Predictions for 2013

[Fizou]

DW,

I can only concur with Wodin. I wasn't in to modern, or so I thought, bought it because I loved CMx1 and wanted to support BF. I am totally converted now, CMSF and all modules are a blast.

[thejetset]

I too will be into the new SF2.0 when it comes out! .... When the original SF came out I "went away" ... for about 5 years! ... and really regretted it after playing some of the SF1.0 demos.

I haven't purchased the SF series because CMBN and CMFI keeps me well occupied ... but I won't fall off the wagon this time around!

[Sequoia]

Where is this recent news from Battlefront posted? I can't find it.

[John N]

Where is this recent news from Battlefront posted? I can't find it.

Check out the Road ahead thread in the CMFI forum. Also Steve droped a few hints in the mg thread on AAA units for MG.

[umlaut]

btw, fire me an email when you are ready for another PBEM game!

Will do that before very long

[JMDECC]

When the 3.0 engine is released, will the CMBN and CMFI games we have now be able to be updated in a similar way to the way 2.0 was done? I hope so! I think I'll be playing these games for forever...

[Mord]

When the 3.0 engine is released, will the CMBN and CMFI games we have now be able to be updated in a similar way to the way 2.0 was done? I hope so! I think I'll be playing these games for forever...

Yep. ALL games from CMBN forward will be given the upgrade treatment. So, technically five years from now you could be playing CMBN, with whatever new features are relevant to it in 2018. It's awesome.

Mord.

[GSX]

I doubt even BFC knows exactly what will be released in 2013.

My guess, and that's all it is:

(1) Market Garden (safe bet)

(2) 1st CMFI module

(3) Something "Modern" (I won't buy)

If the 1st East Front game and/or 3.0 make it out in 2013, that would be a welcome bonus. Prepare to hear more whining, however, as we are charged $10 each to upgrade CMBN & CMFI. ;-)

I can see this upgrade business getting quite pricey as new titles are released. In future if you owned CMBN, FI, EF, CMSF2 and Bulge, then it would be $40 to upgrade all of your games. Of course you don't need to upgrade or own all of the games.

Personally I'd like:

CMBN MG title which I believe will arrive in 13.

EF title, not sure if we will see this.

Something not ww2 but not modern - highly unlikely I imagine.

Not really interested in the following:

CMFI - cant see any longevity in this game. And cant see what another title would bring that couldn't reasonably be simulated with CMBN.

CMSF2 - despite liking and occasionally still playing the original Im not gripped by the setting of this one and I'm not sure it won't be too one sided again as I don't really see how Russia could stand up to a NATO force in a conventional setting.

Bulge - strangely this also does not grip me as much as I thought it would, in fact I'm not entirely sure that it could not be simulated with the current CMBN title and future Mods (except for snow).

Finally, I'm liking the pick what you want model here as I can concentrate on what interests me. I predict one new game and 2 modules for 2013 but would be happy to be entirely wrong.

[Lt Belenko]

When the 3.0 engine is released, will the CMBN and CMFI games we have now be able to be updated in a similar way to the way 2.0 was done? I hope so! I think I'll be playing these games for forever...

It sounds like their business model will allow it.

[Doug Williams]

I plan to purchase any and all CM WW2 related games, modules, and upgrades, even if the theatre of a particular game or module doesn't interest me as much as others might.

The reason being is I want to support BFC and encourage them to keep producing WW2 CM games. And even if the theatre of a particular title isn't my favorite, I will still play and have fun with it, as I am with CMFI.

I don't support the Modern CMs, because I just don't care much at all about Modern era conflicts. But that's just me, and I hope BFC continues to produce these also.

[Michael Emrys]

I can see this upgrade business getting quite pricey as new titles are released. In future if you owned CMBN, FI, EF, CMSF2 and Bulge, then it would be $40 to upgrade all of your games.

That's one possibility. Another might be that BFC might produce a "universal" upgrade that would work with all the games. Not sure how workable that would be though.

CMSF2 - despite liking and occasionally still playing the original Im not gripped by the setting of this one and I'm not sure it won't be too one sided again as I don't really see how Russia could stand up to a NATO force in a conventional setting.

I think the most sober assessments at the time in question (late Cold War era) were not sure if NATO would be able to stand up in a purely conventional setting. In fact, I think the assumption was that they would likely go nuclear the first day. At least that's what they wanted the Soviets to think.

Michael

[Wodin]

Exactly..NATO knew they couldn't win a conventional war with Warsaw pact..Warsaw Pact wanted a conventional war..NATO would have gone Nuclear and the Russians knew it..hence wasn't worth it.

So No I don't think an eighties battle will be so one sided as some think, I think it will be relatively easy to get a great fight and no side feeling like a walk over. Also one set in the eighties lowers the NATO tech a fair bit.

[Tank Hunter]

If I remember correctly SF2 was mentioned to be played out in a near future between US/Nato and Russia in temperate setting most likely Ukraine.

Personally I welcome the near future because I think such a conflict would be pretty limited in nature and much more even than ppl think. Russia has lately been investing a lot of money in its millitary especially some units like the VDV which would probably play a big part in a Ukraine setting.

Here is a clip showing of some of the VDV

[Wodin]

Hmm..underestimate the Russians at your cost..

[Battlefront.com]

To address the "this could become expensive" concern. Totally legit. While we feel it is imperative for us to be compensated for this rather difficult, time consuming task of keeping everybody up to date (which comes at the expense of other activities), we also feel it is imperative that we reward folks for continued support. Therefore, as we get into more and more possible upgrades for you to buy, we will continue to offer "bundle" deals that reduce overall costs.

Another possibility to think about is focus on one game for a while, buying Modules, Packs, and/or Upgrades. Then when you're ready to move onto something else for a while, switch your purchasing power over to something else. Our strategy means the "something else" will always be there for you.

For example, let's say right now you have CMBN and CMFI. At the end of the year you also have the first Eastern Front game and then the opportunity to purchase v3.0 upgrades for all three (Eastern Front will come out before v3.0). Well, if you are still super into Eastern Front, maybe you don't upgrade either CMBN or CMFI right then. You upgrade Eastern Front and keep playing it for 6 months. Then you get an itch to go back to CMFI, so you upgrade that only. You play that for 6 months and then v4.0 comes out. Hey, you really want to play CMBN again! So you upgrade that to v4.0 and play that... so on and so forth!

If you are this type of player then you get to always play the latest version, but you don't have to pay for everything at once and find you don't play that particular game much before another update or base game comes out.

There is so much flexibility here for you guys.

Steve

[Lt Belenko]

You've laid out long term picture of the Ostfront with 5 games, each one covering a year with several modules.

And we're aware of the West front there will be Bulge game with modules covering up to the end of the war.

What are the plans for Italy game? Such as time frame and region for each module? One game total or more than one?

As for the cost factor, I'm swearing off cigars in 2013 and will use the excess funds for game/module/upgrade purchases.

[Apocal]

There is so much flexibility here for you guys.

Do you have any concerns that all this flexibility might fragment the community?

[Aragorn2002]

Do you have any concerns that all this flexibility might fragment the community?

That is hardly the concern of BF, I think. Apart from that, I doubt it will happen.

[beatmasta]

To address the "this could become expensive" concern. Totally legit. While we feel it is imperative for us to be compensated for this rather difficult, time consuming task of keeping everybody up to date (which comes at the expense of other activities), we also feel it is imperative that we reward folks for continued support. Therefore, as we get into more and more possible upgrades for you to buy, we will continue to offer "bundle" deals that reduce overall costs.

Another possibility to think about is focus on one game for a while, buying Modules, Packs, and/or Upgrades. Then when you're ready to move onto something else for a while, switch your purchasing power over to something else. Our strategy means the "something else" will always be there for you.

For example, let's say right now you have CMBN and CMFI. At the end of the year you also have the first Eastern Front game and then the opportunity to purchase v3.0 upgrades for all three (Eastern Front will come out before v3.0). Well, if you are still super into Eastern Front, maybe you don't upgrade either CMBN or CMFI right then. You upgrade Eastern Front and keep playing it for 6 months. Then you get an itch to go back to CMFI, so you upgrade that only. You play that for 6 months and then v4.0 comes out. Hey, you really want to play CMBN again! So you upgrade that to v4.0 and play that... so on and so forth!

If you are this type of player then you get to always play the latest version, but you don't have to pay for everything at once and find you don't play that particular game much before another update or base game comes out.

There is so much flexibility here for you guys.

Steve

This will be a nightmare scenario for the PBEM players

[Michael Emrys]

Another possibility to think about is focus on one game for a while, buying Modules, Packs, and/or Upgrades. Then when you're ready to move onto something else for a while, switch your purchasing power over to something else.

Good point. Although it was a magnificent gesture to release SF1 ported to the Mac, I have decided to forego it and wait for SF2, which I am definitely interested in. Meanwhile, there will be all sorts of goodies I can indulge it. For instance, the Odds & Sods pack for CMBN. I can hardly wait to see what will be included in that. Is it anticipated that it will be released in 2013?

Michael

[Stugdownunder]

:)I would eventually love to see large campaign or battle packs. Where you play a large amount of scenarios with historically accurate units, and utilizing background notes, maps, pdf literature about the battle/operation. For instance battle for Caen would have all the small battles engagements involving all the units for both allied, and axis leading up to the actual battle for the city proper! All units would be historically accurate in regards to equipment, uniforms, and vehicle markings. You could also have Operation packs.i.e"Öperation Goodwood or Cobra", and unit history campaign packs. For instance following US tank company/battalion fron Normandy to the end of the war? The possibilities would be endless:D

[A Canadian Cat]

So No I don't think an eighties battle will be so one sided as some think, I think it will be relatively easy to get a great fight and no side feeling like a walk over. Also one set in the eighties lowers the NATO tech a fair bit.

Agreed. I think people are considering what a real 80s war would have been like. I remember some estimates were that if the Warsaw pack attacked the would have a 9:1 advantage at the strike point. Who wants to fight outnumbered 9:1? It might be interesting once.

With this game we can create force match ups that would be interesting. Sure the Soviet equipment / communication / leader ship was not quite at the same level as the NATO forces. But hey any one of those T64s or T72 are still a dangerous threat.

Hmm..underestimate the Russians at your cost..

Indeed.

[A Canadian Cat]

Do you have any concerns that all this flexibility might fragment the community?

This will be a nightmare scenario for the PBEM players

There is no need for fragmentation. You can have multiple instances of the game installed and play various PBEM games on each.

For instance right now I have CMBNwCW 2.0, CMBNwCW 1.11, CMBN 1.01 and CMFI all installed and have at least one game going in each of them. The older first patch version was setup specifically to play with an opponent that could not update to 1.11 at the time.

So as long as we are willing to be flexible we do not need to be fragmented.

[Broadsword56]

Will the Eastern Front family's first release be set in a winter or summer time period? Will it allow us to make maps/scenarios for either season? Or, if it's set in the summer, would it be moddable enough that the community could create our own winter terrain/vegetation mod to use in the interim?

I ask because I'm interested in the December 1942 battles in the Chir River sector involving 11th Panzer Division. The company-level boardgame Panzer Command (Victory games, 1984) is set in that campaign, and is what I'd like to use for an eventual op layer.

[i know the TO&E for 1944 and 1942 would be different, but I think work-arounds are possible in many cases by fiddling with the OOBs and making sure to leave out certain weapons/vehicles, etc.]

[Michael Emrys]

Will the Eastern Front family's first release be set in a winter or summer time period?

If I understand BFC's plans correctly, the first family is intended to run from mid-'44 to mid-'45. Thus it should include all seasons. But I expect that it will require not only the base game, but all its modules in order to do so.

Will it allow us to make maps/scenarios for either season? Or, if it's set in the summer, would it be moddable enough that the community could create our own winter terrain/vegetation mod to use in the interim?

You can't really create winter terrain from a summer only base game or module. You could mod terrain so that it looks like winter, but you can't change the underlying characteristics of that terrain. I.e., you may be able to make it look like snow, but you wouldn't be able to ski on it. Rivers wouldn't freeze over, etc.

Michael