Madmatt

Wartgamer, I have neither the patience or interest in trying to determine why you are acting like such an ASS here in this forum and why you are trying to slam Dorosh nor do I care but knock it off or I will just as simply ban you. Abuse of forum members is not permitted and yes amazingly that applies just as equally to posts about Dorosh. Your choice, quit it or leave... Madmatt

That is certainly a good idea and we are already planning on at least one add-on for later this year. With the amount of time to design, develope, code and test any new game data though it is not realistic to do something like this every month. We have not yet discussed how any add-ons might be distributed in the future but a "pay to download" option might be possible. Madmatt

We expect to be shipping in early July. Madmatt

We do not offer Cash on Delivery but as Martin says above there are other alternatives spelled out on the Order Options and Sales Policy page. Madmatt

The amount of dust and dirt kicked up from the main gun is based on what sort of surface the tank is sitting on. trust me, in the right circumstances for example stationary on dirt with no foliage, you will get big clouds of dust kicked up which does obscure the sights for a time. You can actually see that in one of the shots in that same video but I am zoomed in a great deal and its hard to differentiate the dust from the main gun and the dust from the explosion of the round. Madmatt

Point to blowing up houses? Sure, it looks cool. You could also assign the destruction of a specific structure(s) as a mission objective and I believe in some of the missions, they are. Will Infantry hide in them? I tend to stay away from the enemy dismounts when I can as they have this annoying tendency to pop up at my rear with RPG's aimed at me. But, yes Infantry can and will move through or hide in buildings. You can even drive through buildings yourself but you risk damaging your vehicle or barrel when doing so. And YES, you can run over infantry you sick bastiches! (you can turn that option off if you want to). Not only can you run into soft and squishy people, but you can slam your tank into other vehicles and equipment as well. Nothing like sideswiping that pesky road hogging truck and watching it flip over on its side as I go driving by on my merry way! Is Ragdoll implemented? Yes, bodies can and will get blasted about as will parts of vehicles, AT-Guns and all sorts of other stuff. You might notice in one of the movies that vehicles rock back on their chassis when hit or even when they shoot. All of that and more you have yet to see is handled by the very impressive physics engine. Madmatt [ June 02, 2005, 01:20 PM: Message edited by: Madmatt ]

I am going to close this thread down, since the earlier Russian demo is really not anything we support or can help with. Madmatt

Not as such. Basically there are missions which are meant to be played as multiplayer battles and people can decide to be on one side or the other and fight against one another. Within each team, you can either crew a tank by yourself (with the AI of course) or you can even multi-crew a tank. One guy could be the driver, one could be the gunner and one could be the TC. If you die, or your tank is destroyed, it's game over for you but everyone else plays on. The multiplayer, to me, played much like how it was done in Steel Beasts. Madmatt

Just a clarification. According to the T-72 game manual, you need to lase a moving target twice in 5 seconds (not 2)in order for the ballistic computer to get a good firing solution and compute the neccesary 'lead'. Madmatt

Oh, let me hasten to add, that the engine isn't easily modable for YOU guys... That's not to say that we don't already have some exciting plans for it... Of course, we have already stated a planed add-on for later this year with new maps, missions and at least one new playable tank featured... Madmatt

No, its not really modable as such. I am not even sure if you can customize the various textures of tanks for example, but I will find out for you. Oddly enough, this is the first time this had been asked... Remember, that the original Russian release of this game didn't even have a map/mission/ai script/building editor. We got the dev's to add that as a bonus feature of the US release so obviously, for the dev's at least, modability was not meant as a core design feature. Madmatt

Most of the movie lag was probably due to me. I just bought a copy of Fraps and haven't really learned how to optimize the movie output to get a good blend of performance and quality. Zooming in to uber-close ranges during massive particle explosions and smoke/dust clouds is obviously going to result in some slowdowns, which of course is exactly what I kept doing while making those movies. The nice thing is that you can really tailor the graphics a great deal and we do detail what most of the options do in the manual. There are a couple technical ones even I am not so sure about but I have asked the devs for clarification. Some of the things you can do for example is set how many levels of clouds you want rendered, set variable ranges from the camera at which the various levels of detail kick in for models. You can set the level, type and range of shadows, wheter they are dynamic or not. You can set the foliage to be high or low detail and even select if you want it to be rendered in 3D or use sprites (like the trees in CM). You can set the amount, level of density, and range of the various particle generators (smoke, dust, water splashes). You can set global draw distances, anistropic filtering levels and I believe anti-aliasing as well (I'm going from memory here so cut me some slack!). You can even customize how and at what range the game will render the tracks and other elements of specific models. In short, you can customize the bejesus outa the graphics but pay heed to the system requirements. This game LOVES a nice powerful system and all the fancy smancy physics, AI, dynamic terrain deformation and effects do come at a price. Once the demo is released you guys will be able to get a better handle on how this baby will run on your end though. Madmatt

Those movies were encoded and created using Windows Movie Maker so they should play fine using the normal Windows Media Player, no special plugin required (the game itself needs DivX but comes with it). Is anyone else having any problems? I tested them all with Windows Media Player 10 and they played fine. By the way, the movies shown so far are highly compressed, later this week we may release some that are larger but show off better the awesome graphics in this game. They really are great! Another nice thing about this game is a standalone Config program that lets you set dozens upon dozens of graphics settings so you can truly tweak it to fit your system. Madmatt

Battlefront.com and IDDK/Crazy House proudly announce that T-72 Balkans on Fire! has now officially reached “Gold” status and is ready for release. Production of the finished goods (CD's and printed manual) begins immediately, and the game is expected to ship to customers in late June/early July. Pre-orders are now being accepted. The game is available for only $35 plus Shipping & Handling. It comes with a fully printed 70 page game manual with and 2 Game CD's. Several exciting new gameplay movies were also released today and a playable demo will be made available in a few weeks. Place your Pre-Order and download the movies today directly from the T-72 Balkans on Fire! Website Madmatt [ May 30, 2005, 11:48 PM: Message edited by: Moon ]

You know guys, its perfectly acceptable to ask questions in a NEW thread. Don't feel that just because I started this one you can't start new ones all on your own. The developers are very open to comments and questions so if you have a cool idea or question, be sure to fire away in a new thread. Madmatt

Huh, whazat? Sorry, I was just looking over the new contract for "Big Hootered Immoral Coeds Gone Wild With Bald Bouncers" which we are going to publish later this year. What did you guys ask again? Madmatt

Funny you should mention Ogre... or the Keith Laumer Bolo books that they were based on... Lets just say, that idea is not a new one to us... Madmatt

As to the backstory, let me try and sum up... Huge humanity centric galaxy spanning authority once existed called the Mu Arae Entente... eventually it got corrupt and fractured and many people left the Entente controlled areas to colonize new worlds collectively called the "Rim". In time, the Entente grew jealous of the Rim worlds and their new technologies and fought to bring them back into the fold. War ensued.... Eventually the Entente won but only by using near genocide style campaigns against many of the Rim worlds. The savagery of the Rim War bred raw ambition and lust for glory in much of the military and this in turn lead to a generations long civil war. This civil war basically spelled the doom and the end of the Entente's existance as an coherent effective body of government. Control decentralized and each planet and colony had to exist on its on. The technological advances of the earlier era were lost as humainty tried as best it could to rebuild from the raveges of war and scrape out a living. During all of this time, industrial manufacture was conducted in vast spacecraft called "LiveShips" which contained the blueprints and manufactoring capacity for advanced technology and equipment. While not sentient in of themselves, they had the ability to pass on their technical knowledge and procreate newer LiveShips. The Rim wars and subsequent Civil Wars depleted the bulk of the LiveShips that once contained the awesome technoligcal knowledge of the Entente. At the time of the Rim wars, vast fleets of Rim World LiveShips fled and ventured deep into uncharted space. Aboard these vast Liveships, a feudal, clan based society emerged. As the original Liveships aged and eventually broke down (died), newer, younger and less advanced Liveships were created and the technological knowledge, albeit deminished, was past on from generation to generation of Liveships. At the time of the games setting, the feudal based clans that generations before had fled have now returned to the Rim aboard their Liveships and look lustfully at the planets and colonies which once made up the Entente. Some fight for glory, some for resources, some for power and others wish to restore the glory and control that the Mu Arae Entente once weilded. It is a time of war once more.

The areas of space depicted in DropTeam are inhabited by Humanity only, at this point. No fleshy headed aliens or little green men. Not to say that in the future other forms of alien combatants won't be introduced but for now, its mano-et-mano. As to a demo being offered at some point, I think thats a safe bet. Madmatt [ May 11, 2005, 01:04 PM: Message edited by: Madmatt ]

Press information for immediate release 10 May 2005 Battlefront.com and TBG Software announce new game! DropTeam Mechanized combat in the far future! Battlefront.com and TBG Software are thrilled to announce DropTeam! A truly cross-platform compatible (Mac, Win, Linux) Sci-Fi multiplayer tactical simulation of mechanized ground combat using a new groundbreaking and powerful 3D engine, DropTeam is all about fun, fast and furious tactical action – but not at the expense of realistic physics and a credible combat experience. The game will be released for Mac OS-X, Windows and Linux simulataneously. It is currently in alpha stage but expected to enter beta soon, and is expected to go gold in the second half of 2005. Like all Battlefront’s games, DropTeam will again not be available in stores, but only via mail-order directly from www.battlefront.com. GAME OVERVIEW DropTeam is a multiplayer capable, real-time, tactical simulation of armored ground combat in the far future. You’ll battle for control of objectives on a broad variety of planets ranging from verdant Earth-like worlds to desolate, radioactive wastelands. You will use dropship's to land fighting vehicles and other deployable assets like sensors, mines and automated turrets on planetary surfaces, taking direct control of various types of armored fighting vehicles while also coordinating your team, including AI, other human players, artillery support and more. Vast alien landscapes rendered in real-time with detailed, accurate physics and ballistics systems and true line-of-sight provide realistic combat; there are no “hit points”, limited view distances, unrealistically short weapon ranges, or other gross simplifications that are typical of many other sci-fi games. DropTeam can be played online on a public server with up to 16 players, or it can be played privately with as few as 2 players, as well as single-player vs. AI opponents. AI opponents can also be mixed in with human players in order to make the teams any size you like. DropTeam runs on Mac OS-X, Linux, and Windows 98/ME/2000/XP and has been designed to be very scalable with a wide range of systems. STATEMENTS “Some people might be surprised that Battlefront is going to publish a Sci-Fi game. But with the incredible new 3D engine, true cross-platform compatibility, the thrilling and fun gameplay, and last but not least the realistic physics and combat modelling, we were immediately immersed in the innovative and fantastic world of DropTeam”, said Madmatt from Battlefront.com. “A good Science-Fiction game does not have to immediately suspend with all the physical laws that we know of in the real world. Quite the contrary - the implementation of real world physics in a sci-fi themed environment leads to very exciting and innovative gameplay! If you have ever wondered what realistic armored vehicle combat might feel like across alien landscapes , e.g. on a low gravity planet, a volcanic moon, or a barren asteroid, where real physics apply, then DropTeam is the game for you!" “We're thrilled to be working with Battlefront as the publisher for DropTeam“, said Clay Fowler from TBG Software. “Battlefront is unique in the game industry because they believe in producing mature, intelligent games with real depth - games like DropTeam - instead of simple eye candy. Since TBG and Battlefront share this unique perspective on game development and Battlefront brings invaluable experience and talent to the table, we at TBG look forward to a lasting relationship with them not only for the DropTeam project but also for many titles to come." CROSS-PLATFORM COMPATABILITY • Game runs on Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Linux, and Mac OS-X. Game ships with all versions together and each game version is fully compatible with the others. GENERAL FEATURES • Play in a universe complete with a rich back story and detailed history. • Realistic combat system that models projectile/armor penetration, various munition types, and interior vehicle damage in detail. • Huge, detailed and varied alien landscapes each planet accurately modeling its own gravity and atmospheric density, radically changing the tactical situation. • Map sizes up to a massive 1000 (!) square kilometers. • Terrain height resolutions from small ridges and vehicle fighting positions to towering hills and mountains. • Deformable terrain with engineering vehicles digging out trenches in real time, ordnance created surface cratering and even trees toppling over under artillery fire. • Dynamic environmental effects include building destruction and vehicles exploding and flipping over. • Game includes 20 scenarios plus a 10 mission single player campaign. New scenarios will be offered for download after the game's released plus you can create you own battles and share them with others. SCALABILITY • Terrain uses dynamic tessellation (continuous Level of Detail) to render high resolution terrain at large sizes. • The game engine automatically adjusts level of detail based on your computer hardware. This optimizes gameplay on even older computer systems and hardware. • Game uses the OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL) for advanced graphics effects that literally weren't possible a year ago with little to no performance impact such as rippling water and blowing foliage. MULTIPLAYER FEATURES • Up to 16 human players or more supported, depending on system specs. Maximum online players realistically only limited by game server bandwidth, CPU and RAM. • Game launcher allows you to browse a list of servers that shows the servers’ current scenario, current number of players, game time remaining, and connect to the game sessions at will. • Server management functions allow administrators to login and exercise special privileges on the server, such as kicking players and moving players between teams. This interface is within the GUI of the game itself. • Various game types include "Capture the Flag" and "Objective" based missions. MODDING AND EXPANDABILITY • Highly extensible, open architecture makes the game easy to modify, even by non-programmers. • Game uses XML (Extensible Markup Language) files for game objects. Allows for an incredible wealth of modding options and capabilities. All information about 3D models, physics, control mechanics is encapsulated and allows specification of any arbitrary texture data for terrains, skies, and models. • Add new vehicles, change their physics, change turrets, swap one gun for another or put a brand new gun on a existing unit and more. All of this can be achieved by editing the associated the XML files. You can also create entirely new models and textures that weren't originally included. You can even just drop in your own 3D Studio models if you want! • Game engine reads data from professional GIS (Geographic Information Systems) packages such as ArcGIS and Terragen. This is the same industry standard data formats that are used by the Department of Defense for simulations and by engineers for land work, surveying, etc... For more information on DropTeam, please visit: http://www.Battlefront.com/products/dropteam/index.html First Alpha-Screenshots are available at: http://www.battlefront.com/products/dropteam/screenshots/index.htm FURTHER GAME DETAILS THE RIM The game takes place on the barely settled Rims of the explored galaxy, in a region of space called “The Rim.” Civilization crumbles slowly in these isolated places as technology and higher knowledge gradually erode, leaving the surviving settlements vulnerable to incursions from predators who hunt The Rim for loot: a new brand of Viking who pillages from the rubble for survival, who has honed the military tactics of planetary assault to a fine art. ENVIRONMENTS DropTeam models large playing areas ranging from 100 to 900 square kilometers: areas large enough to realistically simulate mobile armored combat. Terrain is deformable, so explosions and engineering vehicles actually change the landscape dynamically during the game. The physics engine accurately models different types of terrain, so a nimble vehicle on asphalt roads might become slippery and hard to control when driving on frozen ice. Since combat takes place on a broad variety of planets, you will have to adapt your tactics as you play; the maneuvers that worked well in an Earth-like environment might not work as well on a planetoid with no atmosphere. Different atmospheric densities and planet gravities also have a drastic effect on the performance of your weapon systems. Solid AP projectiles are devastatingly effective at long range when there is no atmosphere to slow their flight, but in very dense atmospheres you might find yourself using HEAT munitions instead. COMBAT SYSTEM DropTeam simulates combat realistically. The detailed armor penetration model takes all important factors into account: armor angle and thickness, projectile penetration angle, velocity, and performance characteristics based on projectile type and size (HEAT vs. AP vs. exotic ammunition, caliber, etc.) Projectiles that penetrate their targets have detailed, specific effects on the target, including modeling of armor fragmentation, fire due to kinetic friction, and direct damage of internal components within the target. For example, individual crew members such as the driver or gunner, or systems such as a vehicle’s ballistics computer, ammunition magazine, or engine might be damaged when a projectile penetrates the vehicle. The loss of these systems directly, specifically impacts the target’s performance. A vehicle without a ballistics computer will have to manually elevate its shots for range, a dead driver will prevent the vehicle from being driven, etc. Under the right circumstances, a penetration might even cause the target to catastrophically explode, scattering pieces across the landscape. HE and ICM artillery support munitions are also modeled accurately, causing specific damage effects on targets that are hit by their fragmentation and munitions. Units on the terrain such as the SP Mortar unit can perform indirect fire, ranging to their targets with the help of team mates who can act as forward observers, or automated orbital artillery support can be called in, including HE and smoke fire missions. ROLES You can stay immersed in combat by taking your vehicle into the thick of the action, driving and gunning in real-time against the opposing team. Or you can play an indirect supporting role by dropping engineering vehicles to dig revetments for your team and lay obstacles for the enemy and by dropping support vehicles that provide benefits to your team mates. Or you can play the role of your team’s Commander, spending more of your time on the Tactical Display, coordinating the actions of your team mates, issuing direct commands to the AI players on your team, and deploying sensors, sensor jammer's, mines, and turrets to bolster your team’s position. Or you can play with your own mixture of these different styles. MODS The DropTeam engine is quite flexible. All scenario and unit data is stored in simple XML files so it’s trivial for the technically-minded player to modify existing game elements or add entirely new ones with a simple text editor. Terrain data is read from industry-standard topographic and geological file formats, so players can use software such as Terragen, Bryce, MojoWorld, or even simple paint programs to add their own custom landscapes to fight on. APPEAL DropTeam is unique in that it strikes a balance between realistic, tactical combat simulation and pure, accessible fun for the novice. It will be enjoyed both by hardened grognards as well as by more casual “twitch” gamers who are more interested in “run and gun” game play. Its layered complexity allows for a wide range of play styles and tactics. DropTeam will also offer a steady stream of new content to players over time, thanks to its highly extensible architecture. Finally, DropTeam is a truly cross-platform game! Both its server and its client run on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS-X. SCALE From planets with lush forests to those with vast desert scapes or frigid arctic wastelands, battles in DropTeam will be waged across a variety of planets and environments. Battles take place on maps that are typically between 50 and 400 square kilometers in size (maps as large as 1000 square kilometers are supported). This achieves a good balance between having enough space to exercise creative tactics, while not making the battlefield so large that players have difficulty finding some action. GAME OVERVIEW PHILOSOPHY 'The Layered Onion' DropTeam is simple to play. Using a few keyboard keys and the mouse or a joystick, the player drives vehicles over the terrain and fires weapons at other vehicles in a "point and shoot" manner. The game is instantly accessible to the novice player. This simplicity of control belies the fact that DropTeam is actually a game of depth and tactics. In order to win, players must utilize tactics and teamwork, use the terrain to their advantage, formulate and execute plans for defense and offense, use shared team resources such as fire missions, smoke missions, and autonomous turrets, and take advantage of the unique traits and abilities of each of the game's vehicles. DropTeam is first and foremost fun to play, but fun does not have to be won at the expense of a reasonable level of realism. A believable simulation of combat actually adds to the fun rather than detracting from it.

VERY cool screenshots actually... Like this one: http://www.simhq.com/_land/armor_016kk.html

Joint Mission Reports posted on SimHQ SimHQ has recently posted two parts of a joint Mission Report. Using the games Lock On Flaming Cliffs and T-72 Balkans on Fire they tell a riveting tale of the rigors of air and ground combat. Reports feature some all new game screenshots! Read the mission reports here: http://www.simhq.com/_land/armor_016a.html Madmatt

wvoos, I got your email this morning, we will go ahead and send you a new disk right away. Email me back (matt@battlefront.com) if that still doesnt work for you. Madmatt

We will make an announcement when you learn some manners and how the hell to spell! Clean up the language and show some respect in your posts or you will be quickly banned and forgotten. Madmatt [ March 17, 2005, 09:56 PM: Message edited by: Madmatt ]

We have posted 50 new screenshots of T-72: Balkans on Fire! today. These pics feature some of the awesome vehicle and building damage and particle effects as well as the impressive vehicle bump mapping. The new screenshots begin on page 4 of the screenshot gallery and go until page 18. View all of our T-72: Balkans on Fire! screenshots here...