For the WW2 game are we going to get the Realy rare stuff like the Ferdinand ?

[Hannibal]

I know that battle front is going the modular route but was wondering if we will get the really rare stuff .For instance the Ferdinand. 90 made in total .T-34 with 57 gun loved this tank .Now if the game stick with the basic stuff will we get all the different models of lets say the panther or the Panzer-4 .And I go not have a problem with battlefronts new strat no different than the Advanced Squad leader games .Even SSG's new game only had one scenario .

[Earl Grey]

I'd rather like to know which vehicles get at all in the first new WW2 CM... I have my suspicions based on certain variables and circumstances, but I doubt we will get anything really rare - or, for that matter, without any notable impact. therefore vehicles like the Sturmtiger won't make an appearance again. Not that we had seen one in BB too often...

[Sequoia]

As I understand it once you add in all the modules and various potential games for the Western front we might have more stuff than what we had with CMBO. East Front might not be so lucky with coverage and we may never have the coverage we got with CMBB so if you want Romanians and Hungarians you'll have to stick with that game. Taking the Ferdinand for example, I don't know if it was ever used on the Western Front. I know the Elefant was used at Kursk. I don't know if reworked Ferdinands were used during Bagration. For the Western Front though we might see rare stuff such as the British Tetrarch or the German Flak Panzer 38.

[Earl Grey]

Well... actually, the vehicle was called "Elefant" after refitting. And they only saw service in Italy with the sPzJgAbt653, but nowhere else, as far as I'm aware.

Flakpanzers in general are a totall different problem: total numbers for all Flakpanzer types are pretty low compared to almost everything else. "Ostwind" 37 vehicles, "Wirbelwind" ~100 vehicles, "Möbelwagen" ~250 vehicles, FlakPz38 140 vehicles. Let's see how well my rarity hypothesis stands up to that numbers and the mecessity of having at least one Flakpanzer in the game...

[Sequoia]

Well... actually, the vehicle was called "Elefant" after refitting. And they only saw service in Italy with the sPzJgAbt653, but nowhere else, as far as I'm aware.

Opps I got it backwards then. Anyway Steve said we might possibly even see a Maus.

I assume this would have to be in a "Fall of the Reich" Game set in spring '45 with US British and Soviet modules. That would be excellent.

[Earl Grey]

I confuse it all the time myself! But it's not getting any easier now that Jentz&Doyle have been trying to correct the actual designations of many German AFVs for years and those are only slowly making their way into current literature...

Oh, I'd absolutely LOVE to have some of that fancy prototypes, especially the Panther F or the "Kugelblitz". "Maus" can be left out - even the most rookie pilot isn't able to miss that thing with a rocket or a bomb and, above anything else, it's as ugly as day is bright...

[Kwazydog]

As I understand it once you add in all the modules and various potential games for the Western front we might have more stuff than what we had with CMBO.

Yes, I beleive that is quite possible sequoia, though time will tell of course. This time around we are also able to put more detail into vehicle types than we had in CMBO, too. As an example we have split the basic 75mm M4A3 into and early and late version with the early version missing the cupola yet with a more accesable .50 cal, and a late version with the cupola and shifted .50. We will also have the HSVV when representing a time frame when available.

To answer the origional question, yup, you will certainly see the Elefant at some stage (though not on the western front), and will likely see a lot of vehicles that were skipped the first time around. One advantage of the new engine is that variations of a vehicle are consderably easier to make, so you will see likely variants such as 'early' and 'late' Hummels too.

[Earl Grey]

Will we see every production variant of, say, the PzIV, too? I'd like to see proper early/mid/late versions of the G, H and J each! Same goes for all production modifications of the StuGIII, JagdpanzerIV/PzIV/70 plus all Panther and Tiger types! And don't tell me it's nonsense, since some of those changes make as much or as less sense as an early or late Hummel...

[Elmar Bijlsma]

Sod all the exotic sub-types of Panzers! How about those Crusader AAs?

[Earl Grey]

You wanna shoot down your own planes with it? There's no Luftwaffe left in 1944 that can really oppose what the Allies can put in the air, so there's no need for those!

[Elmar Bijlsma]

You wanna shoot down your own planes with it? There's no Luftwaffe left in 1944 that can really oppose what the Allies can put in the air, so there's no need for those!

Sure, the Luftwaffe was already in serious decline in mid '44, but I believe BFC are probably going to include a few German strike aircraft. So we need a few toys to counter. And Crusader AA 2x20 or 40mm are just such neat toys. And they needn't be limited to the AA role.

And if you are going to bother with the Ostwind, like every developer always does, you have no excuse to exclude the Crusader AAs.

[Earl Grey]

As far as I know, there weren't even those few Ostwind deployed at the Western Front (hence the name), but I'll seriously doubt they'll put in too rare stuuf in teh beginning.

Another thing that IS interesting, though, is Kwazydog talking about the Hummel making it in as actual model (admitted, not to be taken to literally, probably) - but since when are we talking SP howitzers in the direct fire role again?

[Kwazydog]

Will we see every production variant of, say, the PzIV, too? I'd like to see proper early/mid/late versions of the G, H and J each!

Earl yup, as I recall we broke the Pz-IV series up into more models than we did in CMx1 with several G models accounting for upgrades as well as even some cosmetic changes. The Jpz IV is another good example with around 3 different variants of the initial production model iirc.

With regards to the Hummel we are including it for close support purposes, and again it was a nice bonus that is used the same chassis as the Nashorn, which of course was a considerably higher priority

Dan

[Sequoia]

Great news. Hopefully we'll get a Grille too eventualy with it's own model. The model in the CMX1 games was the same as used on the Wespe.

[Mord]

With regards to the Hummel we are including it for close support purposes, and again it was a nice bonus that is used the same chassis as the Nashorn, which of course was a considerably higher priority

Dan

I love all those! Nashorns, Hummels (Wespe, Marder) all those open top gun platform type vehicles. The Priest is one of my favorites for the Allies. Next in line are armored cars, Pumas and Greyhounds. I tend to like the less sexy stuff for some reason. Don't get me wrong tanks are cool but the other stuff is just as neat in my opinion.

Mord.

[Hannibal]

I liked the panzer 38 for some reason also loved the Hetzer .

[John Kettler]

Hannibal,

If you want rare, skip the Ferdinand. Instead, concentrate on the 653rd's sJPAbt (?) custom made flak tank built from a captured T-34 and featuring armor salvaged from a 251. That would be groggy!

Flakpanzer T-34®

Regards,

John Kettler

[Earl Grey]

Earl yup, as I recall we broke the Pz-IV series up into more models than we did in CMx1 with several G models accounting for upgrades as well as even some cosmetic changes. The Jpz IV is another good example with around 3 different variants of the initial production model iirc.

The H and J models, too?

With regards to the Hummel we are including it for close support purposes, and again it was a nice bonus that is used the same chassis as the Nashorn, which of course was a considerably higher priority

Now that is something! But you know what'll happen if you get the Panther G exhausts all wrong again!

[John Kettler]

Kwazydog,

That being the case, please be sure to fit the Hummel with antigrenade screens. Also, since this is the new engine, please figure out a way to let us use the full capabilities of the such weapons as the leIG 18, sIG 33, U.S. 75 mm pack howitzer and similar when it comes to their ability to deliver both indirect and direct fires at deployable on board ranges.

Regards,

John Kettler

[Earl Grey]

Steve, when are we gonna get an official preview/status update/anouncement/whatever on our most beloved of theatres? Or at least something like a comprehensive vehicle list now that we're talking about it and KwazyDog has spilled some secrets already?

[MeatEtr]

Yes, I beleive that is quite possible sequoia, though time will tell of course. This time around we are also able to put more detail into vehicle types than we had in CMBO, too. As an example we have split the basic 75mm M4A3 into and early and late version with the early version missing the cupola yet with a more accesable .50 cal, and a late version with the cupola and shifted .50. We will also have the HSVV when representing a time frame when available.

To answer the origional question, yup, you will certainly see the Elefant at some stage (though not on the western front), and will likely see a lot of vehicles that were skipped the first time around. One advantage of the new engine is that variations of a vehicle are consderably easier to make, so you will see likely variants such as 'early' and 'late' Hummels too.

Nice, this is music to my ears, can't wait. Ok, when can we pre-order?

[Runaway!!!]

Baby wants bottle, and by bottle I mean jagpanther and jagtiger+king and pershing.

[John Kettler]

People,

I see I did a Homer and forgot to include the link for the Flakpanzer T-34®

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/panzerkampfwagen-t-34r-soviet-t-34-in-german-service.htm

Sorry about that!

Regards,

John Kettler

[luderbamsen]

I once saw a picture of an SdKfz 251 ausf. D with a single cannon in an open turret/mount - likely an MG151, possibly nicked from a downed aircraft. I can have please?

Also, *cough*E-100*cough*

[Earl Grey]

You don't talk of this one here:

That isn't as rare as one might think, actually... Over 100 hundred complete vehicles produced plus about the same number of "installation kits" for refitting exsiting 251/9 in various combat formations... numbers could vary and cannot be properly estimated due to productions issues in the final months of the war.