More Bulge Info! (and a few screenshots...)

[Aragorn2002]

Maybe i just sound immature and aggressive because my English vocabulary and knowledge about grammar is limited ?

Im most likely younger then most of you but started with CMx1 AK, bought CMSF+Marines+Brits, bought CMBN, bought CMBS, bought CMBN v3.0 Upgrade and iam a infantryman since 6 years.

So you cant bet im not some kind of 17 year old kid that just bought CMBS because war in Ukraine kicks a** and starts to rant about the game, im pretty sure its because of my limited english knowledge that i sound like an a**hole.

Or maybe iam one, who knows...

Of course you're not. Don't talk about yourself like that just because of something stupid like a computer game. If what you've said is your opinion, than stick to it. Just don't take it so seriously.

Edited April 12, 2015 by Aragorn2002

[delliejonut]

   Yes but even the best drugs are cut with:   A:  snow that looks like powdered sugar

 

                                                                      B:  snow that looks like talcum powder.

                  

         One vote only please.

How about snow cut with a much cheaper drug

I'm fairly new here, but I'm starting to understand the stress that Steve and his crew are under, or more accurately, put themselves under. By having the best product of its type in the world, BFC doom themselves to the demands of people who want a perfect simulation. They obviously want perfection- why else would they be here? Alas, perfection is not possible, due to both hardware and manpower constraints. Sure, there's a huge list of awesome additions everyone would like to see, but the BFC staff are Elite Fanatic +2 Leadership, so they are small in number. 

Being poor (my chosen occupation is music) I can't buy every single thing that Steve puts out. I'd like to though. However, during my time here I've learned to accept that things happen the way they happen for a reason. If the Bulge comes out and it doesn't have new snow textures- so what? You might argue that it's important, but reality being what it is... is it?

Recap: I'm broke, and some of you have extra copies. Give them to me :D

[Childress]

Why can the engine show soldiers wading through a creek, water up to their waists, and cannot produce the same effect with Heavy Snow? Just curious...

[BletchleyGeek]

I will just observe that refactoring vehicles simulation, AI and animations code so that tank riders are introduced on the humongous Western Allies vehicle park, has been mentioned in the past as a major undertaking.

Everyone, myself included, have their own wishlist for CMX2. All of them more or less loony

Probably there will be other not so important new features added (or important, yet invisible, like improved/calibrating HE models to account better for trees splintering, smarter TacAI, etc.). BFC never show their cards so early.

I am pretty sure that Charles and Phil find some aspects of the discussion bemusing.

[ASL Veteran]

Why can the engine show soldiers wading through a creek, water up to their waists, and cannot produce the same effect with Heavy Snow? Just curious...

I don't really know for sure, but my guess would be that a ford tile is designed specifically for that effect and a snow effect would have to overlay every tile.  In other words, a grass tile is just grass in summer so you wouldn't have that effect, but then when there is snow over the grass you would have to have that effect.  I doubt the engine can use that effect over a tile that isn't specifically designed for that effect if that makes any sense.

[mjkerner]

I don't really know for sure, but my guess would be that a ford tile is designed specifically for that effect and a snow effect would have to overlay every tile.  In other words, a grass tile is just grass in summer so you wouldn't have that effect, but then when there is snow over the grass you would have to have that effect.  I doubt the engine can use that effect over a tile that isn't specifically designed for that effect if that makes any sense.

That does make sense, ASL.  I was thinking, though, that with a new title, they would make new separate tiles for snow, light/heavy/high drifts.  Too much work, do you think?

[Glubokii Boy]

That does make sense, ASL.  I was thinking, though, that with a new title, they would make new separate tiles for snow, light/heavy/high drifts.  Too much work, do you think?

 

Yes...the idea with seperate tiles for snow would probably work imo...If its deep snow it does not much matter what kind of terrain is below the snow  (if its a road, grass or some kind of crop...)...Its simply deep snow...

[ASL Veteran]

Yes...the idea with seperate tiles for snow would probably work imo...If its deep snow it does not much matter what kind of terrain is below the snow  (if its a road, grass or some kind of crop...)...Its simply deep snow...

One problem with water tiles as they are currently is that they can only exist at a single elevation.  All water tiles placed on the map are all the same elevation, so even if we could get a specific snow tile they would all be at the same elevation which is another dead end unfortunately.

[Glubokii Boy]

One problem with water tiles as they are currently is that they can only exist at a single elevation.  All water tiles placed on the map are all the same elevation, so even if we could get a specific snow tile they would all be at the same elevation which is another dead end unfortunately.

 

good point...darn !

[Kieme(ITA)]

If you ever noticed, there is in game a tile that covers 100% of its surface and it's painted directly on top of any kind of terrain: it's the highway tile, and as far as I know the game has specific paved road conditions for it. 

Maybe the same concept could be used for snow, I don't know. 

[kohlenklau]

As I understand it, the water tiles are all the same elevation because if they were not then some type of flowing downhill water issue would arise. So, that was avoided as a coding burden and nightmare on how to display it by just keeping all water at the same elevation, no matter where on the map. (In game design and software development there is probably some term for that approach. Like in movies where a giant plot hole issue is solved by interjecting some stupid thing...)

 

So, my walnut brain sees that if some new type snow terrain tile idea borrows coding from how they did water and we get foot steps left behind, I don't see where that also means the snow must also be restricted to the same elevation. Right? So I don't think it is a dead end.

[Duckman]

And the gebirgsjager too! Im honestly surprised how many people have expressed little interest in end of war Europe 45. Tactically you have imo some of the best and most varied matchups of the war.

 

1945 has one huge advantage in that it hasn't been done to death, unlike Normandy and the Bulge (admit it!). 

 

Agree about the matchups. Wunderwaffe like the Sturmgewehr always get top billing, but the Allies were no slouches and their units beefed up on automatic weapons as well (e.g. 30 Cals and more BARs at squad level). They also get some terrific new equipment, like the Comet and Pershing, even if the latter was a bit of a white elephant. However the ubiquitousness of the potent-enough 76-mm Sherman was quite enough to tip the balance, especially given rapidly declining German tanker training. Then there's the Birth of Night Vision of course, but I don't know how much of that we'll see in the game.

[kohlenklau]

I couldn't find it but there was a recent maybe Wargamer? article about each of the i can't recall but around 2 dozen games made about the Battle of the Bulge. 

I am excited to think this new CM Bulge will be an award winner for the Ardennes genre.

 

I wonder if there is any new campaign feature that could be sprinkled in to better capture the essence of the Bulge?

 

I already suggested a new type objective. "Fuel supply" and a new type of vehicle status "immoblized - low fuel". Maybe beyond the scope of CM battle?

Maybe too hard to link the 2 items via the code. The game doesn't track fuel anyway..so I guess you already "round filed" all that! 

 

How about trying to get us head to head campaigning? To play a human opponent and not old "Otto Maddox" the AI soldier....

 

EDIT: On the start screen we'll see a new button "H2H Campaign" and press that button and you see the stock H2H campaigns. Pick one and it fires up a briefing and then a QB type screen and you force pool to grab some forces from and then save and send file to human opponent.He opens and also sees the QB type screen. The author of the new type "H2H Campaign" is the one who gives you the forces to select from, availability changes by day over whatever he set up. Too much coding?

Edited April 17, 2015 by kohlenklau

[A Canadian Cat]

The current campaigns can be flagged as playable H2H it just does not work PBEM. That is a feature I would love them to add - see my sig   I strongly suspect that would be easier than designing a whole new beast like you are talking about.

[kohlenklau]

Maybe they fix A as they develop B. We get both things and not just think A or B. 

[sburke]

I couldn't find it but there was a recent maybe Wargamer? article about each of the i can't recall but around 2 dozen games made about the Battle of the Bulge. 

I am excited to think this new CM Bulge will be an award winner for the Ardennes genre.

 

I wonder if there is any new campaign feature that could be sprinkled in to better capture the essence of the Bulge?

 

I already suggested a new type objective. "Fuel supply" and a new type of vehicle status "immoblized - low fuel". Maybe beyond the scope of CM battle?

Maybe too hard to link the 2 items via the code. The game doesn't track fuel anyway..so I guess you already "round filed" all that! 

 

How about trying to get us head to head campaigning? To play a human opponent and not old "Otto Maddox" the AI soldier....

 

EDIT: On the start screen we'll see a new button "H2H Campaign" and press that button and you see the stock H2H campaigns. Pick one and it fires up a briefing and then a QB type screen and you force pool to grab some forces from and then save and send file to human opponent.He opens and also sees the QB type screen. The author of the new type "H2H Campaign" is the one who gives you the forces to select from, availability changes by day over whatever he set up. Too much coding?

The fuel dump thing I see as being outside the scope of a battle, but not outside the scope of a campaign.  I just don't see guys jumping out, grabbing fuel cans and fueling up their vehicles in the midst of a fight.

 

For example battle 3 could be a critical moment for the Axis to capture a fuel dump.  Failure would mean the next battle takes place with a smaller armor contingent or even a defensive fight with some immobilized vehicles.

 

I suspect the Bulge game will result in an up tic in interest in op layer driven campaigns simply because that supply issue becomes such a critical factor more so than in the other family driven campaigns so far.

[kohlenklau]

I am excited to see what the chefs cook up for the stock campaigns that "tank ride" in with the game!

One is a KG Peiper campaign as axis and the other is a US campaign something about Bastogne. So, that US Campaign most probably a 101st as core unit and NOT what I really want/hope would be the units that delayed the Germans so the 101st could do the part they did. "Alamo in the Ardennes" is a great book that tells of the 28th Infantry Division's and other unit's sacrifices to the east of Bastogne.

 

If the KG Peiper campaign does anything interesting with immobilized vehicles using the current set of kitchen spices, then I guess we don't need anything added... 

But the 4 R's for campaign post-battle don't include refuel specifically. It is rest, refit, resupply and repair. Resupply seems to me from my limited observations to mean your ammo supply....

 

Has anyone ever seen a campaign battle show an impact on vehicle immobility as a symbol of lack of fuel?

Edit: I seem to recall something like this happened in the old CMX1 "operations" when you were cut off. Do I recall incorrectly?

Edited April 18, 2015 by kohlenklau

[kohlenklau]

More on the KG Peiper campaign...I really appreciate BFC for changing their minds or whatever you call it and including FJ with this main game. The KG Peiper campaign can have the FJ riding along with Peiper's forces as it actually happened and we don't wait til the first module. Thank you BFC! Thank you very much. I would be curious if it was a decision based on my humble thread or just some internal decision...

[kohlenklau]

..and now I think we know that one of the 20 standalone scenarios is JonS doing an Operation Varsity battle. 17th Airborne in March '45.

 

20 Scenarios:

1. Operation Varsity

2. Nordwind

3. Bloody Aachen

4. Hurtin' Forest

5. Bulge: Lanzerath I&R platoon battle maybe

6. Bulge: Team cherry Armor battl?

7. Bulge: Foy attack by 101st?

?

[LukeFF]

..and now I think we know that one of the 20 standalone scenarios is JonS doing an Operation Varsity battle. 17th Airborne in March '45.

 

 

Uh, no. The game ends in January 1945.

[Nidan1]

The old Atomic Games "West Front" had a really neat KG Peiper campaign type series of battles. I remember it was very tough, and I played it dozens of times and never got to Antwerp. 

 

I suspect the same thing would happen to me in the new Bulge game, I've  gotten older but not better 

[Ts4EVER]

More on the KG Peiper campaign...I really appreciate BFC for changing their minds or whatever you call it and including FJ with this main game. The KG Peiper campaign can have the FJ riding along with Peiper's forces as it actually happened and we don't wait til the first module. Thank you BFC! Thank you very much. I would be curious if it was a decision based on my humble thread or just some internal decision...

 

In that case one of the FJGs needs a Sten MKII like in that famous photo.

[kohlenklau]

...and the Volksgrenadiers might have some Soviet SMG's?

[Warts 'n' all]

In that case one of the FJGs needs a Sten MKII like in that famous photo.

I do love that photo. 

[Ts4EVER]

...and the Volksgrenadiers might have some Soviet SMG's?

Italian smgs more like. Beretta M38/42s are found regularily in the mud of the Hurtgen Forest and the Ardennes.