Gunner, Heat, PC - Early Access Impressions & Review
104A very early access review of Gunner, Heat, PC - A modern war tank simulator similar to War Thunder Realistic Battles. Subascribeh
WTF is GHPC?
Gunner, HEAT, PC! (GHPC) is a simulation game about modern mounted combat, with special attention to authenticity and fun.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1705180/Gunner_HEAT_PC/
Why Early Access?
“GHPC has been developed from the start with transparency and iteration in mind. For years, our small team has independently published progressively more complete demo builds of the game, working toward a full-featured release while operating on crowdfunding alone. Over this period, we felt it necessary to gate certain features for supporters only, as we balanced development needs with the desires of the community.
Looking at the big picture, we feel that now is the time to take things to the next level. By allowing early players to purchase the game in Early Access without feature restrictions, we will be better able to grow and improve the game, and the community will have their patience rewarded.”
Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
“Once major roadmap goals are complete and some additional items are handled, we will consider the game ready for full release. Players who buy in now should expect at least a year of Early Access development.”
How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
“As seen in our published roadmap, we have a specific list of major features we intend to add to GHPC during Early Access. The completion of the Early Access roadmap will introduce multiplayer, a coherent campaign mode, two additional playable forces (USSR and West Germany), combined arms missions with infantry, and more. We will also focus on optimization, to bring PC performance requirements down to a more reasonable level.”
What is the current state of the Early Access version?
“Due to ongoing development, the game currently has high hardware demands and is best installed on strong gaming PCs. Players should keep this in mind before jumping in.
In its present form, GHPC features a series of semi-randomized "instant action" skirmish missions and a basic campaign mode, featuring combat between the armor units of the USA and East Germany. There are over a dozen playable combat units, including tanks, IFVs, APCs, and anti-tank missile emplacements, all with their gunnery optics and fire control systems authentically modeled.
During missions, players can control individual vehicles and lead platoons of AI teammates, as they attempt to best the enemy forces in combat and complete the mission goals. Players are able to direct all functions for their own vehicle, including driving and gunnery, with a simplified control layout that remains consistent between different vehicles.
Combat is resolved via detailed simulation of fire control systems, ballistics, armor penetration, and post-pen effects. From the moment a target is spotted, the unique characteristics of each vehicle and munition determine the outcome. Players must use the available tools, such as day and night sights, rangefinders, and lead compensation, to line up the perfect shot. Once the round leaves the muzzle, its fate is determined by a robust projectile flight model and a research-based armor penetration model. A successful hit produces spalling, fragmentation, and blast overpressure in the target, wreaking destruction on individual crew members and vehicle systems. A vehicle is only knocked out when injury, destruction, or conflagration force it to become combat-ineffective.
After the battle, players can review each shot fired in detail with After-Action Review (AAR) mode. AAR mode shows full projectile flight paths, fragmentation, X-ray vehicle views, and a detailed list of damage effects. Studying the AAR provides a glimpse into the depth of the GHPC damage model and provides key insights that will make players more effective in future fights.”
Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?
“The price will be raised at least once by the time of full release. Players who choose to buy in early are supporting our ability to realize our goals and make GHPC the best it can be, and we want to reward them with a lower initial price. When the game is in a more complete state, we will update the pricing accordingly.”
How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?
“Being part of the GHPC community provides many opportunities to interact with the team and make your voice heard! We have bimonthly development livestreams with chat Q&A, an active Discord server, and several forums (including Steam and reddit pages) that we monitor. We are always open about our goals, within reason, and communicate regularly about development progress.”
*PC Specs*
Operating System - Windows 11
CPU - Intel i7 8700k 3.7ghz
GFX - Nvidia RTX 3070
Memory - 32gb DDR4 (4 x 8gb)
Game is installed on an SSD