"Task Force Admiral" - WW II carriers RTS.

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

Shaping up nicely 😄

[Amiral_Crapaud]

Hi there boys

 

Some news for TFA in the wake of the release of Sea Power - the old school kind! ^^

This way for the latest dope:

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1281220/announcements/detail/4470479417177538594

 

 

And in concert with this upcoming event, we've been working on the stretch goals of the campaign, one of which involves giving platform combat a little try. We did put this together this week in a few days, it's showing some promise. Ain't going to be very hardcore (especially for those who'll be playing it with a mouse like we are on this video) but I've seen worse out of the box, especially when extrapolated from a strategy game.  Can't wait to call the mode "Fleet Defender" and get some flak about it (wrong feline...).

 

 

Here's the commentary (from YT)

 

Quote

Ahead of the Kickstarter campaign for the physical box edition you might have heard about in our latest update on Steam, here's the result of a small experiment we made this week as we needed to explore the basics of one of the stretch goals we're planning for, that is controllable fighters in the tradition of Microprose's own 1942: The Pacific Air War hybrid gameplay (and not unlike the thrill that the Battlestations series could, at a more arcady level, provide you with). Take it as a study of feasibility so as to make sure that it has some sort of potential to it. Here's the result after 48 hours of work, with them darn Zeroes refusing my first-ever in-game hat-trick. It's all very much crude placeholders all around (especially the labels), but it speaks volume about what you can achieve when your game has been designed as a sim from the get-go. Beware, it's just a test (can't say how well & far we'll go on the topic) but, here how it looks like so far:

• A convincing flight model, with a very early - but very acceptable mouse flight controls (I mean, watch 'em barrel rolls, damn!) readily adaptable for sticks ;

• Chase view (with a dynamic aimpoint) & aimsight (with a fixed aimpoint) views are already available & quite functional ;

• Padlock is fully functional ;

• All external views work with the same setting ;

• The angry AI does the job (and treats you like food properly, as expected...)

Ok, it's no DCS or Il-2 (or Combat Pilot obviously) & we can't promise anything for now, but let's add some voices over that stuff & it could be Pacific Air War/Battlestations time again, baby!😎

Cheers & have a nice Sunday you all ^^

 

Edited November 17, 2024 by Amiral_Crapaud

[Amiral_Crapaud]

Thanks for the likes guys!

 

We shared another update yesterday, packed with details about the Kickstarter campaign, including the reward timelines, demo content, and more. It also includes a link to a survey where you can provide feedback and help us with audience profiling. There's also a preview & the details for the tiers, as planned for now

 

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1281220/view/4470481236622575279

 

You can also enter a contest to get one of the prints. The form is on this page.
https://www.microprose.com/tfa-kickstarter/

 

Particularly happy with the line up we have in regard of our contributors for the historical supplement (which will be provided along with the manual in all editions, digital & printed, in the good tradition of the big boxes of the 1990s).

 

I hope this strikes a chord with some of you and shows that we’re aiming for much more than just a quick pre-order campaign. Putting all this together has been a lot of fun, and the response so far has been fantastic—hopefully, you’ll find something to get excited about too!  A big thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to check it out!

 

Cheers

[Amiral_Crapaud]

Hi there guys ~

 

A few very decent shots from JP Ferré, of DCS machina fame, as he kindly agreed to produce our next teaser trailer in time for our kickstarter campaign ♥️ Bloody skies ahead indeed!

 

Edited December 29, 2024 by Amiral_Crapaud

[Trooper117]

It looks great!!!

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

Missed the contest But best of luck to all participating👍The game looks better every update😎

[Amiral_Crapaud]

Thanks guys!
Also, forgot to add this one to the previous post, but - Happy Holidays to all our followers, of course! Cheers

 

[Amiral_Crapaud]

Hi there gentlemen,

 

We're getting ready for launching above-mentioned kickstarter early next week. Demo is running already with the testers & the CCs - so far so good!
Here are a few extra shots from their gaming sessions along with our latest art. Have a great weekend you all and thank you in advance for following us (and thanks again to the Il-2 team for allowing us to post!)

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trooper117]

Good stuff... I like all the imagery 👍🏼

[danielprates]

10 hours ago, Amiral_Crapaud said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Something feels off with this picture... oh, I know: Where's KATE FREAKING BECKINSALE? You can just tell they're about to jeopardize their friendship over Kate Beckinsale.

 

I am so very looking forward to this demo!

Edited February 9 by danielprates

[Amiral_Crapaud]

4 hours ago, danielprates said:

 

Something feels off with this picture... oh, I know: Where's KATE FREAKING BECKINSALE? You can just tell they're about to jeopardize their friendship over Kate Beckinsale.

 

I am so very looking forward to this demo!

 

Daniel, I have spent enough time with the War in the Pacific community to know that there are forbidden attempts at so-called motion picture entertainment one simply cannot mention without jinxing fate and risking arrest!
I'll have you know that sanity and children are at stake here, Sir! Do not speak of horror movies so lightly! 🥸

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

Very nice pics and update, Admiral C. Thanks for sharing!

[Mysticpuma]

Smoke and fire effects look a bit too cartoonish, but the water plumes from the explosions look great

[Trooper117]

It ain't a flight sim when said and done, so the smoke and fire effects are ok in my book

[Veteran66]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1281220/Task_Force_Admiral__Vol1_American_Carrier_Battles/

 

Demo

 

[danielprates]

@Amiral_Crapaud congratulations on the smashing demo release! The steam discussions page is good evidence that the game is/will be a great success. Some people call it a dream come true of sorts, and I agree.

 

It looks wonderful. As far as gameplay goes, I tried my hand at it without any reading of the manual and yep, it is complex for sure. I will read the whole thing then try again; then I'll show up here and post my impressions.

 

But it already shows that this is going to be A+.

[Varibraun]

Looks amazing so far - Wolfpack's First Look at the Demo:

 

 

[Trooper117]

Flippin awesome... it looks great, the colours, the planes and formations, the ongoing build up to the attacks, it's really well done!

[Amiral_Crapaud]

Hello guys!
Thank you for the kind words ^^
The last few days truly have been wild. We're all very tired - our Dev in particular, smashing bugs, correcting crashes, etc... Happy with the way we launched (aka a playable demo and asking for monies after people played). It is also a good way to be ready before the Fest next week - and we haven't even dropped a mail to our wishlisters.

 

Happy to know also that we connected with so many people in regard of the topic and the execution. It is, by all means, a very imperfect game, even without the bugs. We had to make some choices, we had some limitations, but seeing how it goes, TFA will hopefully prove to be a likable, relevant stone in the larger wall of the genre.

Thank you all for being around!

Cheers

[Amiral_Crapaud]

Sharing a few shots from the discord. Apparently people are having fun - it's all that counts.
If you do, feel free to share yours, I'll be happy to re-use them when time comes ^^

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trooper117]

Awesome!

[Varibraun]

Good interview by @Enigma89 below that goes further into development than just Task Force Admiral.  After playing the demo, I am looking very forward to release, especially hearing that a Campaign is now on the roadmap.  Congrats to the entire TFA team on the awesome start and Kickstarter!

 

@Amiral_Crapaud - I thought your comments about that part of our small community "biting the hand that feeds them" with toxicity was a very appropriate and sad observation.  I honestly wish you guys were making huge $$ making these games/sims for us, but we should certainly recognize that will likely never be the case in such a niche (I am just happy you had this vision for our "weird" group you describe).  It does sometimes seems there is portion of the sim/historical game community that thinks they "deserve" everything they have ever desired RIGHT NOW for less than the price of a movie out with dinner.  You can sometimes even see it in the PWCG forums where @PatrickAWlson is literally offering well over a decade of work for FREE. 

 

On that note, I would just say that I was taught many years ago that there is a 10% factor of negativity/people in any profession that can consume the other 90% IF you let them.  As you alluded to in the interview, that 10% now has a global platform online that magnifies it's voice, and I know it has to be very difficult as a developer to keep that in perspective.  So, as part of the 90%, please keep that positive energy focused - that vast majority of us downloading the demo are likely very happy that you are out there doing what you do with your small team.  Now off to Kickstarter to do my small part and say thank you! 

 

 

[Amiral_Crapaud]

Thanks for your kind words and your support Varibraun

 

Regarding my comments, one could consider them a bit cruel, but I say so as a consumer too. I just don't want to see makers quit. And although we were quite lucky in our own endeavor so far, mistakes were made, and will still be made. Being angry at devs doesn't make things go faster, and made better - the only effect one has is to bring a dev a bit closer to the breaking point, which is obviously quite an issue if it is a single-dev (more or so) situation, like it is very common these days with games in our genre.

 

As for @PatrickAWlson he should really think to start making his own game. If he's ever interested, and if he reads us, hope he'll feel free to get in touch. It's time he's credited as a co-designer on his own thing, me thinks, and I have things in mind!

 

(not kidding)

 

Cheers ^^

[danielprates]

This game keeps getting better and better. I just read that Drachinifel and MilitaryAviationHistory are involved with the writing of the historical references.