Just musing to myself

[-72-]

I would be up for some desert battle -although who knows ... I mean technically you can put anything at all in the background and still be a draft - noting that the backgrounds of this has dunes in it.

No idea about the uniforms -they sort of look out of place when considered next to the earlier war gear -especially the German. I doubt they used helmet netting in the desert ever, and well ... Australian involvement in North Africa is pretty near and dear to me now (as I imagine it would be for David as well, as anyone with family here at the time would have had someone there more than likely - and probably more than one.). I think in my own family there were at least 4 or 5 in various units and at various times ranging from Bardia in January 1941 through to El Alamein (plus I think probably iirc one was also in Syria in 1941 after having gotten out of Greece.).

Thing is though that the images represent such a broad range of period (even probably theater - since the helmet netting strike me as more Tunisia and probably Italian/Sicily than North Africa) ... but then there is that thing about the dunes and the Rolls Royce AC and the 2 pounder ... which basically say late 1940 early 1941 ... is there much of a game in Operation Compass? Maybe .... they definitely had an Indian unit there 0the 6th Australian replaced it when it was moved down to Ethiopia... South Africans? Not sure if they were involved in Compass .. I sort of tend to think they came by later on... also not sure about the Gurkhas - in fact off the top of my head I don't know where they were involved in NA -and they are definitely Gurkhas -not Kiwi's -the Kukri gives it away.

I think that ultimately when it comes to the Panzer Battles series as a whole, that its big strength will be in the diversity of situations that it will represent. Actually let me say this - since I got put on to doing other things I don't really have time for much gaming (or even adding to the SDC site) -so I might not even get to it then... but then again ...

Let's just say that this might be a western desert title (if not I imagine there would have to eventually be one on the drawing board anyway)... and far be if from me not to be cheeky when the opportunity is there.

David, you know if you go there you will have the expectations/anticipation of all Australia :no pressure, mate: ;) goodonya.

[ComradeP]

Unless I'm mistaken, the teasers would be for PB 3, as PB 2 is something Western Front-y, probably France '44 based on earlier teasers.

[Strela]

Unless I'm mistaken, the teasers would be for PB 3, as PB 2 is something Western Front-y, probably France '44 based on earlier teasers.

Ok, for complete clarity for all, I have shown some early placeholder art for PzB 3. No idea whether we will use any of this. For example the German is just the Kursk Infantry man with new desert 'colouring'! This title is very formative and has had little focus from any of us other than Mike Avanzini (OB guru).

For Trauth, if there are Anzac's we will do them proud and Gurkha's were present in the Med.

ComradeP, you will do your head in trying to work out which OB this particular view is from :)

To answer a few other questions, yes PzB 2 is Western Europe and has been confirmed as NOT being early war. Xaver, we are just testing a multi-day scenario to see if it will give the results you are suggesting.

As far as release, forget September. I'm hopeful it will be by the holidays, but it will be done when its done. As Richie said this is a bit of a monster title and there is a lot to do and test....

I will soon start posting some more teasers/info on PzB 2 as we get a little further along....

David

[ComradeP]

ComradeP, you will do your head in trying to work out which OB this particular view is from :)

I'd be disappointed if that were not the case ;)

I'm not entirely sure why, but I enjoy trying the puzzles of trying to find out what part of the world a certain screenshot shows, or what operation a certain game covers.

A, roughly, Holiday release (or Q1 2016-ish) sounds good. As the PzC design teams also keep on truckin', maybe we'll see two titles, one PzC and one PB, this year?

[-72-]

Hold the phone ... I spotted a Mark VI light tank on there ... and well let's just say I doubt that this one is going to be a single section of a battle -as there were no Mark VI's where there were Gurkhas and sand dune...

Intriguing...

[ComradeP]

Could be. The Gurkha's also puzzled me, but even though at the moment I can't find a Gurkha battalion that was fighting in the Western Desert in mid-late 1941, maybe there were still a company or two until the full battalions returned in 1942?

The game could very well cover multiple stages of the battle of Tobruk, for example, or that part of the desert. I would just be surprised if the game covered 2-3 years of operations. It would be neat, though.

[phoenix]

When you say 'forget september' and you're hopeful it will be by the holidays, Strela, you mean the Christmas holidays?

[Xaver]

Ummm i was thinking in september using my "maths for idontwantwaitmore" but if is soon wait until Mr HO HO HO arrives is not a great problem or we are talking about a summer release??? nothing like test and search bugs with 40º... and all inside

The point in a desert title is that they can cover all main battles (Tobruk, Gazala and El-Alamein... well we can add Tunis to but is more complex in time) in a map, they are in the small campaigns maps for PzC and if they are working in offer multi-days scen this is a good way to use all the options that maps can offer and maybe for "minor actions" they can play here a lot, units are more "exotic" with a less standar OOB and more smaller formations at company level, every unit is a world.

Yes, more leaks, nothing like a "mistery" to made our heads burn, a happy holiday asking "when is ready???" "when we can have the OOB PDF???" "yes, thanks for PzB2 info but... were is PzB3???"



PD: PzC, a new title... we are close to 3 years with no release and still Fanatic rule is not used and the poor japanese soldier is sad and feels alone

[SandySandie]

Gurkha's and early war tanks, has anybody thought about East Africa?

[ComradeP]

Yes, but there were no Germans there. The German icon is more or less a placeholder as Strela mentioned, though.

It could be an East Africa title, which would certainly be interesting, but I wonder if it would work commercially. Usually, the "safe" choices get picked first, which is presumably why the series starts with Kursk and probably something in France.