[Alex Heartnet]

Isn't ARMA the game where a player breaks a leg when jumping from a 2metre high thing?
This would explain why a ****ing future ATV gets damaged by driving over a little...rock.

While said ATV takes very little damage when the fighter airlifting it drops it into the water from a considerable height.

[Dragon]

Yes, basically. Let's face it, if you jumped from two meters in full gear, you'd break a leg too.
ATVs taking damage from driving over pebbles are a bug which also plagues ArmA in some circumstances. I don't know if Carrier Command also uses RV engine, but I think they might fix it in a patch. Hopefully it'll be fixed when the game's on a big sale on Steam.

[crizza]

Hm, while the game is certainly entertaining, after achieving the first long time goal, it becomes quite bugged.
One of your crewmates tells you that one of your islands is under attack...not a big deal, we are prepared and even drive of the enemy carrier, taking a heavy armored and armed Manta and flying across the island...nothing there, so I set sail for an island which I didn't capture before assaulting the enemy stronghold.
So while taking said island, the one we succsefully defended blinks merily red, indicating it is still under assault, which can't be true.
We take the island which treatened our rear, move on to go on the offensive once again...and BAM
The island we defended a mere hour ago falls, triggering an attack on the next which immedeatly afterwards falls, while we race to prevent it, but we arrive too late.
Well, we know the drill, my crew says something about a scrambler, no big deal, but then I realize one thing:
I cannot reach the scrambler(which wasn't there when I take the island the first time), because it is in the center of the island.
And all the while another island is under attack...
That said, I almost crush my phone, load another savegame...and quit -.-

[karajorma]

I have discovered another problem with this game. While waiting for it to load I keep finding myself humming the Hostile Waters theme tune.


Which is truly bizarre cause I used to own the original Carrier Command for both Spectrum and Amiga. So I had the tape with the audio soundtrack on it.

[crizza]

Since I'm a huge fan of instrumental music (I hear TSFH several hour per day) I love the soundtrack.
And I solved the defense probleme.
If you're informed about an island under attack, set sail, if no enemy carrier is around, he will be traveling to another island along the supply lane.
That said, the enemy carrier is faster than yours and you will drop out of time warp once you encounter it and your only chance to damage this thing is a head on approach, firing your plasma cannon and don't ram him...you'll just be bounced away and while he continues...

[Alex Heartnet]

I have discovered another problem with this game. While waiting for it to load I keep finding myself humming the Hostile Waters theme tune.


Which is truly bizarre cause I used to own the original Carrier Command for both Spectrum and Amiga. So I had the tape with the audio soundtrack on it.

You're not alone.  I keep calling the carrier 'Antaeus'.  Clearly what should of been done is a remake/update/HD version/something of Hostile Waters and not Carrier Command.

[karajorma]

While I do like the game, the characters so far have none of the personality of those in Hostile Waters. "Walrus 6 heavily damaged" just doesn't sound as good as Patton shouting "I need Support!"

Carrier Command does fix some of the flaws of Hostile Waters. The carrier can move around, making it an offensive and defensive tool in its own right. Also I hated the scavenging mechanic. It just slowed down the gameplay while you desperately tried to scrape together the resources to build something. And it encouraged setting up a beachhead and just sitting there for ages, killing waves of enemies, in order to allow the resources to build up. But for the perfect game, someone needs to combine the two together.

That said, I'm not far into the game (haven't even attacked Fulcrum) so maybe I'll like it more once I get further into it. But so far, I really can't see it beating Hostile Waters.

[crizza]

Dunno about the earlier carrier command games, but this "Unit heavily damaged" sounds right, given the fact they're drones.
Here are several things you should not do:
Play the game drunk...when I returned from my local pub I decided to take an enemy island with "Very Strong" defenses including some nasty missile launchers, which, combined with heavy flak decimated my Manta complement faster than it took me to figur it out...so, when I started the game today I was all about "Where the heck are my Mantas, why do I have another island and why am I charging at the enemy carrier?!"

Plus...never charge a mass of Walrus with a bomb strapped to your Manta, activate the booster an...well, the bomb fell at exact the same speed than the Manta dived...imagine what happened next -.-

[Alex Heartnet]

Carrier Command does fix some of the flaws of Hostile Waters. The carrier can move around, making it an offensive and defensive tool in its own right.

Sadly however, at the same time Hostile Waters implements certain gameplay mechanics better then Carrier Command.  This is most notable with artillery type weapons - in Carrier Command, if you choose to fire a howitzer-equipped Walrus (or indeed, the 'shell' weapon for the carrier), you get almost no feedback on if you are hitting anything behind that hill.  The equivalent unit in Hostile Waters has a mini-camera tracking your manually aimed shots, giving you a much better idea on what you are (not) hitting.

Also I hated the scavenging mechanic. It just slowed down the gameplay while you desperately tried to scrape together the resources to build something. And it encouraged setting up a beachhead and just sitting there for ages, killing waves of enemies, in order to allow the resources to build up. But for the perfect game, someone needs to combine the two together.

Unfortunately, you can find yourself in the exact same situation in Carrier Command, where you have lost most of your units and it will be some time before your islands can manufacture replacements.

This is particularly notable early on in the campaign.  The difference between a machine gun and a laser is rather huge, and the laser is one of the weaker weapons in the game.  No armor vs. MKI armor is a similarly large difference.  Both unarmored unit durability and machine gun strength could stand to be buffed just so that there isn't that huge discrepancy between 'basic' and 'first upgrade tier'.

Dunno about the earlier carrier command games, but this "Unit heavily damaged" sounds right, given the fact they're drones.

There is this little game called Portal which established this standard of AI's having at least a little bit of personality.  These robots don't have any at all.

Here are several things you should not do:
Play the game drunk...when I returned from my local pub I decided to take an enemy island with "Very Strong" defenses including some nasty missile launchers, which, combined with heavy flak decimated my Manta complement faster than it took me to figur it out...so, when I started the game today I was all about "Where the heck are my Mantas, why do I have another island and why am I charging at the enemy carrier?!"

Agreed, missile turrets are overpowered!  It's a general purpose turret that can tear apart both ground and air units on its own, meaning you can't even counter it with the appropriate unit type.

[crizza]

Howitzers are sick, agreed, although, since you have nearly unlimited ammo I spend minutes blasting whole bases to dust.
Normaly, I use these cruise missile things to blast the enemies unit producing facilities and kiling heavy turrets at extrem range or moving my carrier around the island, shooting the shell cannon.
But against the enemy carrier the gun is usefull, I once managed to drive it of shooting him, although I don't saw him anymore.

And these missile turrets...good lord...plasma weaons, guided missiles or the cruise missile work against them at extrem range, combined with flares, but since the cruise missile is realy expensive and only a one-shot weapon...it is a waste to use against turrets.

[NGTM-1R]

There is this little game called Portal which established this standard of AI's having at least a little bit of personality.  These robots don't have any at all.

Excuse me while I get out my cell phone and call bull**** about comparing combat robots designed by sane people and anything from Portal.

[Alex Heartnet]

Excuse me while I get out my cell phone and call bull**** about comparing combat robots designed by sane people and anything from Portal.

Have you actually heard the generic, dull messages your units send you in this game? Almost all radio transmissions follow the bland formula of (Unit Type) (Unit #) (Verb) or some variation thereof, and I would imagine that dialogue this bad could get on the nerves of a real-life drone operator as well.  Indeed, it could be beneficial for said real life drone operator to get a little bit attached to the drone he is monitoring.

All that's needed is a LITTLE bit of non-genericness.  Not as in 'cute sentry turret', but just a little something to get you emotionally invested in what is indeed in gameplay terms an expensive, difficult-to-replace robot.

Or would you rather I had compared the robot tanks here to robots from works earlier then Portal?  I can't come up with any off the top of my head, but given a bit of time and research I could definitely show you multiple examples of fictional robots that benefit from having just a tiny amount of personality.

[NGTM-1R]

I can name plenty for you. (Urban Assault for starters, which is closely on-point as you command an army of drone units; but there the units' minimal personality had more to do with distinguishing them without looking at them so you could recognize your tank types by their voice.)

The problem is, as a choice, this actually makes sense and fits with real-world thought on the use of drones and how they should be treated by the people who handle them.  It is important the operator not become attached to them so that if orders are given that will result in the drone's destruction he doesn't hesitate to carry them out. Combat drones are expendable and manufactured in the expectation they will be expended. Depersonalizing them isn't just something trained to, it's actually a design goal.

[Unknown Target]

Oh God I LOVED Urban Assault.

Now please return to your regularly scheduled thread. I thought about picking this up but it didn't really grab me...seems like it would get boring and repetitive after the first hour.

[karajorma]

Unfortunately, you can find yourself in the exact same situation in Carrier Command, where you have lost most of your units and it will be some time before your islands can manufacture replacements.

It's always going to be an issue in any game with resource management. But in CC you can at least wander off and make a cup of tea or something, keeping a cursory watch on the game. In Hostile Waters, you actually had to sit there and babysit your units or Ransom would decide to take on the entire enemy force single-handed. Making Patton stationary and telling everyone to stick by him works about 90% of the time but if you wander off, you just know you'd come back to find half your forces wiped out.

This is particularly notable early on in the campaign.  The difference between a machine gun and a laser is rather huge, and the laser is one of the weaker weapons in the game.  No armor vs. MKI armor is a similarly large difference.  Both unarmored unit durability and machine gun strength could stand to be buffed just so that there isn't that huge discrepancy between 'basic' and 'first upgrade tier'.

This was true in Hostile Waters though. You'd often have to build a bunch of crappy units, scavenge and then bring everything back to the carrier so you could build better ones. At least in CC if you left the last island well armed, you'll still be well armed when you get to the next one.

Bear in mind, I'm still near the start of the game though.


One big flaw in CC is that as far as I can tell, there is no way to order your mantas to follow your ground units. Which means they end up doing even less than the hornets did later on in Hostile Waters when it seemed like everything could kill them in a couple of shots.

[crizza]

After capturing Fulcrum(you can actually cap all islands but fulcrum and another, so take your time) you will use Mantas most of the time for scouting and mopping the floor with enemy turrets and buildings.
Since you're stuck with your 8 units total, it is realy frustrating to use ur Walrus, kill round about 6 enemy Walrus only to see them being replaced in the blink of an eye, so destroying the infrastructure is hichly recommended.

Any idea how to rebuild the destroyed installations on Fulcrum?
The repair gun is obviously only for repairing units...

[Alex Heartnet]

Any idea how to rebuild the destroyed installations on Fulcrum?
The repair gun is obviously only for repairing units...

The island will automatically repair/rebuild itself over time.  You can actually see this if you idle at an island you captured (waiting for mantas to return, for supplies, exc)  Just set sail and move on to the next island.

[crizza]

Any idea how to rebuild the destroyed installations on Fulcrum?
The repair gun is obviously only for repairing units...

The island will automatically repair/rebuild itself over time.  You can actually see this if you idle at an island you captured (waiting for mantas to return, for supplies, exc)  Just set sail and move on to the next island.

The command center etc repairs, but not the central complex which got hit by the hammerhead not...

[Alex Heartnet]

The command center etc repairs, but not the central complex which got hit by the hammerhead not...

Oh, THAT crater.  Yeah, it doesn't rebuild itself for whatever reason.  Given how poorly the enemy carrier is simulated though, it's not really an issue.

[crizza]

Finished the campaign...well...
No I'm trying the strategic game option.