Matrix Games Forums

Can anyone recommend a good/great WW2 naval combat game please? [&o]

ASS-U-ME-ing that you're speaking of computer games... [;)]

My favorite is Task Force 1942 by Microprose:

http://www.goodolddays.net/pc/t/tf1942_/

It wasn't perfect, but it brought a lot of stuff together, strategy, operations and surface combat that have never really been addressed in any other game for the PC. Man, what I would give for an update of this one!!!

Most other games containing surface tactical elements are little more than 2D or 3D versions of this:

http://www.hpssims.com/Pages/products/N ... /guad.html

You issue orders to your ship(s) via some kind of interface, usually clunky. They sail around, shoot, take hits and some reports are generated. Boring, boring, boring.

As for tactical carrier operations there are just the two, Carriers at War and Carrier Strike. Everything else is some attempt at porting over boardgames like Flat Top to the PC. At least that's the appearance that's conveyed to me.

Good luck getting the sound working on TF1942, btw. I ran the game fifteen years ago using a Soundblaster Pro. Not a whole lot of emulators around for that piece of work!

PoE (aka ivanmoe)

eey-ore!! [:D]
 
Task Force 1942 - action around the Solomon islands and also included a potential beach invasion!!  What fun it was 'looseing' the torpedoes and watching their bubble trails as they headed toward the enemy ships
 
I recall that well - I had that I think on my Commodore C64. Was it really 15 years ago...ouch! I used to love all those Microprose games. Their head office used to be in Tetbury Gloucester UK not far from me. I even attended a user meeting many years ago. I guess they were bought out. I also enjoyed Red Storm Rising, you remember that? Different game but very fun.
 
CAW we still await (no eta yet[&:])  Is Carrier Strike a worthwhile investment or shall I just hold out for the CAW release?

Yes, the night actions in TF 1942 were quite thrilling to see, with the starshells and searchlights. Even the 1940s newsreel-style credits were cool. I swear there was actually an "Easter Egg" feature in that game that sometimes showed little shark fins in the water just after a ship sank. Did anyone else ever see this? Or was my "suspension of disbelief" in overdrive.

You might want to look at Fighting Steel by ssi. NWS has produced a Fighting Steel Project that upgraded some things and its still fun to blast away at each other.

ORIGINAL: Tank Commander

Can anyone recommend a good/great WW2 naval combat game please? [&o]

A good stable title at the tactical fleet level is HPS's Naval Campaigns 3 - Guadalcanal. This game plays real time with graphics inspired by tactical naval warfare manuals.

From the game's blurb:

During the 1942-43 campaign for the southern Solomon Island of Guadalcanal in 1942-43, many naval battles were fought to cement the material advantage gained by the Allies after the stunning Japanese losses at the Battle of Midway; NC3: Guadalcanal features 14 of these scenarios including Savo Island--a costly Allied setback, Cape Esperance--where the Japanese were struck back hard, Tassafaronga, Cape St. George, Kolombangara, and others...

Game includes shore data for the famous Iron Bottom Sound including Savo Island, Guadalcanal, and the surrounding islands. Land blocks both movement and line-of-sight.
Radar has been added to the Naval Campaigns game engine allowing ships equipped with radar to spot enemy ships not within the limits of visibility.
Radar detection has also been added which allows ships so equipped to detect ships with radar.
The game database includes all of the ships that participated in the historical battles around Guadalcanal including battleships, destroyers, and PT boats. It also includes several extra ships like the Japanese battleship Yamato.
Armor belts, mines, torpedoes, smoke laying, and visibility effects.

A scenario editor is also included with the game;
The scenario editor allows new scenarios to be constructed from the provided ship database and existing scenarios to be modified.

You can find it at http://www.naval-warfare.net/ or www.hpssims.com

Chamberlain - Oh yeah, I forgot about the night fights with star shells and searchlights. Sharks-fins - I can't recall them but appears I've missed out on this! [:D]
 
Elcidce - Thanks for your recommendation [:)]
 
Adam Parker - Thanks very much for this infomation [:)]
 
I'll take a plump with one of these TF1942 I've played in the past. Would be fun to play again but I very much douibt I'll get it working on a modern PC

ORIGINAL: Tank Commander

I'll take a plump with one of these TF1942 I've played in the past. Would be fun to play again but I very much douibt I'll get it working on a modern PC

Games that looked great in 1992, TF1942 or Aces of the Pacific, for instance, look (and sound) pretty silly now. The midi files that were used for music are particularly ghastly. Let me add, though, that those guys knew how to make games, ones that were fun to play.

What made TF1942 so different from EVERYTHING else produced before or since, was it's approach to gameplay. As the USN or Japanese C.O., you developed a strategy for controlling the waters around Guadalcanal, you implemented it with patrols on a 2D, overhead map, and then you fought the battles, all the way down to manning a torpedo director (if you chose to do so). If successful on the long term, your side held control of the island and won the game.

Fun?

As a wargamer/simmer, nothing could beat the experience of emerging from a smoke screen in a badly damaged Patterson, only to see the Chokai steaming 600 yards away, to F-over to the torpedo director and pump that b*****d full of fish before you sank! That was fun, and that's the kind of experience that I believe is missing from the "wargames" that are being published today.

To the extent that most of what are passed off as computer wargames are little more than animated board or miniatures games, I have to comment that the potential of computers to deliver deeper experiences to players has gone largely unfulfilled. If there are any developers out there with more time, cash and talent than business smarts, please take notice!!!

PoE (aka ivanmoe)

POE - You are 110% SPOT ON Sir!!

ORIGINAL: Tank Commander

POE - You are 110% SPOT ON Sir!!

Second to that!

Hi Guys
 
Please do not post links to other stores.  Thanks.
 
David
 
 

blimey, saw a post from the man himself - got me credit card out, celebration glass of bubbly, put me special 'about to play a new pc game til dawn' pyjamas on, only to find out its a telling off and not the long waited click here to purchase option [:(]

maybe if we continue to post links they'll release the game quicker...[:D]
 
My original post asked " while I'm waiting for CAW.....".  Perhaps the Matrix guys have some suggestions and links? Hopefully they've also noticed the posts regarding TF1942 and how fun this was.... so that future games may have the same enjoyment value, particularly CAW[;)]
 
No release date yet....[:(] I'm thinking it will be 2007 Q2 at the earliest

 
this is me, just pacing, and waiting, waiting and pacing.
 
 

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker

You can find it at http://www.naval-warfare.net/ or www.hpssims.com

Pardon me, but I think that it's really disrepectful to our host to post links to an abandonware reseller like NWS.

PoE (aka ivanmoe)

Perhaps but in fairness he was simply answering a question that I asked....and I'm grateful for his reply. He could have e-mailed it me and the result would have been the same

Sure Matrix are our hosts, but we are the customers with the mazoola. If we don't buy, they don't get paid [:D]

However the sooner CAW comes out, the quicker I get out my wallet and buy CAW, and consign my interim software to the recycle bin[;)]

ORIGINAL: Prince of Eckmühl

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker

You can find it at http://www.naval-warfare.net/ or www.hpssims.com

Pardon me, but I think that it's really disrepectful to our host to post links to an abandonware reseller like NWS.
PoE (aka ivanmoe)

I have to add that these titles are not abandonware and in the case of Fighting Steel NWS has added additional improvements and scenarios to use with Fighting Steel. Those have been made available free of charge. Considering the fact that those particular titles mentioned are not sold by both companies I dont think that there is a conflict. Perhaps if this was a thread about WiTP or another title they both sold it would be a conflict.

ORIGINAL: Prince of Eckmühl

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker

You can find it at http://www.naval-warfare.net/ or www.hpssims.com

Pardon me, but I think that it's really disrepectful to our host to post links to an abandonware reseller like NWS.

PoE (aka ivanmoe)

Hi Everyone

I think PoE made a mistake thinking NWS was a abandonware site. Let me clearly state that NWS is Matrix Games approved reseller and not and abandonware site. Matrix Games has a strict policy not allowing posts that link to other stores sites. You are free to talk about any game you like but we do ask that you try to keep that in the general forum. I do hope that clears that up. Now back to your regular schedule gaming!

David Heath

the more we talk about other sites the more he comes back!!! try and catch him online and get a release date!!!

Removed by the poster.