Well we're still sorting out some stupid bugs and balancing the AI, which is why we don't want to shoot video until all that works properly. And given that we're pushing 100hr weeks at this point we just haven't had the time to shoot videos and narrate them.

So in the game, you don't just order a course. You control the sub with the planes and ballast, so there's a definite skill element in getting the sub where you want it.

So what is there to experience?

Well, first of all you get a damage control metagame similar to what you have in Silent Hunter, where subsystems get damaged and you have to prioritize repairs, trim the boat to control flooding.

In the campaign, we have made intelligent Soviets that will adapt their tactics to NATO performance. Depending on the war situation, they may try to launch amphibious landings, they will send out ASW groups to hunt you down, and they will try to interdict NATO convoys, as well as try to gain more ground in Central Europe. There's an entire war going on that you get to influence through your performance (or lack thereof) and this is really the main feature of the game.

FPSChazly did a let's play on Tom Clancy's SSN a while back. If you watch that, it should give you some idea what our game is about. It plays much like that, but with more in-depth weapons, sensors and AI modelling.

100 hr week...that's crazy :). Pls don't rush things...we've waited 30 years for a successor...we can wait a bit longer

You don't plan to do a beta to get testers on board ?

I'd volunteer ;)

Ok, Ok, Ok! :haha:

That sounds pretty good and I'm glad to hear all that.
Now stop whining about a 100hrs week and work harder...



:O:

Makes me wonder if you would use updated sources for Soviet ASW tactics for this game.

That and when/if Soviet campaighn would be availiable :)

The one we relied on most was Soviet Naval Tactics by Milan Vego, USNI press.

Nothing on the Soviet campaighn though? :)

We haven't started on a soviet campaign yet. Modelling all the Nato ships to the current standard is not a trivial undertaking.

Makes sense, you have to work for your release. Are there any estimates regarding any follow up campaighns post release?

Yes, if it does well, we want to support it by releasing expansion campaigns. Obviously a Soviet campaign is a major priority, but this is a longer term project due to how many NATO assets have to be modelled. For the initial release, we have 50 classes of Soviet ships and submarines modelled, to give some idea of the scope of things.

Speaking of which, do you know of any good sources on Soviet tactics that are more recent than early 90's?

I can try to look into if I could find any good reference materials (but sadly I am VERY lazy). Can you read Russian? In general I can help with minor key consulting stuff, but I guess you guys are covered on that front so you wont have a need for the underqualified arms chair captain such as myself.

That would be nice. What is the time frame considered, ie would it be within the company's intent to expand into late 80s/early 90s?

Well, I always thought an SSN-like scenario in the Spratlys would be nice with our dynamic campaign system. Or a mercenary-type campaign channeling Strike Commander. Only the imagination is a limiting factor here.

True, sadly a lot of cool 4th generation projects sort of died with the cold war on both sides of the iron curtain.
What do you model this on? The big weakness of the original RSR book was how poorly they described the land war in Europe.

Well, we now know the Soviet Union always planned for a massive use of conventional- and rocket artillery along with liberal use of tactical nuclear and chemical weapons to soften up the NATO defenses, so any real war would likely be a very quick affair.

Our scenario and the way the war plays out is less Clancy and more influenced by Sir Hacket's WW3 and Harvey Black's 'Effect' trilogy. A realistic conflict might be over in days, but this hardly makes for an exciting campaign, so in the game it takes place over a period of a few weeks to several months, depending on the breaks.

This is dependent on the time period, ie look up how doctrine changed by Zapad-77 and then Zapad-81 exercises.

Heh, did you ever try The Red Army?

Clancy's vision of a war in central Europe was not unrealistic. The Soviets had several war plans, also pure-conventional ones.

Clancy's suspicion that the Warsaw Pact states, which shared a border with West Germany, would be reluctant to agree to use weapons of mass destructions, was right, I guess.

There are strong indications for instance that Czechoslovakia might not have particpated in a conflict between NATO and WP. The unity between the WP states was only strong on paper.