CM Red Thunder page is up

[MengJiao]

Up and running - still no email notice. In the editor looking at triggers now...

Blow one up for me.

[Redwolf]

Originally with CM2, didn't they say the playback files had become too large for on-line play? Can that still be true with 40- 100Mbps internet today?

Don't be silly.

Never mind the fact PBEM goes through the internet, too, and people then started using random upload sites for the PBEM moves. Obviously the willingness to transfer those large files was always there for the players.

[RyanE]

But back in in the initial release, that was Steve's reasoning for not doing it.  The largest file I ever saw in CMSF was 200Mb.

[Michael Dorosh]

Up and running - still no email notice. In the editor looking at triggers now...

Blow one up for me.

Does killing my own count?

I recall one of the features that was being talked up was the reporting of friendly casualties. They do seem to get reported, but they don't seem to persist. I was under the impression that you could review you OOB at the end of the game and take a count of losses, but there is no real difference as far as this goes. Casualties disappear from the map and interface just as they did before. The only difference I can spot is that they are reported as "casualty" in bright red letters temporarily in addition to their weapon/status changing to yellow. Unless I have configured my options incorrectly?

[Michael Dorosh]

I see the "mod tag" feature is now in the game, as discussed here:

http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=113355

Unfortunately, I don't see any documentation in either manual explaining how it works...or in the .txt README files. Unless I am searching for the wrong terms?

[Jarhead0331]

You guys have been blathering about this game incessantly over the last 4 months and now that it has finally come out, hardly a peep. That means one of two things...it's either really good and you're all too busy playing to talk, or it's really damn bad and you've thrown yourself off a bridge due to all the time you wasted here yapping about it...which is it? If you do not respond, I'll assume the worst.

[panzerde]

I'm enjoying it so far to the extent that I've played it. I spent most of today and last night in Steel Beasts multiplayer stuff, but did get a couple of hours in.

Most of the improvements I see are subtle stuff. Some UI changes, smoother animations (at least for me), and very, very different maps. There's not nearly as much cover out here on the steppe!

I haven't messed with the editor yet but Chelco has and he has a post up about it: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RealAndSimulatedWars/~3/bbjYwce1o3s/trigger-happy-new-trigger-system-in.html

[MengJiao]

You guys have been blathering about this game incessantly over the last 4 months and now that it has finally come out, hardly a peep. That means one of two things...it's either really good and you're all too busy playing to talk, or it's really damn bad and you've thrown yourself off a bridge due to all the time you wasted here yapping about it...which is it? If you do not respond, I'll assume the worst.

It seems to be fine.  It loads faster.  There are a lot of Russians.

[Michael Dorosh]

You guys have been blathering about this game incessantly over the last 4 months and now that it has finally come out, hardly a peep. That means one of two things...it's either really good and you're all too busy playing to talk, or it's really damn bad and you've thrown yourself off a bridge due to all the time you wasted here yapping about it...which is it? If you do not respond, I'll assume the worst.

I'm hoping my review will be online at another site, just putting the finishing touches before sending it to the editor...

A couple of quick battles under my belt, a few hours in the editor, submitted a couple of quick mods to the Repository (which is up and running for CM:RT already). One of the beta testers was in touch a few days ago and asked me for his thoughts on one of the release scenarios so I am going through that as well, possibly for a published AAR.

Was hoping someone could confirm whether or not there is any documentation regarding the mod tag feature - I don't see anything in the manuals or the read me files.

[Con]

Played a couple of battles so can only give you a superficial opinion (more like a flavor) of playing.

There are a lot of Russians.

I prefer the look of my modded CMBN t the stock graphics of CMRT.  I will be importing the grass packs and texture files as soon as they are available for CMRT.  There are a lot more Russian flavor objects that do give the game a more Eastern European feel for graphics.

The User Interface has been overhauled, I liked the old one better for visual appearance but the new one is a bit more intuitive and has several features I like such as highlighting the casualties.
You get lots of Russians....you need lots of Russians, expect the Ruskies to die like flies as opposed to CMBN where you are always husbanding your forces (Axis and Allies).
Russian Tanks are big and tough but I also have seen them do silly stuff such as rotating to present their rear to the enemy (the Commissar will not be pleased) but there is usually extenuating circumstances such as them being shot at.  It seems like it takes several hits from German armor to KO a Soviet tank

One nitpick I have is that there seems to be only a small set of scenarios with the game (I personally have only been playing some of the smaller sized ones as well).

Overall though is that it is an evolution of the series and I feel if you are a fan of CMBN you wont be disappointed (at least I am not).

"Ourrah pobieda!"

Con

[Redwolf]

You guys have been blathering about this game incessantly over the last 4 months and now that it has finally come out, hardly a peep. That means one of two things...it's either really good and you're all too busy playing to talk, or it's really damn bad and you've thrown yourself off a bridge due to all the time you wasted here yapping about it...which is it? If you do not respond, I'll assume the worst.

I find it a bit unengaging and not immersive.  I think it badly lacks the options for unit scaling (optical), to change tree cover and the like. I mean I am so happy to play against the Soviets again but I just never see them when playing the Germans.

[Yskonyn]

Try ALT-T to cycle between tree visibility.

[undercovergeek]

You guys have been blathering about this game incessantly over the last 4 months and now that it has finally come out, hardly a peep. That means one of two things...it's either really good and you're all too busy playing to talk, or it's really damn bad and you've thrown yourself off a bridge due to all the time you wasted here yapping about it...which is it? If you do not respond, I'll assume the worst.

I'm hoping my review will be online at another site, just putting the finishing touches before sending it to the editor...

A couple of quick battles under my belt, a few hours in the editor, submitted a couple of quick mods to the Repository (which is up and running for CM:RT already). One of the beta testers was in touch a few days ago and asked me for his thoughts on one of the release scenarios so I am going through that as well, possibly for a published AAR.

Was hoping someone could confirm whether or not there is any documentation regarding the mod tag feature - I don't see anything in the manuals or the read me files.

You have a review within 24hrs of release?  :o

[MikeGER]

...i found my first little test quite immersive... when the Flak suddenly start to engage air-targets ...and the effect of airpower choosing targets on its own. I came to the conclusion i will probably switch from RT to turnbased now... there is to much action and 'cute moments' to miss all at the same time

when i tried to explore the different UI settings (RTS and FPS) it somehow ruined the key bindings... (i am not the only one, it seems to be a little bug, when i checked the technical forum my game time substracted from RL on a Saturday in full swing was already used up ... will explore more today!  or i hope so ;))   

[Yskonyn]

The only thing I do find dissapointing in Red Thunder is the menu art. Loading screens do not show pictures from the war like CMBN does, but rather some game art renders.
Luckily this is easy to mod, but still. The looks of Red Thunder out of the box are much less 'professional' than CMBN in my view.
No biggie by any stretch, but just a thing of 'first impressions...' and all that. ;)

The gameplay is solid, though! Performance is much better in the new CM 3.0 engine! Animations more fluid and the new 'FPS camera mode' is pretty convenient.

Happy customer here!