LongLeftFlank

This thread is at risk of morphing into a general geopolitical topic, so let's reel it back in to CM relevance if we can. This map* from FT gives an intriguing look at the potential future, ahem, sandbox for the next iteration of CM modern. Tomorrow's headlines today (again)? If BFC were to enable CMBS to interoperate with CMSF2, and then update the NATO TOEs to 2018, it would then have 80% of the necessary forces for CM:SILK ROAD, aka CM:ARMAGEDDON, aka CM:GOG&MAGOG, aka CM:TIMURLANE. And what, you ask, would be the remaining 20%? Chinese, or Chinese-armed local hordes forces. (@LUCASWILLEN05 to the white courtesy phone, please...) * This Diplomat piece catalogues the pitfalls of extrapolating geopolitical conclusions from looking at a map.

Yes, I must confess I lost track some time ago of why NATO forces are still in Afghanistan, or what we expect to accomplish there. While respecting and honoring their effort and sacrifice, I can't think of a poorer use for the professional armed forces of the West, frankly, than trying to create a modern nation state that never existed except in the minds of British mapmakers. If the Chinese or Pakistanis or whoever want to step in there, hey, be our guest mate.

Don't hold your breath on that, mate. Infantry is the poor cousin of the tanks, which is really what most folks are here for. Look at the AARs. But anyway, I plan to drop it, or at least take it offline until they release. Nunc dimittis. (bonus points for referencing 'Seljuks' in a heavy metal lyric)

Here's some RL shots from the tragic propane tanker explosion in Bologna. This would be more VBIED size than a typical AFV cookoff, but you can clearly see the development of the fireball.

For what it's worth Steve, I think that's absolutely the right commercial decision. A piecemeal release won't get the results you need, and have richly earned.

No worries, BG. Every participant in this discussion has made great contributions and is worthy of respect. And we know nobody is working harder right now than the beta testers. "I have a lot of faults, Brad, but ingratitude isn't one of them."

A lot of people strawmanning and talking past each other here, and then the usual dismissive hand waving pile-on. And as a special bonus, longstanding community contributors become dogs pooping on the carpet. Nice. [Slow clap] OK, I think this has run its course. Best of luck with the release, BFC.

EDIT: Post deleted. BFC gonna do what they gonna do and at the end I will support them. They iz us.

Wow, aren't you just *full* of Cheery Waffle(R) these days, SB! Got me slitting my wrists here (metaphorically). At this point I'm starting to wonder whether a mod of CMBS might not end up having better potential for simming modern asymmetric infantry warfare than the SF reboot. Heck, we few Uncon deplorables could have pulled that one together years ago. And yes, with IEDs. Maybe even suicide belts. And we could get Russians and Syrians/Iraqis (modded Ukes) fighting ISIS/Chechens in a 2018 setting too. *With* all the building options!

A partial compensation is that individual shooters can and will target enemies even if the LOS tool fails to allow issuance of a formal Target or AF order. In fact some players have commented here that it's often better to let units select their own targets than to micro them.

You want pie-in-the-sky wishlist stuff where I had an expectation of getting 0 out of 24, this was mine. But what I wasn't expecting was that features would be taken away! X

Well then, I wish you joy with your latest open country übertank shooter, gents. But at this moment it looks like this gives infantry players very little that isn't already present in SF1. No sale for me before I try the demo and see if infantry is still ditching cover, earth pimple fortifications are still spotted in 30 seconds or less, etc.

Sure, again, all noted but unlike the 995 I'm not asking for CoPlay or some other new functionality, just not to delete perfectly adequate features that have been present since CMBN 1.0 just because they don't appear in the stock CMSF scenarios (of course they didn't, nor did overpasses etc.).

Yeah, I get all that, and I sympathize. But if the legacy engine has locked them into this kind of "2 steps forward and 1 step back" then Houston brainjar we have a problem and it's time to move on to engine 3.

...These buildings and textures from CMBS would work with no changes. There are plenty of buildings in Syria without flat roofs (it does rain there. Tiles and metal roof are fine). X

Noted on 3rd party mods. I completely disagree re 'scope creep' though, given that independent buildings have been standard issue with all other new generation CM games. Several could be dropped right in from CMBS and CMFI with no texture work (Northwest Syria is *very* Mediterranean). I mean, BFC has already done the work. Why not make it available, even if it doesn't appear in the repackaged content from SF1? The thick-walled village church (mosque) and the small flimsy (cinderblock) sheds and barns (which nonetheless block LOS) are *major* advances over CMSF1 for those of us who care about designing granular battlespaces in urban, village or industrial areas. As opposed to dropping random buildings on a map footprint and pretending that's a 'town'. They gave us the tools back in 2011, and now they're taking them away? cuz they can't be arsed or got burnt out fiddling with highway overpasses or sumfink?* And if those bog standard features are *not* in fact easy to drop in, why the heck not? Did BFC outsmart itself with this whole Families thing? * not dissing the highway overpasses, btw.

... Don't want to sidetrack Bil's AAR, so posting here. Looking forward to seeing the damage decals and modeling. I didn't see a CMBS building damage screenie (don't own it), but here are a couple from the CMFI screens thread:

Bump of an old thread. Kieme's modding heyday coincided with my enforced absence from CM. But this work is superb! these should be the stock building textures for the new game. (from CMBS)

Care to elaborate for nontechs what this is? (I expect to be lucky if I can grok 1 word in 10)

Great action shots, Bil, really showcasing the new game here. I see at least one heavy HE impact on the upper storey, but no damage is evident up there in the second shot. So do we conclude that building damage decals didn't make it in? Damage is still all-or-nothing? Or is this another Titanium Tree(R)

Sorry, trying not to troll here, but in RL can't men scramble out of the way of those devices pretty easily? I mean, a 280mm AVRE spigot mortar, sure, concussion alone would cause lethal hemorrhaging. But death by steamroller?

How fast can you mod? As fast as a Leopard!

No worries, Steve.

"I love it! God help me, I do love it so. I love it more than my life." This will be a must-have mod for the new game!

Well I guess the proof of that will be when we get the game....