So what was so bad about Destroyer Command ?

[horsa]

Are there enough people around to give a reasonably representative sample of views ? :-?

Just to refresh :-

It was given right slagging by Gamespot
I believe sales figures were very poor.
It always attracted a high moan count from the forums.

[blue3golf]

I've never had a problems with it personally. The only thing I can remember is that there were problems with the MP aspect of it, but that was right after it first came out and everyone was still trying to figure it out.

[Torplexed]

I recall one of the biggest complaints was in order for it to be compatiable with SH2 it delayed the release of SH2. :lol:

[horsa]

I recall one of the biggest complaints was in order for it to be compatiable with SH2 it delayed the release of SH2
True, but that was before release. I believe this was eventually sorted out. The Wolfpack/Eagle leagues seem to have successfully linked the two games for years now ... and didn't PM add some more stability ? I've never tried them online but was always happy with their performance over a LAN.

[horsa]

Quote Glowwormguy from another thread ( my emphasis)

Yeah, better graphics would be nice, though quite frankly I'd be happy seeing such things as crew quality and training, proper smoke (and making smoke) and gunnery (including BVR gunnery) and a better, branching campaign with the possibility for random convoy actions and historic battles like they had in the old Aces of Dynamix

[Sailor Steve]

Personally I enjoyed it. While I hated SHII for not having a dynamic campaign, I thought the scripted flavor fit right in with DC, as destroyers have to do what they're told and never get sent out alone to "mess with the enemy".

I thought it was well done, and since I tend to run many careers side-by-side, once SH4 is out I intend to spend all my time going through the war playing both sides, both newer sub games and Destroyer Command (plus a couple of flight sims as well).

[HS]

... some sort of long lasting dynamic campaigns, some crew members (see SH III), some big ship TFs including operational CVs ;)

[Reinhard Hardegen]

I saw no real problems with the game. I even find it very easy to set up campaigns and write misions for it. I feel it was a well thought out game, as well to it linking with SHII.:up:

[Seeadler]

@HS
If you would not write here in white letters, all could read your comment. :D

There are still other forum styles than SmartDark and those have a white background in the text area:yep:

[Palindromeria]

@HS
If you would not write here in white letters, all could read your comment. :D

There are still other forum styles than SmartDark and those have a white background in the text area:yep:


:()1:

:rotfl:

[HS]

I'm afraid, life tends to be a bit complicated from time to time ... :D

[Hitman]

Probably the biggest problem for DC was that the surface simmers are not as many as the subsurface ones. Good examples of that are the relatively small communities of players from GNB or Fighting Steel. Anyway, for a destroyer game DC had in my opinion some serious flaws that could be corrected only to a certain extent:

-In ASW: Stupid sub AI, and too good Destroyer sensors & Depth charges

-In Surface action: Stupid AI in the enemy and limited rendering of ships to 14000 yards

My two cents

[Albrecht Von Hesse]

SHIII has been, literally, a dream come true to me. It's virtually exactly the game I've always wanted to play (and is about the only pc/video/etc. game I own and play).

However, after having played it for quite some time now I've gotten curious as to what it would be like with the shoe on the other foot; i.e. being a destroyer.

Is Destroyer Command worth it? I enjoy immersion/realism rather then snazzy graphics (although, hey, I'll take snazzy graphics too :yep: ) which is why I like SHIII as much as I do (and why I'd pay without blinking $200 for it, if that's what it took . . . and had it been fully developed before release). Will I be disappointed with Destroyer Command?

I assume if my pc/system is capable of running SHIII it will run DC without problems. I'm not gonna get a rude surprise with that assumption, will I?

And lastly, is it possible to MP with others, especially those running SHII and, if so, how easy is it to partner up with others?

T'anks!

[horsa]

This is where you find the guys who play online . The Wolfpack League is for those who want to be sub commanders and the Eagle League is for those who want to command Destroyers. There are more sub commanders than Destroyer commanders.

http://www.subclub.info/phpBB_subclub/index.php?sid=871c8af0f13c3a296aa45c32b76b259d

Recommending a sim is always a bit of a gamble because it is so subjective. DC is not as graphically rich as SH3 but you say this is not an issue with you. The graphics however are IMHO on the right side of the good/bad divide. DC certainly gives you an experience you can never get with SH3 so on that basis you should find it interesting, particularly if you go online. In single play mode you may get quickly bored by how bad the AI is. Anyway, these days you should be able to pick up Destroyer Command for buttons so you are not really risking much. Like all these games they are much improved if you can install a lot of the mods. Unfortunately most of the DC mods are not now so easy to find. If you are really intersested I can point you to where they are on a step by step basis.

[Albrecht Von Hesse]

Thanks so much for the quick reply, and for your advice and opinion. I really appreciate it!:up:

[GlowwormGuy]

... some sort of long lasting dynamic campaigns, some crew members (see SH III), some big ship TFs including operational CVs ;)

Hi guys,

Yeah like Horsa errr I said earlier :lol: but personally graphics takes second place to a good solid gaming experience. The inability for a dynamic or even a branching 'decision tree' campaign such as they apparently have in Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 2 (another game I modded before) was pretty unfortunate but when you're talking destroyers I mean there are certain 'touches' that would have been simple enough I think to impliment if they thought of it as much as they did the graphics.

Crew Quality - virtually every game has some sort of 'experience' rating and it adds to the game to have to PRESERVE your men so they can gain experience. A new ship/recommissioned ship would have a green crew that you'd have to 'work up' Added to this would be...

Alert Status - I mean we have the General Quarters/Klaxxon button but it does SQUAT. It would have been pretty easy I think to simply link alert status to crew quality so that you have to keep the crew on low alert (or you'll tire them out/demoralize them) most of the time but of course this means they react pretty slowly to enemy threats - ammo will be in the lockers, etc. High alert means cleared for action but you can only keep them 'on edge' for so long before fatigue and morale will cause performance to suffer drastically (law of diminishing returns).
Of course, a high quality crew would outperform a low quality one for a longer time...

Mission variety - destroyers are the workhorses of the fleet performing a large variety of missions, not just sub hunts and fleet actions. Search and rescue, landing small naval parties on raids/espionage, convoy escorting, sub hunting, minelaying, hunting for enemy small craft, reconnaissance, fleet escort, etc. Heck old GATO on my Atari had 'rescuing downed fliers' missions! And this should have gone for SH2 as well - landing raiders/coastwatchers/agents and picking up downed fliers or sinking survivors.

It may be a cosmetic issue in this game but whenever you read about DDs or watch movies, they're all MAKING SMOKE. This would block visual gunnery - good for screening purposes, but use up fuel reserves.

Anyways that's really it for my rant/wishlist.

cheers,
Mountbatten

[Albrecht Von Hesse]

This is where you find the guys who play online . The Wolfpack League is for those who want to be sub commanders and the Eagle League is for those who want to command Destroyers. There are more sub commanders than Destroyer commanders.

http://www.subclub.info/phpBB_subclub/index.php?sid=871c8af0f13c3a296aa45c32b76b259d

Recommending a sim is always a bit of a gamble because it is so subjective. DC is not as graphically rich as SH3 but you say this is not an issue with you. The graphics however are IMHO on the right side of the good/bad divide. DC certainly gives you an experience you can never get with SH3 so on that basis you should find it interesting, particularly if you go online. In single play mode you may get quickly bored by how bad the AI is. Anyway, these days you should be able to pick up Destroyer Command for buttons so you are not really risking much. Like all these games they are much improved if you can install a lot of the mods. Unfortunately most of the DC mods are not now so easy to find. If you are really intersested I can point you to where they are on a step by step basis.

Looks like a nice site. I'd love to join . . . however, as I've been waiting days to be approved, it appears they aren't at all interested in new members.

Pity.

[horsa]

Looks like a nice site. I'd love to join . . . however, as I've been waiting days to be approved, it appears they aren't at all interested in new members.

Such a shame. :cry: Maybe they are going through a quiet phase.

Perhaps you could try posting or even emailing one of them.

[Albrecht Von Hesse]

Such a shame. :cry: Maybe they are going through a quiet phase.

Perhaps you could try posting or even emailing one of them.

When I 'subscribed' I got an email saying (in brief) welcome, and to expect an approval email soon.

When a week or so had elapsed I replied to that email, asking when I'd be approved.

I got a reply within a day, stating:
I have no control over the forums. You need to contact Onkel Neal at subsim@subsim.com

Not to sound critical, but that wasn't terribly helpful. I don't know who Onkel Neal is, and as that's not his username, well . . .

So I've no actual contact info for anyone, and if I have to play detective and beg to join, I'd rather just shrug and move on.

Thank you for your help and advice.

[Sailor Steve]

'Onkel Neal' is Neal Stevens, the founder and owner of Subsim. The e-mail adress provided will put you in direct contact with him.

As I recall, when I first joined over at SubClub it took a long time to actually get in; weeks, in fact.

[Hitman]

Yeah Steve is right, and anyway you could also try contacting Neal in these forums. There's a specific one for people having trouble, post there and Neal will solve the matter (Since Neal receives tons of spam daily and uses heavy filters many common emails do not reach him)

[Kapitan]

i always enjoyed this game i just wish it would run on my system :( id buy a destroyer command II if it ever came out.

[blue3golf]

id buy a destroyer command II if it ever came out.

Here Here:up:

[STEED]

For the first time in a long time I gave it a spin and was blown out the water. I need to read up on the control functions again. :rotfl:

[SUBMAN1]

I loved DC! I especially liked creating Battleship duals between Iowa and Yamato. The Yamato could dish out the damage, but the Iowa dished out less damage, but in the end, the Iowa could dish it out the fastest and it was on target more often than not (better accuracy), and usually was the winner in this fight. If only these two ships met for real.

I wish a DC 2 would come up. Starting up your boilers, etc., and the dread of having a boiler offline when a fight started to break out.

Many fond memories from that game.

-S

[Sailor Steve]

If only these two ships met for real.
It probably would have been no contest, as the US intention was that any meeting with Yamato would have involved TWO Iowas, or at least and Iowa and a South Carolina together.

[The Old Man]

I like D.C. & still play it. My only gripe aganst it is when you are guarding a convoy you always have to go to 2/3rds to standard to 23rds to stay with it. You could not match it's speed & run the T. C. alway up but then again The escorts never stay in one place guarding a convoy so this was historic accurate
Roy

[Onkel Neal]

Yeah Steve is right, and anyway you could also try contacting Neal in these forums. There's a specific one for people having trouble, post there and Neal will solve the matter (Since Neal receives tons of spam daily and uses heavy filters many common emails do not reach him)

Thanks for Von Hesse, he prompted me to upgrade the membership process for WPL. Hopefully, now new members will get approved quicker and less spammers will get in. :up:

Neal

[Palindromeria]

I like D.C. & still play it. My only gripe aganst it is when you are guarding a convoy you always have to go to 2/3rds to standard to 23rds to stay with it. You could not match it's speed & run the T. C. alway up but then again The escorts never stay in one place guarding a convoy so this was historic accurate
Roy

yes you can attach your escort(s) to the formation.
just left click on your ship and drag the icon / line until it touches the formation.
it should now look like a shield. click again and you hear "aye aye sir".
you are now "in formation" with the merchies or battlegroup
set time comp to 2048 at will ... you will have to change course in order to change own ship speed at this point or you will get "sir we are in formation"

the f key allows you to adjust placement of individual ship in your squadron
i think its the g key that allows you to turn your entire squad with the leadships rudder moves (not draw it on the map)

also , control + space,
to manually fire your DD's gun at the locked target
WHILE YOU ARE AT ANOTHER STATION.

very useful when uboat #2 thinks he can get cute on the surface
because you are too busy tracking submerged uboat # 1 in sonar :up:

pal

[Reinhard Hardegen]

Thanks, I will remember that, as I still play DC quit often as well as Silent Hunter II.

[Wim Libaers]

I like D.C. & still play it. My only gripe aganst it is when you are guarding a convoy you always have to go to 2/3rds to standard to 23rds to stay with it. You could not match it's speed & run the T. C. alway up but then again The escorts never stay in one place guarding a convoy so this was historic accurate
Roy
yes you can attach your escort(s) to the formation.
just left click on your ship and drag the icon / line until it touches the formation.
it should now look like a shield. click again and you hear "aye aye sir".
you are now "in formation" with the merchies or battlegroup
set time comp to 2048 at will ... you will have to change course in order to change own ship speed at this point or you will get "sir we are in formation"


Of course, the ships in the convoy you are escorting will probably kamikaze into each other when you set time comp that high, but they'll probably do that at some point anyway, so it doesn't really matter. :lol:

[U-533]

I plan on buying and playing it cuz I was once a "Tin Can Sailor"

That and I like ships.

[The Old Man]

yes you can attach your escort(s) to the formation.
just left click on your ship and drag the icon / line until it touches the formation.


Was this in the manual? All this time playing now I find this out:damn:

thanx Palindromeria

[Palindromeria]

yes you can attach your escort(s) to the formation.
just left click on your ship and drag the icon / line until it touches the formation.


Was this in the manual? All this time playing now I find this out:damn:

thanx Palindromeria

Your welcome.
it is in the manual although it took a minute to track it down.
Its the last part of "tactical use of the CIC" which in my manual is on page 31.

the
control + space,
to manually fire your DD's gun at the locked target
WHILE YOU ARE AT ANOTHER STATION.
i dont think this is in the manual.

-------------------------

The manual most definitely does not detail the DirtyDawg functions :rotfl:
you may find it enjoyable.

http://www.subsim.com/phpBB_archive1/viewtopic.php?t=26180


regards.
Pal