Sergei Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I think the crazy stuff would go in the last module ('battle pack'). No idea what will be included, though. Goliath, for example, was never used effectively in combat in Normandy (most of them were captured by Allied troops intact), and on the other hand, there is no equivalent for them in any of the games so they would require some very special code. In essence, they are a kind of non-flying ATGM, in nature, but how do you code that? For example, what would happen if the controller lost vision of the vehicle due to a dip in the ground? It seems conceptually quite challenging. But I would love to see some weird experimentive stuff anyway, like German ATGM's or night vision equipment. The code exists for both courtesy of CMSF so it wouldn't be a big deal, other than trying to figure out what their capabilities might have been... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panzermartin Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 About goliaths, I would think of them closer to the suicide car we already have in CMSF. Plot waypoints+detonate. The only difference would be range+ LOS of human controller. Allied troops cutting the command wires is a different issue though. Apart from anti tank role they were supposedly used for demolition purposes, blowing bridges, fortifications etc. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Goliath is not really much like the VBIED's in CMSF. Suicide car bombs are driven by a person, while Goliath was remote controlled. You couldn't operate a Goliath beyond the operator's visual range. From a simulational perspective, this is a huge difference. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Balboa Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I'd be willing to bet that modules for CM:BN are released slightly more frequently than those for CMSF simply because the engine is so much more mature. Of course "more frequently" could still be a year or so. My googling skills give the following: CMSF to Marines Module: 27 July 2007-12 September 2008. 1 year, 1 month, 16 days (Including multiple patches after CMSF release) Marines to Brits: 12 September 2008-29 July 2009. 10 months, 17 days (Including patches for Marines) Brits to NATO: 29 July 2009-21 October 2010. 1 year, 2 months, 22 days Brits to NATO time period includes CM:Afghanistan: Released Monday, 13 September 2010 So it looks like the 10 months or so is about a best case scenario, though it seems like if there is a lot of crossover for later modules and it is just TO&E and scenarios rather than art and new vehicles things could go quicker. eg Bulge game will have very similar equipment to CM:BN. Thanks for doing the research and it is what it is, which is pretty much black and white. However I do think a fair amount of development time was being spent on CMBN while some of this was going on. I'm hoping they will find a way to step up the pace as well. But the challenge will be huge for BF to even keep up with the schedule they set with CMSF unless they can find more art assets which is where most of the work will be. Just the variations in terrain from each module not to mention equipment changes will be formidable. Adding additional terrain was something they really didn't have to deal with in the CMSF modules. The commonwealth module will be a huge resource hog from a TO&E and art perspective. Most of the Norman terrain will stay the same but there will be some additional terrain I'm guessing in and around CAEN. Hopefully not so much on basic game code although there will certainly be some game code changes I see this module taking at least 10-12 months or more so maybe around Nov-Dec 2011 if lucky, would be my guess. The Market Garden module might also take some time because even though the TO&E wont change a great deal, the terrain is quite different from Normandy which will tie up a good amount of art assets as well as requiring some code changes to deal with the different types of terrain. It remains to be seen how much of the Normandy Terrain they can apply to Holland, Belgium and Eastern France . Scenario design in this module will also take some time because most of the German formations had been decimated and where thrown together in adhoc fashion, so this will require additional time to research. So another 10-12 months on this one as well. Its hard to say how long it will take to do the battle pack because that depends on what BF decides to put in it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 But the challenge will be huge for BF to even keep up with the schedule they set with CMSF unless they can find more art assets which is where most of the work will be. Just the variations in terrain from each module not to mention equipment changes will be formidable. Not really, if you think of it. Eg. for Commonwealth, new infantry uniforms are needed, of course. But vehicles are probably the biggest workload, and a lot of the British vehicle types are totally or partly the same as the US ones. Likewise the Waffen SS Panthers and Panzer IV etc. are not different from Wehrmacht ones. In comparison, CMSF was much harder to do as none of the modules had many shared components with the original. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 It remains to be seen how much of the Normandy Terrain they can apply to Holland, Belgium and Eastern France . I guess it depends on exactly what kind of terrain is available in BN. There won't be any bocage to speak of in the Benelux countries or northern France. The terrain in France and Belgium varies from somewhat flat and open to rolling to hilly and wooded where it is not urban. The Netherlands is almost entirely flat, but cut by rivers and canals, dikes and berms, and with the occasional marsh. The fighting in Belgium was fairly brief until we come back for the Bulge, so detailed terrain modeling for it can probably be put off until that family of games. Presumably that would also cover eastern France and the Rhineland nicely as well. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battlefront.com Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Regarding the pace of release... MOST of the time over the past 4 years has gone into improving the core engine, extending its game features, adding temperate environment, and making it understand WW2 technology. It's a lot of work that will never have to be done again. Sure, we will continue to make improvements BUT we will have more control over what we tackle and when. When we set out to make a temperate environment we couldn't very well say "we'll handle water and bridges next release" or "I'm sure people wouldn't mind bocage being in CM:BN 2". Meaning, when we signed up to do Normandy we had a HUGE list of must haves which were huge, time consuming undertakings. Going forward the list of must haves is pretty much done. Now it's mostly wants instead of needs, which gives us a lot more flexibility. We also hired Phil to help us keep things moving along. The last year was actually a huge year for us from a productivity standpoint. We were working on all these things at the same time: CM:SF NATO CM: Afghanistan CM:BN We released 2 out of 3 last year and the 3rd is coming out very soon. We're getting the kinks of the Modular system worked out as we go, but things are already much better than they were when we started Marines. Steve 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SD Smack Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 OK Steve, define "very". Steve-o 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gryphonne Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 "very soon" must be somewhere between "soon" and "very soon" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnersman Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 OK Steve, define "very". Steve-o Nice try. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottie Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 We released 2 out of 3 last year and the 3rd is coming out very soon. Steve I know we latch onto every word you utter like a bunch of locust but that's only because of the quality of the product and the excitement it creates. Great to see your post that the stuff that's needed is done, very encouraging for the impatient faction 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Belenko Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Regarding the pace of release... MOST of the time over the past 4 years has gone into improving the core engine, extending its game features, adding temperate environment, and making it understand WW2 technology. It's a lot of work that will never have to be done again. Sure, we will continue to make improvements BUT we will have more control over what we tackle and when. When we set out to make a temperate environment we couldn't very well say "we'll handle water and bridges next release" or "I'm sure people wouldn't mind bocage being in CM:BN 2". Meaning, when we signed up to do Normandy we had a HUGE list of must haves which were huge, time consuming undertakings. Going forward the list of must haves is pretty much done. Now it's mostly wants instead of needs, which gives us a lot more flexibility. We also hired Phil to help us keep things moving along. The last year was actually a huge year for us from a productivity standpoint. We were working on all these things at the same time: CM:SF NATO CM: Afghanistan CM:BN We released 2 out of 3 last year and the 3rd is coming out very soon. We're getting the kinks of the Modular system worked out as we go, but things are already much better than they were when we started Marines. Steve All encouraging news. I really hope this translates to a 3 to 4 month cycle for future modules. And some over lap between West and Ost front releases. There are two "must haves" still missing: 1) Flame spitters - both carried and vehicular. 2) Those pesky 3 legged MG stands for the Commonwealth forces. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 All encouraging news. I really hope this translates to a 3 to 4 month cycle for future modules. And some over lap between West and Ost front releases. Now you're just scaring me! I think, realistically, about six months would be a very minimum unless the module was very small in content or new features. Things still take time to test, y'know! The other thing is that it's not always a wise thing to puke things out to the market in a too rapid pace. Otherwise players will go from chanting "oh I can't wait for the next module! WHEN CAN I PREORDER???" to "another module, so soon??? What a rip off! This is the fourth module this year, how am I gonna have time to play these through???" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 The other thing is that it's not always a wise thing to puke things out to the market in a too rapid pace. Otherwise players will go from chanting "oh I can't wait for the next module! WHEN CAN I PREORDER???" to "another module, so soon??? What a rip off! This is the fourth module this year, how am I gonna have time to play these through???" Sergei has a point. (I refrain from mentioning where it is located. ) A judicious timing of releases allows squeezing every last bit of value from each one. That's not to be sneezed at. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Balboa Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 The other thing is that it's not always a wise thing to puke things out to the market in a too rapid pace. Otherwise players will go from chanting "oh I can't wait for the next module! WHEN CAN I PREORDER???" to "another module, so soon??? What a rip off! This is the fourth module this year, how am I gonna have time to play these through???" I agree, No need to arrive ahead of schedule, in the nick of time will do nicely. So after you release CMBN, feel free to take a day or two off .... Oh what the hey go ahead and take three days you deserve it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abrams Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I suppose one could be content with the actions of the 82nd and 101st along with the possibility of gaming Patton's Loraine campaign. The Loraine campaign will be good ... the Arracourt battles in the fog will be good .... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkhorn1x Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 The Loraine campaign will be good ... the Arracourt battles in the fog will be good .... I notice your nic is "Abrams". Bet you can hardly wait. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abrams Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I notice your nic is "Abrams". Bet you can hardly wait. I'm stoked !!! I did much research on the Arracourt fighting for a board game and a miniatures game ... The whole CMx2 is much anticipated here ... CM:BO pretty much put my board games on the sales market ... CMx2 looks like it will do the same to many of my miniatures games ... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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