Suggestion: Historical Campaigns

[Heet]

I do enjoy the "open" or "sandbox" campaigns that we currently have.  I would be a very fun and challenging experience to have "Historical" or "Scenario" campaigns.

Three suggestions:

Historical WWI:

• Start the game in 1909, ends around 1918 with some randomness.
• Alliances are pre-determined, and allied entry into the war are more or less historically timed.
• You get to choose a nation, and an initial set of technology (like in the scenarios, you can choose between various tech focuses, additional funds, etc to start with).
• War starts AROUND August 1914 (with some randomness), so you have ~5 years to research critical technologies and build up the fleet to your liking.
• Option to have the fleets be more or less historical at war outbreak (subs would be substituted for now) OR a toggle option to let the AI build the fleet.

Historical WWII:

• Start the game in 1934, ends around 1945 with some randomness.
• Alliances are pre-determined, and allied entry into the war are more or less historically timed.
• You get to choose an initial set of technology (like in the scenarios, you can choose between various tech focuses, additional funds, etc to start with).
• Historical treaty limitations and escalator clauses.
• Historical cheaters on the treaty (Italy can build slightly larger ships than permitted, Germany can more or less ignore the treaties after 1937).
• Option to have the fleets be more or less historical at war outbreak (subs would be substituted for now) OR a toggle option to let the AI build the fleet.

Ahistorical 1930:

• The Washington Naval Treaty never occurred.  The former allied powers continue the battleship arms race, eyeing each other suspiciously.  In 1929 (or thereabouts) President Herbert Hoover takes the United States off the gold standard to combat the growing depression, infuriating the world's banking center: Britain.  As tensions rise, Britain places high tariffs on American goods and vilifies the reckless president, attempt to cut the United States out of the world market.  Hoover instructs the navy to enforce free passage of the seas, The Anglo-American War has begun!
• Starts in 1925, ends in ~1935 (somewhat random), war breaks out in ~1930.
• No treaty limitations.
• America and Britain will be adversaries.  France is neutral and can be influenced by campaign events.
• One side or the other must maintain control of the Atlantic to permit the movement and landing of troop transports to defeat the other side, otherwise the war ends in a draw.
• Option for historical or AI created fleets at the beginning.
• Options for various tech boosts to affect starting technologies, or economy boost to help GDP.

Edited August 10, 2022 by Heet

[Pizzafighter]

hmm, I would probably make it more like starting in 1914/1939 and have all the ships of the time, wich had this specific nation. You get new ships as a design (you don't need to use them but possibly could) wich also are historically acurate.

[Hibbidyhai]

This would be interesting. To differentiate between the 'historical campaigns' and the regular campaign, they could take the tech and shipbuilding out of your hands. You are only the admiral and you can only order around the ships you are given. You would get new ships as they were historically built, with the addition of planned ships that were never completed in real life. You could get specific missions from your government, such as attacking a specific port or ordering a fleet to a specific location in order to support an amphibious invasion, and you then carry those out at your discretion. If you successfully carry out missions maybe you get to select some bonuses, such as speeding up the construction of the next few ships, or boosts to damage (your nation is motivated to build higher quality ammo or something). Your naval prestige would also take on more importance, as you could lose the game by getting dismissed by your government if you lose too many battles or fail to achieve your mission goals. 

[kjg000]

On 8/13/2022 at 5:21 AM, Hibbidyhai said:

This would be interesting. To differentiate between the 'historical campaigns' and the regular campaign, they could take the tech and shipbuilding out of your hands. You are only the admiral and you can only order around the ships you are given. You would get new ships as they were historically built, with the addition of planned ships that were never completed in real life. You could get specific missions from your government, such as attacking a specific port or ordering a fleet to a specific location in order to support an amphibious invasion, and you then carry those out at your discretion. If you successfully carry out missions maybe you get to select some bonuses, such as speeding up the construction of the next few ships, or boosts to damage (your nation is motivated to build higher quality ammo or something). Your naval prestige would also take on more importance, as you could lose the game by getting dismissed by your government if you lose too many battles or fail to achieve your mission goals. 

No player controlled technology development, must petition gov for any non-historical ship builds, no player diplomacy. Also get the community to design the historical ships as a competition. Lots to  work out but could be a great  asset for the game. 

[Heet]

On 8/22/2022 at 10:56 AM, kjg000 said:

Get the community to design the historical ships as a competition.

I really like this idea.  Would be fun. Tbh, the ability to export and import ship designs should be in the game already.  I would like to be able to save my favorite designs rather than starting from scratch each time.

I think the consensus from those who responded seems to be they would prefer "True" historical campaigns with historical ships and fleets.

I think a semi-sandbox mode would also be fun, allowing you a few years to research techs, then build-up or rebuild the fleet to your liking.