Fast Attack

[Nippelspanner]

Finally got my hands on this and got it to run.
Any abandonware stuff I tried didn't work, so I ordered a CD via Amazon, unfortunately I did not check that it is the German version, and now I have to endure German texts in an American submarine. Blasphemy. :shifty:

However, I am SO hooked by this gem. I read over and over that this can be considered one of the most authentic titles, due to the fact that the lead dev was a 688 skipper in real life - what more can you ask for?
Although very old, it plays "comfortable" (many old games lack many control-related standards we take for granted today), runs well so far and despite some sound-crackling here and now especially in video sequences, it's all good.

Technically it offers some really interesting features, like having to catch comms windows with the VLF antenna to receive satellite transmitted messages etc, and updating the AO-map with help of recon satellites also just gives you the feeling to be part of something bigger.
The crew gives so great feedback, unlike in DW for example, where it, without spamming you, let's you know if it loses a contact on sonar, if it regains it, if it is breaking up, etc. etc.
And I just played the first 2 training missions, I probably haven't seen half of it.

Fantastic!

To those who haven't played it yet, but are generally interested in modern submarines - play it. You won't regret it.

[rwisdaman]

I used to play Fast Attack like it was the only game out there. I miss it.

I found a cd on Amazon but it looks to be in dutch so I have to pass on that. I really want to find this game again and like the OP here, I havent been able to locate it anywhere. I too checked abandoneware and found nothing that worked.

[Catfish]

I agree it is really good, while time has passed and graphics became better i never had such a "tight" feeling, like sitting in front of the screen with Fast Attack running. I printed out all the textbook that came as Pdf.. then bought Clancy's Submarine 688 book and was even more hooked.
And should not forget to mention that Neal sent it to me somewhere in the 90ies :salute:

Only problem for me was it crashed a lot.. @NS do you run it under Win 7, and did you experience problems? I'd really like to play it again.

[Nippelspanner]

Win7 64
No problems at all. Installation with d-fend/dos box took a while to figure it out but that's it.
Never crashed in me in approx 20hrs of gameplay. Mind the patch for it, though, maybe you didn't have that back then.

[Onkel Neal]

Ahoy! Fast. Attack
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/payments.php

This version has been set up to start DosBox and run the game. It works flawlessly on my Win10 rig

[rwisdaman]

Oh my, thank you for that link. I have dos box as I use it for a couple other games i played back in the day.

I run Win10 on my new water cooled rig I just built so I am hoping this works on it!!!

Onkel Neal is there any special way I have to install or run this to make it work?

[RSGodfrey]

If CW had the detail of Fast Attack it would be my perfect sub sim.

[Onkel Neal]

Oh my, thank you for that link. I have dos box as I use it for a couple other games i played back in the day.

I run Win10 on my new water cooled rig I just built so I am hoping this works on it!!!

Onkel Neal is there any special way I have to install or run this to make it work?

There should be nothing to do, just download, scan the file, and then run it. It should set up DosBox and start the game. Let me know if you have any trouble, sir.

[wathomas777]

Fast Attack was my favorite too, but it had a fatal flaw.

2 hour mission timer.

There was a particular TASM mission that was just stupid. The timer was basically arbitrary and on this particular TASM mission it was nigh impossible to get to the launch point and get you birds away AND TO DESTINATION prior to end of mission.

And if your birds were still in the air when timer expired too bad.

Killed all enjoyment for me. Went back to Red Storm Rising. Spent way too much time on SSN 705 playing that one. Even had a way to edit the save game file so that once you saved the game you could edit your ship name and hull number.

Cold waters is pretty good. Basically a graphical update to RSR. But it's very "3d view" dependent which I find annoying. But it appears to be very moddable so we'll see.

But for mix of realism and playability, Fast Attack won hands down. Now if only we could kill the mission timer.....

[Nippelspanner]

Now if only we could kill the mission timer.....
We can! :03:
There is a mod for it that completely disables it.
Look in the Subsim download section for it, can't miss it! :yeah:


I think I know the mission you're talking about.
Failed it the first time, not being fast enough, but it worked out - with only a few minutes time left - on the second try.
It is an earlier mission, Persian Gulf campaign, isn't it?

Also, remember that you do not have to complete a mission to advance in the campaign. Failure will reflect on your score, though, and maybe you lose command if you fail too often, I do not know, but I would imagine so considering the "career simulation" inside FA.

[wathomas777]

Now if only we could kill the mission timer.....

Found the 6 hour missions. Problem Solved.

[Daldryk]

The best game, I play windows 10, 1060 NVidia and no problem. This game a good simulation :Kaleun_Applaud:

[swellfella]

Hear! Hear! An oldie that still stands up. I have the disk, but at one time I just had the zip file--it lacked the animations. And what a difference they made. And the sounds, the tick-tick of the radio and never forget the loading of the torps. The metallic echo like your were actually in the torp room hundreds of feet down. Like Catfish I too printed out the pdf (as well as a terrific fan made manual with loads of extra stuff) then I too got Clancy's Submarine. Those were the days!

[HetzerII]

That Link sadly is down.... can anyone help?

[G97_BoKeRoN]

I'm having a great fun with Fast Attack, the game really manages to build inmersion. (Just realized that the word "Inmersion" in spanish means "Dive", and I'm laughing myself alone, bear with me)

I'm right now having problems with tutorial nº 5, I always miscalculate the east patrol craft distance and hit the freighters instead.

The manual lacks some deep, but I think like starting to understand how plotting works. I think I will try to make a run under the cape and put that patrol craft from a different angle.

[Red_88]

Sorry if somebody else already posted it, but look what I found in the subsim download section: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/downloads.php?do=file&id=5081
It is already a year there, and yesterday I just noticed it. What is the story on that? Honestly I am surprised finding abondonware here.

[aanker]

Sorry if somebody else already posted it, but look what I found in the subsim download section: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/downloads.php?do=file&id=5081
It is already a year there, and yesterday I just noticed it. What is the story on that? Honestly I am surprised finding abondonware here.
Thank you for bumping this topic or I would never have seen it.

Thank you Onkel Neal for going through the gymnastics to acquire & host this easy to install, compatible version of this game.

Happy Hunting!

[Onkel Neal]

Sorry if somebody else already posted it, but look what I found in the subsim download section: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/downloads.php?do=file&id=5081
It is already a year there, and yesterday I just noticed it. What is the story on that? Honestly I am surprised finding abondonware here.


I don't blame you, 15 years ago abandonware was not allowed here. But as the years roll by, that has changed...some of the games are older than many members.

Abandonware: games that are 8~10+ years old and are no longer available for sale commercially by the IP owner will be exempted on a case by case basis. An inquiry may be made about the status of a particular game in the Classic Subsims forum. Subsim will make a good faith effort to clear the use of the game with the last known copyright holders. If we were to receive an objection or legal challenge, we would reverse our position is regards to the game in question.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/faq.php?faq=vb_faq#faq_rules2_faq_item

Discussion thread (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?p=1978359#post1978359)

[Red_88]

Thanks Onkel Neal for clarification. It is great to find these old gems here.

[akosela]

This is IMHO the best modern submarine game EVER. Even better than DW. In real life you would not be able to see your submarine "in 3d". Sailors inside submarines are essentially blind -- they can only rely on sensors like sonar, etc., to know what is going on around them.

But do yourself a favor and don't play this simulator on modern PC with LCD monitor with high resolution. You need to have an old CRT monitor (like on real 80's submarine) and real DOS to have a correct resolution. Then it's a thing of beauty just to watch sonar... looks exactly just like in "Hunt for Red October" movie on USS Dallas.

By the way, do you know of any other mods besides those found here?

[Red_88]

Well it depends. Surely Fast Attack is better than stock 688i, Sub Command or DW. Fast Attack has the better campaigns and the interface and sounds are more immersive.

However it also lacks at some points. The Sonar station is not as good as in DW lacking Narrowband and Demon display. Also in Fast Attack when deployed towed array the contacts are displayed in the same display as the Bow Sonar the contacts will only get clearer but no mirror contacts for TA and no possibility to switch between Bow Sonar and Towed Array. Also Fire Control settings are always set automatically.
No choice to set torpedo in active or passive mode. Also there are no mobile mines mk67 and no special forces in Fast Attack.

Compared to DW with Reinforce Alert the AI is not aggressive enough. RA also excels in Fire Control many choices of weapons and decoys and many settings for weapons.

Still Fast Attack is a Blast from the Past and I still like it very much. To put it short Fast Attack is more a TMA and tactics simulator while DWX excels on Sonar and Fire Control.

P.S. The Mods for Fast Attack on subsim are AFAIK the only ones.

[akosela]

Anyone got "Fast Attack Strategy Guide" book written by Ed Dille? Even Amazon doesn't know too much about it...

https://www.amazon.com/Fast-Attack-Official-Strategy-Secrets/dp/0761500707/ref=cm_wl_huc_item