[NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it!

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Command: Modern Operations series >> Command: DLCs >> Command: Northern Inferno >> [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it!

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[NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 8/4/2016 7:02:03 PM

ColonelMolerat

Posts: 479
Joined: 9/23/2015
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I've just this minute completed NI!

I really enjoyed it!

I think the missions were very good - nicely varied, with a good difficulty curve. I particularly enjoyed that some of them required me to rethink my normal tactics (eg, rather than defending my units once they were detected, preventing them from being detected in the first place).

I do have this criticism, but it's about the storyline and immersion, not the missions:

I'd have liked more storyline - I really liked the video news reports, but they got more infrequent towards the end. It would have been nice to have a cutscene after the final mission, especially. Even if cutscenes weren't used, text and pictures giving non-military background would have been nice (like the 'Scenario Descriptions', but focussing on the general world situation, rather than the scenario specifically).

Also, something I'm a bit conflicted about - after at least three missions, your victory was immediately negated (in Fox Two, you defend Britain from nuclear attack. The very next scenario talks about how after your defence, that part of Britain was hit by another nuclear attack anyway. The same happens when you defend North America in Needle in a Haystack. I think the same kind of thing happens in another mission, too.

When you complete the final mission, the 'victory' screen lets you know that despite your actions, the world faces nuclear annihilation anyway - that's why I'm conflicted about this 'criticism'. Having all of your work in these missions immediately undone really hammers home the futility of nuclear war! I do like that touch, but at the same time that futility is rather frustrating... That's nuclear war, I suppose.

If it looks like I've spent more time writing my criticisms than my praises, that's only because I think the missions are really nicely done, to be saying so little is a big compliment! They gave me a new understanding of Cold War (potential) conflict, they felt nicely linked together, with a sense of progression (even with what I felt was lacking re: cutscenes and background), and they were varied and challenging. They definitely showed the benefits of having a professionally-made campaign!

To sum it up, I'd say that Northern Inferno really felt like a campaign made by 'hard' military wargame nerds - great, well-thought out gameplay, scenarios, setting and history, but lacking in the 'softer', arty stuff - cutscenes, description and story.

But with a game like CMANO, it's obvious which takes priority across all of the game's development - and it's the nerdy military stuff that we're really playing for!

< Message edited by ColonelMolerat -- 8/4/2016 7:06:10 PM >

Post #: 1

RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 8/4/2016 7:06:19 PM

mikmykWS

Posts: 11524
Joined: 3/22/2005
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Great feedback. Paul will love it!

Mike

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RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 8/4/2016 7:25:13 PM

ColonelMolerat

Posts: 479
Joined: 9/23/2015
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Congratulations to him! Even with the scenarios alone (ignoring cutscenes, etc), there was a good sense of progression and escalation, and some interesting situations to consider. Having known almost nothing about what a Cold-War conflict would entail, I feel I've learned a lot - it was really interesting.

Thanks to Paul, and to everybody else behind CMANO and NI!

< Message edited by ColonelMolerat -- 8/4/2016 10:08:52 PM >

(in reply to mikmykWS)

Post #: 3

RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 8/4/2016 9:47:16 PM

.Sirius

Posts: 1404
Joined: 1/18/2013
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quote:

ORIGINAL: ColonelMolerat

Congratulations to him! Even with the scenarios alone (ignoring cutscenes, etc), there was a good sense of progression and escalation, and some interesting situations to consier. Having known almost nothing about what a Cold-War conflict would entail, I feel I've learned a lot - it was really interesting.

Thanks to Paul, and to everybody else behind CMANO and NI!

Thanks for those kind words, Northern Inferno has been a real pleasure to make for you guys, with things like this detail is the thing you guys pick up which is good it keeps us on our toes, I have spend over 1000 hours building this baby , quite alot of that was getting the right ship in the right area for the timeframe same goes for aircraft sqns carrier air groups etc.
Being Retired Royal Navy over 35 yrs done I have a good insight into the Cold War, and yes Nuclear War is the no win scenario just think of the end scen on "Planet of the Apes"

Attachment (1)

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Paul aka Sirius
Command Developer
Warfaresims
Cold War Data Base 1946-1979 Author

Old radar men never die - Their echoes fade away in accordance with the inverse fourth power law

(in reply to ColonelMolerat)

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RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 8/5/2016 2:18:21 AM

ColonelMolerat

Posts: 479
Joined: 9/23/2015
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It's been a pleasure to play! Thanks for all your hard work - that must have taken some sweat.

(in reply to .Sirius)

Post #: 5

RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 8/5/2016 5:04:18 AM

wqc12345

Posts: 250
Joined: 12/7/2015
From: San Francisco, CA
Status: offline

It is a very very spot on campaign. I've slammed my head into the computer several times. Unlike ColM, I've not finished it yet. So far, so awesome. And I'd like to point out, the attention to detail is really the part that sticks out to me, I love well crafted and thought out scenarios, and yours are so well done.

(in reply to ColonelMolerat)

Post #: 6

RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 3/30/2017 4:44:09 PM

JPFisher55

Posts: 589
Joined: 11/22/2014
Status: offline

I finished this campaign a while ago, but held off posting any review before most customers would have finished it.

Now, I believe it is safe to opine on the campaign. In general, it is extremely well composed. The scenarios are challenging, but you can win them.

My only critique is that nukes were too frequently used. I would have preferred that they not have been used at all. Maybe I'm an optimist, but IMHO the cold war going hot would not necessarily lead to global nuclear war. IMHO, like gas in WW2, nuclear weapons would be so devastating that the world leaders on all sides would not use them. I certainly do not believe that the US would use nuclear weapons to save Europe.

Still the campaign ending makes sense and is realistic. It was a fun scenario to play and very challenging. My ending would be different, but I'm being optimistic, maybe not realistic.

(in reply to wqc12345)

Post #: 7

RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 6/20/2017 11:15:23 PM

ultradave

Posts: 1355
Joined: 8/20/2013
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I'm late to the party and just started. Finished scenario 1 and on to #2 now. So far so good. I'm liking the overall story line as this was the time I was in the US Army.

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Dave A.
"When the Boogeyman goes to sleep he checks his closet for paratroopers"

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RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 6/21/2017 8:50:34 PM

Bigfish

Posts: 90
Joined: 7/17/2006
From: Frankfurt, Germany
Status: offline

quote:

In general, it is extremely well composed

Really?

Scenario 3: Where is the soviet air force? Scenario is located in the barents sea - soviet living room without soviet air force?

Scenario 5: TU603.01.06 ? -> Should it be TU 63.1.6? -> TF 63, TG 1, TU 6

- TF 63 is the replenishment force from sixth fleet in the mediterranean sea. In the mid 70s the ampiphibous TF of the sixth fleet was TF 61.
- TU members: Guadalcanal = PHIBRON6; Ponce = ?; Portland = PHIBRON8; Sumter = PHIBRON4; Biddle = DESRON26; Blandy = DESRON26; Forest Sherman = DESRON10; J. A. Furer = DESRON20

Is this well composed? I don't know! Could anyone from the USN confirm that ships from PHIBRONs were mixed also that ships from DESRONs were mixed? And that a sixth fleet Task Force operates in the north atlantic and north polar sea?

Scenario 7: USS Oriskany? After Commissioning SEP 50 till 52 located in the LANT and MED after 52 for the rest of her life located in the Pacific and Indik. This carrier operates in the north atlantic?

Ok it's War - the carrier is transferred to the atlantic - this old carrier? Not a newer one?

I'am not sure if the scenarios are well composed - but i think the fleet (TF, TG, TU) compositions are a little bumpy

(in reply to ultradave)

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RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 7/12/2017 12:29:43 PM

PapaOurs

Posts: 9
Joined: 7/12/2017
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Just won the campaign too. Finishing it was very rewarding, and had a strong feeling of accomplishment to it (despite the grim finale). It was a great experience (even the 15 hours I spent crying blood tears on scenario 13), especially "Beware the badgers"... Probably the best scenario I've played in CMNANO so far !

Can't wait to dive in Chains of War now !

(in reply to Bigfish)

Post #: 10

RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 7/12/2017 2:57:34 PM

bootlegger267

Posts: 884
Joined: 2/27/2013
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I am also enjoying NI. I'm writing an extensive story based upon the actions within each scenario, as Tom Clancy and Larry Bond did while playing Harpoon which became Red Storm Rising.

Finished Opening Moves and Goblins on the Doorstep.

My one question being the campaign did not advance to the next mission after I got the 'End of Scenario" message upon finishing Goblins on the Doorstep. Normal? Not Normal?

bootlegger267

< Message edited by bootlegger267 -- 7/12/2017 3:31:55 PM >

(in reply to PapaOurs)

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RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 7/12/2017 7:27:10 PM

PapaOurs

Posts: 9
Joined: 7/12/2017
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Not normal, but can't tell you what's going on as I never experienced such problems during my playthrough.

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Post #: 12

RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 7/12/2017 11:15:09 PM

bootlegger267

Posts: 884
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thank you....

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Post #: 13

RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 3/21/2018 4:47:32 AM

jmarso

Posts: 73
Joined: 4/29/2015
Status: offline

Making my way through the campaign and currently on the Fox-2 scenario. This stuff is great- feels like a war college kind of deal where you play a scenario, either pass or fail, but either way it gets you thinking about what you could have tweaked or done better- sometimes because you have to in order to win and advance, other times because even a victory feels like a loss when you see what you could have done differently to reduce your own losses.

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Post #: 14

RE: [NORTHERN INFERNO SPOILERS!] I've finished it! - 3/24/2018 3:12:47 PM

jmarso

Posts: 73
Joined: 4/29/2015
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Finished it this morning.

GREAT STUFF!

I'd love to see a circa 1986-88 version of this campaign.

I did fairly well in most of the ASW scenarios, being a former P-3 guy. The others ranged from 'not so bad' to 'pulling my hair out and cursing like a sailor.' I think the two scenarios with carrier battle groups fighting 'forts' (read: attacking/operating along a coastline) were the toughest. Especially with 1970's air groups before the Tomcat and Phoenix missile were readily available for the outer air battle. Also, nothing drives home the inadequacy of a single carrier air wing (of any era) like facing off against entire regiments of shore-based bombers and fighters.

You could see the nuclear factor slowly escalating, starting with weapons at sea and then expanding into tactical and finally strategic level strikes. Just playing the scenarios, you can see how the use of nukes would have crept in- they are a tantalizing option when your nuts are in the wringer. Dropping a nuclear ASW weapon on a sub is a sure thing if you have him localized, especially when you know he's got them as well. When available they became a real go-to. That level of escalation may or may not have been accurate; back in the 80's when I was a teenager and then a midshipman we sort of figured that the first mushroom cloud was going to flip the switch and then it was going to go whole hog. Thank God we never had to find out for certain.

Anyway, loved the campaign! Looking forward to going back and playing some of the missions singly to see where I can really stick it to the enemy while minimizing losses.

< Message edited by jmarso -- 3/24/2018 3:21:35 PM >

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