Naval Academy Mod

[Mkboy1313]

Looking great on the iPad. Loaded perfectly and I already lost a ship because I did not pay attention to my defense.

[dugesclin]

Playing two battles, large and small. So far loving it. Few preliminary comments from small battle:a) cannot rotate and tilt map, b) casualty count does not seem to work.

[Amaris]

the .LST doesn't work on my pc too. That is why I said that not certain that it work. But it seems ok. I will see for a shorter url.

I doubt horrible: for solo's part, I think I don't adjust AI value... It's certain for the larger battle.

For the future this is expected (for now):
- Adding Transport and ground forces. And therefore islands, reefs, harbours , but also airfields, bunkers, ...
- Adding Carrier (CV): air war / adding DCA capacity / recon flight / ...
- Adding submarine: if I can make it disappear underwater.
- Adding weather elements: fog / clouds / storms.
- Adding a new defensive action: make a cloud of smoke

I also forgot a rule:

When a ship is on fire, and the crew is not fighting the fire, the fire will spread. At the beginning of each turn, the fire counters are increased if not FFS. The same with the waterways.

[Amaris]

I checked the 'solo part'. The AI ​​was ok for small battle but not larger.

This is corrected and online: http://amaris-games.com/ba-amaris/naval-academy-mod/

There are now .ZIP files for solo AND multiplayer. AND .LST files for solo AND multiplayer.

[Amaris]

Playing two battles, large and small. So far loving it. Few preliminary comments from small battle:a) cannot rotate and tilt map, b) casualty count does not seem to work.

Thanks for feedbacks.

a) This is normal in 2D mode I guess. I can't rotate the map too.

b) The casualty report screen is designed to work with round icons, not for ships silhouettes. And I was almost sure it is hardcoded...

[random27]

I ve played the two battles it s very good and i m waiting for the following
keep this good work amaris please

[iandavidsmith]

I have used the LST files for the ipad , all work ok there
I have put up a large battle challenge for anyone interested in multiplayer.

Great Work ,
Cheers
Ian

[GottaLove88s]

Hey Amaris,

Finally snuck a little time to try this out... Really neat concept. Thanks for sharing this fabulous idea. Please keep working on it.

First thoughts:

1. Sounds
It's clever the way you've adapted BA's sound files of tanks, etc. Surprisingly, this works actually quite well...
However, if you'd like to experiment with extra naval sounds, take a look at some of these...
- Corvette/destroyer whoop whoop -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_al9owcieHQ
- Dive/alert alarm - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u95E__3TSN0
- A whole load of navy wav files
Youtubes would need somebody to convert them to wav/mp3 and edit the length down to exactly what you want
I haven't found a menacing low grumble of a battleship's engine, nor the whoosh of a destroyer charging a sub on the surface... yet... but I'm sure that they're out there

2. Line of sight
- Battleship should have longest LOS > Cruiser > Destroyer; In early WW2, it's because you can put a fella higher in a battleship's masts to see smoke over the horizon; In late war, the radar equipment can go higher
- However, destroyers/corvettes were better at anti-submarine warfare; more likely to be equipped with asdic/sonar than larger cruisers/battleships

3. Flags
- Did you lift the Japanese flags from J2D's fun Pacific campaign? Nice. Like your simple red logo for units too. Works well
- Wouldn't change logos, but if you'd like an IJN "Rising Sun" with the stripes, this one's not bad -> http://amp.rokket.biz/flags_np.shtml (it does say, "Modellers welcome"! )
- Will you put VP flags on the map, for strategic locations?

4. Unit graphics
- Gorgeous silhouette side-view graphics in the unit description bar; those must have taken a lot of work!
- It's nicely user intuitive, showing turrets in the description bar; one turret = one shot
- Love the way you trail smoke from your top down views when ships move

5. Firing ranges
- APrange is 8 for battleships and cruisers, 4 for destroyers (btw the APreactionRange is longer; was that deliberate?)
- Would you consider giving battleships MUCH longer range, maybe even >15, so that battleships could fire from far away. Cruisers/destroyers could forward spot, with destroyers then becoming occasionally detached as fast, lone patrol ships to seek out the enemy as well as cannon fodder within a fleet

6. Smoke
- Could you apply Merr's "smokey mortars" function, used extensively be Enric, to permit ships to selectively fire smoke screens to obscure themselves?
- In practice, destroyers would whiz around to lay down smoke to hide a fleet from precise targeting, http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675 ... Craft-Tank
- Smoke would be really handy if you're thinking of adding landing craft for combined naval/marines operations

7. 2d is already way cool, but it would be totally awesome with 3d ships
- Richcat? Anyone?

8. Battle mechanics
- Arc of fire is neat: Firing from front on, you can't use rear turrets; but broadside you can use everything
- Does being broadside affect your chances of receiving a hit? A cruiser side would be is a much easier target than one head on
- Neat that you can knock out turrets as well as starting fires
- What does "waterway" mean? It flashed up that after one of my shots that gave a explosion sound
- I notice you haven't set minimum ranges (to prevent battleships from shooting ships right up next to them; for those really brave destroyers, that sneak up under the big guns)
- Sinking a ship is really hard work; Do you have the equivalent of a magazine strike, so the whole thing blows? Or a torpedo somewhere critical?

This is a fabulously clever concept, really well worked up. Really looking forward to seeing your next iteration...
When you've got aircraft carriers and landing craft, plus marine/army units to assault islands, this is going to be A+!

Please keep up this great work, Amaris!

PS. Would be happy to help to knock up some island chain maps, with fortifications for army/marines to invade, if that might be helpful?

[pk867]

Another note about the US battleships They had radar starting in 1943 which allowed improved accuracy at greater distances.

[GottaLove88s]

Hey Amaris,

I was thinking about your graphics... Do you know the icons that Slith uses by the side of our names when we post on the forum?

I was wondering if some of these icons might be worked up for 3D? From the "sleeping code" in BA, Slith seems to have a lot of stuff in its back pocket that it hasn't gotten around to using yet.

Even if there aren't full 3D versions, some of these ships would look really cool, on your Naval Academy 2D board, creating the illusion of a 3D ocean.

I've attached a destroyer, heavy cruiser and battleship to illustrate... Best of all, the graphics already belong to Slith, so I'm sure we can use 'em... I believe that I've seen variants of U-boats too? There are bound to be other units, perhaps light cruisers, minesweepers, aircraft carriers... Maybe even torpedo bombers?

Axis_Destroyer.png (6.63 KiB) Viewed 5583 times

Axis_Heavy_Cruiser.png (9.4 KiB) Viewed 5583 times

Axis_Battleship.png (9.5 KiB) Viewed 5583 times

[pipfromslitherine]

I've no idea where the icons come file (perhaps PzC) - but they are almost certainly not built for realtime, and I don't know the licensing on them unfortunately. Or, indeed, if they are even MAX models.

Cheers

Pip

[Amaris]

3D? 3D you say?



These 3D models of Operation Sealion.

Because I still have lots of ideas for this mod, it will take a lot of 3D model. So a lot a time. Airfield, costal battery, reef, jungle, ...

Radar: I knew that: At 03:16, West Virginia's radar picked up the surviving ships of Nishimura's force at a range of 42,000 yd (38,000 m) and had achieved a firing solution at 30,000 yd (27,000 m).

For now IJN and USN have the same stats. I just wanted to test the concept. On feedbacks it seems to be.

Next will be carrier. With air raid of course.

Line of sight: Stats of ships were quickly writed.

Anti-submarine warfare: first have submarines. If the subs do not dive (disappear for ennemy) then they will not be used much...

Flags: VP flags on the map: certainly.

Firing ranges: Stats of ships were (very) quickly writed.

Smoke: I'm thinking about.

Does being broadside affect your chances of receiving a hit? Not yet but it's planned.

Waterway: the hull of ship is pierced so there is a leak of water.

I notice you haven't set minimum ranges: This is a test for the bombard action of BB against ground troops.

[Amaris]

Working on the carrier:



BA is simply WONDERFULL and a powerfull sandbox for wargammer.

Smoke: how far a ship can it create a cloud of smoke? Tiled nearby? a tile away? more?

Add radar and other fire-system to damage system (so with a penalty if they are damaged.)

[Amaris]

I made ​​good progress but it will be too short for a new release this weekend.

How work a carrier?

Simply, first when a carrier is selected you have access to an special action: Air Menu.



This opens the following menu:



Where we can decide the mission (attack, defend or recon) and the composition of the raid (number of fighters/bombers.)

Once done just click on the button launch an target:



Coming soon to your screens.

[iandavidsmith]

Brilliant , looking forward to it , thanks for all your good work.
Cheers Ian

[Amaris]

Thanks!

Example of aerial raid:






Establishment of a squadron on defense:






It starts to be good.

The roadmap:
- finish carrier/aerial part and release it for testing.
- add groud forces and release it for testing.
- test submarine part.

[iandavidsmith]

Looking forward to it,
Ian

[Wiesiek]

I can not download it to ipad, what could be the problem?

[Amaris]

I can not download it to ipad, what could be the problem?

Not sure (don't have ipad) but go to my webpage (http://amaris-games.com/ba-amaris/naval-academy-mod/), copy the LST links (solo and/or mp), launch BA, find the user content button (which is in mp screen on ipad I guess ) and past the link with + button.

[Amaris]

The first rules details on the aircraft carrier:



Squadron: Each aircraft carrier has a fixed number of squadron. As the player chooses the composition of each squadron, this is equivalent to the number of aerial action that can make a carrier.

Type of mission:

Air defend: establish a defense squadron above carrier. A defense squadron will intercept any enemy plane within range (see below.)
Air raid: the squadron attack the selected target.
Air scout: The squadron will make an aerial reconnaissance at the chosen location, and possibly the attack targets or they discover.

You can notice a new icon in the UI: the AAPower (this is for all ships). This will be important for the next.