9 replies to this topic

[suliman]

Hi
Im designing a naval world war game set in the indian ocean and surroundings. Its the fifthies and ww2 never stopped. Germany took northern africa, japan took china, us took indonesia. Everything is up for grabs in a total war, post-apoc kind of setting. What do you think of the starting faction map (and the factions)? Sort of represent starting colonies and naval bases control areas. Will change during the game.

Gameplay is influensed by sid meiers pirates and games such as silent hunter.

http://s16.postimage.org/u60lz2h8l/faction_areas_copy.jpg

Thanks for your input
Erik

Edited by suliman, 15 December 2012 - 02:43 AM.

[Bluefirehawk]

Yeah... looks good?

There isn't much to comment on and i don't think it is very relevant to the gameplay. It's useful for the story though.

[suliman]

but does it make sense? For example, I kinda need a faction in the middle and thats India. But would India be able to be a naval power to count on? Its fiction of course but anyway. Maybe their war industry got boosted by great britain before the independence in this scenario...

[Luckless]

To my knowledge India never had a great deal of ship building in its history. At least I've never heard of an Indian shipyard producing cruiser sized vessels or larger. Smaller local vessels appears to be the main focus of their industry throughout history, and imported larger vessels from other nations. (UK/Empire/Commonwealth for the period in question, and from memory their navy became an interesting mix of stuff contracted from other nations, and purchased surplus. Fair bit of rebuilt Russian stuff in their fleet now.)

I would suggest spending some time reading up on their industry and economic development of the periods in question if you really care about crafting a plausible storyline to go with it, otherwise just write whatever that gets you from point A to point B.

Another option could be that India becomes a faction that specializes in capturing vessels and surprise raids with skilled skeleton crews taking over enemy ships in port. Deprive your opponent of a valuable asset while gaining one for yourself?

[3Ddreamer]

Hello,

Cool concept you have there.

For historical relevance to your game, Japanese leadership had determined that they would either attack Russia or the USA. Historically they chose USA, so if that did not happen in your game then keep in mind that in real life Japan and Germany would have conquered the USSR. Russia barely survived against Germany without Japan attacking, so the USSR would have never made it fighting a war of two fronts.

Since the early years of WW1, submarines have been capable of sinking any vessel at sea. In the 1950s, subs could stay under water for days at a time. They could devastate the merchant marine if not checked and win a war on their own. Aircraft carriers would be the dominant surface vessel and really the only answer to the subs, though subs could still win.

Naval commando forces would be cool to see in such a game, too.



Clinton

[3Ddreamer]

To my knowledge India never had a great deal of ship building in its history. At least I've never heard of an Indian shipyard producing cruiser sized vessels or larger. Smaller local vessels appears to be the main focus of their industry throughout history, and imported larger vessels from other nations. (UK/Empire/Commonwealth for the period in question, and from memory their navy became an interesting mix of stuff contracted from other nations, and purchased surplus

Much of the trade between Asia and Europe came through the Indian Ocean in the Twentieth Century until today and for many centuries, in fact. It was, is, and will remain one of the world's most strategic water ways.


Clinton

[Prinz Eugn]

Yeah, India is the issue, just doesn't make a whole lot of sense as a separate faction. Heavy industrialization under British rule makes as much sense as anything (and I wouldn't sweat about being too unrealistic, there's some give in suspension of disbelief in such a setting). To me, it would make more sense as an "up for grabs" territory or similar.

I don't think you need India as another faction, having four on the periphery makes more sense than anything.

When in doubt, wander around wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Indian_Navy#1934.E2.80.931945.

For historical relevance to your game, Japanese leadership had determined that they would either attack Russia or the USA. Historically they chose USA, so if that did not happen in your game then keep in mind that in real life Japan and Germany would have conquered the USSR. Russia barely survived against Germany without Japan attacking, so the USSR would have never made it fighting a war of two fronts.

It was the Battle of Khalkin Gol in 1939 that left the Japanese quite convinced that fighting the USSR was a bad idea, so you'd have to deal with that. Or not, barely anyone has heard of it.

I believe there was some alternate WWII scenario wherein Japan discovered oil in Dalian, which greatly increased their practical military power, so that's an option too.

[3Ddreamer]

<sub>Tying over 40 Russian divisions in the East at a time when Germany was on the verge of destroying the USSR in 1941 is the value of a Japanese attack, regardless of Japanese battle success or failure. Japanese leadership knew they would have to face both emerging super powers - USSR and USA - eventually but only Russia could be knocked out early in the war by combined attack by Germany and Japan. The collapse of the USSR would allow Japan to concentrate forces on China and further isolate it. Such a strategy would have the goal of actually delaying war between Japan and America as long as possible.

Western patriotic propaganda has caused important information about World War Two to be released many years after the fact, even in recent years. What about WW2 will we learn next?

For all these reasons, I feel strongly that the game concept of suliman would benefit by considering these issues.

Clinton</sub>

Edited by 3Ddreamer, 17 December 2012 - 07:09 PM.

[Luckless]

To my knowledge India never had a great deal of ship building in its history. At least I've never heard of an Indian shipyard producing cruiser sized vessels or larger. Smaller local vessels appears to be the main focus of their industry throughout history, and imported larger vessels from other nations. (UK/Empire/Commonwealth for the period in question, and from memory their navy became an interesting mix of stuff contracted from other nations, and purchased surplus

Much of the trade between Asia and Europe came through the Indian Ocean in the Twentieth Century until today and for many centuries, in fact. It was, is, and will remain one of the world's most strategic water ways.


Clinton

I had mostly meant Military ship building. India itself has never appeared in most references of naval history, merchant or military, that I have read as being exceptionally notable. The fact that they sit in the middle of the shipping route really kind of suggests that much of building is going to happen at either end anyway by those with the greatest interests (profits) in going from point A to B.

They had a decent history for pre-industrial ship building as seen in nearly any coastal area with access to lumber, but most of it appears to be for smaller local trade vessels. (Haven't found anything along the scale of Ships of the Line from the high age of Sail) After the area was taken by British forces it appears to have somewhat stagnated in that industry, and instead much of the ships used were produced else where in the empire in more centralized fashion. Then the industrial revolution took full swing, wooden ships became obsolete, and it appears that major ship building in the modern sense was delayed into the 30s and 40s, and a notable industry doesn't appear to have been reborn till well into the 70s.


If someone has references showing more than what I've found, then I would love to see them. Big fan of Naval history.

[3Ddreamer]

It's obvious that any major industrial power which conquered India and establishes strong transportation to it could create one or more naval shipyards there. Of course, such facilities could be vulnerable to attack by aircraft carrier based aircraft and sea to surface missiles once war started.