Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War News

[p]Hello Commanders![/p][p]Today we’re going to take a closer look at the at the improvements we have made in Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War’s (FCCW) SOP system from Flashpoint Campaigns: Southern Storm (FCSS).[/p][p]Just in case you’re new to the term SOP, it stands for Standard Operating Procedure. In the context of Flashpoint Campaigns (FC) it is how units react under a given set of conditions. As a bit of history, before FCSS (in Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm) the SOP was determined by the type of order a unit received and was not adjustable. In FCSS we changed that to have user defined SOP behavior. This could be adjusted for all orders or on an individual order basis. Later in development we added presets that could make setting the SOP even faster.[/p][p]With some background established, let’s look at the changes made in FCCW. SOP presented a number of challenges for players, new and old. Some players found them incomprehensible with a bunch of levers and buttons that had no clear consequence. Other players found them tedious to interact with, taking too long to get to the part of the game they found most enjoyable. Many found the enemy AI to be using SOP settings that were non-ideal, resulting in too easy challenges in scenarios.[/p][p][/p][p]Figure 1: FCSS SOP Manager[/p][p][/p][p]Figure 2: FCCW SOP Manager[/p][p]It doesn’t take long to spot that there is a lot that has changed. The scope preset at the top has been replaced with a much more straightforward list of orders on the left hand side. This makes for faster one click switching between which order we want to edit the SOP of. The starting selection is now the current order instead of the Default SOP (the SOP settings which every newly issued order will clone). Those handy presets we added later in FCSS? Now fully available as a quick dropdown you can select from right at the top of the Manager. The multiple apply buttons are now replaced with a single apply button and checkboxes to select which things you want to modify. Some background color helps to break up the form and make it easier to read. And if any piece of it is confusing, there are now mouseover tooltips explaining each piece of the form.[/p][p][/p][p]Figure 3: FCCW R&R Form[/p][p]One of the things we did to make the SOP form smaller was to remove the R&R settings which don’t really need to be set on each order into their own form. Since we were doing this though we could also take the opportunity to give players greater control on which ammo types are important to them. Don’t think the chaingun ammo on your Bradleys are important? Uncheck it! Think smoke rounds for your artillery is cool, but don’t want your artillery stopping to reload because you ran out? Uncheck it! Tired of your infantry running out of grenades and not getting more? Check that![/p][p]We did remove the ambiguous Tactical Initiative value from the SOP Manager. It was having a fairly small impact that wasn’t terribly clear to players and could have unanticipated effects for players on the battle.[/p][p][/p][p]Figure 4: FCCW SOP Overview[/p][p]Up til now, we’ve just looked at things that help players do things the old way. And that’s important, but how can we get to hitting that Start button faster where the bullets start flying? First is fairly simple for players: have every unit in the game start with a decent Default SOP setting. Our scenario designers and editors have gone through every unit in every scenario and set the SOPs to something that makes sense for those units to complete the most likely mission the players will want them to complete. That might be one of the SOP Presets exactly, one with slight variations, or even one with lots of adjustments.[/p][p]But what if you don’t like where we started you off? Introducing the SOP Overview tab. You can find this in the incredibly useful Operations window. It will list every unit under your command with the settings they are currently given. You can use this to inspect your force at a glance and upon spotting something you want to change, simply right click the unit icon and make whatever changes you would like.[/p][p][/p][p]Figure 5: FCCW Unit Right Click Menu[/p][p]Later in FCSS we added those presets, and they are still here, but now we automatically filter them down in the right click menu to just the ones relevant to your current unit selection. All the others are still there if you want, you can grab them through the dropdown menu at the top of the game window.[/p][p][/p][p]Figure 6: FCCW Unit Dashboard SOP Summary[/p][p][/p][p]Figure 7: FCCW Unit Dashboard SOP Detailed[/p][p]It's definitely easy for players to get lost in the wall of text that a SOP description can easily be. Or they might think that since we’re providing all of this information they have to be able to absorb and understand it immediately to be able to play the game. Both are bad. To address that, the description of a SOP in the Unit Dashboard has been compressed to just show the closest matching preset and the changes to that preset (if any). You can still pull up the full description with a single click by clicking on the name of the Preset in the Dashboard if you wish.[/p][p]I could probably spend lots more time talking about the many wonderful changes we’ve made to SOP settings and the presets, but we have to stop at some point, and now is as good a time as any. We’ve made a lot of changes that will hopefully address the various concerns of our veteran players and make it easier for new players to pick up the game and start playing.[/p][p][/p][p]Eagerly awaiting to share the awesome with you guys,
 - Kevin (SgtZdog)
   Programmer at On Target Simulations[/p]

[p][/p][h2]“This is what you’ve trained for, soldier!”[/h2][p]Do you ever get that feeling like the Cold War never ended? You will, after exploring over 100 vintage 1989 scenarios set in central Germany during an alternate reality when the Cold War went hot. Mobilized Warsaw Pact troops from the USSR, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Poland flood the inner German border. NATO forces including Belgium, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, West Germany and the United States scramble to put doctrine into action across over 60 map locations in Germany and France.[/p][p] [/p][p]To help with tracking the abundance of scenarios, forces, and units, developer On Target Simulations Ltd. is shipping an interactive version of the monumental Flashpoint Campaigns game manual. Outlined below is a sample from the professional-grade wargaming content you will experience in Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War. This wargame will inevitably become a cornerstone in your collection.[/p][p][/p][h2]Chronology of World War III[/h2][p][/p][p]Pundits of the day decided it would be the Politburo who would make the final order to commence a mutually assured destructive attack on the West. In the Flashpoint Campaigns timeline, it was an unexpected group of disgruntled Pact division commanders intent on reunification of Germany by decisive military action and not compromising political terms.[/p][p] Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War is undergoing a narrative overhaul to ensure all scenarios fit cohesively into a riveting storyline. Cold War solidifies what Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm started, Germany Reforged expanded and Southern Storm overhauled.[/p][h2]Who Will You Lead to Victory?[/h2][p]There are thousands of unit platforms across the 10 force nations in FC: Cold War.  Outlined below is the tip of the iceberg for types of platforms, featuring some of the most famous kit for each force.[/p][p]With 46 campaign scenarios and 59 standalone scenarios, you can equip a NATO or Warsaw Pact force and battle your way through their sectors. Choose which force to command at the battalion, regiment, brigade or division level:[/p][h3]NATO:[/h3][p][/p][p]West Germany:[/p][p]24 standalone scenarios[/p][p]“Fraenkische Sinfonie” Campaign (7 scenarios):[/p][p]Take command of Panzerbrigade 36 (PzBrig 36) as they defend Bavaria from the Warsaw Pact onslaught led by their East German counterparts. Equipped with formidable Leopard 2 main battle tanks, highly mobile mechanized infantry, anti-aircraft platforms, and flexible artillery support, PzBrig 36 is ready to engage NATO-doctrine maneuver warfare to defend their homeland.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]United Kingdom:[/p][p]7 standalone scenarios[/p][p]“The Rats in Europe” Campaign (4 scenarios)[/p][p]The British 7th Armoured Brigade is bearing the brunt of the Soviet 3rd Shock Army pouring across the plains of the British I Corps sector in central Germany. The famed “Desert Rats” screening force responds to delay the Soviet forces long enough for the remainder of the Corps to deploy into their General Defense Positions (GDP). The British forces constitute orders of battle for I Corps, British Army of the Rhine mechanized and armoured brigades, including Territorial Army reinforcements. Scorpions and Scimitars are ready to make contact and delay enemy forces, while mechanized infantry maneuver to defensive positions in their FV432, and the mighty Chieftain and Challenger tanks on overwatch are ready to put a stop to the Warsaw Pact advance.[/p][p][/p][p]United States:[/p][p]26 standalone scenarios[/p][p]“Big Red One” Campaign (5 scenarios)[/p][p]The storied United States Army’s 1st Infantry Division “The Big Red One” mobilize from their barracks and deploy along the defensive lines to thwart advancing Soviet forces. As the overwhelming enemy stages their advance, the US force must strategically withdraw to absorb and counter the blows. Deploy the nimble 4th Cavalry to delay while you prepare the full arsenal of Army assets at your disposal, including AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, M1A1 Abrams, M270 MLRS and M1 Bradley IFV’s.[/p][p] [/p][p]“Stop Gap” Campaign (4 scenarios)[/p][p]The speed of the Soviet 1st Guards Tank Army (1 GTA) has caught everyone by surprise, including the 3rd Brigade of the US 3rd Armored Division. The “Spearhead” battalions are moving into their defensive positions, to adapt and overcome an early Soviet breakthrough attempt. Prepare your Abrams with interlocking kill zones, dig in your infantry and get ready for the onslaught.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]France:[/p][p]6 standalone scenarios[/p][p]“Épilogue” Campaign (4 scenarios)[/p][p]As the Soviet 1st Tank Army achieved a deep breakthrough penetration towards the French-German border, the French Army’s 1re Division Blindée maneuvers into screening positions. Your objective is to delay the incoming Soviet forces to allow NATO time to bring up reserves and conduct a counter-attack. You will need to trade terrain for time and consider force preservation to avoid another disastrous gap in the defence line. At your disposal are some of the fastest tanks, the AMX-30, yet they are fragile. Mechanized infantry are equipped to pack a punch with anti-armour capabilities, and the air support including Mirage aircraft are at the ready.[/p][p][/p][p]Canada:[/p][p]4 standalone scenarios[/p][p]“Opportunity Knocks” Campaign (4 scenarios)[/p][p]You will be leading the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI) whose planned rotation back to Canada last year was delayed while tensions were growing in Europe. The battalion is tasked with blocking Soviet forces, with the aim to set up conditions for a counter-attack to destroy Soviet forces south of Stuttgart. The 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade is ready to reinforce the defensive lines with disciplined mechanized infantry riding in M113’s, led by Lynx reconnaissance vehicles, and backed up with Leopard C1 tanks. Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets are also fueling up for air strikes to support the troops testing their mettle below.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Belgium:[/p][p]4 standalone scenarios[/p][p]For the third time in the 20th-century, Belgian sovereignty is threatened by an outside force. Thankfully, the hub for NATO branches out from Brussels and Belgium willingly deploys its forces eastwards into Germany and absorbs the blow before a red wave can reach their land. True to the NATO maneuver doctrine, the Belgians are equipped with mechanized infantry, carried to the battle in AIFV-B-C25, and equipped with the highly effective MILAN II anti-tank guided missile systems. Their armoured menagerie is primarily the Leopard 1A5BE with reconnaissance support from the Scorpions and Scimitars.[/p][h3]Warsaw Pact:[/h3][p][/p][p]East Germany:[/p][p]10 standalone scenarios[/p][p]“Panzer Leader” Campaign (5 scenarios)[/p][p]Leading a thrust into the Hof Gap, towards the reunification of Germany under a Communist banner, the 7. Panzerdivision of the East German Army will first need to puncture the screening force of the US VII Corps’ cavalry units. Tank regiments leading the charge into the breach are equipped with swarms of T-72M tanks ready to punch a hole in the NATO lines for the BMP-1’s carrying mechanized infantry to exploit. Speed and aggression are the doctrine of the day.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Czechoslovakia:[/p][p]11 standalone scenarios[/p][p]“Leading the Way” Campaign (4 scenarios)[/p][p]Take command of the 49th Motor Rifle Regiment as the Czechoslovakians embark from their border with Bavaria. With the aim of capturing Nürnberg, your force will need to secure a crossing with the mighty Donau river and the tenacious West German defensive force. While your motorized infantry is abundant with their BVP-2 APC’s, your limited T-55AM2B tanks are regarded as second-rate to your more modern peers. Use the reconnaissance and artillery units at your disposal for an efficient and steady advance.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Soviet Union:[/p][p]36 standalone scenarios[/p][p]“We Fly To Work” Campaign (4 scenarios)[/p][p]The war started with a distant rumble of Soviet helicopters, rising to a crescendo over the inner border observation posts and landing to secure critical bridge crossings. This campaign offers the opportunity to command an air assault force that requires diligent transport planning and intelligent decision making to pull off the audacious invasion. Escorted by the emblematic Mi-24 Hind, the highly trained VDV troops packed into their Mi-8 helicopters will leapfrog across the battle space to confront West German, American and French defensive forces.[/p][p] [/p][p]“Red Hammer” Campaign (5 scenarios)[/p][p]As NATO expected, planned and trained for, the Fulda Gap and Hof Gap offensives initiated the invasion plan. What they didn’t know is that the primary Soviet force tasked with striking a fatal blow towards the West German capital of Bonn was quietly assembling. This campaign launches three days into the war and intends to exploit weakened NATO forces and their reserves. The 57th Guards Motor Rifle Division will flood the battle space with mighty T-80B1 tanks, infantry carried by BMP-1’s, all being backed up by the overwhelming 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery guns. Carry out the classic Soviet doctrine in an attempt to take the Rhine river within 7 days.[/p][p][/p][p]Poland:[/p][p]2 standalone scenarios[/p][p]The second echelon Polish mechanized divisions are reinforcing the invasion force a few days into the attack. Despite older tank variants like the T-55L being at the tip of their spear, the Polish forces also have the benefit of punishing RM-70 rocket artillery, and infantry carried into battle by the SKOT-2AM APC’s equipped with ATGM’s. Regardless, they will be a formidable opponent versus a worn down NATO defensive force.[/p][p][/p]