Thursday 23 November 2017

Atlantic Fleet Computer Game: Part of the Battle of the Denmark Straits Project

Well given the heightened interest I have in all things naval and in particular I decided to plunge into my Steam game account and purchase Atlantic Fleet. It is placed in the simulation rather than online game-play (World of Ships), but the graphics are sufficiently detailed for my interest and to see things "come to life" gives me a buzz (see below):


Naturally, even though a novice at the controls, I jumped straight into The Battle of the Denmark Strait (and in the urgent sense of shiny freshness I played it four times, twice as British and twice as German). It was really nice to see all the ships moving in the battle.

Results from four "Play Tests"

HMS Hood leading HMS Prince of Wales into battle (see below, screen shots from the start of the game):



Three as the British (Human Player) and German (AI):

  • All three times the KM Bismarck and KM Prince Eugen are sunk with HMS Hood heavily damaged (twice noted as being scuttled).
KM Bismarck with her consort KM Prince Eugen (see below, screen shot from the start of the  game): 



Two as British (AI) and German (Human Player):
  • Once, KM Bismarck was sunk and took HMS Hood sunk with her, but KM Prince Eugen "disengaged" [although she had nowhere to go and would have been "hunted down"]. HMS Prince of Wales was untouched in all three. 
  • Then in the other simulation the KM Prince Eugen was sunk (as a battleship broadside from HMS Prince of Wales took her out in one fell swoop) but she did manage to launch an annoying spread of torpedoes that worried the British battleships. However the RN (AI) should have been more worried about the KM Bismarck as she sunk both HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales (by crossing their collective "T" - Artificial Dumbness rather than intelligence methinks) albeit at the cost of heavy damage to the paintwork on her hull (OK and some flooding inside to slow her). Note: The Bismarck's heavy armament was firing 8 x 15" for most of the game, only dropping right at the end to 6 x 15". HMS Prince of Wales seemed to go down very quickly one the Bismarck got her range. I am not sure if it was a lucky hit or is she just easier to sink?
The KM Prince Eugen in (one of her many) her death throes (see below): 


I think I might get up to twenty replays before Xmas ;)

4 comments:

DeanM said...

I agree, the graphics look very nice. I haven't played any online/computer games - other than the free version of Age of Empires over a decade ago, but this looks appealing.

Geordie an Exiled FoG said...

Er, slightly addictive too ;)
For those of a "naval persuasion"

I also used to enjoy a PC naval game call Fighting Steel

Renko said...

Atlantic Fleet is turn based (and cheap!) so it will run on quite modest pc specs

Geordie an Exiled FoG said...

The only thing I can add is that I like it. In fact you can quite easily combine it with table top play is you were so inclined, handing over aspects of the gunnery for the computer to work out!