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Der Alte Fritz

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Posts posted by Der Alte Fritz

    CMBB on CMx2 = no more???

    in Combat Mission Shock Force 1

    Posted

    Hi Steve

    I can see where our ideas diverge:

    DAF: breadth = "mass" market

    BFC: depth = high quality experience

    I can see the justification for the NW Europe two game scenario. Modules add extra textures, second game adds extra features.

    I just do not see that system translating so well to the Eastern Front given the timescales. Also are you going to have enough new features to justify new games as the system matures? Ok a new campaign, new terrain, buildings, TOE, vehicles (well the Soviet half anyway) and some new programme items - will make Bagration viable. But a second game?? Will you have enough new programme items by this stage? Soviet RKKA simply does not change that much in the last 18 months of the war, terrain and buildings do not change much between Belorussia and Ukraine? So a second game would presuppose a major change in period with changes to both sides vehicles and TOEs.

    Well probably more questions than answers but I would urge you to take the broadest canvas you feel you can on your first Eastern Front game. My experience of Panzer Command's two games is that this matchbox approach is so limiting that I lose interest very quickly. This is especially so, given that there are a lot fewer books to read about individual Eastern Front battles than for NW Europe.

    PS Can we have Arnhem as a Bulge era module?

    cheers

    0

    CMBB on CMx2 = no more???

    in Combat Mission Shock Force 1

    Posted

    Yet both CMBB and CMAK were both issued with no winter vehicles, just the slots in the game engine for them and these were rapidly filled by modders. Likewise the terrain switching between summer and winter(snow) could be left with the code in place and the images added later. CMSF has several good different terrain conversions already for Europe, etc but you need a mod manager to switch. It is not a major coding problem.

    Also as I understand it the Bulge is a whole new game not a module.

    Weather, I understand is another matter

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    CMBB on CMx2 = no more???

    in Combat Mission Shock Force 1

    Posted

    Hi Steve

    Good news to hear that the CM Normandy project is on its way.

    I understand the rational to have the base game followed by a module to add British Troops and then the SS. Followed by the Bulge game and then a Bagration game.

    Of course CMBB was a monster project, trying to cover that period of time but more importantly that number of units and vehicles! Did we really need the SPW 251/16 with the Schlappenzpopper attachment for lighting officers cigars??

    But the advantage of covering that period of time was that it appealed to a wide audience and allowed a full range of mods, Spanish Civil War, Poland 1939, Sealion 1940 and it allowed designers like George McC, Mad Russian, etc etc to do those big series of scenarios following a unit or personality across the whole campaign.

    A wide range with a big audience builds it own momentum, activity, supporting websites, etc. Which in turn can generate extra sales to sub groups for specialist modules. I remain to be convinced that your approach will do this, especially on the Eastern Front. I think you are in danger of just appealing to a series of small special interest groups that will gain no momentum. Look at the experience of CMSF. Mods for Grozny, NATO vs Warsaw Pact, all way off the main US vs Syria subject. There is a case to be made for NE Europe in 1944 because it could only ever cover 9 months. But not for the Eastern Front and the Mediterranean that spanned years. I just fear that by creating a little series of 'matchbox' sized games, you will get a matchbox sized response. In my case, I will buy Normandy and the modules but I have no interest in the Bulge. But I would add extra later units to my Normandy game if the Bulge was a module rather than a game.

    So what are the limiting factors in this equation? With the higher level of graphics required, it must be vehicle types and hence number of pixels that need to be drawn. Sure, further units need to be added for longer time scales, but you already have the data from the previous games and that sort of code can be created by a template method. In short, we can only have say 30 vehicles/units in a game and then a module adds another 20 odd. Unlike in CMBB where we had 100s

    So my proposal is to adapt your plans. Do not use TIME to limit the selection of vehicles/units but use RARITY to limit them instead. So do a Normandy game but cover the whole 9 month campaign but only allow the most basic vehicles/units. Your standard US/Heer tank unit, tank destroyer unit and infantry unit. Add further variety like more US vehicles, SS units, British units, etc via modules rather than separate games.

    Then the Eastern Front and the Mediterranean look more possible. The Bagration module could last from Jan 1944 to wars end using T34/85s 76s ISU 152, SU100, Tigers, Panthers, PzIVs, JgPzIV and Hetzers, basic Russian SMG teams, infantry teams, etc. Add in further units as Guard, SS, Big Cat modules. Do another game for 1942/3.

    I think that the Lego approach is correct both for gamers and for your business but I think that a more selected vehicle/unit mix on a broader time canvas would pay extra benefits rather than stuffing gamers into matchboxs.

    Whatever it is, you have my support, thanks for the YEARS of fun you have given me.

    0

    Not Another AAR?! Tux Vs Mylgas 2: Double Or Quits

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Not good news I am afraid. Had a bit of a test against a tame Tiger and for August '44 you need to be a lot closer to penetrate with a side hit from either type of Sherman and even then you need several shots to actually kill it.

    Perhaps a better plan might be to stay out of the way of his Tigers and use your Shermans and IS-2 to pound his infantry. Keep your own infantry hidden with short covered arcs and use them to ambush his tanks when they come forward to rescue the German infantry. You should have a few RPG at this period and they are real tank killers.

    Good luck with your plan - I hope I am wrong!

    0

    CMMODS shutting down...

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    I did it by printing off your list and then looking down it to identify the designers I could - UT (Uncle Tgt) MikeyD (?) Pat (???) and downloading them from the designers section. In that listing all the mods are listed alphabetically.

    Then I found the missing dozen or so by using the search engine - cut and paste from your list into the engine and it brings up the file straight away.

    Good luck

    0

    CMMODS shutting down...

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Sorry I give up!

    Norton thingy has just sent a message saying the emails I have sent so far have not been sent!

    Between that, limit on file size and slow connection speed under 1Mb, this is turning into a bigger job than downloading the files in the first place.

    Can I send you a Disc by Pony Express? Total file size is about 1Gb, so it would be just one DVD or two CDs.

    Or do you want to download the files yourself as being quicker?

    Let me know what you want to do.

    cheers

    0

    CMMODS shutting down...

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    I see that GreenAsJade is offering to host cmmods - see over at Scenario Depot.

    On a similar point can we host all the old scenarios as well? A pack was posted in the BFC Repository but the poster was shot down in flames and withdrew them. The old rescue files from the Scenario Depot Mk1 do not suffer from the copyright issues that brought this about so they could be hosted as well?

    0

    To all the hero's who contributed to CMMMODS

    in Combat Mission: Afrika Korps

    Posted

    Nathangun - you are free to distribute my few mods as you like.

    Rewolf - been checking the files and have found three that did not download properly (there are others but in those cases you can see that I did download a second copy which was successful). So have a go yourself. I have downloaded them so can email them if necessary.

    CMAK: TBM_ARDENNES, TBM_RGS_SNOW AND TBM_ RGS_RD_TD_SHB

    Sent your package by airmail so it should not take too long.

    cheers

    0

    CMMODS shutting down...

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Discs will be on their way tomorrow 18th March.

    For USA I have Redwolf

    For UK Merkin Muffley and Phil Stanbridge

    For Europe Earl Grey

    Each set consists of a DVD with CMAK A-S files, a DVD with CMBB A-S files and another which contains CMAK and CMBB T-Z files plus an excel file which contains an index derived from the Cmmods "Newest Mods" listing. The files are exactly as I have downloaded them from the cmmods site, so they will match in with earlier material that you have downloaded.

    This Index does not sort but by using the excel filter you can find all the 'winter mods', all the 'terrain mods' . all the 'King Tiger mods'. There are earlier listings I made for each nations mods as well which will help you identify files on the disc.

    cheers

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