Preview: First FanMade BattlePack for CM Red Thunder

[Mr.X]

We have the announcement of a (hopefully) stunning new module for CMFB, for a absolutely great CMBN BattlePack, for a very interesting CMFI BattlePack - so WW II fans like me are happy wth the coming stuff in 2023.

BUT, something is missing....where is the CMRT ? No new content after the release of the fantastic BattlePack of George MC in 2022 

 

And here it is: 

While back after a long break, Mr.X was very busy and is working on a FanMade BattlePack for 2023. More to come....

[Vacillator]

Love it, can't wait .

[Mr.X]

The BattlePack will have the title "Summer of Destruction" . Players will command Axis Forces of Army Group Central from

June 1944 to July 1944. Currently (see below) the pack includes the following stuff:

 

Chapter I

Mini-Campaign "Partisans Land"

The Player is commanding a mixed, reinforced German "Kampfgruppe" in June 1944 , attacking a wooded area west of Mogilew where strong partisan units are expected to have built a fortified strongpoint. 3 single Missions.

 

 

 

 

[Mr.X]

Chapter II

 

Mini Campaign "Into Hell"

The Player is commanding parts of the German 252.Infantry-Division of the IX. Corps/3rd Panzer Army north of Witebsk  at the very beginning of the Soviet Operation "Bagration". Your units will be directed to block one of the main Soviet Corridors of advance - you will have to stand or die in the centre of a massive assault.

4 Single missions.

[Mr.X]

Chapter III

 

Campaign "Five Bridges"

The Player is commanding parts of the German 383.Infantry-Division of XXXV.Corps/9th Army near Bobruisk shortly after the German Lines have collapsed under the violent pressure of the Red Army. Will you be able to lead your units back to the west - will you be able to break out from the Bobruisk Pocket and reach the German Rescue Forces?

9 Single Missions.

[Mr.X]

Chapter IV

 

Campaign "Tiger Trail"

When the German Frontlines had collapsed and the Soviet Advance approached the Border of East Prussia, the Axis Headquarters sent its armored reserves to stop the Soviet Steamroller by all means. The Player is commanding parts of the German 3.SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf" west of the Njemen River near Grodno. Will the Division be able to stop the enemy and cut off the III.Soviet Cavalry Corps ?

17 single Missions.

[Mr.X]

When will be the release? 

The ideal date will be the 22.06.2023. But I won't promise too much....for sure, release will be 2023 ! 

What's the current progress?

The biggest campaign "Tiger Trail" is in its final testing stage as a Betaversion. It will be ready for 22nd June release. 

The "Five Bridges" Campaign has seen most of the map making, which is (with my experience) the most time consuming aspect - testing will start in March.

The "Into Hell" Campaign the same.

The "Partisans" Land Campaign (the smallest of all) is in the middle of map making and will be ready for testing in April.

So - to quote the guys from Battlefront  "it will be ready when it's ready."

Will there be any single Missions?

Currently, I have plans for 3 single Missions but I doubt to have the time to put effort in these ones. So, let's see....

Is there a possibility to increase the number of campaigns or single missions for that BattlePack?

Of course. As the headline says, this is a project made by fan(s) of CM and everybody who wants to participate is very welcome. Honestly I have to say that I have written a mail to Battlefront and offered them this stuff (without financial interests) in order to get designs, briefings etc. more professional but they ignored myself 

So, if anybody is motivated to create stuff, doesn't matter if one small single mission or a whole campaign, then this would be very appreciated  The only condition is:

the stuff must match the BattlePacks main theme "Summer of Destruction June to July 1944, ArmyGroup Central". 

Will there be any Master Maps?

Currently, the pack will include 12 Master maps but this number may change until release.

 

[Gary R Lukas]

Surprise!!!! I can't wait

[Vergeltungswaffe]

[RockinHarry]

 

10 hours ago, Mr.X said:

When will be the release? 

The ideal date will be the 22.06.2023. But I won't promise too much....for sure, release will be 2023 ! 

What's the current progress?

The biggest campaign "Tiger Trail" is in its final testing stage as a Betaversion. It will be ready for 22nd June release. 

The "Five Bridges" Campaign has seen most of the map making, which is (with my experience) the most time consuming aspect - testing will start in March.

The "Into Hell" Campaign the same.

The "Partisans" Land Campaign (the smallest of all) is in the middle of map making and will be ready for testing in April.

So - to quote the guys from Battlefront  "it will be ready when it's ready."

Will there be any single Missions?

Currently, I have plans for 3 single Missions but I doubt to have the time to put effort in these ones. So, let's see....

Is there a possibility to increase the number of campaigns or single missions for that BattlePack?

Of course. As the headline says, this is a project made by fan(s) of CM and everybody who wants to participate is very welcome. Honestly I have to say that I have written a mail to Battlefront and offered them this stuff (without financial interests) in order to get designs, briefings etc. more professional but they ignored myself 

So, if anybody is motivated to create stuff, doesn't matter if one small single mission or a whole campaign, then this would be very appreciated  The only condition is:

the stuff must match the BattlePacks main theme "Summer of Destruction June to July 1944, ArmyGroup Central". 

Will there be any Master Maps?

Currently, the pack will include 12 Master maps but this number may change until release.

 

Great! Very much looking forward to this one! In case you need some helping hand with map or AIP related things (issues), let me know! Did you base the storyline on Hinze´s book btw? I´m halfway through this one.

[Mr.X]

@RockinHarry:

Hinze‘s book gives a good and detailed overview - in my opinion the best book about „Bagration“ from Axis point of view. It‘s part of the source I used. Additionally I was able to get much more (very detailed) information from the unit‘s history. 
The story line should include the main components of these period/location:

= Partisan Warfare behind the front 

= The huge wave of the Soviet Main Assaults 

= The fate of most German Infantry Divisions, which weren‘t destroyed immidiately but found its units cut off and encircled and tried desperately to find a way back - sometimes only some dozens of Stragglers succeeded to reach the own lines. 
 

= The Axis early attempts to stop or at least delay the Soviet Steamroller on its way to the West.

 

Regards

Mr.X 

[RockinHarry]

4 hours ago, Mr.X said:

@RockinHarry:

Hinze‘s book gives a good and detailed overview - in my opinion the best book about „Bagration“ from Axis point of view. It‘s part of the source I used. Additionally I was able to get much more (very detailed) information from the unit‘s history. 
The story line should include the main components of these period/location:

= Partisan Warfare behind the front 

= The huge wave of the Soviet Main Assaults 

= The fate of most German Infantry Divisions, which weren‘t destroyed immidiately but found its units cut off and encircled and tried desperately to find a way back - sometimes only some dozens of Stragglers succeeded to reach the own lines. 
 

= The Axis early attempts to stop or at least delay the Soviet Steamroller on its way to the West.

 

Regards

Mr.X 

Yeah, from my reading in Hinze´s book it´s all more than dramatic. The infamous "Rückkämpfer" and Fire Brigade period. Yes, having detailed unit histories comes superior.

[Chibot Mk IX]

Cool, looking forward to this.

Love to see campaigns from German infantry division perspective , infantry formation needs some love too.

[Aragorn2002]

Sounds very promising!

[kohlenklau]

Excellent ambition.

I love that you have gone with the cover images with mostly black with white image and red text.

I will PM you with some offers of assistance.

[Mr.X]

@kohlenklau:

ThanksYour assistance is very appreciated

[Artkin]

I'm very interested in this as well. 

[Mr.X]

@Artkin: 

Working is going on

 

[Aragorn2002]

On 2/15/2023 at 3:34 PM, Mr.X said:

@Artkin: 

Working is going on

 

Excellent. we definitely need more scenarios on German infantry divisions. Those guys deserve to be remembered too.

[Mr.X]

@Aragorn: Working is in progress  Soon, I will show some new impressions of the growing campaigns...plenty of Infantry fighting 

[Aragorn2002]

Looking forward to that, X!

[Mr.X]

Short update: 

Work is still in good progress
Today I have been able to almost finish a mastermap of 3x2,5 km of wooded and wild landscape in the region north of Witebsk. 
 

In total, there will be 35 to 36 single missions to be played through the 4 campaigns. 
 

Regards

Mr.X

[Aragorn2002]

Superb! With my new pc I can finally play the largest scenarios without any problem, so looking forward to that master map too.

Edited April 19, 2023 by Aragorn2002

[Mr.X]

@Aragorn2002:

Sounds nice
But no worry - I don‘t like huge Mega-battles very much. CM shines with Micro-management…so, 90% of the missions will be company sized.

Regards

Mr.X 

[Aragorn2002]

19 minutes ago, Mr.X said:

@Aragorn2002:

Sounds nice
But no worry - I don‘t like huge Mega-battles very much. CM shines with Micro-management…so, 90% of the missions will be company sized.

Regards

Mr.X 

I must say I like big maps, but company sized battles are more and more what I prefer. Moving more than one or two companies is almost a full time job and usually ends up in complete chaos for me.

Edited April 20, 2023 by Aragorn2002