**Too much tank main gun smoke**

[SlacK CaT]

The main guns on the tanks make **way too much smoke** - I cant even see what I'm shooting at. This is not realistic for a simulation and makes targeting awful. DEVs please address this issue and fix - its ruining the game. At least make an option to change smoke density or remove/reduce the main gun smoke. Even modern real world tanks do not have this problem. (They actually use "smokeless gunpowder" to avoid this complication)

[BobobVanBlob]

There is actually very little smoke from the tanks but they do kick up a lot of dust, slow down the game with + and - to look at it and you'll see what I mean.

[SlacK CaT]

Originally posted by BobobVanBlob:

There is actually very little smoke from the tanks but they do kick up a lot of dust, slow down the game with + and - to look at it and you'll see what I mean.

I completely disagree - the smoke is a broken mechanic- there is much too smoke for proper target acquisition.

[xtremist]

Originally posted by SlacK CaT:

Originally posted by BobobVanBlob:

There is actually very little smoke from the tanks but they do kick up a lot of dust, slow down the game with + and - to look at it and you'll see what I mean.

I completely disagree - the smoke is a broken mechanic- there is much too smoke for proper target acquisition.

Just look at any videos on YT. The smoke and dust exactly like in this game, sometimes even more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbKC9T3clTM

[Bestandig]

Personally I prefer the amount of smoke / dust present after a main gun shot as it encourages me to play realistically. Specifically, I mean that it discourages me from remaining in one place while taking repeated shots at my opponent - all while expecting to survive my opponents retaliation, which should be coming my way seconds after I take my shot.

As I understand it, Russian tanks (at least in this time period?) were not designed to reverse quickly as their primary tactic would be to advance on and overwhelm their opponent with superior numbers. Therefore they would be firing and continuing to advance - and therefore smoke and dust from the last shot would be inconsequential as it would now be behind the vehicle. Essentially, the idea would be to overwhelm American "quality" with Russian "quantity."

Again, as I understand it, American tactics would involve utilising cover and performing what I believe is referred to as a "berm drill." Essentially, they'd prefer to remain hidden from their opponent (preferably using the down-slope of a hill) until it is time to engage them, move forward just far enough to provide the main gun with a clear line of site to its target, take the shot, and then immediately return to cover. The smoke from the gun and the dust kicked up by the shot would be beneficial in obscuring the vehicles exact location from their opponent. The idea would then to be to reposition and repeat the berm drill until hopefully the opponent that is attempting to overwhelm them with superior numbers has been defeated. Again, essentially the idea would be to take out Russian "quantity" with American "quality" that is only exposed for as much time as is needed to line up / take their shot.

[BobobVanBlob]

Originally posted by SlacK CaT:

I completely disagree - the smoke is a broken mechanic- there is much too smoke for proper target acquisition.

I'll point at the sign once more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOvTisxvcc0

[strykerpsg]

I am guessing you've never seen real military vehicles firing their main guns? It's never a clean "Smokeless" shot from any direct or indirect fire weapon. It might be less smoky than say a black powder weapon, but there's always some smoking residue, not to mention, as others have already, that the amount of dirt, dust and vegetation in and around the muzzle of the weapon, get added to the visual fray.

One person has pointed out berm drills, and their description is mostly spot on, sans using the smoke to obscure. It's more protection, but because that main gun has kicked up everything remotely loose in front of the gun, they pull back because it gives off a signature that bad guys look for and fire back at, in the attempt to kill that bad guy.

Of course, what makes a difference is the environment. The drier, the dustier and bigger signature. The wetter, the better.

Personally, I think the developers have done a great job at replicating this and it just keeps getting better with each new release.

[UltraWulf]

This is a common misconception caused by cinema and "realistic' (cough cough Warthunder) type games. Believing smokeless powder produces no smoke is like believing a silenced rifle produces no sound. GHPC still has a a lot of things to fix/implement for a proper mechanised warfare experience, but main gun smoke is not one of them.

[Mace]

Originally posted by SlacK CaT:

The main guns on the tanks make **way too much smoke** - I cant even see what I'm shooting at. This is not realistic for a simulation and makes targeting awful. DEVs please address this issue and fix - its ruining the game. At least make an option to change smoke density or remove/reduce the main gun smoke. Even modern real world tanks do not have this problem. (They actually use "smokeless gunpowder" to avoid this complication)

As some one who spent a lot of time in the Abrams ( and around other tanks) , you are wrong,

[Andy Mil]

I feel like smoke and dust stuff (I forget to add. This also include when ai hit you alot and u survived) in this game are last very long and very block ur view if u stationary and ai will able to see through just fine (havent play in ages i nuke the game already but last play was this T64 update so might get it wrong). I seeing more real life tank shooting stuff video at Russia war in city sometime and in open and the smoke are more of black/gun powder smoke from main gun and look more clearer with little dust among smoke rather then full obstacle dirt dust like they are fighting in desert etc. tho i not army guy to able to tell how much and long it obstruct to gunner view and if fighting in non desert envoriment will not yield this many dirt dust etc.

and those tank in real life do have recoil little push up/back abit and seeing russia tank more recoil than M1 with stabilization and this game aint got any of that. BMP 2 also if go full auto then it actually getting push back with its huge recoil of its autocannon

[UrveloCiraptor]

Based on my experience as a T-55M gunner, I would say the smoke and dust effect is pretty realistic. As a gunner looking through the sights, for a couple of seconds, you don't really see much after firing the main gun. That is why you have the leader observing and telling you how it went. (The leaders point of view is usually a bit further from the cannon)

Exception would be if you were shooting for a really distant targets ~3km or so, depending on the projectile speed. Then the smoke could be just cleared enough that you could at least somewhat be capable of observing your hits.

[GLAC]

If it were up to me, I'd like it to smoke even more. And I also found that the smoke and dust last much less time than a real-life shot. It would be great if, after a shot, they added a haze of smoke and dust that would last for a few minutes. Engaging in a firefight amid the haze of smoke would make the game much more realistic and immersive. This video I found on YouTube of a confrontation in Syria represents what I've just said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bsDP5DznDQ&t=943s&ab_channel=TanksinSpace

[Memento Mori]

Originally posted by BobobVanBlob:

Originally posted by SlacK CaT:

I completely disagree - the smoke is a broken mechanic- there is much too smoke for proper target acquisition.

I'll point at the sign once more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOvTisxvcc0

Looking at this video, it would be cool if dust also kicks up around the vehicle that is firing (cuz in the ghpc video the dust kicks up only in front of the tank, and after watching a few firing range video, it looks like dust also kicks up around the tank) (the devs did say something in the lines of "just cuz its cool doesn't mean we will add it", ik, however, we can hope, and it doesn't seem like something too hard to develop, but what do I know, and it dosen't have to be a lot of smoke, so it doesn't have to affect the performance much)... maybe one day... (I would assume that if that gets added it would be added in the "enhanced destrucion" roadmap item, so I guess we will wait and see). Honestly, so many military games have too little amount of smoke and dust, its a shame.

[GLAC]

Originally posted by Memento Mori:

Originally posted by BobobVanBlob:

I'll point at the sign once more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOvTisxvcc0

Looking at this video, it would be cool if dust also kicks up around the vehicle that is firing (cuz in the ghpc video the dust kicks up only in front of the tank, and after watching a few firing range video, it looks like dust also kicks up around the tank) (the devs did say something in the lines of "just cuz its cool doesn't mean we will add it", ik, however, we can hope, and it doesn't seem like something too hard to develop, but what do I know, and it dosen't have to be a lot of smoke, so it doesn't have to affect the performance much)... maybe one day... (I would assume that if that gets added it would be added in the "enhanced destrucion" roadmap item, so I guess we will wait and see). Honestly, so many military games have too little amount of smoke and dust, its a shame.

I agree with you

[Memento Mori]

Someone on the internet agreeing with me, no 2 hour fight, nothing, just a pure "I agree with you", wow. Thank you kind sir

[cantsleepclownswillgetme71]

Originally posted by SlacK CaT:

The main guns on the tanks make **way too much smoke** - I cant even see what I'm shooting at. This is not realistic for a simulation and makes targeting awful. DEVs please address this issue and fix - its ruining the game. At least make an option to change smoke density or remove/reduce the main gun smoke. Even modern real world tanks do not have this problem. (They actually use "smokeless gunpowder" to avoid this complication)

Yeah, no. When that main gun fires, it first creates a muzzle bloom from expelled propellants, and then creates basically a small vacuum. Anything loose on the ground, dust, dirt, small children, anything, will get sucked up into the air and make a dust cloud. That's whats obscuring your view, you know, probably not the children, but everything else that's lying around. It's totally realistic.

Source: 25 years as a tank crewman