Wonder If Anyone Else Has Thoughts Like This?

[2-81 Armor]

I thought I'd throw this out there, and I do apologize ahead of time if it looks and sounds rambling and unorganized.

I've played and I have to admit, collected the PzC series from the start along with MC. I can't say that I've played any of them very much (either PBEM or solo) but I do enjoy using the editors and modding the map and unit graphics for my own use.

Some time ago I was looking at the map area covered by the newer France '40 scenarios, and thought to myself that this could be used for an enlarged Bulge scenario. Everything is there as far as terrain is concerned, and even though it was a pipe dream at best Antwerp could now be on map, along with most of the area covered by US 9th Army, British 21st Army Group, and German 15th Army.

Off and on I've toyed with this idea, but after some tinkering have decided it's impractical. The problems are (1): The scenario editor will not support any year date but 1940. (Not a big deal really, everyone knows 1940 in this case is 1944, but a problem would arise if a modded scenario went into January 1945 I think.) (2): To design and to play anything like this, you'd have to do a 2nd install of F'40, and then delete all of the stock graphics and OOB's along with the scenarios, and start from scratch. This is a lot of work, but can be done (I know from first hand experience). OOB's and graphics for units can be adapted from other titles as well.

So why impractical? Beyond the 2 issues above. Who would use or want to play such a thing? Also, who would want to create a 2nd install just to do so? There is also possibly the issue of copyrights. Even though everything done would be for private use, or if used by others not for profit, I worry about that.

There is also a third problem I think: That is it really takes more than one person to do anything designing even a sanctioned scenario using map editors and other tools not available to users. Who'd help anyway?

In the past I've also toyed with a backdated scenario for DF '85 (turning the clock back to the mid-late 1970's) and over I think maybe 6-7 years have put together a heap of research material and have even compiled OOB's for 1973, and 1976.
There is also a "new" map that a few testers for a brand new "Bolt Out of The Blue" scenario have. It's much enlarged, and fills in a lot of the blacked out areas on the original campaign map. Problem is I don't think I can use it without permission, and nobody I know of has heard from the Bolt designer since around November or so. (Does he or JTS/WDS "own" the map anyway?) That, and once again it would probably take more than one person to fully design such a scenario correctly anyway.

So, once again I'm just wondering if there are any other frustrated designers out there who like me have big ideas that have been put aside? I'd love to hear from you. Maybe we could swap stories, commiserate, and (long shot) collaborate.

I'd like to think I'm not alone.