Tactical Features supplied by Ferenc Nagy-Szakall Designer and Botond Szalacsi Lead Designer on Battlestations: Pacific
08 May 2009 | By Ferenc Nagy-Szakáll designer, Botond Szalacsi lead designer
Tactical Features supplied by Ferenc Nagy-Szakall Designer and Botond Szalacsi Lead Designer on Battlestations: Pacific.
Submarine torpedo spread
Most of the time the targets of our submarine won’t be stationary and we have to calculate with the speed and heading of the enemy ship as well with our speed, heading, and the speed of the torpedoes. The best way to hit the moving enemy targets is to use a torpedo spread, as this will maximize the chance of a hit and makes torpedo evasion much harder. To fire a torpedo spread, fire more torpedoes with a slight angle offset. With this tactic it’s much easier to hit enemy ships, and when fired on enemy formations we have a chance for multiple hits and possible sinkings.
Torpedo evasion
The deadliest weapon against ships is probably the torpedo. A few torpedo hits mean certain death for smaller ships and they can cripple a larger ship as well. If you ever see that the enemy fired torpedoes on you, check for them as soon as possible in 3D and on the map screen as well. If you spot them, take evasive action immediately! Try to steer your ship parallel with the torpedoes – this makes you a much smaller target. Most of the time, the enemy will fire more torpedoes against you, be on guard all the time and set your heading properly if you see incoming torpedoes.
Engine hit
A successful engine hit will kill the engine and ships will lose speed and stop dead in the water until this failure is repaired. This could be fatal as your ship is an easy target while stopped – so repair engine failures quickly!
If you fire a torpedo spread against the enemy ship, try to disable her engines to stop her – stopped ships aren’t very good at evading torpedoes. Even a small destroyer is capable of doing this – never underestimate them!
Launching planes
Knowing your enemy is essential and knowing their position on the map is even more important. If your fleet lacks good reconnaissance units consider launching a floatplane into the air. Most of the cruisers and battleships are equipped with floatplanes. Their visual range is bigger than any other unit has in the game, they are a formidable support unit in our arsenal. Some Japanese subs are equipped with floatplanes as well – you can launch them from the surface.
Magazine hit
The most spectacular and rewarding hit location on the ships is the magazine. When correctly hit, you will be awarded with the sight of a stunning firework – and with a huge damage dealt on the enemy ship, often causing them to sink instantly.
Submarine artillery
There are some situations when there is no need to hide and sneak beneath the waves, firing torpedoes at unaware enemies – let’s surface and surprise them with some artillery fire! Although the guns on a submarine are weak, they are useful against unarmored and unescorted ships – mostly transports. You can spare a few torpedoes if you use artillery in such situations.
Just make sure that nobody is shooting back at your sub.
Depth charge
Besides their good visual range, ship-launched recon planes are equipped with depth charges. They are able to spot submarines from the air and drop depth charges on them. If you see torpedo trails appearing from the nowhere, order a recon plane up in the air and look for enemy subs!
Artillery evasion
Evading enemy gunfire is a hard skill to master, but this really pays off when it comes to win an artillery duel. Even a few misses can be decisive in a gun battle. Pay attention to the enemy ships, and if you see the distant smoke puffs and muzzle flashes coming from the guns, change your course and speed immediately! As shells need some time to travel in the air, you might have a chance to evade a few of them. The bigger is the distance, the easier is the evasive manoeuvre – if you are far from the enemy, and you can outmanoeuvre complete salvoes!
Padlock view in planes
Padlock view makes dogfighting much easier. With a single button press, you will instantly see the position of your target, and will follow this path. With this feature, you can always focus on your target and never lose the sight of him. While focusing on a target, you still have full control over your plane – you can use the throttle, rudder and other controls as well.
Torpedo bombing
While attacking a ship with a strong anti-air defense, try to avoid a direct attack from the sides as this approach will mean certain death from the combined AA fire. Find directions where the ship has fewer AA guns, such as the bow or the stern. While the gunners are focusing on more obvious targets coming from the sides you can slip through the blanket of the AA cover and deliver your payload precisely.
Cockpit (+padlock)
While in a cockpit mode you can really feel how dogfighting really felt in the Pacific War. Cockpit mode provides you with a slight zoom and excellent visual awareness, and you can use the padlock mode to follow your targets. This, along with the stunning visuals gives you the best airplane combat experience ever in the Battlestations games.
Submarine torpedo spread
Most of the time the targets of our submarine won’t be stationary and we have to calculate with the speed and heading of the enemy ship as well with our speed, heading, and the speed of the torpedoes. The best way to hit the moving enemy targets is to use a torpedo spread, as this will maximize the chance of a hit and makes torpedo evasion much harder. To fire a torpedo spread, fire more torpedoes with a slight angle offset. With this tactic it’s much easier to hit enemy ships, and when fired on enemy formations we have a chance for multiple hits and possible sinkings.
Torpedo evasion
The deadliest weapon against ships is probably the torpedo. A few torpedo hits mean certain death for smaller ships and they can cripple a larger ship as well. If you ever see that the enemy fired torpedoes on you, check for them as soon as possible in 3D and on the map screen as well. If you spot them, take evasive action immediately! Try to steer your ship parallel with the torpedoes – this makes you a much smaller target. Most of the time, the enemy will fire more torpedoes against you, be on guard all the time and set your heading properly if you see incoming torpedoes.
 |
 |
|
Engine hit
A successful engine hit will kill the engine and ships will lose speed and stop dead in the water until this failure is repaired. This could be fatal as your ship is an easy target while stopped – so repair engine failures quickly!
If you fire a torpedo spread against the enemy ship, try to disable her engines to stop her – stopped ships aren’t very good at evading torpedoes. Even a small destroyer is capable of doing this – never underestimate them!
Launching planes
Knowing your enemy is essential and knowing their position on the map is even more important. If your fleet lacks good reconnaissance units consider launching a floatplane into the air. Most of the cruisers and battleships are equipped with floatplanes. Their visual range is bigger than any other unit has in the game, they are a formidable support unit in our arsenal. Some Japanese subs are equipped with floatplanes as well – you can launch them from the surface.
 |
 |
|
Magazine hit
The most spectacular and rewarding hit location on the ships is the magazine. When correctly hit, you will be awarded with the sight of a stunning firework – and with a huge damage dealt on the enemy ship, often causing them to sink instantly.
Submarine artillery
There are some situations when there is no need to hide and sneak beneath the waves, firing torpedoes at unaware enemies – let’s surface and surprise them with some artillery fire! Although the guns on a submarine are weak, they are useful against unarmored and unescorted ships – mostly transports. You can spare a few torpedoes if you use artillery in such situations.
Just make sure that nobody is shooting back at your sub.
Depth charge
Besides their good visual range, ship-launched recon planes are equipped with depth charges. They are able to spot submarines from the air and drop depth charges on them. If you see torpedo trails appearing from the nowhere, order a recon plane up in the air and look for enemy subs!
Artillery evasion
Evading enemy gunfire is a hard skill to master, but this really pays off when it comes to win an artillery duel. Even a few misses can be decisive in a gun battle. Pay attention to the enemy ships, and if you see the distant smoke puffs and muzzle flashes coming from the guns, change your course and speed immediately! As shells need some time to travel in the air, you might have a chance to evade a few of them. The bigger is the distance, the easier is the evasive manoeuvre – if you are far from the enemy, and you can outmanoeuvre complete salvoes!
Padlock view in planes
Padlock view makes dogfighting much easier. With a single button press, you will instantly see the position of your target, and will follow this path. With this feature, you can always focus on your target and never lose the sight of him. While focusing on a target, you still have full control over your plane – you can use the throttle, rudder and other controls as well.
 |
 |
|
Torpedo bombing
While attacking a ship with a strong anti-air defense, try to avoid a direct attack from the sides as this approach will mean certain death from the combined AA fire. Find directions where the ship has fewer AA guns, such as the bow or the stern. While the gunners are focusing on more obvious targets coming from the sides you can slip through the blanket of the AA cover and deliver your payload precisely.
Cockpit (+padlock)
While in a cockpit mode you can really feel how dogfighting really felt in the Pacific War. Cockpit mode provides you with a slight zoom and excellent visual awareness, and you can use the padlock mode to follow your targets. This, along with the stunning visuals gives you the best airplane combat experience ever in the Battlestations games.
