Sneak Peeks, Coming Attractions, Works-In-Progress

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: berto
It will all be well worth the wait, we think. In the meantime, your patience is requested.

Patience granted. You guys set the standard for revamping a popular old series and communication with the player base. I wish all developers were 1/10 as good.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

ORIGINAL: berto
It will all be well worth the wait, we think. In the meantime, your patience is requested.

Patience granted. You guys set the standard for revamping a popular old series and communication with the player base. I wish all developers were 1/10 as good.

Thank you 76mm, appreciated! We try to be open in what we do and try to have these sneak peeks active for that reason. As Berto pointed out, the decision to revamp the engine to this new level for CSME 2.0 meant the other games will be delayed somewhat. The upside with that is these new features will already be proven and can be used in say EF scenario design from the very beginning, including especially the possibilities that come with the new Events engine.

[jamespcrowley]

So, given all of the above, what do you think is a realistic estimate for the new East Front game?

[Crossroads]

Winter 2018 is our internal target for EF, with VN being released first.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Winter 2018 is our internal target for EF, with VN being released first.

To be even more specific, our internal targets are VN towards the end of H1 2018, and EF towards the end of H2 2018. H1 being the first half of the year, and H2 the latter half. Fingers crossed!

[76mm]

What about subsequent releases? You've probably said something, but ive forgotten.... Will later east front periods be covered in DLCs, modules, new games, or what? And since you're takng the time to lay the proper foundation, how quickly will you be able to turn out such content?

[Crossroads]

Yes, later periods will be covered as DLCs, likely in two year installments, so EF 1942-43 would be the next installment. I would not like to estimate release dates beyond next year...

But since scenarios would involve maps, orders of battles, and scenario design itself, hopefully there would be reuse in maps to some extent at least. The other thing is that previously the map designers were on hold for awhile as new terrain etc features have been build in, that should not be an issue in future.

[berto]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

What about subsequent releases? You've probably said something, but ive forgotten.... Will later east front periods be covered in DLCs, modules, new games, or what? ...

DLCs.

... And since you're takng the time to lay the proper foundation, how quickly will you be able to turn out such content?

Since other games are involved -- West Front, Pacific Front -- and possibly also DLCs for Middle East and Vietnam, it's too hard to be precise about which game, which DLC when. But by 2019, we should be cranking out new content much faster.

[jamespcrowley]

OK, thanks.

I can go back into war-games hibernation mode until the end of next year!

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads


A good few months ago, I was able to post the first screenshot of the new Zoom-in view with 2D view. It was quite a revelation to test play a scenario with a closer look at the map. I summarised it like this at the time:

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

The new zoom-in views bring back the "tactical" to the series, don't you think? [:)]

Here's the first screenshots of the new 3D Zoom-in view. After trying out various options the best outcome was achieved with scaling the terrain to 150% while using the unit miniature models 100% size for that view. The old 100% has now units that are scaled down a bit to achieve the same scale as here.

As a result, the units are spread out more evenly, even when you have lots of units stacked to same hex.

SNIP

Graphics by Papazalaru and Mike Amos. [:)]

Here's a screenshot of today's build, see what I mean: the 1.02 "100% view" is 2.0 "75% view".

As the hex size in these screenshots remains the same, with 2.0, the units are more naturally spread out. See my previous posts for comparison with the new 2.0 "100% view".

CSME 1.02:



CSME 2.0:

[Big Ivan]

Nice work gentlemen!

I'm liking the new tile textures for the fields, vineyards and orchards in 3D. I play CSME and CS almost exclusively in 3D so the visual
improvement is very appealing to me.[&o] Good stuff!!

Can't wait for CSME 2.0.

When was the dev team thinking of its ETA?

Cheers![:)]

Big Ivan

[berto]

CSME 2.0's ETA is almost certainly by mid to late Q4 2017 -- i.e., no later than Christmas of this year.

[Jagger2002]

Wow! Those 3d views are really, really nice.

[berto]

What's wrong with this picture? [:D]

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Jagger2002

Wow! Those 3d views are really, really nice.

Thanks! [:)]

[Gribeauval]

This update looks great. The game will be very different.


Will the player have to pay to get this v2.0 update or will it be free ?

You have updated the AI to allow bridgebuilding, but will it be able to use helos and amphibious units in Middle-East game ?

Thanks for your work.

[Crossroads]

Hello Gribeauval

As you note Bridgebuilding AI is now set for most part My personal guess is Helo (and Amphibious ) AI will be touch and go whether they make the deadline, or go first into Vietnam and are then available as an UPDATE to CSME 2.0. Fingers crossed, but no promises!

CSME 2.0 is a free update to those who own the previous version.

[Crossroads]

I recall there was a Wish List item earlier to support the b/w Mod of Mike's 2D unit profiles into the CSME 2.0 zoom levels.

Here they are, as in the new 2D Zoom-In view:

[Crossroads]

Testing firing some Flares with the latest build:

2D


3D

[Crossroads]

^A neat detail: the radius illuminated is depicted using day tiles, while everything else remains midnight blue.