Aircraft And Aircraft Carriers?

[Punished Prigozhin]

I know this game mainly focuses on Dreadnoughts, but considering that Aircraft played some role in Fleet combat, will there be in future the possibility that Aircraft and Carriers will be available?

[OOM-911]

Maybe in the campaign I could see some kind of mechanic for them but I don't think I can see them doing much more then just sailing around when it comes to the current surface fleet combat.

[The Bush Wolf]

There has been a significant amount of debate on this topic over several forums so here I go with the consensus so far.

What the devs actually are doing from what I know and read:
Aircraft and aircraft carriers were never planned, since the game is about the developmental history of dreadnoughts and their supporting vessels this is what the game is focusing on. Sure the aircraft carrier lead to the downfall of the battleship but this is simply outside what the game is going for. Similar reasons why Ultimate Admiral Age of Sail doesn't have ironclads in it which rendered standard sailing ships obsolete, they are simply unnecessary for the scope of the game.

Realistically, there is a good chance carriers wont be implemented but the devs have said they may think about it once the current game is completed



Overall grounded consensus that was eventually founded:
If carriers are to be part of the game, leave them as optional.



My personal thoughts on aircraft carriers in this game:
They are a meh at most, adding carriers to the game would cause significant problems in the late game campaign since it will completely counteract the scope of the game which is purely about powerful battleships.

When it comes to carriers this is what the campaign is gonna turn away from "lets build this super cool battleship" to "Lets get past this hard part so we can carrier spam and delete everything on the high seas" which is just complete and utter bs for this type of game. From reading on here it seems "Rule the Waves 2" had a problem with carrier spamming which ruined the game for a number of people, this is the last thing I want to have happen here.

The common excuse that "carriers were a real thing and this game is realistic" or what ever is just silly. This is a simulator game not a full blown historical recreation game about how carriers took over, that would be fine in a game more focused on carrier development which isn't what this game is about, Carriers aren't even listed anywhere in the ingame notes/book.

But if carriers do become added, I'll go with the consensus as to leave them optional.

[OOM-911]

I should probably also expand on the only way I think they could work...
Note this also heavily depends on how the devs make subs work.

In surface battles (aka the battles we can have now) carriers would be little more then transports So they couldn't use aircraft during this phase at all.

From what I understand how subs are supposed to work is there a unit that won't appear in surface battles at all but will on the world map where they could cripple enemy ships in fleets (Again I don't know for sure).

Carrier would have to be a upgraded version of subs in terms of mechanics AKA a sub that could attack from long range but could get killed in surface combat, and would require a HUGE amount of resources to look after, resupplying planes, fuel, men, ect, not to mention the escort fleet to.

Doing it this way would make it so the devs:
-Wouldn't have to create aircraft or flight model
-Wouldn't have to make a AA system for surface combat
-Could work off the submarine framework (sort of..)

This could also lead both player and the ai to instead of investing in straight up carriers move more toward the idea of the hybrid battle carrier design since it would be more flexible, though less powerful.


Another comparison I like using for this Idea that I've been expanding on is if you have played supreme commander the difference between tactical and strategic missiles.
where as tactical missiles have a much shorter range they aren't as devastating. but since strategic missiles AKA nukes have such a huge blast radius they can't be used for self defense.

In this case carriers would kinda be like that.
but that's the only simple way I could see It working out for now.

[Slowkey]

Originally posted by The Bush Wolf:

This is a simulator game...

It's not even that, sadly. :/

[The Bush Wolf]

Originally posted by Slowkey:

Originally posted by The Bush Wolf:

This is a simulator game...

It's not even that, sadly. :/

Uh yeah it is

[Clesles]

Well i already have ideas for carrier designs

with a load of aa

[Clesles]

and u would have to save some weight to anti air

[Masterhummel]

Bush Wolf pretty much already said most that's there to say. The only big benefit is see from adding an aerial threat, would be the need to spent tonnage on secondaries / anti aircraft batteries (not in game). Which would add a bit of complexety to the designing process and give secondaries a bit more use aside from eyecandy.

[BuckleUpBones]

Bush Wolf isn't entirely right. What developers said is "no but we will come back to this question once the campaign is finished".

Source: Stealth17 video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2a7yFmlf00&t=416s

To me that means a "maybe", not outright no. If there's enough support and calls for carriers then they might develop them. So i would say don't give up on carriers yet, keep promoting them.

[The Bush Wolf]

Originally posted by BuckleUpBones:

Bush Wolf isn't entirely right. What developers said is "no but we will come back to this question once the campaign is finished".

Source: Stealth17 video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2a7yFmlf00&t=416s

To me that means a "maybe", not outright no. If there's enough support and calls for carriers then they might develop them. So i would say don't give up on carriers yet, keep promoting them.

From what I read they said what I put down so :/

[Solace]

god I hope not. carriers ended the era of battleships, so in a game about making cool battleships (and other ships ofc too), why would you want to include the thing that made them obsolete? that would be like playing a sword-fighting game that includes assault rifles.

[RexJayden]

I was very excited for this one, but I was really hoping for aircraft carriers to be added. I get the rationale expressed in this thread for why they would not be added. Unfortunately, for me as a potential buyer, this is a no go. Best wishes to the team on much success with this game.

[Ink]

Admirals, CVs and Planes are a complex feature and will only be considered after the base campaign is delivered and plays well.

[RexJayden]

Originally posted by Ink:

Admirals, CVs and Planes are a complex feature and will only be considered after the base campaign is delivered and plays well.

So nice to hear...my son and I are excited for this game and we wish you the best for its development.

[Revos Kalosa]

I'd love to see Carriers, Because it won't be the end of BB, however I will not make the same mistake of just sending on BB to end up facing waves of aircraft.... at least not without lots of AA firepower xD.