What hapenned with the big new announcement?

[General Lee Irked]

Sicily/Italy Module? That is my guess.(BTW I am not very good at guessing or gambling.)

[Bradley Dick]

I would love to see an Eastern Front module. However, the easiest module to complete could be a North Africa module. Considering the fact that there are a fair amount of desert assets already completed for the CMx2, it looks the easiest to implement.

[ExurbanKevin]

Combat Mission: Russo-Finish War

Or

Combat Mission: Channel Islands

Or

The Prequel to both CMBN and CMCF...

Combat Mission: Dieppe!

[Fenris]

CMWH40K Space Lobsters

Awesome.

[Newa]

CMWH40K Space Lobsters

Awesome.

OMFG 1 up!!!!

/****s pants

[Zatoichi]

Combat Mission: Dad's Army - They Don't Like It Up 'Em Special Edition.

Whatever the announcement is, it must surely be 'a good thing', right?

[Chainsaw]

CMBNCW: Hobart's Funnies

Oh yeah :cool:

[Sixxkiller]

BFC has just recently acquired the rights to the Deer Hunter series of games. The first new module will be called Deer Hunter: Villagragosa. Set in Los Angeles in 2010, you are to ride Los Angeles public transit and kill your way up to a final confrontation with the mayor of the city.

System Requirements:

Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Mac OSx 8.4

Pentium 4 1.0 GHz or slower

48 MB RAM

16 MB DirectX 7.0 video

card with T&L

DirectX 7.0c or later

Sound Card

Mouse

6 MB Hard Disk space

I have violated my NDA but I just couldnt hold it.

[Canada Guy]

It would be nice to know when the big thing will be announced. It creates buzz and we will stop bugging them about this until that time.

So BFC, can you be a bit more specific abut when you will be telling us something?

My thoughts of what it could be would be

1. Italy (they have most of the units they would need and some of the terrain)

2. North Africa (they have most of the terrain they would need and some of the units)

3. Eastern Front (appeals to a different group of people and they could have 2 streams of games going with 6 months instead of a year between Module releases - assuming they have 2 teams working in tandem)

I bought CM touch even though I will never play it just to give you some much needed cash (phil needs his own personal assistant). Even giving us a date f the bone would be nice :-{)

[sburke]

Best advice? Go back to playing the game. BFC will announce when they are ready to announce. They know damn well that more information from them will just lead to more questions. It is what we do and we are dang good at it.

In terms of guesses, the only bit of information Moon gave was it would be about CMBN if in fact that was what he meant and not something more generic. Assuming that is the case it rules out Eastern Front, N Africa, Italy etc etc CMBN is one game family and those would all be others.

My hope? They release BOTH the remaining modules so they can wrap this one up and start focusing on the next.

[phil stanbridge]

It can't be a completely different theatre, that would take way too much time. I think the best bet is some major feature implementation for Normandy/Commonwealth, like fire/flame units, or mortar/AA units or something along those lines. Or perhaps a very early peak at Market Garden, but even that is too far down the line I'd guess. It's still early days.

[mjkerner]

At best, the patch and maybe MG ...earlier than otherwise expected going by the timeframe from CMBN to CW...at the same time.

No new theatres, unless maybe a 3rd party doing Italy/N. Africa. East Front...no way. Not only does their Family/Game/Module business plan rule that out, think of all the refinements that will be implemented and refined through the Bulge project that will simply be part of the CMx2 experience by then, and will be in the initial base Game for the EF. No way they are ready for EF atm.

[Newa]

I hope its a new campaign system, where you choose our battle and what units, rather like the CC series.....only better. I want to see the land that my lads bleed for.

[HarryB]

There still are plenty of vehicles that could be added to the selection, so an odds and ends module would be nice; I'm still waiting for my favorite afv, the Brummbar. And yes, flamethrowers would be nice as well.

[A Canadian Cat]

There is another possibility: It could be the long hinted at PBEM turn management / opponent finder application.

[gunnergoz]

Getting anything out of BFC about forthcoming releases is like telling the tooth fairy to hurry up. She'll arrive when you're asleep. So dream on...

[ExurbanKevin]

Getting anything out of BFC about forthcoming releases is like telling the tooth fairy to hurry up.

Meh, we Mac users are used to it.

[umlaut]

You´re all wrong. It is going to be the biggest of them all: CM:UW (Combat Mission: Unternehmen Weserübung)

;-)

[Bradley]

There is some good Stand Up material here.

[ExurbanKevin]

A Combat Mission Collectable Trading Card Game!

[DavidFields]

Actually, I think this might be the answer.

Like, maybe they are allowing the same 3rd party group that did Afghanistan, to also work on this.

It is the only way to do justice to both fronts, have two groups focused on adding new features.

The time schedule that they are adcheiving presently just is not fast enough to get enough out of the present engine.

Of course the sucess with the touch version might change some decision making from this point onward.

I like the reasoning here. Especially the idea that, with the current plans, the East Front is just too far away.

Could it be North Africa? On the plus side, could they possibly port the maps, and the handling of things like sand, from CMSF? But, I think this is not the next step, because North Africa is years earlier, and a lot of extra units would have to be designed, for both sides.

Italy? A little closer in time, but then you would have to do all the Italian units, and the rugged terrain maps. I also don't think there is an overwhelming fan base for that front.

But, if you stuck with 1944, and made just enough Russian units, and placed the battles in areas with terrain similar to CW, you would then have a "beach head" of modules to expand, with interesting material. Into 1945--the Russians fighting for Berlin (which is more interesting than the Allied situation after the Bulge). Cool late war Russian AFVs.

And, as I have voiced before, I think BFC will have an easier time doing late war WW2, which is closer to Modern Warfare, versus catching the feel of early war WW2.

On the other hand...maybe it is "just" Flamethrower, or mine-sweeper, tanks. Would be great. But since they are drawing this out, I can still hope for the Ost.

Of course, it could also be that they are introducing The Unbeatable Finns, West Front Fantasy Edition.

[Childress]

Nah, the Big Announcement will be that, at last, the Lynx WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE in quick battles. Be still my heart!

Seriously, the Russian connection seems the most plausible given BFC cozy rapport with the Russian development team that produced CMA. It appears the best selling titles are those which:

1- Include Americans

2- Feature dazzling and potent vehicles

3- Enlist the Waffen SS

4- Showpiece two mighty nations in an apocalyptic war of survival.

Early WW2 misses 1,2 and 4

N. Africa misses 2 and 3 (yes, the Tiger made an appearance towards the end)

The War in the East covers 3 of the 4. So, that's the one.

[Collingwood]

I am very grateful for CMBN and the CW module, escpecially that it's available on OSX. But, I'm a little sad to think I might have to wait several years before seeing an Eastern Front version.

I do hope this fabled "Big Announcement" is something to do with the Russian side of the conflict. Not that I imagine BF are swayed by begging on the forums, but perhaps adding my vote for "Eastern Front Please!" will encourage them that there is a genuine market for it.

[Mord]

East Front is best left for last and when it comes you guys will be glad it was...it'll benefit the most from all the upgrades and additions to CMX2 since CMSF. Gotta look on the brightside.

I have no clue what the announcement might be but I sure wish they'd say something...We've been through quite a few News updates over the last couple months and not one of them was anything of interest...Though I'll say again I hope the Ipad thing makes them lots of money.

Mord.

[Michael Emrys]

Could it be North Africa?

Steve has stated pretty unequivocally that CM is not going back to NA. Of course, they could always change their minds, but I doubt that there is sufficient demand to compel that.

It's too bad. I for one would welcome an NA game done right this time. Afrika Korps was kind of hashed together in a hurry when the CMx1 game engine was on its last legs and busting at the seams (to mix metaphors with gay abandon). Most of the terrain as depicted in the game was uninspiring, which didn't help (an unfortunate corporate tradition that seems to have been carried over into CMSF). Contrary to popular prejudice, the desert is not always boring to look at. The Libyan desert is particularly varied, taken as a whole, but it does take some imagination if you haven't been there personally.

One problem I can foresee though for a game on the CM scale is how do you compel any sane player to commit the tactical blunders that were such a big part of the British learning experience? Absent that, it would be almost impossible to replicate some of the actions of the period. You could I suppose without being in the least unhistorical, mandate that the greater blunders had already occurred at a higher level before the game action begins. But then many games would open with the British tanks in the middle of a Pakfront ambush getting shot to hell.

This will take some thought.

Michael