Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm - Where did this come from?

[DeathTouchWilly]

Oh man those screenshots really make me want to fire up FPG. Keep up the good work, gentlemen!

[JudgeDredd]

What a shame ME was dropped. I totally fancied that!  :(

[Capn Darwin]

@Dredd,

Same here, but it did give us a major leg up in the game engine design. We will be able to leverage the FPC:RS code now if and when we head back into the Mid-East Theater. Also, nothing stopping a 3rd party effort to do some small ME style stuff with the new game.

[JudgeDredd]

Will there be an editor? Easily moddable? Middle East was a major plus for me...I love cold war but I love the ME conflict also.

Anyway, if it's easy enough to create scenarios then that may be a plus...but if it gave you a headache, I'm not sure what modders could do?

[Capn Darwin]

RS was built from the ground up to be a much more mod friendly game. Data is in spreadsheets. A good number of art and sound assets can be modified or replaced (or added to in some cases). In game scenario editor. In game campaign editor (linking a series of scenarios and setting up core forces, etc.). In game map values editing. Maps can be made using third party software and a paint program for sizing and scaling. We will have a modding guide to help the masses make stuff. We really want to have a thriving user generated content community this time.

We knock out scenarios for testing and such in a couple of minutes. Very easy to do. There are a number of ways to set the scenario up for different types of engagements. You can also go in an adjust certain values of units and even remove single squads or vehicles. There are setting for adjusting the training level, morale, ammo level, etc. Many, many, other things you can set, add or adjust.

[JudgeDredd]

Granted - and I get the "making it easy to mod" thing - it's cool and a definite good point.

I'm just disappointed ME was dropped (and I'm sure you and others involved were disappointed too when having to do so)...but my point was specifically about the Middle East.

If the developers can't make it - regardless how easy it is to create scenarios - how would modders be able to?

[Capn Darwin]

If all goes to plan, we should have our new forum later today in the "Coming Soon" section of the Matrix forums. I hope you all get a chance to stop in, check things out, ask a question or two or just take a look. Thanks!  8)

[panzerde]

Huzzah!  Really looking forward to this, and the forum will be a nice step forward.

[jomni]

Still no pure infantry s right?

[Jarhead0331]

Still no pure infantry s right?

Not true.  There will be separate infantry counters in this game.  At least, that is what I have been led to understand.

[RooksBailey]

According to Capn Darwin:

Infantry come in two flavors. Discreet leg units of many subtypes and mechanized infantry units, again of various types, with various types of carriers (APCs and IFVs). Individual squads are tracked for combat loss as are the carrier vehicles. We will make more information available in the new forum when it goes live.

Been checking to see if the new Matrix forum is up yet because this does sound like it is going to be a great wargame.  Reminds me of a new TACOPS (I never played Flashpoint: Germany, would this be off the mark?). 

[Capn Darwin]

magnus,

This initial release covers the 80s. The bulk of the scenarios and the campaigns with be 89 to match FPG's time period. We do plan on having other scenario in the time period and with the large number of maps and units and easy to mod formats I would think the User Generated Content will be aplenty.

Along with any support issues we will also be working on add on content for Red Storm. We want to get countries like Poland, East Germany, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, to name a few in the game with more official maps and scenarios too.  8)

[jomni]

Good to hear that we will have pure leg troops. Though
the lack of it in the original game did not bother me at all.

[Capn Darwin]

Some folks really did not like the abstraction of the infantry as weapons that only work when "dismounted". I think we have a better combat model with the discreet squads this time around and the infantry units have a number of characteristics in a fight that make them much tougher to kill of in heavy terrain. You always need to have trade offs in a game based on the scale of the system too. At 500 meters per hex, squads are right at the level tracking. Another issue is having an AI that can work well with the mechanics you need.

[bayonetbrant]

Hey everyone - watch for some more / dedicated forum space for this as it gets closer to launch.  Since we're fortunate enough to have one of the designers here among us, we're going to take advantage of it and put him to work talking about it!  :)