Ibct

[SFC Kuba]

Does this include the light cavalry squadron in the IBCT?

[LukeFF]

Lol, we don't need them if they have anything heavier than 10mm salvaged scrap metal welded to the floor and jammed into the doorway.

I see your salvaged scrap metal and raise you my sandbags latched to the hood with a tie-down!

Can't believe I rode up into Iraq in a similarly-equipped deathtrap... We also had Mk19-equipped M915s and hummers.

And yep, we rode up into Iraq with shield-less gun mounts as well.

[ChrisND]

You guys with your fancy-schmancy doors! We had rubber canvas doors!

[LukeFF]

You guys with your fancy-schmancy doors! We had rubber canvas doors!

Oh, we had our rubber canvas doors as well!

[Battlefront.com]

Neither type of door would do much against a typical Iraqi kid hucking a big spitball at you, so I don't see what the point of arguing is It's like saying "my dad is bigger than your dad" when both your moms don't even know who your dads are. Not that I'm saying that's the case with either of you

SFC Kuba,

Does this include the light cavalry squadron in the IBCT?

Yup Though as I understand it the current nomenclature is "Recon Squadron". At least that's what FKSM 71-8 (June 2007) lists it as. If that's not right... easy enough to change! Just point me to a more up-to-date source so I can double check if that's the case.

Slaphappy,

Is this also on the eventual to-do list?

Yes. The ability for stowed weapons to be used by the AI is definitely on the to-do list. In fact, Charles and I hashed out a way to handle it from an internal standpoint. Like many things, conceptually easy but a tad bit tricky to do as easily as it sounds. Not that it's difficult, just have to think through the ramifications of various ways to approach the problem.

Steve

[John Kettler]

BFC,

Never heard of an IBCT before seeing the screenshots today, but what a nice surprise! Clearly, the trucks (M?), which I'd never seen before, reflect lessons learned in combat.

The British shots were great, but my ignorance on that score is presently enormous.

Regards,

John Kettler

[Scipio]

Very nice that the US TO&E is expanded with the UK modul; and a rather shifty marketing trick .

Who's not interested into the Brits may think twice if he also get new US toys

[Battlefront.com]

John,

That's the M1078, which is just one variant of the Light Medium Tactical Vehicle (LMTV) group of vehicles. The MTV (Medium Tactical Vehicle) and the LMTV are part of the FMTV (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles) which replace the various 2.5 and 5 ton vehicles in service prior to the 1980s.

Scipio,

Get used to our "shifty marketing" tricks since this has always been the plan and will always be the plan Seriously, this is really a desirable marketing side effect of development reality. We can't put out infinite amounts of addons, so the option of releasing just IBCT or just Syrian Airborne is impractical. So what to do? The obvious solution is to bundle them in with larger releases which are focused on a much larger force, such as US Marines and British. Either that or we don't put in stuff like IBCT and Syrian Airborne. We like our concept better

All addons to a main game focus on one particular theme, but can expand other forces already in the game or available in other Modules (though we want to minimize the latter as much as possible. See below). The Marines Module, for example, was mostly about US Marines. However, it also had significant new Syrian forces in it. The British Module is focused on the Brits, but it has an offshoot of the basic game's US Army units. NATO will likely have some surprises in it which aren't related to the NATO forces.

You have our assurances that we will try very hard to make the content that comes in an addon require only the basic game to play. We don't think it's fair to deliberately rig Module 2 with units which require Module 1 in order for them to work. Instead, Module 2's new things should work regardless of if the player has Module 1 or Module 3. A few minor exceptions... sure, I can see practical reasons for this happening a little here and there, but it's not something we are going to intentionally do. Which is why each addon should have a very complete force (eg. Marines for Module 1, Brits for Module 2, NATO for Module 3) that doesn't require followups.

When we move to Normandy it becomes even more apparent that there is just too much stuff to do for any one release. We could probably take all of the German stuff in Normandy between June and August and release some with the main game and the rest in 2-3 Modules. The array of weaponry, unit types, and vehicles is huge. But there is also a ton of Allied stuff to cover as well. Not to mention September and October! Therefore, the base Normandy game will have a lots of stuff to play with for both sides and the follow up addons will follow the established CM:SF model.

Steve

[Scipio]

No prolem with that, Steve. I'll likely buy all CM titles and modules anyway, and I'm always pleased about some easter eggs.

And even if it would be just a shifty markting trick, it's at least a good one. The US market is still the most important wargame market in the world, AFAIK. More games/modules sold means always that BFC can continue to supply my addiction

[dan/california]

Just sell me the bleeping module, now, today, Please! Pretty Please.

See what you've done, I am reduced to pitiful begging.

[John Kettler]

Steve,

Greatly appreciate the explanation of the new Family of Tactical Vehicles, a topic of which I knew nothing! Thanks also for the elucidation of BFC's Easter egg marketing approach. Very much like your version of a lagniappe!

Regards,

John Kettler

[Sivodsi]

Just out of curiousity, will the IBCT be available only with the Brits module, or will it come with the patch that will be released at the same time?

['just out of curiosity' because naturally I will be among the first to dl the module]

[LukeFF]

Besides the light cavalry units, what other Army units are covered by the IBCT formation?

-10th Mountain?

-82nd Airborne?

-101st Airborne?

-The various National Guard light infantry units?

[Clavicula_Nox]

Oh, we had our rubber canvas doors as well!

Tehehehe; Mad Max: Iraq nostalgia.

Our first "gun trucks" were 2 seat humvee pick-up variants (I don't know the model number) with big tubes either spot welded, or bolted down onto the middle of the pickup bed; the tube then had some jerry-rigged little mount that kinda-sorta fit an M249. The troop benches were installed, and a troop strap was tied between both benches so the gunner could *kinda* sit if he wanted, otherwise he had to stand.

They went as far as Navstar before being turned back because, as a result of Rumsfeld's encounter at Camp Buering/Udari a few days previously concerning scrap metal, they were told to return to Camp Virginia for "additional protection for the gunner". This additional protection came in the form of sandbags stacked up to about calf height, and away they went. Scrap doors, scrap metal welded to floorboards, and calf high sandbags.

Personally, we dealt with scrap / no doors for quite some time, which was fine by me, and were quite happy when, tired of waiting on the Army supply system, we bartered or "borrowed" sufficient scrap to fashion our own gunshields until being provided with actual armor kits.

As a driver, I appreciated no doors because I kept my weapon on the dash with the barrel pointed out, and it was relatively easy to grab the pistol grip, brace the weapon on my driving arm (left) and fire without worrying about shooting through some rusted out scrap metal. As a TC, I appreciated no doors because I could hop out instantly if needed. The scrap doors, as I once mentioned in another thread, were a pain because they were often secured with 550 cord, which meant either untying (long) or cutting (not as long, but still not quick). Rubber canvas was preferable to scrap, and until we started getting (actual) armor, we were a bunch of swiss-cheese looking humvees puttering along the road, some with no doors, some with haji doors, and some with canvas doors.

Another oddity: While stopped for a potential VBIED, a Guardsman from Arkansas shot a lonely goat. Eliciting an authentic Rebel Yell , he took off for the corpse, and before we knew it had already worked its head off and was doing whatever it is that Arkansas backhill types do with goat heads. Eventually, the thing ended up as a kind of mascot for his vehicle, and occupied a variety of homes, from the gunner's haji plate armor, to the front cattle-pushing grill. It was humorous, and definitely one of the good, yet bizarre, times.

That boy sure loved that goat head.

I miss this stuff, I really do, but everything was completely different the second time. Too many rules, too many people getting in trouble for stupid ****, etc. It may have been what I call, "The Time of Wandering", but it was still something special.

[Chops]

So, killing a helpless animal, cutting it's head off and mounting it on a vehicle was a "humorous and good time". That is extremely sick and twisted behavior. Please keep your vile stories to yourself.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

- Mahatma Gandhi

This also, obviously, applies to individuals.

[Battlefront.com]

IBCT is British Module only, no patch. We gave a few things away in the early CM:SF base game patches because we felt you guys deserved some freebies for the earlier troubles with game stability. However, going forward patches will likely contain no new content and only minor new features. Tons of gameplay improvements, minor new features, and bug fixes are what patches are for.

The wait is nearly over

Steve

[Scipio]

Besides the light cavalry units, what other Army units are covered by the IBCT formation?

-10th Mountain?

-82nd Airborne?

-101st Airborne?

-The various National Guard light infantry units?

You may read this: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/bct-infantry.htm

[Clavicula_Nox]

So, killing a helpless animal, cutting it's head off and mounting it on a vehicle was a "humorous and good time". That is extremely sick and twisted behavior. Please keep your vile stories to yourself.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

- Mahatma Gandhi

This also, obviously, applies to individuals.

I think you have to understand the situation, the act wasn't humorous, but the oddity displayed by the person was. It could have easily been enacted in some other way, but that was how he, a redneck hill backcountry type person was. I think only a person who has been in combat could possibly understand the sheer hilarity that results in witnessing the bizarre and insane.

For example, I think it's hilarious that the death of an animal is more revolting to some people than the death of a human being.

[Guest Guest]

deleted per user request

[Dietrich]

I think it's hilarious that the death of an animal is more revolting to some people than the death of a human being.

I think it's revolting that the death of a human being is more hilarious to some people than the death of an animal.

[Yardstick]

So I guess I'm the only one who got a laugh out of that? It's just one of those moments when you smirk, shake you head and wonder "How the xxxx did I get here?" Clavicula, I'm with ya brother, it's just one of those oddities that happen in war.

[Apocal]

So I guess I'm the only one who got a laugh out of that?

No you aren't.

[Clavicula_Nox]

So I guess I'm the only one who got a laugh out of that? It's just one of those moments when you smirk, shake you head and wonder "How the xxxx did I get here?" Clavicula, I'm with ya brother, it's just one of those oddities that happen in war.

Maybe it's time we learn proper social boundaries. Arms are for hugging!

*edit*

No you aren't.

Oh no, not another one. I'm officially starting the "Bad People Club" for all of us crazies.

[Dietrich]

So I guess I'm the only one who got a laugh out of that?

I may not have laughed at it, but nor did I think it was a "vile" story. Anyone who thinks that was a vile story obviously hasn't had a sufficiently sobering dose of actually vile wartime stories.

[Clavicula_Nox]

I may not have laughed at it, but nor did I think it was a "vile" story. Anyone who thinks that was a vile story obviously hasn't had a sufficiently sobering dose of actually vile wartime stories.

That's what I'm saying.

THe point of the story was just talking about, what I called "Mad Max: Iraq". That stuff is mostly gone now as the Guard and Reserves were quickly standardized as a result of Active duty soldiers seeing that kind of thing, bitching, and forcing regulation enforcement. Good for somethings; bad for others.

As for vile stories, I have some, and would only reveal them at the height of all drunkeness; which has happened, but only for the most unintended audience (my wife) and I don't want it to ever happen again.