News from the CC5 Front

Sorry I was away for a bit, but reality hit hard the last few weeks along with the board crash.

All is settling down again, and I hope that I can post here more frequently and spend a little more time on TS.

News from the CC5 front:
We have a new recruit. His handle was "DeathChain" on Gamespy. His MSN ID is
manuel_sorrentino@hotmail.com

Please add him to MSN and try to get a game with him.
He's a pretty fiesty player.

Manuel is in the Royal Marines and so he is not always around, but I've found him to be a pleasant conversationalist and an agressive player.

I am still in contact with the AA clan about a clan war and hope to work out the details soon. Our not having a board hurt in that area. I will be speaking with AA Bjorn about what mod, although Meuse 3.3 seems to be the one we are leaning towards at the moment.

New Mods Report:
The Stalingrad mod is being worked on still. The data is done, but the problem lay in the strategic map. It is not dead, but the problem is complex.

BOB seems to be very enjoyable and is availalbe for DL at CSO and CC5 series site.

Utah Mod is still being tweaked. I have talked to Dima a great deal about this mod and am looking forward to it being in a plug in.

Finally.....I am writing a mod also. I've been workin on the data.
What I plan to do is to first just change some of the STOCK game by changing some of the teams formations and some of the data.
Mostly, I will be doing this as a trial run to see if I can get the teams the way I like them and to learn a bit more than I know.

After that is done, and the data is the killer, I will take much of the data that I've made and use it to make a Mod either on the Drive to St. Lo or Operation Cobra. Regardless I think the name of the mod will be "Beyond the Beaches" and will concern itself only with the US sector.

I plan on NOT using many new maps, but will instead use some of the CC3 West Front maps, which are wonderful for small fights and try to layer them into a strategic map. I have found that most map makers are rather busy and are not willing to work with a novice modder such as myself.

Here are the changes that I've done thus far, and I've only just scratched the surface. Again these changes are to the BASE game only. Furthermore, US teams have only been changed.

Force Pool Changes:
Lowered the number of Company HQs by 67%
Created a new team, Platoon HQ. Similar to Command Squad but four man and a bit less experience.
Increased the numbers in most squads from seven to eight. Most teams have had a rifleman added.
Added two new teams Infantry (AT) Squad and Infantry (AT) Squad (ABN)
A rifle squad that has a bazooka crew inherently attached. Have give it four teams at line level.
MG Rifle Squad (ABN) Airborned units did NOT use BAR rifles. They instead would attach 30 cal MG to the squad and make them part of the unit. This is an eight man squad with a two man 30 cal MG attached.
Made mortars fire as batteries.
60 mm mortars have three tubes and a seven man team with one assistant leader
81 mm mortars are seven many teams with two tubes and an asst leader.
I reduced the number of teams available by a significant amount.
Eliminated 81 mm mortar from Airborne initial deploy but made some available at reinforcement.
Eliminated Howitzers, AT GUNS along with the 81mm mortars. These are available after reinforcement. Elimnaed tank support from Airborne until they reinforce.
Reduced the ABN Command Squad by 67% and added more platoon leaders.
Eliminated flamethrowers from ABN Assault team but added demo charges.
Created a Pathfinder team. Five man team with a Commander, Leader, AST leader and two rifleman. SO it is a cross of a Command and recon unit.
Differentiated experience between the 82nd (level 4 and 5) and 101st (level 3 and 4)
Constructed AD Hoc units to show the intermingling of combat commands. Similar to half squad but with reduced EXP (82nd is 4 and 101 is 3 to show their unfamiliarity with each other)
Signficantly improved the Firepower of Line Assault teams. Changed to eight men and added a Thompson and Demo Charge.
Constructed a BAR team, two BARS and a Leader as a support team.



To be done:
Adding Hawkins mines and Gammon bombs to ABN units.
Decreasing the blind firing of mortars
Finishing creation of a heavy recon team equipped with Bazooka
Fix vehicle elements for tracked vehicles and guns to make them less vulnerable to mortar fire.
Increasing the firepower in air strikes from one plane to two planes. Also am adding more modules of air support.

German changes as of now: Most of this is in the process phase.

Fixed error in PAK 35 gun that stops it from firing at deployment.
Removal on Ahistorical units from this mod including.
Significant decrease in the number of MG 42 and Panzerschrecks. Few of the units had MG 42s in the Western Front. The MG 34 was still the basic unit MG.
Most units, particularly SS did NOT use Panzerschrecks. SS units used Panzerfausts much more than schrecks. Some units did have them, but they were not as common as reported.
Increased most German squads to 8 men by adding MG 34 to many squads and Panzerfausts to some others as inherent squad level weapon.
Total restructure of the static units, particularly the OST units.
Incrased the penetration power of th PAK 40 and PAK 43. These weapons were DEADLY to Allied tanks.
Restructuring of the VI FJ Regiment to show a more historic composition with regard to its soldiers.
Changing German Mortar Barrages to increase the number of support modules allowed per day.
Adding Artillery Observers with a battery of four 88 guns to fire in support role.
Elimination of all the heavy armor from German battlegroups, but am adding more French Light tanks and STUG's.


For the New Mod, which will be forever some new units will be in place for the Germans and Americans.
The "Sexy" German units that will be added will be:
Panzer Lehr Division
II FJ Division
2nd SS "Das Reich"

I will be borrowing from other mods also. For sounds I believe I will be going with the Bloody Omaha Sounds as the SAS sounds cause many problems with lock ups.

I will be adding the uniform and vehicle upgrades from other mods, not sure which one.

I will be adding the Ranking Mod.

I'm "HOPING" to have the rewrite of teh BASE game ready for Beta testing by the Summer and will need some playtesters.


I anticipate working on the full Mod this summer. Since I will NOT be adding new maps, and since I AM obsessive compulsive with some things I "hope" to have a beta for "Beyond The Beaches" done by Summer's end.

IF you have any modding experience and wish to help me, please let me know.

KG Wiking


_________________
Come with me and I will show you where the Crosses of Iron grow.
Sgt. Steiner