Should I go with FB?

[BeardlessThunderGod]

Hello Battlefront!!! I have the Antony Beevor book on the Ardennes 1944, and figured that Final Blitzkrieg suits me pretty well. However is it adviced to get this one first? Is it maybe wiser to get BN as that one has more players? Or it maybe doesn't matter. At first I wanted to get RT but I'm waiting for the module to come out so I'll get a better bundled deal. Also how is the quality between all the games, I know they all come with the newest engine, but I found the BN demo appalling compared with the others, very rudimentary looking textures, map design, unrealisitc colour palette and looked flat compared with the other demos I tried. I also have my eye on FI. As you can tell, I can't decide.

Edited November 7, 2019 by BeardlessThunderGod

[MikeyD]

Frankly, I'd prefer CMFB first for the simple reason that you avoid the darned bocage mazes that are in Normandy (the hedgerows in CMFB are traversable by troops and vehicles). Plus you get lovely fall foliage. CMBN has more content but a lot of that content involves (shudder) bocage hedgerows.  The 365 top quality QB maps in CMFB ain't nothin' to sneeze at.

 

Edited November 7, 2019 by MikeyD

[lsailer]

Your reasoning seems sound to me.  Pick the theater that appeals to you, and start there.  If you use eventually play all the scenarios you care about, then re-analyze and pick another edition.

One thing to add is human opponents.  If you play other humans, then the number of relevant scenarios more or less becomes infinite.

 

[MikeyD]

Also, the 'other half' of the game is build your own. Throw together a terrain from your imagination, place forces of your choosing onto it, and attempt to fashion an AI orders set for one of the sides to move their troops around convincingly. I had slacked off scenario building for a few years but got bit by the bug again earlier this years. I've put together six new scenarios this year, I spend more time playing in the editor than fighting!

[Aragorn2002]

11 hours ago, MikeyD said:

Also, the 'other half' of the game is build your own. Throw together a terrain from your imagination, place forces of your choosing onto it, and attempt to fashion an AI orders set for one of the sides to move their troops around convincingly. I had slacked off scenario building for a few years but got bit by the bug again earlier this years. I've put together six new scenarios this year, I spend more time playing in the editor than fighting!

I fully agree. The editor is a world on itself. Apart from that and if you can afford it of course, simply buy all the games. They are all great fun. You won't find any better. Personally I think the atmosphere of BN is very special, so perhaps the demo doesn't do justice to the game itself. Also try movie mode. Perhaps you like it, as I do.

Edited November 8, 2019 by Aragorn2002

[BeardlessThunderGod]

13 hours ago, MikeyD said:

Also, the 'other half' of the game is build your own. Throw together a terrain from your imagination, place forces of your choosing onto it, and attempt to fashion an AI orders set for one of the sides to move their troops around convincingly. I had slacked off scenario building for a few years but got bit by the bug again earlier this years. I've put together six new scenarios this year, I spend more time playing in the editor than fighting!

Of course an editor, that is my style! I recall loving the Arma3 editor and tools to create all kinds of scenarios. Creating triggers for heli reinforcements, patrol routs. Hostage situations, search and destroy a weapons cache. Right on!

[BeardlessThunderGod]

2 hours ago, Aragorn2002 said:

I fully agree. The editor is a world on itself. Apart from that and if you can afford it of course, simply buy all the games. They are all great fun. You won't find any better. Personally I think the atmosphere of BN is very special, so perhaps the demo doesn't do justice to the game itself. Also try movie mode. Perhaps you like it, as I do.

It might be because the demo uses old maps from 2011? The developers have probably come a long way in creating interesting maps since then. Anyways it doesn't show of the game in a good way compared with the other demos I felt. Map design on the map I tried was a narrow front, with hedgerows several layers deep. It didn't leave room for maneuver, the map was worryingly level as in no rolling hills etc. The modules probably have great maps, but those should be in the demo instead if they want to show of their product.

Edited November 8, 2019 by BeardlessThunderGod

[Bulletpoint]

3 hours ago, BeardlessThunderGod said:

Anyways it doesn't show of the game in a good way compared with the other demos I felt. Map design on the map I tried was a narrow front, with hedgerows several layers deep. It didn't leave room for maneuver, the map was worryingly level as in no rolling hills etc.

Well, it's Normandy

But from what I gather from your posts, go with CMFB or CMFI. Or CMRT. There's very little difference between those games, apart from theater and available forces.

Edited November 8, 2019 by Bulletpoint

[Badger73]

40 minutes ago, Bulletpoint said:

<snipped>

But from what I gather from your posts, go with CMFB or CMFI. Or CMRT. There's very little difference between those games, apart from theater and available forces.

There is a difference regarding tank riding infantry.  CMFI does not allow it.  CMRT and CMFB do.

It sounds like CMFB is the way for @BeardlessThunderGod should go.

[Combatintman]

CMFB doesn't have much user-made content for sure but the campaigns and scenarios that come bundled with the game in my opinion are superb.

[z1812]

You cannot go wrong with any of the games. They are all excellent. I am playing an email CMFB scenario right now with a friend. The snow is falling and  artillery too. Lots of immersion, tension, and fun. 

[Bud Backer]

Even the most recent game in the Combat Mission family will, if you pair with a friend, offer you thousands of hours of fun, if you are willing to use your imagination a bit to come up with  what you wish to try to simulate. The quick battle generator in these games has kept me and a friend busy since 2012. 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Bud Backer

[sburke]

On 11/8/2019 at 5:19 AM, BeardlessThunderGod said:

It might be because the demo uses old maps from 2011? The developers have probably come a long way in creating interesting maps since then. Anyways it doesn't show of the game in a good way compared with the other demos I felt. Map design on the map I tried was a narrow front, with hedgerows several layers deep. It didn't leave room for maneuver, the map was worryingly level as in no rolling hills etc. The modules probably have great maps, but those should be in the demo instead if they want to show of their product.

absolutely.  When CMBN came out there was no editor overlay so map creation was a more difficult exercise.  Early CMBN maps were definitely a mixed bag.  The development of better tools for the editor and more experience for designers though has completely changed that and it keeps getting better and better.  CMFB maps are really nice, but as you may see in the screenshots for CMRT module, they keep improving.  In terms of sheer content CMBN is hard to beat, but you also see a progression in design development and experience.  CMFB starts at a high level and just keeps going from there.

Still I do love CMBN.  British Paras rock.  

[Warts 'n' all]

5 hours ago, sburke said:

 British Paras rock.  

Sadly your average "Para" didn't "rock" during WW2. They listened to Vera Lynn and other such pap. Although it would be nice to think that some of them got their hands on Basie, Lester Young, and Lady Day on V-disc.

[Freyberg]

Honestly, I love all the CM games and they're all really good - CMBN has a lot of old maps that don't look as good, but they play well. I often get into the editor and add more fences and stuff just to pretty them up a little.

The only game I don't play much is CMBS, but that's just because I find it so darn hard, not 'cause of any problem with the game. I've been playing since CMBN came out (and CMBB before that), and I'm a long way from getting bored with any of them.

If you're interested in a particular theatre, you can be sure the respective game is very good.

Edited November 10, 2019 by Freyberg

[BornGinger]

If you want a little bit greener environments BN is maybe what you should choose and if you want a bit less green and more brownish and winter environments FB is your choice. I think that you maybe also get other types of armor in FB (King tiger) than what you have in BN but that is maybe not so important.

I would have liked a mix of FB environments and RT so called theatre of war as I'm more interested in the Eastern Front.

The reason to why I bought FB was that I didn't know that FB wasn't more up to date technically but all the games are on the same level.

Edited November 15, 2019 by BornGinger