Clan USMC "BIA Squad" -- semper fidelis

Gearbox's third entry in the venerable Brothers In Arms series heads up to the front as with the first of the series for next-generation systems. Delivering on the franchise’s compelling story, unrivaled authenticity and intense squad-based action, Brothers In Arms Hell’s Highway drops you into Operation Market-Garden, the largest airborne operation of World War II. Lead Matt Baker, Joe Hartsock and the rest of the 101st Airborne Division as they fight to open "Hell's Highway" in a daring bid for a quick end to the war. The game , makes use of the new Unreal Engine 3 technology for its delivery of the war experience, with new cutting-edge gameplay features and a completely redesigned online component.

September 23, 2005 - Fresh from their Liberation Party last night to celebrate the impending release of Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood, Gearbox announced today that the company has licensed Epic's Unreal 3 Engine for the next iteration of the Brothers in Arms series as well as unspecified upcoming games.

We dont need any more tactical training, if you begin the game as Red Hartsock a veteran of D-day and The Battle for Normandy. The training could be mentioned but it wouldn't be a good idea to repeat it again. But Definately the Bar or Pub where you can speak to diffrent members of your Platoon. To begin with, you wont be wearing the M42 Jumpsuit you will be wearing the dress clothes such as overseas cap and brown jaket, and there will be Hassey with his purple Heart, thats if he's ok from being Wounded, and if your Red, you have a purple Heart aswell for having the top bit of finger shot off on the Bridge at Baupt. You could go round talking to people like Paddock and even some new recruits e.g. Replacents you havent seen before.

As you go past they would be talking to one another about Normandy you could listen to each story, and when they turn to you they could comment on your Purpel Heart and your finger. The replacements could be younger looking guys but only slightly but incredibly lack of combat expereinced, they could look more baby faced than some of the others. When you talk to them they could introuduce themselves. They could be playing a game of darts or cards, why not both. But they could all look like they were having a relaxation after coming back for Normandy, where as the new replacements in your Platoon could look shakey and Nervous which they were. Watch Band Of Brothers Episode 4, at the begginning is the scene I am trying to create. One of the characters could even be seriously drunk and slur his words on talking to you, and collapse onto an old wooden chair in the corner, someone like Paddock would fit in that role perfectly. Some would be leaning gainst the walls muttering about the new replacements or men that had died maybe more about Sgt Bixby who was in charge of 2nd squad before Red Hartsock. Some could be talking about there Girls at home, wives, daughters, sons etc.

"So at a later Date when the troops do finally jump into Holland you know the characters just a bit more, to actualy make that hard hitting effect of their deaths or wounds. Remeber they have their combat earned jump wings now so that they could show off them to the replacements and the commendation the whole Regiment got for its actions in Normandy."

"This is an example of The significance of learning from Histroy, greater confidence, greater ability, but with The Brothers In Arms topic, I would want us to stay with The Platoon. Im working on an Idea involving and Officer a 1st Leuiteneny incharge of 3rd Platoon. Instead of Commanding a Squad of men you command all Three, along with other Oofficers next to you. If Corrion takes over 3rd Squad, you could be the Platoon commander in charge of Baker, Red, and Corrion and would be able to dect them, so instead of moving teams you would move individual Squads"

"I mean even in Call Of Duty they change the uniform to an M43 Jumpsuit after Normandy, look at the jump into Normandy and then the Attack on Foy. Do you know nothing has actualy been so much like the drop into Normandy than BIA. I mean Call Of Duty doesnt even have the right feel to it, the hedgerows aren't there, the land is way too open spaced in Call Of Duty and Medal Of Honour, Good job Gearbox!"

"This soldier wears the new M1943 uniform designed to replace the M1942 paratrooper's uniform. Also issued with this uniform was the new M1943 combat boot. However, he has chosen to continue to wear the Cocoran jump boots since they are still in good condition. He is armed with the "Grease Gun" or the M3 submachine gun. The M3 was not widely used by the paratroopers, the Thompson M1 was more popular, although heavier"

"Ok think of The story going on between Squad leaders but what about the Officers in 3rd Platoon, Fox Company. You could be the 1st Leuitenent of The Platoon, The Platoon Commander. Instead of each fire team you have three Squads 1st Squad commanded by Baker, 2nd Squad commanded by Hartsock and 3rd Squad commanded by Corrion, yet to become Sgt. You would have discusions with The other Officers of The other Platoons, 1st and 2nd Platoon you would be in command of 3rd. Maybe armed with a Garrand or Thompson and Binoculars you could watch movements and join in with the combat deploying men in diffrent positions. The AI of the soldiers would set up their Squads in The position that you had said and adjust themselves to the scenery and objects around like in the previous Brothers In Arms games. You could have much larger battles that way, and could see it from the same Platoon but from a whole new perspective."

"The 101st mission was to secure the fifteen miles of Hell's Highway stretching from Eindhoven north to Veghel. After less than three months in England, the 502nd was to make its second combat jump. Still under the command of Col Michaelis the unit was to land in Holland on DZ C, seize the small highway bridge over the Dommel River north of Saint Oedenrode and the railroad and road bridges at Best. The 502nd was also given the mission of guarding DZs B & C for the subsequent glider landings. Shortly after 1315 hours on the afternoon of 17 September 1944, after a n uneventful daylight drop, the men of the 502nd gathered up and headed for their objectives.

First Battalion went north to capture the little town of St Oedenrode. Third Battalion sent patrols through the Zonsche forest, trying to move toward the town of Best and the bridge. German resistance was tough in the vicinity of Best but the 502nd fought their way to within 100 yards of the bridge before the Germans blew it up. In fierce fighting around the bridge, Private Joe Mann (picture right) who was seriously wounded twice during the fighting, was killed when he threw himself on a German grenade to save his fellow soldiers who were in the same foxhole with him. Mann was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for this act of selfless heroism. Ironically, the only other Medal of Honor recipient of 101st during the war, Col. Robert Cole, was shot and killed by a snipers bullet in the action around the Zonsche Forest. The fate of the third battalion was now in the capable hands of its executive officer Maj. John Stopka. On 22 September, Lt Col Michaelis and three of his staff were seriously wounded by an artillery shell outside of his headquarters. Command of the 502nd passed to 2nd Battalion commander, Steve Chappuis.

After securing their hard-won objectives, the men of the 502nd moved north with the rest of the 101st to take hold of defensive positions on 'The Island', south west of Arnhem. It was here that the 101st would fight some of its toughest battles during its time in Holland."

"Ok they spent less than three months back in England before the jump into Holland, a part of that three months has to be included. I say the pub or Bar has to be included in definate you could really get to know the past men and the new replacements. Then you have to have a part where you get your kit on and parachute. Equipment could layed all across the floors like the preoeration for D-day but this time for Holland. Men will be checking equipment and the C-47s will be lined up on the airfield. The new men will be nervous and one you go up to them and talk, they will say things like "Is my equipment ready" or " I never seen combat before....or a Kraut for that matter" Squad leaders will be helping their Squads get ready. To top that all off, you will enter the plane and if playing as a veteran of Normandy such as Red, Baker or Corrion you will see the inside of the cramped small cylinder C-47 and have a flash back of Normandy a cinematic Flashback involving what happened before they jumped out the door into Normandy. You will come bnack to your senses and will shuffle along and take a seat next to another paratrooper. Paratroopers at this time will still be being helped into the plane with all their equipment on. After minutes the plane engine start, and it begins to rumble. Some soldiers will be smoking and others reading books, focussing intently on the writing. The engines will start to smoke and chuckle and out the window you can see the ground falling away as the plane rises into the clouds. The troops will start a conversation and will begin to laugh, you will hear familliar voices like Paddock chattering away. Maybe a new guy sought of like Legget will sit opposite you reading a book, looking around annoyed by the laughing and jokeing men. Other men will look air sick, and will put their head in their hands. Others will sit back with their heads against the side of the plain and fall asleep. The atmosphere could be amazing and would be a great chance to show a realistic fligth into Holland. After a while when the conversation between the men finishes the level could end. The next level would include you once again in the plane just before they jump into Holland, the ground visble from the windows aswell as another C-47 flying beside yours."

"There should also be some machinegun squads and mortar squads or even a squad of guys armed with Bazookas so you deploy them at the side of the tank and ask them to fire, and I believe when you get men to assault a tank they should a perform a movement where they run up to it open up the hatch and fire a burst with their machinegun and another movement where they grenade the inside, this movement could be performed by any squads, they could storn the tanks instead of firing endless amounts of rounds at thick armour plating."

"I agree that Normandy is much diffrent to Holland. Holland had much more open spaces, large open feilds surrounded by short hedgerows, not odd shaped feilds surrounded by thick incredibly tall hedgerows like Normandy. The enviroment should be recognisable as Holland, so you could easily tell the diffrence if comparing it to Normandy. When you land you should land with a bunch of iother men, the drop wasnt as rough and dangerous as the drop into Normandy."

Assaulting (The new Concept)

Tanks

If you order a squad to assault a tank, the Squad whether it be 1st, 2nd or 3rd the Squad will automatically use his Assault Team to charge the tank, climb upon it and carry out a procedure where they open up the hatch and drop a grenade in it, or fire a burst of a Thompson or a clip of an M1 Garrand into the crew within. After this they will climb off the tank and take cover behind the tank from any enemy fire that might be about, until you give the Squad commander Baker, Hartsock, or Corrion the order to bring them back to rejoin the rest of the squad. This manoeuvre relies upon you to give the Squad commander the order, and for then this to automatically happen using his ‘Assault Team’. The procedure disables the tank, as the ‘Assault Team’ will eliminate the crew operating the tank, whatever it may be e.g. Tiger, or a tracked assault gun such as the Stug tank seen in Brothers In Arms Road to Hill 30 and Earned n Blood. The men will climb up the tank in different ways depending on how different the tank is shaped. Sometimes the ‘Assault Team’ will climb up the side and others times, the back or front it all depends what vehicle it is, and how it is positioned in terms with your men. The method of eliminating the tank crew also depends on how many men assault it. One man will climb upon the tank and open the hatch, following with a grenade and a couple of shots from his weapon. Two men will climb aboard, open up the hatch and grenade or either shoot the enemy with their weapons. A complete ‘Assault Team’ of three will climb aboard and the Tank and deal with the enemy in number of ways, consisting of grenades and weapon firing. The less men that assault the tank or tracked assault gun, the longer the process of elimination will take, the more men that assault the gun the shorter the process will take. The Assault team will be vulnerable to enemy fire while carrying this out, but sometimes it is the only option that is available for survival. ‘Fire teams’ cannot carry out this order they will only suppress fire as the ‘Assault team’ moves into position and carries out its order. If there is no ‘Assault Team’ left in the ordered Squad this procedure of disabling a tank or armoured vehicle is impossible. It is only an ‘Assault Squad’ procedure.

Houses/Buildings

Houses can be made more interactive, as doors can open and close realistically if you interact with them. To open a door your Character will either push or kick a door down, every house with the ability to be reached on the map will be accessible on the game. German troops can occupy a house and gain high ground; this can become a major problem when trying to outflank the Germans as they have the eyes on you, more than you on them. This procedure of clearing a house is very much like the procedure of eliminating a vehicle. The Squad you command to assault a house will deploy its troops disregarding how many there are within the ‘Assault Team’ to clear the house and occupy it. The ‘Fire Team’ will serve the purpose of suppressing fire as the ‘Assault Team’ moves into position to carry out the procedure. The ‘Assault Team’ on arriving at the building will lean against the wall, peering in at the windows as they do in Brothers In Arms Road to Hill 30 and Earned in Blood when trying to spot the enemy. One soldier will then kick down the door and they will all rush the rooms, if lucky the troops shall not be injured during the process but if The Germans occupying the house or building are alert of your soldiers presence they are likely to open fire as they come through the door. The soldiers will correspond with one another, to understand the situation such as “Clear”, “Its Clear”, “The house is empty” or “No Krauts in sight” After clearing The Building each soldier will find cover within the house, at windows if available or even behind Kitchen Tables, or any other suitable cover their AI is available to locate and use. This can be carried out with any buildings, but ‘Fire Teams’ like assaulting vehicles will be unable to make The assault or though they will be able to go inside the house and set up a position if you order that Squad to move inside. Each room will be checked inside the Building and any enemy within killed if possible. This can even be carried out on tall buildings such as Bell Towers and Churches. The soldiers will remain in the building until the Squad once again regroups into a non-divided unit.

Your Character (New role-play)

No longer will you command one squad but shall command all Three Squads as well as two beside you consisting of an MG Team weighed down with 30 cals and long belts of ammunition slung over their shoulders that swings as the run from one position to another. You will play as The Platoon Commander at the rank of 1st Lieutenant. There will be four 30 cals with eight men operating them. As well as having a MG Squad you will have and anti-tank unit of two men, with one having a Bazooka slung over his back. They will be armed with M1 Garrand and grease guns, and will only use Bazooka rounds when told to fire them, they do not assault as the assault button is replaced by the use of a Bazooka, which can be used on Infantry and Vehicles of all types. If killed in combat you Character cannot pick up their Bazooka, and if one man dies from the anti-tank team of two, the Bazooka is no longer usable as it takes two men to load a Bazooka and Fire it.

The MG Squad can be used to lay heavy suppressing fire down upon the enemy and can occupy buildings like all other units, although it would be a bad idea if they were used to storm a house as they cannot fire unless their 30 cal is propped up against an object or placed upon the tripod carried by the other soldier, and the belt of rounds are being fed into the Machine Gun. They have no ability to storm and clear enemy from a house but can be set up inside a house, and can place their Machineguns at Windows, on floors wherever their AI can find a suitable place. They themselves do not carry Thompson’s, M1 Garrands or M1 Carbines. The Anti-tank unit however carries these weapons but cannot storm a house as that ability is replaced by the other ability to fire a Bazooka round at enemy units (as mentioned above) Only five Bazooka rounds can be fired each mission so their target must be chosen wisely, e.g. don’t fire at a Squad of enemy soldiers behind a wall if not necessary, they can be taken out with a basic ‘Assault Team’ and ‘Fire Team’ Squad. When out of ammunition the Anti-tank unit can assault a building like a normal ‘Assault Team’ within 1st, 2nd or 3rd Squad. If there is an odd number in the MG Squad one 30 cal will be unable to fire, as it takes two men to operate a 30 Cal Machinegun (as mentioned above)

Due to the continuing Story Line I have a theory that Corrion will be in Command of 3rd Squad in BIA 3., which is why I will use his name when talking about 3rd Squad leader, like Baker is 1st, and Hartsock is 2nd, each of these three men have a Squad leaving Three Squads. The rank of 1st Lieutenant is always a missing part of Brothers In Arms and to put it in there with the continuing story line would make the Platoon seem more like Brothers, rather than completely split up Squads, these Squads are supposed to work together as a Platoon and the Platoon works together along side another Platoon to Form a united Company of soldiers, The brotherhood displayed in previous Brothers In Arms although true to Heart and realistic it needs to be bigger so that The Brotherhood in Brothers In Arms, shows what it was like within a single working Platoon.

You can order a single Squad 1st, 2nd or 3rd to fire upon the enemy. Here it will use both its squads to fire at the enemy position, The ‘Fire Teams’ velocity and rate of fire shall be higher than the ‘Assault Teams’ rate of Fire although as in previous Brothers In Arms still proves effective when firing up close.

To assault an enemy unit, you can choose a Squad to assault it, this is done by choosing your Squad out of the three Squads and clicking the assault button. The ‘Fire Team’ of that Squad will automatically and only provide suppressing fire on the enemy as The ‘Assault Team’ charges the enemy with all weapons blazing, flanks them, and finishes them.

More than one Squad can attack at once, just circle through the three basic Squads 1st, 2nd and 3rd not including the Anti-tank unit and MG Squad. Choose a Squad click assault and then choose another and click assault. The ‘Fire Teams’ of those Squads will now provide covering fire as the ‘Assault Teams’ moves in for the kill.

You can choose 1st, 2nd and 3rd Squad to make the attack while their ‘Fire Teams’ automatically fire upon the enemy, suppressing them with a large amount of fire. You could even send one Squad’s ‘Assault Team’ to attack while the other Squads all provide covering and suppressing fire, this would bring a huge rate of fire down upon the enemy making it nearly impossible for them to move. But to stop enemy attacks flanking your Squads you should spread your rate of fire out evenly upon the enemy soldiers, and maybe even set up your ‘MG Squad’ commanded by you alone on your soldiers flanks, to stop German soldiers flanking and finishing your men. It may even be a good idea if you put them in a high position to overlook and fire down on the enemy troops.

Having this responsibility would make the players need for situational awareness view very high as the map would be large and it is impossible to be in all places at once, but because of newly developed AI a single Squad could stand alone more independently.

On certain Missions a Tank itself could replace your Anti-tank unit, or maybe a Squad of Tanks. If BIA 3 is going to take on large German Forces in Large towns or villages, maybe in Holland it will need a lot of soldiers to oppose it realistically and Historically speaking that is.

Buildings should also be more destructible, so that rubble could fly and buildings could crumble into pieces. The communication between the soldiers should also be greater, so that you yourself as the Platoon commander could understand the situation better.

As well as having the same characters with some new faces, a whole new story could develop including the same soldiers. But the last two previous Brothers In Arms games have shown the side of Sergeants, Corporals and privates. There must be a huge story with the officers. What do The officers of 1st Squad, 2nd Squad and 3rd Squad talk about, its their men they are loosing, they are the ones that direct the soldiers to go down different paths and follow The different routes. It’s their decision and they have to deal with the consequences Bad or good. There could be officer talk, about promotions and who or who not is getting moved or transferred. It’s a Platoon of men, 3rd Platoon and it’s the Platoon Commanders job to lead his men with a great responsibility.

Critics

Thanks Dog 6 USMC for your great commitment to Brothers In Arms!

Gear Box Software

"yea, you would have to tell the squad leaders what to do - i would hate that

i rather like to be in the thick of it myself"

Didn't you guys read carefully? You don't command a platoon and sit back and drink coffee. As a platoon sargeant, you send your squads on various missions, but get to choose and fight any 1 of those missions as well. You get to choose, which means 1 chapter can have infinite possibilites of replayability. YOu can replay the chapter again, choose a different mission and assign differet squads/individuals to different areas, and get a unique result everytime. On that mission you chose to fight on, you act just like a regular sargeant, only leading 1 squad and fighting a ferocious battle. You just get to choose which squad to fight alongside with you and sometimes get to choose which squad to reinforce you if things don't work out well. Also, the missions are much tougher and you're not just in the thick of the action, but also concerned about how the other squads in the other sectors are doing as well. It's much more action-packed than your regular BIA. You think Plt. Sargeant Hartsock just gave orders to the Sargeants and Hartsock just leaves the scene and go drink tea? No, I'm sure Plt. Sargeant Hartsock had just as much fighting encounters (if not more), in other sectors which were much more urgent and needed his immediate direct attention. Likewise, it's the same for BIA3: Platoon. You get to choose which mission you think is the most critical, and lead that mission personally, while you let the other sargeants handle the other not-so-important missions. After intense fighting, you may meet up with them again and give further orders to further influence the result of the chapter.