M1 Tank Platoon II has me dreaming again. This sim is looking awesome! Although we've provided significant coverage lately, who can get too much of a good thing? So, for those who feel the same, here is an interview with Tim Goodlett, Senior Game Designer for M1TPII. M1Tank Platoon is produced by Scott Spanberg, an eleven year veteran with Microprose who was also involved in the original.

Csim: The original M1 Tank Platoon has had remarkable longevity at the top of the ground warfare sim genre, and certainly the standard by which other armor simulations are judged. What do you think is the cause for such a remarkably long reign?

MP: The original M1TP was one of those rare, thoroughly original games that come along every so often. It combined an excellent blend of Simulation, strategy and action in an unexpected genre. Many games have tried to copy it since then, but none have surpassed it.

Csim: In what areas must M1TP2 excel to measure up to it's predecessor's long-lived success?

MP: That's tough. M1TP2 has to include the play and interaction elements of the original and take full advantage of the capabilities of the new generation of computers. It is not enough to just update the original, this game must add something to it and take it a step beyond what everyone else is doing.

Csim: M1TP2 is already somewhat infamous for being written on a P90 and having modest hardware requirements. How will the game scale its graphics options to take advantage of systems with more sophisticated hardware?

MP: Detail levels control several aspects of the game. M1TP2 can be set to use software rendering, or to take advantage of 3D hardware cards using either Glide or Direct 3D. The player can disable certain graphics functions such as alpha blending. The lower detail levels also reduce the number of objects in the world as well as reducing the number of total units in the game.

Csim: What kind of units will be present in the game?

MP: M1TP includes 93 vehicles and over a dozen helicopters and aircraft, combined into over one hundred different platoon organizations. US units include the M1A2 (of course), several variants of the M2 Bradley, HMMWV, LAV and M113, as well as numerous support units. There are British and German tanks and IFVs included. The Enemy uses Russian equipment including the T90E, T80U, two variants of the T72, all three models of the BMP, BTRS, several air defense vehicles and numerous support units.

Csim: We've heard that the Marines will be represented. Will there be any differences between the Marine and Army variants of the M1A2?

MP: The Marines M1A2s will be identical to the Army versions, At least to the player. However, if the player is using a Marine unit, all supporting platoons, as well a supporting artillery and aircraft use Marine vehicles and organizations. So instead of M2 Bradleys, Marines use LAV-25s, instead of Apaches, the Marines use Super Cobras and so on.

Csim: Can you tell us something of how the gunner's fire-control system works?

MP: In M1TP2 the gunners fire-control system mimics that in the M1A2. The gunner holds the targeting reticule on the target and lazes the target. The computer determines lead bast on turret movement and the super-elevation based on range. In case of computer or laser damage the gunner can judge lead and elevation, or use the Auxiliary Sight, in addition, the commander can control the gun using the CITV.

Csim: Infantry support has always been somewhat lacking in ground warfare simulations. How will infantry be modeled and what their role will be?

MP: Individual infantry men are modeled, each with its own weapons and AI. Once they are dismounted from their vehicle the player can control them just like any other unit under their command.

Csim: Damage modeling is obviously critical in an armor simulation. How will the damage resolution system work?

MP: All shells are modeled for their individual ballistics and penetration method, such as kinetic penetrators or shaped charge warheads. Penetration is determined using the ballistics of the round, its penetration based on range or shell type, the geometry of the situation, the hit location and armor type and thickness. If a round is determined to penetrate the vehicle, actual damage is determined by hit location, vehicle characteristics and weapon effects.

Csim: The commander's position in tank sims seems to differ in usefulness and implementation style from one game to another. How will the commander function in M1TP2?

MP: The commander's cockpit is fully functional. It has the standard hatch open view to allow the player to use the .50 cal machine gun, as well as a fully functional vision blocks. The heart of the station is the interior view. This includes the IVIS, or Inter Vehicular Information System, the CITV or Commanders Independent Thermal Viewer, and an extension to the Gunner's Primary sight.

The IVIS shows the player the area around his units and any enemy units reported by any of their vehicles. In its full screen mode the IVIS allows the player to give orders to all of their units. Like the original M1TP, the player can play the entire battle from this screen. The CITV gives the commander a 360 degree view of the world with thermal system, and magnification abilities. They can use the CITV to designate targets for the gunner, or as a secondary gun sight in an emergency. The GPS extension allows the player to see what the gunner sees or to override the gunner and take control of the gun.

Csim: What kind of multiplayer options will be supported? Can we expect both cooperative and head-to-head play?

MP: First, the number of players in a multiplayer game is determined by the connection method. This varies form two to five players. The five player limit is a design choice based on play balance. There are five positions open in multiplayer games. Four of these positions are in the four tanks of the players platoon, with one player in each tank. The fifth position is the opposing battlemaster. The battlemaster concept is based on the military simnet system in which one person acts as the OPFOR (Opposing Force) commander. In M1TP2 the OPFOR battlemaster commands his forces from the chase view and from the map screen. They cannot jump into any vehicle cockpits.

Csim: Where are the campaigns set and why were these geographies selected?

MP: There are six campaigns. One is a training campaign set in Fort Knox and the National Training Center at Fort Irwin California. The other five are the actual campaigns. They are set in the Middle East, North Africa, Moldavia, the Russian Far East and central Poland. These areas were picked based on several criteria: enjoyment level, plausibility, terrain and the opponent. It was also intended to not have a campaign set in a situation in which our ground forces were currently deployed into a hostile situation. Recent events are forcing us to reevaluated the use of the Middle Eastern campaign.

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Last Updated February 18th, 1998