Which one should I buy?

[Jasina]

Hello everyone.

 

I've been contemplating buying one of the newer Combat Mission games for a while, but I'm not sure which one would be the best fit for me. I'm mostly interested in WW2 ones with a focus on the Western Front (and maybe Africa too) but I'm not sure which game I should pick. It seems that the one I want could be either one from Battle of Normandy, Final Blitzkrieg or Fortress Italy. I'd appreciate any advice as to which one would be the best fit.

[Ultradave]

There's no Afrika but FI lets you play with some of the same equipment starting with the invasion of Sicily. With the two modules Gustav Line and Rome to Victory, it takes you through the end of the war and is a huge amount of content. RtV also includes several nationalities - Brazil, France, South Africa - to play with as well.

BN probably has the most content of all, if you also count user created content. With the two expansions of Commonwealth Forces and Market Garden, you again have a lot of content. It was the most of any but FI has probably about caught up by now.

Final Blitzkrieg is the newest of the three and as such doesn't have the extra content, but if the Battle of the Bulge is your thing, then maybe that's the one.

The advice most usually give is to pick the one that you have the most interest in and that's what you'll have the most fun with.

Dave

[Redwolf]

FI has most variety.

[slysniper]

I think you might like CMFI the most, Not only is it earlier equipment, But the infantry cannot deal with armor as well since the AT weapons for them are limited.

So much more that African feel. And no one is stopping you from putting units on maps that are built to represent the dessert, just saying.

 

[ratdeath]

If western front is the focus I would say CMFB as a start and if you want more there is the big bundle for CMBN with tons of content for the western front.

CMFB will have limited sides (US and German) but also adds tank riders and winter terrain.

Soon you will most likely have them all

Cold War is a fun one that totally surprised the community. Five months ago that game was but a dream for many of us.

[kohlenklau]

JUST BUY CMFI.

Just the initial game with 1 module "Gustav Line" HAS ALL 4 SEASONS. You can play battles there that have a feel of Normandy D-Day, Afrika and also the Battle of the Bulge.

@ratdeath     Thanks for correcting my error.

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by kohlenklau

[slysniper]

Well, if at some point you own them all, then it really does not matter then does it.

But if not, I would stay away from CMFB, even though I love it because of some of the available forces. It will never have as much content as the other games. Even the community has not added nearly as much. So it would be up to you to generate more stuff with that one.

[ratdeath]

7 minutes ago, kohlenklau said:

JUST BUY CMFI.

Just the initial game with no modules HAS ALL 4 SEASONS. You can play battles there that have a feel of Normandy D-Day, Afrika and also the Battle of the Bulge.

 

Don't you need Gustav Line for all seasons?

[Canuck21]

Well, you'll probably get as many different answers as there are people. I was in a similar dilemma a couple of weeks back, but I had the added advantage that I had previously owned most of the WWII titles here. So I figured the "Big Bundles" were a good bet, so went with CMBN. A half hour after that I decided that while the Italy campaign wasn't as big a deal to me, the Canadians played a really important role there, so I opted to get the bundle for CMFI as well (and the Rome... module was new to me). I figured I was done, but I had been reading a bit more of late on the Eastern Front, and realized that soon Fire & Rubble would be out with it's winter warfare (which I really enjoy, for whatever reason), but being of strong mind and weak wallet, I decided that as much as I wanted it, I would hold off. Which I did. For about 20 minutes... . It's really good  . At that point I figured holding out on FB was a waste, so now I own all the WWII titles (yes, I got F&R as well ). Anyway, you see where I'm going with this.

One thing I learned that really is helping with specific areas/setups/scenarios that I wanted to play but which may not have been made (yet) or available, is to get into designing. I picked up the map-making really quickly (with some help from some really good people here!) so now if I wanted to do a late desert scenario, I could by building a map and using the CMFI bundle. Taking that a step further, I'm hard at it learning how to make full scenarios and programming the AI for such (with a LOT of help from some really good people!!!). I'm getting closer to where I can start releasing them but I have a couple out for testing now that I need to get back before I am willing to foist anything on the poor, unsuspecting population here  . However, I mention that because between the games and the ability to add almost anything into them, there isn't much you can't make up yourself, and down the road, hopefully share with the population at large. Thanks to the amazing programming of BF (gawd, this is really starting to sound sappy now, isn't it ) , if there's a particular area of interest and you're willing to put in the legwork, there's not much you can't do with this system. All you need are the games. Good luck with your decision, and no matter what you choose, it'll be hard to go wrong.

[E5K]

I would say Final Blitzkrieg. It looks and plays better than the others.

And I love the content.

[chuckdyke]

1 minute ago, E5K said:

I would say Final Blitzkrieg. It looks and plays better than the others.

Yes, it is realistic that infantry can ride on the tanks, like they can in RT. Now FR is out I rate RT higher, but FB is a fine game.  

[Erwin]

It also depends on which side you prefer to play, Germans, Soviets or W Allies.  The problem with late war is that there are fewer German attack scenarios and campaigns.  If you like playing Germans as attacker, then CMFB may be best.  Eastern Front also offers some German attacking opportunities.  Otherwise, the focus is on the Alliies and that ususally means US.  We have to wait to see if some of our talented volunteers modders and designers can mod something so we can get a bit of Afrika Korps, or even Early War.

[chuckdyke]

1 minute ago, Erwin said:

Soviets

In FR the Soviets are very challenging if you like to adjust your gameplay @Bil Hardenberger rules. Should be considered. They are not as well equipped like the Western Allies in regard to radios. For example only the FO and regimental HQ have radios but all their tanks have radios too at this stage of the war. You must plot as a set piece attack your artillery at the beginning of the game. Better get it right it takes 15 minutes to call out the next strike. He needs to be involved in the attack from the front. Lend and Lease scout cars also have radios and sometimes I value them more than a T34/85. In the attack on Seelow you have only Soviet equipment this battle I like very much. Your scouts spot and you must employ runners. I see the sense of tank riders; dismount scouts get back to their vehicle, but the battle is a race against time. It is if you take the organization of your C2 structure serious. It makes a change to use different tactics.  

[Heirloom_Tomato]

I will suggest the CMFI big bundle for the greatest variety of nations, terrain, weather, INCREDIBLY diverse TO&E and opportunity to use some really incredible mods to make the game even more enjoyable. 

[danfrodo]

I agree w what folks are saying above.  I'd also add that you'll end up getting all the WW2 stuff anyway so there is no wrong choice as first game.  There is no best fit, all three west front games are great.  I started w Normandy big bundle, it's got huge amount of content.  Same w FI and has most varied terrain and seasons in one package.  Blitzkrieg is US vs germans only, so a little less content but fighting in winter is fun. 

And then later you'll wonder why so many folks are excited about the modern games, and next thing you know you'll have those also.  'course, I am projecting my own experience here.

[Vacillator]

2 hours ago, danfrodo said:

I agree w what folks are saying above

I agree with what @danfrodo is saying above .

Although I started with RT (totally great by the way), I then opted for BN bundle (also great), FI bundle (also great, but I need to put more time into it), FB (also great, less content but I like it a lot).  F&R has just arrived so I have no need for modern stuff just yet.

[chuckdyke]

14 hours ago, Vacilllator said:

I have no need for modern stuff just yet.

Yes in the modern stuff every trooper has a PDA Device and can call in anything. Now in FR no such luxury you have one FO and ?????? you have 20 JS2, ISU 154 and ISU 122 to protect him. It is a completely different game and I love it. 

[z1812]

Play the demos. See which one you like. I do agree, as others have pointed out, that CMFI sounds as if it would satisfy your interests.......so try the Demo.

[Falaise]

This is a question that comes up often.
I think we all have a front area that attracts us more.
I bought in the order of my interests, Normandy after Italy then the Russian front and finally the Northwestern Winter Campaign (the Final Blitzkrieg).
Apart from what has been said, vehicles, season etc ..., there is one factor to take into account, in my opinion, and that is the difficulty.
It does not all present the same difficulties, due to the nature of the terrain and the units involved.
By far Normandy and its partitioned land, is the simplest once the mechanism is understood.
Italy is hellish, I who hate having casualty and who make it a point of honor not to leave any injured on the pitch, it's hell. Hilly terrain, long firing line, we are always on the edge, the slightest mistake pays off in cash. This makes for a great game, but one that can be overwhelming to begin with.
The Russian front for Red Thunder and more manageable. the Fire and Rubble I do not have enough perspective but it seems to me like what we mean  in the Soviet campaign in Germany: very brutal and murderous. Urban combat is always difficult.
I can't have fun with FB for the moment and I haven't played it a lot (I've only had it for 4 months) it's very beautiful, the cards are superb, you tremble less as a ally in front of the big German cat, but once again the hilly terrain is complicated even if the shooting lines are shorter with thick forests.
So if you had the courage to read me this far my advice would be to start Normandy which is a good school with a lot of unit, type nation and vehicle to "faire ses armes"
But as said above whatever you choose you will have an exceptional game !!

Edited May 8, 2021 by Falaise

[Redwolf]

CMBN: most content as far as play is concerned - scenarios, mods etc, but limited in timeline and season

CMFI: most variety in forces, terrain, seasons and timeline (if you have the Rome module)

CMFB: not much of either, but lots of late war German gear, including the Sturmtiger

CMRT: less symmetric forces. With CMFR lots of late German gear, lots of big BOOM machines, best urban terrain

CMCW: awesome