Highfleet, a subsim in disguise

PunkyFickle · 01-04-22, 01:50 PM

Hey,

I'd like to talk about a very enjoyable game that turns out to be much more close to a subsim than it seems at the first glance : Highfleet.

To summarize, it's a diesel-punk fleet management game set in a vast desert land, where gigantic methane-propelled flying fortresses form the backbone of warfare, due to the huge distances between cities and resources. You command the last remnants of an empire recently vitrified by nuclear strikes, seeking revenge on the enemy faction and planning on a desperate, vengeful attack on their capital city with the remainder of your fleet.

Most of the com made on the game tends to relate to the fast paced, colourful and noisy combat sequences, where you control these giant sky-fortresses flinging copious amounts of missiles and high-caliber shells at one another until one falls from the skies. However, there is much more to it than these arcady sequences, much which you might feel familiar with. You start a campaign with but a handful of ships, making you quite an easy prey to the numerous highly armed fleets patrolling the map. It thus occurs that the most viable way to play is to go silent, avoid highly frequented areas and meticulously plan trade convoy ambushes and long range cruise missile strikes on enemy fleets. Sounds familiar?

You are given all the tools necessary for that :

Plenty of detection methods : Radar, ELINT, jammers, infrared sensors, scout planes, radio communications interception and decryption... All quite fairly realistically simulated.
A decent arsenal of cruise missiles to launch at your enemy : radar guided, ARM, ballistic, ABM, LRAAM, etc, some with nuclear flavour if you dare unleashing the beast...
Arguably the best weapons of the subsim player : a map, a pencil, a ruler and a protractor.

Additionally, the game pushes you to design your own ships, which adds quite some depth to the way you play it. Building ships ex-nihilo to fit your needs or fiddling with the intentionally relatively poorly designed starter ships are quite enjoyable, but the best about that is that it gives you a lot of latitude on the naval doctrine you wish to employ! Want to go full decisive battle, with a fleet of gigantic heavily armed and armoured, fuel guzzling cruisers? Manage a fleet of fast, low radar profile interceptors along with their companion light tankers to surprise-raid enemy convoys at the four corners of the map? Sprinkle small, unarmed probing scouts stuffed with all kind of sensors all around the map to paint targets for your cruise missile and aircraft wings carriers? It's all possible and there is definitely much fun to be had.

Note that it definitely does not have the depth of a sh5 (after all, you fly above deserts). Plotting intercept courses and missile trajectory is less complex than in a hardcore sim (for example, AoA means nothing, since missile strikes happen in a vertical plane), but the many tools to see and avoid being seen, the diversity of armaments with their distinct specificities are nothing to fuss about. The story and narration are quite pleasant and the game overall is very decently polished. It is quite pretty and the UI is about as accessible as possible when it comes to milsims. Overall, I definitely recommend it to subsimmer who fancy some (relatively) fresh air.

Aktungbby · 01-04-22, 02:04 PM

PunkyFickle

looks interesting and apparently 30% off on steam??!!https://store.steampowered.com/app/1434950/HighFleet/

PunkyFickle · 01-04-22, 02:14 PM

Oh yes, winter sales are on.

Also, I could mention that it is published by Microprose, who know their way when it comes to navy/milsims (Sea Power, B17 Flying fortress, etc).

PunkyFickle · 01-04-22, 02:48 PM

Found quite a solid review if you want to see it in action. The maker of the video even "did think about referring to it as a flying U-Boat game".

Also, here's a comment that might appeal to some of you as well :

Quote:

"I feel like its a great mash up of Silent Hunter 3, old school Elite Dangerous, and the Dune series.
The sound and visual effects are great. Really immersive and palpable. It's a great "Dad's" game. What I mean by that is the amount of layers there are to keep track of. The slow pace of the gameplay and the difficulty level of the game is something I love. It makes you slow down and take your time. Weighing your options and making good stratigic decisions. Managing fuel, munitions, repairs, and the rest is so fun. Its a great game if you are willing to make mistakes and learn from them. Each play through is unique and very challenging, and its this challenge, and a drive to be a better fleet commander, that keeps me pressing the NEW GAME button. This game is a true gem."

Aktungbby · 01-04-22, 05:35 PM

Well done, but perhaps the moderator should move this thread to the 'Heliosims/Flight Sims games Forum. There'd no doubt be many interested flyboys lurking about! U then could continue with a sticky thread for the flight-oriented gamers. A PM to Onkel Neal might be in order.

01-04-22, 01:50 PM	#1
PunkyFickle Nub Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 3 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Highfleet, a subsim in disguise Hey, I'd like to talk about a very enjoyable game that turns out to be much more close to a subsim than it seems at the first glance : Highfleet. To summarize, it's a diesel-punk fleet management game set in a vast desert land, where gigantic methane-propelled flying fortresses form the backbone of warfare, due to the huge distances between cities and resources. You command the last remnants of an empire recently vitrified by nuclear strikes, seeking revenge on the enemy faction and planning on a desperate, vengeful attack on their capital city with the remainder of your fleet. Most of the com made on the game tends to relate to the fast paced, colourful and noisy combat sequences, where you control these giant sky-fortresses flinging copious amounts of missiles and high-caliber shells at one another until one falls from the skies. However, there is much more to it than these arcady sequences, much which you might feel familiar with. You start a campaign with but a handful of ships, making you quite an easy prey to the numerous highly armed fleets patrolling the map. It thus occurs that the most viable way to play is to go silent, avoid highly frequented areas and meticulously plan trade convoy ambushes and long range cruise missile strikes on enemy fleets. Sounds familiar? You are given all the tools necessary for that : Plenty of detection methods : Radar, ELINT, jammers, infrared sensors, scout planes, radio communications interception and decryption... All quite fairly realistically simulated. A decent arsenal of cruise missiles to launch at your enemy : radar guided, ARM, ballistic, ABM, LRAAM, etc, some with nuclear flavour if you dare unleashing the beast... Arguably the best weapons of the subsim player : a map, a pencil, a ruler and a protractor. Additionally, the game pushes you to design your own ships, which adds quite some depth to the way you play it. Building ships ex-nihilo to fit your needs or fiddling with the intentionally relatively poorly designed starter ships are quite enjoyable, but the best about that is that it gives you a lot of latitude on the naval doctrine you wish to employ! Want to go full decisive battle, with a fleet of gigantic heavily armed and armoured, fuel guzzling cruisers? Manage a fleet of fast, low radar profile interceptors along with their companion light tankers to surprise-raid enemy convoys at the four corners of the map? Sprinkle small, unarmed probing scouts stuffed with all kind of sensors all around the map to paint targets for your cruise missile and aircraft wings carriers? It's all possible and there is definitely much fun to be had. Note that it definitely does not have the depth of a sh5 (after all, you fly above deserts). Plotting intercept courses and missile trajectory is less complex than in a hardcore sim (for example, AoA means nothing, since missile strikes happen in a vertical plane), but the many tools to see and avoid being seen, the diversity of armaments with their distinct specificities are nothing to fuss about. The story and narration are quite pleasant and the game overall is very decently polished. It is quite pretty and the UI is about as accessible as possible when it comes to milsims. Overall, I definitely recommend it to subsimmer who fancy some (relatively) fresh air. Last edited by PunkyFickle; 01-04-22 at 02:17 PM.

01-04-22, 02:04 PM	#2
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 27,867 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	welcome aboard! PunkyFickle looks interesting and apparently 30% off on steam??!!https://store.steampowered.com/app/1434950/HighFleet/ __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe"

01-04-22, 05:35 PM	#5
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 27,867 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	Well done, but perhaps the moderator should move this thread to the 'Heliosims/Flight Sims games Forum. There'd no doubt be many interested flyboys lurking about! U then could continue with a sticky thread for the flight-oriented gamers. A PM to Onkel Neal might be in order. __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe"

01-04-22, 02:14 PM	#3
PunkyFickle Nub Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 3 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Oh yes, winter sales are on. Also, I could mention that it is published by Microprose, who know their way when it comes to navy/milsims (Sea Power, B17 Flying fortress, etc).