Myles Keogh Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 I played the opening scenarios for both Allied campaigns. Here are some thoughts that I wrote mainly to amuse myself: (POSSIBLE SPOILERS). Both were small/medium sized engagements fought in pre-dawn/early dawn darkness in rainy weather. The Kleves campaign: although your core forces will eventually consist of our old pals from the "The Scottish Corridor" campaign- the 15th Scottish Division- the opening scenario features a non-core battalion of French-Canadians of the Maissoneuve Regiment. Being non-core with no bonus for force preservation should have a big hint as to how to play this scenario. I didn't take it. Unfortunately, I acted like General McClellan again by being way too cautious. So, I ended-up with a draw and still lost 100 men! Those dug-in Germans showed little inclination to run. (One thing I did note that upon reviewing that Canadian battalion was that it contained three Lightfoots as unit commanders. Surprisingly, there were no Twains, Adamses, Lees, Murrays, Dions, Morissettes or even a Bieber.) The Cologne campaign: a small scenario with a single platoon of 3rd Armored Division tanks supporting an infantry company of the 8th Infantry Division. Really fast moving and pretty easy. The Americans are all veterans which certainly helped. One also gets a battery of 105s, and I was very glad that the extremely poor visibility kept me from using it because its ammo level carries over into the next scenario which I don't recall being mentioned in the briefing. I shouldn't have expended the few shells that I did. I won a major victory for taking the objectives but not a total one due to not ruthlessly tracking down the remaining hapless Volksturm. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThathumanHayden Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 I've played the American campaign a bit but I'm not super into it. The first mission went well, but the visibility was of course a problem. From there, I've really had less fun. The single biggest factor by far has been the mud. I feel quite constricted by the necessity of sticking to roads and this has made armored maneuvers more tedious than fun. I lost three of my m24s to the mud and never even went into the plowed fields. I'm not saying it's ahistorical or others won't find the campaign fun, but I don't really think it's for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThathumanHayden Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Huh? I loaded up mission 2 for a test, and those aren't actually muddy patches; you can drive through them like normal. That instantly makes the campaign way more fun. I just wish I knew that sooner. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raskol Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Spoilers (German campaign) Completed the second mission of the German Remagen campaign, where I mowed down a dense cluster of advancing American infantry using artillery and mortars. The 1st mission was more like bumping in the dark against Americans and blasting them with Volkssturm panzerfausts. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sakai007 Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 I am on the third mission of the American campaign. Enjoying it so far. It's always a question as to what quality troops I am facing. Also the volksturm shooting pzfaust at infantry took me by surprise, and cost me a few lads. I am enjoying it though. Playing the easy version, which i wish was an option for all the campaigns across the series, as it allows me to make it through while not being great at keeping casualties to to a minimum. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletpoint Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 10 hours ago, ThathumanHayden said: Huh? I loaded up mission 2 for a test, and those aren't actually muddy patches; you can drive through them like normal. That instantly makes the campaign way more fun. I just wish I knew that sooner. It depends on what ground conditions the designer has set for the battle. A patch of mud is traversible during dry times, but gets you stuck almost instantly in wet ground conditions. Looks exactly the same graphically though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benpark Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 The only Mud terrain set in the editor you will find on the campaign maps (or the master maps) is adjacent to (or in) streams - and it is sparse and obvious where used there. Bear in mind that the module time-frame takes place in early/mid Spring, after a snowy winter. The conditions as depicted are actually fairly generous, as a concession to game-play. I believe I also added ground conditions to the weather section in the briefings. Check that to get an idea of how risky it is to travel cross-country. It's still far less of a risk than adding Mud terrain tiles - which also play havoc with any AI movements. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Jaros Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 (edited) Those campaigns are hard i play British one and it is pain in the arse i do not like those night missions with lot of static germans hidden in trenches . i wished weather was not that brutal too . It is nightmare ! How to deal with it . i can not even call arty because I can not see **** haha Edited January 29 by David Jaros 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultradave Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 5 minutes ago, David Jaros said: Those campaigns are hard i play British one and it is pain in the arse i do not like those night missions with lot of static germans hidden in trenches . i wished weather was not that brutal too . It is nightmare ! How to deal with it . i can not even call arty because I can not see **** haha Yeah, imagine being there for real, eh? Nightmare. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Jaros Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Yea it is meat grinder lol 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony P. Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Ha, guess I'm lucky I picked the American campaign first then! Seeing Easy Eights actually bouncing FlaK 88 shells at <1000m (or just taking partial penetrations which do virtually naught) was as impressive as it was surprising. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sakai007 Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 I keep forgetting that the M24 may have the boom of a medium tank, certainly not the same ability to take a hit. Also that it's 75mm isn't the same ability as one on a short gun Sherman. I had a couple rounds bounce off a Stug III frontal armor at maybe 200 meters, forgot they are the descendant of the 75mm used in the B-25G/H which was really just a lightweight HE chucker. On Mission 4 now, and I am very amped at the prospect of Pershing vs. Tiger. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurian52 Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 I wish I could be enjoying the module. I've bought it, and it looks great. I've spent some time just admiring the Pershing and Comet. But I committed myself to playing my CM2 content in chronological order a few months ago (I think I'll finally be wrapping up Sicily this coming month, and I'm hoping to be on to Normandy by the 80th anniversary (I wish I had started this on the 80th anniversary of Husky)), so it's going to be a while until I play anything set at the end of the war. The good thing though is that it's going to be long enough that I'll probably have forgotten any spoilers, so I think I can get away with drooling over other people's Downfall gameplay when it starts getting posted to YT. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ts4EVER Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 (edited) To be honest, I find myself somewhat underwhelmed by this expansion. The content I have tried so far is fine, but it falls short of expectations in terms of scale. What it is missing is that "big thing" that gets you excited about it. In Fire and Rubble that was the Volkssturm stuff, which was completely new to CM and really unique. Downfall is a big content upgrade to Final Blitzkrieg, but in terms of the Combat Mission series as a whole, it does not actually add that much new stuff, with most of the formations and assets being ported over from other game families. Sure, the Volkssturm guys are still cool, but certainly not new anymore and frankly, I find it a bit weird that Downfall leans so heavily on those scenario and campaign wise, considering that they tended to surrender or go home on the western front, compared to the east. Obviously there is not much new stuff you can realistically do with the Germans, but if you had asked me about this module before it came out, I would have bet that the new "big thing" was amphibious vehicles and river crossings, the capability of which exists in the engine, with various LVTs, maybe footbridges and campaigns at Walcheren and during Operation Varsity to use these new systems. That would have been cool and exciting and, at least to me, the obvious direction for the game to take. All of this is completely absent though. I guess the Schwimmwagen was added, but no allied amphibious gear? This timeframe would also be perfect for adding Commandos and Rangers (which already exist in Italy BTW). There are the new super late war vehicles and weapons like the Pershing and Comet, but even in that area there is lots of unused potential that would have made the module feel way more unique and interesting. Just from the top of my head: Sherman Tulips, Sherman Crocodiles with fuel trailers (used at Juelich, another river crossing), Super Pershing... personally I am more of an infantry guy, so for those few of us: Why not add M1 Carbines modified for full auto capability, a common field modification, with kits being shipped officially? I could even think of some more German stuff that could be used to spice those up a bit, like the PAW-600 AT gun that was actually used at the Aller against British forces. In a similar vain, heavy AA gun formations that the allies overran (anti bomber positions), 10.5cm, 12.8cm AA guns... Maybe the 8.8cm improvised AT guns made from unused Jagdpanther guns, used at the "Düren belt"? And of course, since the MP40 was being phased out of production, some Beretta M38/42 for the Volksgrenadiers. Anyway, my point is, the module feels light on exciting new content and like more could have been done with the scenario. Edited February 1 by Ts4EVER 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony P. Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 Well, the Volksturm played a role on the Western front even if they didn't fight ferociously (altogether not too much difference compared to the Eastern front). I do agree that the omission of French forces and Rangers from the Downfall module was surprising to me. They both played significant roles in Northwest Europe 1944-45, and they're already finished assets which should've been easy to port from CMFI. No Hill 400 campaign I guess. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warts 'n' all Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 (edited) 23 hours ago, Ts4EVER said: I would have bet that the new "big thing" was amphibious vehicles and river crossings, the capability of which exists in the engine, with various LVTs, maybe footbridges and campaigns at Walcheren and during Operation Varsity to use these new systems. That would have been cool and exciting and, at least to me, the obvious direction for the game to take. All of this is completely absent though. I guess the Schwimmwagen was added, but no allied amphibious gear? This timeframe would also be perfect for adding Commandos and Rangers (which already exist in Italy BTW). My thoughts were pretty much along the same line. I shall have to contend myself with getting my Limey arse kicked in the Reichswald. I've already put together a new music mod "Jocks in the Wald". Edited February 2 by Warts 'n' all 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwolf Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 I am also a bit underwhelmed. I use CM to experiment with the engine, explore game mechanics and use it as a TO&E reference. As such scenario packs are useless to me. The new expansion is very close to a scenario pack with how little units it adds. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raskol Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 Hello everybody! I have complete the 3rd mission of the Remagen Bridge campaign and boy it was brutal fight. Spoilers ahead: In the end, I ran out of ammo, and unfortunately, most of the cowardly pixel troupen refused to fight. I had to improvise by deploying as frontline troops: mortar men (which is normal), drivers, ammo bearers, and the remaining officers. Units resorted to using pistols and grenades in the final minutes. Surprisingly, the Volkssturm proved to be quite effective in taking out tanks and taking HE shells to the face. Overall, this mission was unforgetful experience. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quakerparrot67 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 On 2/2/2024 at 8:35 AM, Warts 'n' all said: My thoughts were pretty much along the same line. I shall have to contend myself with getting my Limey arse kicked in the Reichswald. I've already put together a new music mod "Jocks in the Wald". If I may presume, I think perhaps you meant 'content' yourself.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warts 'n' all Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 7 hours ago, quakerparrot67 said: If I may presume, I think perhaps you meant 'content' yourself.... Elizabeth lifts her eyes from her Whitehall Gazette, chuckles and says, "He got you there Noddle Head". Thanks for the correction. I'm blaming the fact that getting stuck in a minefield plays havoc with my typing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quakerparrot67 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 4 hours ago, Warts 'n' all said: Elizabeth lifts her eyes from her Whitehall Gazette, chuckles and says, "He got you there Noddle Head". Thanks for the correction. I'm blaming the fact that getting stuck in a minefield plays havoc with my typing. As I imagine it would, lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warts 'n' all Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 (Not much of a) Spoiler Alert You actually kick off the campaign with French Canadian troops. They probably don't take too kindly to being referred to as "Jocks". Oh, well, c'est la vie, as Chuck Berry once said. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Kulin Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 5 hours ago, Warts 'n' all said: You actually kick off the campaign with French Canadian troops. They probably don't take too kindly to being referred to as "Jocks". Oh, well, c'est la vie, as Chuck Berry once said. You also get French Canadians in CMDF's Mission 1 of the Scottish Campaign. Anytime I bothered to look at leader names, they were always Anglo names. Did not see any French Canadian names. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacillator Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 On 2/3/2024 at 6:34 PM, Raskol said: Volkssturm proved to be quite effective in taking out tanks Just counting the PFs in your first picture, quite impressive and it looks like they already fired at least one. They are effective at this at close range, but need to be hidden / protected at longer ranges, or they may just run away when someone fires at them... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warts 'n' all Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 1 hour ago, Andrew Kulin said: You also get French Canadians in CMDF's Mission 1 of the Scottish Campaign. Anytime I bothered to look at leader names, they were always Anglo names. Did not see any French Canadian names. That is the campaign that I was talking about. And you're right, francophone names are a bit thin on the ground. They seem to be confined to just the senior officers. But, I'm still enjoying it, win, lose, or draw. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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