ChrisND
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Posts posted by ChrisND
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That's funny, I was literally seconds away from copy/pasting that same post into here.
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Do I see big barns on page 31 of the manual (left corner below)? Woow.
I think you are looking at some modular buildings strung together.
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Any chance of having Commandos introduced at some point?
I haven't forgotten about them! I definitely want them in at some point.
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Good to know, what you have planned.
The upgrade interests me the most by far. If the programming will start in January, when can the upgrade be expected to be available?
Which family will receive the upgrade first?
How much will it cost?
Thanks in advance!
I'm afraid that I can't answer any of these yet. When the details are more solidly in place in the coming months, I'll be sure to let you guys know.
I am champing at the bit to get V4.0 going once Final Blitzkrieg is out the door.
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Stock Mod Tags
Note: Ardennes region art is used by default for environmental art, if no mod tags are selected.
[germany] - German environmental art.
[france] - French environmental art.
[holland] - Holland and northern Belgium environmental art.
[autumn] - Autumn environmental art.
[winter] - Winter environmental art.
[snow] - Snow unit and environmental art.
[cold] - Cold environmental art.
[muddy] - Muddy unit and environmental art.
[whitewash] - Adds whitewash camo to vehicles. Whitewash tagged art is used automatically by
the game when the date is January or later, and there is Light Snow or heavier on the ground.
[whitewash snow] - Combination of Whitewash and Snow mod tags.
Something that also didn't make it into the preview manual PDF, is that there is a list of mod tags that change the road signs to those of famous villages/towns in the Ardennes area. I think there are... 17 of them? I'll have to dig up my list of them, or Mike will post them before me.
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CMFI Module: Is this the first appearance of a Stug IV in a CMX2 game?
Yes. Afterwards it will be ported to other CMx2 games as appropriate for setting.
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After the eggnog wears off and the coffee kicks in, I will dig into this lovely post.
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Here's a quick update on what we are up to! Well, what we're willing to reveal just yet...
1. Combat Mission: Final Blitzkrieg, our Late Western Front title, is getting pretty close to release. Our current release window for Final Blitzkrieg is the end of January 2016. Click here for some basic information on the game. Sometime before release, we will open up pre-orders for the game, as we have done with all other Combat Mission titles.
2. Ahead of the release, the 132 page Final Blitzkrieg PDF manual is attached to this post for you to read. CM Final Blitzkrieg Manual.pdf. Here is something to help you ignore your in-laws over Christmas!
3. CMBN's Battle Pack, "The Great Swan" is in its final stages before release, and is just waiting on installer construction and testing to finish (what we call "Final Candidate"). This will be the first Battle Pack made for Combat Mission. A Battle Pack is a community member-made set of campaigns, scenarios, and QB maps, built to take advantage of all the modules and packs available to the Family (in this case CMBN). The Great Swan is made by one of the best community scenario designers around, Jon Sowden (JonS on the forums). You just may have played one of his scenarios before. Probably. You can find JonS's summary of his Battle Pack here. The Great Swan will include one campaign, 12 standalone scenarios, and new QB maps.
4. Patch 3.12 will arrive for CMBN at the same time as the Battle Pack. Here are a few of the bigger items on the patch list:
- Fixed a bug that caused players to swap sides in a 2-player Quick Battle.
- Fixed some issues with vehicles interacting with bridges.
- King Tiger (Henschel turret) mantlet armor protection increased.
- Fixed a bug that could cause a unit's pause orders to be change to a one-second pause if a waypoint was repositioned.
- Fixed some issues with AI purchasing logic in Quick Battles.
- Some micro terrain, such as rocky ground, now provides more protection from high explosives.
- Commonwealth module campaign "Kampfgruppe Engel" has been updated: fixed an issue where core tanks would disappear after Mission 1.
5. After Final Blitzkrieg is out early next year, our plan is to spend 2016+ expanding our current titles with more modules and packs. The following are closest in the pipeline:
- Fortress Italy module: this is the next big thing coming, and work has already begun on it. See #5 below for details!
- Red Thunder module: winter combat on the East Front...
- Black Sea module: think Marines, Naval Infantry, and VDV, among other new forces. And new high-tech toys. I want to really flesh out American, Ukrainian, and Russian forces/equipment on all levels before moving on to new nationalities.
- More Battle Packs.
6. The next Fortress Italy module is in the early stages of development, at this point primarily artwork by our 3D artist Cassio.
- This new module will push the timeline for the Italian front all the way from June 1944 to the end of the war in May 1945.
- The main operations covered will be the race north following the capture of Rome, the fighting on the Gothic Line, and the Po Valley offensives in 1945.
- The following services will be added: British Indian Army, South Africa, French Expeditionary Corps (including Moroccan Goumiers), and Waffen-SS. Of course, existing services will be filled out with all of the new formations that have been created for other Combat Mission titles since the last Fortress Italy module released: Gebirgsjäger units, Luftwaffe Field Divisions, flamethrower units, etc. All currently existing formations will be updated to 1945 TO&E. Also: US Mountain units.
- 3D work has already been done on the following equipment for the module: Sherman III Kangaroo, Churchill NA75, Sherman IC Firefly Hybrid, StuG IV, M1917 Enfield rifle, M1935 and M1982 French pistols, FN/29 French LMG, Gewehr 33/40(t) rifle, T32 37mm AT gun, and the GebG 36 75mm mountain gun. These are just the start of the work on new equipment.
- The module will also incorporate all of the work done on the Combat Mission engine to date since since Gustav Line launched... that's a LOT of stuff to add to Italy. Off the top of my head, that includes features, units, and equipment from: Engine v3.0, Red Thunder, CMBN Vehicle Pack, CMBN Market Garden, and Final Blitzkrieg.
Fun PRE-ALPHA image of a new soldier for the Fortress Italy module:
7. We are currently working on (and have been for some time) a new website for Battlefront as well as a new storefront. Our current website and store are... long in the tooth and showing it. The new website will be mobile friendly, with a modern structure that is much easier to use and navigate. The new storefront will tie into the website better, and have more flexible purchase options than the old one. With 15 years worth of stuff to move over, a new website is a bit of a process, but we are getting there!
8. Work on Upgrade 4.0 is going to start early next year. I can't get into specifics yet because the feature list is still in flux, but the planned areas of emphasis are going to be user interface upgrades, graphics/effects upgrades, and campaign/mission structure upgrades. However, like other Upgrades almost all aspects of the game will get some facelifts.
OK guys, that is what I can share with you right now. I hope all of you have a great holiday season!
Chris
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We will be posting the Christmas Bone soon, either late today or tomorrow. It will include a release window for Final Blitzkrieg.
Will definitely have to go up tomorrow. Probably later in the day/
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We will be posting the Christmas Bone soon, either late today or tomorrow. It will include a release window for Final Blitzkrieg.
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I spoke with Charles about the issue of the KT's mantlet strength.
- The assumption that mantlets are laid over the turret front, thus resulting in an armor thickness of "mantlet+turret" is, in many cases, mistaken. Instead (in this case for the KT at least, I won't pretend to speak for all vehicles everywhere) there is a cutout in the turret front where the mantlet is. In the King Tiger case this is born out by another review of our data. HOWEVER, there is a small area where the edge of the turret cutout edge and mantlet edge overlap, and if a shell hit that border area, it COULD have to penetrate both mantlet and turret.
- Reviewing our data of the King Tiger's Henschel turret mantlet, we found the following:
- Our current arrange of how the front turret armor and mantlet overlap is correct, as described in the front paragraph.
- However, upon review we now believe that some of the data we used (from Jentz) to determine the King Tiger's mantlet thickness and slope is probably not entirely accurate.
- The mantlet appears to vary more in thickness and curvature than our modelling currently depicts, which is probably understating the real-world strength of the King Tiger mantlet. And this is the effect being noticed by people.
- Charles is going to re-calculate his measurements from the King Tiger blueprints and strengthen the mantlet accordingly.
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Do those new Gebirgsjäger have g33/40s? or just k98s? eh either way mountain troops are going to be fun.
For Final Blitzkrieg no, however, they have a much higher amount of automatic weapons compared to Grenadiers. For example, I just looked at a typical Gebirgsjäger squad and out of ten men: x1 LMG, x2 Kar98k, x3 MP-44, x4 MP-40
However, I can confirm that in the next CMFI module the G33/40(t) will be included.
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Do the Gebirgsjager class formations have any new capabilities, like beeing more adept in crossing and moving in difficult terrain (cliffs...)? Not that it counts as there weren´t any battles fought in real mountainous terrain in western europe in 1944/45 and steep slopes have little to no effects on movement of any units in the game, yet I appreciate this OOB expansion.
No, as far as Combat Mission (and most tactical battlefields) are concerned, they are only different in their organization and equipment. Those sorts of abilities aren't necessary at this scale.
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Here is my last vehicle art tracking list:
M15A1 M16 M20 M8 (early) M8 (mid) M21 M2A1 M3 M3 (.50cal) M3 (x2 MMG) M3A1 M3A1 (x2 MMG) M4A1 M12 GMC M7B1 Priest M8 HMC M24 Chaffee M4 Sherman Crab M4(105) (mid) M4(75) (late) M4A1(75) (late) M4A1(76)W (early) M4A3(105) (early) M4A3(105) (mid) M4A3(75) M4A3(75)W (early) M4A3(75)W (mid) M4A3(75)W (mid) (flame) M4A3(76)W (early) M4A3E2(75) (flame) Jumbo M4A3E2(75) Jumbo M4A3E2(76) Jumbo M4A3E8(105) (late) HVSS M4A3E8(76)W HVSS M4E8(105) (late) HVSS M5A1 (late) M10 GMC M10 GMC (late) M18 GMC M36 GMC M36B1 GMC GMC CCKW 2.5 ton truck Jeep Jeep (.50 cal) Jeep (MMG) Jeep (radio) Flakpanzer 38(t) Mobelwagon Sdkfz 10/5 Sdkfz 7/1 Sdkfz 7/2 Wirbelwind PSW 222 PSW 223 PSW 231 PSW 233 PSW 234/1 PSW 234/2 Puma PSW 234/3 SPW 250/1 Alt SPW 250/1 Neu SPW 250/10 Alt SPW 250/10 Neu SPW 250/3 Alt SPW 250/3 Neu SPW 250/7 Alt SPW 250/7 Neu SPW 250/9 Alt SPW 250/9 Neu SPW 251/1 Ausf. C SPW 251/1 Ausf. D SPW 251/2 Ausf. C SPW 251/2 Ausf. D SPW 251/10 Ausf. C SPW 251/10 Ausf. D SPW 251/16 Ausf. D SPW 251/17 Ausf. D SPW 251/21 Ausf. D SPW 251/3 Ausf. C SPW 251/3 Ausf. D SPW 251/7 Ausf. C SPW 251/7 Ausf. D SPW 251/9 Ausf. C SPW 251/9 Ausf. D Brummbar (late) Brummbar (mid) StuG IIIG (early) StuG IIIG (late) StuG IIIG (latest) StuG IIIG (mid) StuH 42 (early) StuH 42 (late) StuH 42 (latest) StuH 42 (mid) Sturmtiger Wespe Hummel Grille (early) Panther A (late) Panther A (mid) Panther G (early) Panther G (late) Panther G (mid) Pz IV H (early) Pz IV H (late) Pz IV J (early) Pz IV J (late) PzIIL Lynx Tiger I (late) Tiger I (latest) Tiger I (mid) Tiger II (Henschell) Hetzer (flamethrower) Hetzer (late) Hetzer Jagdpanther Jagdtiger JPz IV (early) JPz IV (late) JPz IV (mid) JPz IV/70(A) JPz IV/70(V) JPz IV/70(V) (late) Marder I Marder II Marder IIIM Nashorn (late) Kubelwagon Protz 70 Opel Blitz -
Everything so far looks fantastic and as Chris said a week or so ago, the game is very near completion. If they released the game on the historical beginning of the Battle of the Bulge it would be one hell of a cherry on top. Here's hoping.
It pains me to be a downer, but I'm afraid that isn't going to happen. Sorry.
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I realize I posted this pic before in another thread, but... I'm wondering if some of us have the wrong idea about how vulnerable the sides of that JagdTiger are? (And I am 100% open to the possibility that it is me who has the wrong idea.)
But I bet there were 3 dozen + hits to its sides here -- it's from a ChrisND YouTube preview, BTW -- and this beast survived just fine. And those AP rounds weren't coming from piddly little Stuarts or whatever, either.
Any reason to believe the JagdTiger's side armor thickness in-game wouldn't be very close to its real life number (which is about 80mm, AFAIK)? That's not too shabby for the sides....
As I recall however (without reviewing the video, just memory), the vast majority of the hits to the Jagdtiger sides in that preview were glancing shots at a high angle. Very different from a hit at an orthogonal angle where the armor thickness will be the thinnest.
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That last panel is... grim.
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In Red Thunder, Normandy, and Italy we have the Panzerfaust 30k and the 30, will we see the 60 and later on 100 in Bulge and its preceding expansions?
PzF 60 and 100 are in the game. They appear randomly mixed with other models.
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ITEM: PANZERFAUST
STAT BOOST: AT +3, INF +1
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One of the beta testers had a few internally raised points to make that I thought I would repeat here:
- German Heer and Waffen-SS have new Gebirgsjäger Battalion and Gebirgsjäger Aufklärung Battalion formations.
- Other news formation include the Volksgrenadier divisional Fusilier Company, and the Panzerschreck Company.
- New equipment for the Germans includes the LeIG 37 infantry gun.
- Some of the formations I mentioned aren't actually new to CMx2, such as the AA batteries, paratrooper demolition group, pack howitzer batteries and SP cannon batteries. These were introduced in the Vehicle Pack or Market Garden module. However, they will all be part of Final Blitzkrieg from the beginning. As I said in the first post, our basic starting point for Final Blitzkrieg's equipment and formations is almost all of the US/German stuff from CMBN (where appropriate for the setting) plus new equipment for up to Jan 45. I hope that very soon I can share a very detailed list of what is included in the game, in the form of the game manual.
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I wonder how this game handles water. Does water freeze when the temperature setting is low enough? And is marsh traversable by vehicles when the ground is frozen?
No freezing water terrain features, it's just not appropriate for the setting. In "Light Snow" or "Patchy Snow" ground conditions, the marsh remains as usual. In "Snow" or heavier conditions, the marsh is replaced with snow.
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My absolute favorite CMBO mission of all time: Assenois.
I've never played the CMBO mission, so I'll be interested in seeing how it compares. Name of the CMFB scenario is "Concentration Number Nine".
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i spent way to much time on this for a gag
Dude, that is EPIC. Did you make this from scratch?
(can you post a version with the typo fixed so that I can save it?)
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Hey guys,
Since we've opened up this forum and started the AARs ahead of the official announcement on the website, here's some basic info on Final Blitzkrieg for those of you who may have missed it. A more complete description will go up with the website announcement when it arrives.
We have not yet announced a release date for Final Blitzkrieg.
Scope:
- Combat Mission: Final Blitzkrieg is a standalone game that covers the late Western Front. Final Blitzkrieg DOES NOT require any other Combat Mission games in order for you to play it: it combines all of the Western Front equipment (where applicable for forces/region/date) and CMx2 engine advances that have been made to date for the CMx2 series.
- Covers October 1944 - January 1945.
- Regions depicted are the Ardennes, France, Germany, and Holland, with appropriate environmental art for each. So for example, if you switch the Region from Ardennes to Germany, the languages displayed on buildings, street signs, etc will switch from French to German.
- A future module will extend the game to the end of the war in May 1945. We haven't our plans for Packs yet.
- CMFB uses the v3.0 engine of CMx2, same as Red Thunder and Black Sea. Some features that are new to the Western Front include mortars being able to fire from inside their halftracks, and tank riders.
Nationalities and Formations:
- The following Services are present in base game: US Army, German Heer, German Luftwaffe, and German Waffen-SS.
- All formations have been updated to reflect late war changes, which were extensive, especially in the case of Germany. There also quite a few TO&E fixes made to all formations, many of which will be backported to CMBN when it is patched.
- New US formations include: straggler group, AA batteries, tank flamethrower platoon, tank flail platoons, SP cannon battery, paratrooper demolition group, and paratrooper/glider pack howitzer batteries.
- New German formations include Volksgrenadier battalions, Gebirgsjäger battalions, SS-Gebirgsjäger companies, fortress MG battalions, Panzergrenadier and Panzer battalions from Panzer Brigades, late and mixed Panzer battalions (which combine Pz IV with Pz V and even SPGs/TDs), Flammpanzer companies, Sturmpanzer companies, and Sturmtiger companies.
Vehicles and Equipment:
- Final Blitzkrieg includes 130 vehicles, 24 heavy weapons ("guns"), and 32 infantry weapons.
- New vehicles for the US include: M24 Chaffee, M36 and M36B1 tank destroyer, M4A3E8 "Easy Eight" Sherman, M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo with 75mm, 76mm, and flamethrower variants, and late variants of various Sherman models.
- New vehicles for Germany include: PSW 234/3, Flakpanzer 38(t), Sturmtiger, Jagdtiger, Panther G w/ chin mantlet, Hetzer w/ flamethrower, and late varients of numerous Panzers, TDs, and SPGs.
- Plus all of the vehicles seen in CMBN's modules/pack and CMRT, where appropriate for the setting.
- Vehicles will automatically apply whitewash camo if the date is January 1945, and there is snow on the ground. If the date is December 1944, vehicles can have their whitewash applied if the [whitewash] mod tag is applied to the scenario.
Content:
- Four campaigns will be included with Final Blitzkrieg.
- Training campaign takes place in Lutrebois in late December, just southeast of Bastogne.
- US Campaign gives the player command of the entire Combat Command Reserve (CCR) of 4th Armored Division from December 23-26, as they strive to bash through the German encirclement of Bastogne from the south. Command Lt. Col. Abrams's tank (yes, THAT Abrams). Battle the 5th Fallschirmjäger Division and 26th Volksgrenadier Division. Be the first to reach the 101st at Bastogne in the historic armored dash through Assenois.
- A second US campaign takes place in the assault on Aachen. Urban combat to the hilt!
- The German campaign gives you command of the tip of the spear in Kampfgruppe Peiper's drive on the Meuse. Battle your way through Stavelot, Stoumont, and other historical locations. You will have a lot of tough decisions to make as you balance the need for speed, rest, and fuel while you try to break through American lines before you are surrounded and overwhelmed.
- About 24 standalone missions (NOTE: this number is subject to change slightly before release). Standalone missions include, among other settings, battles from the Bulge campaign, the Lorraine campaign in eastern France, and even a couple battles in Holland.
- Master Maps of the following historical locations: Northern Aachen, Stoumont - La Gleize - Cheneux, Stavelot, Noville, Kinkelt - Rocherath, Marnach, Meijel, Hofen - Rohren - Monschau area, Lutrebois, and St. Vith. This list does not include individual smaller maps of historical locations.
- Over 330 Quick Battle maps, including maps from all the historical locations mentioned above and more. Mark Ezra has been honing his craft and has provided a preview of changes in Quick Battles here: http://community.battlefront.com/topic/121388-whats-new-for-cmfb-quick-battle-games/
Some Final Blitzkrieg basic details
in Combat Mission Final Blitzkrieg
Posted
Child soldiers are exceptionally unlikely to be present in Combat Mission. In fact I'm just going to go ahead and say that they won't. Besides the distasteful nature of it, which alone would be the reason to not do it, the CMx2 engine is also built with certain assumptions about how tall the soldiers are. There would have to be very involved changes to components of the engine to change that, and the performance of many systems (such as spotting, which is a big CPU drain) would take a hit.