Rate top gamesFlashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Player's Edition
About
You are the commander of either NATO or Soviet forces locked in battle on the ground in 1980’s Central Europe. As commander, it is your task to provide the battle plan orders to your units. You need to know your mission objectives, strength and weakness of both your forces and you enemy, lay of the land, weather, and time of day in order to come out on the winning end. Your crews will do their best to follow your orders and execute the plan, but in war, no plan survives first contact. You will need to think on the fly and adjust to the ever changing flow of battle.
This update to the game is being rebranded as the “Player’s Edition” as a big thank you to all players that made this game what it is now through feature suggestions, bug reports, and feedback from hours and hours of play. Our team is overwhelmed by the reception of the game and by the dedicated players we see on the forums. This update includes visual improvements, expanded multiplayer options as well as a better interface and combat logic, all based on your feedback!
We plan to continue updating the game engine and adding additional content with the next iteration of the system with Southern Storm. We will be working with even more of your feedback and suggestions as we move forward with that project and others.
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm features an innovative asynchronous turn structure that models the OODA loop, huge maps, hundreds of meticulously researched platforms and weapons, detailed orders of battle, realistic modeling of modern combat including armor, infantry, helicopters, airpower and chemical and nuclear weapons, 2 campaigns and over 20 single scenarios, realistic weather conditions, modding options and much more!
After the end of World War II, Europe spent years recovering from the losses and the terrible consequences of the conflict. A whole continent found itself divided into two blocs: one lead by the United States with NATO among its allies in the Western bloc, and in the Eastern bloc lead by the Soviet Union along with the Warsaw Pact. Separating the two, an “Iron Curtain” formed of high walls and minefields as well as hundreds of thousands of well armed troops. This was the Cold War, a forty year state of political and military tension between two superpowers that several times came close to starting World War III. While the world survived the Cold War, the effects of the “long twilight struggle” still echo in the geopolitics and military technology and tactics of the present day.
In Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm, World War Three has started, the Cold War has turned hot. Do you have what it takes to achieve victory on the battlefield or will the world end with all out nuclear war?FEATURES
Additional Features
New for the Player's Edition
This update to the game is being rebranded as the “Player’s Edition” as a big thank you to all players that made this game what it is now through feature suggestions, bug reports, and feedback from hours and hours of play. Our team is overwhelmed by the reception of the game and by the dedicated players we see on the forums. This update includes visual improvements, expanded multiplayer options as well as a better interface and combat logic, all based on your feedback!
We plan to continue updating the game engine and adding additional content with the next iteration of the system with Southern Storm. We will be working with even more of your feedback and suggestions as we move forward with that project and others.
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm features an innovative asynchronous turn structure that models the OODA loop, huge maps, hundreds of meticulously researched platforms and weapons, detailed orders of battle, realistic modeling of modern combat including armor, infantry, helicopters, airpower and chemical and nuclear weapons, 2 campaigns and over 20 single scenarios, realistic weather conditions, modding options and much more!
After the end of World War II, Europe spent years recovering from the losses and the terrible consequences of the conflict. A whole continent found itself divided into two blocs: one lead by the United States with NATO among its allies in the Western bloc, and in the Eastern bloc lead by the Soviet Union along with the Warsaw Pact. Separating the two, an “Iron Curtain” formed of high walls and minefields as well as hundreds of thousands of well armed troops. This was the Cold War, a forty year state of political and military tension between two superpowers that several times came close to starting World War III. While the world survived the Cold War, the effects of the “long twilight struggle” still echo in the geopolitics and military technology and tactics of the present day.
In Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm, World War Three has started, the Cold War has turned hot. Do you have what it takes to achieve victory on the battlefield or will the world end with all out nuclear war?FEATURES
- Includes 20+ Scenarios featuring the three NATO forces versus the Soviets.
- Four Campaign games where you manage your core force through a number of battles.
- A crafty AI opponent looking to achieve its mission goals or deny you yours.
- You get 20+ game maps based on real world terrain of Central Europe.
- Variable length turns based on current Command, Control and Communication state (C3) of forces. Unit losses and the level of electronic warfare impact you and your enemys C3 state.
- A new and refined combat engine taking into account many factors with weather, sensors, terrain, and troop capability factored in.
- Detailed information before, during and after a scenario to keep you informed and aware of the state of your forces.
- Platforms and weapons from the decade of the 80s for US, UK, West German and Soviet forces including aircraft (various types and loadouts), helicopters (various types and loadouts), tanks, APCs, Self-Propelled Systems (Gun, Anti-tank, Flak, and SAMs), towed guns, trucks ,jeeps, and of course the grunts with their vast array of weapons.
- Built-in editors for Map Parameters, Scenario Creation/Editing, and Campaign Creation/Editing. The game was built around having a very large 3rd party following to supplement our planned expansions to the game.
- Mod friendly design allows for the ability of players to tweak/create/replace many of the default graphics (unit images, badges, map markers and maps), sounds (verbal, movement and combat) and data elements (Units/Weapons/OOB Formations/National Ratings) using common 3rd party software.
Additional Features
- Recon units are given a more important role with the new game engine. They can see further than normal units and are harder to spot by other units. This makes having eyes on the enemy important and blinding the enemy a top priority.
- Dynamic Weather affects weapons and sensors during the battle. Rain and wind degrade thermal systems. Some aircraft and helicopters can’t fly in bad weather or the dark.
- Active FOW system. The fog of war (FOW) will require units to see and identify the enemy. Sometimes they report back incorrect or incomplete intel.
- Artillery Systems can fire a plethora of ammo types including HE, Smoke, Mines, and ICM (to name a few).
- NBC warfare is also on the table with strategic platforms like surface to surface missiles with nuclear or chemical warheads. They pack a punch, but using them comes with a cost.
- Simple Windows style interface. Menus, right click menus, hot keys, hints and dialogs keep you informed and in control of your forces.
- Many setting to adjust the realism to suit beginners and grognards alike.
- Game engine has a number of anti-cheat mechanisms in place to make sure multiplayer games are using the same scenario and associated data.
- The game features an improved infantry model, engineering functions (abstracted, but includes blowing bridges, bridging rivers, clearing mines and obstacles) and the ability to resubordinate units to fit your battle plan.
- Dedicated development team that continues to add new content to the game.
New for the Player's Edition
- New OTS Standard Maps by William!
- Sudden Death Multiplayer Setting
- Added ATGM Launch Hint
- Clarified Fallen Out versus Destroyed Subunit
- Expanded Scenario Editor Date Selection Range
- Corrected Artillery Fire Kill Percentages
- Many Label Changes for Better Information
- Improved Helo Combat Logic
- Improved Scooting/Standoff Range/Resupply AI Logic
- Fixed Counter Battery (CB) Fire and Direct Support (DS) not Working Properly
- Added new scenario playable from either side or head to head
System requirements for PC
Minimum:
- OS: Windows® XP / Vista / 7 / 8
- Processor: Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: 1024 MB DirectX card
- DirectX: Version 7.0
- Storage: 500 MB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX compatible sound card
- Additional Notes: CD ROM Drive: not required for the digital version
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Player's Edition reviews and comments
Translated by
Microsoft from Deutsch
Microsoft from Deutsch
Great hex strategy Game for Fans of Games like Panzer General, Battle Academy or World at War (Board game) and hobby generals in World War 3 (NATO vs. WP).
The Controls are quickly learned. The Tutorial Scenario (and maybe a Video on YouTube) show you how to play quickly and easily. How to win ... That's another Question and makes all the Fun.
The Peculiarity to many other strategy games is the Fact that you can't give Commands all the time. Instead, they are given at the Beginning and after again in Breaks after different Long Periods of time. This very well represents the real Fact that such Plans must be made, audited and submitted before Units move. It also forces the Player to think about his Plan, because once you get started you can't change the next 10-30 (Game) Minutes. Just move forward and see what's going on? Nope... Won't work out.
It may be a deterrent at first that you can't intervene in the action phases in between. But it soon becomes clear that there is no Boredom. On the Contrary, it takes the Time to see the big Picture. The Phases (longer or shorter depending on the event density) should be used intensively to analyze where and with which MItteln the Opponent takes action against one. Many Factors play a Role in this, Such as Terrain, Weather, equipment, Mine Barriers, Morals, etc., etc.
Losses, especially from HQs, cause the action phases to get longer and you get less Opportunity to give Orders. The Other way round, it can be crucial To give Commands more often within a Time Frame and thus be able to react more flexibly than the Enemy, should it be hit hard.
The Game is not for People expecting formidable bombast graphic battles. The Cards are kept simple. However, you can already find the first Mods on the Internet that allow you to change the Color Sets.
Speaking Of the Cards ... In their Design, almost 1:1 was adhered to the real Landscapes in Germany. So You will find many Places that you know from your daily Life. It makes an incredible Mood to defend the Area around Seligenstadt and the Main against approaching Soviets when you know the Landscape from real Life.
Briefings are also unfortunately only available as simple text briefings. But it should be remembered that video Conferences were rarely held In a command tank in 1985, but the A4 Sheet with a quickly scribbled position and Mission corresponded more to Reality;-).
The Sound is also not Oscar suspicious but still makes you feel Like. The only thing that can be a little confusing at the beginning is the Fact that Shots can already be heard in the Background, even if no Unit has contact yet. But at the latest when the Fight starts, you don't notice anything about it.
The diversity of unit can be seen for this and leaves a lot of Room for Experimentation. Even if all Units are presented only as simple Markers, the Detailed view reveals the significant Differences.
There is an Editor to do this, which unfortunately does not let you change or redesign any Cards. The only thing you can do is change scenario parameters on the existing Maps or design new scenario/campaigns with the full Range of troops available.
Verdict: It doesn't come close to the wargame series in terms of style and Graphics. In my Opinion, however, the Gameplay is better by Lengths. The constant Alternation between execution and Planning phase, between Analysis and reaction makes the Game more challenging Than the Clicking of some Real-time Strategy games in which the One who is faster with the Mouse wins. This is where the more preview plan, the better Exploitation of Terrain and the Quentchen Gain luck. Because no Plan survives the first Contact with Reality. How true this Principle is demonstrated in this Game impressively.