Glubokii Boy

May we trouble BFC/playtesters for an AAR showcasing one of the soon to be released modules..
The forums have turned very quiet ones again...We need something...

I'm sorry...but i really don't see the problem here...
After all...the tread title is "2018 look ahead"...It seems to be a fairly OK place to share ideas for  future Projects...even if they are not done by BFC...
Many members are looking forward to some Irak/ Afghanistan...and anti Taliban/ISIS kind of scenarios using CMSFII...Good to know some are in the making 
It's not like he is going to charge money for his work...Simply mentioning that this is something we can expexct to see the comming year...
As for this i think it simply was an answer to a forum member that found his initial annoncement intresting...

No ! they do not...
I did a scenario in CMRT in wich i used T34s and tankriders (different AI-Groups)...The tanks where their own AI Group and the tankriders...also their own...
The tanks could be help back ones the tankriders had jumped of to provide support when the infantry moved forward...
I'd be suprised it doesn't work the same way with trucks, halftracks etc...
 

I'm sorry...but i really don't see the problem here...
After all...the tread title is "2018 look ahead"...It seems to be a fairly OK place to share ideas for  future Projects...even if they are not done by BFC...
Many members are looking forward to some Irak/ Afghanistan...and anti Taliban/ISIS kind of scenarios using CMSFII...Good to know some are in the making 
It's not like he is going to charge money for his work...Simply mentioning that this is something we can expexct to see the comming year...
As for this i think it simply was an answer to a forum member that found his initial annoncement intresting...

I'm sorry...but i really don't see the problem here...
After all...the tread title is "2018 look ahead"...It seems to be a fairly OK place to share ideas for  future Projects...even if they are not done by BFC...
Many members are looking forward to some Irak/ Afghanistan...and anti Taliban/ISIS kind of scenarios using CMSFII...Good to know some are in the making 
It's not like he is going to charge money for his work...Simply mentioning that this is something we can expexct to see the comming year...
As for this i think it simply was an answer to a forum member that found his initial annoncement intresting...

If you only count the stock scenarios/campaigns that comes with the game when you buy it...Then the answer is NO...They are about equal...
The main difference comes when you include the comunity made stuff (wich you can download for free)...CMRT have seen a decent amount of both Campaigns and individual scenario released by other forum member...many of these are of the highest quality...well comparable to playable content  included in the game purchase... 
CMFB have seen very Little in the form of comunity made stuff so far...
You will get far more playable content if you buy CMRT (and download avaliable comunity scenarios/Campaigns)...thats what i mean...
 
 

I'm sorry...but i really don't see the problem here...
After all...the tread title is "2018 look ahead"...It seems to be a fairly OK place to share ideas for  future Projects...even if they are not done by BFC...
Many members are looking forward to some Irak/ Afghanistan...and anti Taliban/ISIS kind of scenarios using CMSFII...Good to know some are in the making 
It's not like he is going to charge money for his work...Simply mentioning that this is something we can expexct to see the comming year...
As for this i think it simply was an answer to a forum member that found his initial annoncement intresting...

I'm sorry...but i really don't see the problem here...
After all...the tread title is "2018 look ahead"...It seems to be a fairly OK place to share ideas for  future Projects...even if they are not done by BFC...
Many members are looking forward to some Irak/ Afghanistan...and anti Taliban/ISIS kind of scenarios using CMSFII...Good to know some are in the making 
It's not like he is going to charge money for his work...Simply mentioning that this is something we can expexct to see the comming year...
As for this i think it simply was an answer to a forum member that found his initial annoncement intresting...

As usual with these kind of questinons...I would say that the biggest question is...what settings do YOU prefer ? The western front ? or the Eastern front ?
As far as quality goes i would say that the two games are fairly equal if you include both stock and comunity made stuff...
Kampfgruppe Peiper (CMFB) have been highly praised in the comments on these forums...So have Kampfgruppe von Schroif (CMRT) for example...
Both games obviously include far more content then these two Campaigns but as far as quality goes if feel that they are fairly equal...CMFB is a newer game and the stock scenario designers learns new tricks with every release they make but CMRT have had far more content released post release compared to CMFB.
What is yor prefrence...CMRT will give you an entirely new country to play with...entirely new units...etc. CMFB is a continuation of the fighting between the americans and the germans on the western front...It will not give  you as a unique experience as CMRT will...but if the western front 'lights your fire' to a greater degree then the east does...I'd say...go for CMFB ! 
If you do not strongly prefer the wetsren front...Go for CMRT !...Way more scenarios and Campaigns to chose from. An entirely new country. A new CMRT module is about to be released soon. CMFB is in for a longer wait it seems...
 

I doubt that the allies would start a conflict with the russians in 1946 but perhaps the ruskies would be a bit more agressive ...If the russians did try to expand the communist ideas further west i'm sure they would have gotten the same treatment as the japanese...A nuke or two ! End of conflict...
But if BFC decided to make this possible...I would be more then happy to 'forgett' about the american nukes...Let the conflict begin ! 
An east-west war in 1946 would be very cool indeed.
And Fulda gap...any timeframe....yes,yes,yes...bring it on...

I think that very few of the peolpe here that ask for additinal content for CMSFII does so with a negative frame of mind...
I'm pretty sure that almost all of us Think that this update-idea of CMSF that BFC is currently working on is a brilliant one...and we truely are apprisiative ! 
What i think most people actually mean when they ask for more content is something like this...
By updating CMSF BFC have done a huge amount of work and will get fairly Little in excange for it (moneyvise..) Why not expand on it ? They have a top class 'basegame' already done (almost)...Why not continue on this  work by adding a few modules down the line ? adding extra formation packs...etc.
Charging full price for the modules/packs to 'help' pay for all the work they have put into the basegame...
Leaving it as a basegame only...they will miss out on an oppertunity to get some Money-in...
The intrest is there (i'm pretty sure) for additional content to CMSFII among us 'the players' 
 

Sorry ! for not following the main theme for this thread...purely elite/special forces...
 
I just wanted to jump in and say that maybe an option could be to not just limit it to a special forces pack...
The number of such forces seems to be a bit limited (on the plus side it would obviously go faster to crank such a pack out...)
But as an alternative...Maybe release a somewhat larger pack (maybe module). One that would also  include some second line germans like zinzan mentioned and perhaps also
partisans, french forces etc
 
partisans could be a good addition here for example...
 

I guess if the entire pacific war could be included in ONE release (base game) it could be a good Selling Product...but...
that would most likely not be the case. The Pacific war would need to be divided into atleast one base game and a number of modules i guess...perhaps even more then one base game...
to cover the entire conflict...The early war, The late war, The US army, the US marines, The commonwealth forces...etc...The chinese...
Would each part of this conflict be intresting enough to sell enough copies ? Not so sure...
 

As usual with these kind of questinons...I would say that the biggest question is...what settings do YOU prefer ? The western front ? or the Eastern front ?
As far as quality goes i would say that the two games are fairly equal if you include both stock and comunity made stuff...
Kampfgruppe Peiper (CMFB) have been highly praised in the comments on these forums...So have Kampfgruppe von Schroif (CMRT) for example...
Both games obviously include far more content then these two Campaigns but as far as quality goes if feel that they are fairly equal...CMFB is a newer game and the stock scenario designers learns new tricks with every release they make but CMRT have had far more content released post release compared to CMFB.
What is yor prefrence...CMRT will give you an entirely new country to play with...entirely new units...etc. CMFB is a continuation of the fighting between the americans and the germans on the western front...It will not give  you as a unique experience as CMRT will...but if the western front 'lights your fire' to a greater degree then the east does...I'd say...go for CMFB ! 
If you do not strongly prefer the wetsren front...Go for CMRT !...Way more scenarios and Campaigns to chose from. An entirely new country. A new CMRT module is about to be released soon. CMFB is in for a longer wait it seems...
 

Hello...
From one of the CMFB Campaigns...One of the larger city battles i know of....
It's a rather long AAR though...
 

But a christmas-bone (tomorrow ?) would be a very nice present to get.  

Let us see what the bulge-game brings us before we compare them...

Let us see what the bulge-game brings us before we compare them...

What many other developers does not do is to allow the player to update their older games in a series to be as good as the latest for a TINY !  sum of Money...
 
That option does not exist at all in many other games afaik...With this approach we will not need to buy a CMBN2 or a CMFI2 for a long, long time hopefully and still keep those games 'fresh'...
 
Compare this with FIFA15, NHL15 for example...
 
If you want to be able to play the latest FIFA game you will nedd to buy an ENTIRELY NEW, FULL PRICE FIFA-game every year....A way to simply upgrade your previous purcase to the latest version does not exits...Atleast not to my knowledge...I have not played FIFA for a few years...

---- THE PRECIOUS FEW (a 5 mission campaign) ------ - -     Hello...     I have been thinking about it for a long time and now i have finally gotten around to it to try and make my first campaign in CM2/3.   I am planning a 5 mission campaign centered on only a few days in early July, 1944. Location: east of Minsk.   Your CORE FORCES will be a number of StuGs from the 2nd battery / 198th Stug Abteilung. Attached to the 78th Sturm division.   In these five missions you will also command various infantry and armour units from other formations (se picture above...)     Most missions will be in the size of company+ as far as infantry goes..Supported primarely by your beloved Stugs.   The 3rd mission will be smaller...In this one you will be commanding a platoon sized force...   Mission 4 and 5 will also include some other types of armour.     This will be a semihistorical/ fictional campaign (all units and locations will probably not be 100 % historically correct).       The first 3 missions are close to finished. Some additional AI-planning left to do and then a bit more testing.    My plan is to have these first 3 missions ready for some external playtesting in about two weeks (mid april)..     If you feel like helping out with some playtesting please let me know and i will PM you a DROPBOX link to the WIP campaign when i feel it might be ready for some external testing.   I realize that the campaign is not finished yet but due to the small CORE FORCE i can easily include an EDITED version of mission 4 and 5 that reflects your previous losses.     The title of the campaign "THE PRECIOUS FEW" reflects the fact that the StuG units where to few in numbers across the front...There never was enough of them...   Hopefully i will be able to pull this of...Any help will be apprisiated...     / RepsolCBR    

Hello...
 
 
Loosing 3 Tigers in this scenario  might have been a bit to much but my StuGs sure did put up a good show !
 
 
----- SPOILER, SPOILER, SPOILER !!! -----
 
I decided to move them into the village at full speed as soon as possible. My plan with these guys was that if they should have any chans at all against the JS-IIs it would have to be at very close range from good ambush possitions.
 
They all made it to the village without being shot at and i deployed them there to be able to ambush any ruskies trying to get through....
 
Sure enough....As the battle moved along i got indications that the JS-IIs where heading into the village...
 
The battle amongst the building turned into a nice armour struggle...
 
My StuGs KO:ed two of the enemy Heavy tanks !
 
 
This one i managed to sneak up on and hit right in the ass...
 

 
And this one face 3 StuGs at the same time...It had been hit 13 times ! when i watched the AAR screen...

 
Well done, StuGs !! no losses to those guys...

Hello...
 
The work on this campaign have been moving forward but as expected...things have taken longer then originally planned 
 
I have finally finished the first two scenarios and number 3 and 4 are far along...I'm currently doing some 'internal' playtesting of number 3 and 4.
 
The first 2 two scenarios i considder to be as finished as i can make them without any external input...
 
If some of you guys would be willing to playtest them it would be much apprisiated
 
I will upload the WIP campaign to dropbox tomorrow and if you are intrested i will PM you the link.
 
 
My original plan to use some custom made briefing text screens proved to be not very succesful. The avaliable space to type the text in was to limited and the briefing text became hard to read.
 
Therefore i will use the regular textfiles fro the briefing texts...
 
Some info on these missions...
 
The campaign startscreen....
 

 
The capaign briefing...
 
   JULY 2, 1944   It's been close to two weeks now since the russians launched their summer offensive directed aginst army group center.    Large armoured formations supported by endless infantry units and massive airsupport have overwhelmed the thinely spread german defenders.   A russian attack had been expected but the german leadership anticipated the russian offensive to target army group south, defending Romania and the precious oilfields, not army group center.   Because of this most of the german armoured reserves and the bulk of the luftwaffe where sent south in preparation for the russian summer offensive.   A fatal misstake !   In some areas the germans where initially able to prevent any major russian breakthroughs but once penetrated the front collapsed and numorous german formations got surrounded and destroyed.    Those german units that manged to avoid destruction have been in almost constant retreat, despite the Fuhrers direct orders, since the offensive begun.   The player will be commanding the 2nd battery/ 189th StuG abteiling as part of the 78th Sturm division. Parts of various infantry units will also be under your command in the following missions.   The 78th sturmdivision initially had some success defending the Moscow-Minsk highway at Orsha but eventually had to withdraw to avoid being surrounded as other formations retreated.   As the russian attacks gained more ground only the arrival of the 5th panzerdivision from the ukraine saved the 78th Sturm division from being destroyed on the east side of the Berezina river.   The heroic fighting on part of the 5th panzer division allowed the 78th sturm division along with numorous other german formations to cross the Berezina river at Beresino and escape entrapment.   Once on the west side of the river the 78th Sturmdivision recieved orders to set up defensive possitions along the Beresino - Minsk highway.    The 195th regiment centered its defensive possition around the village of Tcherven.     This is where we are now.    Your 2nd battery/ 189th StuG abteilung have been asigned to assist this regiment defending the village.   The remaining tanks from the 5th panzer division have been redirected to defend the northern approaches to Minsk.   This leaves your StuG abteilung as one of preciously few armoured units remaining to try and hold the area southeast of Minsk.    A few other armoured formations still remaine in the area but most of them have taken heavy casualties and will be of limted combat value.   Hopefully we will se some more reinforcements arriving from the unkraine but when and where they will arrive we don't know.   As if the lack of friendly armour was not bad enough it seems that the luftwaffe have abandoned us. They are no where to be seen and the enemy Sturmoviks are raising havoc amongst our formations.   The situation looks grimm indeed...   Opposing u will be forces from the russian 3rd army. After crossing the Berezina river west of Klitschew these formations have been advancing northwest towards Minsk.   The russian goal is obviously to try and envelope our forces east of Minks with a two pincer attack.   The 35th riflecorps supported by several tank regiments are heading straith for our possition. If they manage to break through they will cut the Beresino - Minks highway.     WE MUST HOLD THIS LINE !     This will be a 5 mission campaign. The missions will take place between july 2nd and july 5th.   Your core forces will be the 2nd Battery/ 189th StuG Abteilung.   Additional forces that will also be under your command in the various missions belong to:   1 bat./ 195th Reg./ 78th Sturm Division 2 bat./ 195th Reg./ 78th Sturm Division 178th PzJg Abteilung/ 78th Sturm Division 29th Panzer Reg./ Kampfgruppe Lindig 5th Panzer Gren.Reg./ Kampfgruppe Lindig   ENEMY FORCES:   510th Tank Regiment/ 3rd Army 223rd Tank Regiment/ 3rd Army 35th Rifle Corps/ 3rd Army   1st mission briefing screen...     and the text...  
Your 2nd battery have been asigned to assist the second battalion/ 195th regimnent.  This battalion have been tasked with defending the southern part of Tcherven, including surrouding areas.  To our north the few remaining StuGs from 1st battery are supporting the regiments 1st battalion defending the northern part of the village. 3rd battery are deployed even further to the north.     This section of the frontline have been asigned to 2nd battalions 5th company.   In addition to their organic weapons the 5th company have recieved some additional HMGs and two 81mm mortars from 8 company (weapons). 2 76 mm AT-guns are deployed in the woods east of the village and the infantry are fairly well equiped with handheld AT-weapons.   As a result of our hasty retreat during the last couple of days no significant fortrifications have been constructed in this sector.  The men have been able to dig some simple foxholes but thats it...   The enemy artillery have pounded our lines for well over an hour now but despite heavy shelling no significant casualties have been reported so far.  The accuracy of the enemy guns have most likely been reduced by the bad weather.    Our forward OPs have identified this part of the front to be located straith in the path of the russian main advance.  To that affect additional forces from the battalion reserves have been sent to reinforce our section of the front.  Parts of the 6th company are due to arrive here within 30 minutes. I addition to infantry reinforcements the other two platoons from your 2nd assultgun battery have been ordered to regroup to this area as well.   2nd platoon are likely to show up here any time now. Probaly within 5 minutes. They will be arriving along the same road as first platoon. Due to mechanical breakdown one of their vehichles is currently undergoing repair and will not be avaliable right now but their remaining 3 StuGs will be a very welcome addition.   3rd platoon have a bit further to go to get here. It will be a while yet before we can expect those assultguns to arrive. The latest information we have tells us within 30 minutes. Hopefully we will see them sooner.   As a result of the devestating russian attacks recently as well as being submitted to numorous enemy air-attacks the moral within the battalion have dropped significantelly.  Many of the soldiers are exhausted and badly needs a rest. The second battalion currently retain approximatelly 80 % of their origional strenth.   Luckely the battalion are still lead by capable officers and despite the enemy airattacks a few of our suppliescolumns are still get through.  last night friendly forces in this area recieved a significant amount of ammunition and food among other things.    This has improved moral somewhat.   The only weapon system that are low on ammo are the two 81 mm mortars.  The entire regiment is running terribly low on ammunition for the mortar-teams and we recieved nothing last night.   Reports from our forward OPs mentions a large number of T34-85 tanks with mounted infantry closing on our possition from the east.  It looks like an entire tank regiment is comming strait for us...   Captain ! get all avaliable assultguns into good ambush possitions at once.   The primary objective asigned to your assultguns will be to prevent the russian armour from penetrating our lines.  If the enemy tanks are able to punch through they will most likely eliminate our artillerypossitions and other support troops further back.   We realize that your initial four assultguns will not be able to do much against an entire regiment but reinforcements are on the way... Meanwhile you will have to make good use of your infantry and AT-guns in addition to your avaliable assultguns to reduce the number of enemy tanks.  You may need to let the T34s advance into the friendly lines to allow the troops from 5th company to ambush the tanks with their AT-weapons.   Stop the menemy tanks !    The infantry from the 2nd battalion will be tasked with refusing the russian troops a foothold in the village.  all enemy soldiers that manages to enter the village should be pushed back.    We must hold this line !   The map...  
    Second mission briefing screen...   And the text...
Captain, Well done !   Thanks to your brilliant leadership the enemy assult have been pushed back in our assigned sector.  The surviving enemy troops are pulling back and behind them a great number of burning T34s are littering the battlefield. Their failure to breakthrough at this location have cost them dearly.   You will have no time to celebrate however.   Things are not looking equally good all along the front. To our north 1st battery and 1st battalion/ 195th regiment have taken a beating.   Most of 2nd company, defending northern Tscherwen, are in full retreat and 1st battery have been almost viped out. Only a few small pockets of firendly troops are still clining on to their possitions in the village and 1st battery are down to two assultguns.   According to 2nd company enemy tanks have broken through their lines north of the Beresino-Minsk highway and are advancing west at full speed.   These tanks must be stopped !    Most of 2nd batteries assultguns are still occupied in the southern part of Tscherwen and they are also low on ammunition after the recent fighting. This leaves you and your XO. Your two veichles are the only ones avaliable to assist the surviving StuGs from 1st battery right now.   You have no time to lose.   You are to join forces with these survivors and do your best to try and halt the enemy penetration. If you fail then the regimental artillery possition further to the west will most likely be overrun and destroyed.   Loosing those guns would be devestating !   Luckely your assultguns have arrived just in time and are in a perfect possition to hit the enemy armoured advance in the flank. According to the information we recieved from 2nd company the enemy tanks are advancing in groups of 3. Somewhere between 10 and 12 T34s have broken through.   It's time to show what supperior training and experience can do. We rely on you stop this penetration !   Reinforcements will be sent to assist you as soon as they become avaliable.  2nd battalion have been ordered to send whatever forces they can scrap together to help the hard pressed 2nd company defend the village. These reinforcements will probably start arraving within 5 to 10 minutes.   As soon as you feel that you have the armoured penetration under controll you may send your assultguns forward to assist the infantry fighting in the village. Other StuGs from your battery will try to get here as soon as they can but don't expect them to arrive here for quite some time yet. If at all.   Earlier today parts of the 178th Panzer Jäger abteilung, that where initially deployed north of the village, recieved orders to regroup to this area.  Hopefully they are not far away. This unit recently took delivery of some of our brand new tankdestroyers, the Nashorn, armed with deadly 88mm gun.   Their arrival would be most welcome.   Captain !    your number one objective will be to stop those enemy tanks and if possible you are also to retake ground lost. Force the enemy infantry out of Tscvherwen and reastablish the frontline.   The map...          

Hello !
 
A small update on mission 4...
 
 
The first three scenarios in this campaign will be using modified QB maps that have been enlarged and moddified in various degrees but for mission 4 and 5 i have decided to make my own maps from scratch. 
 
Below you can see a few WIP pictures of the map i'm making for scenario 4. This will be a LARGE map (if no changes are made it will be 3000 X 1600 meters) to allow for some manuvering. 
 
 
The player will be commanding a company + sized, fully mechanized (motorized) force from kampfgruppe Lindig supported by parts of 2nd battery, 189th StuG Abt.
 
As mentioned above the goal will be to destroy the russian AT-equipment deployed in-/ around the village to allow the main force from kampfgruppe Lindig to advance along the main road towards the southeast...
 
I have scrapped the plan to give the player some additional panthers (atleast for now...). The player will have to make due with his trusted old assultguns. I think this might fit better in with the original idea with the campaign. The player being an assultguncommander...
 
 
Some pics (WIP)...
 
        The panzergrenadiers from the 5th regiment are advancing on the village supported by your good old StuGs.At the same time the village is beeing shelled by self proppeled artillery from Kampgruppe Lindig (not player controlled).       Despite the size of the map....FPS is good

Cool !
 
Uuuh...the things thoose guys must have experienced... and still been able to continue fighting is undoubtedly a bit hard to comprehend (goes for the soldiers on both sides  offcourse...)
 
 
As far as the campaign goes progress is a bit slow right now...I'm currently tweaking and testing the end-part of these first three scenarios...It takes quiet a bit of time...
 
Progess is being made though...slowely but surely...
 
I have also begun some very early work on mission 4 and 5
 
This is what the WIP briefing text looks like for  the first three scenarios...
 
mission 1
 

 
mission 2
 

 
mission 3

 
Something simular atleast is likely to be the final version..(these pictures will be somewhat larger in the actual game...)  Unfortunatelly there is a limit to how much text there is room for... but there will also be a textfile briefing with some additional information in the original briefingtext-field...
 
 
In mission 4...
 
kampfgruppe Lindig will have arrived in the area defended by the 78th Sturm division. This reinforcement will allow for a small counterattack with the goal of isolating the russian spearhead forces. Your 2nd battery along with
 
any other surviving parts of StuG Abteiling 189 will be detached from the 78th Sturm division on from now on be a part of kampfgruppe Lindig.
 
In mission 4 your battery along with some troops from the 5th panzergrenadier regiment will be tasked with clearing an enemy held village on the left flank of kampfgruppe lindigs main push. The enemy have deployed a number of
 
anti tank guns in this villiage that will need to be neutrolized before the main attack can begin.
 
To help fend of any enemy armour that might be encountered the player will also be given a few tanks from the 29th panzer regiment as a reserv (i have not yet decided what kind but i'm thinking about Panthers of PzIVs...i will do some googeling...  )
 
In mission 5....
 
Despite your best efforts the overall situation along the front have deterioated completally and the russians have been able to bypass and encircle the entire german defensive line east of Minsk. As part of kampgruppe Lindig your battery will part of
 
the spearheadforces in an breakout attempt.. It will be up to you to punsch a hole in the enemy line to allow other friendly to escape...
 
 
That is the plan for now....

The briefingtext will be looking like this (this picture shows only an uncomplete WIP text...More text will be added and perhaps changed in the actuall scenario...)
 
    Current state of the second mission briefing screen...     Reinforcement information, Victory location points and a textfile version of the briefing text will be avaliable in the designernotes...