Click, Tweak, Command
A Guided Tour of Panzer Elite’s Menus
Modern shooters hide complexity behind “difficulty: easy–hard”.
In Panzer Elite (1999) the depth lives in its menus—thirteen screens that let you
shape every battle before a single shell is fired. Screens from the Ostpak Redux mod by Daskal; here’s a fast tour.
1. Your Launch Pad
Seven buttons, zero fluff. Campaign, Instant Action, Multiplayer, Options—everything is one click deep.
2. Instant Action: Build-a-Battle
Nation first. Pick Allies or Axis; UI swaps flags and unit lists instantly.
Scale next. Solo tank up to five-tank platoon—difficulty spikes accordingly.
Finally choose your own mount and what your AI wingmen drive. Yes, mixed platoons are ok.3. Scenario Library
130+ handcrafted battles per side. Each entry shows date, terrain photo, and historical synopsis.4. LAN & TCP/IP, 1999-style
5. The Options Hub
Four branches: Graphics, Sound, Realism, Controls. Everything is tweak-and-test—no relaunches needed.
6. Key-Binding Nirvana
7. Realism Panel: 56 Check-Boxes of Joy
Commander / Map -Toggle full LOS spotting or realistic crew delay.
Driver & Gunner – Engines can overheat; choose realistic ballistics.
Enemy vs. Own Experience – Slide AI from Green to Elite independently.
External Views – Purists can disable them entirely.
Game Options – Make the commander invulnerable while you learn.
Automated Supply – Auto-ammo and fuel for quick games; untick for campaigns.
Preset buttons (Beginner | Advanced | Expert).
TL;DR
Menus this deep let Panzer Elite age like fine armour steel: tweak only what you need, leave the rest stock, and roll out. Next post I’ll dig into single-mission briefings and the campaign tree.