Thanks for the suggestions. I had ARMA II but it was so buggy I gave it to a buddy of mine. I would really like something that requires you to learn about the systems and interact with them. If anyone is familiar with Black Shark (Helo Sim) you'll know what I'm talking about. I realize WWII tanks didn't have really sophisticated systems of modern armor but they still require some learning to operate them properly.
Well, here is how a tank operates in WWII online.
Driver: Each tank has a set of gears, the number depending on what the tank had in real life. You gear up if you want to go faster, while watching your RPM. Rough terrain will slow you down vs a road. Viewing slits on tanks vary, ranging from a hole in the front when a solid metal plate that can lower to protect the driver, to a reinforced glass viewing slit, to a parascope. Engines can overheat rendering your tank immobile. You can switch views to view the display panel (there is very little of a HUD). Most all tanks have weak points, requiring you to know these points and not face them towards enemy fire.
Gunner: All projectiles arc, making the manual range finder vitally important if you want to repeatably hit something. There is no number that pops up telling you the range, so it's trial and error until you can judge distances yourself. MG rounds arc differently then tank shells. There are several levels of zoom depending on the tank. Few tanks such as the stug require a slit to be open to aim leaving the gunner vulnerable to infantry fire. Most tanks allow the gunner to his pop his head out of the hatch. Each tank has a different rotation speed for the turret, sometimes making it faster to turn the whole tank (eg, Tiger).
Commander: Sometimes given a MG (Char, iirc), sometimes a viewing tower with reinforced glass allowing 360 view (eg, Panther III). Most tanks require the commander to open the hatch to look out leaving him vulnerable to enemy fire, but allowing for a good view of the battlefield (commanders also get binoculars).
Loader: Does nothing as loading is automatic.
That said, the game focuses more on realistic damage, weapons and vehicle handling. Teamwork and tactics are also required to excel, as not much can stop a well organized group of people operating properly crewed tanks with infantry and air support (you don't see this too often in the game). If you want the most realistic experience you'll have to join a squad of like minded people and use a tank like it's meant to be. Just keep in mind the dated graphics, often long times to enter/travel to combat with a possible swift demise once you get there, and monthly fees. If you want instant single player combat, this is not the game for you.