Fleet Command

Last updated
Jane's Fleet Command
Jane's Fleet Command coverart.png
Developer(s) Sonalysts Combat Simulations
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Producer(s) Kim Castro
Designer(s) Daniel Bowdler
Terry Jones
John Lackie
Ray Walsh
Jack Wayne
Composer(s) Curt Ramm
Series Jane's Combat Simulations
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s) Real-time tactics
Mode(s) Single-player, Multiplayer

Fleet Command, previously labelled as Jane's Fleet Command, is a real-time tactics naval warfare simulation computer game released in May 1999. [3] It was developed by Sonalysts Inc. and published by Electronic Arts (EA). The game licensed parts of Jane's Information Group's military information database, which was used as an in-game "Jane's Library", reference material that the player could refer to while in-game. Jane's also licensed to EA the "Jane's" name and the "Jane's Combat Simulations" logo, and the game was marketed under the "Jane's" name, much like the previous "Jane's Fighters Anthology", also published by Electronic Arts.

Contents

Gameplay

In terms of gameplay, as a real-time tactics game it is a realistic military simulator and only involves resource management of weapons and the fuel of airborne aircraft. The scenario defines the units that a player has at the beginning of the scenario, and the player can never have more than what they started with until the scenario ends. Like other real-time tactics games, losses cannot be replaced, which emphasises the value of units and the judicious use of them (though some scenarios make it impossible to save a particular unit). The military realism is emphasised further by such means as using some authentic NTDS symbology on the 2D tactical planning map. Much of the game and mission events are presented in the form of full-motion video sequences.

Main gameplay screen Fleet Command screenshot.jpg
Main gameplay screen

Gameplay can be chosen from one of three different options. First is a series of preset missions that contain certain objectives. These missions contain specific goals that must be accomplished in order to be graded successfully. They vary in difficulty from one star to four with four stars being the most difficult. A second game play theme is to play one of four provided scenarios. These are generally "wars" verses "battles" that require the player to win each successive challenge before continuing. The last type of game play is using a feature called "mission editing", where a player can input their own configurations and force strength and objectives. Preset mission objectives and goals can be input into the editor and displayed to the player at various intervals throughout game play. Input objectives can be configured in such a way that they must be completed in predetermined orders for the overall mission to be successful. The programming skills necessary are quite basic and are a credit to the ingenuity of the software designers.

The "mission editor" feature is simple to use and relatively uncommon in other game play software. The feature enables players to interface directly with the software and provide a relatively limitless amount of possible combat scenarios.

Setting

The game is set in the late 1990s. The game focused exclusively on contemporary units. Units that were in service when the game was released were featured, and units that were out of service or not yet in service were not featured. The game reflects that some of the world's military forces are more advanced than others.

Realism

The game is a naval combat strategic training simulator. It covers the full spectrum of modern naval operations, including submarine warfare, surface warfare, naval aviation, and electronic warfare. Air Force, Marine Corps and Army units are also modelled in the game, although the Army units are generally static. Although the initial release focused mainly on the U.S. Military, it did include a wide variety of forces from nations around the world including the U.K., India, Russia, China, and others. The actual forces under a player's command can include units from several nations (a multi-national force), or it may be limited to a selection of forces from just the one nation's military Arsenal.

The game includes both aircraft carriers and land-based air bases. It maintains a level of realism in that aircraft that are limited to land-based operations in real life are similarly limited to land-based operations in the game. This prevents the player from having heavy bombers (like the B-52) taking off or landing from aircraft carriers, something that never happens in the real world. Moreover, only aircraft that are actually assigned to a particular class of aircraft carrier in real life are available on in-game carriers. This concept of realism in units carries through to the weaponry, ordnance, speed, accuracy, radar coverage, level of detection, and survivability of all of the units and weapons in the game. One feature that was deliberately kept out of the game was nuclear weapons.

Game dynamics

In a single-player game, the player starts by selecting a stand-alone scenario or a campaign scenario. Campaign scenarios are linked in that if the player successfully completes a scenario in the campaign, this unlocks the next scenario in that campaign for play. However, the game is limited in that it can only ever have the one campaign available to the player at any one time. In fact, the original version of the game only included one campaign (since then, several replacement campaigns have been made by FC and NWP-FC enthusiasts). A stand-alone scenario is not linked to other scenarios like the campaign scenarios are, although they may be related in terms of setting, theater-of-war, combatants, alliances, fictitious or historical conflicts, etc.

Once the player is in the scenario, a 2-D representation of the forces available is presented. This display also shows a representation of the sensor (radar, visual, sonar, etc.) ranges that any of his units have. Individual units are shown in a 3D rendering. If the player has selected the EMCON option, none of his units start the game with active sensors on; only passive sensors will be engaged. This can be an effective strategy for keeping the player's ships undetected, but it also blinds their GCI and leaves them "groping in the dark", so to speak. If the player has AWACS aircraft and/or fighter jets available, these are often the first units deployed.

Release

The game was released the first time in 1999 by EA. EA licensed also from Jane's the "Jane's" name and the "Jane's Combat Simulations" logo, and the game was marketed under the "Jane's" name, much like the previous "Jane's Fighters Anthology", also published by EA.

On October 26, 2006 Strategy First re-released Fleet Command as SCS-Fleet Command, without the "Jane's" branding. It was released as part of a three-game retail package called Naval Combat Pack, which also included 688(I) Hunter/Killer and Sub Command and also includes a video CD A Century of Silent Service. The 2006 version of Fleet Command was also released on GameTap in March 20, 2008.

The November 2024 naval combat simulation Sea Power by MicroProse and Triassic Games is considered to be a spiritual successor to Fleet Command.

Reception

The game received above-average reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. [4] Next Generation gave generally positive reviews. [10]

The United States Naval Academy had the game installed in computer labs and used it to introduce prospective students to the concepts of fleet level decision making during its Summer Seminar program.[ citation needed ]

The staff of PC Gamer US nominated the game for their 1999 "Best Wargame" award, which ultimately went to Close Combat III: The Russian Front . They called the game "the perfect modern naval game for thousands of PWSHFOHTPH ('People Who Still Haven't Figured Out How to Play Harpoon ')". [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Star Trek: Starfleet Command</i> 1999 video game

Star Trek: Starfleet Command is a computer game based on the table-top wargame Star Fleet Battles. It was developed by 14° East and Quicksilver Software and published by Interplay Entertainment. It was released in 1999 for Microsoft Windows. It simulates starship operations, ship-to-ship combat, and fleet warfare in the Star Trek universe. An expanded version was released in 2000 titled Star Trek: Starfleet Command - Gold Edition. It includes the latest patch and all the missions that were downloadable from the official website.

<i>Falcon 4.0</i> 1998 video game

Falcon 4.0 is a combat flight simulation video game developed by MicroProse and published by Hasbro Interactive in 1998. The game is based around a realistic simulation of the Block 50/52 F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighter in a full-scale modern war set in the Korean Peninsula.

<i>Red Baron II</i> 1997 video game

Red Baron II is a video game for the PC, developed by Dynamix and published by Sierra On-Line. It is the follow-up to the flight simulation Red Baron, released in 1990. Red Baron II was released in December 1997. A patch was released in 1998 that added support for 3D acceleration and renamed the game to Red Baron 3D. Red Baron 3D was also released as a retail product.

<i>Dangerous Waters</i> (video game) 2005 video game

Dangerous Waters, also known as S.C.S. Dangerous Waters, is a 2005 naval warfare simulation game developed by American studio Sonalysts Combat Simulations. It was released for Microsoft Windows in 2005, and on Steam on February 7, 2006.

<i>Pacific General</i> 1997 video game

Pacific General is a computer wargame depicting famous battles of the World War II Pacific campaigns. It was published by Strategic Simulations in 1997 using the same game engine of the earlier and successful Panzer General for Windows 95. It was re-released on GOG.com in May 2015.

Combat flight simulators are vehicle simulation games, amateur flight simulation computer programs used to simulate military aircraft and their operations. These are distinct from dedicated flight simulators used for professional pilot and military flight training which consist of realistic physical recreations of the actual aircraft cockpit, often with a full-motion platform.

<i>Command & Conquer: Red Alert</i> 1996 video game

Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a real-time strategy video game in the Command & Conquer franchise, developed and published by Westwood Studios in 1996. The second game to bear the Command & Conquer title, Red Alert is the prequel to the original Command & Conquer of 1995, and takes place in the alternate early history of Command & Conquer when Allied Forces battle an aggressive Soviet Union for control over the European mainland.

<i>Command & Conquer</i> (1995 video game) 1995 video game

Command & Conquer is a real-time strategy video game developed and published by Westwood Studios in 1995. Set in an alternate history, the game tells the story of a world war between two globalized factions: the Global Defense Initiative of the United Nations and a revolutionary militant organization called the Brotherhood of Nod, led by the mysterious Kane.

<i>Janes AH-64D Longbow</i> 1996 video game

AH-64D Longbow is a realistic combat flight simulator of the AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter. Released on June 3, 1996, for the PC, this simulation was developed at Origin Systems. AH-64D Longbow was the second simulator released under the Jane's Combat Simulators line from Electronic Arts.

<i>Achtung Spitfire!</i> 1997 video game

Achtung Spitfire! is a 1997 computer wargame developed by Big Time Software and published by Avalon Hill. It is a turn-based air combat game taking place during the early half of World War II, including fixed-wing aircraft, air battles and operations by Luftwaffe, Royal Air Force and French Air Force in 1939–1943.

<i>European Air War</i> 1998 video game

European Air War is a combat flight simulator developed and published by MicroProse and published for Microsoft Windows in 1998. It is a sequel to 1942: The Pacific Air War. It simulates the Battle of Britain, and the Allied Air offensives in Western Europe during World War II in 1943–1945.

<i>MechWarrior 3</i> 1999 video game

MechWarrior 3 is a vehicle simulation game, part of the MechWarrior series. It featured a new 3D accelerated graphics engine at the time of its release. The game contains over 20 missions, with access to 18 different mechs. A novelization called Trial Under Fire was written by Loren L. Coleman.

<i>Hind</i> (video game) 1996 video game

Hind is a combat flight simulation game released by Digital Integration in 1996 for MS-DOS compatible operating systems and Microsoft Windows. It is the successor to Apache.

<i>1942: The Pacific Air War</i> 1994 video game

1942: The Pacific Air War is combat flight simulation developed and published by MicroProse for the PC on the DOS operating system in 1994. It is based on the U.S. and Japanese Pacific War conflict from 1942 to 1945. An expansion pack, 1942: The Pacific Air War – Scenario, was released in 1995. A sequel, European Air War, was released in 1998. Tommo purchased the rights to 1942 and digitally publishes it through its Retroism brand in 2015.

<i>Peoples General</i> 1998 video game

People's General is a turn-based computer wargame developed by Strategic Simulations, Inc (SSI). It was released in September 1998 in North America and Europe. The game focuses on early 21st century warfare in Asia. People's General, or PeG as it is commonly known, followed SSI's successful 5 Star General Series of World War II war games and their sequel, Panzer General II (PG2). It uses the same game dynamics as these earlier games—turn-based movement & fighting with military units on a hex based map. PeG uses substantially the same "Living Battlefield" game engine as PG2 but features higher quality graphics and many new features.

<i>Janes F-15</i> 1998 video game

Jane's F-15, also known as simply F-15, is a combat flight simulator video game developed and released by Electronic Arts in 1998 for the PC. It models the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle. EA's 2000 Jane's F/A-18 used an improved version of F-15's game engine.

<i>Janes IAF: Israeli Air Force</i> 1998 video game

Jane's IAF: Israeli Air Force is a military jet aircraft Combat flight simulation video game released in 1998. The simulation was created by the Israeli software developer Pixel Multimedia and was released under the Jane's Combat Simulations line from Electronic Arts.

<i>Janes Longbow 2</i> 1997 video game

Longbow 2 is the sequel to Jane's AH-64D Longbow from Jane's Combat Simulations. The game was developed by Origin Systems with executive producer Andy Hollis on board, and released by Electronic Arts on November 13, 1997.

<i>Apache</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Apache is a video game released by Digital Integration in 1995 for DOS and Macintosh. The game is a combat flight simulation of the American AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter. A successor, Hind, was released in 1996.

<i>Top Gun: Hornets Nest</i> 1998 video game

Top Gun: Hornet's Nest is a 1998 combat flight simulation game developed by Zipper Interactive and published by MicroProse for Microsoft Windows. It is loosely based on the 1986 film Top Gun, and is a sequel to the 1996 game Top Gun: Fire at Will. The game was criticized for its lack of realism and its flight physics.

References

  1. ↑ Fudge, James (May 5, 1999). "Jane's Fleet Command Ships". Computer Games Strategy Plus . Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 24, 2003. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Games Of 1999 ~ Europe". Gone Gold. Archived from the original on February 10, 2001. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Butts, Steve (June 15, 1999). "Jane's Fleet Command". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Jane's Fleet Command for PC". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  5. ↑ Rubin, Brian. "Jane's Fleet Command - Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  6. ↑ Walker, Mark H. (May 27, 1999). "Jane's Fleet Command". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  7. ↑ Battles, Hosea (May 25, 1999). "Jane's Fleet Command". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 18, 2003. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  8. ↑ Lackey, Jeff (July 1999). "Ship Shape (Jane's Fleet Command Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World . No. 180. Ziff Davis. pp. 152, 154. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  9. ↑ Thomas, Chet (June 1, 1999). "Fleet Command Review". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 23, 2004. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Jane's Fleet Command". Next Generation . No. 56. Imagine Media. August 1999. p. 92. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  11. ↑ Klett, Steve (July 1999). "Fleet Command". PC Accelerator . No. 11. Imagine Media. pp. 80–81. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  12. ↑ McDonald, T. Liam (July 1999). "Fleet Command". PC Gamer . Vol. 6, no. 7. Imagine Media. pp. 94–95. Archived from the original on November 13, 1999. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  13. ↑ Presley, Paul (August 1999). "Fleet Command". PC Zone . No. 76. Dennis Publishing. p. 83. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  14. ↑ PC Gamer staff (March 2000). "The Sixth Annual PC Gamer Awards (Best Wargame)". PC Gamer. Vol. 7, no. 3. Imagine Media. p. 60. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.