[Jester]

Website: http://killerfishgames.com/games/war-on-the-sea

YouTube: https://youtu.be/8sjPhyvhD1s

Discussion

[erich]

I’ve never played their games before. They look interesting. I’m assuming they are multiplayer??

[Jester]

The made “Cold Waters” (somewhat a sequel to Red Storm Rising”. I think this will be single player but would be cool as multiplayer if they can get the mechanics to work.

[erich]

Single player – boo!! We need a good naval game with subs in it that is multiplayer. I did participate in the beta test for WoW but they haven’t had a new testing since. That was last November.

[erich]

Posted up a frontpage article on this game. :)

[Jester]

Released today!  I am just going through the tutorials.  I am glad they have Damage Control.  Reminds me of the Great Naval Battles games.  Good stuff.

 

• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by  Jester.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by  Jester.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by  Jester.

[erich]

@jester have you tried the subs yet?

 

[Jester]

Yes, the subs are really fragile.  Torpedo launches are simplified.  Target enemy > Wait for good solution > Fire # of torps with a degree spread you set.

I have slipped away one time by diving deep early and running silent.

I have yet to trying to go deeper to see how far the subs can truly dive to and see if you can get under the depth charges.  Historically, the Japanese set too shallow in early years of the war.

[erich]

[postquote quote=5672]
Nice. I saw some game footage and the UI seemd a tad clunky. Is that your experience?

[Jester]

The UI could definitely use some improvement.  So far, i don’t think there is a way to split fire…say main guns on Target A while secondaries fire at Target B.  Ships in formation tend to get jumbled during course changes.  Perhaps this will improve in time.

[Jester]

Started the US campaign yesterday.  I’ve taken the Santa Cruz islands and am working on building an air strip there.  A Japanese cruiser force bombarded Port Moresby.  I intercepted them later on with USS Gato.  During the engagement, I hit the Tone class heavy cruiser with 4 torpedoes which slowed it to a dead stop and put it out of action.  Though I went deep, the Japanese destroyers found the Gato and caused flooding in one compartment with depth charges.  I tried going full ahead and full rise but to no avail…the Gato sunk too deep and was lost.  I thought about blowing ballast and probably should have, but that was certain death as well.  The Tone eventually flooded and sunk.

 

[img]https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/to_avif,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1600/https://www.naval-encyclopedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Tone-BG.jpg[/img]

• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by  Jester.

[Jester]

Second attack coming to Port Moresby.  I launched a squadron of Avengers at the Japanese cruiser force but the torpedo attack failed to score hits.  (I learned that even though you tell them to attack, they won’t drop unless you tell them to open bay doors first.  You’d think that’d be part of the attack order).  Second flight armed with bombs hit the Myoko.  Although 75% of the avengers got shot down, they scored three hits on the Myoko which burned and later sank as magazine explosions ripped through its hull.

 

[i

[Jester]

The campaign continues…

Sunk a few Japanese submarines via aircraft off the Enterprise.  Also had encounters with a Japanese cruiser force and one of my Gato class submarines.  Torpedo attack proved unsuccessful and the cruiser force sailed away rapidly.  However, I vectored Dauntless dive bombers to the location and succeeded in scoring direct hits on one Mogami class heavy cruiser.  It quickly went dead in the water and sunk.

 

Another of my other Gato class submarine near Rabul sighted a Japanese convoy.  I was able to torpedo and sink one Mogami heavy cruiser and went deep and departed the area.  I followed up with Dauntless aircraft from the Enterprise and sank an additional troopship and Naga class light cruiser.

 

I decided to press on towards Guadalcanal with my Battleship group with rear support from the Enterprise task force.  The troopships are making their way under cover of the Enterprise group.  Scouting Avengers found and torpedoed a Japanese cruiser force headed east out of Rabul.  The attack scored one hit on a Mogami class heavy cruiser, one hit on a Naga class light cruiser and two hits on another Naga class light cruiser.  Both Nagas burned and eventually sank.  The Mogami seems to have repaired its damage and is operational.

 

[img]https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1771574935453122946/17895A7A8A0C3F173724FAAC96143E99BF42252C/?imw=1024&imh=576&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=true[/img]

 

[erich]

@jester it seems like it is a mix of RTS with simulation. Are they actively patching it?

[Jester]

Yes, they’ve done some small patches.  I’m still learning things with the campaign mode but so far so good.

There are some inaccuracies that I’ve seen so far.

• Japanese sonar in early war
• Japanese depth charge depths
• All merchants are armed…so can’t really conduct surface attacks with submarines

I’d like to see other nations represented in the area with ships and support.  Currently, you are fighting the Pacific War entirely by yourself with the ships you dispatch and control.

[Jester]

Refocusing my strategy as I may have landed on Guadalcanal too early.  I decided to start building up the base on Rennell Island, south of Guadalcanal.  That will lessen the distance my forces and supply ships need to transit to transport necessary troops and supplies.  Thet battles have been ramping up.  Japanese battleships are making an appearance.  Port Moresby was attacked by a Battleship group which included a Kongo class BB as well as the Yamato.  I’ve cleared any surface ships from the area until I can establish where exactly the Yamato is.  I have stationed three submarines as pickets should the Yamato return.

 

The slot has been a constant battleground as US submarines press hit and run attacks on convoys followed by air assault from the Enterprise.  The latest attack decimated a convoy headed to Guadalcanal.  The force since turned back.  A second air wave consisting of 12 avengers armed with torpedoes ran into a BB group headed south towards the Enterprise group.  A focused attack scored 9 hits on the Kongo (5 hits, 4 duds) and three hits on the Myoko class heavy cruiser.  Both were quickly ablaze and the Kongo took a swift list to port.  Both would burn fiercely and sink as the fire reached the magazine and set off secondary explosions.

 

[img]https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1768198017967236938/DE73DF164BAF1A702886201A2687F399B60351A4/[/img]

 

[erich]

@jester ah nice so it simulates the torpedo duds during the war also?

 

[Jester]

Yes, as the US torpedoes were rampantly known for.  You have to try and make sure the impact will be as close to a 90 degree hit as possible for the best outcomes.  Also, the torpedoes run straight out a certain distance before the gyro setting kicks in and turns the torpedo.  I have also had one encounter with one of my torpedoes doing a circular run and coming back around at me.

[Jester]

War update:

 

The Japanese have landed troops at Port Moresby, slipping by my submarine screen, as well as Milne Bay and Santa Cruz.  I have thwarted repeated Japnaese efforts to reinforce those positions.  At least three convoys were completed wiped out after repeated attacks.  I have landed more troops on Guadalcanal, with a count of 7,400+ troops there now.  I have re-routed the next troop convoy to Milne Bay as they are in dire need of troops to repel the Japanese that landed.  It is a long sail though and hopefully will reach there in time.

 

No sighting of the Yamato or accompanying force yet….she is out there somewhere.