Best guess for 1st CMX2 module?

[simovitch]

I thought this might be fun. We can look back in the (hopefully not too distant) future and see who nailed it the closest. This shouldn't be what we necessarily WANT to see, just what we think it MIGHT be.

My guess would be France 1940. Reason: It was never covered before in the old CM titles, and it's still WWII.

As far as scope is concerned, perhaps something along the lines of "Beyond the Meuse"

Limited appeal? maybe. but it could lead to a good introduction to early British (Abbeville) and then Western Desert, then Americans. I have a feeling the modules will be introduced somewhat chronologically to allow, well, modularity.

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally posted by simovitch:

My guess would be France 1940. Reason: It was never covered before in the old CM titles, and it's still WWII.

Yeah, and Americans LOVE THE FRENCH.

WRONG.

[karch]

I'm guessing D-Day or Battle of the Bulge. They would have the largest initial interest ( I'd prefer Kursk to be the first, but I know that aint happening ) and sell the most.

You see those so often because they sell. People know them. not grogs, but people.

[simovitch]

And the Germans love David Hasselhoff...

France '40 (of course) was not about warm and fuzzy French victories. Give an antifranco a couple of Mk III's and let him splatter a few Renualt's or Somua's

[Speedy]

I've been waiting since 1999 for them to do an early war game so I am hoping for a France 40 or Poland 39 game myself. Don't know if I would bother forking out money for a game that has been covered by CMBO.

Unfortunately I expect them to go the Yanks 44 way so it might be some time before I get to play CMx2.

Then again the 39-40 time frame would be perfect for how I understand the way the modular system works. Initial game could be Germans Vs Poles Sept '39. Then later add 2 modules one with British '40 troops and the other with French '40 troops, the first one of these add ons would include the new German equipment for '40. You could then add a third mini module with Norwegian (woohoo snow), Belgian and Dutch troops and equipment. So maybe I might get lucky

[ June 07, 2005, 04:51 PM: Message edited by: Speedy ]

[Ardem]

Hey the french tanks weren't half bad they just didn't know how to use them,

Yeah release 1940 would be the way to go, but oh know what will the americans think, oh brother I wish game designers would cater more to the world then one country.

[throwdjohn]

did anyone notice the designers talking about how they would "HATE doing another 9 years of WW2"? I did, which leads me to think that ww2 will not even be covered. but what do i know? nothing.

[simovitch]

Originally posted by throwdjohn:

did anyone notice the designers talking about how they would "HATE doing another 9 years of WW2"? I did, which leads me to think that ww2 will not even be covered. but what do i know? nothing.

I have to believe that BFC would not drop names like "bulge" and Normandy" if they weren't intending to devote a significant number of modules (just not 9 years worth) to WWII. That would be like teasing a dog with bacon and then flipping him a jalapeno.

[aka_tom_w]

If the first game represents some aspect of WWII and it does NOT have the Tiger 1 in it then IMHO they have missed the boat. (BUT that's Just me!)

I would prefer something new like Korea (50's) or the Arab Isreali wars.

OR any game that had REAL flying helicopter gun ships in it!

I highly doubt a Vietman game would be their first release so I am not suggesting that BUT in any case bring on the helicopters and the tanks and the surface to air missiles from any era!

A well marketed and WELL researched non WWII game might be a welcome change if it could be warmly received by this community as historically accruate, on the NEW CMx2 engine.

Sorry

-tom w One day this might prove useful.

[ September 26, 2005, 08:50 PM: Message edited by: aka_tom_w ]

[Midnight Warrior]

OK, I'll take a guess.

Perhaps they will do a Solomons campaign. You get Marines and US Army and Japanese infantry and light tanks on both sides. You don't have to worry about heavy fortications and caves such as in the later war such as at Iwo. You can then add a British module and add a Singapore and Hong Kong and Burma module and then add a Chinese module. This could be done in a year with a module comming out every 6 months. People would buy the first module becuase

1. its CMX2

2. It covers the PTO

3. Infantry battles would showcase the 1:1 units

4. It has Americans (for the American market)

5. It has Marines (for Marines fans)

6. It cool to fight in Jungle terrain

People would buy the 1st expansion module because

1. They are tired of playing the Marines

2. They are tired of fighting in the jungles

3. They now have some urban terrain to fight in

4. They are tired of fighting with Stuart Tanks

People may buy the 2nd module because

1. They are tired of playing the British

2. They have still more new terrain (Mountains, new urban areas, rice paddies, etc)

3. Wow, we really have never played a game where the Chinese fight the Japanese!

4. There probably will be some new cool features by then.

Then in about year 2 the next module would return to the ETO with a Normandy US vs German module and people will buy it becuase

1. They are no longer tired of the ETO.

2. They are sick of the PTO

3. They desperate to have a big tank battle

4. Germans units and vehicles are cool

5. Other

BTS chares $35 for the first module and 25$ for the expansion. They sell 1x module 1, .75X module 2 and .5X module 3 which gives them the equivalent of seeling on big module for about $65. Then they sell the first ETO for $50 and sell 1x again because the gaming community is so ready to have big tank battles again and fight the Germans that they shell out the extra bucks.

This way BTS gets paid what they deserve for the quality of product they have made and the long hard work that went into it. The Grogs have plenty to complain about (which apparantly keeps them happy)

And everybody wins because BTS does not go out of business trying to compete with all the myriads of the WWII FPS/RTS mega-eye candy big budget games that are flooding the market so that we still have a place to but quality tactical wargames.

After another ETO module or two then switch to the Pacific and do a Korea 50-51 module and then next maybe a Arab/Israeli module (that way you get to re-use those Centurians). Then back to Europe but on the eastern front for a couple of three modules! Finally back to 1940 module (or maybe a cold war). Perhaps all this could be done in 4-5 years. We shell out about a 100 bucks a year instead of 55 every other year. We can afford it and BTS needs the cash flow. It looks like a win/win for everyone.

[Michael Dorosh]

I predict that whatever is released, aka_tom_w will pee his cyberpants with excitement and start three seperate threads thanking BFC with LOTS of words in ALL CAPITALS for added effect.

Any takers?

Okay, but seriously; after reading the tea leaves, I think it is plain that CMX2 will be another WW II game, with the first module featuring Axis vs. Allies in some temperate climate somewhere.

[David I]

It's gotta be "Killer Lobster's from Outer Space", geez you guys are dense!

M. Dorosh,

If it is France '40 then all the Americans will want to play the Germans...wait a minute...don't they already....

Never mind.

DavidI

[Grimthane]

My virtual money's on D-Day.

We've all played the fine attempts at D-Day scenarios for CMx1, and the limitations have been glaring. What better way to show off the new hex-less terrain than with cliffs?

The US marketing is probably easier than for any other infantry battle. And Tigers could be present, just to please aka_tom_w.

[hellfish]

I posted this in the other "Bones" thread, but everyone ignored it there, so I'll attempt to get even more people to ignore it here.

My current wet dream:

CM2: Korea 2006 That will include core ROK, local US 2nd ID (Armor/Mech and Light Infantry) and NKPA forces.

Modules could then look like:

Korea: Strykers in Seoul! which will add all the various Stryker models from the US-based 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, which would likely reinforce the Peninsula in war. Adds a whole bunch of missions to the game and maybe some of the older NKPA stuff (KOKSAM 170mm howitzer support, T-34/85s, BTR-152), older ROK stuff (M-48A3/A5s) and maybe a Seoul Terrain Tile Set.

Korea: Semper Fi! which will add a complete OOB for the USMC (1st and 3rd Marine Divisions) so we'll have AAVs, AAAVs, various LAVs, marine infantry, naval gunfire support, Harrier and Cobra air support, etc. Maybe an operation about a modern amphibious landing at Inchon or Hamhung (first battle is coordinating a MEU amphib assault - two companies in AAVs and a heliborne company against a NKPA costal defense force with some tank support, second battle is holding against counterattack, etc.).

and finally

Korea: Red Tide! which will add the Chinese People's Liberation Army - Type 98 MBTs, Type 63A amphibious tanks, etc.

Figuring $45 or so for the core game and $20-30 for each module, Battlefront could potentially be swimming in money, especially if they snag defense contracts. I could totally see West Point or the Marine Corps Warfighting Labs using something like this.

[Ardem]

Hate to break it to you but the Papua New Guinea part of the war was a much bigger contest then the solomon islands part.

But I think the biggest land battles were in the Phillipines. So I would assume being a American focus company it start off with the phillipines.

But my bet is on D-Day, showing off landing craft, cliffs and paratrooper drops.

[V]

First two:

1. Normandy Campaign

2. Barbarossa to Moscow

???

[Kip Watson]

I would love to see WW2 PTO as the first release, and would NOT want to see ETO....

Why? because the first release won't be the best. By the second or third game (not module), the engine will be tuned and humming! Do WW2 ETO then!

But PTO, yeah, I'd like to play it, plenty of small unit action, it'd make a great first release.

[Thomm]

My humble guess is that it is a proven setting that relies a lot on infantry (just to show off the new 1:1 model):

My suggestion: "Market / Garden"

Has a lot of drama also!

Best regards,

Thomm

[Soddball]

It'll be whatever satisfies the US market the most. It's the biggest.

Part of me does wonder occasionally if the reason that other markets don't take off is that people don't make games about them - a sort of circular logic thing - but then I'm not a games designer, so I don't know.

[Andreas]

CMx2m1 - "Dancing Demon Monkeys of Doom Get Shagadelic", a cross-genre mix game based equally on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, minus the screaming woman.

I had that title protected and sold it to BFC for one million dollars...

[Andreas]

Which isn't exactly a lot of money these days.

[Sivodsi]

It's going to be Normandy for two reasons:

- that Tom Hanks movie

- CMBO was the first release in the series so that's what they'll come back to.

It's a umm... uuuurrr, [business speak]... 'no-brainer'.

[Holman]

My guess is that it will be something that shows off as many new (and complete) features of the CMx2 engine as possible.

Will the first version of the new engine allow amphibious vehicles? Then it will be Normandy (and not PTO because BTS has expressed little affection for that).

[Halberdiers]

I want Normandy too but ,

without the British: what tank battle can we play?

[Sirocco]

I would imagine the first GAME will be Western Front, the second, Eastern Front. The first MODULE - included with the first GAME - will be Normandy. The second probably the Ardennes.