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Digital Gaming => Computer Gaming => Topic started by: solops on June 05, 2018, 02:32:43 PM

Title: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: solops on June 05, 2018, 02:32:43 PM
The Rule the Waves 2 boards are open. Developer notes are to be posted there.

http://nws-online.proboards.com/board/27/rule-waves-2
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on June 05, 2018, 02:38:23 PM
Yep:)

http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=21937.0
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: solops on June 05, 2018, 02:41:48 PM
Ooops...
Those brain cells must have gotten in front of the sangria last night.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: WallysWorld on March 15, 2019, 04:27:26 PM
Release date is April 25th.

RTW2 release date post (http://nws-online.proboards.com/post/38135/thread)

"The price for the game will be $34.99 (US), which was the same price for the original RTW upon its release in 2015. Everyone who has purchased, or purchases, the original RTW game before April 25 will be offered a special price of $29.99 for RTW2."
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: DoctorQuest on March 15, 2019, 04:38:21 PM
I am on the fence with this one. I was really hoping for a "Steam and Iron II" as well. RTW is just not in my wheelhouse in regards to scope. I just don't enjoy RTW 1 as much as I do "Steam and Iron".

I will wait and see. Never say never.... :)
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on March 15, 2019, 04:43:34 PM
Excellent on my list
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: solops on March 16, 2019, 11:43:27 AM
Yeah, I was all enthused about a bigger, better RTW2, but I am not sure I like some of the proposed changes, particularly aircraft.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: MengJiao on March 18, 2019, 02:11:34 PM
Quote from: WallysWorld on March 15, 2019, 04:27:26 PM
Release date is April 25th.

RTW2 release date post (http://nws-online.proboards.com/post/38135/thread)

"The price for the game will be $34.99 (US), which was the same price for the original RTW upon its release in 2015. Everyone who has purchased, or purchases, the original RTW game before April 25 will be offered a special price of $29.99 for RTW2."

  I'm sure I'll get this eventually.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: CJReich46 on March 18, 2019, 04:57:29 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on March 15, 2019, 04:43:34 PM
Excellent on my list

Yep. Same here.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on March 24, 2019, 07:46:51 AM
Maybe a different distribution process for this release?  Either way is fine with me, the small group out of there has always gotten me my stuff very quickly.

http://nws-online.proboards.com/thread/1882/pre-order
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: DennisS on March 25, 2019, 01:20:04 PM
This looks terrific! Scratch ALL the BB's and BC's, and build only DD's, subs, and Carriers. Lot's of carriers. Pump all the money you have into torpedo development.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on April 19, 2019, 03:17:15 PM
Saw this today at the official board....I hope this doesn't mean they are considering overly restrictive DRM like Battefront and other schemes......although my buying decision won't solely be based on the DRM, it certainly may be a factor depending on what it turns out to be.

"Security for RTW2 will be increased over RTW1 (unfortunately due to significant pirating of RTW1) so you will only be able to play the game on a single PC at a time as the situation stands right now..."
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: DoctorQuest on April 19, 2019, 05:06:50 PM
It would be interesting to know how they tracked the RTW1 pirating.

I'm not saying they don't have justification. I'm curious to see what direction they go with DRM.

I'm waiting for Steam and Iron 2. (I may be waiting a long time)
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: bobarossa on April 19, 2019, 05:24:12 PM
Very surprised by the pirating of RTW1.  This game doesn't have a very wide appeal (just groggy naval freaks).  I've always felt we're not likely to pirate games unlike the twitch crowd. In any case, I doubt the pirates would have purchased the game if they hadn't been able to steal it.  Don't recall my firewall ever complaining about RTW1 trying to access internet.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on April 19, 2019, 07:04:56 PM
Yep, hard to believe it was a game in high demand for piracy....I respect the right to protect rights of the company, but in such a small market hope they don't go extreme here....if they are restricting to a PC, at the very minimum its a case where you have to give them some info on your PC where they activate it and at worst something like Battelfront.  Either way, has to be something based on your PC.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Staggerwing on April 19, 2019, 07:22:52 PM
Some piracy of niche games may be down to a sort of hooliganism, where someone uploads the game to as many cracked game sites as possible, not because so many people want to play it but more just to be malicious or even to undermine the developers because of some perceived slight.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on April 19, 2019, 07:31:04 PM
details of it......

Basically the protection itself is a self-contained 'wrapper' (incorporated into the game executable itself, nothing external), where the game executable is protected and the game would need to be re-registered if it is moved to another PC. Out of the choices we had available and affordable to a rather small company like ours, IMO this is our best option without going too restrictive. You will not need to be online to play it, you will only need to send your machine code in and receive a unlock code to play. You will also be able to play for a time without unlocking the game, so you can play even if you have to wait a bit for an unlock code. You will still receive a separate serial code, but this serial code will not be required to install RTW2, it exists so we can make sure folks who need to have their game unlocked are legitimate owners of the game. If you transfer the game to another machine you will need to get an unlock code for the new machine, of course.

I do personally dislike that we have to have this sort of (relatively moderate) protection scheme to help curb certain types of piracy, but RTW was our first release wherein we tracked fairly significant piracy of the game and we believe that it likely harmed our sales to some degree, mostly later in the games' sales life-cycle. Larger companies perhaps can write off a certain amount of piracy as 'cost-of-business' and such, but smaller developers like ourselves just do not have that extra margin of monies/resources to do so in many cases. I certainly understand that some players may not like this decision, but I hope you can understand why we need to make some efforts to protect from at least casual piracy. We will do our best to make this as painless of a process as possible, and if you have any issues we will (as we always do) put forth our best effort to help clear them up for you.

Thanks for your time, and for your understanding.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: steve58 on April 19, 2019, 07:37:53 PM
What is this "machine code" we send in?
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on April 19, 2019, 07:45:16 PM
Quote from: steve58 on April 19, 2019, 07:37:53 PM
What is this "machine code" we send in?

I have seen this in other games...basically you go into a screen in the game and it will give you a unique code based on your computer's configuration (looks at things like motherboard and other hardware).  You then send that code to the company, and they send you a license code based on that machine ID.  You type it in, and you can play the game.

It's not as bad as some other things, but just a plain hassle...and if the company ever goes away and your PC changes, no more playing the game....
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Gusington on April 19, 2019, 07:48:01 PM
'groggy naval freaks'

:2funny:
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Huw the Poo on April 19, 2019, 08:01:14 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 19, 2019, 07:31:04 PM
but RTW was our first release wherein we tracked fairly significant piracy of the game and we believe that it likely harmed our sales to some degree

This has been claimed many times but never proved.  Admittedly it's hard to get to the bottom of this issue, but indications (where serious studies have been done) are that "piracy" actually enhances sales.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: The_Admiral on April 19, 2019, 08:41:20 PM
Well, Rule the Waves received a sudden and unexpected attention considering its sole channel of distribution. The excellent gameplay just made it more than a closet success in the end, and I can understand that pirating became an issue. They don't have to look very far in order to assess the damage - after all, any proper torrent tracker will tell you how many people downloaded a file, it would be telling - and depressing - enough as it is.

Still, even though I can understand that even if going for Steam means losing pretty much 40% of each sale (that would include Valve's cut and the taxes), I can't believe that the amount of business volume generated from having RTW2 showing up on such a forefront wouldn't largely beat the cost conceded in the end. A dev is still allowed to make people pay a certain price on Steam and a different one on their own private shop in order to make for that difference, and to me it's a missed opportunity to reach a much larger audience.

Heck, they could even approach the Epic Store with the prestige of RTW1 to show for. I wouldn't be shocked nor scandalized... They will never have a better time for that!
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Huw the Poo on April 19, 2019, 09:13:23 PM
Quote from: The_Admiral on April 19, 2019, 08:41:20 PM
They don't have to look very far in order to assess the damage - after all, any proper torrent tracker will tell you how many people downloaded a file, it would be telling - and depressing - enough as it is.

This is disingenuous.  As has been well documented by now, the vast majority of such downloads either never would have been sales in the first place, or would actually convert to sales that wouldn't have happened otherwise.  One isn't harm, and the other is material benefit.  "Illegitimate download = lost sale" is a fallacy; that has been known for a long time now.  At the end of the day, DRM is a problem only for the paying customer; "pirates" aren't troubled by it.  That's arse-backwards however you look at it.  GOG have built their entire business model on this, and have been successful for years.

I do agree that not putting the game on Steam is shooting themselves in the foot, though.  It is also known that Steam presence leads to a considerable number of impulse purchases; hell, I'm guilty of it myself.  The Steam storefront is excellent at selling games.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: The_Admiral on April 19, 2019, 10:25:32 PM
Well I don't dispute the fact that torrent numbers are only a rather unreliable and not necessarily accurate external sign of piracy among others - but trustworthy or not, you cannot expect a small dev not to be shocked by these numbers the first time he sees them. In the same way, I agree that most pirate downloads wouldn't lead to a sale anyway, anyhow. In that regard, even if it means getting less money for each copy sold eventually, Steam's "impulsive purchase" syndrome would certainly leave NWS sale potential - and its smaller user base - mostly untouched. The mere visibility and numbers trumps the rest in my opinion, but well it's their game, and as such their decision... And our choice to buy it or not.

As someone else said in a recent cold waters post over there at Steam regarding Killerfish (a great example of the visibility Steam can bring to the genre btw), buying a game doesn't mean one suddenly gets shares in the company. Even less so if we don't buy it in the first place. They are big boys, I trust their vision for their own game, and my opinion shall always come second.  :coolsmiley:

In the meantime best of luck to the RtW team. I'll buy it, even if NWS is the only option.

As a sidenote though: despite its good consumer-oriented practices, GOG is not doing very well these days. I wouldn't be so sure about their future right now...
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Jarhead0331 on April 20, 2019, 07:50:52 AM
Quote from: The_Admiral on April 19, 2019, 10:25:32 PM

As a sidenote though: despite its good consumer-oriented practices, GOG is not doing very well these days. I wouldn't be so sure about their future right now...

Can you link to a credible source for this statement?  It wouldn't shock me if its true, but I'd still like to see where you got this information.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Staggerwing on April 20, 2019, 08:08:14 AM
The lay-off are a fact but the rest is speculation. The report of dire finances comes from one of those laid off so there may be some bitter exaggeration there. It could just be a bit of reshuffling to improve efficiency. GOG's parent company, CD Projekt, is supposed to be doing very well.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: steve58 on April 20, 2019, 10:00:10 AM
Lengthy ongoing DRM discussion in the RTW2 forums:  http://nws-online.proboards.com/post/39981/thread
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: The_Admiral on April 20, 2019, 10:21:53 AM
Quote from: Staggerwing on April 20, 2019, 08:08:14 AM
The lay-off are a fact but the rest is speculation. The report of dire finances comes from one of those laid off so there may be some bitter exaggeration there. It could just be a bit of reshuffling to improve efficiency. GOG's parent company, CD Projekt, is supposed to be doing very well.

Well, yeah, I agree that the rumors of their death have been greatly exaggerated - doesn't mean business is going well. And it's not because CD Projekt is doing good that they're gonna pour money in GOG for the pleasure of it. 12 people, that's 10% of the staff. I dont know under which sort of moon that would be seen as a good sign or good luck - especially for a company that isn't listed.

I can only wish for the best. They're a lovely concept and I grew fond of my old-timer no-DRM games.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Gusington on April 20, 2019, 02:05:55 PM
Wait for the release of Cyberpunk 2077 and the influx of 100s of millions of dollars. Then GOG will be flush again.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on April 22, 2019, 04:57:26 PM
Delayed about a month.....

**Message from the company**

I have just finished a meeting with Fredrik & Christopher Dean, and I have also have consulted with our excellent Beta Team members that us help test the RTW2 game. Below is a summary of what we have decided upon for the near future as far as RTW2 is concerned:

1) RTW2 will be released on May 17 (of this year, of course). This is a solid launch date, not an 'estimated' launch date.   This gives us plenty of time to test the latest added features and related aspects of the game, and also to allow for the completion of item #2 below...

2) NWS Store operations will be moved to a more modern/updated hosting service prior to the RTW2 release.

3) A playable demo of RTW2 will be released to the general public 2-3 days prior to the official launch date.

I know some of you will be disappointed in this ~3 week addition to the release date, for that I am sorry. However, in the end it will allow us to better organize our operations at NWS, and also allow for the Beta testers and Fredrik to make the game more solid and enjoyable for you, the players. Thank you for your patience and time, we appreciate both of them.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: CJReich46 on April 22, 2019, 05:23:49 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 22, 2019, 04:57:26 PM
Delayed about a month.....

**Message from the company**

I have just finished a meeting with Fredrik & Christopher Dean, and I have also have consulted with our excellent Beta Team members that us help test the RTW2 game. Below is a summary of what we have decided upon for the near future as far as RTW2 is concerned:

1) RTW2 will be released on May 17 (of this year, of course). This is a solid launch date, not an 'estimated' launch date.   This gives us plenty of time to test the latest added features and related aspects of the game, and also to allow for the completion of item #2 below...

2) NWS Store operations will be moved to a more modern/updated hosting service prior to the RTW2 release.

3) A playable demo of RTW2 will be released to the general public 2-3 days prior to the official launch date.

I know some of you will be disappointed in this ~3 week addition to the release date, for that I am sorry. However, in the end it will allow us to better organize our operations at NWS, and also allow for the Beta testers and Fredrik to make the game more solid and enjoyable for you, the players. Thank you for your patience and time, we appreciate both of them.

At least they're giving us a demo.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: steve58 on April 22, 2019, 06:05:01 PM
Ack.  Was looking forward to getting thi one this week.  Too bad they wont release the demo this week...
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Sir Slash on April 22, 2019, 06:33:13 PM
A playable demo is a great idea.  :clap:
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on May 14, 2019, 05:29:36 AM
free demo out today, then full game release planned still on 17th.  on the 16th new storefront will go live.  this demo will need to blow me away to make me purchase this game with yet another drm licensing process that will tie the game to a pc and require exchanging registration numbers with the company to make it work.  although there are worst drm methods out there and i am sure it's an easy process, just not sure i won't to deal with this stuff anymore.....unless demo really shines that much.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Sir Slash on May 14, 2019, 09:55:18 AM
Thanks for the, 'Heads-up' Reaper.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: CJReich46 on May 14, 2019, 04:52:41 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 14, 2019, 05:29:36 AM
free demo out today, then full game release planned still on 17th.  on the 16th new storefront will go live.  this demo will need to blow me away to make me purchase this game with yet another drm licensing process that will tie the game to a pc and require exchanging registration numbers with the company to make it work.  although there are worst drm methods out there and i am sure it's an easy process, just not sure i won't to deal with this stuff anymore.....unless demo really shines that much.

DEMO at last!  O0
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on May 17, 2019, 03:51:38 AM
this posted about drm being used.....still think more work than it needs to be, but they have their reason.  still on fence.

In short the APS is a system where the game executable is protected and will require activation after a period, and will need to be re-activated if it is moved to another PC without a proper transfer.

A) You will not need to be online to play the game, you will only need to send your site/machine codes in and receive an activation and serial code to activate the game.
B) You will be able to play for 3 days without activating the game after you first install it, so you can play the game even if you have to wait a bit for your activation code/serial number.
C) You will not have to re-activate the game each time you play, and will only need to re-activate if you make very major changes to your current machine or transfer the game to another machine. You will not need to reactivate for each normal game update.
D) You will receive a separate serial code for the game when you receive your activation code from NWS - this serial code will not be required to initially install the game on your computer, but will be required when you activate or transfer the game.
E) You may transfer your license from one machine to another without involving NWS or having to send us any information - the game can be de-activated on one machine and then activated on another up to 3 times per license.
F) We will also allow for activation of the game on 2 machines simultaneously - just install the game on the second machine and send a request for a second activation for that machine; that way you can have the game on your home computer and on a laptop or other machine at the same time. This second license can be transferred to a new machine up to 3 times as well.

When you install the game it will have two PDF files that detail the simple steps needed to activate the game, and also the steps needed to transfer the game to another machine. Anyone with any activation or transfer issues can contact us either via email or via these forums and we will of course assist you in resolving the issue.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on May 17, 2019, 04:04:40 AM
and release info update

UPDATE ON RTW2 'GOINGS ON': I spoke with Christopher Dean (NWS owner/Store Operator) a short while ago, he has been working on the new storefront for RTW2 sales. He has stated that, assuming testing goes as expected with no hangups, the game would most likely go on sale in the later afternoon or early evening (CST) tomorrow (May 17). Now, if more time is required it could be delayed until Saturday (May 18) - he doubts that will be likely, but he wanted me to relay that to you folks just in case.

Also, I have created two new 'official' threads for the RTW2 full release: (1) Bug Reports, and (2) Suggestions - these threads will be opened as soon as the game goes on sale.

Thanks, and I will be posting more updates as I learn of/have them ready to post.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Pete Dero on May 17, 2019, 04:28:19 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 17, 2019, 03:51:38 AM
E) You may transfer your license from one machine to another without involving NWS or having to send us any information - the game can be de-activated on one machine and then activated on another up to 3 times per license.

In theory this can work but in reality the only time I transfer a game is when my PC dies on me making de-activation impossible.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on May 17, 2019, 04:50:41 AM
Quote from: Pete Dero on May 17, 2019, 04:28:19 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 17, 2019, 03:51:38 AM
E) You may transfer your license from one machine to another without involving NWS or having to send us any information - the game can be de-activated on one machine and then activated on another up to 3 times per license.

In theory this can work but in reality the only time I transfer a game is when my PC dies on me making de-activation impossible.

yep...i know they have good intentions but this kind of stuff just detracts from what might be a good game.  eventually someone will find a way to hack it and then just leaves paying customers with a inconvenience of dealing with this stuff.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Jarhead0331 on May 17, 2019, 06:32:43 AM
Meanwhile, did anyone actually try the demo?
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Pete Dero on May 17, 2019, 08:30:57 AM




part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZnsG6roj7M
part 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYEQH0zoUAI
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on May 17, 2019, 05:15:41 PM
Latest and greatest...they did revise the transfer PC to unlimited.  Looks like release may happen late tonight or even tomorrow.

4:30PM CST, May 17
a) Fredrik has just posted the v1.00 release of the game for us; of course I have a fair amount of work to get it ready and fully tested for release, that will take me a bit of time.
b)The new storefront appears to work well in testing, so it should be good to go soon with just a bit of final testing when the release version of the game is ready.
c) After discussing the APS with both Fredrik and Christopher Dean (NWS owner) we have decided to revise the transfer option to allow players to transfer the game as many times as they wish, i.e. no limit on the number of transfers to new machines. We listened to the discussions on the forums about this, and we agree with you that this is the best way to go.

One issue we have that has crossed our path today is that Fredrik will need to be away until late this weekend; unfortunately this means that no updates would be likely until late Sunday or Monday at the earliest. Now, we would like to go ahead and release it rather than delay it, so that is the plan...call it a real brief 'early access' if you like. We assume this would be preferable to you potential players rather than a delay until later Sunday :) .

I will be back in a ~ couple of hours or so to give a better launch window for the game release...please bear in mind if it gets too late there is a possibility it may not make it out until tomorrow (Saturday) due to everyone schedules here. Thanks!
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: michaelspotts on May 18, 2019, 01:51:02 AM
I am a new tp RTW and just bought RTW 2.  I run all my games on an Alienware laptop and my email and everything else on a Mac and have no email client on my Alienware.  The game has a registration screen that automatically sends an email to get your activation and serial number that would not work on my laptop.  So I sent an email asking for help and got an email back in minutes from Chris who gave me my serial and activation numbers - and even replied again when I stupidly put them in the wrong boxes!

So, maybe a literal few minute bump speedily solved in minutes at midnight no less on launch night.  Thank you very much, Chris.

Now to a pot of coffee and the game.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Jarhead0331 on May 18, 2019, 02:30:48 AM
Chris has always been great with customer relations....although I ha entire been successful at getting him to post on our site.

Now, I'd really like some impressions on this...ASAP!
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: smittyohio on May 18, 2019, 07:52:55 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 17, 2019, 05:15:41 PM
Latest and greatest...they did revise the transfer PC to unlimited.  Looks like release may happen late tonight or even tomorrow.

That's huge.. I had zero interest in buying it with basically only 3 activations.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on May 18, 2019, 09:07:31 AM
Quote from: smittyohio on May 18, 2019, 07:52:55 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 17, 2019, 05:15:41 PM
Latest and greatest...they did revise the transfer PC to unlimited.  Looks like release may happen late tonight or even tomorrow.

That's huge.. I had zero interest in buying it with basically only 3 activations.

Yep, its a good step.....but if you look at their forums, seems like quite a few people having issues either with the actual buying process and/or getting the DRM to work (sending emails, errors if on mac-although seems like workaround posted, questions on the process, false virus warnings, etc.).  That's the sad part about DRM, most of the forum turns into things related to DRM versus the game itself.

I am sure it will get better....
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Jarhead0331 on May 18, 2019, 10:01:24 AM
Seems like less than an auspicious release.

I'm still waiting for some kind of a discount code for owners of RTW. It seems like a lot of effort and waiting for a $5 discount. LoL
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: PanzersEast on May 18, 2019, 02:02:58 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 18, 2019, 10:01:24 AM
Seems like less than an auspicious release.

I'm still waiting for some kind of a discount code for owners of RTW. It seems like a lot of effort and waiting for a $5 discount. LoL

I purchased, still waiting on code....
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: ArizonaTank on May 20, 2019, 07:22:59 AM
I had a few DRM "moments" with it...but am good now.

My problem was that I did not use a default email system (ie. Outlook).

I had been using Yahoo mail through my browser. So when I hit the DRM button in RTW2 to autogenerate an email request for codes to NWS, I got squat. 

To make the RTW2 DRM work, I had make Outlook my default email system, and then connect it to my Yahoo account.

For someone not as familiar as I am with doing all that...I see how the DRM would be downright awful.

It took NWS about 12 hours to turn-around the email request for codes. I did not ask for the discount, too much trouble for $5.

I've had to do worse to run games...so I won't grumble too much....;)
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: DennisS on May 20, 2019, 03:55:26 PM
I watched Das Tactics video play of this game. There were some pretty wonky things happening with his money. Instead of going up, it went down..then down another several thousand. I will watch a couple more..but I think I will sit this one out until after the first couple of patches.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Pete Dero on May 21, 2019, 02:13:29 PM
Tutorial (The Historical Gamer)

Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: al_infierno on May 21, 2019, 03:51:50 PM
Fantastic game but for the life of me I can't figure out how to do the tactical battles properly. If there's not a clear objective to accomplish aside from "sink the enemy ships", then I find myself just drifting around trying to find enemies, until I'm told the enemy fleet left and given an inexplicable Major Defeat.

I'm loving the grand strategy layer, and mechanically I enjoy the tactical battles. Maybe I should try the 1920 starting campaign.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: DennisS on May 21, 2019, 05:26:57 PM
Quote from: al_infierno on May 21, 2019, 03:51:50 PM
Fantastic game but for the life of me I can't figure out how to do the tactical battles properly. If there's not a clear objective to accomplish aside from "sink the enemy ships", then I find myself just drifting around trying to find enemies, until I'm told the enemy fleet left and given an inexplicable Major Defeat.

I'm loving the grand strategy layer, and mechanically I enjoy the tactical battles. Maybe I should try the 1920 starting campaign.

I have the first version of this game. I would just go straight at the beginning of the match. MOST of the time, the game has the two fleets on a collision course, or close enough to it.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: al_infierno on May 21, 2019, 07:16:48 PM
Quote from: DennisS on May 21, 2019, 05:26:57 PM
Quote from: al_infierno on May 21, 2019, 03:51:50 PM
Fantastic game but for the life of me I can't figure out how to do the tactical battles properly. If there's not a clear objective to accomplish aside from "sink the enemy ships", then I find myself just drifting around trying to find enemies, until I'm told the enemy fleet left and given an inexplicable Major Defeat.

I'm loving the grand strategy layer, and mechanically I enjoy the tactical battles. Maybe I should try the 1920 starting campaign.

I have the first version of this game. I would just go straight at the beginning of the match. MOST of the time, the game has the two fleets on a collision course, or close enough to it.

Thanks, I'll give it a shot.  Maybe I'm overthinking my initial tactics.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: bobarossa on May 31, 2019, 01:48:28 PM
So no updates about the game?  Anxiously awaiting your opinions.  Loved the first one but am in middle of a bunch of other games right now.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Jarhead0331 on May 31, 2019, 01:53:01 PM
Meh. I'm passing. Have not been impressed by discussions on the game in the official forum, or the lack of a response to my request for the whopping $5.00 off coupon.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: solops on May 31, 2019, 03:30:14 PM
To me RTW was all about big gun and big ship surface combat before aircraft screwed it all up. RTW2 leaves me cold. What I really want is RTW-1 improved.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: DennisS on May 31, 2019, 08:44:36 PM
Quote from: solops on May 31, 2019, 03:30:14 PM
To me RTW was all about big gun and big ship surface combat before aircraft screwed it all up. RTW2 leaves me cold. What I really want is RTW-1 improved.

I have watched all 14 of Tortuga's let's play on this game. He hasn't gotten to the aircraft carrier stage. To this point, it looks EXACTLY like Rule the Waves One. This is not a bad thing, it is, and has been, one of my most favorite strategy games.

But...there are some screwy things going on with the game. I won't get into them, but the game needs some balance tweaks, and a big patch.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: DennisS on June 08, 2019, 11:41:35 PM
Quote from: al_infierno on May 21, 2019, 03:51:50 PM
Fantastic game but for the life of me I can't figure out how to do the tactical battles properly. If there's not a clear objective to accomplish aside from "sink the enemy ships", then I find myself just drifting around trying to find enemies, until I'm told the enemy fleet left and given an inexplicable Major Defeat.

I'm loving the grand strategy layer, and mechanically I enjoy the tactical battles. Maybe I should try the 1920 starting campaign.

I purchased the game earlier this evening, and am having a blast with it.

First thing I noticed is that you CANNOT change course or speed with your "core" units for a period of time...an hour? I think the developer has attempted to fix the serious issue in the first game by essentially pointing the fleets at each other, and locking down your actions.

I have only missed two engagements out of perhaps 20 so far. I am the Japanese, and it's 1912. I have beat the snot out of the Russians once, and will do it again.

I love me some light cruisers! I have a stupid number of 3200 tons, bristling with torps and 6" guns. VERY light armor, but that's OK. They're faster than anything that can kill them.

So far, I see a nice quality of life improvements with the game. Ship combat generation makes more sense, and appears to be better linked with strategic locations. I am attempting to invade Sakhalin Island, just north of Japan, and most of our engagements are in and around this island.

Oh..and I took Sumatra! OIL!!!!! I am busy building oil fired ships, and getting rid of the coal fired ships. I am really trying to improve my machinery through research. A one-percent weight reduction, when it is starting at 13,000 tons is significant. This gets me four torps! Not that I would put torps on heavy cruisers, but still.

This is a very good strategy game. I am having a blast scrutinizing my potential enemies' *cough*russia*cough* fleets, and planning my own counter, to be used perhaps five years from now. For example, his current CL only has three 6" guns, and three 3" guns. Mine is lighter, with six 6"'ers, and a crazy number of what I call Destroyer Killers.

My first war, I built a stupid number of subs..partly because my defense minister requested me to. I got an extra 30 vp turn after turn..and this adds up.

If you're on the fence with this one. Don't be. It is a terrific and deep alternate history simulation. I am looking across the Pacific at the juggernaut which is the US...and I just can't bring myself to poke the bear. Or eagle, in this case. MAMMOTH defense budgets. Local superiority may be possible....but I would have to do it several times.

I JUST discovered heavier than air flight. I will start building seaplane tenders asap, and other CL's that I will eventually convert to CVL's. I am going "all in" on fast, light forces supporting and screening carriers. There will not be any room in my navy for battleships. Eventually, if I allow an enemy BB to shoot at one of my ships, then I messed up and got too close. Probably 15 years from the current game date of 1912. 
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: ArizonaTank on June 20, 2019, 12:50:04 AM
Quote from: DennisS on June 08, 2019, 11:41:35 PM
Quote from: al_infierno on May 21, 2019, 03:51:50 PM
Fantastic game but for the life of me I can't figure out how to do the tactical battles properly. If there's not a clear objective to accomplish aside from "sink the enemy ships", then I find myself just drifting around trying to find enemies, until I'm told the enemy fleet left and given an inexplicable Major Defeat.

I'm loving the grand strategy layer, and mechanically I enjoy the tactical battles. Maybe I should try the 1920 starting campaign.

...am having a blast with it.


This is a very good strategy game.....

If you're on the fence with this one. Don't be. It is a terrific and deep alternate history simulation. I am looking across the Pacific at the juggernaut which is the US...and I just can't bring myself to poke the bear. Or eagle, in this case. MAMMOTH defense budgets. Local superiority may be possible....but I would have to do it several times.
...

++1

Having a blast with it myself!  Who knew that spreadsheet games could be so much fun!

IMHO The air capabilities really add a piece that was missing. Playing the air game is a little clunky at first, but it grows on you.

But at first, I must admit the "air" interface left me cold...

The only thing missing now would be a more hands on logistics component. 

I have RTW 1, and don't regret the investment in RTW 2 at all.  Well worth it in my book.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: HoodedHorseJoe on June 20, 2019, 03:35:17 AM
As someone who never played RTW1, I've found RTW2 to be a bit of a revelation. It scratches that same itch that Paradox games do, and I find myself jumping on for short stints or leaving it running during the day and clicking through a few turns.

I don't really know anything about the subject matter, so I've struggled to learn things like the ship designer etc... found some stuff in the manual that helped but I'd have preferred some more tool-tips based information that means I don't have to leave the game environment to figure out what I'm missing.

Really quite enjoying it though - I did my first game as AH (still in progress, but I don't think I've kept my fleet modern enough so getting my ass handed to me now) and now playing as Japan. Playing this smaller nations with limited budget/facilities is really hampering my ability to keep up with the AI.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: ArizonaTank on June 20, 2019, 09:41:13 AM
Quote from: WargamerJoe on June 20, 2019, 03:35:17 AM
.....

I don't really know anything about the subject matter, so I've struggled to learn things like the ship designer etc... found some stuff in the manual that helped but I'd have preferred some more tool-tips based information that means I don't have to leave the game environment to figure out what I'm missing.

,,,,,


I generally let the AI build my new ships, and then tweak them. The AI does a better job than I do in designing ships...

RTW2 has a ton of lessons about early 20th century naval technology....for me anyway.

Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: ArizonaTank on June 20, 2019, 10:40:42 AM
I am really enjoying the game, and am very happy with it. But like anything there are strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

-A great fictional campaign engine that really pulls you in. Politics plays a big part, but is appropriate...it keeps the player's focus on the naval game. For example, I played a game as Japan, and got into a protracted war with the Soviets. The AI Russian was able to blockade me, and I generally ignored the ever increasing messages that my population was starting to starve, and that there were riots and mutinies. I called out the troops to crush these. At the same time, I had a couple of major victories, so I took a hard line on peace negotiations, kept naval spending high and basically kept the war going. Before I could bring the Soviets to their knees based on sinking their BBs alone, the Japanese people revolted, and the government fell. The new government sued for peace, and turned over a large piece of my navy to the Soviets as reparations. Very bitter experience....:)

-An appropriate introduction of airpower...CVs don't become King of the Ocean overnight

-Tactical battles are fun, highly detailed, but not too groggy.

-The game does a great job of depicting the interplay of key components of naval battle... speed, vs. armor, vs. range, vs. caliber, etc. Ultimately, the game is about who can get the best technology into the ocean the fastest...not an easy feat.


Weaknesses

-The AI does a dumb thing or two on the tactical map. I could see how these might really ruin the game for some folks. But this is not every battle...my guess is you see these in 1 battle in 10.  For example, in a 1929 battle, I had a carrier division with two CVLs. One of them was hit by a bomb, and lost speed. It broke out of the division (OK so far), but then proceeded to head into enemy territory. Unescorted, it went all the way to the enemy coast, and somehow never ran into anything...and survived...but only because it was night. Because the wayward CVL was out of command range, I could not get control of it from the AI.

-The UI is not always intuitive.


Things I'd Like to See

-Hands on Logistics: the player being involved in managing the flow... War In the Pacific Admiral's Edition is the gold standard here.

-Options for more player control. Instead of division based targeting, let the player designate targets on a ship by ship basis for example.

-Let the player manage the sub war.

-More control of air components, aircraft production and distribution. Would love to see features like the standard Gary Grigsby, 2 by 3 game.

-More player involvement in setting up battles prior to starting; composition of divisions for example.

Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Toonces on June 20, 2019, 11:14:31 AM
I'm sure there's a great game in there, but man alive those let's plays were so boring I can't imagine paying money for this.  I skipped through that 3 hour one in like 30 seconds...just wow.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Gusington on June 20, 2019, 11:47:57 AM
^Irony, thy name is Toonces.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: DennisS on June 20, 2019, 10:53:20 PM
Quote from: Toonces on June 20, 2019, 11:14:31 AM
I'm sure there's a great game in there, but man alive those let's plays were so boring I can't imagine paying money for this.  I skipped through that 3 hour one in like 30 seconds...just wow.

One youtuber, magnus or something like that, built a f*ckton of aircraft carriers, with 12 six inch guns, and a bunch of torpedoes. Not sure if he gets the idea behind CV's.

When I pointed out some consistency errors, he got more than a little pissy. It may have been the comment about why did he have belt armor.

He said all the six inch guns were for the enemy destroyers, and I suggested to him that if he gets his carriers within gun range of an enemy surface combatant, he done effed up.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: besilarius on June 21, 2019, 05:34:29 AM
By the 1940s that proved to be the case.
During one Fleet Problem in the 1930s, Lexington and Saratoga were on opposite sides.  Due to poor visibility, they actually came into range and "exchanged gunfire from their 8" guns".
The one and only occasion when carriers duked it out.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Gusington on June 21, 2019, 06:32:39 AM
Wow that is fascinating. Is there any footage or images of that?
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: ArizonaTank on June 21, 2019, 08:24:01 AM
Quote from: besilarius on June 21, 2019, 05:34:29 AM
By the 1940s that proved to be the case.
During one Fleet Problem in the 1930s, Lexington and Saratoga were on opposite sides.  Due to poor visibility, they actually came into range and "exchanged gunfire from their 8" guns".
The one and only occasion when carriers duked it out.

Interesting

In my game of RTW2, in 1929 Japan, I was trying to design a CVL. The "design board" would not pass the design until I had put at least 8x6in guns on it...not an easy thing to do.  In the same game, by 1939, the "design board" had no issue with a CV that only had secondary and AA guns.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: besilarius on June 21, 2019, 07:03:28 PM
Al Nofi might.  He wrote a book on the Navy's Fleet Exercises before WWII.  I don't recall any pictures of that in the book, but it's been a few years.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: DennisS on June 28, 2019, 06:07:09 PM
Quote from: ArizonaTank on June 21, 2019, 08:24:01 AM
Quote from: besilarius on June 21, 2019, 05:34:29 AM
By the 1940s that proved to be the case.
During one Fleet Problem in the 1930s, Lexington and Saratoga were on opposite sides.  Due to poor visibility, they actually came into range and "exchanged gunfire from their 8" guns".
The one and only occasion when carriers duked it out.

Interesting

In my game of RTW2, in 1929 Japan, I was trying to design a CVL. The "design board" would not pass the design until I had put at least 8x6in guns on it...not an easy thing to do.  In the same game, by 1939, the "design board" had no issue with a CV that only had secondary and AA guns.

It is 1930 in my game, and I cannot build a CVL or CV in ANY configuration. Also..I can't build any TBD or SBD, or even a Medium bomber. I'm getting smoked here. All I can do is to build scout planes and fighters. Very frustrating..as my strategy is to build 10% (by tonnage) CA's, 40% CL's, 40% CV's, and the rest DD's and KE's. All of them are fast, faster than the fastest BB afloat. This is a winning strategy, but I just can't get the carriers built.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: besilarius on June 29, 2019, 01:30:48 PM
This may be a good book for the folks interested in this period.  The Russian pre-Dreadnaughts actually came off very well against the High Seas Fleet's Dreadnaughts.  This was due to their increased elevation of the main guns, giving them slightly greater range:

" Battle for the Baltic Islands 1917; Triumph of the Imperial German Navy"
Author: Gary Staff
Publisher: Pen and Sword Books Ltd., Yorkshire and Philadelphia, copyright 2008, reprinted 2018
ISBN: 978-1-52674-849-2
Reviewer: Robert P. Largess
              Immediately before and after the outbreak of the First World War, Britain seriously considered sending its fleet into Heligoland Bight and seizing an island base off the German coast – Borkum perhaps. The goal was to force the German fleet out to fight, or bottle it up with mines, submarines and destroyer flotillas, instituting a close blockade of Germany. The chief problem the British faced was entering willfully into the lair of German minefields, submarines, and destroyer flotillas, asking for a battle in their own narrow home waters which the Germans anticipated and planned to win. Plainly too dangerous - the British chose to base their fleet safely distant at Scapa Flow and institute a distant blockade, pending a victory over the German fleet in the North Sea. Yet had the Battle of Jutland resulted in a crippling defeat for the German battle fleet, the British would have certainly undertaken such an unprecedented sea vs. land operation with their own battle fleet, either in the Bight or the Baltic, to break the stalemate on the Western Front and force the Germans out of the war.
            Of course this never happened; and the great example of a fleet-against-shore amphibious operation in WWI, the Dardanelles, seems a perfect example of how (and where) NOT to do it. Yet in August 1917, the Germans undertook the complex yet very successful "Operation Albion". The Russians controlled the Gulf of Riga, cut off from the Baltic by narrow straits between the islands of Osel, Moon, and Dago, barred by extensive minefields covered by heavy shore batteries including 12" guns. Essentially the Russian fleet was holed up behind fortifications in the Gulf of Riga and free to operate there on the sea flank of the German land drive north through the Baltic countries, to Riga, Reval, and the Gulf of Finland, to threaten St. Petersburg and knock Russia out the war. "Operation Albion" involved landing on the three barrier islands, capturing their heavy guns to permit minesweeping of the straits, and breaking into the Gulf of Riga with battleships of the High Seas Fleet to drive out or cut off the Russian gulf squadrons.
           "Albion" was a rare case of dreadnought battleships used in amphibious operations in WWI. But their long range guns and air-spotting made them very effective, able to take out long range artillery batteries, provide support in infantry battles, and fire over intervening land barriers to hit Russian naval units. Their movements had to be accompanied by careful, dangerous minesweeping, and they suffered frequent mine damage but no losses, due to their well designed underwater protective systems – in stark contrast to the vulnerability of the Allied predreadnoughts at the Dardanelles. Also the Russian shore guns were mostly in open, visible emplacements in flat country, much easier to hit than the Turkish guns. On the other hand the Russian predreadnoughts had been given a slight advantage in gun elevation and thus range, and managed to harass the German dreadnoughts effectively. Smaller ships on both sides, destroyers, torpedo boats, gunboats, all gave their troops much close-in, effective fire support.
            The tactical progress of this campaign had an interesting rhythm, rather like a land campaign based on step by step set piece advances - by outflankings and breakthroughs of carefully planned defensive positions, formed by islands, shoals, and straits. Each German advance and Russian retreat was accompanied by serious but tolerable losses to mines and torpedoes. Perhaps the Civil War siege and penetration of Charleston harbor is the closest historical analogy, on a much smaller scale.
           One interesting question is whether German losses would have been less tolerable if the Russians had been more competent. After the February 1917 revolution Russian military forces under the Kerensky regime suffered from demoralization, chaos, and frequent mutinies. Russian ships during Albion had sailors' revolutionary committees that often disputed with their officers over their orders. Generally the officers kept the focus on the overall plan, and the Russians sometimes fought effectively and with determination, but sometimes their defense folded in a rout. It should be noted that the Germans themselves were only a year away from their own collapse of economy and morale, with revolutionary sailors' committees in control of their own fleet.
         But meanwhile German success in Albion placed the Baltic coast up to the Gulf of Finland, the gateway to St. Petersburg, in their hands, undermining Kerensky and encouraging the Bolshevik coup in November, which brought peace with Germany at the price of the ruinous Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Of course, this failed to save the Germans, as they hoped, from their own collapse a year later. Could they have avoided that by trying something like Albion much earlier? Perhaps, but it was not until Scheer despaired of achieving results in the North Sea and pinned his faith on the submarine campaign that the Germans felt free to move the High Seas Fleet dreadnoughts to the Baltic.
            The campaign this book describes is most unusual and interesting, the coverage is detailed and comprehensive, and the writing is clear and cogent. In short, this is very fine history indeed. It is based on a list of excellent sources, both German and English translations from the Russian, many by important participants including the Russian naval commander Adm. Bakhirev and Adm. Friedrich Ruge, later commander of the Bundesmarine, then a young officer. It is somewhat limited by the author's stated purpose of providing a complete detailed history of the operation and the resulting battles, and eschewing any lengthy analysis. It also lacks any extensive historical and geographical background. However this can readily be found in Paul Halpern's "a Naval History of World War I", in the section titled "The Baltic". As for the analysis, we're still waiting for a complete study of battleships vs. shore-mounted big guns; perhaps the closest thing to Albion, of battleships and infantry cooperating to take out big shore guns, was the Battle of Cherbourg in June 1944. This book is plainly not for the casual reader who does not find the subject matter inherently interesting, but it will richly reward all students of battleships, the big gun, and amphibious warfare.

Robert P. Largess is the author of "USS Albacore; Forerunner of the Future", and articles on the USS Triton, SS United States, the history of Lighter-Than-Air, and the origin of the towed sonar array.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Gusington on June 29, 2019, 03:17:40 PM
Damn you, Bes.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Jarhead0331 on June 29, 2019, 04:10:31 PM
How is the non-combat part of the game? Research, design, diplomacy, economy, etc.? I suspect that the strategic aspects of the game might interest me more than the actual tactical battles...
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: al_infierno on June 29, 2019, 04:16:22 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 29, 2019, 04:10:31 PM
How is the non-combat part of the game? Research, design, diplomacy, economy, etc.? I suspect that the strategic aspects of the game might interest me more than the actual tactical battles...

The ship design is by far the best part of the game, and probably where you'll spend the majority of your game time.  The research, diplomacy, economic etc. aspect is fun as well, but since you play the role as the admiral of the navy, you don't have much direct control over what your nation does aside from random events where you can choose to piss off one nation or another, that kind of thing.

Going to war or staying at peace is abstracted as sort of a "tension meter" with each foreign country, and if you pass an arbitrary threshold, you are now at war.  Also -- and this is as big one for me -- the AI nations never go to war with each other.

So overall, I'd say that the strategic layer is a bit of a mixed bag leaning towards good; the ship design is fuckin' great; the tactical battles are fairly forgettable (and honestly just slow down the game for me -- the game desperately needs an auto-resolve.)
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Jarhead0331 on June 29, 2019, 04:27:17 PM
Ouch! No auto resolve!?
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: DennisS on June 30, 2019, 11:06:18 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 29, 2019, 04:27:17 PM
Ouch! No auto resolve!?

No. You either accept the battle, or forfeit the victory points. I believe..and don't quote me here, that if you give up the battles, you stand a greater chance of a white peace. Not sure about that one...but I HAVE dominated a war, and gotten just that.

Now, just to be safe, I play every fight. If you know that going in, then accept the dramatically slower pace of your campaign. Battles every month, that take 20 minutes to play. For a two year war, easily anticipate 6 hours of battle. Average 4 wars per campaign...about 50 hours to complete. As mentioned before, 20 hours or more will be spend fiddling with the ship construction.

When one of your creations work well, it's a real treat. When that CL with four inch main guns gets loose among a bunch of enemy DD's, and wrecks them, it is very gratifying. Opposite that is when a turret blows up, and your new BB does a "Hood."
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: solops on March 26, 2020, 11:56:19 AM
How long after buying did you guys have to wait for the key?
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: ArizonaTank on March 26, 2020, 12:18:54 PM
Quote from: solops on March 26, 2020, 11:56:19 AM
How long after buying did you guys have to wait for the key?

I had mine within a few hours.

Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on March 26, 2020, 01:00:45 PM
I ordered day one which is when they had a lot....think it still came within a day or two.  I know it wasn't same day for sure.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: solops on March 26, 2020, 05:48:47 PM
Got mine and sent in the registration stuff last night. No response yet.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Jarhead0331 on February 24, 2021, 05:02:15 PM
Add-on announced -

Quote
In order to do full justice to jet operations and missiles we are in the process of developing an expansion to RTW2 tentatively called "Ironclads to Missile Cruisers".

The expansion is currently planned to include the following features:

* 1890 start date.

* More detailed treatment of jet aircraft and the resulting modifications to carriers.

* Better simulation of missiles (ASM and SSM).

* Night air operations.

* Persistent ship histories.

* Refurbishing submarine operations and introducing long range submarines.

* Technology and game-play is setup so play through 1970 is fully supported.

While we are looking at other features for potential inclusion, the above list is what we will include at the minimum. Any additional features will be announced as we progress.


Game-play through 1970....very interesting.

I never got this one, mostly because it seems like a hassle to buy.

Is it worth going through the effort?
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Grim.Reaper on February 24, 2021, 05:11:45 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 24, 2021, 05:02:15 PM
Add-on announced -

Quote
In order to do full justice to jet operations and missiles we are in the process of developing an expansion to RTW2 tentatively called "Ironclads to Missile Cruisers".

The expansion is currently planned to include the following features:

* 1890 start date.

* More detailed treatment of jet aircraft and the resulting modifications to carriers.

* Better simulation of missiles (ASM and SSM).

* Night air operations.

* Persistent ship histories.

* Refurbishing submarine operations and introducing long range submarines.

* Technology and game-play is setup so play through 1970 is fully supported.

While we are looking at other features for potential inclusion, the above list is what we will include at the minimum. Any additional features will be announced as we progress.


Game-play through 1970....very interesting.

I never got this one, mostly because it seems like a hassle to buy.

Is it worth going through the effort?

Sadly, bought day one and have never played the game yet....I always forget about it.  So I can't be any help on the actual gameplay, guess I ought to try it at some point before the new version comes out:)

As for purchasing, wasn't much of a hassle although some people don't like the process....just required an email or two exchange with the company (i.e. you give them you machine unique id, they give you a registration code).  I play other games that use the same process so was used to it myself.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: al_infierno on February 24, 2021, 05:14:16 PM
If they added auto-resolve for tactical combat I would be all over it.  Having to play out every single battle, even the most irrelevant and tiny, killed my enjoyment of this game.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Tripoli on February 24, 2021, 06:25:24 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 24, 2021, 05:02:15 PM
Add-on announced -

Quote
In order to do full justice to jet operations and missiles we are in the process of developing an expansion to RTW2 tentatively called "Ironclads to Missile Cruisers".

The expansion is currently planned to include the following features:

* 1890 start date.

* More detailed treatment of jet aircraft and the resulting modifications to carriers.

* Better simulation of missiles (ASM and SSM).

* Night air operations.

* Persistent ship histories.

* Refurbishing submarine operations and introducing long range submarines.

* Technology and game-play is setup so play through 1970 is fully supported.

While we are looking at other features for potential inclusion, the above list is what we will include at the minimum. Any additional features will be announced as we progress.


Game-play through 1970....very interesting.

I never got this one, mostly because it seems like a hassle to buy.

Is it worth going through the effort?

Yes, it is worth getting. The tactical resolution is based on the "Steam and Iron" game engine.  I did an AAR using it several years ago http://www.grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=16935.0

The RTW game adds to "Steam and Iron" by letting you design your ships, balancing armor, engines, fuel capacity, and armament.  I think the results are fairly historical.  I've been working on a draft AAR of RTW2, but have never finished it because I haven't figured out a way to easily make the actual battles interesting to a reader, without resorting to a video AAR.  If folks are interested, I can finish it up.
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Jarhead0331 on February 01, 2022, 11:15:18 AM
The upcoming DLC looks awesome!

https://www.navalwarfare.net/files/SAI/RTW2_Expansion_Catalog.pdf (https://www.navalwarfare.net/files/SAI/RTW2_Expansion_Catalog.pdf)
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Sir Slash on February 01, 2022, 11:45:00 AM
Wow! Simply WOW! As always, the devil will be in the details, but this looks like a Naval Enthusiasts wet-dream kind of thing.  :dreamer:   I can't wait for my ironclads to go up against the AI's Nuclear Carrier battlegroups.  :buck2:
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: ArizonaTank on February 01, 2022, 12:12:53 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 01, 2022, 11:15:18 AM
The upcoming DLC looks awesome!

https://www.navalwarfare.net/files/SAI/RTW2_Expansion_Catalog.pdf (https://www.navalwarfare.net/files/SAI/RTW2_Expansion_Catalog.pdf)

Amazing! Can't wait to get my hands on it!
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: al_infierno on February 01, 2022, 12:39:17 PM
Still no auto resolve for battles eh?  :(
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Toonces on February 01, 2022, 12:51:52 PM
I can't decide.  Do I need this game?   ???
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: Gusington on February 01, 2022, 02:04:26 PM
YES
Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: CJReich46 on February 01, 2022, 02:13:05 PM
Hmm.....

Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: stolypin on March 14, 2022, 11:27:55 AM
Quote from: Toonces on February 01, 2022, 12:51:52 PM
I can't decide.  Do I need this game?   ???

I've been pondering that for years.  Definitely interested in the topic but doubted I had the time to learn a new, complex system. 

But this weekend, I found the YouTube channel "RvT WarGames Analysis" which appears to have many fantastic beginner tutorials for RTW2.  That has greatly revived my interest in getting this game.

Title: Re: Rule the Waves 2
Post by: ArizonaTank on March 14, 2022, 12:40:52 PM
Quote from: stolypin on March 14, 2022, 11:27:55 AM
Quote from: Toonces on February 01, 2022, 12:51:52 PM
I can't decide.  Do I need this game?   ???

I've been pondering that for years.  Definitely interested in the topic but doubted I had the time to learn a new, complex system. 

But this weekend, I found the YouTube channel "RvT WarGames Analysis" which appears to have many fantastic beginner tutorials for RTW2.  That has greatly revived my interest in getting this game.

If you are OK with basic graphics, but have an interest in the period and subject, the game is well worth it. The strategic portion of the game is mostly using a spreadsheet-like interface, with some basic ship graphics for ship design. Battles are more graphic, but still very basic.

But the game is pretty deep, and definitely sucks you in.