Battlefront.com Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 And a Happy (belated) New Year to you all! A few of you have pointed out we have a tradition of summarizing the previous year and letting you know what we've got planned for the new year. Since I'm the one that started this tradition I guess I'm on the hook for keeping it going. I wonder if Santa Claus ever regrets thinking to himself "maybe it would be nice to make some toys and give them out to a few good children", not realizing it would become a thing for a few hundred years. Nah, I'm sure he's as happy to keep doing it as I am doing this. It is good fun (though I wouldn't mind some elves, or at least a reindeer with a frick'n laserbeam on its head). To kick this off, let's review 2021 shall we? It was a busy year for us for sure. The big highlights were the release of the massive Fire & Rubble Module for Red Thunder and the carefully kept quiet Cold War Base Game. The latter being our first release supporting Slitherine's PBEM system and laying the groundwork for the related Tournament system. This on top of some significant work on CM2 Pro for our friends in the UK. Yup, a lot of good stuff. With that out of the way, I've noticed you guys are pretty much a "that's nice, but what have you done for me lately?" sort of crowd (kinda an inherent gamer trait, eh?). Therefore, I'll get right to the fun bit of outlining what's coming up in 2022. I'm even going to narrow down the timeframe for each release. Think of it as a bonus this year and not a new tradition to expect every year Updated Cold War (early February) - this extends the newly implemented PBEM++ system to include Slitherine's automated Tournament system. Yup, you can now play for fame, glory, and at times fabulous prizes in a structured environment! Updated CMSF2 and Black Sea (1st Quarter) - both previously released Matrix/Slitherine CM Families will get the PBEM++ and Tournament systems as free updates. Any bug fixes and what not that have come up from Cold War development will be rolled in as well. Normandy for Matrix/Steam (March/April) - the entire Normandy Family of games will be released on both Matrix and Steam platforms with PBEM/Tournament features included. Coinciding with this will be a new Battle Pack focusing on early D-Day combat. Fortress Italy for Matrix/Steam (June/July) - all titles from the Fortress Italy Family goes out onto Matrix/Steam with the PBEM/Tournament features. A Battle Pack is planned to be released at the same time, the specific focus not being fully nailed down as of yet. Red Thunder for Matrix/Steam (September/October) - as you might expect by now, Matrix/Steam with PBEM/Tournament features. A simultaneous release of a new Battle Pack is also planned. The Pack focuses on Kampfgruppe Mühlenkamp's attempts to keep the Soviets from moving westward in July 1944. Final Blitzkrieg for Matrix/Steam (December/January) - last, but not least, the final CM2 Family of games will be released for Matrix/Steam with PBEM and Tournament systems. At the same time we'll release a new Module that will extend the timeframe through to the end of the war and introduce Commonwealth Forces plus the last ditch forces of the Third Reich. For those of you playing along at home, you might have noticed a bit of a theme going on here. In case you haven't, it is that each time we release existing content on Matrix/Steam there will be new content made available for that particular Family of games. By my count it's three Battle Packs and one Module. But wait... there's more! We're still planning on doing an Engine 5 Upgrade that focuses on performance improvements. No firm idea when this will be ready to talk about more, not to mention when we'll release it. Oh, and it will be a free Upgrade this time around. At a time yet to be determined we're going to give Black Sea a long awaited Module of its own. This Module will include US Marines, Ukrainian Airborne, and Russian Airborne forces with the usual awesome Campaigns and Battles that come with all Modules. This Module is very far along in development, however we don't want to make guesses as to when it will be released right now. We'll let you know soon enough. You guys might have noticed through the years that we usually keep a few things out of this traditional post as a surprise for sometime later on in the year. So there's that too. And no traditional beginning of year bone would be complete without putting out some pretty picture bones to compliment the text. In keeping with that, here's some vehicle shots from the Black Sea Module. Ah, but before I do that I want to say that we're looking forward to another great year with all of you. We wouldn't still be here after 22 years without your enthusiasm and support. Thank you for continuing to enjoy Combat Mission! Thanks! Steve and the rest of Battlefront! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artkin Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 (edited) Oh boy that is so cool. A 71 tonne Abrams (Finally without TUSK), VDV, a T80BV(?). And every game gets some love. This will be a good year. Also the camo is looking great! Edited January 14, 2022 by Artkin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratdeath Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 (edited) Looks like 2022 can be a very good year, Thanks for the bones Steve I saw nothing about the upcoming Cold War module but maybe that CM family have a new tradition, it will be announced at the same time it's ready for preorders! Free Engine 5 upgrade is a nice surprise as well. Edited January 14, 2022 by ratdeath 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 The advantage of the title being in 2017 timeframe. Marines still have their tanks! Which type is that? M1A1 HC-FEP (with the new commander's cupola), and it includes the Trophy active defense system bolted to the sides. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SergeantSqook Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 59 minutes ago, Battlefront.com said: Updated Cold War (early February) - this extends the newly implemented PBEM++ system to include Slitherine's automated Tournament system. Yup, you can now play for fame, glory, and at times fabulous prizes in a structured environment! Is a fix for only one person being able to see the outcome of a PBEM++ match also on the cards there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lille Fiskerby Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Thanks for the new info, lots of modules sounds great, any chance the black sea module will have winter ground conditions ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vergeltungswaffe Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Looks like another awesome year for the greatest PC wargame ever. I've enjoyed every day on this ride. God bless BFC to be successful for many more years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Captain Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Thanks Steve!! I seriously can NOT WAIT for the the BS stuff! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fireship4 Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Ok, happy new year indeed to the developers, sincerely. We have more content upcoming this year for many of the modules, good news surely. And a performance focused, free engine upgrade/patch is forthcoming, but may be some time. I have to say, I have for years now yearned not for more content, but a better engine. As it stands, I am honestly not assured that any work at all has been done on one, and that surely it won't be seen for another year, where for these hence I have been in faith that it has been slowly coming together in the background, and that we might here finally see some belated screens of roads at a 10 degree angle and other such wonders. Final Blitzkrieg being referred to as 'the final CM2 Family of games' coming to steam is the only allusion toward it, but my heart fears that will simply mark the beginning of earnest development. I implore you, employ those elves! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Requiem762 Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Very good post! Happy to see black sea getting some love, can't wait to play with the new forces! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artkin Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 1 hour ago, MikeyD said: The advantage of the title being in 2017 timeframe. Marines still have their tanks! Which type is that? M1A1 HC-FEP (with the new commander's cupola), and it includes the Trophy active defense system bolted to the sides. Aw yeah. So cool. I didnt realize the marines ever had trophy issued to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Remember CMBS is 'speculative near future 2017' so in the alternate timeline they did. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aragorn2002 Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 (edited) Kampfgruppe Mühlenkamp! That can only be done by the Maestro of Massacre himself! Edited January 14, 2022 by Aragorn2002 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
37mm Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 1 hour ago, Lille Fiskerby said: Thanks for the new info, lots of modules sounds great, any chance the black sea module will have winter ground conditions ? If I understand the Black Sea storyline correctly the war was a short, sharp thing which ends in a few months... a little bit like the Shock Force hypothetical war. BFC doesn't do post-war occupation & resistance stuff so I doubt we'll get official modern snowscapes... at least til CMCW's first module. It should be noted that the CMBS scenario editor does allow freezing temperatures so (when combined with wet or damp or muddy ground conditions) is either particularly well suited for unofficial snow mods OR BFC plan to prove me wrong. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeatEtr Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 The bones have been devoured! Good times! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletpoint Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Thanks for the update. Any plans for patches for the other games apart from CMSF2 and Black Sea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifter Man Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Thanks for the update! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlemFire Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 22 years. That's a great run, fellas. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waffelmann Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Ah really good! Traditions are the pillars of life! Thanks for the information! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t34577685 Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 VDV! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Awesome.....Cheers Steve! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lethaface Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 3 minutes ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: Awesome.....Cheers Steve! Did the puppy live? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 No puppies were harmed during nagging for this info. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lethaface Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Some nice bones indeed, seems like quite a packed year! 6 hours ago, Battlefront.com said: And a Happy (belated) New Year to you all! Updated CMSF2 and Black Sea (1st Quarter) - both previously released Matrix/Slitherine CM Families will get the PBEM++ and Tournament systems as free updates. Any bug fixes and what not that have come up from Cold War development will be rolled in as well. Any chance the CMSF2 Syrians will get their PKM ammo (SF & airborne) and RPG ammo (all formations) sorted before the tournaments? Assuming the tournaments use QBs, that will make the Syrians quite a bit more interesting / competitive for tournament play. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Just now, Lethaface said: Any chance the CMSF2 Syrians will get their PKM ammo (SF & airborne) and RPG ammo (all formations) sorted before the tournaments? Assuming the tournaments use QBs, that will make the Syrians quite a bit more interesting / competitive for tournament play. Please, please look at the Red C2 and give the Uncons some more Specialist Teams (esp. Breach Teams) & Individual Vehicles.....Giving the US access to Predator Drones would really be cool too (the timing is so close and it's a fictional war after all). There's still a huge amount of life in CM:SF2. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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