Summary of Battlefront Game projects March 2011

[Sequoia]

As there have been several questions about this lately I thought I'd re-do a thread I did in Dec '09 and post a summary of known Battlefront projects.

Combat Mission: Shock Force

Base Game Released July 07

US Marines Module Released Sept 08

British Forces Module Released July 09

NATO module Released Oct 2010

Combat Mission :Afghanistan”

Base game (only one announced) Released:Sept 2010

Combat Mission :Battle for Normandy

Base Game Release first half 2011

“Commonwealth” Module Release ?

“Market-Garden Sept ’44 ” Will include new terrain. Module Release ?

“Battlepack" Even more ’44 stuff” Module Release ?

Combat Mission “Battle of the Bulge” (unofficial name)

Base Game Release ?

Possible modules not mentioned yet ( probably at least Commonwealth, and Spring ’45)

Combat Mission “Operation Bagration” June '44 (unofficial name)

Base Game Release ?

Possible Modules not mentioned yet (Finns hinted at, plus follow ons to end of war.)

Also mentioned was a desire to do Eastfront games for 1943,1942 and 1941 in that order.

Combat Mission Shock Force II (unofficial name) Modern Combat between major powers in a temperate setting.

Base Game Release?

Possible modules not mentioned yet.

__________________

[Battlefront.com]

Looks pretty accurate to me! For Bulge we are currently planning:

Module 1 = Commonwealth

Module 2 = Spring 1945

Module 3 = Misc. stuff

As for the content of Module 3 it's similar to the way we're planning Module 3 for CM:BN... we're keeping it flexible until we get to it. For the Bulge's Module 3 I could see things like Volkssturm, E-100, Pershing, IR Panthers, etc.

Steve

[stone75]

Combat Mission :Battle for Normandy

Base Game Release first half 2011

“Commonwealth” Module Release ?

“Market-Garden Sept ’44 ” Will include new terrain. Module Release ?

“Battlepack" Even more ’44 stuff” Module Release ?

With the release of commonwealth mod, will we have enough gear to be able to model the battles of Sicily and Italy ? Also i really hope first half of 2011 does not mean July 31st. Played CM since release but been away some time. I think i'd of rather found out about CMBN once released, now i know, its hard to get it out of my head with it looking so good.

steve

[Sequoia]

Looks pretty accurate to me! For Bulge we are currently planning:

Module 1 = Commonwealth

Module 2 = Spring 1945

Module 3 = Misc. stuff

As for the content of Module 3 it's similar to the way we're planning Module 3 for CM:BN... we're keeping it flexible until we get to it. For the Bulge's Module 3 I could see things like Volkssturm, E-100, Pershing, IR Panthers, etc.

Steve

E-100. See folks. I was not making it up last time I mentioned it (well actually it was the Maus I mentioned). I'd be happy with just the Sturmmoeser Tiger, and the Jadgtiger too of course. Maybe add the Centurion for the Allies just for fun.

[Vergeltungswaffe]

CM has always been gaming nirvana for me, but if CMx2 had the E-25/E-50/E-75 and other late war goodies as above, then I would be happy beyond words.

[MeatEtr]

So about the East Front, how many families are planned? Will there be early-mid-late war families? I think it's been discussed before, I forget.

Also is the plan to finish the West Front first and then move on to the East? Or is it possible to see the Bagration release before Bulge?

[Erwin]

Curious as to why East Front releases are to be in reverse chrono order.

[Sequoia]

See the latest postings in the Russian Front thread for an explanation.

[MeatEtr]

See the latest postings in the Russian Front thread for an explanation.

Are you a beta tester?

Here's a post from Steve in the Russian Front thread. It explains the reasoning why starting the Front in the middle and not starting over from scratch.

Just to chime in a bit here...

Sergei is quite correct about the sensibility of leveraging what we have to get you guys something new instead of starting from scratch. It's far more efficient, and cost effective, to combine things we've already done with new stuff.

Taking CM:BN's German component as a base (it's not a perfect overlap, mind you) and adding 1944 era units means getting the first Eastern Front game out in about 1/2 the time as it would take to get out a 41/42 or 42/43, or 43/44 game out the door. And after we have a 44/45 game done there will be maybe 25% development overlap with the 43/44 game, which in turn probably has a 25% overlap with the 42/43 game, and in turn a 25% overlap with 41/42.

Note that I'm talking about the core, mandatory stuff like voices, soldier models, weapon models, common vehicles, common AT Guns, etc. There's still PLENTY of new stuff to add. But if we went all the way back to 1941/42 we'd have to do much more basic stuff and that would mean reducing how much of the less common stuff we added.

Steve

[Lt. Smash]

So, no plans to do a pre-44 European Front game or am I missing something?

Bob

[Field Marshal Blücher]

So, no plans to do a pre-44 European Front game or am I missing something?

Bob

If you include the East Front in "European," then yes, as you can see in that response above. If you only include the West Front, then no, not at this time. There was another thread about that very recently, called "Nice and all, but . . ." Check that one out if you're curious.

[Michael Emrys]

With the release of commonwealth mod, will we have enough gear to be able to model the battles of Sicily and Italy ?

Depends. Some of the equipment might be the wrong model and some of the unit organizations might not be up to snuff either. You could maybe model some actions, but you'd have to be careful how you went about it.

Michael

[Battlefront.com]

Depends. Some of the equipment might be the wrong model and some of the unit organizations might not be up to snuff either. You could maybe model some actions, but you'd have to be careful how you went about it.

Some different TO&E even in 1944 and 1945 too. Some of the divisions fighting in Italy were never reorganized like those in NW Europe. Also, doing Italy means going back to 1943 IMHO. I don't see much point in doing 1/2 of the Italian conflict.

Steve

[hellfish]

Looks pretty accurate to me! For Bulge we are currently planning:

Module 1 = Commonwealth

Module 2 = Spring 1945

Module 3 = Misc. stuff

As for the content of Module 3 it's similar to the way we're planning Module 3 for CM:BN... we're keeping it flexible until we get to it. For the Bulge's Module 3 I could see things like Volkssturm, E-100, Pershing, IR Panthers, etc.

Steve

I will very literally **** myself with joy if you throw in a T29.

[kipanderson]

Hi,

This is a great thread... always refreshing to have it from the Horse’s Mouth as to what the future holds. The official version. Is as I thought but good to know that as of today the plan from a year or so ago still holds.

I greatly look forward to having a menu of different settings to choose from to get my CM fix . And we are very close to that. We have CMSF then there is also CM Afghanistan and Normandy close to showing its public face. It is refreshing to jump about from setting to setting.

I plan on building a CM Afghanistan scenario today to celebrate a new and possibly definitive account of the war that has just been published. Afgantsy : The Russians in Afghanistan 1979 – 1989. By Rodric Braithwaite.

CMX2 is very much a long-term work-in-progress that gets tweaked and improved with every outing which is why I am glad the Eastern Front games come later in the more perfected version of CMX2.

But lots and lots to look forward to...

We are lucky to have CM....

All the best,

Kip.

[Destraex1]

whatever you do please make all the modules plug together.

Sturmovik did that and boy by the end of it, it was the definitive combat flight simulator and perhaps will never be beaten.

[WillLight]

I doubt that's gonna happen, even for the contemporary base games (e.g normandy and bagration). Assuming they keep improving the engine between releases, making the newest release work with the old content will be an effort that will not really be rewarding financially to them as people will have already bought the earlier base games and (understandably) not be willing to pay too much to be able to combine the content...

[MeatEtr]

CMX2 is very much a long-term work-in-progress that gets tweaked and improved with every outing which is why I am glad the Eastern Front games come later in the more perfected version of CMX2.

Yup, which is why all us East Front fans should be happy we're last. But it'll be at least 4 years until we see all of it done, 41-45.

Sturmovik did that and boy by the end of it, was the definitive combat flight simulator and perhaps will never be beaten.

It will, by it's own creators, starting in about 3 weeks on March 25th when

released. Although it will be several years of add-ons until it gets as huge as the original IL2. But hey, gotta start sometime.

[Destraex1]

I am on the page for cliffs of dover... its on my hit list

[scottie]

good thread thanks for the clarity.

[~Viajero]

I am on the page for cliffs of dover... its on my hit list

Who on earth decided to give the next version of the (arguably) best flight sim of all times the "CoD" name?!

[Destraex1]

I believe it was the publisher. The original name was storm of war.

They even made the devs use "sturmovik" in front of it. Even though it has nothing to do with the Russian front this time around.

[Noltyboy]

I doubt that's gonna happen, even for the contemporary base games (e.g normandy and bagration). Assuming they keep improving the engine between releases, making the newest release work with the old content will be an effort that will not really be rewarding financially to them as people will have already bought the earlier base games and (understandably) not be willing to pay too much to be able to combine the content...

If it was possible id like to see them upgrading the other ones via patches so CM:BN would be on the same as the CM:Bagration.

[MeatEtr]

I believe it was the publisher. The original name was storm of war.

They even made the devs use "sturmovik" in front of it. Even though it has nothing to do with the Russian front this time around.

Well IL2 at this point is essentially a brand name or IP. I also liked the Storm of War title too. But the mainstream will more likely buy the game when they see the IL2 on the cover rather than a new title. Simple as that.

Besides, they will eventually get back to the East Front.

[Destraex1]

Originally Posted by WillLight

I doubt that's gonna happen, even for the contemporary base games (e.g normandy and bagration). Assuming they keep improving the engine between releases, making the newest release work with the old content will be an effort that will not really be rewarding financially to them as people will have already bought the earlier base games and (understandably) not be willing to pay too much to be able to combine the content...

If it was possible id like to see them upgrading the other ones via patches so CM:BN would be on the same as the CM:Bagration.

They have sort of done this already with CMSF and its modules. As far as I was aware you could make missions with all the sides across the modules..... thats essentially what I would want to continue with CMBN and subsequent addons.

They keep updating the core engine and features for all modules while the modules themselves determine what forces\campaigns you have to play with.