Posts

Kurtenki: What Might Have Been

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Over the last week, I’ve quietly rebuilt one of the original T-34 vs Tiger stock missions: Kurtenki . The stock version always felt unfinished. No village activity. No atmosphere. Just you and a few targets — placed like chess pieces on a map. And yet... the potential was there. So I went back in. Seven days later, here’s what’s changed: • The starting position is now 1 km further back, behind a low ridge. • A German convoy moves to your right as you begin. • The village is populated : trucks, Hanomags, infantry, sandbags, props — a lived-in space. • A burning T-34/76 smokes quietly in the distance, knocked out by a Pz IV just before you crest the hill. No new gameplay systems. No flashy scripting. Just better pacing, better ambience, and a sense that something happened before you arrived. Radio chatter didn’t make the cut — I tried, I really did. But after going around in circles, I chose to revisit radio sounds. The silence works in its own way. This is still the origin...
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T34 vs Tiger Splash Screen

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  A new splash screen for the old girl, I am also working on a revamped German Kurtenki mission.
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Building a Sherman M4: My Stylised Sherman M4 in SketchUp

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Building a Panzer iv: My Stylised Panzer iv in SketchUp

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  Give me gameplay like Panzer Elite and stylised models like this, and I’m in. I don’t need AAA visuals — just depth, detail, and tanks that feel alive.
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Building a Nachtjäger: My Stylised Panther Tank in SketchUp

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  1. Introduction Inspired by Stormworks, Tiny Combat and a photo of the Vampir?) Quick stat: “2647 faces, fully hand-painted per polygon” Me personally, I’d happily play a tank sim with this graphic style — if it had the depth and breadth of Panzer Elite. I don’t need AAA visuals. What matters is gameplay, immersion, and good design. The rest is just polish.  
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Second Look – Tank Squad Has Depth, But Lacks Weight

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After spending more time with Tank Squad , I’ve come away with a deeper appreciation for what it’s trying to do — and also a clearer view of where it falls short. It has depth, no doubt about that. But the feel, the rhythm, the weight — that’s where it’s missing something. Tank Squad walks a line between simulation and arcade. It borrows the faster handling and pace of War Thunder Sim Mode, overlays some of the immersive mechanics of Tank Crew (IL-2), and maybe nods toward the depth of Graviteam Tactics . The result is a hybrid that’s at times compelling, but often lacking a soul. The systems are there: logistics, repairs, salvage, AI squad control. But the pacing doesn’t let them breathe. Tanks are too mobile, and they lack a sense of weight — of trying to move 50 tonnes through the mud. Very War Thunder -esque. Engagements start quickly, and the player is thrown more or less straight into action before they’ve even had a moment to get their bearings. Turn the markers off and sp...
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Click, Tweak, Command
A Guided Tour of Panzer Elite’s Menus

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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.
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