Combat Leader, Close Assault and Modern Warfare Games in Development

SPWaW is a tactical squad-level World War II game on single platoon or up to an entire battalion through Europe and the Pacific (1939 to 1945).

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David Heath
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Combat Leader, Close Assault and Modern Warfare Games in Development

Post by David Heath »

Hi Guys

We have been considering making a new grand Steel Panther type game. Well we have work out a system that will allow us to do this. We also have cancelled the SP Modern Warfare. The reasons and what the future holds are explained below.

A) SPWaW can not handle adding the modern warfare items to it. We have been so limited with the new SPWaW that we kept not being able to add item we needed to the game.

B) We have seen a lot of gamers either want a Real time game like Close Combat or a pure turn base game like Steel Panthers. As of now you got it.

C) Combat Leader will be our tactical WW2 turn based game. It will a true C++ game for windows well advance beyond anything currently available. The fact is we have bben working on this for some long time but have been low and funds to bring it to the table.

D) Close Assault will be our tactical WW2 real time game based on the Firefight engine. This will be the next level up for Close Combat fans.

E) Both Games will share unit icons and OOB. Both Game systems will start on the Eastern Front and move to other theaters. The new OOB's are highly more detail then the anything yet seen in SPWAW or Close Combat.

F) What does this mean for SPMW. Well we have already been coding the hooks to have both these games also be made into Modern Warfare series. Ilja and his team has already started on making the new OOB's. We are just about done on the Graphics for both has East Front games already. Once they are done work will start on the modern warfare graphics.

That is all for now we will be releasing more details and screenshots soon.
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Post by Figmo »

No No - say it ain't so!! I thought you were close on SPMW. I understand that you must do what you have to do - but PLEASE - reconsider!!

Figmo
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Post by pops »

...lemme see if I understand....you have changed direction completely on Combat Leader and it is now strictly real time or is it still as was originally stated to be a combination.....
....the new game you mention is strictly turn base ala SPWAW or is it one side goes and then the other...is there a game engine in place for this game or are you starting from scratch?....is it using SPWAW engine with CL graphics....
either way good luck and I will support as best I can...
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Post by TheChin »

So the sale of MegaCampaigns has enabled this to become reality? Thats awesome! I'm stoked! I, personally, am sick of real time tactical/strategy games and prefer turn-based. But I'm sure you guys will make a great real-time. Just when my SPWaW release anxiety has dissipated, now I have to deal with this! :D
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David Heath
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Post by David Heath »

It not that we have change the direction of Combat Leader we are taken the real time version of it and will be calling it Close Assault. Combat Leader will be the turn based version. Its close to SPWaW but really going all the way. We have been developing the turn base and real time engines for some time... that is why we can use the same new OOB that we have developed.

No the MegaCampaigns have not even begun to pay for this we are hoping that Desert Fox and the new Russian Front Mega Campaign sales pick to all us to complete them. Of course our dely in getting the first Mega Campaign out is not help matters.
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Post by Ilja Varha »

Figmo, fear aside... This new modern game(s) is going to be a lot better than SPMW could ever have been!

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Post by pops »

So will Combat Leader be turn based like SPWAW or turn based as in the WEGO system?
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Paul Vebber
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Post by Paul Vebber »

OK - All we did was change the name of what we were calling "Combat Leader" to "Close Assault" and adding more detail (like some individual man stats) that we felt would make teh game more appealing to Close Combat fans. IT is still based on teh firefigh engine.

Combat Leader will be a "more conventional" hex based game that will appeal more to the SP crowd. The combat routines, OOBs etc will be very similar between the two games.

We made the decision that try to make to much of a "merger" between the SP and Close Combat communities was not likely to be as successful as targeting each crowd with a specific product. CLose Assault with still be a much different game form Close COmbat - more squad based - being derived from Firefight, individual men will not be "individually modelled" but will have some sort of small range of name, proficiency, morale, weapon, but not to the extent of CC so that much larger battles will be possible

COmbat Leader will be like SP , but with an option or alternating formation movement based on initiative.

A am pretty sure one game or the other will have a "WEGO" mode - CLose Assault is teh natual candidate as continous time is much closer to CM style "WEGO" than an SP-stlye game.

[ June 08, 2001: Message edited by: Paul Vebber ]
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Post by Mark Ezra »

These changes sound very practical. I had been a little concerned that developing a new engine that would do both Real time and turn base might end up doing neither very well. I, too, look forward to an advanced SPMW. But the new games must come first. As the Mega Campaigns roll out to keep us all going and providing (finally) some income, Matrix must put all it's energy into Combat Leader/Combat assault deux.
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Warrior
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Post by Warrior »

Everybody buy 5 extra Mega Campaigns so we can get these babies soonest!
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Post by AmmoSgt »

So this means Matrix is finished with SP ?
thats a crying shame
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Post by Paul Vebber »

We will continue to do "maintanence" patches to it to weed out the bugs, but there will be be no more major upgrades in features.

Its reached the limt of what we can do to modifiy it without screwing it up!

At some point you have to take up a clean slate...
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Post by gators »

Hey REMF wait until people get the ones they ordered before the sales pitch!
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Gallo Rojo
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Post by Gallo Rojo »

Originally posted by Paul Vebber:
We will continue to do "maintanence" patches to it to weed out the bugs, but there will be be no more major upgrades in features.
And will be more MC (in addition with the newest eastern front I mean)?
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Post by Paul Vebber »

I know Wild Bill is chaffing at the bit to get one fom the Aliied point of view going!
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Gallo Rojo
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Post by Gallo Rojo »

Originally posted by Paul Vebber:
I know Wild Bill is chaffing at the bit to get one fom the Aliied point of view going!
:D :D :D

(And please try to don't forget your WW2 Russians Allieds and do a Russian MC some time :) )
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Post by DerSoldat »

I think it really sucks the SPMW was cancelled!I was really looking forward to it after all this time.Im sure I wont be the only one to be upset.After all if youve played any of the Close Combat games youve played them all.Why create a clone?After all the games dedicated to WW2 here dont you think its time for a dedicated game on the conflicts after 1945.With all the astounding things you did with SPWAW I thought Steel panthers 2 deserved the same overhaul.Its a sad day for sure. :(

[ June 08, 2001: Message edited by: DerSoldat ]
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Post by Wild Bill »

First of all, let me say you are right, Paul V! I'm salivating at thought of releasing pent-up creative juices on these new beauties.

I have tons of material ready RIGHT NOW for modern war scenarios, Arab-Israelis, Vietnam, Gulf War, plus a few dozen lesser engagements, (Panama, Grenada, perhaps Kosovo if not too delicate) and a double ton of Hypothetical, including the ideal Nato-Warsaw Pact confrontation.

Bring it on! :mad: (Wilder War Face!)

In defense, Soldat, let me say we do not intend to "clone" anything. But if we can take a concept, improve, enhance and expand it into something much better, we will do so.

The CC game was mentioned to give you an idea of what is coming but not to say that we will do something identical. If we can't improve an idea, we should just leave it as is.

I truly think you will be more than pleased with what is coming from Matrix.

Wild Bill
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TheZel66
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Post by TheZel66 »

Now that SPMW is out of commission, does anyone know how to get Steel Panthers II to run on a Windows 98 machine? I know that there's probably more to it than knowing the platform (video drivers, etc..), but I have a copy of SP 2, and cant get it to run on my system...
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Post by Paul Vebber »

Taking SP:WaW into the Modern era was just going tobe too big a poject to justify the epense of doing it to give away. That is just the reality of economics.

Now while Close Assault will be a game similar in format (but very different in execution) Combat Leader will be a hex based game that will be in the format of the SP games.

This gives us the ability to incorporate the modern warfare aspects directly int he game as it develops, not "add it on" or try to "get SP3 features working again" as we were facing with SP:MW.

We can greatly increase the map size - despite going to smaller hexes, go to a completely overhauled TOE/OOB format and make fundamental improvements to the basic game design.
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