Project Reality Forums

Feedback on MBT smoke launchers:

I think that most modern tanks have system equivalent to Russian's Shtora-1 active protection system, which has Infrared smoke launcher.

So I am suggesting that conventional faction tanks should get thermal view blocking smokes. Currently MBT smokes can be seen through with thermal devices.

Shtora-1 Active Protection System

yes please! Even tho this is not a feedback but a suggestion.

That's an interesting idea. Could be posible, too, since a lot of smoke from statics can't be seen through.

Also, the Shtora-1 knows (iirc) when the tank is being lased and the beam direction. That would be a good addition to add.

Although this is a suggestion, the smoke from vehicles really need a buff. Currently the smoke launched by tanks/apcs is a joke offering almost no cover to the vehicle or infantry.

To make a smoke barrier the driver needs to bail out, grab the medic/rifleman kit, and deploy the smoke manually which is ridiculous in some situations.

I wonder if this can be a weapon of last resort when the tank got alot of enemies very close to your tank. This smoke is made out of phosphorous or other chemical materials.

gipakok wrote:I wonder if this can be a weapon of last resort when the tank got alot of enemies very close to your tank. This smoke is made out of phosphorous or other chemical materials.

My main point was to change MBT smoke launcher smokes into IR-smoke (anti-thermal). But I guess it could do a little bit damage as it is made of phosphorous

I have to agree here.

First point being that the smoke screen currently deployed by tanks looks absolutely nothing like what any MBT can deploy. What is currently offered in game simply looks like bonfire smoke and not chemically formed smoke. References here:

Challenger 2 (@1:22)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OtonR5PdL0

M1A1 Abrams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TODr5NKNuCg

Merkava 1 or 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCgMeOM-H6c

T72
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk7CfD0m8EA

Admittedly only the Abrams uses the launchers of the videos above similar to in-game. I don't think the refractor engine allows you to turn exhaust into smoke. But the point is that all the smoke screens envelope the tank whereas in PR it's a piddly cloud.

Second point is that smoke grenades (such as the M1 give off heat. The smoke is the result of an exothermic chemical reaction which should create a large screen of smoke that cannot be seen through via IR imaging.

During tank warfare it only takes 2-3 hits to be destroyed which makes you vulnerable. Smoke serves no purpose other than to deter HAT and LAT hits whereas it should be used as a viable option to make hits harder to score. Balancing it is simple enough as neither the tank whom deployed it nor the tank shooting can see through it.

Masaca1 wrote:Second point is that smoke grenades (such as the M1 give off heat. The smoke is the result of an exothermic chemical reaction which should create a large screen of smoke that cannot be seen through via IR imaging.

That smoke seems a lot thinner than the others. Perhaps that could be it balance point? Infantry can see through but IR can't?

This is a good point OP makes, but really, is it at top priority? What do you think the devs will say?

Bump, are devs actually planning infrared smoke launchers? Would be very nice if the static smokes (like in Khamisaya) can be utilized into smoke launcher smokes, as you are unable to see through static smoke via FLIR.

E: can moderator move this into suggestions?

Guess the vehicle hiding here.
And yes, IR blocking smoke is coming

Whoo, awesome

Me gusta! will change vehicle warfare a lot I guess

If anyone wants to help out, feel free to research which vehicles and handheld smokes should be blocked on thermal and which shouldn't be. With references backing it up fcourse

This type of information helps out a lot if/when we implement this feature.

[R-DEV]Mineral wrote:If anyone wants to help out, feel free to research which vehicles and handheld smokes should be blocked on thermal and which shouldn't be. With references backing it up fcourse

This type of information helps out a lot if/when we implement this feature.

If you implement infrared smoke grenades, they usually contain white phosphorous, the smoke grenades should be instant explode and smoke spread, not slow smoke build like the current smoke grenades. USA has one white phosphorous smoke grenade, called M15.

This type of smoke grenade is favored for its ability to produce a very dense and nearly instantaneous cloud of white concealment smoke as compared to the more common solid-filler grenades which expel a slower stream of smoke over a period of roughly 1 minute.

When it comes to armored vehicles, using infrared smoke screen should REMOVE THE LASER ON YOU (if you have been lased by e.g GTLD)

which require extremely fast concealment in the event they are targeted by laser guided anti-tank missiles and

I suggest that all modern MBT should be equipped with infrared smokes.

So the Challenger's WP smoke shell will also get an upgrade?

This is awesome news. I'd guess that most (if not all) tanks would have IR blocking smoke, not sure about handheld smoke nades though.