http://www.victoryatseagame.com/ just saw this while surfing the net does anyone know anything about it ?
Interesting find, thanks!
I wonder if it is related to the boardgame/miniatures-game.
Website says it is related to the Mongoose published tabletop game. No idea if there is any relation to the true Victory at Sea game :) from Avalon Hill.
Didn't Dunnigan have a computer game called Victory at Sea as well?
I seem to recall an Apple 2e title like that.
This looks pretty interesting. I am always up for a beer and pretzels naval game.
RTS=non-starter.
That looks pretty bad.
I mean, if that's your thing then I hope you enjoy the hell out of it, but it doesn't look even remotely interesting on my end. :idiot2:
I think you are writing it off too quick; models are good, let's see how they go with it.
Quote from: FlickJax on June 03, 2014, 01:31:12 AM
I think you are writing it off too quick; models are good, let's see how they go with it.
I agree with Flickjax :). It's early days yet.
Apparently there is a strategic as well as a tactical layer. I wonder if they are doing stuff like critical hits, turret damage, compartmentation effects on flooding? 8)
Quote from: Boggit on June 03, 2014, 05:59:55 AM
I wonder if they are doing stuff like critical hits, turret damage, compartmentation effects on flooding? 8)
Yes. The ships healthbar will decrease with each successful contact between a "shell" pixel and the ship and will increase if the ship is within range of a healing center.
Sorry, couldn't resist....
QuoteVictory at Sea is already a highly successful table top game made by Mongoose Publishing, the company behind the Judge Dredd Miniatures Game. The Victory at Sea naval combat game will encapsulate the vast amounts of information behind the tabletop game which incorporates every detail a gamer could want. It will also inherit the fast flowing rules that allow novices and veteran gamers alike to enjoy recreating the epic struggles between the mighty fleets of the era.
So the mechanics are based on a minis game? That could be good or bad. But it's supposed to have some Sandbox campaign mode so I'm not gonna write it off.
I'm in touch with the developer. Do you have any specifics you want me to ask?
Quote from: GJK on June 03, 2014, 06:13:50 AM
Quote from: Boggit on June 03, 2014, 05:59:55 AM
I wonder if they are doing stuff like critical hits, turret damage, compartmentation effects on flooding? 8)
Yes. The ships healthbar will decrease with each successful contact between a "shell" pixel and the ship and will increase if the ship is within range of a healing center.
"Healing center"? Really? Couldn't they have least called it a "boat hospital"?
Fageddaboutit.
As much as like to see new naval games, I'm not sure this is type I'm looking for! :-[
I think he was making that quote up. FFS I really do not understand all the negative waves here.
Quote from: FlickJax on June 03, 2014, 10:14:36 AM
I think he was making that quote up. FFS I really do not understand all the negative waves here.
I agree with Flickjax. :)
I've suggested to the developer that he signs up as a forum member to give you guys some feedback directly. He seems a nice guy, so please give him a chance to say his piece before you tear into him... :o
Quote from: FlickJax on June 03, 2014, 10:14:36 AM
I think he was making that quote up. FFS I really do not understand all the negative waves here.
Guess you never heard of James Dunnigan, then.
Quote from: SgtRock on June 03, 2014, 10:38:19 AM
Quote from: FlickJax on June 03, 2014, 10:14:36 AM
I think he was making that quote up. FFS I really do not understand all the negative waves here.
Guess you never heard of James Dunnigan, then.
I know of him, own and have played games designed by him, and own and have read one of his books. What is the connection?
grognards :P
Quote from: undercovergeek on June 03, 2014, 11:04:17 AM
grognards :P
This is the cause for all gaming consternation in these parts.
I don't think this sounds
too bad. Probably because I'm a whore for Sandbox strategy and naval warfare themes.
Quote from: undercovergeek on June 03, 2014, 11:04:17 AM
grognards :P
What did you expect, Cheese Heads? :D
QuoteWhat is the connection?
James Dunnigan's Victory at sea this ain't, that's the connection!
Quote from: SgtRock on June 03, 2014, 11:32:44 AM
Quote from: undercovergeek on June 03, 2014, 11:04:17 AM
grognards :P
What did you expect, Cheese Heads? :D
QuoteWhat is the connection?
James Dunnigan's Victory at sea this ain't, that's the connection!
Oh, I see! No, this is nothing to do with "that" Victory at Sea (if you'll excuse the pun ;))
This is what James at Evil Twin Artworks emailed me:
A bit about the background behind making the game and us as a team.
We always wanted to try something a little different, and a little more epic, but being an indie, Scale was an issue. We are all round gamers (board and video) and as Swindon Developers we became friendly with local Tabletop Battle game publishers Mongoose.
Through this relationship we got the rights to make Victory At Sea based on their tabletop battle game of the same name. This gave us access to ship stats and facts that we just wouldn't have been able to pull together. But Of course we wanted to do something different with it! We were inspired by books and movies like Das Boot, where the Submarine Commander knew he couldn't win the war on his own, his only concern was keeping his men alive. His decisions affected the story of that U-Boat. With our game we have created a living breathing world to explore. The Germans will be attacking convoys in the Atlantic, the Americans will be trying to take back the Pacific one Island at a time and Malta will be desperately trying to survive with the British trying to get supplies through the Axis lines. In this world the player starts as a Destroyer Captain, and the decisions they make create their own story as WWII happens around them. Also It helps as we don't need to make loads of missions, the game works it out as it goes along!
With regards your questions- there are 3 campaigns. The Campaign environments are populated with shipping, ports and planes which are constantly being sent out to attack, supply etc. Each has it's own set of objectives in order to progress. The Atlantic for example, the convoys heading across the Atlantic will need to be protected in order to trigger the overall campaign goals, just attacking France would get a bit messy!
In the Pacific the main goal is to take the islands back in order to launch the final missions against Japan (Sending the bomb)
In the Med you have to keep the supply routes open across the main British held ports and begin the counter attack.
The release date is currently August 8th on Desktop platforms with the mobile release in the Autumn.
Valve have just approved it for release so the Steam Store page for victory At Sea is here
http://store.steampowered.com/app/298480
To be perfectly honest, I think this game probably has much more than meets the eye and merits further investigation as it gets closer to release. I think it will probably turn out to be much better than first indications suggest. 8)
Quote from: SgtRock on June 03, 2014, 11:32:44 AM
Quote from: undercovergeek on June 03, 2014, 11:04:17 AM
grognards :P
What did you expect, Cheese Heads? :D
QuoteWhat is the connection?
James Dunnigan's Victory at sea this ain't, that's the connection!
That's what the title reminded me off.. I remember the album in our house when I was a kid in the 60's.. My Old Man served in the Pacific.
Quote from: undercovergeek on June 03, 2014, 11:04:17 AM
grognards :P
damn straight! if a ship is going to have a health bar then link to the ship DC parties and make that a separate skill that gets better over time.
in the same line of thinking a ships crew could have improvable skills covering the following:
gunnery
anti aircraft
damage control
engineering
piloting
fire fighting
Hi all,
I am the developer. (Well one of 5 of us!) It's great to see the debate that's going on. Thanks for those of you supporting us, I know it's not going to be for everyone, especially as we haven't done a straight RTS or straight full on sim, it is always going to divide the room! This game is a labour of love at the moment, we've all bitten off more than we can chew and we are really going for it so can't wait to show you the full game! It has gone form a small skirmish game to a pretty huge strategy with 3 large campaigns, an historical mode and a point battle mode.
To answer some of your questions all the combat rules are straight from Mongoose Publishing's Victory At Sea. Mongoose's game for those who have played it is designed to allow players to control several ships at once without losing track of all the stats. It's more of a fast paced (from a rules point of view rather than ship speed!) tabletop strategy game.
The ships take damage but depending on location individual weapons and engines can be damaged or destroyed.
Individual captains have a separate skill ratings which increase with general experience.
If you can enter a friendly port you can get ships repaired, otherwise it's trying to keep out of the enemy LOS long enough to get to one.
All ships in the fleet you eventually build will have different commands and weapon capabilities. You can customise your fleet as much as you want. The commands cover Attack, Defend, Patrol, hold fast and withdraw allowing each ship to have it's own set of orders in combat.
The game has an RTS element to it but it also has a time slider to slow combat right down to a crawl to allow players to command individual ships quickly.
We didn't want the campaign to be like Axis And Allies or something like that (My brother and I are avid A&A players) where you control all the fleets in the entire Campaign. We wanted your character to build up with World War 2 going on around you. So we have developed what we called the "Tide Of War" where ports are supplied by convoys, ships are sent out to patrol and harass enemy shipping etc. All this is happening while you develop your strategies. In the Atlantic you could for example to just command a fleet of Destroyers and hunt the subs attacking the convoys going to Britain. It would take a foolhardy Captain to just go straight for Europe with a small Fleet! Each campaign has it's own goals and strategies to achieve ultimate victory.As in real life, the Atlantic Campaign is very different to the Pacific. Please post here if you have any more questions or clarifications! You can also see our new Steam Page here! http://store.steampowered.com/app/298480 (http://store.steampowered.com/app/298480)
Thanks for coming on to the forum, James.
No problems! Happy to chat about anything!
Nice setting. Hope it turns out as immersive as it sounds.
Quote from: jomni on June 04, 2014, 04:56:10 AM
Nice setting. Hope it turns out as immersive as it sounds.
Thanks we are battling through now to get a viewable version. Yes I have been playing the Pacific Campaign for hours right now. As in the real campaign there is no quick fix (Believe me as part of playtesting I did try just sailing to Japan, didn't get near it before my fleet was blown out of the water) For the Pacific you have to start to starve the supplies and island hop.
And the first British ship is my Grandads :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Jervis_(F00)
Quote from: FlickJax on June 04, 2014, 05:49:21 AM
And the first British ship is my Grandads :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Jervis_(F00)
Yup! You start with one J Class Destroyer and eventually start to build your fleet. Bit of a coincidence considering we have 80+ ship classes!
Quote from: jameseviltwin on June 04, 2014, 04:03:16 AM
The game has an RTS element to it but it also has a time slider to slow combat right down to a crawl to allow players to command individual ships quickly.
Welcome James---while I love the PTO, I wasn't too interested in VaS (not a big RTS fan) until I saw you say the above. But now I'll be keeping my eye on it.
Quote from: steve58 on June 04, 2014, 08:14:44 AM
Quote from: jameseviltwin on June 04, 2014, 04:03:16 AM
The game has an RTS element to it but it also has a time slider to slow combat right down to a crawl to allow players to command individual ships quickly.
Welcome James---while I love the PTO, I wasn't too interested in VaS (not a big RTS fan) until I saw you say the above. But now I'll be keeping my eye on it.
Excellent! We will definitely be keeping you all posted as we go. I'll be honest I play a lot of the game in a slower speed, though I know a guy who prefers to play it x2 speed, so it has a lot of leeway!
This is tremendously exciting for me as I've played a LOT of VaS using the A&A miniatures.
No, it assuredly isn't Seekrieg and my friends who play that, Pratt, &c., tend to turn up their noses a bit, but this is definitely a sweet-spot system for me rules-density-wise.
That said, one thing that emerged from first edition VaS frankly broken was aircraft. The second edition of the rules (as included in the second volume) dealt with it somewhat more abstractly, but I thought all together better.
How will this be managed in the electronic version?
Very best to you.
Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)
Quote from: jameseviltwin on June 04, 2014, 08:23:47 AM
Excellent! We will definitely be keeping you all posted as we go. I'll be honest I play a lot of the game in a slower speed, though I know a guy who prefers to play it x2 speed, so it has a lot of leeway!
Will there be an extremely slow speed for us old grognards? I like being to speed things up when not much is happening but I also like to have things move at a snails pace when they get hectic.... :)
Quote from: Barthheart on June 04, 2014, 11:08:26 AM
Quote from: jameseviltwin on June 04, 2014, 08:23:47 AM
Excellent! We will definitely be keeping you all posted as we go. I'll be honest I play a lot of the game in a slower speed, though I know a guy who prefers to play it x2 speed, so it has a lot of leeway!
Will there be an extremely slow speed for us old grognards? I like being to speed things up when not much is happening but I also like to have things move at a snails pace when they get hectic.... :)
Yes you can comfortably sit there and watch it very slowly move! It's my favourite mode, until I need to start travelling. There are 2 views. The world view and the battle view. Crossing the Atlantic in the World View does need (In my opinion) to have the time slider cranked up a bit as it can take a while!
Quote from: jameseviltwin on June 04, 2014, 11:32:51 AM
Quote from: Barthheart on June 04, 2014, 11:08:26 AM
Quote from: jameseviltwin on June 04, 2014, 08:23:47 AM
Excellent! We will definitely be keeping you all posted as we go. I'll be honest I play a lot of the game in a slower speed, though I know a guy who prefers to play it x2 speed, so it has a lot of leeway!
Will there be an extremely slow speed for us old grognards? I like being to speed things up when not much is happening but I also like to have things move at a snails pace when they get hectic.... :)
Yes you can comfortably sit there and watch it very slowly move! It's my favourite mode, until I need to start travelling. There are 2 views. The world view and the battle view. Crossing the Atlantic in the World View does need (In my opinion) to have the time slider cranked up a bit as it can take a while!
Cool beans! Looking forward to more info. :)
Quote from: Cyrano on June 04, 2014, 11:02:24 AM
This is tremendously exciting for me as I've played a LOT of VaS using the A&A miniatures.
No, it assuredly isn't Seekrieg and my friends who play that, Pratt, &c., tend to turn up their noses a bit, but this is definitely a sweet-spot system for me rules-density-wise.
That said, one thing that emerged from first edition VaS frankly broken was aircraft. The second edition of the rules (as included in the second volume) dealt with it somewhat more abstractly, but I thought all together better.
How will this be managed in the electronic version?
Very best to you.
Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)
Great!
We have used the more abstract rules as a basis. We wanted the Carriers to be able to launch dive bombers and fighters at selected vessels and then not have to micro manage them. Basically the planes can all be separately targeted to different vessels and can be recalled to the carriers. They are treated in some respects like the weapon systems. You can "fire all weapons" or you can fire individual weapons at individual craft, depending on facing, damage and weapons ready state.
are there torpedo armed planes?
First -- much credit for the communication. Fine, rare thing, I think me.
Second -- MP?
Best,
Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)
Quote from: Cyrano on June 04, 2014, 12:37:54 PM
First -- much credit for the communication. Fine, rare thing, I think me.
Second -- MP?
Best,
Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)
Thanks! Yeah I like to chat about it! We have got the ability to play multi player locally. But for the launch we have held back on a full on multi player. But it's definitely on our list of to dos for the next phase.
As I said, the sandbox-y campaign stuff is what grabs my interest most. The example of escorting Atlantic convoys is encouraging. Sounds like fun.
Welcome aboard James. :) I'm glad you've had the opportunity to tell us more about your game. If this goes well, will you be doing one set during WW1, or as an expansion to the main game?
Quote from: Nefaro on June 04, 2014, 01:44:53 PM
As I said, the sandbox-y campaign stuff is what grabs my interest most. The example of escorting Atlantic convoys is encouraging. Sounds like fun.
I hope you'll like it!
Quote from: Boggit on June 04, 2014, 04:06:32 PM
Welcome aboard James. :) I'm glad you've had the opportunity to tell us more about your game. If this goes well, will you be doing one set during WW1, or as an expansion to the main game?
Yes we are actually discussing the other eras this could be set in ;)
Looks quite decent to me! I'll put it on my wishlist and watch its developments with interest.
Quote from: JasonPratt on June 04, 2014, 04:34:20 PM
Looks quite decent to me! I'll put it on my wishlist and watch its developments with interest.
Great! I'll post updates on the forums and you can also join the mailing list on the website. www.victoryatseagame.com (http://www.victoryatseagame.com)
Any plans for a demo?
Quote from: SgtRock on June 06, 2014, 01:09:12 PM
Any plans for a demo?
We don't currently have plans for a demo. But that could change.
it looks alright, at first i thought it looked similar too much to pacific fleet on itunes, or battle fleet, but the larger scope and rts format makes it more appealling!
Quote from: agathosdaimon on June 07, 2014, 07:12:10 AM
it looks alright, at first i thought it looked similar too much to pacific fleet on itunes, or battle fleet, but the larger scope and rts format makes it more appealling!
No it's not like pacific fleet at all. I have that game so wanted to do our own thing.
Quote from: agathosdaimon on June 07, 2014, 07:12:10 AM
it looks alright, at first i thought it looked similar too much to pacific fleet on itunes, or battle fleet, but the larger scope and rts format makes it more appealling!
The game is getting bigger as well! Gonna have to stop adding to it soon! It's now got 80 shop classes in it!
Hey folks - we're working with James and the gang (not The James Gang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James-Younger_Gang), or the other James Gang (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_qHU_6Ofc0)) on some material around the new game.
What's the one thing about the game you most need answered that would decide whether or not you're plunking down your shekels for it?
im gonna get it anyway
It has sandbox play, so I'll get it at some point in my gaming schedule.
After picking up Pacific Fleet on my iPad, and having a fun time with it, I was wishing for something more. I'm not a huge fleet campaign guy, though I've helped work on documentation for such games before (War in the Pacific, Harpoon). Funny, doing those manuals really turned me off from epic, grognard naval-based games, but I've always had a love for naval board games like 5th Fleet.
Something like PF was great for a quick fix, but I found it lacking pretty quickly; guess I want more, and this looks like it might be just enough without having to get too groggy about it. Appreciate the info, I'll definitely put it on my radar.
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on July 02, 2014, 12:04:14 PM
After picking up Pacific Fleet on my iPad, and having a fun time with it, I was wishing for something more. I'm not a huge fleet campaign guy, though I've helped work on documentation for such games before (War in the Pacific, Harpoon). Funny, doing those manuals really turned me off from epic, grognard naval-based games, but I've always had a love for naval board games like 5th Fleet.
Something like PF was great for a quick fix, but I found it lacking pretty quickly; guess I want more, and this looks like it might be just enough without having to get too groggy about it. Appreciate the info, I'll definitely put it on my radar.
Yeah that was part of the brief in my head that it was a game you could play for 10 minutes or 10 days!
I'm on the Victory at Sea site right now reading about it. Both Battle Fleet 2 and Victory at Sea look like they will satisfy different gaming cravings. Unfortunately for my wallet I will probably get them both. Whichever developer comes up with a Great War naval game after these first releases will have my undying gratitude.
Quote from: Gusington on July 27, 2014, 12:48:34 PM
I'm on the Victory at Sea site right now reading about it. Both Battle Fleet 2 and Victory at Sea look like they will satisfy different gaming cravings. Unfortunately for my wallet I will probably get them both. Whichever developer comes up with a Great War naval game after these first releases will have my undying gratitude.
Thanks for the kind words! Yeah we are going down different routes to battle fleet. I'll be honest I will be getting BattleFleet 2 too so don't worry you're not alone!
Quote from: bayonetbrant on July 02, 2014, 09:01:21 AM
Hey folks - we're working with James and the gang (not The James Gang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James-Younger_Gang), or the other James Gang (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_qHU_6Ofc0)) on some material around the new game.
What's the one thing about the game you most need answered that would decide whether or not you're plunking down your shekels for it?
From the looks/sounds of it so far I will most likely get this anyway. BUT, since you asked, if this game handled damage the same way Great Naval Battles did I would 100% buy it and a copy for a (Groghead) friend! 8)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aarcentral.com%2Fpics%2Fgnbna.jpg&hash=535c5d40f1dd2b6e59c9951125e96a55701046d1)
Nice Let's Play up on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk4Ln7cOTXU&index=1&list=PLZWHrzhtcONoLJvgD-QwhcmguNjDp0ujx) for this game.
Quote from: bbmike on July 28, 2014, 05:39:51 AM
Quote from: bayonetbrant on July 02, 2014, 09:01:21 AM
Hey folks - we're working with James and the gang (not The James Gang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James-Younger_Gang), or the other James Gang (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_qHU_6Ofc0)) on some material around the new game.
What's the one thing about the game you most need answered that would decide whether or not you're plunking down your shekels for it?
From the looks/sounds of it so far I will most likely get this anyway. BUT, since you asked, if this game handled damage the same way Great Naval Battles did I would 100% buy it and a copy for a (Groghead) friend! 8)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aarcentral.com%2Fpics%2Fgnbna.jpg&hash=535c5d40f1dd2b6e59c9951125e96a55701046d1)
I could go for some carrier deck management as well. IIRC, some of the GNB had that to a limited extent.
...downloading O0
I love you, man.
I guess I probably should not have selected the Prinz Eugen as an opponent in my very first battle (2 British cruisers, 1 destroyer vs the Prinz Eugen and 2 destroyers). One of my cruisers took out the two German destroyers, but Prinz Eugen sent all 3 of me ships to the bottom...
@ tgb -- as for your ? (in the other VaS thread) about saving mid-battle, not seeing any option to do that.
How are the controls? Did you get RTS'ed to death or just poor sailing? ;)
Quote from: Gusington on August 08, 2014, 02:39:31 PM
I love you, man.
You're a real wargaming slut, you know that. You just told Mirth, like 5 minutes ago, you love him.
I love you, man. Don't hate, there's enough love to go around.
Steve are you going to try the campaign?
Quote from: Barthheart on August 08, 2014, 02:49:12 PM
How are the controls? Did you get RTS'ed to death or just poor sailing? ;)
Poor sailing mostly :-[
Controls will take some practice. It looks like you can control 1 or all your ships...
Heres a link to the manual (http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/298480/manuals/Victory_at_Sea_Captains_Guide_v1.pdf?t=1407525273).
@Gus -- eventually, but I'll probably be doing a lot of small-ish custom battles until I get a good feel for the game...
Keep posting Steve...hopefully you will find something terrible before I get to my home PC :)
There's just not enough quality naval titles released. I'm off to buy, looks outstanding and looking for more in the future!!
Waiting to read your impressions...
Quote from: steve58 on August 08, 2014, 02:47:10 PM
I guess I probably should not have selected the Prinz Eugen as an opponent in my very first battle (2 British cruisers, 1 destroyer vs the Prinz Eugen and 2 destroyers). One of my cruisers took out the two German destroyers, but Prinz Eugen sent all 3 of me ships to the bottom...
@ tgb -- as for your ? (in the other VaS thread) about saving mid-battle, not seeing any option to do that.
Thanks, man. You just saved me $25.
Still fiddling around with the Custom and Historical Battles. HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales just bested Bismark and Prinz Eugen. 8)
Under Battle Settings you can select Port Attack/Defense, Convoy Attack/Defense or Blockade Attack/Defense.
Weather selections: Clear, Cloudy, rain or snow. Also can select Time of Day.
Countries represented: Great Britain, Germany, USA, Japan, Italy, France, Free Franch and Vichy France, but just read on the Steam forums that in the campaign, you can only play as Britain or the USA.
Ship AI for both sides can be set from 1 to 10.
Only Britain or the USA in the campaign eh...hmmm...I was hoping for Axis campaigns too, German and Japanese.
Then again the chance to play as the Hood, the Bismarck, etc...tempting. I have already purchased Battlefleet 2 however. Wonder if I should wait for this to drop down from 25.00...
Yeah I'm a little surprised at the price-point. Maybe spoiled by other indy titles like the excellent Gettysburg Ultimate General retailing for a cool $10-spot.
Mostly curious about how it handles carrier ops?
IMO, Eidos' Battlestations Midway / Pacific titles were underrated. Very video-gamey, yes, but also good fun, and found the carrier operations often a blast. I wonder how this compares?
Quote from: Gusington on August 08, 2014, 05:06:09 PM
Only Britain or the USA in the campaign eh...hmmm...I was hoping for Axis campaigns too, German and Japanese.
Then again the chance to play as the Hood, the Bismarck, etc...tempting. I have already purchased Battlefleet 2 however. Wonder if I should wait for this to drop down from 25.00...
They'll be looking at expanding the campaigns...hope they do.
Quote
"The team is looking to expand on the campaigns, however, so it is possible that you'll see Axis campaigns in the future. "
http://steamcommunity.com/app/298480/discussions/1/35220315726955546/
sandman -- didn't have a chance to check out carriers yet. I'll try to fire up a custom battle tomorrow and post something if someone else doesn't beat me to it.
Just scratching the surface myself over here, but, so far, here are my thoughts:
What I like:
1. It feels like VAS, which is a system that, as I've said, strikes a nice balance for me between the painful realism of a Seekrieg and simple arcade shootey-uppy-ness. You can see the system working under the hood if you've played the tabletop version a lot. I like and respect that.
2. The graphics are nice. Not fantastic, but nice. It's largely ocean after all, so the key thing is to keey the framerate up and the splashes and explosions coming. It manages that well.
3. The number of "roll your own" options is very nice. Borrowed directly from the game and they give you a fair range of choices -- many ahistorical -- but historical battles at sea, like all battles really, have their limitations as men rarely fought where they didn't think they had an advantage. Along this line, the variety of fleets is very strong. The point-buy/cherry pick system has a lot of potention. Who's up for a battle between three Yamatos and four Bismarks?
4. Sound is suitable -- again not magnificent -- but it does what I wanted it to do.
5. The campaigns hold great promise, in my mind...they're feeling a bit like Pirates at the moment, but, again, the campaigns included in VAS and OOB did when you played them out on the tabletop...
6. The navigation system -- left click to turn -- works very well. I'm also quite fond of the green "you have this far to go" turn arc that appears during a turn.
What I wonder about:
1. Lack of mid-game save. This is a real head-scratcher to me.
2. The camera angles are lacking. You can't get any lower than about 30 degrees which is something I always find immersion-killing in a 3D game. No programmer I, but, surely, given how little is going on graphically, this could be lowered to "sea level"? I also want to see the ships more closely than one is a allowed to.
3. There quite a few scenarios included with VAS and OOB...historical type. I can't imagine where they've gotten off to...this couldn't have been a complicated proposition.
What needs fixing:
1. There needs to be MUCH -- I stress MUCH -- better communication between the game and the user re: what's happening to ships that aren't on his screen. You can have a ship reduced to slag and never quite know why...other than the slowly-disappearing health bar on the upper left. Even ships you can see have the all-important critical hits reported via fast-disappearing text. This should be logged for review. If it's intended to be hidden by FOW, fine, then don't show it at all.
2. My desire for MP here is well known.
3. There may be nothing to fix here -- it's really part of the system it comes from -- but the key bit of carrier war (the hunt for the other guy) is all but certain to be lost. The aircraft rules in VAS were not good and were significantly redone for OOB...it's still not a game that, I suspect, will handle air ops as well as, say, Guadalcanal or Midway by JTS.
Overall, I'm glad I'm in...the people running show seem to love their product and seem interested in moving it forward. Happy to support them...
Best,
Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)
...more feedback from James ET about the Axis campaings
Quote
Don't worry axis campaigns are a high priority. We just wanted to give them the respect and justice they deserve
http://steamcommunity.com/app/298480/discussions/0/35220315754688031/
Just did a quick custom battle to try out carriers. Carrier Ops are pretty simple. Left click on one of the plane icons (fighters or bomber/torpedo), then right click on the target. That'll send off a flight to attack. Can also use the fighters to defend.
Its not bad, but I don't think its a $25 game. $19.99, at best.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on August 09, 2014, 09:21:18 AM
Its not bad, but I don't think its a $25 game. $19.99, at best.
The very definition of value is the price that one is willing to pay.
The values you quoted are a difference of $5.01. If you sense of value is THAT good, the good on you.
Personally, if I can get an hours' worth of play out of each dollar I spend, I'm happy. I figured this out from my 60+ games bought on steam, and the number of hours I played them. I have had some tremendous successes, with cheap games like Railroad Tycoon II at 40 hours, or Civ 5 at ... 198 hours.
Back on point. Can I get 25 hours out of this game? I ... THINK so, due to a very, very strong interest in the genre, and in naval history in general. The number of books I own on the subject is absolutely in the several hundreds.
Quote from: DennisS on August 09, 2014, 09:34:29 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on August 09, 2014, 09:21:18 AM
Its not bad, but I don't think its a $25 game. $19.99, at best.
The very definition of value is the price that one is willing to pay.
The values you quoted are a difference of $5.01. If you sense of value is THAT good, the good on you.
Personally, if I can get an hours' worth of play out of each dollar I spend, I'm happy. I figured this out from my 60+ games bought on steam, and the number of hours I played them. I have had some tremendous successes, with cheap games like Railroad Tycoon II at 40 hours, or Civ 5 at ... 198 hours.
Back on point. Can I get 25 hours out of this game? I ... THINK so, due to a very, very strong interest in the genre, and in naval history in general. The number of books I own on the subject is absolutely in the several hundreds.
Value is of course a very subjective determination.
In my opinion, the production value, the content, the game mechanics and options do not make this a $25 game. I would have felt more comfortable paying $19.99 or less. Nevertheless, I do think it can be a fun game so I do not regret my purchase and I will stick with it.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on August 09, 2014, 09:40:41 AM
Quote from: DennisS on August 09, 2014, 09:34:29 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on August 09, 2014, 09:21:18 AM
Its not bad, but I don't think its a $25 game. $19.99, at best.
The very definition of value is the price that one is willing to pay.
The values you quoted are a difference of $5.01. If you sense of value is THAT good, the good on you.
Personally, if I can get an hours' worth of play out of each dollar I spend, I'm happy. I figured this out from my 60+ games bought on steam, and the number of hours I played them. I have had some tremendous successes, with cheap games like Railroad Tycoon II at 40 hours, or Civ 5 at ... 198 hours.
Back on point. Can I get 25 hours out of this game? I ... THINK so, due to a very, very strong interest in the genre, and in naval history in general. The number of books I own on the subject is absolutely in the several hundreds.
Value is of course a very subjective determination.
And ultimate value does not come until after you make the purchase since people have no idea how much they actually will play the game....likely to entice more people at $19.99 price point, then a $24.99 price point, its just the way a lot of the consumers think (being under $20)....during their impulse to buy, they don't rationalize it is only $5 more.....
Regardless, I do agree value is very subjective and everyone decides that for themselves based on how much they like the material.....for me, just recently buying Battle Fleet, I'll likely wait on this one until a typical sale comes along.
The other factor in determining what I am willing to pay for a game is what comparable games are selling for new. Frontline:Road to Moscow released the same day is $8. Battle Fleet II, released a couple of weeks ago was $10 ($8 on sale). Are the production values, polish, gameplay, and longevity of Victory at Sea more than twice as good as either of those?
I don't know, because of the 3 I only have Battle Fleet 2. But I kind of doubt it.
Thanks for the impressions, steve and cryano -- carrier aspect sounds a little primitive ... And surprised you can't play as the IJN -- would much rather do that than play as Kriegsmarine.
JH,
I agree, I think $19.99 would have been better. I do think the game in the long run will be worth the price I've paid. Sounds like the devs are going to add more DLC for no extra charge. Of course, there is no guarantee, but on the Steam Forum one of the devs has stated as such. Let's hope he keeps his word.
Ever since I bought Jutland when it came out and was so disappointed in the gameplay and DRM I've wanted a naval sim like this one, so I'm counting on this game to improve with more content to come.
I'll go no further on the price issue than to say the $5.01 mentioned earlier wouldn't have made me feel one way or the other about the purchase.
I've now got a couple more hours in and I'm liking it more rather than less. Each class of ship gets its own role that broadly approximates its historical reality...I stress broadly.
Destroyers, for example, are all but overgrown torpedoes, screaming at the enemy to keep the bigger ships at bay -- or at least give them pause. Your cruisers and up become the pounders and everybody hopes to spot the submarines before its too late.
Even the in-game save issue might not be as big as I thought -- although they really should have built it in -- as the battles I've been in have rarely lasted more than a 1/2 hour. VAS, as I said, swaps realism for playability and its digital incarnation does much the same.
Ah, me, well, back to ravaging NAZI shipping...or at least Vichy...
Best,
Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)
Billy Mays, the infamous infomercial salesman, said that $19.95 was the magic pricepoint. Any more than $20 and most people think it's expensive, but $20 or less is pocket change.
In my experience he was exactly right. We don't stop and ponder buying this stuff for $20 or less too much. Anything over that causes far more deliberation.
Currently working on mods for another game, so I haven't really had much time with the game since DL at 3:30 yesterday. I'm a little bummed at the "no save" feature though, wasn't aware of this fact. Maybe if we all bitch and post over on the Steam Forum the devs will implement the feature in the future.
Like tgb I have Battlefleet 2, and will hold off here. Using that money for Elite right now.
What is it with naval games not having basic features like ingame save, about as basic a functionality as it gets -- don't they remember how Naval War Arctic Circle fared with this same issue?
I purchased this game earlier today. Here's my little mini-review.
The game is easy. Very easy. Once you have the shooting mechanic figured out, you can hit every shot, every time. Poor Japanese destroyers don't get anywhere near my cruisers to loose their torpedoes, or to even take a shot.
I haven't lost a ship in many, many battles, and I will take my destroyer up against any cruiser one on one, anytime.
I suck at RTS games, and this concerns me..that after about 5 hours of play, I don't see myself losing a game.
I do need to farm some additional ships for cash. I have unlocked battleships, and when I get the Hood, or a big US battleships, I will win the war with it, single handedly.
It's a fun game, and I am enjoying it immensely at the moment..but I am not sure that it has legs.