So, I've just started a playthrough of Close Combat 3 The Russian Front on my youtube channel. I'm a seasoned veteran of the series, and will be playing through it on the hardest difficulty. I'll try to offer up some tips and knowledge as we move along through the episodes!
This is my favourite CC game of all times, mainly due to the roster system, and the fact that you follow only one army group (your own) through the war, that you can modify, upgrade and replace the composition of as you move along. This is something I wish more CC games would do, as it really gets you more connected to your units.
Early on you will, as the Germans, be up against fairly weak Russian forces, but as the campaign progresses, this will, as it did historically, be switched around slowly but surely. Should you choose to play as the Russians, obviously the opposite would be true. In my eyes, this game is truly a gem, and no other CC game has had the same thrilling core mechanics to it since. Unfortunately. Numerous improvements have been made in the franchise, but this always has been, and always will be my favourite. Unless of course they take what really worked with this game and implement it in newer ones of course, but the way thing have been going with the franchise lately, gameplay-wise, I don't see that happening, and I see them continuing down a downhill slope. At least subjectively from my standpoint.
Either way! The first episode is linked below!
The rest can be found on my youtube channel, in the Close Combat Playthroughs playlist section.
Hope you'll find it a decent watch, if you choose to check it out - and have a good one!
I played this game to death when it first came out. Unfortunately I don't see it on Steam so I'll relive it through your channel.
^you can get it on gog.
I thought cross of iron was the same game but improved? Still on matrix
Quote from: demjansk1942 on November 28, 2021, 11:09:08 AM
I thought cross of iron was the same game but improved? Still on matrix
It is -- also on Steam, where it's currently 76% off for the autumn sale until Wednesday. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1367320/Close_Combat_Cross_of_Iron/ (basically 10 bucks).
I'm certainly glad to see the DAR series, no complaints! :bd: But I'm curious why the older version. ???
somewhere on this website, http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/index.php is my overhauled grand campaign for CC3.
I also recommend getting the Real Red mod as it just makes the game better in every detail.
http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/modules.php?name=Downloads&cid=84
Quote from: KyzBP on November 28, 2021, 09:20:33 AM
I played this game to death when it first came out. Unfortunately I don't see it on Steam so I'll relive it through your channel.
I wanted to tell you that you can get the Cross of Iron edition on steam and/or GOG.com, among other places - also The Russian Front is available at a lower price included in a bundle I believe on GOG. But apparently I was beaten to it :P
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on November 28, 2021, 12:17:50 PM
somewhere on this website, http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/index.php is my overhauled grand campaign for CC3.
I also recommend getting the Real Red mod as it just makes the game better in every detail.
http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/modules.php?name=Downloads&cid=84
I've actually been looking into some mods for more CC3 playthroughs in the future, and Real Red seemed from the description pretty interesting. I'm just wondering - does it add more units, or replace the units already in the game with new ones? I'll most likely post up some youtube videos of either of the mods you mentioned here in the future, and I'm looking forward to it! :) I also want to get into the Greece and Italian mods and give them a try as well. As I stated in my opening post - the roster system of CC3 is simply sublime. So more CC gaming with that available will be an enjoyable experience!
While I never got around to modding the CC games, I recall seeing in passing (while looking through mod lists at the time) CC3 having the most available even after CC5 had come and gone. (This was before the Matrix remake/updates started coming.)
...and I bought it. ;)
Quote from: JasonPratt on November 28, 2021, 04:22:15 PM
While I never got around to modding the CC games, I recall seeing in passing (while looking through mod lists at the time) CC3 having the most available even after CC5 had come and gone. (This was before the Matrix remake/updates started coming.)
Yeah, there is indeed quite a few out there! I've tried a few, and the ones I've dabbled in have all been pretty good fun to mess around with!
Quote from: KyzBP on November 28, 2021, 05:05:24 PM
...and I bought it. ;)
A good choice, I would say! :) Which version of it did you go for, and where did you purchase it, if I may ask out of curiosity?
Quote from: KyzBP on November 28, 2021, 05:05:24 PM
...and I bought it. ;)
A good choice, I would say! :) Which version of it did you go for, and where did you purchase it, if I may ask out of curiosity?
[/quote]
I went with the Cross of Iron on Steam. I had no idea they renamed the game. Thanks for the motivation!
My pleasure! :) It is truly a gem of a game!
This is probably the close combat game that gave me the most memories of close combat. The others were great but this one had a campaign that made me "collect" and therefore get attached to units and not losing them.
Exactly! It is the single thing in this game that has made me come back to this game time and time again, rather than other close combat games! I really wish they would implement this in a new title they make, as it is simply the bee's knees... I don't feel attached to a single soldier in the newer ones. It's just some randomized squads of varying size/weaponry without any coherent structure to it, more so the newer the game, and I really dislike that they've gone this direction. :'(
People were upset that CC3 was unrealistic letting a commander choose what re-enforcements he\she got attached and that he\she could continue to collect and build a superforce in this way.
I'm upset that people got upset over this! :P
I mean, you can still pick and choose in the newer versions of the game. Heck, you can even pick and choose what your enemy will be fielding! It's kinda the same, but different in a worse way, in my subjective opinion. You have different pools for different battle groups, but you can still put together fairly OP forces, and if you so please, downgrade the enemy to a bunch of bazooka teams and just not bring any tanks yourself, for instance. I don't know. They really nailed it in CC3 I think, instead of moving away from that system, they could have tuned it to perfection. Even separate battle groups could have their separate roster to manage in this way, and if they did it this way, I think the modern iterations of the game would be much better. I'd take this interesting roster system over improved graphics and sounds any day of the week myself. :/
QuoteI'm just wondering - does it add more units, or replace the units already in the game with new ones?
it does both and tweeks data for units. it was the most common used mod and in all honesty should have been an official patch.
Quote from: TheFjordFox on November 28, 2021, 09:11:59 PM
I'm upset that people got upset over this! :P
I mean, you can still pick and choose in the newer versions of the game. Heck, you can even pick and choose what your enemy will be fielding! It's kinda the same, but different in a worse way, in my subjective opinion. You have different pools for different battle groups, but you can still put together fairly OP forces, and if you so please, downgrade the enemy to a bunch of bazooka teams and just not bring any tanks yourself, for instance. I don't know. They really nailed it in CC3 I think, instead of moving away from that system, they could have tuned it to perfection. Even separate battle groups could have their separate roster to manage in this way, and if they did it this way, I think the modern iterations of the game would be much better. I'd take this interesting roster system over improved graphics and sounds any day of the week myself. :/
It's part of the reason steel division 2 skirmish with friends appeals to me. Because I can customise my own battlegroups, but within historical reason.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on November 28, 2021, 09:29:17 PM
QuoteI'm just wondering - does it add more units, or replace the units already in the game with new ones?
it does both and tweeks data for units. it was the most common used mod and in all honesty should have been an official patch.
Nice, I'll definitely have to look into that once I finish with my playthrough! Thanks for letting me know!
Quote from: Destraex on November 28, 2021, 11:40:57 PM
It's part of the reason steel division 2 skirmish with friends appeals to me. Because I can customise my own battlegroups, but within historical reason.
O0 :smitten:
Picked it up on Steam! Used to own this, great to see it on sale.