Matrix Games

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

•  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

Wargames For Everyone Review on Player's Edition
9/10 - "Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm will give all history buffs an accurate picture of what a Third World War could have been...The Players Edition includes few noteworthy improvements, but it at least achieves the optimum maturity of the game, which is real added value from a free update"

Preview at Real and Simulated Wars
"One of the most innovative war game designs in recent times. [...] It will definitively be noticed by hobbyist wargamers and war simulation professionals alike".

Review at Wargamer.fr

Interview on Grogheads