Battleship Command

bracer · 10-17-16, 04:49 PM

Hey guys!

I've decided to start experimenting on a ship simulator. At the moment it's based around a Scharnhorst class battleship.
I'm posting here to get some feedback and ideas!

Battleship Command: Scharnhorst is a naval warfare simulator that puts you in the captains chair onboard a battleship of the Scharhorst class.
You will battle warships, chase merchants and fight off torpedo bombers.
Using radar, optical rangefinders and the fire control computer.
You will use rudders and the engine order telegraph or climb down to the boiler rooms yourself and mixture with the oil and feedwater flow.

That was about the battle module. With the campaign module you will play out the strategic war and navigate the atlantic in a dynamic campaign.
You can use the onboard reconnaissance planes or communicate with the uboat fleet to hunt your prey and disrupt the enemies supply lines.

You can join and support me on patreon here:

https://www.patreon.com/battleshipcommand

Cheers!

bracer · 11-02-16, 08:25 AM

Hey guys!

There's been alot of coding, but not much visual change.
But here's a video showing of the basics of a rangefinder I'm working on.
There is no interface to speak of yet, only some basic functionality.

Cheers
P.S, the sound FX are borrowed from the game which is my inspiration.

agathosdaimon · 11-05-16, 06:36 AM

looks great so far, it makes me realise that so far as i know no one has made a battleship simulation that would be equivalent to something like silent hunter - the closest would be destroyer command i guess but it is not battleships focussed.
i would love a battleship sim, and one that is combined with the depth of gameplay as in Action Stations

Julhelm · 11-05-16, 05:30 PM

Looks really cool. Keep in mind that the gun directors at this time would be triaxially stabilized. The actual firecontrol computer resides deep within the citadel in what is the CiC. It is fed by constant bearings and ranges from rangefinders mounted around the ship, and the guns are aimed remotely from the gun director.

bracer · 11-06-16, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agathosdaimon

looks great so far, it makes me realise that so far as i know no one has made a battleship simulation that would be equivalent to something like silent hunter - the closest would be destroyer command i guess but it is not battleships focussed.
i would love a battleship sim, and one that is combined with the depth of gameplay as in Action Stations

True, that's why I'm taking on this, I really enjoy Destroyer Command.
I want something like DC, but with the possibility to walk around the ship and interact more with the ship, push buttons and turn handles.
I never played Action Stations, I'll read up on that one.
Which gameplay functions were cool about it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julhelm

Looks really cool. Keep in mind that the gun directors at this time would be triaxially stabilized. The actual firecontrol computer resides deep within the citadel in what is the CiC. It is fed by constant bearings and ranges from rangefinders mounted around the ship, and the guns are aimed remotely from the gun director.

Thanks!
I'm still studying whatever info I can get about the German rangefinders, how they looked and how the stereoscopic view looked. But not much to be found. Triaxially stabilized means that the view from the optics was not bobbing with the ship, it stayed horizontially fixed?
Yes, the FCC is temporarly put easy to reach, for testing purposes. Now it's moved again because the secondary guns are in place...

Cheers!

Julhelm · 11-06-16, 04:33 PM

I would recommend Battleships of the Scharnhorst class by Gerhard Koop.

bracer · 11-06-16, 06:43 PM

I have not read that book. But I've read an article by the same authors which looks similar to the preview of this book.
Good read indeed! Thanks for the tip!

The heavy AA had a fully stabilized rangefinder. It was apperantly a new type of RF that they tested on the Scharnhorst classes for AA.
Still don't know how or if the main 10,5m rangefinder was stabilized.

agathosdaimon · 11-06-16, 09:17 PM

Action Stations is an old game from 1990 which i have been playing recently, it is a strategy game, but why i mention it is because it has alot of detail to its mechanics, in its modelling of damage it factors in how even the damage to a crew person may in turn indirectly affect the ship, say if someone steering the ship is hit by debris and slumps over the controls and causes the ship to veer off course. You have control over all the gun directors and stations pretty much. but overall i was just meaning a combination of a simulator with a tactical simulation overall.
come to think of it, though just basing it on DC but from the BB position would be more than adequate

bracer · 11-15-16, 06:38 AM

That sounds like fun!
I haven't planned in detail yet how the crew management will work.
But I have decided for the engine and system management.
It will give you some strategic choices on wether to prioritice engine power, electrical systems or crew "happiness".
Especially when the ship gets damaged or you are low on fuels.

bracer · 12-05-16, 06:16 PM

Brittish spies caught this photo of what appears to be the new Scharnhorst class on a test run. The photo confirms that it got both the "C" gun and secondary artillery installed.
Second photo seems to be from the inside of the ship.

agathosdaimon · 12-06-16, 06:14 AM

great stuff - keep it coming!

bracer · 12-13-16, 07:02 AM

Thanks!
Currently I'm fine tuning another program where I can test AI behaviour and teach it to deal with different situations. Attack, evasive behaviour, search patterns and convoy defense etc...

bracer · 01-03-17, 10:38 AM

Happy new year everyone!

I've been doing some progress with Battleship Command!
New stuff includes but is not limited to:
-Terrain rendering and skybox
-Basic enemy AI, ships that move according to waypoints and fire at you
-Engine controls, control boilers and turbines independently

bracer · 01-22-17, 07:30 PM

Hey guys!
Here's another, conceptual video. Nothing is really "done", it's tests under evalutation!
But what you'll see is how to make the ship move. I think you'll get it, otherwise feel free to ask what it is about!
Next time I hope to show off the damage handling and an actual battle.

Cheers!

PS; I cannot edit my previous posts anymore, I would like to delete the old videos and update the first post. Any chance to do that, mods?

Hitman · 01-23-17, 03:32 PM

I really love this, keep it coming. Scharnhorst is a very good choice for a limited initial release.

You can limite the map to the Arctic ocean (Easy environment to code, with very few coastal cities) and create a campaign based on exits to hunt detected convoys and stragglers. Help from Luftwaffe and UBoats as well as your destroyers or other battleships, and the permanent risk of meeting a british task force can make for a hugely intense gameplay.

10-17-16, 04:49 PM	#1
bracer Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 773 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	Battleship Command: Scharnhorst Class Hey guys! I've decided to start experimenting on a ship simulator. At the moment it's based around a Scharnhorst class battleship. I'm posting here to get some feedback and ideas! Battleship Command: Scharnhorst is a naval warfare simulator that puts you in the captains chair onboard a battleship of the Scharhorst class. You will battle warships, chase merchants and fight off torpedo bombers. Using radar, optical rangefinders and the fire control computer. You will use rudders and the engine order telegraph or climb down to the boiler rooms yourself and mixture with the oil and feedwater flow. That was about the battle module. With the campaign module you will play out the strategic war and navigate the atlantic in a dynamic campaign. You can use the onboard reconnaissance planes or communicate with the uboat fleet to hunt your prey and disrupt the enemies supply lines. You can join and support me on patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/battleshipcommand Cheers! Last edited by bracer; 12-04-19 at 05:32 AM.

11-02-16, 08:25 AM	#2
bracer Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 773 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	Hey guys! There's been alot of coding, but not much visual change. But here's a video showing of the basics of a rangefinder I'm working on. There is no interface to speak of yet, only some basic functionality. Cheers P.S, the sound FX are borrowed from the game which is my inspiration. Last edited by bracer; 05-03-17 at 02:24 PM.

01-23-17, 03:32 PM	#15
Hitman Pacific Aces Dev Team Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Spain Posts: 6,102 Downloads: 109 Uploads: 2	I really love this, keep it coming. Scharnhorst is a very good choice for a limited initial release. You can limite the map to the Arctic ocean (Easy environment to code, with very few coastal cities) and create a campaign based on exits to hunt detected convoys and stragglers. Help from Luftwaffe and UBoats as well as your destroyers or other battleships, and the permanent risk of meeting a british task force can make for a hugely intense gameplay. __________________ One day I will return to sea ...

11-05-16, 06:36 AM	#3
agathosdaimon Planesman Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 188 Downloads: 142 Uploads: 0	looks great so far, it makes me realise that so far as i know no one has made a battleship simulation that would be equivalent to something like silent hunter - the closest would be destroyer command i guess but it is not battleships focussed. i would love a battleship sim, and one that is combined with the depth of gameplay as in Action Stations

11-05-16, 05:30 PM	#4
Julhelm Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: The Icy North Posts: 692 Downloads: 189 Uploads: 0	Looks really cool. Keep in mind that the gun directors at this time would be triaxially stabilized. The actual firecontrol computer resides deep within the citadel in what is the CiC. It is fed by constant bearings and ranges from rangefinders mounted around the ship, and the guns are aimed remotely from the gun director.

11-06-16, 04:33 PM	#6
Julhelm Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: The Icy North Posts: 692 Downloads: 189 Uploads: 0	I would recommend Battleships of the Scharnhorst class by Gerhard Koop.

11-06-16, 06:43 PM	#7
bracer Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 773 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	I have not read that book. But I've read an article by the same authors which looks similar to the preview of this book. Good read indeed! Thanks for the tip! The heavy AA had a fully stabilized rangefinder. It was apperantly a new type of RF that they tested on the Scharnhorst classes for AA. Still don't know how or if the main 10,5m rangefinder was stabilized.

11-06-16, 09:17 PM	#8
agathosdaimon Planesman Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 188 Downloads: 142 Uploads: 0	Action Stations is an old game from 1990 which i have been playing recently, it is a strategy game, but why i mention it is because it has alot of detail to its mechanics, in its modelling of damage it factors in how even the damage to a crew person may in turn indirectly affect the ship, say if someone steering the ship is hit by debris and slumps over the controls and causes the ship to veer off course. You have control over all the gun directors and stations pretty much. but overall i was just meaning a combination of a simulator with a tactical simulation overall. come to think of it, though just basing it on DC but from the BB position would be more than adequate

11-15-16, 06:38 AM	#9
bracer Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 773 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	That sounds like fun! I haven't planned in detail yet how the crew management will work. But I have decided for the engine and system management. It will give you some strategic choices on wether to prioritice engine power, electrical systems or crew "happiness". Especially when the ship gets damaged or you are low on fuels.

12-05-16, 06:16 PM	#10
bracer Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 773 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	Brittish spies caught this photo of what appears to be the new Scharnhorst class on a test run. The photo confirms that it got both the "C" gun and secondary artillery installed. Second photo seems to be from the inside of the ship.

12-06-16, 06:14 AM	#11
agathosdaimon Planesman Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 188 Downloads: 142 Uploads: 0	great stuff - keep it coming!

12-13-16, 07:02 AM	#12
bracer Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 773 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	Thanks! Currently I'm fine tuning another program where I can test AI behaviour and teach it to deal with different situations. Attack, evasive behaviour, search patterns and convoy defense etc...

01-03-17, 10:38 AM	#13
bracer Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 773 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	Happy new year everyone! I've been doing some progress with Battleship Command! New stuff includes but is not limited to: -Terrain rendering and skybox -Basic enemy AI, ships that move according to waypoints and fire at you -Engine controls, control boilers and turbines independently

01-22-17, 07:30 PM	#14
bracer Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 773 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	Hey guys! Here's another, conceptual video. Nothing is really "done", it's tests under evalutation! But what you'll see is how to make the ship move. I think you'll get it, otherwise feel free to ask what it is about! Next time I hope to show off the damage handling and an actual battle. Cheers! PS; I cannot edit my previous posts anymore, I would like to delete the old videos and update the first post. Any chance to do that, mods?