The Marines are coming! Combat Mission Shock Force - Marines, the first module to the Combat Mission Shock Force modern tactical warfare series, is now open for pre-ordersBattlefront.com, independent internet based publisher and developer, has also for the first time released additional information about the features and content, as well as a couple of new action videos

FEATURES

Shock Force - Marines is the first of several planned expansions of the Combat Mission contemporary warfare setting

This, the first Module, adds a significant number of new formations, units, weapons, equipment and vehicles for both the US and Syrian sides, as well as brand new missions, maps and a campaignGeneral game engine improvements (such as TacAI changes, tweaking cover values and so on) are included as well, although most of them will also be available to all Shock Force customers via a patchThis ensures that everybody plays by the same rules and experiences the same basic gameplay

So what does the Marines Module include?

New TO&E (Table of Organization & Equipment)

Marines Infantry Battalion Marines Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (LAV) Marines Tank Battalion Marines Assault Amphibian Company (AAV) Marines Engineer Battalion Syrian Airborne Battalion Syrian Mechanized Airborne Company

New Weapons

M32 Multiple Grenade Launcher Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW) M72A7 Light Anti-Tank Weapon System (LAW) M40A3 Sniper Rifle M16A4 rifle M16A4 rifle w/M203 Grenade Launcher RPG-16 RPG-7D3 (airborne version of the RPG-7V)

New Vehicles

Marine M1A1 Abrams Marine M1A1 FEP Abrams LAV-25 LAV-AT LAV-C2 LAV-25 A2 LAV-AT A2 LAV-C2 A2 AAV-7A1 AAVC-7A1 MTVR 6x6 Armored Truck Mk23 7 Ton Truck (unarmored) M1046 TOW Humvee M1114 Humvee w/ Mk19 Grenade Launcher T-90SA Tank BMP-3 BRDM-2 (AT-5) M1A1SA TUSK Abrams tank M1A2 SEP TUSK Abrams tank M2A3 IFV Bradley with explosive reactive armor (ERA) M3A3 CFV Bradley with explosive reactive armor (ERA) M7A3 BFIST Bradley with explosive reactive armor (ERA) M1114 HMMV armed with Mk.19 grenade launcher

New Scenarios and Campaign

A number of standalone missions, about two dozen brand new Quick Battle Maps and a completely new Marines campaign are included in the Module! More details about the Campaign can be found under "Campaign" on the left menu

New Game Engine Features

A large number of game improvements, bug fixes and engine enhancements are going into the Marines moduleMost of them will be made backwards compatible for users without the Marines module as well in a v1.10 patch for CMSFBelow is just a short list of some of the highlights, for now

INTERFACE

Movement Destination Highlights: When placing a waypoint over ground terrain, the destination "action spot" is highlighted in yellowTeams B and C (if any) also have their adjacent destinations highlighted when plotting moves and when giving facing orders attached to a final waypointNote that final facing is important for positioning "wing man" teams, so you should attach facing orders to final waypoints as neededNew Color for KIA: The colored "highlight disc" for dead soldiers is brown, to distinguish them from seriously wounded soldiers whose disc remains red"Buddy aid" can still be given to dead soldiers, but all it does is reclaim their ammo and weapons if possible"Aid" to dead soldiers is pretty quickTarget Arc and Facing orders may be given with mouse clicks that go "off map"When placing a target arc, the distance in meters is displayedDisembarking troops may attach Face, Deploy, and Pop Smoke orders to waypoints"Target" command is available in the editor to check LOS (no targeting orders are saved)ARTILLERY AND AIR SUPPORT

New sound effects for incoming rounds, jets, helicopters, cannon fire, bombs, spotters, controllers(Check out the new videos!) Smoke artillery missions (and computer-player AI Support Plans may use it) Computer player uses artillery and air support dynamically throughout the game, not just pre-planned strikesINFANTRY MOVEMENT

New soldier TacAI for Fire on the Move: Moving soldiers will sometimes stop and take a quick shot at nearby/exposed enemy troops, then resume moving(Check out the new videos!) New soldier TacAI for Moving Under Fire: Moving troops that come under heavy fire will only switch to Slow (i.ecrawling) if they are so tired that they could otherwise only use walking speed (i.enot even Quick)Otherwise they try to move fasterAnd sometimes they cancel their move altogether and seek nearby coverSoldiers do a better job finding ridgeline positions even when "heavy" cover like trees is also presentSoldiers position themselves better at corners of buildings and wallsNote: the effectiveness depends on the orientation of the building in relation to the underlying action gridSoldiers move faster with Fast move, even when carrying heavy loadsSoldiers move along trench lines betterSound effects for footstepsVEHICLES

Improved damage algorithms for external systems on armored vehicles (e.goptics, smoke generators, lasers, missile launchers)Secondary explosions for burning vehicles as ammunition "cooks off"Improved vehicle navigation in narrow urban spacesMISCELLANEOUS

Internet Play: improved speed and reliabilityExplosions: the simulation of blast and shrapnel effects has been improvedThe main thing you'll likely notice is that huge weapons like airplane bombs are a bit less able to cause casualties at long rangeBunkers Handled better by computer player Protect correctly versus artillery fire Correctly simulate top hits from Javelins Machineguns may "deploy" inside buildings, though assembly time is 2+ minutesSound effects for weapon reloadingNew background sounds for day and nightAdded a "special equipment icon" for night vision gearThe Marines Module is packed with a lot of cool stuff and it will be available in September 2008