I did not read the last 2 pages because I'm tired, so forgive me if I missed something. I don't think the exposed position thing is a problem. Yes, I do spend a lot of time unbuttoned (hanging out of the top hatch). If I am stupid enough to come out of it during a firefight and I get lit up, then I am indeed dead. That is the rule as it has been explained to me. There are several times where I have opened the hatch to speak to a ref because its a bit hard to hear from inside the Omega. I HATE it when a player notices me conversing with a ref, has time to turn to his buddy and ask him or her what is going on, and sometimes even see another ref come up and talk to us as well with additional information, then takes it upon himself to turn me into swiss cheese. ESPECIALLY with tanks, if a tanker is talking to a ref, he's not shooting and often times is talking about rule violations or safety concerns. If I'm out of my turret shouting at a field commander, infantry, or the like then by all means, tear me up if you see me. But don't do it when I'm talking to a ref. He or she could be stopping me from squashing you.

WTF OTTO!

-->Tippmann A-5 RT w/ UMP mag, stock, and body
-->Tiberius 8 tactical pistol w/ mock suppressor--it rips faces off

Dear Gen Otto: Where did you get so much sence and senseability. HUH! I thought all you tankers were thick headed....
I guess I haven't been talking to the right one's.
I could not agree more with your post about talking to the Ref's. and the differance of talking to team mates when out of your hatch. Its a matter of HONOR on the part of the other team to let you talk to the ref while out of your hatch. Some players see it as a genunin oppertunity to fire on a tanker but it isn't. A quick solution to that would be a raido or intercom system on the rear of the tank for just such a purpous. Thanks for being so resonable.
Wayne Dollack coined a frase years ago" Everythings Real Except the Bullets". Which means in my estimation that "Real World Rules" apply in scenario play. If there are riders on a vehical be it a tank or a personal carrier. If there shot at and hit there out. Plain and simple. Others on this forum would have the tank riders only being elimanated by a nurf rocket fired by a bazooke which I agree they would be all KIA if a bazooka fired on the tank. It happens in the real world. The movie "Saving Pvt Ryan" is a perfect example of real world rules being applied. At the very end the airborn troops are on the tiger tank and dropping granades in the tank and shooting thru the hatches with thier weapons a 20mm mobil weapon opens up on them and kills most all of them. Tom Hanks said he tried to make SPR as real as is possible so the viewer could grasp what the solders went thru.
Thanks for taking this thread bact into reality,great post.

I agree with you Otto. If I was a player watching your tank and noticed that you were talking to a ref, I wouldnt fire. The only time I would shoot at you while you were sticking out of your tank is when you are either getting out to become a foot soldier (troop transport kind of deal) or you were sticking out to shoot at someone. I would respect that you are talking to the ref for whatever reason and leave you be.

Strength in numbers only means more for me to kill.