(Good) Naval Combat Game?

[The Romulan Republic]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I downloaded a Battlestations: Midway demo but apparently it's multiplayer only. And if a (possibly better) sequel is coming out in the future I might as well wait for that one.

Wait, theirs going to be a Midway sequel? When's it going to be out?

[Vendetta]

Wait, theirs going to be a Midway sequel? When's it going to be out?

May. Has an expanded campaign game, alt-history Japanese campaign, and some new MP modes.

[The Romulan Republic]

Looks good for the most part, though I'm a bit nervous about the alt-history campaign. I certainly don't expect it to be terribly realistic, given that from what I've read (particularily on this forum I might add), Japan could not have beaten America.

[Vanas]

I quite liked Midway's boat bits but couldn't get into the subs or the aircraft. I think the new one's probably a buyer. I loved the Midway mission where you meet the Essex and her escorts. Managed to get my sub sunk instantly, got the Essex shelling the hell out of the Destroyers and the (mission-critical) Atlanta trading shots with a japanese battleship so it's escorts could line up torpedo shots. Good days. Came out of it with a nigh-pristine Essex and a Atlanta with no superstructure whatsoever save some burning bits and pieces. Looking forward to more.

[The Romulan Republic]

I quite liked Midway's boat bits but couldn't get into the subs or the aircraft. I think the new one's probably a buyer. I loved the Midway mission where you meet the Essex and her escorts. Managed to get my sub sunk instantly, got the Essex shelling the hell out of the Destroyers and the (mission-critical) Atlanta trading shots with a japanese battleship so it's escorts could line up torpedo shots. Good days. Came out of it with a nigh-pristine Essex and a Atlanta with no superstructure whatsoever save some burning bits and pieces. Looking forward to more.

I too loved that mission, both because playing with a couple of battleships is more fun than micromanaging a fleet of fragile little planes and protecting the slow-moving whales that are carriers, and because (if I recall correctly), that mission included a rendezvous with British forces. It was nice to have at least one scenario that touched on the fact that this was a world war, and not just a war between America and Japan over some Pacific islands.

However, I must disagree with you on the subs. I can see why players wouldn't like them, since they're slow and rather vulnerable if detected. However, I for one find it quite enjoyable to slowly stalk an enemy ship from below the surface. Much more so than micromanaging a bunch of fast units. However I will concede that subs, like destroyers and other fragile units, are most fun when you don't have other units to worry about, and can just focus on them.

Anyway, I just hope they release a version of the new game for Macs.

[Vanas]

I just couldn't get into the sub mechanics, all the various dive levels and that. And the fact I had a tendency to end up pointing at a destroyer blob. I'm a simple man at heart. Just get me a set of binoculars, a good ship and enough artillery to level a decent-sized island and I'm happy.

By the looks of things, the new one has driveable Prince of Wales and Renown in it (under the USA section =/), so that's my inner fanboy happy for now. We saw PoW in one of the missions, IIRC, when you're trying to get 2 Fusos out of an entire task force. It'll be nice to drive it, so long as there's no aircraft aboot.

[The Romulan Republic]

I just couldn't get into the sub mechanics, all the various dive levels and that. And the fact I had a tendency to end up pointing at a destroyer blob. I'm a simple man at heart. Just get me a set of binoculars, a good ship and enough artillery to level a decent-sized island and I'm happy.

By the looks of things, the new one has driveable Prince of Wales and Renown in it (under the USA section =/), so that's my inner fanboy happy for now. We saw PoW in one of the missions, IIRC, when you're trying to get 2 Fusos out of an entire task force. It'll be nice to drive it, so long as there's no aircraft aboot.

Wasn't the Renown in the first game? I seem to recall using them as a US unit in battle.

[Vanas]

Hm, may have been. Haven't played the game in ages, but I pretty much just picked random missions and gave them a shot. Only ones that stick in the memory are the Exeter one, the Two Fusos and the Last Ride of the Yamato. This time around, I've got Live so it it'll last a little longer and hopefully have more fun stuff.

[Vendetta]

Renown and Prince of Wales were in the first game, but only controllable in multiplayer. There were some Dutch ships as well, but they only appeared in the side missions.

(I liked subs as well, sure, you got twatted if you were caught, but being able to lurk around and spike someone at an inconvenient moment was grand.)

[The Romulan Republic]

Looks from the screenshots like they've improved the graphics as well. I particularily liked the ships in the storm. I wonder if that was a cut scene or if they'll actually be including weather in the gameplay. That would make things more interesting, if done well.

[Vanas]

I didn't have Live at the time I had Midway, so never got to try out the PoW.

Hope the weather's in there, though I suspect it'll be limited in the US campaign to the weather at the appropriate time. For the Japanese campaign, who knows? I'm guessing mostly sunny though. It's always nice to see the time you're shooting at crumple in flames as opposed to blasting full salvos through the rain while straining to see anything through spray and the waves are causing the ship to buck like a crazed horse.

Actually, that'd be pretty awesome too.

[Tolya]

Im looking forward for Battlestations: Pacific. But I have one little wish for the developers to grant. Include a small graphical trinket for the people who say that size DOES matter:

[RogueIce]

Well they did change that so the ships will try and defend themselves.

What do you mean? Did they release a new version of the game? Am I something missing? Or are you talking about the patches?

There is a 2006 re-release, though I've never played it. But I was talking about the patches before, which give you the option to change your aircraft weapons loadout (to various packages: ASW, AAW, ASUW, etc) as well as ships will fire off SAMs to defend themselves now. And probably some other stuff too, but it's been awhile so I don't remember the details.

[Jade Falcon]

Battlestations Pacific looks as if it could be interesting. Tis a pity they didn't have one of the Queen Elizabeth class though like HMS Valiant.

[The Romulan Republic]

Im looking forward for Battlestations: Pacific. But I have one little wish for the developers to grant. Include a small graphical trinket for the people who say that size DOES matter:

What's that picture of exactly? Its obviously a warship of some sort, but what's its significance?

[Jade Falcon]

It's one of the Iowa class, the USS Missouri, one of her class was the venue for the taking of the Japanese Surrender.

[Darkdrium]

Quick, uneducated guess would say it's an Iowa-class battleship. Huge firepower and all.

[Jade Falcon]

The Iowa class is also significant in as much as it was the last class of battleships completed for the US Navy, although the Montana class were planned but not completed. There were four units of the Iowa class, USS Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and New Jersey. Two further units, Illinois and Kentucky were started but never completed.

[Vendetta]

What's that picture of exactly? Its obviously a warship of some sort, but what's its significance?

He wants the visible blast wave in the water when large battleships fire their guns.

Probably won't happen, I haven't seen it in trailers (and you wouldn't see the effect often because your ship'd be in the way). Would be cool though, the first game already had a respectable feeling of Power when you unleashed a battelship's broadside, especially the Yamato or (downloadable) Iowa, and anything that increases that even more would be welcome.

[The Romulan Republic]

What's that picture of exactly? Its obviously a warship of some sort, but what's its significance?

He wants the visible blast wave in the water when large battleships fire their guns.

Probably won't happen, I haven't seen it in trailers (and you wouldn't see the effect often because your ship'd be in the way). Would be cool though, the first game already had a respectable feeling of Power when you unleashed a battelship's broadside, especially the Yamato or (downloadable) Iowa, and anything that increases that even more would be welcome.

Hmm, where can I download the Iowa?

[Vendetta]

Here.

New SP mission, new MP map (Iowa vs. Yamato), five new units, including Iowa.

[Vendetta]

Mini-Necro: There's a Q&A session with one of the Battlestations designers Here.

[Thanas]

I cannot believe nobody has mentioned Silent Hunter III yet. Do not get SHIV, it is crap. Get SHIII, it should cost about 5$ nowadays.

After you got it, install the Grey Wolves mod and then have fun.

Pm me if you want additional ships etc.

[CaptHawkeye]

Subsims are boring but that might just be me. It just seems sad to cut off a good engine at one subset of the environment and call it a day.

Silent Hunter III was good fun but that's just because it's first naval sim I ever played. Nobody has even bothered to do shit with surface vessels since the disastrous Destroyer Command. I think this has more to do with super fan nerds demanding perfect accuracy than it does a dwindling market though.

[Thanas]

Or absolutely crappy developer decisions? Do you really doubt that people would not buy a dreadnought simulation if say, Ubisoft made it instead of whoever made that DRM-infested, unrealistic and buggy as hell Jutland?

Jutland is actually a prime case for this - great scenario, but utterly crappy game mechanics, invasive DRM that actually kills your PC, and a game that is playing out the same in 99% of the cases (aka the first one to ambush and kill the others light forces wins?).