Greetings Captain,
We are at the tail end of yet another Experimental cycle, coming to you with the new Stable update, v1.6.2 Stable Battlespace Control! Despite not being numbered as a major update due to the limited additions to the Campaign, we felt the update was significant enough to warrant a name.
Almost all of this Experimental cycle was focused on the Level Editor, but not without the additions of the Atlanta and Furutaka into the fight. As it so happens, we've also found the time to sneak in another little thing.
Say hello to the Gun Buoys! A late war Japanese innovation, presumably borne out of desperation, these manned submersible gun platforms were created for coastal defense against landing assaults.
In the game, they come in two variants, basic and Heavy, sporting autocannons and a small caliber gun respectively, and can be occasionally found guarding bases with Moderate Base Defenses and above. We decided against adding the historical mortar-armed variant as they would be too far forward to live to do much against the player.
This was another player suggestion that we previously did not know about. Upon seeing it, we thought it was a fun unit concept that fit the theme of Boat Crew very well, and ended up deciding to add it to the game. We hope you'll find them enjoyable to fight.
Towards the end of the Experimental Branch, we wanted to get some early adopters together to create scenarios in anticipation of the Stable Release, but unfortunately, we weren't able to get anything on the Workshop in that time.
Regardless of if it was due to the limited adoption of the Experimental Branch or simply because there hasn't been enough time yet, the Workshop, as of the time of this release, is empty aside from the one test mission made by us. This also meant that unfortunately, we couldn't get much feedback during this experimental cycle on the Level Editor itself, as well as the learning assistance we have tried to provide for it.
We're hoping that will change with the release on the Stable Branch, and we are really eager to see your feedback on the tool. In addition to the in-game guide, we have also been posting tutorial videos on our YouTube channel, so check those out and also feel free to reach out to us if you're struggling with the Level Editor and have questions to ask or feedback to give.
As usual, thanks to all of you who have participated in the Experimental Branch. If you want know more about the update, you can read the detailed changelog at the bottom of this post.
Boat Crew has always been about the little guy and about the unsung heroes of the Mosquito Fleet; It's about the small and the tactical, and their impact on the big picture. Today, we'd like to give a shoutout to a project that approaches the Pacific War on the opposite end, looking at the grand and the strategic.
Task Force Admiral, an ambitious game being developed by our pals over at Drydock Dreams Games, seeks to put you at the helm of an entire Task Force, putting you in the shoes of an Admiral charged with both fleet manoeuvres and flight operations. You got to experience fighting alongside these ships as a PT Boat Captain, and in Task Force Admiral, you'll get to be the man on the bridge, overseeing it all.
Boat Crew's connection with Task Force Admiral goes back to even before our collaboration with MicroProse; in fact, it was them who introduced us to our publisher. They have believed in our project from the start, and so we have in theirs. We have grown to see Task Force Admiral as a more serious and methodical sister in contrast to Boat Crew's chaotic whimsy.
If you're interested in the Pacific War as we know you are, and if you've been craving another perspective, go check Task Force Admiral out. They've been killing it at their Kickstarter campaign, shooting far past their original goals, and they have a demo out that is constantly being updated. We can't wait to see the game at release!
Enjoy the update!
Captain,
T.T.
Links:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1281220/Task_Force_Admiral__Vol1_American_Carrier_Battles
Task Force Admiral Kickstarter Campaign
Developer's Diary G1 - Laying the Keel
Developer's Diary G2 - Armored Superiority
v1.6.2 Full Changelog
- Added Level Editor and User Level support through Steam Workshop. - Added Furutaka-class cruiser. - Added Atlanta-class cruiser. - Added in engagement UI scaling feature in graphics settings tab. - Added submersible gun platforms to base defenses.v1.6.2.3 Stable
- F4U Corsair minor model and texture updates. - Increased aircraft activity range that limits all to fly within range around the player, so that call-ins in the campaign have an easier time engaging and using their payloads for distant targets. - Fixed AP bomb drop issue for call-in Dauntless. - Fixed an issue preventing aircraft rocket pods from being fired properly. - Army flag corrections for certain light Japanese units.