Naval combat

[Puzz3D]

Russo-Japanese war? Doesn't sound so fun. It was awfully one-sided. Even if you deviate from history, the disparity between forces is pretty pathetic.

The game is developed by Norm Koger. He's legendary in wargame development. According to a post on usenet, Norm responded to a recent email that the game is finished and ready for release, and he's working on the legal contracts to get it released. In the past, he's been prevented from patching his games by publishers, and it would be nice if he could find a way around that problem even if it meant self-publishing and charging more for the game. This is where Fighting Steel Project excels because it has gotten 10 major revisions and many minor revisions over the last 4 years because SSI relinquished some of their legal control and allowed the source code to be modified.


Kraxis,

The Bismark breakout scenario in Fighting Steel Project with the Thunder at Sea wrapper is very good. I've played it over 50 times, and haven't tired of it. Navies at War due for release Q2 2006 will replace Fighting Steel Project, and will have land masses included in the tactical engine.

[Kraxis]

Hmm... Ehm, what am I supposed to order? The Fighting Steel game or the Fighting Steel Project CD? Can't find the first, but the second costs 10$. I'm a little confused.

[Puzz3D]

You have to own the Fighting Steel game or purchase it for $10. Fighting Steel Project is a free download and patches the Fighting Steel game. The current version of Fighting Steel Project is apparently the last major revision which will be released. You can also buy their Thunder at Sea operational campaign simulator which costs $25, and includes the Fighting Steel Project patch. There are air and submarine elements included in Thunder at Sea, and it calls Fighting Steel to resolve the ship-to-ship battles. It's not necessary to keep any CD's in the drive.

[Kraxis]

Let me get this straight, you can't go in and play captain? Or firedirector? It is purely tactical and strategic considerations?

[Puzz3D]

At the operational level in Thunder at Sea, you control the speed and movement of task forces, refueling, patroling, detaching ships and can make air strikes from carriers. There is air recon but I think it's automatic if you have the aircraft, and I think the land based aircraft strikes are automatic. I believe submarine attacks are automatic as well. You can hit mines.

At the tactical level in Fighting Steel, you control individual ships or groups of ships in a division. You can detach ships from a division. You control speed, direction, smoke, evasive maneuvering, recognition lights, forward main batteries, aft main batteries, port secondary batteries, starboard secondary batteries, ammo type (armor piercing, high explosive, common and starshells), torpedoes and searchlights. Ships can sustain superstructure damage, fires, knocked out turrets and torpedoe mounts, flooding, magazine hits and damage or destruction of important systems such as damage control, electrical, bridge, radar, engines, rudder, optical sights and searchlights. Damage control is automatic. You can play entirely on a 3D map or switch to a 2D map. Probabilities of hitting the target are continuously available. Direct and plunging fire is modeled and armor thickness varies on different parts of the ship; all historically accurate for the type of ship and shells fired. Ships slow down when flooding until the flooding is controlled and the water pumped out. Firing rate declines as different systems sustain damaged, and recovers if the systems can be repaired.

[Degtyarev14.5]

The game is developed by Norm Koger. He's legendary in wargame development. According to a post on usenet, Norm responded to a recent email that the game is finished and ready for release, and he's working on the legal contracts to get it released. In the past, he's been prevented from patching his games by publishers, and it would be nice if he could find a way around that problem even if it meant self-publishing and charging more for the game. This is where Fighting Steel Project excels because it has gotten 10 major revisions and many minor revisions over the last 4 years because SSI relinquished some of their legal control and allowed the source code to be modified.

I am sooooo pleased to read these words!

A.

[Puzz3D]

I figured this would happen. The first two times out in Fighting Steel I lost to CBR, and then the 3rd time out his Japanese fleet looked like what was left after the battle of Surigao Strait. Since then he hasn't wanted to play again.

[CBR]

Omg what lies!

Just give me as many BB's as you have and then Im ready I never got a chance to show off my leet torpedo skills in that battle heh.


CBR

[Pericles]

Destroyer Command is actually quite an enjoyable game. You take command of a squadron of DDS and can stand on the bridge of a DD and watch the action and actually fire the guns and torps...

In addition there are several mods out right now that allows the player to take command of CAs, BBs, etc from any navy and where you are actually ON the ship in question.

Scenarios have been created to re-create both WW1 and WW2 battles. And yes, you can fight the Battle of Jutland...

Unlike Fighting Steel which gives you a third person perspective; Destroyer Command actually places you IN the ship (or FPS)...

[phred]

The game is developed by Norm Koger. He's legendary in wargame development. According to a post on usenet, Norm responded to a recent email that the game is finished and ready for release, and he's working on the legal contracts to get it released. In the past, he's been prevented from patching his games by publishers, and it would be nice if he could find a way around that problem even if it meant self-publishing and charging more for the game.

Here's some news and screenshots from the wargamer.
The game is called Distant Guns due late Fall 2005
http://www.wargamer.com/news/news.asp?nid=2730#

here's the game's website

http://www.stormeaglestudios.com/public/home.html

and here's a quote from a press release

"The Distant Guns 3D render engine is the key to the next generation of leading edge gaming. We have laid out a path of development that will deliver gaming experiences that are beyond your wildest dreams. Some have managed to deliver hot looking historical games, with only surface historical accuracy. Others have served up extremely historically accurate games, but only average graphics.
The Storm Eagle is committed to delivering both!"


the screenshots look nice

[CBR]

Ah finally some news on this game and good news indeed! It looks very promising.


CBR

[English assassin]

If it does what it says it does this will be worth getting. Interesting choice of campaign (presumably they are still working on subs and aircraft...)

[Puzz3D]

Interesting choice of campaign (presumably they are still working on subs and aircraft...)

The time period is 1904 - 1905.

[English assassin]

The time period is 1904 - 1905.

That's what I mean, AKAIK they won't have to model subs and they certainly won't need aircraft. I guess they are still developing the engine and will put them in later and expand the periods they can cover at that point.

I'm not complaining, I think its sensible to get the engine out now and some income coming in and then refine it later, and there's no reason why this campaign wouldn't be a good one.

[CBR]

On a newsgroup Norm Koger said:

We aren't swearing off on WWII. It's a nice place to visit, I just wouldn't want to live there. I'm guessing on the mix right now, but depending upon response to things like RJW we'll probably alternate between "popular" and "obscure" topics. The next major installment of the Distant Guns engine will probably be Pacific 1942. Once the operational/campaign module is complete (no promises on release dates for that), I plan to lobby for the Spanish American War. Guess I have a thing about dense clouds of coal smoke

We plan to follow this title reasonably quickly (not just data and art, considerable additional coding will be required) with WWI and WWII period releases. An operational-campaign element is in the works, on the side, as an eventual add-on. We also have an operational land campaign engine ("project Ivan") at an advanced stage of development. It's nowhere near as ready as the RJW title, but it's coming down the tracks - and while it is quite different in many respects, it could be considered a competitor to Classic TOAW

CBR