WZ2100 Tank Designs and Crew Layouts

[RedShocktrooper]

(I was bored, so I decided to think about this. This has absolutely no bearing on the game, and doesn't even need to be canon. Of course, given how low on the totem pole this kind of stuff would be, I doubt it would need official sayso anyway. Take this as canon or not at your choice.)

Hello, and Welcome to RedShocktrooper's Tank Corner!

Basically, what this thread is about is deconstructing the idea behind the design (and not in-game, the actual DESIGN) of Warzone 2100 units and hulls, and crew layouts. Expect a bit of techno-babble, and don't hesitate to ask for clarification. I'll try to provide it when I can. I will break this down on a faction-by-faction, unit-by-unit and then unit-weapon-combo level, because every weapon would make a difference in this regard. For the sake of it, let's assume all construction trucks are just that, and hence have a one-man crew.

So, let's start with a faction everyone knows, and a unit we've all used...

The Project

The Project adheres most closely to real-life tank crew layouts - you will generally see a three to five-man crew of a vehicle depending on what that vehicle is, and you will see at least a Commander, Gunner and Driver on all but the most basic vehicles. As well, they have a monopoly on internal combustion engines, and between the factions, are the ones that most resemble a modern day military force.

The Viper and Variants

The Viper is the most basic vehicle in the game (save for the clearly civilian ones the Scavengers use), and at some point or another we've all used it. As a result, it's probably the design everyone is most familiar with. A wheeled vehicle with a machine gun is the most basic vehicular unit in just about every RTS game with a setting that would have them, be it an armed jeep or a Humvee. The Viper is no exception. It also forms the backbone of an early campaign army until the Cobra is available in reasonable numbers.

By itself, the Viper seems to be developed from the modern day LAV III family, mounted with significantly larger wheels and a fitting suspension, presumably torsion bar or leaf spring (the later being very similar to what is used in cars), solving the family of vehicles' problems with questionable tire quality.

Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection is assumed to be Overpressure unless noted.

Machine Gun Viper, Wheeled
For simplicity's sake let's assume Twin MG and Heavy MG are mostly the same as a standard MG. This will obviously change with Assault Guns

A unit everyone's used. Armored with a fairly basic aluminium compound that makes it about as tough as a modern day M2/M3 Bradley or M113, and makes it proof against 7.62x53 mmR as used by the Russian PKM (putting aside rarity AP bullets for the caliber). The wheels are hardly the best means of getting around, but they're simple enough. The Viper's basic role can likely trace its linage back to the present-day Humvee, and is armed with a 7.62x51 mm machine gun, likely with similar firing characteristics as the M60 and M240. The later seems to be a possible choice for it's weapon. The M240 is simply mounted in pairs for the twin version, and replaced with a water-cooled(?!) M2 Browning. The gun can elevate up to 85 degrees, allowing for use as an anti-aircraft weapon, and depress down to -5 degrees.

Crew layout is simple: It consists of two people, a gunner (who is also the loader and commander) and a driver. Radio communication is done simply via on-person sets not too different in operation from what a modern-day infantryman uses. However, the layout of the Viper is rather curious, as the Driver and Gunner have to stay in constant radio contact because the Driver is placed in front of the engine. This positioning affords him a very significant degree of visibility forwards, but he has to count on the Gunner's directions if he's reversing. Back-up cameras could be retrofitted onto Vipers, but by the time the Project recovers the tech to get them to work, it's more worthwhile to install them on Cobras and Pythons.

NBC protection consists of what is essentially gas masks and charcoal suits. It's not popular to work in in hotter environments.

(A note on the water-cooled M2: This is almost undoubtedly a gameplay concession to make it easier to tell a Heavy MG from normal and twin MGs.)

Light Cannon Viper, Half-Tracks

Still using the Viper chassis, the half-track body gives up speed in favor of mitigating the vehicle's ground pressure. From a glance, it appears to use either a Christie suspension (not unlike was used on the T-34 and BT series of tanks by the Soviets back in the 1940s), or a torsion bar suspension similar to the M1 Abrams of the modern day. The use of half-tracks allows the vehicle to be up-armored, to being proof against most light autocannons (20mm to 25mm). The gun, 40mm, seems to indicate the use of a 40mm Bofors automatic cannon, which while probably of fresh manufacture, is a design that hails from before WWII. Development since then allows the 40mm cannon to be a potent threat against most medium and light tanks, let alone lesser vehicles. It is possible it instead uses a weapon developed some time between now and the 2080s. Unlike it's historical counterpart, the 40mm gun is limited to elevating only about 20 to 25 degrees upwards, and only -3 degrees of depression makes hull down difficult.

Crew layout is expanded, as is naturally the fact that it has a proper turret. The Gunner is no longer also the commander, and the 40mm gun can be controlled to fire in single-shots, making hitting a target easier (though by all means, in an emergency it is possible to spray away in semi-auto mode). The Commander sits somewhat separated from the Gunner and Loader, and doesn't appear to have any override controls (other than kicking the gunner with her feet and shouting at him) with which to direct the turret to another target. The Driver is still reliant upon directions from the turret crew when reversing. Notably, the crew is significantly more cramped since three people are crowding around the 40mm cannon in what appears to be a small aluminum box.

The Cobra and variants

Generally, the Cobra is going to be the second hull someone uses, and it combines armor and mobility with a cost, meaning it has fair potential for a mid-game medium tank. The shape of the hull is likely based off that of the American M4 Sherman, indicating that whatever "artifact" (my interpretation: a recovered hard drive) it was recovered from had someone's schematics for a replica M4. In lieu of a better design (and because it was quicker than doing their own R&D), it was pressed into service by the Project.

As with the Viper, NBC protection is assumed to be overpressure.

Medium Cannon, Cobra, Tracked

A standard medium tank design providing fair armor protection and firepower. The main gun is possibly derived from the 76mm M1A1 or the 75mm M3, both from WWII, or from the (German) Panther's 75mm L/70 which was developed into the main gun of the French AMX-13 light tank. It is reasonably accurate, and firing more advanced ammunition than it historically did allows it to have much better results, and as well it is fairly capable of taking down a building. It is mounted in a well-protected turret which makes for a reasonable heavy tank turret as well, with the majority of it's armor concentrated on the turret mantlet which holds the gun in place. It can elevate up to 25 degrees, and down to -8, giving it good hull down capabilities.

The crew consists of four. Because the M4 Sherman's original Radio Operator slot is no longer needed, that job falls to the Commander. The Commander, Gunner and Loader all work in the turret, and the driver is in the hull, directly beneath them. The turret is much roomier than the 40mm one, to accommodate both the gun, and the room needed to operate it. As such, there's less accidental bumping, but this (unfortunately?) means that the Commander cannot "override" the gunner with her feet. However, a TC override is incorperated, as well as intra-vehicle radio for enhanced command and control so they needn't shout over the engine.

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The New Paradigm

TBA

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The Collective

TBA

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NEXUS

TBA

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Extra Hulls

TBA

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OP will be updated when I have more vehicles to cover.

Comments? Questions? Want to suggest a vehicle? Drop me a line here, on this thread!

[RedShocktrooper]

Alright, if nobody has any suggestions to add, I shall commence on the Heavy Cannon Python, Tracked

[Jorzi]

We had some discussions while designing some of the turrets for art revolution, and I think it's quite natural to use a water-cooled heavy mg, since it's the main weapon and not just for emergency defence. An air-cooled heavy mg can only fire for some seconds before being overheated.
I also think that the weapons could possibly be simplified versions of old weapons, in order to produce them in the rough manufacturing plants erected by the project. This would, among other things, explain the lower cyclic rates of the guns in the beginning.
One could expect a combination of somewhat rough, rugged manufacturing combined with pre-existing advanced electronics.

[milo christiansen]

Yay! someone else who doesn't beleve the unit are automated

This is cool, pointless, but cool

[Jorzi]

My opinion is that , at least the project and new paradigm bodies are human-controlled to begin with, with increased automation added in as technology progresses. By the time nexus is encountered, all vehicles are more or less independent droids, which makes them vulnerable to computer attack.

[E-102 Gamma]

In the intro, doesn't a tank drive away by itself immediately after it's assembled?

[MagickPanda]

In wz2100 most stuff is unmanned means the tanks vtols are remotely controlled or AI-driven, that's why nexus can take over the control of your tank/vtols.

[Berg]

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=5598&hilit=manned#p59003

[dunk2k]

Never really thought about units/droids being manned, they never really touched upon the subject in the game. Going by what information is given to us via the singleplayer I've written an overview of the tank's progression and role in Warzone 2100.
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During the early stages of The Project, vehicles were manned. Composition of the tank (i.e Tank hull and turret) would determine crew size. A driver was a standard, regardless tank composition, whilst the Commander doubled as a radio operator; a practise which was standard in tanks pre-collapse. Early armaments had the Commander act as Gunner with a Loader to load the weapon and troubleshoot stoppages. When cannons and in-direct fire weapons came into the fray a Gunner was added to the crew number, in turn allowing the Commander to focus on commanding the crew and communication within the platoon.

It became apparent armored warfare would be the Project's weapons of choice. A single tank could handle whatever rebel ground forces could throw at it and allow the, at the time, limited Project infantry forces to focus on securing safe areas rather than being lost in conflict zones. Once it was discovered in Arizona that the New Paradigm faction was hostile toward the Project and that they possessed greater armament, tank warfare was seen as the most efficient manner of fighting a war against a superior enemy.

After acquisition and research of the Synaptic Link technology, certain functions of the tank became automated (Loader crew member replaced by a robotic Autoloader system) and operation of the tank by tank crews was upgraded with Synaptic Link type devices (Brain Scanners, neural trackers). Command tanks were also issued to the large scale tank platoons/divisions that were becoming common place on the frontline with the New Paradigm. Command tanks functioned as they did pre-collapse; whilst being armored but unarmed they gave the much need additional logistical and combat support a large strike force required to work efficiently together.

Hover propulsion technology, acquired from a New Paradigm stronghold, opened up new tactics for tank warfare unprecedented even by Pre-Collapse standards. Traverse over water gave hover tanks the ability to negate physical bottlenecks that traditional land tanks had to endure. Though while fast and traversable over water, Hover tanks lacked the heavier armor of their land based brethren and were relegated to reconnaissance, logistic and support roles when the Project eventually encountered the Collective's heavily armored 'panzer' tanks.

During the conflict with the Collective in the Eastern Sector it was apparent their tanks were better armored: they could stand withstand great penetrative force from even the biggest of the Projects weaponry, at the time, but the Collectives tanks moved slower and could be flanked easier. Strangely, their main armored vehicles took names from famous Nazi Germany Panzers; Leopard, Panther and Tiger. VTOL technology recovered from a large Collective airbase evened the playing field for the Project's armored divisions who were being consistently attacked from the air by enemy VTOL aircraft and had very limited AA capabilities in which to combat them. With the ability to attack and counter attack the Collective from both Sea, Land and Air the Project moved away from the predominately land based approached, settling into combined arms tactics.

With research acquired from the New Paradigm and the Collective that was then expanded on by The Project; new manufacturing processes and advancements in robotics allowed newly produced tanks to be fully automated. Like Cyborgs, the automated tanks were still controlled by humans back at command HQ. This in turn resulted in the majority of the Projects armored forces against the Collective being unmanned, as losing an automated tank didn't have the same impact as losing a manned tank. Manned tanks in the Eastern Sector were put on either defensive or patrol duties whilst some tank crews transferred to man the larger sized VTOL's that were deemed infeasible to be automated.

Nexus proved, even in the early engagements, to be the Project's greatest adversary. Automated divisions were sent out to scout the Gamma sector for the missile silo site that had been responsible for the nuclear destruction of the Project's Alpha and Beta Headquarters. Command at Gamma HQ blamed bad weather and topographic conditions for the loss of several scouting parties to which manned vehicles were sent out to recover them. To the horror of the manned scouting parties they reported that their automated systems had malfunctioned and they were being fired upon by the missing units. Whilst countermeasures for the Nexus virus were being developed, frontline automated vehicles were stripped of advanced robotics and computer equipment and replaced with tanks crews, basic robotic loaders for large caliber armaments and encrypted communication devices. Veteran tank crews that had served in the New Paradigm conflict were all to familiar with these temporary arrangements and where deployed to the Gamma sector immediately; manning tanks and providing training for tank crews.

Eventually countermeasures to the Nexus virus had advanced to allow automated armored vehicles back onto the frontline against Nexus' forces, especially as some of the new weapons that the Project had managed to obtain and replicate from Nexus were far too dangerous for human crews to work with. Even with 'vaccinated' automated tanks back on the field, manned crews were still used in the latter stages of the war against Nexus.
During Operation Killswitch, the Project's final attack on the Nexus mainframe, it was noted that on the sides of the manned tanks read crudely painted sayings as "Bad Medicine", "What's up Doc?" and "Run Reed, Run!".
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[Jorzi]

Good story, works really well with the current wz2100 canon, as well.

[Rman Virgil]

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@ dunk2k: Well done.

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