Combat Mission Shock Force 2From the dev, steve, posted 12/10/17
Now let's see, is there anything else to talk about? Well, there is the Alpha of Combat Mission Shock Force 2 we uploaded for testers yesterday. I suppose a few of you might be interested in it, so I'll take some time to do that.
Existing CMSF content compatibility?Yes, the long awaited conversion of CMSF (pre Engine 1) to Engine 4 is well under way. It's been in the works for more than a year already and, as expected, hasn't been quick or easy to do. Pretty much all the artwork has been overhauled, the TO&E had to be rebuilt VERY carefully, and lots of internal data was reconfigured to work with formats which have changed multiple times over the years. Most importantly, Charles had to delicately code Engine 4 to understand the old scenario file format so everything that was made for CMSF1 works without modification in CMSF2. Thankfully Charles figured out how to make that happen, otherwise we'd not be having this discussion right now. Continuity with previous content was a deal maker/breaker feature.
Now that testers have the Alpha in hand they can start the lengthy process of going over all the original CMSF content to make sure it works with Engine 4. Then they will work on playtesting to ensure advances in the game environment haven't upset the balance of play. No doubt most scenarios will require quite a bit of tweaking.
Current conflict?When all is said and done CMSF2 will look and feel like all the other CM2 games, except with the unique CM2 content. The game content, in case you are wondering, will not be updated to reflect the civil war that erupted in Syria after CMSF1's release. We also have no plans, immediate or long term, to expand CMSF2 to other potential arid environments.
When?OK, so when can you get a hold of it? Not until early 2018, which will include the Base Game and all three Modules at one time. When can you see something from CMSF2? Way sooner than that. We just have to, uhm, finish rounding off some rough corners first.
Price?You will also want to know that Battlefront appreciates the support and dedication of CMSF customers over the past 10 years. Especially in the first year when we all worked together to make the game engine solid enough to expand upon. Since nothing shows appreciation better than discounts, we're offering discounts
The specifics will be announced as we get closer to release, but for sure it will be far less than theoretical $165 it normally costs to purchase a brand new Base Game ($60) and three $35 Modules. Though I do know for sure the discount price will be a bit more than a $10 Upgrade
There you go... I've officially broken in the new Forum!
Steve