Tactical/strategic challenge.

[RSGodfrey]

Hi

I am not familiar with this title and am unsure whether to buy it or not.

The important elements for me are the depth and breadth of the tactical and strategic challenge.

My initial impression of the game, which is superfiial and could be erroneous, is spending time searching for the enemy and juggling aircraft management and search patterns. After locating and engaging I am unsure as to how the player continues.
To what extent is combat decided by numerical balance modified by pilot experience, morale and technical superiority, and to what extent does the player have the latitude to develop tactics and strategem in combat?

Thanks

Richard

[Gregor_SSG]

The challenge in Carriers at War is not so much the searching, but where you have positioned your carriers relative to those who are most assuredly searching for you. You are cast in the role of Admiral, so once a strike has left the deck you can do nothing further to contribute to its chances of success. This might sound strange, but its actually more exciting this way - you just don't know what is going to happen. The stress that the real life carrier admirals suffered must have been astronomical.

The real art of the game is in placing your forces in the right spot, evaluating the inherently unreliable sighting reports and deciding when and with what to strike. I was playing a game the other day where my over zealous pilots had reported 8 different carrier sightings.Now some of those settled down fairly quickly to be more accurate, but trying to evaluate all those sightings, while knowing that some of them had to accurate and that a lethal enemy strike could already be in the air, is a task that will take your full attention.

It always been a hugely popular game and I'm sure you'll enjoy it if you give it a go.

Gregor

[Murat]

Yep, nothing as sad as sending everyone off and having a strike hit you while they are gone and then discovering that your force engaged a tanker and some supply ships at the cost of a carrier or two.

[freeboy]

As I remember from earlier posting, here and elsewhere r5?, there was to be surface conflict as well, is it still in the game, albiet less of a focus?


I always want to force the US commander in early war scens to judge which group has planes, and perhaps waste a strike against my BB group and allow a "free" strike wit hmy cv group.
Thanks in advance