Task Force Admiral WIP shows a ton of promise [Pacific]

[Drifter Man]

Yeah the demo has been released, and it looks amazing. I'll definitely check it out as soon as I have the required time (thanks for the warning).
If I can run it on my aging hardware, that is Maybe it looks too amazing after all.

 

[HOA_KSOP]

The kickstarter version is out...but not on Steam...

 

[Drifter Man]

Are there two versions? I was able to download it from steam today. Unfortunately, it will only be out for about a month. I wouldn't mind playing around with it until the full release.
Amazing old-school intro, great music, great visuals (although I didn't get to see any action yet). The briefing is very nicely written.
The UI is a bit finicky. Sometimes, clicking on an element that is supposed to do something just doesn't do anything. The fact that the flag plot view moves around while I am panning with the cursor to find your tools doesn't help. So, there's a lot to iron out.
Is there an easy way to measure distance on the strategic map?

 

[Rinaldi]

The demo is an absolute triumph for them, I've enjoyed it immensely.

I got no real complaints that can't be hand waved by "demo of a WIP." I'm particularly impressed by the AI, some of the more talented F4F pilots were doing wildly tight hammerheads, which was something the plane was quite good at doing.

 

[Lethaface]

The demo is an absolute triumph for them, I've enjoyed it immensely.

I got no real complaints that can't be hand waved by "demo of a WIP." I'm particularly impressed by the AI, some of the more talented F4F pilots were doing wildly tight hammerheads, which was something the plane was quite good at doing.

Also had an evening with the demo, I agree it is very enjoyable and promising. It looks great as well and performance has been very smooth. Some glitches here and there when you go off the beaten path, but like you say it's a alpha demo.

Given the simulation nature one can see the foundation is very solid, imo it can only get better.

 

[Lethaface]

Are there two versions? I was able to download it from steam today. Unfortunately, it will only be out for about a month. I wouldn't mind playing around with it until the full release.
Amazing old-school intro, great music, great visuals (although I didn't get to see any action yet). The briefing is very nicely written.
The UI is a bit finicky. Sometimes, clicking on an element that is supposed to do something just doesn't do anything. The fact that the flag plot view moves around while I am panning with the cursor to find your tools doesn't help. So, there's a lot to iron out.
Is there an easy way to measure distance on the strategic map?

Yes on the right click menu on the map there is a 'measure distance' option. That will show an adjustable ruler on the map. It's a bit hidden .

 

[Drifter Man]

I put a few hours in the TFA demo today - and I've learned to measure distance, thanks @Lethaface (it doesn't seem to work properly though - I still can't tell for sure how far a contact is because the ruler and the scout report do not agree on the distance).

Yorktown gets hit by a torpedo that damages steering. The rest of the task force sails on and won't take new course orders, leaving the out-of-control flagship alone and unprotected. Japanese bombers focus her down and blow her to bits. Is there some way I can order a cruiser and a few DDs to protect her? It happened twice out of three games.

In the third game, Lexington wouldn't spot/launch any aircraft, just went along for a ride.

I'll try again, hopefully no more game-breaking issues. I don't mean to sound negative. The project is unique and incredibly ambitious, the team have made a great job and I know they'll succeed. I'm very excited about TFA. The demo just isn't giving me an easy time...

 

[Drifter Man]

So, in the end, Steam says that I've put 22 hours in the demo. I completed the Coral Sea scenario twice - yes, it takes at least 5 hours of game each time. And I had a blast

Here's a brief review of my last try - the new version of the scenario involving bombers and floatplanes from Rabaul and Tulagi.

I've learned that the Japanese expect me to the west of their position, so I ordered TF-17 southeast at 23 knots, hoping to avoid enemy search in the morning. Yorktown would be responsible for search and CAP - six scouts would launch first thing in the morning, followed by a CAP of six F4F. Meanwhile, Lexington would prepare a full deckload of strike aircraft - 33 SBD, 12 TBD escorted by 8 Wildcats, deferred departure, ready to launch on receiving target information from the scouts.

I find that positioning downwind of the enemy is advantageous. If I end up pursuing, I don't have to change course to launch or recover aircraft. If I end up retreating, the enemy has to turn 180 degrees every time they run air ops, adding 60 miles to our distance each hour.

The scouts launch from Yorktown with the first sunrays of the morning, followed by CAP.

At 0703, the first radio report is received - one of out scouts has found the enemy force about 200 miles to the north. As soon as the enemy carriers are confirmed, Lexington starts launching her strike.

At 0710, an enemy snooper is detected by radar. It has already snuck past our CAP and signaled our position to the enemy. Apparently it was the edge of the Japanese search pattern - we almost managed to avoid it, but 'almost' isn't good enough. At 0719, the snooper - an E13A1 'Jake' floatplane, probably from an enemy cruiser, is finally located and shot down by CAP.

At 0727, Lexington signals that her strike package is underway, and TF-17 returns to eastern course, while Yorktown is spotting her own strike aircraft - 26 SBD, 9 TBD, no escort. At 0752, Yorktown also finishes launching. Only 17 wildcats remain on deck of the two carriers. TF-17 prepares for the incoming strike. (Don't pay too much attention to the time on the screenshots with 3D views - some are from an earlier game where the action developed a bit more quickly in the morning).

At 0808, Lexington air group meets the enemy strike aircraft about halfway to the target. The escorting fighters on both sides engage, leaving both strike packages with significantly reduced protection. A minute later, I cancel the Yorktown CAP and both carriers scramble their fighters to reinforce those already in the air.

 

[Drifter Man]

At this point, TF-17 had 23 fighters to defend against the incoming raid. At 0818, the CAP engaged the first Japanese wave - 13 Val and 10 Kate. The enemy escort engaged them, but when the scrambled fighters arrived, they Japanese were overwhelmed. In contrast to my previous playthroughs, where the Wildcats just kind of danced around the strike aircraft, soaking up bullets from rear gunners and not shooting at anything themselves until the last minutes when the bombers started to form up for attack, this time all 23 bombers were shot down before they could approach the TF. Some 20 minutes later, they repeated the trick with the second wave of 18 Val and 6 Kate - only two bombers made it through. Since the Japanese CAP was also much more effective than in my previous playthroughs, I think something was changed in the fighter logic during the updates.

At about the same time, the Lexington air group, now without their escort that had been shot down, approached the target and were attacked by the Japanese CAP. As I mentioned, the CAP was effective. The Zeke focused mostly on the slow torpedo bombers, and VT-2 experienced the fate of VT-8 at Midway - none came back. But they pressed on with their attack. The TBD didn't hit anything, of course, but the bombers scored three hits on the Zuikaku and one on the Shokaku.

At 0904, that single Val surviving from the second wave attacked Lexington and put a bomb right on her port quarter 5-inch battery. Somehow, the guns were undamaged but the aft elevator was. The fire was put out in short order and air ops could recommence.

At around 0920, the Yorktown air group reached the enemy carriers, unopposed. The enemy Zeke exhausted themselves pursuing the retreating bombers from Lexington and did not stand in the way. The SBD scored two more hits on the Shokaku. By now, both enemy carriers have taken several bomb hits and would likely remain out of action for some time.

At 0928, radar picked up another snooper. CAP was vectored in and shot down a 'Mavis' flying boat, probably from Tulagi.

Things calmed down for a moment. The enemy carriers were likely disabled and their strike groups were shot down. Our own aircraft were returning. The focus shifted to recovering them and preparing for the pursuit.

 

[Drifter Man]

The recovery air ops started at 0928. First, five out of the six SBD scouts landed on Yorktown - the one that discovered the enemy fleet did not come back. At 1058, the survivors from the Lexington air group landed - only nine SBD out returned. All 12 TBD, all 8 F4F and 24 SBD were lost. In addition, 8 wildcats were lost when defending the fleet. The Lexington air group was reduced to nine SBD and 5 F4F - from now on, Lexington would take over search and CAP duties while Yorktown would be the main strike asset. Yorktown recovered her strike aircraft at 1131 less one SBD.

I noticed that planes could be readied for the next mission within minutes of their landing - I found it a bit strange. As soon as 1106, just 8 minutes after the last plane has landed, Lexington launched six SBD again for a search mission. Sure they have to at least be checked for damage and refueled?

At 1148, scouts reestablished contact with the enemy force. One carrier - Zuikaku - was found dead in water, screened by two destroyers. The second carrier, accompanied by 2 cruisers and 2 destroyers, was steaming northeast at 16 knots. I decided that this was the priority target and at 1221, Yorktown finished launching her second strike: 29 SBD, 9 TBD, 6 F4F.

Shokaku was attacked for a third time at 1314. This time she avoided all bombs and torpedoes. The strike aircraft were recovered at 1538 and again, while Yorktown was busy with landing ops, Lexington cycled her SBD search planes to maintain contact with the enemy.

 

[Drifter Man]

In late afternoon we went for a final round of airstrikes. I split the Yorktown air group and sent the SBD after the escaping Shokaku while the TBDs went after crippled Zuikaku. Because there is one thing that TBDs can hit - a stationary target. Previously I've found that they can't hit even a ship on a steady course - they don't give enough lead and the torpedoes pass astern of the target. But they can hit a ship that is dead in water.

And they did, and Zuikaku went down within a minute of being hit by at least five torpedoes at 1717.

At about the same time, Shokaku was enjoying the full attention of the SBDs for a fourth time receiving four or five hits. They left her heavily burning and turning in circles. I followed her in the 3D view, expecting she would burn up and sink, but she got her fires under control before sunset.

All aircraft landed by 18:35 and the air operations ended for the day. TF-17 has flown 227 sorties, sunk a carrier and destroyed two enemy air groups. The price was high - the Lexington air group lost 48 aircraft and was nearly wiped out. Yorktown lost seven. But the Battle of Coral Sea wasn't over yet.

 

[Drifter Man]

At 1836, soon after the last aircraft have been recovered, the American force split in two. TF-45 was formed, consisting of five heavy cruisers and 4 destroyers. They formed a line and headed towards the last reported position of the Shokaku. Their task was to locate her, sink her and leave the area covered by bombers from Rabaul before dawn. TF-17, with Yorktown and Lexington escorted by two destroyers, retired to the south.

At 2155, USS Chester picked up a small target on radar at 24 miles. This turned out to be the two destroyers that had been left behind with the Zuikaku and now raced northeast to rejoin the rest of the force. TF-45 made visual contact and engaged the destroyers with gunfire. The gun battle was not impressive in any way - that's fine, the demo was released without any support for it and only afterwards the devs added the ability of ships to actually shoot at each other, so I didn't expect much. Nevertheless, the two destroyers were sunk. On our side, USS Dewey took a hit and lost her steering for some time. She managed to recover control and return to her station about two hours later. I think that disabled steering occurs far too often in the game.

TF-45 continued to search for the Shokaku until 0031 but only found empty ocean. Then I ordered it southward. The force cleared the area covered from Rabaul by daybreak and the battle has ended.

 

[Drifter Man]

My impressions from the demo:

The demo is mostly a spectator's game. As the task force admiral, I don't have many decisions to make. I have limited control over the events. Luck is a major factor - as it was in reality. I think this might put me off in the longer term once the spectacle gets old.

I see the answer to this problem in giving the player more strategic control vs just tactical control. This means operation planning, managing multiple task forces having multiple objectives, extending the action over multiple days and involving management of fuel and aviation stores, land-based aviation, submarines, surface combat put on the same level (or at least similar) as air. I'd like to take strategic control of a naval operation rather than just one task force in battle - the demo is telling me that it's not enough.

I also understand that the devs are looking for ways to give the player a more hands-on experience (flyable aircraft, controllable gun mounts). I'm not enthusiastic about this because it will soak up resources without moving TFA an inch towards being the naval wargame I would like it to be. There are thousands of other games where I can shoot things.