Matrix Games Forums

It has been quite a while since we have heard anything about the first of the John Tiller's Campaign Modern Wars games:The one the MIddle East. It is still alive? is there any kind of a tentative release date?
Inquiring minds want to know....

Good day.

We're still on target for the end of May, 2015.

You can find out more information here as well. Campaign Series on Facebook

We're super excited about this release, followed by Vietnam in Q1 2016.

Jason Petho

Also read recent Coder Diaries and Developer Diaries in this forum for some sneak peeks.

ORIGINAL: berto


Also read recent Coder Diaries and Developer Diaries in this forum for some sneak peeks.

+1!

[&o]

Jason Petho

ORIGINAL: Jason Petho
We're still on target for the end of May, 2015.
You can find out more information here as well. Campaign Series on Facebook

+1

Are you planning to offer a TAHGC Arab-Israeli Wars interface & scenario mod pack, similar to Panzer Blitz and Panzer Leader? That would be retro cool.

ORIGINAL: pzgndr

ORIGINAL: Jason Petho
We're still on target for the end of May, 2015.
You can find out more information here as well. Campaign Series on Facebook

+1

Are you planning to offer a TAHGC Arab-Israeli Wars interface & scenario mod pack, similar to Panzer Blitz and Panzer Leader? That would be retro cool.

I actually started on that, but the box art unfortunately (at least to me) isn't what the PB and PL box art is. So no, no plans on our behalf. I could not create anything that I was happy enough to share.

But that should not stop you guys from creating one! You can use the PB/PL mod pack bitmaps as a basis, no major changes expected in the front user interface as such [:)]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads
I actually started on that, but the box art unfortunately (at least to me) isn't what the PB and PL box art is.

The box art graphics is nice chrome, but it's the old scenarios that are the meat of the other PB/PL mods. Those old AIW scenarios are fair game too. Just saying...

Yeah I know, there's the complete PL and PL variant Ode to Panzer Leader scenarios still available in the Games Depot. Really nice, I've always enjoyed playing especially the France '40 ones !!! [:)]

Sorry, not going to happen on our behalf though, if you want to see "Middle East" out in May timeframe that is [;)]

A recent screenshot from the forthcoming Middle East:



Due out Q2 2015!

Thanks for the pic.

Some questions:

1-you plan add like in more recent Tiller games alt label style??? i refer remove the white background only leave the names to reduce the block over vision when you want see localitations names.

2-the XXX are obstables, circles are mines no??? 1 circle level 1 minefield, 2 level 2 etc etc and M1/M2 means mine1/2 and BL means obstacles no???

3-Counters have a colour bar on the bottom... represent action points or somekind of battalion colour??? because the units in the right on Mount Scopus have blue colour and out of the city orange/green/purple (support weapons are set at "regimental/brigade" to support all battalions).

4-I dont notice diferences on tarrain in elevations... is planned add some new art to see better in 2D elevations???

5-Beta testing is planned???

And well, nothing more only say again thanks and asking for more info/pics [;)]

ORIGINAL: Hexagon

1-you plan add like in more recent Tiller games alt label style??? i refer remove the white background only leave the names to reduce the block over vision when you want see localitations names.

Likely not. This close to release (Q2 2015), we are more or less Code Frozen, going into QA testing.

2-the XXX are obstables, circles are mines no??? 1 circle level 1 minefield, 2 level 2 etc etc and M1/M2 means mine1/2 and BL means obstacles no???

Correct.

3-Counters have a colour bar on the bottom... represent action points or somekind of battalion colour??? because the units in the right on Mount Scopus have blue colour and out of the city orange/green/purple (support weapons are set at "regimental/brigade" to support all battalions).

Colors represent unit category (tanks, infantry, arty, etc.). The Jordanian units are all pink because they are still a work-in-progress. Crossroads will have more to say about this I'm sure.

4-I dont notice diferences on tarrain in elevations... is planned add some new art to see better in 2D elevations???

In the screenshot, elevation contours are toggled off. With them on, you would discern elevations better. (We also have a toggle to display elevations as on-map numbers.)

Middle East (and all other games in the Campaign Series) now has 50 elevations. In 2D, it is a challenge to display -- by color alone -- so many elevations clearly. A challenge made all the harder in Middle East because of the generally tan-colored desert-like terrain.

5-Beta testing is planned???

Well, of course.

And well, nothing more only say again thanks and asking for more info/pics [;)]

You're welcome!

Thanks for the fast reply, lol, i go to eat something and find reply [:)]

Colour shows unit category, nice.

Then in 2D contours are like the used now in the serie no???

Well, i understand that with 50 elevations use colours to show elevations is the use of numbers is a good option... maybe use a mix of colour+number is a good option... from 1-10 x colour, from 11-20 x darker etc etc with this you have colours to see better great changes in elevations because i asume elevations are set 10 by 10 metes like in Campaigns no??? i think with 5 colours+borders+numbers you see elevations in 2D very well.

The white background in localitations names is for me something that made harder understand better terrain... maybe not now but in future add the option to remove the white label is a good add specially now when 2D shows more info.

Again thanks for the fast reply, good luck [:)]

ORIGINAL: berto

ORIGINAL: Hexagon

3-Counters have a colour bar on the bottom... represent action points or somekind of battalion colour??? because the units in the right on Mount Scopus have blue colour and out of the city orange/green/purple (support weapons are set at "regimental/brigade" to support all battalions).

Colors represent unit category (tanks, infantry, arty, etc.). The Jordanian units are all pink because they are still a work-in-progress. Crossroads will have more to say about this I'm sure.

Oh yes, I need to do a complete "Dev Diary #6 Revisited" post, the Force remains strong in Berto's keyboard, we managed to put in quite a few additional features I personally had already put into "Vietnam" wishlist.

Everything shown here remains Work In Progress, until it is not, so that is true with the coloured bars as well. They are a playing aid showing unit type, with similar color to NATO map symbols, especially handy to see what type of units each stack contains. Partially implemented to Israeli Platoon data, not started yet with Jordanians shown here.

I will put out a new Unit Counter Dev Diary in a couple of weeks time, when things are, errm, a bit more frozen. 'Til then!

ORIGINAL: Crossroads
I will put out a new Unit Counter Dev Diary in a couple of weeks time, when things are, errm, a bit more frozen. 'Til then!

And since one of the things I want to do with my diaries is to keep our formidable modding community up to date, I will again tweak and play with the standard stock content coming out with "Middle East"

How about: Ten years later: Carentan'54? Something you did not catch with Band Of Brothers!

The series especially missed the DAK coy on a walkabout [:D]

Interesting... but who is the one armed man??? i miss the reference... maybe a Hitler Ciborg unit with a gun as arm??? like in Heroes of Stalingrad a total historical false unit lol [:D]

The good point about this is add some extra units in stock scens or rework scens with diferent nations not included in game... i think in some soviets and USA units (in Tiller Middle east 67 offers an interesting variation to stock scens) or like you show more battles some decades back [;)]

Talking about band of brothers... i think more in a campaign following the serie structure but VS soviets in late 40s or middle 50s [8D]

ORIGINAL: Hexagon

Interesting... but who is the one armed man??? i miss the reference... maybe a Hitler Ciborg unit with a gun as arm??? like in Heroes of Stalingrad a total historical false unit lol [:D]

I am sure you will figure it out [8D]

Sorry but i cant find the reference... the only i have in my mind is a doctor that says "the one armed man killed my wife!!!"


Somebody says one armed man??? WHERE??? [:D]


Now a little tech question... is possible touch the game code to made in infantry units show strenght in 4-6 multiples and casualties in infantry be by 4-6??? if game cant deal with infantry by soldiers number i dont know if is possible do it only in a cosmetic way showing the number of soldiers but with casualties in 4-6 multiples... the idea is only change what strengh number you show in infantry, over a single number to represent squads the total number of soldiers in the platoon and reductions squad by squad in number of soldiers.

@hexagon:

The scenario title is about the units who fought in and around Carentan: 101st AB "Screaming Eagles" as themselves, 6th Fallschirmjäger Regt "Lions of Carentan", and finally: the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division 'Götz von Berlichingen'. Old Götz is the unarmed man, for he lost his arm in sixteenth century wars, replacing it with an armored fist, which was the symbol of the unit.

As for turning SPs into men strength for infantry units, a neat idea, something we've thrown around as an idea as well. Not happening with ME 1.00 though, there's no more room for features coming in. Maybe later. Maybe.

We've not been lazy, mind, there's always other, bigger fish to fry!

How about this. From the Mods and Scenarios subforum, from the Unit Bases - SS Roundel thread:

Warhorse said:

ORIGINAL: Warhorse
Yes, SS would need to be another country, if indeed wanting them to be separate, same as Guards, USMC, and other elite fighting forces.

Then, Berto said

ORIGINAL: berto
Nope! [;)]

Then, XLVIII Pz. Korp said:

ORIGINAL: XLVIII Pz. Korp
Whaddaya mean no? [:D] [:D] [:D] [:D] [:D]

To which Berto replied:

ORIGINAL: berto
No, what I am saying is: There is untapped potential in the existing OOB files and program source code.

Also: We don't need to "redo all the oob's" manually. We, rather I, can write programs to automate the redoing. It's really not all that difficult.

This is all (re)doable, reasonably, and all without "separate country code". Thinking outside the box, with the right insight, tools & techniques, all things are possible. Well, many things.

So, different unit bases for different branches of the armed services of every nation, without proliferating new separate country codes? And without too much work? Yes, it's quite possible. "All" that remains is to work out the details!

So, then, consider this:

If I am not mightily mistaken, that's:

- 101st AB on new late war US roundel
- 2d Armord "Hell on Wheels" on early war US roundel with yellow circle on it. That's the Hell on Wheels part here.
- 6th Paras Regt on Blueish Wehrmacht winter roundel. C'mon guys, we need a Fallschirmjäger unit base! [:D]
- Wehrmacht Trucks on Wehrmacht green
- Wehrmacht Pz IVs on Wehrmacht armored camo, or Camo3
- Wehrmacht infantry on Wehrmacht camo1
- SS TDs and assault guns on SS Armored Camo
- SS pzgrenadiers on SS Infantry Camo.

Missing anything?

[:)]

Ah, missed the Afrika Korps infantry coy on their walkabout. Yes, they're there too [:D]