Old forum port: Tank Destruction

[RedStorm]

Originally posted 03-20-2005

Yesterday I installed Medal of Honor: Allied Assault again, just for old time's sake and to get some arcadish action to blow off some steam. I was having my good fun up until a mission in which you control a Panzer VI ausf. B and it is your mission to clear out an enemy village including any guns or tanks you come across.

I was simply awe-struck when I blew up a tank and saw the crew actually scrambling out for their dear lives! Here is more or less how the system in MoH:AA works; when you shoot an enemy tank and blow it up, you see the commander's hatch pop open, and you see the crew actually scrambling out as fast as they can. The animations to the crew are different every time. For example, on some occasions you see first the commander climb out, jump off the turret onto the main body of the tank, then jump down, then the gunner comes out, just climbs out and rolls from the turret onto the body and then falls to the ground, then the loader climbs out and lies dead on the turret in whatever order.

The way in which these crew members come out is different each time, for example the first time the commander will roll down the turret, the other time he'll jump down to the ground. Also, sometimes only one crew member will come out, sometimes four or five. Sometimes (I've only seen it happen once in MoH:AA) you even see one of the crew members bail out on fire, roll down the tank and then burn up on the ground.

Of course, in MoH:AA it's totally random which crew members survive, but in RO it would be calculated by where and what an enemy round struck (perhaps even at what angle it penetrated). This would add a whole new level of immersion and realism (and ofcourse it'll be more "tanker-friendly" too, as you still have a big chance to survive after your tank has been blown up).

Obviously, the bail out sequence would be totally automatic after a tank has been blown up, not needing any of the crew members to press a button.

And for all the realism junkies (I'm definitely one of them ), be overjoyed in knowing that this is a-hundred-percent realistic as well. In hardly any known case a tank would just desintegrate without any of the crew surviving with a chance to bail out. If you want evidence, I've got that well-known clip shot of a Panther that was destroyed by an M-26 Pershing, so PM me if you want it. For those who don't know it; it's a one minute video of a Panther shot three times totally burning down. While on fire, you see the hatches open and the crew scrambling out... I think it was about four that got out.

I'll give some further clarification on my idea: if a tank is mortally incapacitated, the crew will just bail out automatically. This doesn't count shot out tracks or anything. When your tracks are shot out you won't scramble out like in those vids. What I mean is when the tank has been totally destroyed, blown up or whatever. The hatches will pop open and the crew will automatically bail out without having to push a button or anything. I'll give an example:

Two German Panthers are moving up the bridge on Barashka. A group of three T-34/85s suddenly open up on the Panthers. The first Panther tank gets its track blown out and the crew bails out at their own will using the regular use/eject button (whenever they wish, they could stay inside as well, like they can now), risking getting blown up when they stay in the tank and risking getting shot when they get out. Now, the second panther is hit by three 85mm shots, one penetrating the ammunitions storage. The tank immediately lights up and the rear compartment blows up. In the tank system we have now this would mean one destroyed tank and an entire dead crew. What I would like to see is that when something like this happens, the tank is a total loss, but the crew pop their hatches open in a desperate move to survive. This shouldn't be left up to the player to bail out whenever they wish, because in real life you'd instinctively (without thinking) try and get out any way you can. The player should only regain control of the character when they're down on the ground, the "bailing out" bit itself should be a random animation.

So there should be two "groups" of animations; one for a normal exit, like when you get out of a tank in friendly territory or when something 'minor' has happened, like shot out tracks. You'd just see the crew climb out of the hatches at a normal pace, cautiously making their way down to the ground, at which point the player will regain control. This ejection sequence can be triggered by the player itself whenever he wishes.

Then there'd be the emergency ejection for when the tank has been totally destroyed and is on fire. The chance of the entire crew surviving would be quite small, with sometimes no one getting out, sometimes one, two, three or four in whatever order. When this ejection sequence is triggered, you'd see the entire tank crew desperately scarmbling out as fast as they can, some rolling down the side of the turret and onto the ground, some stumbling off, some jumping from the turret to the ground... perhaps some even climbing out, but lying dead on the tank body or turret due to shrapnel wounds.

Once again, this'd only replace the "100% death" scenario we have now when a tank is incapacitated. Tell me what you think.

I know the developers saw this idea in the old Suggestions thread all those months ago, Polygon said he'd make a mental note (but we all know his mental state... ), but I thought I'd still repost it as it might be lost in the old forum. Hope it's not too much of a hassle on your beautiful new forum.

[Pycckuu]

I can't do much but agree here

[Polygon]

Yeah, I remember this post from way back when- I still believe it's a great idea for the most part, I'm sure others will take notice of it.

[smokeythebear]

!FIRST POST!

I think thats a great idea but only if

-there are animations for the crew getting out+thier venerable as they escape

-occasionaly you will be able to escape ony to find out your on fire

-everything can be disabled/destroyed in any realistic order, but what im really getting at is no more health bars, or health, period. (e.g. tracks are disabled but turret is unaffected, shots being deflected should definatly stay.

[Moz]

I'd like to see 3 people bail out of a tank even if only one person is in it, the bots just collapse and die the instant they get out of the tank, for immersion.

[Ghad]

This is a truly great idea, i would love to see it in a game sometime.