CMx2 releases

[lizardman743]

I know that supposilbly 2 of the next 5 titles will be ww2 but I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on what they will/should be?

[Moronic Max]

ISTR that the next one will be a western european WWII game. Aside from that, no idea.

I do hope we eventually see a CMx2 title set in the Pacific.

[juan_gigante]

Could it be? Check the last post by Madmatt here.

CMx2 doing the American Revolution?

[Sergei]

Originally posted by juan_gigante:

Could it be? Check the last post by Madmatt here.

CMx2 doing the American Revolution?

No. See this post by BlackVoid.

[MikeyD]

I don't think we board-haunters have a particularly great impact on title choices. It ain't our company, so our pull's rather limited. Stryker Brigade surprised everybody for a first choice. Some of us had been lobbying hard for modern war but we didn't really expect it!

WWII Western Front as a second title should be a safe bet but there could be surprises there too, like doing a VERY narrow-focus, strictly historical title like Canadians taking Caen - all maps & units painstakingly researched, of course. Limited scope urban warfare - just what the CMx2 engine was designed for!

A Sci-fi game's on their list too, but they wouldn't just grind out another Drop Team-like game with infantry included, would they? So what would a CMx2 Sci-fi game possibly look like? Star Wars? Mars Attacks? Terminator?

Speculate on the company's long-term plans and all bets are of. Recall BFC's old (1999?) plans to next produce a 1940 French invasion title? I guess BFC's now in the process of Beta testing Grognards. If that genre makes them a pile of dough it could redirect their whole focus on future CMx2 titles. American revolutionary; American civil war; English civil war; Spanish-American war ... Agincourt? Who knows? I don't. Beside, by the time a 4th and 5th title come out Boston will have been inundated by rising sea level and I'll no doubt be living in a FEMA trailer without electricity by then.

[LongLeftFlank]

My vote for a sci-fi mythos most likely to be compatible with the CM engine, would be Starship Troopers (a la the Heinlein book, not the bowdlerized Verhoeven film, although I might make an exception for Denise Richards)

The MI suits were, of course, the most interesting "characters" in the book (a point the film totally missed), giving each individual infantryman the mobility of an Apache, the armor/NBC protection of a MBT and the firepower of.... well, mininukes, missiles and handflamers.

What was best about Heinlein was that he made a bigger attempt than most authors to remain true to his futuretech premises once he'd laid them out. So his armor wasn't some kind of magical Superman suit -- the materials, energy sources, fuels, control mechanisms, sensors, countermeasures, etc.-- all had limitations that cunning Space Lobsters could exploit.... hence, you'd have futuristic strategy and tactics instead of just another boring robotech shooter or generic "tanks and casters" MMO game.

Question, btw: would the Borg be able to use "Borg spotting" in a Star Trek module? Huh dad? Huh?

[Moronic Max]

Oh, well, if we're getting a sci-fi game, how about something based on Hammer's Slammers? The equipment and tactics would certainly seem compatible with the CMx2 engine, with the possible exception of the "shooting down artillery shells and incoming ATGMs" stuff.

[lizardman743]

sci-fi would b very cool, but I think that titles like the American Revolution would be very slow moving and wouldn't need a large amount of tactics other than sit and shoot. maybe American Civil War though?

[NCOIC]

Would LOVE to see a Warhammer 40k/Fantasy game. Either sci-fi or fantasy would be awesome.

I know its unlikely, but I just love the reading, lore and history, but playing the table top game is just lacking. Not to mention the $$$ involved.

Their computer games always miss the mark aswell, being just like every other RTS out there.

[Cpl Steiner]

Originally posted by LongLeftFlank:

My vote for a sci-fi mythos most likely to be compatible with the CM engine, would be Starship Troopers (a la the Heinlein book, not the bowdlerized Verhoeven film, although I might make an exception for Denise Richards)

There is another very good Sci-Fi book with a similar theme to Starship Troopers, but in my view, a more gritty and realistic background. I speak of none other than the utterly brilliant "Forever War" by Joe Haldeman.

For those who haven't read the book, it concerns a war between humanity and an advanced alien race called the "Taurans" that starts in the near future but due to Einstein's laws of Relativity lasts for a thousand years. The human soldiers use powered, armoured space suits very like those in Starship Troopers. The combatants travel across interstellar space via "collapsars", kind of like black holes, and many battles are fought for control of dark, cryogenic, airless worlds orbiting these collapsars, known as "portal planets". However, some battles are fought on warmer, habitable worlds, even if the fauna and flora are markedly different to that on Earth. As in Starship Troopers, some human soldiers are highly trained psychics who use their unique skills to help the team achieve their mission objectives.

What I liked about this book was Haldeman's thoughtful consideration of Einstein's laws of Relativity, and how they would affect a war. The starships in the book travel to and from collapsars at close to the speed of light, so those on board do not age whilst their friends and families back home do. Each time the soldiers return to Earth its society and culture have changed, with often humorous results. Another effect of Relativity is the technological difference between the combatants. When the soldiers go on a tour, they don't know if they will be facing Taurans with antiquated weapon-systems or ones with near god-like destructive power.

This book would make a great game, and a great film for that matter, especially with modern CGI techniques. Hopefully Hollywood will discover it some day.

[vincere]

As far as sci-fi TV goes, the best short series I've seen for a while was 'Space: above and beyond'

It was a first contact type premise set in the not to distant future that struck a cord with me. Shame they didn't continue the series.

To be honest though, I think my buying would be limited to 20th century and early 21st wargames.

[lizardman743]

Originally posted by NCOIC:

Would LOVE to see a Warhammer 40k/Fantasy game.

Warhammer 40k would rock.

[Peter Cairns]

As I've said before on similiar future CMx2 threads the problem with all of these is that like movies engagement is at rediculously short ranges, which are pretty unrealistic unless you invent "megaarmour" that somehow lets an infantryman carry better protection than an M1A2 but with weapons that aren't much better than today's.

Peter.

[Cpl Steiner]

Originally posted by Peter Cairns:

As I've said before on similiar future CMx2 threads the problem with all of these is that like movies engagement is at rediculously short ranges, which are pretty unrealistic unless you invent "megaarmour" that somehow lets an infantryman carry better protection than an M1A2 but with weapons that aren't much better than today's.

Peter.

By the end of "The Forever War", they had portable stasis fields that rendered projectiles over a certain kinetic energy and all forms of energy weapon useless. Inside the dome of the stasis field they had to revert to using medieval weapons like bows and arrows, spears and maces. They came up with a novel solution for dealing with the hordes of Taurans attacking them from outside the dome (which I won't give away in case anyone wants to read the book).

[mav1]

I would have liked to have seen two games based on wwII. Western/southern front 1940-45 and Eastern front 1939-45. Also both games would have be compatable, so you could play Americans against Soviets or British against Hungarians {as an example}. This would have meant a complete ww11 game based in Europe, Africa and the Near East on only two compatable cd's.

But in life you can't get always get what you want. So who know's what BFC are up to. I would like them to stick to wwII or modern warfare. As the computer game Total War already does pre ww11 games, so I can't say Iam interested in Bfc doing pre ww11 games unless Total War deceide to do ww11 or modern warfare games.

[kipanderson]

Hi,

When it comes to titles for CMX2 I am always a little embarrassed to admit just how unimaginative I am . WWII Eastern Front, North West Europe ‘44/’45, the Mediterranean and lastly the Pacific theatre would me my choices in that order.

A contemporary setting such as CMSF will be fun but I really regard it as a “bonus” game. The fact that we are about to get the “bonus” game first is fine as it will give Battlefront a chance to perfect their art. The first release with any new engine will never be as good as the second. Think back to the jump between the first and second releases of CMX1. (I did lobby for a Cold War setting as a title release as my first love is high-intensity warfare between nations in the same ball-park… but it was no to be .)

Looking forward to CMSF,

All the best,

Kip.

[rai kitsune]

Hrmmwell in terms of CMx2 addon packs for shock i'd be very interested in seeing an israeli forces pack they've got one of the most diverse and good looking modern forces.

[Tarquelne]

There is another very good Sci-Fi book with a similar theme to Starship Troopers, but in my view, a more gritty and realistic background. I speak of none other than the utterly brilliant "Forever War" by Joe Haldeman.

There is another very good Sci-Fi book with a similar theme to "The Forever War", but in my view a more gritty and realistic background. I speak of none other than the utterly brilliant "Armor", but John Steakly.

Um... OK, "Armor" is less realistic and I do think the "The Forever War" is better. "Armor" is good "mobile suit" story. It's grittier than Haldeman's book, though only one of Steakly's two storylines involves lots of military action.

[MikeyD]

Me, I'd go for a 'Night of the Living Dead' game. Your opponents have no weapons and lousy mobility, but you can't kill 'em! Now that's a tactical puzzle

[mav1]

That's just the way as I look at it Kipanderson.

CMSF is a bonus game, a chance for BFC to perfect their art. So the next game will benefit, which will be placed in a more interesting setting