After CMAK...WWI?

[stikkypixie]

Originally posted by Michael Dorosh:

The point being that everyone claims to have the perfect idea for a game, but no earthly idea where to begin coding it. What sets Steve and Charles apart was that they stopped talking about it and went out and did it.

Too bad most of us don't have an IT degree .

[DaveR]

Is there not any plans to do a version of CM to cover the Pacific War? This I must admit is one of my more favorite theatres and periods, so to me it does feel like the whole series is a tad incomplete without it

[dieseltaylor]

I am not sure the Pacific would be great fun to play. I suggest someone sets up a few scenarios with fanatic troops in bunker, lots of trees steep slopes.

Allies get unlimited 8" support [see I am being fair - no 14"] and air support. A testament to peoples guts to play but boring.............

I always think it is the vehicles that provide the excitement in the cuurent games with the infantry providing the base for action.

[DaveR]

Oh I couldn't disagree more. Though I will admit that the phrase 'Pacific War' should have been 'War in the Far East.' Though the island hopping campaign is what most remember it for, there was also some major campaigns in mainland asia, Burma, China, Korea. My father was one of the Chindits, so you can understand my interest in this theatre.

I'm sure that as you pointed out, many will be turned off because it doesn't have the 'sexy' big tank battles. But I just feel that there will be enough variety to make for a very interesting game which I think the CM engine is ideal for.

It also gives some of the lesser aknowledged nations, who none the less made a major contribution to WW2 to enjoy some of the credit. Nations such as India, China, Korea. just to name a few.

[willbell]

Originally posted by Dorotch.

The point being that everyone claims to have the perfect idea for a game, but no earthly idea where to begin coding it. What sets Steve and Charles apart was that they stopped talking about it and went out and did it.

Oooooh, a coder, so it takes one of those?

[Uberdave]

Im agree with DaveR...the series is sadly incomplete without the campaigns in the Far East. Id love to see the Japanese Imperial Army modeled in CM.

[hurtzDonut]

The Pacific campaigns would be great, but so would the Battle for Poland, France, Norway, and Great Britain 1939-41.

[BulletRat]

I beg to differ on the pacific theatre being boring - try looking up battles to do with Singapore, Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima.

[Leopard]

I would love to see CM make a naval warfare game for WWII. With convoys of corvettes, destroyers, and merchant ships vs the U-boats and reconaissance planes (Seeaufklärungsgruppen), the German BB vs the Royal navy, the Pacific battles of Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal. I can imagine the great sounds CM would use for naval guns. Naval warfare has never been tackled by a talented design team like Combat Mission has.

If not, I would like to see a Pacific theatre CM.

[Cthulhu Dreams]

I oowuld like to see them release a new game with a modable engine half life style, so

a) we would get a new engine of cool, with a well reaserched and balanced WWII theatre.

And

Allow people to add whatever they want (Like spac e marines with jetpacks, and the pacirifc theatre, and korea, Etc, etc, etc)

[Jump wings]

What about a continuation of the war with the Western Allies versus the Soviet Union?

Kinda goes something like this:

Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt begin to have major disagreements on how Germany and the rest of Eastern Europe are being split up after the war ends. The tension and rhetoric really begin to heat up and leads to open hostility and eventually to all out war between the occupying Soviet and Western Allied forces.

Most people are aware of how weary Churchill was of Stalin and his fears that the Soviets would dominate Eastern Europe after the war ended.

Who do you think would win? This offers up some pretty interesting story lines IMHO.

[HarryInk]

Do you think the workers at BTS print out these sorts of long speculative discussions on toilet paper for later contemplation?

[Zarquon]

Imagine you had a small software company with maybe half a dozen employees, one or two of which do the coding, while most of the others are WW II grogs.

You have created a solid position in a niche market and your first (and only) product, now in its third reincarnation, has been a cash cow for about four years. You have spent these years, marketing it, researching the topic, polishing it. It kept you fed. And it still has a lot of growth potential. It features the most popular theme in that particular niche. You have an almost mythical reputation with your loyal fan base.

While milking the cow some more (CMAK), you have already begun to invest some of your time (paid for by sales of the current game sequel) in designing and developing the next major version of your (only) product.

To put it shortly, your capital consists of

- the codebase, developed over many years

- the design knowledge (specific to WW II, european theater)

- your reputation with WW II gaming grogs

Now, as head of that small company, what would you do (knowing that producing a dud will put your *small* company - small, no deep pockets, no safety net provided by the big mother company - out of business)?

Throw it all overboard and spend the next couple of years working on a U-boat game? Indians? Roman legions? The battle of Shnapvlunereo, which happens to be enormously popular with about 150 prehistoric-warfare grogs in the world? Space warfare? The Sims: Stalingrad? While applying for a job at Wal-Mart?

[dieseltaylor]

Zarquon

Sheesh! if you are talking sensible then I am going to throw my rattle out of the pram! So there.

Of course I agree with you 100%.

But in the gut I feel that they ought to have on a backburner another wonderful engine being warmed and I think it should be ACW [to 1870?]. Personally I think they are close to perfection* - additional layers of complexity comes at a price and it is normally playability.

*the games good too

[Zarquon]

dieseltaylor,

I would prefer Vietnam. But adding another engine from scratch would delay the next cash cow by what, an *extra* three years? Of course I'm guessing but I do not think they can finance the company with CMAK or the sales of naval card games for that long.

[Gen. J-sun]

A question to anyone. When will there a game in the Pacific theatere between the US and Japan (never)

[RexFeral]

I agree that in a Pacific War game, it might get old just digging out dug in Japanese as at Iwo Jima, Tarawa, Pelelieu etc., but there are plenty of early war scenarios that should contain plenty of fire and movement on both sides. Guadalcanal alone should provide plenty offense for both sides and then there is the Kokoda Trail, Malaya, Bataan, etc. I vote for a Risiing Sun game. (There were not too many cool tanks in the Pacific War though.)

[Spindry69]

WW1... So how much would Poison Gas cost... Sounds gory. Napoleonics, I really think Total War should do that for their next game. It would look great ( take a look at Rome Total War!) and it has the strategic element.

[Fokker G1]

Originally posted by Snow Leopard:

How about Boar war?

A boar, isn't that a pig like creature with big teeth? I think you meant to say the Boer war? South Africa 1899-1902? Should be really interesting. 30.000 Boers versus 500.000 Rooinecks (British (Colonial) Forces). However, only the first part of the war was a war as we know it. With the Boers fighting a defensive retreat. While inflicting huge losses, they have never been able to make a stand somewhere to fight out a decisive victory. The British army was simply too large.

After the first year the Boers end up harrassing the British everywhere, fighting (imho) the first ever modern guerilla war. While continuing to inflict more casualties than they sustain, they continue to be a serious nuisance to the British who have by then occupied almost the whole territory.

The last 2 years are used to clear those rampaging Boer columns and the British introduce tactics of scorched earth and the first Concentration camps ever. 30.000 (old) men, women and children die, roughly 1/6 of the whole Boer population).

While an interesting era, it would be difficult to put this in gameplay. The boers would simply have left their positions after having shot down as much enemies as possible but before the final assault came.