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Jane's Fleet Command - a VERY EXPENSIVE CLASSIC!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Being a career US Navy Sailor this simulation has it all. Real time action. Launching CAPs (Combat Air Patrols), Campaign Modes, Realistic sensor modeling (Passive vs. Active), AWACS capability (Airborne Warning and Control System), Battle ready escort groups for Carriers, picket lines, realistic mission objectives, basically the works. The only REAL con I found in this simulation is that the AI sometimes get confused. Although you can set Air Defenses (SAMs, Fighter Patrols, etc.) to Automatic protection mode, I found that in order to win a particular scenario, you have to do a GREAT deal of micromanaging, i.e., picking your incoming targets. One VERY important bit of advice: DO NOT GIVE YOUR POSITION AWAY by activating active sensors aboard your warships. The use of passive sensors (i.e. ESM, or Electronic Surveillance Measures) works best by far. The general rule of thumb is that if you activate active sensors, the enemy can detect the exact location of your fleet, composition, type of platforms based upon the active sensor emmisions, etc., and they can detect you more than TWICE the distance that you can detect them. Instead, launch a couple of Hawkeye AWACS planes, set them out to max range and ensure you have all aspects and directions for a potnetial attack covered. You only get 4 Hawkeyes on your carrier, which is realistic, and they are perhaps the most important aircraft aboard the carrier. Also, ensure you launch 3-4 F-14 Tomcats armed with AIM-54C Phoenix missiles (air to air). They have tremendous range and accuracy, and can mean the difference between winning or losing a battle. You want to ensure the Tomcats intercept the incoming Russian bombers, and their Supersonic Kingfish missiles can wreak havoc on your fleet. One or two hits from a Kingfish can render your carrier totally combat ineffective. Furthermore, launch a few Prowlers, which are Electronic Countermeasures Aircraft, which send out jamming signals to confuse or disrupt firing solutions for both enemy aircraft, cruise missile capable submarines like the Oscar Class, which were specifically designed by the Soviet Navy to sink US Aircraft Carriers.
Some other strategic tips. Establish a "picket line" with your MOST expendable ships in the outer circle of the picket line. Oliver Hazard Perry Frigates, realistically, are very vulnerable ships. They have limited Anti-Air Defenses, and most of the superstructure is constructed of aluminum! Their MAIN role is in the ASW, or Anti-Submarine Warfare role. Also, if you are given Los Angeles Class Attack subs, establish them as an ASW barrier by sending them out 75-100 miles from the main body of the fleet. Their passive sonar systems and variety of weapons, ranging from the Mark-48 ADCAP torpedo to Harpoon and Tomahawk Anti-Ship missiles can wreak utter devastation on an unsuspecting enemy. Use the element of surprise and evasion. Another tidbit of information. The modeling of the Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile, and both the Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile (TASM) and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is quite unrealistic. They are designed to skim the water at subsonic speeds, with GPS and inertial onboard computer navigation systems. In the simulation, they enemy easily destroys them. THAT, IN REAL LIFE, SIMPLY IS NOT THE CASE. They are designed to approach by stealth, and by the time the enemy can locate them, which in real life, is extremely difficult, it's too late for them to do anything about it.
More bits of advice: When on the offensive, attack with great, overpowering numbers of missile laden aircraft and missile capable ships. Use HARM missiles to knock out enemy SAM radar sites, but most important of all...........PROTECT YOUR FLEET! That's about it. In a nutshell, if the enemy can't find you........they CERTAINLY cannot attack you. The role of the Computer AI could be improved dramatically. I think that is Janes reintroduced a more realistic Naval Warfare simulation, and took the bugs out of Fleet Command, the simulation would sell like hotcakes!!! For what it's worth............just my humble opinion. I welcome ANY and ALL debate about my review of the simulation. Note that I use the word simulation emphatically, because it's not JUST another game...... Over and Out!

I bet the US Navy are using a simulator like this

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: September 30, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is by far the best Navy warfare simulation you can find, unless you are in the military. It runs completely in real-time, provided a real-time battle field situation. You get to combat with numerous navy ships and weaponries in the world. It contains many will-it-happen situations such as a coalition defends Taiwan strait from invading Chinese navy, US navy clashes with the Russians. Real life battles such as gulf war are included as well. The real-time battle situation is provided in 3-D graphics. You can watch the USS Nimitz launches her fighter squadrons, missle, a SM-2 intercepts a Russian supersonic anti-ship missle. All in true-to-life detail, and it requires very little system resource to run it in great smoothness. The interface is designed for easy use of almost anyone. Every action can be done by mouse click.

Would be AWESOME if it wasn't so CLUNKY.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: November 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game is fun, if you are willing to accept the fact that the programers were on an extremely tight budget. If the programers beta tested this game enough they would have worked out all the problems that prevent this game from being AWESOME.
First, I must point out that it is "real time". Meaning, time is ticking while you are clicking/scrolling through your list of units and commands. Time is always ticking. If the interface was fast and efficient there wouldn't be a problem, heck it might even be realistic. But at best it takes too long to issue simple orders, and to play the game successfully you will be issuing dozens if not hundreds of orders. All the while the clock is ticking.
Why is the clock so important? Because you are dealing with an enemy that has ships, aircraft, subs and MISSLES appraoching fast. If you can't issue orders fast enough, you will always lose. Like I mentioned the interfact is clunky and very inefficient. The programers could have made it much much better.
Also, common sense moves that in the real world would take place almost automatically, don't happen. You literally must issue orders for every little action. As if each ship or aircraft doesn't have a captain or pilot to make common sense desisions. Example: If an Air-to-Surface missle gets too close to one of your AEGIS ships, the ship doesn't automatically attemt to shoot it down as would happen in the real world...naa the computer waits for you to give the order. But it is often impossible to give every order in time when you have a dozen missles coming at you, a dozen enemy aircraft and a dozen enemy ships to be aware of...annnnd in addition to mainatining your air/sea defense, you have to carry out your offense. This is all in real time. Thus because the game is so un-userfriendly it is virtually impossible to do well in most scenarios.
Other complaints,
1) the game doesn't come with an instruction book. Sure they include it in the "read me" file, but you cannnot access it during a game.

2) The game AND the 'read me' files do not define/explain any of the weapons systems that are used in the game. So without that information it is impossible to play the game with any chance of winning. You either have to be a Naval warfare expert to know what each sytem and weapon is designed for, or you must buy a reference book that describes each weapon system and its mission explained. Without this information the game is not playable.

Such a waste. This game could have been AWESOME. If the game designers would have put a little more effort into it, this game might have won awards.

My advice, play but don't expect to not get extremely frustrated.

Awesome addicting strategy !

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is an all-time great. Easy to learn, great simple interface and very addicting naval warfare action. You can zoom the views to see the action up close, instead of just watching icons and symbols...the guy who gave it 1 star needs to learn how to play or go back to nintendo. He is in error in his statements about a US carrier only having 4 strike planes and that ships dont automatically fire in defense against missiles...in no time you will have DOZENS of planes in the air at once as you control your massive strike force with relative ease!

The best Navy war game I have Played.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: May 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Its a fun Naval war game with good senery, well it is to me and others. It gets very intense when you misiles coming twards your fleet. you need to trust the fleet to do the right thing, like get a good shot at targets. Allthow you need to now when and how to atack the enemy, if youre in good range or if the wepon is goingto be intersepted. So you need to act fast and parerfull. So if you like real time Naval war and you now your Navy this is the game.

AN EXCELLENT REPRESENTATION OF MODERN NAVAL COMBAT

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: April 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Although it is growing dated, Jane's Fleet Command is the most complete war at sea simulation currently available. This is a great game for a low price.

A horrid game; do not waste $1 on it.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: February 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game... out of an overstock bin, and I still felt it was a waste of money. Now, on to the complaints....

GRAPHICS: Considering the quality of 3D ship models, I'm surprised this game requires as much processing power as it does. Where is it needed? Possibly in the game mechanics...but the effects in this game are pathetic...if one were inclined to believe this game, a VLS Aegis cruiser is lucky to engage two targets. Furthermore, many of the 3D ship models are recycled for very different ships classes.

GAME PLAY: This game has some of the worst symptons of RTS games: units which fail to follow orders, or follow orders for a minute, then start wondering aimlessly. The ergonomics of the interface are horrible. Orders are issued on a 2D map using NTDS symbology. But to issue orders to multiple units in close proximity requires zooming in, but zooming in does not zoom on the currently selected unit, requiring you to scroll around to find the unit you wish to issue orders too. This is extremely time consuming, and can be quite deadly if you have to engage one or more missiles coming towards your ships. This is my favorite part: ships will not fire weapons in defense. So, while you are zooming and scrolling to find inbound missiles toward one ship to order it to fire (which, you're lucky if it does so 1 out of every 3 times), missiles can be launched towards another ship, approached unchallanged, and sink her. Clumsy to say the least.

There are patches available on the internet which are supposed to address some of the command problems for units, but given how glaringly obvious many of the problems are, why were they not fixed before it shipped?

The graphics are mediocre, and the interface is clumsy to the point of effecting game play. This will be the last Jane's PC title I own. I suggest you wait for Harpoon 4 if you want fleet action.

One of the best strategic games i have played

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: September 29, 2001
Author: Amazon User

When i first got this game i was intruiged by the somewhat challenging, at first, missions and the amazing eye candy graphics. I must admit seeing the things explode on the screen really got me in the mood. Yet, after a while the single mission are quite simple and the campains, while more challenging, took way to long. I read another review on this site and it said that the game did not have a time compression button. Then after constantly waiting while playing the first campain I found the time compression button that supposedly wasn't there. So now the campains are five times faster. The other problem with the game was the difficulty with the missions. After reading a review, he gave me and idea that the best thing to do was line up the U.S. fleet against the Russians and watch the "Rockets Read Glare the Bombs Bursting in Air". After doing this i found the game much more entertaining, and a new challenge of creating difficult mission arose. This game ...is a must if you love war and strategic games as I.

great game with only a few flaws

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 25, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Fleet Command is an excellent simulation of naval operations. The major flaw is that because it concentrates on naval warfare the land based parts of it are lacking. For example there is only one type of SAM unit (the 1960s SA-6) and a lot of the world's aircraft have been left out. However if a modern fleet sim is what you are looking for, Fleet Command is the right game for you. I just can't wait until they decide to come out with a WWII version:)

Ducks in a shooting gallery, you are the duck,

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: July 01, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Poorly designed campaign and scenario setup. Each one starts with the enemy knowing exactly where you are. If they havent already opened fire, they will in a few moments. There are far too many neutral ships & planes around and near your force. Hit one and you lose a lot of points. Problem is you have to seperately identify them because at the start of each campaign you don't know who they are. (how realistic is that??) You can't change the weapons load on the planes which means if you use a US aircraft carrier, you have a grand total of 4 strike planes. You have to get the update from Janes website to allow your ships to do things like engage missiles automaticaly.

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