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Consider the JgPz IV


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Long time no post but here is one of the old school...

In CM there are currently two versions of the JgPz IV armed with the L48 gun, one with skirts and one without. In my opinion this rather limited distinction (no buy point cost difference) between the models is not really enough to motivate the presence of two distinctive vehicles. Historically skirts were available from the very beginning of the production and all vehicles could easily have them installed in the field.

However, this situation makes it very easy for BTS to introduce the late model version of the JgPz IV that in fact has at least one very considerable improvement, namely an additional 20mm of frontal armour (effectively around 31 mm when the angle is taken into consideration) .

Beginning with chassis nr. 320301 in May 1944 the production PzJg IV's were fitted with 80mm armour on the superstructure and upper hull. Considering the fact that about 300 were produced with the 60mm armour and about 500 with 80mm armour it was no rare bird either.

A very simple solution would be to just change the database regarding this significant detail.

If a little more work is put into it would also be a nice touch to remove the muzzle break as it was quickly found out that it to an excessive dust kick up when the gun was fired. They were usually removed in the field and from May onwards they were not fitted on production vehicles either. Perhaps something to visually differentiate the vehicles in the game.

Skirts are, as mentioned above, not dependent on the time of production but the Nahverteidigungswaffe on the other hand could definitely be a "late" production vehicle only item, to further differentiate that is.

The ultimate "late" production type would also not have any Zimmerit coating as this was not applied to production vehicles after September 1944. Besides not having any real effect it was also rumored that it could cause fires to break out as the armour was hit by AP projectiles.

Applying all these suggestion could leave us with two quite a bit more different vehicles, for example:

Early:

60mm frontal armour

Muzzle break

No skirts

No Nahwerteidigungswaffe

Zimmerit applied

Late:

80mm frontal armour

No muzzle break

Skirts fitted

Nahwerteidigungswaffe installed

No Zimmerit applied

Of these only the armour thickness could be termed a must, as it is now there is a "significant" (everything being relative) vehicle configuration missing in the German OB. Luckily that particular aspect is also the least complicated to change.

The rest are nice, more or less cosmetic, differences.

All a bit like the differences between Pz IV models G, H and J

Then gain, CM is aiming for perfection within reason, right smile.gif

Cheers!

M.

[This message has been edited by Mattias (edited 09-08-2000).]

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This is a post that should be included in the etiquette FAQ. It is:

1) Well researched

2) carfully and humbly worded

3) adresses a legitimate issue of significance

4) very constructive

5) deals with one of my favorite vehicley in CM wink.gif

apex

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Thank you friends for the kind responses smile.gif

The beauty of CM is that it allows this level of detail to exist underneath a very smooth and user friendly interface. For those who care the numbers are (or can be made) right and for those who don't the game is just as fun anyway.

Nothing super about this one though, it represents the majority of the production L48 JgPz IV´s and fills a spot nicely between the skinny younger brother and the later L70 version.

After all, it is historically much more relevant than the 1 Super Pershing that saw action and just as easy to implement in CM.

M.

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