Combat Mission Red Thunder DEMO released

[SgtRock]

http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=332&Itemid=572

[Rayfer]

Great game....the excellent quick battles feature makes it for me.

[RooksBailey]

http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=332&Itemid=572

Thank heaven!  I've been waiting for this.  I haven't heard a bad thing about RT, but I am sooo sick of getting burned by games these past few months that I just thought I'd better wait for a demo JUST IN CASE.  Tired of throwing my money out....

[JudgeDredd]

Oh bloody hell  ::)

[skeptical.platypus]

Thanks much for posting!

[JudgeDredd]

Played one of the battles last night. It actually felt better than I thought it would and played well. I definitely prefer it to bocage!

However - as soon as I pop my tanks open so they aren't blind, the guy dies. I mean IMMEDIATELY on opening up and coming under fire. Didn't matter if it was from a single shot rifle or an MG34...open hatch + gunfire = instant death!

But - it did play well...so I might just jump.

I felt myself looking for a "follow" command. The game needs a follow command.

[Rayfer]

JD...hadn't thought of it, but you're right, a follow command would be useful.

[JudgeDredd]

I guess a click and drag to select and then move is similar.

It just occurred to me...a follow command.

I do think I will be getting this. It really did play well and I'm getting no use out of the Normandy game - the bocage is just too frustrating for me.

[sandman2575]

However - as soon as I pop my tanks open so they aren't blind, the guy dies. I mean IMMEDIATELY on opening up and coming under fire. Didn't matter if it was from a single shot rifle or an MG34...open hatch + gunfire = instant death!

This bugs me as well.  I find it hard to believe that unbuttoning was quite so lethal IRL as it is in the CM games.  I mean, what tank commander in his right mind would ever pop the hatch if it meant there was a *very high* probability that he would be injured or killed?  That's how it feels in CM -- if you stay unbuttoned, you're asking for death.  And the AI is way too slow to respond -- I have unbuttoned commanders sitting blithely through fire fights, rounds bouncing off their turrets all around them, as I bite my nails and wait for the 1-minute WEGO round to end.  Button up, dammit!  Too late...

Anyway, I don't think this is unique to RT -- I get it in all the CM installments. 


That said, I think RT is a lot of fun.  I also am not a big fan of bocage fighting, which is why I vastly prefer Fortress Italy to Normandy -- and now Red Thunder as well.

[Sir Slash]

Just got my copy of CMRT yesterday and the very first turn of the first scenario I play, I lose 2 AC's and a HT. Some things about the game never change

[Zulu1966]

However - as soon as I pop my tanks open so they aren't blind, the guy dies. I mean IMMEDIATELY on opening up and coming under fire. Didn't matter if it was from a single shot rifle or an MG34...open hatch + gunfire = instant death!

This bugs me as well.  I find it hard to believe that unbuttoning was quite so lethal IRL as it is in the CM games.  I mean, what tank commander in his right mind would ever pop the hatch if it meant there was a *very high* probability that he would be injured or killed?  That's how it feels in CM -- if you stay unbuttoned, you're asking for death.  And the AI is way too slow to respond -- I have unbuttoned commanders sitting blithely through fire fights, rounds bouncing off their turrets all around them, as I bite my nails and wait for the 1-minute WEGO round to end.  Button up, dammit!  Too late...

Anyway, I don't think this is unique to RT -- I get it in all the CM installments. 


That said, I think RT is a lot of fun.  I also am not a big fan of bocage fighting, which is why I vastly prefer Fortress Italy to Normandy -- and now Red Thunder as well.

Well, if I recall correctly, it was israeli policy that tanks fought unbuttoned, and their tank commander casualties were extraordinarily high. During the battle of Suez in one engagement 24 israeli tanks were attacked by small arms fire and 20 TCs were killed or wounded in minutes.

In the battle for the Golan heights 60 per cent of casualties in armoured brigades were tank commanders exposed in their unbuttoned hatches.

It may be overstated in cm or it may be not. At the end of the day tanks were built as iron boxes for a reason.

[sandman2575]

I have no doubt that unbuttoning *could* be very dangerous, and that many a WW2 tank commander died or was seriously wounded while unbuttoned.  What bugs me about CMx2 though is the seeming laser pin-point precision with which sharpshooters seem to pick off unbuttoned commanders from some distance, in situations where the tanks haven't even engaged enemies yet.  Should a tank commander probably button up when the shooting starts?  Sure.  But should a tank commander be in mortal danger just by surveying the battlefield, before combat has been joined?  I'd say no, but that's not really how CM sees it.  About 30 minutes into pretty much any mission, I shuffle through my tanks and HTs, and invariably see crew members killed or wounded because they were unbuttoned. 

In short, it's just a matter of casualty frequency.  It just seems too dangerous in CM to unbutton.  It should be dangerous, but not something you're constantly wondering from one turn interval to the next, "Is it too risky to keep my tank commander unbuttoned for the next 60 seconds?"

[Con]

I guess a click and drag to select and then move is similar.

It just occurred to me...a follow command.

I do think I will be getting this. It really did play well and I'm getting no use out of the Normandy game - the bocage is just too frustrating for me.

You should think about getting Market Garden

I just finished playing a PBEM game of the Eerde Sand Dunes What If and I have not had such a nail biter of a game in years.  Paratroops in  open country against all sorts of mixed bag of ad hoc German Infantry and Armor.  Very big flat maps for Holland makes you wish for bocage as your guys are picked off from miles away.

Con

[Boggit]

Hi guys! I've just had sight of the press release today, which hopefully will give you a little extra info over what Sgt Rock has already  thoughtfully posted! :)

Combat Mission Red Thunder DEMO       


Monday, 19 May 2014

This completely free demo of COMBAT MISSION: RED THUNDER is available for both the PC and Mac OS X platforms. This free demo version contains limited functionality and content intended to showcase the full version of the game, which can be purchased at www.battlefront.com.

Demo version limitations:
two playable scenarios: Tankovyi Desant and Monster Mash
QuickBattles are disabled (but the QB setup screen is visible)
multiplayer modes (PBEM/TCP) are fully enabled
the Scenario Editor is enabled and fully functional, but it will not allow you to purchase units, load, or save any maps
contains nag screens during launch end exit of the demo.


Download Links (Windows PC) ~684 MB
https://battlefront.sharefile.com/d/s68fe4744cbb4e01a

DOWNLOAD LINKS (MAC OS X) ~1025 MB
https://battlefront.sharefile.com/d/sb1f273d00c04dc7b

Combat Mission: Red Thunder DEMO v1.00 README

GAME MANUALS:

Included with this demo is a pdf version of the manual. You will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader in order view these manual. That program is free and can be downloaded from Adobe's website here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
INSTALLATION LOCATION (PC ONLY)

The demo installs its main game files into a location on your hard drive(s) of your choice. Default is the "Program Files" directory. The files written into this location are typically not user-editable. User data, such as preferences, hotkeys, save games and PBEM files, custom scenarios, and mods, are located inside your My Documents folder, under "{userdocs}\Battlefront\Combat Mission\Red Thunder Demo\". You can influence the location by editing your Windows settings for where the My Documents folder is located.

ADMINISTRATOR PRIVILEGES (PC VERSION ONLY)

The game does not require "elevated privileges" (e.g. "Run as admin") under Windows. Note that if you install and launch the game with elevated permissions anyway, you will be required to ALWAYS run the game with these elevated permissions from then on. For more information about "elevated privileges", please see the Microsoft Windows manual for UAC (User Account Control).

"VIRTUAL MACHINES", PROCESS MONITORS AND DEBUGGERS

The game does not run in a Virtual Machine environment, or even if you have partial virtualization enabled (e.g. the Kaspersky Virtual Keyboard). It will also refuse to run if you have various intrusive process monitors or debuggers running at the same time.

MULTIPLE USERS

Please note that the game will usually only run for the User Account that installed and launched it for the first time. If you would like to run the game on multiple accounts, changes to your Account Control will be necessary.

CHANGING GAME RESOLUTION:

By default, the first time the game is launched, the games internal resolution and refresh rate are set to whatever your desktop display is currently set to. We have added two ways to make adjustments to this settings.

From inside the game, go to the Main Menu, then select the Options panel. From there you can select the game to run at the following resolutions:

Desktop = (the game will run at whatever resolution your desktop is set to)
1024x768
1152x864
1280x960

If you want to run the game in a resolution and refresh rate not listed, you can manually configure these settings by editing the "display size.txt" file located in your game directory. Simply change the numbers that you see there with the width (in pixels) and height (in pixels) and refresh rate (in Hertz) you wish to run the game.

Example: For 1440x900 at 75Hz refresh rate, you would delete the numbers in that file and replace with "1440 900 75" (without quotes).

If you put in all zeroes example: 0 0 0, the game will revert to using your desktop resolution and refresh rate.

Exercise caution and only use a resolution and refresh rate supported by your monitor as damage to your monitor or display adaptor could occur, especially if you use too high a setting.

MULTIPLAYER INFO:

Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy uses the UDP and TCP port 7023 for all multiplayer games. If you are trying to HOST a TCP-IP game make sure and open port 7023 for both UDP and TCP traffic.

BATTLEFRONT.COM INTERNET BROWSER COMMUNITY TOOLBAR:

This new game demo includes the optional install of a new, and we think, exciting tool. This tool seamlessly attaches to your internet browser (most of the major browsers are supported) and gives you instant access to Battlefront.com game news, patches, demos, chat channel as well as other popular browser toolbar *gadgets* such as realtime weather reports (unique to your hometown!), a spell checker and pop-up blocker, and MUCH more. Fully user configurable and expandable, your new Battlefront.com Community toolbar unlocks the full potential of your internet browser to keep you connected with the ever-growing world of Battlefront.com games and resources! You can find more details on this new free utility here: http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=388&Itemid=212

[Boggit]

For those of you who already have Red Thunder, you'll know Tankovyi Desant is already in the main scenario list. Monster Mash is a new scenario, and they've told me it's being put in the Battlefront Repository for you guys to pick up.. but give 'em a chance to add it! 8)

You'll eventually find it here. In the meantime there's plenty of great scenarios to pick up... :)

http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=314&func=select&id=60