Also: Revisions on the CS Unit Viewer (F3) community tool by ‘Arkady’ to use the new folder, data, and graphics formats now in Middle East 2.00
Enhancements
Implemented standard windowed application (no longer fixed full screen)
Implemented new Field Drab – Sand colour scheme for all windows, dialogs, and UI elements
Implemented new frontend User Interface
Implemented new in-game dialogs to replace many old dialogs
Revised the Extended Info (F2 Unit Handbook) dialog
Revised the in-game Scenario Information dialog
Implemented Campaign Series Event Engine
Extended Campaign Series Adaptive AI
Implemented new 3D Zoom Levels
Implemented new 2D Zoom Levels
Implemented new Night colour scheme for battles taking place during night turns
Implemented Recon Reveal
Implemented a bridge laying AI
Implemented new short cut keys
Added new NATO unit icons. There’s now 450+ unique symbols to depict the plethora of unit types in the game. Armored Tracked Amphibious Infantry Fighting Vehicle with Anti-Tank Guided Missiles? Check!
Added new Adaptive AI parameters
Added terrain feature: Major Canal
Added terrain feature: Canal
Added terrain feature: Major River
Added terrain feature: Major River (Shallow)
Added terrain feature: River
Added terrain feature: River (Shallow)
Added terrain feature: Produce Field
Renamed terrain feature: Field to Grain Field
Added terrain feature: Thicket
Added terrain feature: Colored Dirt
Added terrain feature: Airfield
Added terrain feature: Stream Join (hexside)
Added terrain feature: Minor River Join (hexside)
Added terrain feature: Water Block (hexside)
Implemented new game engine and map editor toolbars
Implemented new feature where the game engine, launched from the frontend, defaults to use non-encrypted data files for solo, Hot Seat & campaign play (while for PBEM and LAN Play, use of encrypted files still applies)
Implemented new 3D objective markers
Implemented Options – Unit List Position – Left/Right
Implemented Options – Hex Highlights – Hex Block
Implemented Options – 3D Unit Shadows (toggles unit shadow displays in 3D Map Modes)
Implemented Display – Terrain Combat Modifiers
Implemented Display – Concealment Modifiers
Implemented Display – Morale Modifiers
Implemented Display – Command Range now also display “(re)supply probability values
Implemented red, Special map labels
Map labels now display via Display > Labels (hot key `)
Implemented several Alt+# hot key variants, for international keyboards lacking some of the standard English-language punctuation keys
Implemented 3D unit graphics on 2D counters option
Maps are now specified by both Region and Biome
In the Map Editor toolbar, implemented a new functionality, RevCycleSel, for reverse cycling through the map selections
In Map Editor, implemented Terrain – Lock Terrain (L), for locking the current (Cycle) Selection value
Implemented the new Map Editor Display – Map Hints feature
Improved diagnostic logging
Implemented Statically linked EXEs; no longer dynamically linked, and no longer reliant on Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables to run
Graphics
New User Interface
New 3D Terrain Tiles
New 2D Terrain Tiles
New Night Combat colour scheme
Revised and improved 3D unit graphics for all countries
Revised 2D counters for all countries
Data
Updated Weapon.pdt file, revising existing information and adding new information for new units
Updated all Platoon##.oob files with additions and corrections
Scenarios
New Scenarios by Jason Petho:
Bootcamp 5 – Reconnaissance
New Scenarios by Petri Nieminen:
Crisis in Sirte 1985 Scenario Pack: 4 Head to Head and 4 vs-AI scenarios
New Scenarios by Alan R. Arvold (available in the mods folder):
Ode to October War: 19 scenarios, design notes
Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars: 60 scenarios, design notes
Ode to Divided Ground: 71 scenarios, design notes
Note: These scenarios are historically as accurate as contemporary sources allow them to be. However, these sets have not been through the rigorous BETA Brigade Playtesting phase, and as such the victory conditions are per original design assumption. Your feedback appreciated.
Other revisions
Revised all affected scenario/campaign maps with new Airfield terrain hex
Scenario Modifications to: All Scenarios
Scenario Modifications for Campaign Series Event Engine:
Bootcamp 1
Bootcamp 2
Bootcamp 3
Bootcamp 4
Bootcamp 5
Long Road Home
Teaching Set 1
Teaching Set 2
Teaching Set 3
Teaching Set 4
Teaching Set 5
Crisis in Sirte 1985 scenario pack (four H2H and four Side A scenarios)
Mods
Here are the mods included, in \mods folder, with CS: Middle East 2.00:
2D Black Unit Profiles (updated) – This is a 2D graphics modification that converts the coloured unit graphics to black silhouettes:
2D Board Game Mapboards (new) – This is a 2D graphics modification that converts the 2D mapboard terrain tiles with those with a classic board game type of texture, with Line-of-Sight dots in the middle of hexes, for instance:
2D Textured Mapboards (new) – This is a 2D graphics modification that converts the 2D mapboard terrain tiles with those with stronger textures. Looks more at par with 3D color scheme, and more lively all in all, but makes observing elevation changes more difficult:
3D Classic Unit Bases (new) – This modification brings back the classic button profiled 3D unit bases (stock with Middle East 1.02) with country insignias on them:
Alan R. Arvold’s Ode To Arab-Israeli Wars 2.0 (updated) – This modification by Alan R. Arvold introduces sixty Arab-Israeli Wars boardgame inspired scenarios with Design Notes to CS: Middle East game format. Now compliant with CSME 2.0.
Alan R. Arvold’s Ode to Divided Ground 2.0 (new) – This modification by Alan R. Arvold introduces a completely revised set of Divided Ground scenarios with Design Notes into CS: Middle East game format. Compliant with CSME 2.0.
Alan R. Arvold’s Ode to October War 2.0 (updated) – This modification by Alan R. Arvold introduces nineteen October War boardgame inspired scenarios with Design Notes to CS: Middle East game format. Now compliant with CSME 2.0.
Skip Intro Music – This modification by ‘harry_vdk’ replaces the music file playing during the scenario selection dialogs with an empty one. Silence it is.
Manual
The manual has been revised to 2.00 UPDATE standards. It has also been combed through; revising graphics and grammatical errors, in addition to incorporating comments from users (inclusion of 2D and 3D screenshots, for example). All new features have been added to the manual.
With Middle East 2.0 handed out to Matrix Games for its eventual release – and we’ll let you know of the date once we know; it’s a busy time of the year for Matrix! – it is time to start focusing again on the next game for the series…
Campaign Series: Vietnam is in the works, and has been for awhile.
One of the bigger tasks we took was to ensure the Campaign Series code base would support a number a games in itself. With a help of flags, compile switches, and what not, with which our programmer Berto seems to be totally at home with, each of the new feature we put into the game engine code will be available to all other games, either already in their initial version, or in the next UPDATE.
Vietnam for one will enjoy all the latest features developed to Middle East 2.0, for instance the dynamic recon feature will be there from the beginning. Also, CS Event Engine will be available to scenario designers from the word go.
There’s also new team member joining in for the effort, for instance David Galster is assisting us with research and scenario design. Rod Coles will continue to serve as an Advisor in all things Vietnam, while rest of the core Legion will join in too.
As for Campaign Series: Vietnam’s individual color scheme will go, things are centered around the Green Drab of the era, with the mandatory Olive Drab making an appearance as well.
There’s now also a screenshot from the latest BETA at the Gallery, have a look!
We’ll keep you posted as the game progresses. Our hope is to release Campaign Series: Vietnam in Summer 2018.
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