AFV
remains under fire the greater its chances are of receiving a direct hit, and the
crushing impact of a 44 kg (97 lb.) 155 mm HE shell on the thin turret roof is likely
to destroy even the sturdiest tank. Dallying needlessly in an artillery fire zone is not
recommended, even for MBTs.

A new family of artillery shells, called ICM (Improved Conventional Munition) began
to appear in the late 1960s. ICM shells carry a large number of small grenade-like
submunitions, called bomblets, rather than a single explosive charge. When the
shell arrives over the target a time fuse blows the back off the shell and ejects the
bomblets at an altitude of several hundred meters. The submunitions spread out
and fall to the ground in an elliptical pattern, causing extensive fragmentation
damage over a much larger area than the fragment pattern of a single HE shell.
Although early ICM bomblets caused nothing but splinter damage, current versions
(sometimes called Dual Purpose ICM) have shaped charges built into them so they
can penetrate the thin top armor of any armored vehicle they happen to land on.
This makes ICM shells far more dangerous to armored vehicles than conventional
HE, and the US Army considers its ICM shells to be about 6.5 times as deadly as a
conventional HE shells. Armored vehicles caught in an ICM barrage should leave at
once, while they have the chance.

ICM shells are widespread now. 29 Examples include the Russian 152 mm 3O23 ICM
shell, which carries 42 bomblets and spreads them over an area 145 m long and 90
m wide. Each bomblet is 44 mm in diameter, and can penetrate up to 100 mm of

29
After the time of writing of the original text (2003), in 2007 many states signed
the „Dublin Treaty”, banning the manufacturing, use, and possession of cluster
munitions. Given that not all nations have ratified the treaty however the use of
cluster munitions remains to be a very real threat on the modern battlefield.
Therefore they are still being simulated in Steel Beasts. [The Editor]

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 armor in ideal circumstances. The Germans have the DM642 (among others) with
63 bomblets of 42 mm diameter, and US Army fields the 155 mm M483 series
(among others), with 88 smaller bomblets, each capable of penetrating 70 mm of
steel armor.

ICM shells are sometimes referred to as cargo shells because they carry a payload
of smaller objects, and the cargo shell principle has been extended to carry mines.
The Americans pioneered this flexible, rapid reaction method of minefield delivery
with a group of artillery shells called FASCAM (Family of Scatterable Mines), which
carry 36 small anti-personnel mines or 9 small anti-tank mines, depending on the
model. The unexpected arrival of several hundred mines on a vital crossroads or
route of advance can dramatically alter the enemy’s ability to maneuver and bring
second echelon forces to bear, making scatter mines one the commander’s most
valuable tools for shaping the battlefield.

The commander can also modify the battlefield with smoke shells, generating
temporary obstructions to visual sighting. Steel Beasts simulates conventional WP
(White Phosphorous) smoke shells, which contain a large amount of white
phosphorous and a small central explosive bursting charge. White phosphorous is a
soft yellow-white waxy solid which burns spontaneously in the presence of air,
producing a thick white smoke. When the burster charge detonates the shell
ruptures, spraying small chunks of burning phosphorous in all directions and making
an immediate local smoke screen. Although WP smoke does not block thermal
imagers it will prevent most infantry weapons and tanks without TI from seeing
through it, and it will reduce the situational awareness of tanks with TI to whatever
the gunner happens to be looking at.

Smoke shells also show up in an important non-artillery role, in defensive multi-

barreled smoke mortars mounted on armored vehicles. These fire a salvo of small
smoke grenades that detonate in mid-air, scattering burning red phosphorous in a
wide burst to make an instant wall of white smoke in front of the vehicle. The
United States uses 66 mm grenades, Germany uses 76 mm grenades, and Russia
uses 81mm grenades, but they all have much the same effect. The most modern
grenades add components including carbon particles or metallic flakes, to generate
large hot smoke particles which will block IR wavelengths and foil thermal imagers.

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 23 Appendix E: ARMOR
TECHNOLOGY
by Paul Lakowski 7

Basics
Modern AFVs are rated in three important areas; firepower, armor and mobility. Mobility
is often the most important capability viewed from an operational context but armor and
fire power determine success and failure on the modern tactical battle field. Historically
the battle between projectile and plate has determined the outcome of most tank
battles. It’s probably true that fire power is the more important of the two, but often it’s
the level armor that becomes the ‘rate determining step’.

In order to keep pace with gun penetration, designers were forced to focus more armor
to the front at the expense of flank protection. To combat this, gun designers resorted
to high tech ammunition, the and the battle went on. After WW-II, Soviets and
Americans both experimented with ERA equipped tanks, while the Americans
experimented with the silica ceramic armored T-95. These technologies offered potential
but were too costly and the main solution adopted was to increase the weight. The main
battle tank went from 20—30 tons in WW- II to 35—48 tons in the fifties. In other
words, this year’s heavy tank turned into next year’s medium tank just by changing the
name.

In the ‘60s & ‘70s the dramatic rise in the potential of the ATGM forced another
evolutionary step. The British resorted to the ‘heavy tank’ with 16 inches of armor called
the Chieftain, while the French opted for a medium tank, and the Americans developed
the M-60 which was a cross between the M-48 & M-103 designs. The German solution
was the Leopard 1, a 40 ton hybrid tank with the turret armored like a heavy tank while
the hull was a medium tank – a smart solution. The Soviets developed the T-64, their
own version of the Leopard. In some respects this was still the heavy tank of the 40s &
50s as the armor of the T-64 was on the same level of the Chieftains in most places but
in other places it was medium tank armor. The Soviet armor solution was similar to the
German solution, just arranged differently.

The ‘80s saw the introduction of western Chobham armor to counter ATGMs (Anti Tank
Guided Missiles), while the Soviet solution was to add ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) to
the T-64—80 tanks, but the gun designers were able to keep pace. By the 90s even
these armors were obsolete and required upgrading to compete against the latest
warheads. The current solutions are dU (Depleted Uranium) armor for the M-1s and
Challengers, ”Wedge armor“ for the Leopard 2A5, and K-5 for the Russians. The one
thing in common here is that the new heavy armor only covers about ½ the front
profile. So the first solution in the ever increasing upward need for more armor is to
transfer armor mass to the most vulnerable sections of the tank at the expense of the

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 less exposed vehicle areas. In addition special materials have been relied on increasingly
to help boost armor levels at some cost to the design.

Armor Materials and Composition

Steel
Rolled Homogenous Armor (RHA) appears in three forms; armored steel (RHA), semi
hardened steel (SHS) & high hardness steel (HHS). Armored steel is most often found in
thick armor and can appear as cast or rolled; all modern tanks feature rolled plate. High
hardness steel offers about 30—34% more resistance than armored steel, but its costly
(twice the price of RHA), difficult to weld, and can only be manufactured in thin rolled
plates. Often this armor has to be bolted on to the main armor wall The Leclerc tank
and German Leopard 1A3 feature this armor layered with RHA and SHS, it’s assumed
Leopard 2s also featured triple hardness steel. Layered steel – as in the Leopard 1A3 –
should offer an average hardness of 18% higher than RHA.

Aluminum
The post WW-II period saw a number of special armors developed to enhance armor
resistance to shaped charge warheads including ERA, aluminum and ceramic armor, to
name a few, but all these were too expensive except for aluminum. At one third the
density of steel, aluminum was an attractive alternative to steel, especially in the
construction of light AFVs and support vehicles. Unfortunately along with the lighter
construction comes a corresponding weaker resistance, AL5083 (M113, M2/3 and LTVP-
7 AFVs) offers only 60% of the resistance of RHA (against API shot).

Titanium
An interesting alternative to aluminum is titanium, which has a density of only 4.5 g/cm³
and offers resistance of 80-90% of RHA (against APFSDS). However, titanium is many
times the price of aluminum which itself is twice as expensive as RHA. Titanium is
known to be used in select items of the M-1’s armor to reduce weight and may be used
in the modern version of BDD armor in Russian tanks. 8

Honeycomb Structure & Fuel Cells.

Tests on thick honeycomb aluminum structures sandwiched between thin aluminum
plates reportedly offered ~ 70% of the resistance of RHA, when the same resistance of
solid aluminum should be 47% of RHA; that’s 1.5 times better. Apparently this kind of
construction is quite cheap compared to modern layered armors and is already in wide
spread use in industry…always an important consideration.

The fuel cells mounted around the driver of the M-1 tank are reported to feature
honeycomb structure to increase resistance in the front hull. 9 In addition, Diesel fuel has
been shown to be a reasonable armor, and by integrating it into the armor, it further
increases protection.

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Composites
Many lightweight materials, like Fiberglass, have also been tested in an effort to replace
part of the dependence on heavy steel in AFV design. Usually these composites involve
fiber material that is suspended in a medium for reinforcement and stiffening. The
mediums can be Epoxy, Thermoplastics, Vinylester, Polyester or some Phenolic type
material. These also boost the density of the material and allow it to change from cloth
or fabric to panels. 10 Steltexolite is an example of a lightweight Russian Fiberglass that
uses glass cloth. It’s known to be used extensively in Russian tank armor. Steltexolites
material compares well with aluminum’ in terms of resistance vs. KE projectiles and is
slightly better vs. shaped charges, this despite the fact that it is just 2/3 the density of
aluminum. 11

Spall Liners
The effect of spall is like a small grenade going off inside the AFV. With the addition of
spall liners this is reduced to a shot gun blast. Kevlar is a common composite material
used in the west as spall liners in tanks, like the British tain, but is also used as backing
material for ceramics in armor like the M-1 Abrams. Kevlar offer less resistance to AP
shot compared to Fiberglass but comparable figures for APFSDS and HEAT. Not as good
as Steltexolites but lighter at just ¾ of the density, it’s a good solution as a spall liner.
(50% reduction in particles and blast cone). Newer materials like Spectra Shield and
Dyneema achieve the same effect but at 2/3 the weight of Kevlar. Dyneema is of note
as being the liner in German AFVs, and has comparable resistance to Fiberglass at 1/3
the density. 12

Ceramics
By far the most common special armors studied to increase AFV protection are ceramics.
Ceramics are also assumed to be the main component in Chobham armor. Ceramics are
light, but very hard, materials -- over 4 times as hard as the hardest steel at only half
the weight. This combination of light weight and high hardness offers resistance to KE
warheads comparable to RHA and, more importantly, resistance to shaped charge
warheads up to twice the amount RHA offers. While this makes them good armor
material, there are several drawbacks to using ceramics in tank design.

First, ceramics lack mechanical strength and can’t be used as support structures.
Furthermore, to be most effective they must be encased in metal, therefore diluting
some of the weight and performance benefit. While the most basic ceramic, Alumina
[AL2O3] is about as expensive as aluminum or hard steel (twice the price of RHA), the
really mass- ceramics can be up to 10 times the cost of Alumina.

The second major drawback of ceramics is that they shatter on impact because the
mechanical strength can’t survive the shock waves bouncing off the free tile edges. In
tests, the resistance of a shattered steel-ceramic target ranges from 95% vs. AP shots
to 80% vs. APFSDS. In addition, test on AP impacts of sloped ceramic-steel targets
show that resistance is less than the LOS value, when the slanted resistance of RHA is
more.

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 Spaced Armor
One of the first methods to enhance the armor of tanks was the spaced plate
arrangement. It was discovered that the combination of air gap and plate detonated
shaped charges before impact on the main armor. Where the air gap was large enough,
the standoff of the shaped charge helped to defeat the warhead. This is because shaped
charges have an optimum detonation range. If the standoff distance is too little or too
much, this reduces the jet efficiency. All modern tanks have spaced armor somewhere
over their design, like the rear hull and turret or the skirts over the side hull.

In addition, the spaced plates themselves also help to defeat the shaped charge by
erosion. Test on thin spaced plate’s show that the collapse of the plate flows into the
path of the jet, leading to a large disrupted zone. Since the jet has little strength, it too
is disrupted and the plate will offer a resistance 2—3 times the LOS thickness.

If the spaced plate arrangement is layered, the disrupted zone and shaped charge loss
of penetration is larger. A steel–aluminium–steel arrangement offers a resistance 7
times the LOS thickness of the plates. The wedge armor added to the Leopard 2A5
seems to be of this construction with several plates of steel, probably of different
hardness (triple hardness steel?) 13
Sufficiently large enough spaced plates can also offer increase resistance to kinetic
energy attack (APFSDS), increasing plate resistance ~10% as well as 10% for slanted
impact. 14

If the layer includes an elastic material the plates will bulge at considerable speed
[200—500 m./s], increasing the effectiveness of the plate in much the same way ERA
works (see below). These kind of arrangements could offer ~10 times the LOS thickness
against shaped charges. The Israeli EKKA armor added to M113 and AAVP–7 are
examples of this armor. 15

Explosive Reactive Armors

ERA generally works in the following way: A flat layer of explosive is sandwiched
between two steel plates, mounted some distance from the main armor wall. When this
array is struck by a sufficiently large enough force (HEAT jet or KE penetrator), the
explosive is detonated and the flyer plates are driven apart. If this impact occurs at
angle, the expanding movement of the plates will cut across the path of the jet or rod,
thereby eroding it. When a rod interacts with the flyer plate, it will suffer enhanced
erosion and magnify its yaw resulting in 10—20% loss of penetration per plate. The
effect on HEAT jets is similar to rod shaped projectiles, but since the jet is already weak
the disruption can be massive. In addition, tests on asymmetrical sandwiches show that,
even at normal impact, the HEAT jet is seriously disrupt. Thin plates offered 7—10 times
the resistance at normal impact. 16

Kontakt-1 ERA
Late model Soviet tanks mounted 1st Gen Kontakt armor . These 5 x 8 inch blocks work
as follows, inside the box, two plates lined with explosives underneath, stacked one on
top of the other, explode outward in the same direction. Test show that outward
propelled plates offer more resistance than inward propelled plates (2 times compared

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to 1.7 for the retreating plates vs. APFSDS). 17 Kontakt is thought to be 10 times as
effective as RHA plates vs. shaped charges, but the ERA coverage over the front and
side of Soviet tanks is reported to be only 60%, while the glacis is about 80%.

Kontakt-5 ERA
The patent for K-5 shows a box with K-1 type plates inside. The outer 25mm plates
hardly move at all and are fixed in place but there are 2—5 inner plates [similar to K-1]
with no more than 2 layers active and the others inert. It might be that, since the active
layers are in segments themselves, it might be reusable! Since only a maximum of 2 of
the 4-7 plates are flyer plates, the variation should be only about ±10% [instead of
±30% in K-1]. 18

Non Explosive Reactive Armor NERA

A variation of this theme is Soviet BDD or Brow armor. This is a thick armor added to
the front turret and glacis of older tanks. The bulk of the thickness is rubber with a few
thin (5mm) mild steel plates mounted freely. When this is struck, the kinetic energy of
the rod or jet is re-transmitted through the rubber to the mild steel plates, which bulge.
The T-55 BDD glacis thickness is 150mm with 30mm RHA casing and alternating layers
with 4 x 5mm mild steel sandwiched in between 100mm rubber.

Layering
Test of AP shots on various aluminum–steel combinations has revealed that if the less
dense layer is on top, the array offers as much as 15% more resistance than the other
way around. Tests on APFSDS seem to show this same effect. Test on ceramic with
backing plates show resistance changes with the backing material. A ceramic/aluminum
array offers much less resistance than the same ceramic mounted on RHA. Furthermore,
ceramic mounted on tungsten plate offers more resistance still. In the case of
aluminum, this is less dense than the ceramic and thus it fits into the above model. The
case of the Tungsten backing is of note due to the possibility that this might be a key to
dU armor effectiveness.

Another way to increase the effectiveness of the ceramic /steel target is to confine
(encase) the ceramic in steel. Tests of APFSDS impact have shown that a mild steel
cover plate will increase the overall resistance by 12%, while SHS cover plate increases
the resistance by 25%. If the backing material is SHS instead of RHA the resistance of
the target as a whole goes up again. A ¼ ceramic ¾ SHS target offered 20% more
resistance than SHS.

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 24 Appendix F: SIMULATING
TANKS
By Nils Hinrichsen

In case you have the illusion that you could become a real tanker if only you played a
simulator often enough, read on… 30

Home and Office Environment

Unfortunately, the comfy surroundings of your PC -your living room or maybe even your
office- do not match the environment inside a tank very well. In fact, there is absolutely
no resemblance at all. Therefore, a PC simulator will meet serious restraints in what it
can actually simulate.

Input Devices
You can never train yourself to become an excellent gunner (or commander) on a PC
because, for one thing, you are limited to using a keyboard, mouse, and joystick. To
excel at gunnery on a real tank you must learn to operate the real controls while
blindfolded. To an extent it is similar in a simulation: Until you know all the sim controls,
and how to efficiently access them, you’ll be a novice sim gunner. The same is true for
the real thing. Many switches in a tank are found near the gunner’s right shoulder,
above his head, and below his butt. You can’t simulate that on a PC.

Physical Stress
You don’t have do hard labor on your PC. A tank crew member has to do a lot of manual
labor. Each round weighs about 25 kilograms, and there are 42 to load into a tank. The
loader will jump in and out of the tank numerous times in a day. The whole crew will
probably sleep only two to four hours a day for weeks. It stinks. It’s loud inside a tank.
You may not wash yourself for days, and then you get some ice cubes instead of a
warm and comfortable shower. The rolling motion of the moving tank might cause
nausea -- somebody’s barfing into a rubber boot, but the tank won’t stop. Boring routine
for hours, days, even weeks. Then an enemy attack, all of a sudden. And it’s over even
before you fully realize that there was a threat to your life!

30
This text was written in 2000 for the original Steel Beasts game manual. Much of it
still applies despite all technical progress in the last fifteen years. [The Editor]

218
If you care to simulate the routine day of a tanker, here’s what you can do. (Take care
to avoid all social contact, though, or you may find yourself under sedation in a padded
cell.) Once you’re alone, stop washing for a couple of days. 19
Then start exercising by repeatedly climbing some dressers in your bedroom. Fold
yourself into a locker for a few hours, and then start weight-lifting your 17” CRT monitor
(LCD screens don’t count!). Avoid sleeping for more than three hours per day - in the
locker, of course! Use duct-tape and fix yourself to your seat.

Communication
You cannot talk to your computer. OK, there are some programs that will allow you to
translate some simple speech commands into keyboard input, but you can only give a
limited set of orders that the simulator understands. Worst of all, you cannot do several
things at the same time; you can only handle what’s most threatening right now, and
click buttons in the 3D interior only sequentially.

Terrain Rendering
Monitor Resolution
Although modern PCs are far more powerful than the computers that sent the Apollo
rockets to the moon, game developers still don’t have enough computing power to
create virtual environments that resemble reality close enough. Terrain rendering is a
good example. Here you meet several restraints. Although some people call screen
resolutions of 1600 x 1200 pixels and above as “high res“, these still just approximate
the human eye’s true capabilities. If you don’t need glasses it is quite possible to spot a
moving tank at distances up to 3000m with the naked eye (if the terrain is favorable,
and weather provides good visibility). At 3000 meters, a typical tank would subtend an
angle of about 0.057 degrees (about 1 mil). To make that tank appear as just a single
pixel on you monitor at a resolution of 1600 x 1200 means that the field of view must
be reduced to about 90 degrees, far short of a human’s 170° field of view, and still the
tank would appear as a single dot. Conversely, if you want to have a natural field of
view of 170 degrees, the tank would be smaller than a single pixel at distances above
just 1590 meters.
In other words, when designing the user interface for a tank simulation the two
alternatives are to force short-sightedness on the user, or tunnel vision.

Visibility Range
From high ground with good visibility and binoculars you could detect a column of tanks
at a distance of 10 or 15 km. Although this is beyond the reach of your tank’s main gun,
you could have called artillery if you had spotted the enemy at such a distance.

Unfortunately, the amount of computing power needed to render the artificial landscape
and perform enemy detection over such a great distance is too prohibitive. Therefore we
had to limit the maximum visibility range 4500 meters - which is still comparatively large

219
 when compared to many other “open world” games which typically show you no more
than just a few hundred meters.

The Looks of an Artificial Environment

Computer-rendered areas still look artificial. Surfaces are too smooth, and there’s
probably never enough trees, leaves, and even butterflies in the air to fool you.
Unfortunately, that will affect the way you deal with the terrain presented here.
Disorientation is a common phenomenon in computer simulations (even in the cutting
edge ones of the military) unless some terrain properties are grotesquely overdrawn.
The only terrain types that can be displayed with information contents roughly equal to
reality are oceans, deserts, and the arctic tundra.

Artificial Intelligence
The world was astounded when Deep Blue beat Gari Kasparov during an infamous 1996
chess tournament. Although chess has a lot of variables, it still has only 64 different
positions that pieces can occupy, and a small number of moves and rules. Also, each
player is blessed with a perfect intelligence picture (that is, the position of each piece is
known to both parties at any point of the game). In a simulator like Steel Beasts, each
ground vehicle can occupy nearly an infinite number of 3D positions. (256 * 2³², to be
exact, which is over 1 trillion positions) and the rules and movements are very complex.
Enemy units are only considered if they have been spotted; the rest is hidden by “the
fog of war”. There’s simply no way to use brute-force chess algorithms in such a
simulation.
The AI (more accurately, the computer control logic) for simulations invariably relies on
ad hoc algorithms based on heuristics that sometimes work and sometimes don’t. When
they don’t work, the AI units look plain stupid.
What the computer can do well is follow rather simple rules of micro management. Our
computer-controlled drivers try to find hull-down positions from the very moment they
make out an enemy. They’ll follow your change-of-formation orders without bouncing
into each other too often. They back up when being under direct fire, and try to find a
different position. Our computer- controlled commanders will fire smoke grenades at the
proper time. They’ll ask for artillery support on their own. They’ll search for the enemy
in a realistic way, and hand off targets to the gunner. There’s no cheating here!
But how did we train the computer to invent ingenious battle plans? We didn’t. We gave
up on the idea of having an imaginative computer AI create high-level battle plans, and
instead rely on humans creating them. In other words, you’ll have to face canned
missions (although they can contain random elements in them). They’re as ingenious (or
as unimaginative) as the mission designers’ minds. The alternative is to have an
automatic scenario generator create an infinitive number of missions that all seem to
play the same way.

220
 25 Appendix G:ENDNOTES

1
This version has been edited slightly for the manual. An unedited
electronic version is part of the Steel Beasts installation
2
Sabot is actually the French word for a wooden shoe, like those worn by
French peasants in the 18th and 19th centuries. Cannonballs and shells of
that era were sometimes fitted with wooden pusher plates to improve the
gas seal, and the shells sat in the wooden plate like a foot in a shoe. At
some point the pusher plate was nicknamed a sabot and that name has
become a technical term in ballistics ever since
3
The DM43 was eventually produced in large quantities in America as an
export round for Egypt (KE-W I)
4
The Americans and Germans had to use the same method with their first
tungsten APFSDS rounds, the M735 and the DM13, for the same reason
5
Exceptions include TOW-2B (EFPs), Malkara (HESH), and several high
velocity prototypes, such as LOSAT, that use KE penetrators.
6
Earlier versions were the TOW, TOW-ER, ITOW, and TOW-2
7
This version has been edited for the manual. An unedited electronic
version is part of the Steel Beasts installation
8
See: Int. J. Impact Engng. Vol. 20, pp. 121—129
9
See: Int. J. Impact Engng Vol. 19 pp. 361—379
10
See M. Szymczak in: DREV paper Sept’95
11
See Int. J. Impact Engng. Vol. 17; pp. 751—762
12
See M. Szymczak in: DREV paper Sept’95
13
See: Int. J. Engng. Sci. Vol. 20, pp. 947—961
14
See: Int. J. Impact Engng. Vol. 5, pp. 323—331
15
See: Int. J. Impact Engng. Vol. 21, pp. 294—305
16
See: Int. J. Impact Engng. Vol. 23, pp. 795—802
17
Principle Battle Tank pg. 59, Arsenal books & Kontakt 5 Patent
18
See: Zaloga, Steven: Artillery & Design Practices 1945—Present, pp. 122,
124/125, 147, 436
19
OK, if it’s absolutely necessary, use a bowl of ice water. Shave yourself
with a blade, but no foam! Use face paint afterwards and diesel fuel as a
deodorant

221