Probus

I know I am talking to some true wargaming grognards. But, if BF just allowed new equipment, that would make a big difference. The developers could easily add a flag to anything added to the game. Many additions could be in the form of text files that a player could check for correctness. (I don't think the company would have time to check mods). e.g. ADD VEHICLE (M901) { NAME = "M901 ITV"; WEIGHT = 12; // tons CREW = 4; ENGINE = V50XYZ; MODEL = M901.mu; //based on M113 TURRET (M27) // Hammerhead { WEAPON = M220A1; // TOW @ROF = 3.567; //Adjusted ROF of TOW POSITION = 1.1, 2.2, 3.3; OK, Thats way too much work!!! I could imagine 100 variables that need to be setup. Not to mention the 3D model and textures. Plus separate equipment files. That's too much like real work.

I hope you don’t think I’m griping. I’m just trying to help. I know how much work goes into this kind of detail. A small company like BF can get so much more support from their community if they just let them.

Some of the KSP modders have a strange sense of humor also. Smoke made out of elephants, my little pony helmets, and a cat that bounced around like Pong on April Fools Day. Just to name a few. But things were far from total chaos. And there are some extremely historically accurate mods too. There are some extremely talented modders out there. I can't see the cons outweighing the pros of having great content created for "free". Is someone afraid of getting sued? Or maybe BFC believes that modded content will somehow reflect badly on official content? Now I could see BFC thinking that modded content would somehow make it into a MoD briefing or the like. But surely not.

Thanks for the feedback! Having bought the original CM games 20 years ago, I'm still new here so don't quite know what subjects have been put to bed. I just have to agree to disagree that modding always brings chaos. After closely working with the Kerbal Space Program community, it seems like it can absolutely be done right. Just check out SpaceDock and CKAN for example: https://spacedock.info/kerbal-space-program/browse/featured https://github.com/KSP-CKAN/CKAN I say this out of luv for both games and don't want to see BF and their players miss out on an opportunity. It's only very recently the company has brought in resized real rocket parts. The community has been modelling real parts since 2012ish. For example: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/122020-181173-bluedog-design-bureau-stockalike-saturn-apollo-and-more-v162-титан-24nov2019/#comment-2205042 I'm a wargaming grognard since about 1978. I cut my teeth on Panzerblitz, Third Reich, and Squad Leader when I was a kid. I love both genre of games. I think Battlefront has the best system/engine I've seen. Ok, maybe it's time for a Battle of General's Quotes: "Take calculated risks. That' is quite different from being rash." - G.S. Patton

Funny, but my first hit on a tank (British Challenger directly from the front) in my latest CMSF2 game, took out it's gun.

Well... Given that 1. I am a big KSP player 2. KSP's ability to be modded 3. the sheer number of options folks want I would hazard a guess that if I were to start a new poll thread, and put: "The ability to mod CM games to add units, equipment, and functionality", as an option, it would garner a large share of votes? In other words, if the community could add content then Battlefront could concentrate on upgrading their engine to CM3 and put out new content at their own pace.

That's good enough for me. Do-over it is. I know that no simulation is going to be perfect and I think it's cool that the program tracks a shot so that it can kill 2 units. So if this was RL, that shot couldn't have been any kind of HEAT round as it should have ended at the tank with shrapnel hitting the APC. That would make it kinetic going into the side of the turret and exiting to continue to the APC minus a massive amount of energy. I guess if it hit the APC just right it could kill it too. I wonder if a 125mm T-72 shell has enough energy to enter and exit the side turret of a Challenger 2 at that range. Does anyone know? I'm curious now.

After my recent upset playing my bright and shiny new game CMSF2, I thought I'd make my first short video. Talk about adding insult to injury. I'd swear a shot took out one of my Challenger 2 tanks and then ripped through an APC and took it out too. That is just... sooo unfair! I think it deserves a Mulligan do-over. What do you guys think? Never edited a video before (so please excuse the extreme clumsiness). Playing the scenario "UK Battlegroup Attacks". I just get done sending my recon unit exactly where the enemy reinforcements arrive. Thinking myself relatively safe from that direction, I turn my armor to face an enemy I can see. That's exactly when the Red reinforcements arrive...

Good idea! KSP uses the same Forum engine and it has a built in poll feature. But I'll try your way. Once I get a few more ideas I'll try it

I thought it was like less than 5. Seems great considering. It does seem like it has almost the same UI as the 20 yr old version though.

Ha! They don't mix too good with machine guns.

It doesn't have to be exact. I've been playing SF2 on sand and I ended up downloading the wonderful terrain squares because I was having real troubles with LOS/FOV. I know that is a realistic part of a sandscape environment, but still... it helped. It didn't help me enough. Lost 5 Challengers in a single turn when reinforcements popped up out of literally nowhere (I'm not bitter)! Ok maybe I had just turned my back on that part of the map thinking no reinforcements were coming... But anyway, imperfect is fine as long as the player has a choice of if they want to use it or not and while reinforcements spawn out of sand (I'm not bitter).

Time and location. What features were you thinking of @Bufo?

Battlefront, Could you create a poll to see what your customers would like to see next in a Battlefront release? I've heard you guys mainly concentrate on topics that really appeal to you (which makes a lot of sense). I would like to see if your customer's interests line up with any of your passions. I, for one, would love to see a game centered on either the Arab-Israeli wars or Afrika Corps.

I would pay good money for a Field of View button. I think it is Graviteam Tactics games that has that. A real life saver. A click and an arc spreads out over your field of view so that, at a glance, you can see... what you can see. Any chance this could be added to any future patches (I'm sure the MoD would be willing to pay for it).

That is a good explanation @Heirloom_Tomato. Thanks. I'm guessing from the dates, that the desert terrain is not North Africa. Are there any user made scenarios set there?

Really having fun with CMBS and CMSF2. I have some really epic 1 minute movie clips! Slow and steady, eyes open, wins the race in both these games. I know this won't be controversial at all, but which is the best of the WWII series? BTW, I would pay good money for a Field of View button. I think it is Graviteam Tactics games that has that. A real life saver.

Is there a fix?

Whoa!

Well that's great news! I have no problem paying for good DLC.

Not the answer I was hoping for, but thanks! Too bad modders can't add completely new units. I understand some wouldn't work at all since a new game mechanic would have to be added (like MLRS). But since CMBS is 'theoretical', it would be nice to try out different units (even if modders would have to go to town on them to bring them up to date).

This is probably a question you get all the time, but if I bought CMBS can I buy the Marines, NATO, and British units from CMSF2 and use them in CMBS since they use the same engine? It specifically says the Afgan-Soviet game is incompatible. Also, are there any CM games that have the Arab-Israeli Wars and/or OOB?

Ok. It didn’t take long playing the demo until I decided it was well worth the price tag. What a great game! I’m really enjoying it. When you play on easy settings, does that make it easier to destroy enemy vehicles and easier for friendly vehicles be destroyed? It seems pretty hard to show your face and survive.

Well, I downloaded the Demos and they are pretty awesome, I must say.

As the title says, I just ran across my Combat Mission games again. I had the original Overlord and Barbarossa disks. Wow! Its come a long way! I'm downloading the demo now, but it looks like Black Sea is probably the best for the conventional modern battlefield. Would that be true? Kind of a steep price tag for an older title, but I'm willing to pay it if it is as good as it looks.