Carrier Battles 4 Guadalcanal

[Asid]

Carrier Battles 4 Desktop


By Avalon Digital

   HERE




CARRIER BATTLES 4 DESKTOP is the PC / Mac OSX / iOS / Android portage of the successful CARRIER BATTLES 4 GUADALCANAL, a classic hex-and-counter digital wargame covering the naval-air battles of the Pacific War, from the South Pacific in 1942-43 to the Central Pacific in 1944.

Find the forces of your opponent and strike at them before they sink your precious carriers, while preventing them from invading key points in the theatre of operations or supporting your own amphibious operations.
New PC, Mac, iOS and Android Version of Carrier Battles



•   Solitaire play against powerful US (new in desktop version) or Japanese AI
•   6 historical scenarios: Coral Sea May 42, Midway June 42, Eastern Solomon Aug 42, Santa Cruz Oct 42, Guadalcanal Dec 42, Bismarck Sea March 43
•   Varied Hex maps with a scale of 30 miles per hex • 80 types of warplanes, historical ships
•   Naval-air search, radar, progressive intelligence gathering on enemy naval forces
•   Air strikes against naval and land targets, surface battles
•    Advanced damage system
•   Invasion, naval bombardment
•   Turn-based system
•   A nice on-boarding sequence will guide the player to the depth of the game
•   Available in English and in French
•   No internet connection required to play against the AI

The duration of a game is about 1-3 hours




We currently also offer 4 extra scenarios as DLC:
•   A 7th scenario covering the landing at Bougainville and airstrikes against Rabaul in November 1943
•   A 8th scenario covering the evacuation of Guadalcanal by Japanese troops in Jan/Feb 1943
•   A 9th scenario covering the US invasion of Guadalcanal in August 1942
•   A 10th scenario covering the US carrier raids against Japanese positions in Feb/Mar 1942

The 4 scenarios are in addition to the 6 base content (Coral Sea May 42, Midway June 42, Eastern Solomon Aug 42, Santa Cruz Oct 42, Guadalcanal Dec 42, Bismarck Sea March 43) and will ALSO come as DLC in the Desktop version, except for the Early Bird Contributors who will get them free of charge (see below).

We also have What-ifs for the scenarios in order to test the effects of some likely events. Ex: what would happen if the Japanese had committed their whole carrier forces to invade Port Moresby, what-if the Saratoga was repaired on time for the battle of Midway, etc...




Now for PC and Mac desktops!

With a new interface, a redesigned map, a revamped AI, more sounds, extra scenarios and many more features!

The main change is of course the ability to play the game on your desktop, in solo or multiplayer, but it also comes with a large number of improvements that were designed to meet the players’ expectations.



Menus and buttons treated in an unique style, navy-like. You feel now like you are onboard the great warships you are commanding.

Maps and UI effects for sea, weather, combat, terrains are added to improve the playing experience and feedback.


Map seen from the main UI with a few stack selection clicks (Alpha version)


Work in Progress: the carrier desk with missions underway and planes readying (Alpha version).






Compared to the original version, the desktop version now allows you to play the Japanese, against a US AI. This come along with various other improvement for the AI


Admiral Yamamoto, commander in chief of the Combined Fleet




The desktop version will have all the sounds that were absent from the iOS versions: ships, combat, aircraft, bombs, AA fire and more.

Background music, historical music will also be there (with option to handle their play as you want it)






Planes were sometimes armed on carrier deck / airstrip waiting for daylight or the right opportunity to take off

•   Prepare CAP/Search before dawn. Units will take off on first daylight
•   Hold a CAP/Search mission on deck
•   Prepare an airstrike without target. It will stay armed on deck until a targets assigned.


A Corsair fighter readying on deck




In addition to those already present as DLC on the iPad/iPhone versions, we shall also include in our portfolio new scenarios, as follows for instance:

•   Wake 41
•   Indian Ocean 42
•   Marshall 42
•   What-if New Hebrides 42
•   Marshall 43
•   Philippines Sea 44
•   Leyte Gulf 44

[Frankie]

I decided to take the plunge and purchase the iOS game "Carrier Battles For Guadalcanal". Which is the original hex game that came out in 2016. But only after carefully reading the reviews of the game, including this excellent resource with over 30 user reviews: https://appsftw.com/app/carrier-battles-for-guadalcanal

It's been over 35 years that I played my first hex wargame from a WW2 book that my dad bought for me. So after reading the reviews, I decided that this might be a good fit for a newbie like me. Gotta read the introduction and rules first though.

Wish me "bon voyage!" on this game. Then later, if I enjoy AND survive the game, I can try out the 2019 Desktop version with Japanese AI.

Regards
Frankie Kam

[Asid]

I decided to take the plunge and purchase the iOS game "Carrier Battles For Guadalcanal". Which is the original hex game that came out in 2016.

I also have this.

Let me know what you think Frankie 

[Asid]

Release Approaching...
Wed, 3 June 2020



Estimated June 5th, 2020, 9:00 PST
The game has entered last changes and fixes, release is as scheduled, full steam ahead...

[Asid]

Carrier Battles Roadmap
Fri, 19 June 2020



A preliminary list of goals and tasks on the game


Dear players,

we must say that these last 12 days were quite stressful, in particular for our lone developer: Carrier Battles go-live, family life, school, some expected turmoil in the company employing the dev (CB is not the dev's primary job... so please help him to switch to game development) , etc….

Hopefully, major bugs have been fixed and the current version appears stable, with updates made almost daily.

Now It is time for doing the fun part of creation, so let’s take into account some of your suggestion :-)

What could be foreseen in a 1.1 version update


•   Keys to advance turn and to navigate to next TF
•   Toggle on/off the hex grid
•   Emphasise of the autopilot destination
•   A range indicator (if possible)
•   Enhanced CAP combat (if necessary)
•   Other miscellaneous good stuff and minor fixes


If all goes as planned, you may expect a release in about 3 weeks, but the scope may vary depending on the difficulty and the timing.

What will be studied for a 1.2

•   Play by email
•   Chinese language. We have already 95% of the text. But we need to adapt the font to the Chinese characters, and that graphical part takes longer than one may think (due to the number of 'words')


Of course, we did not forget or dropped the various other suggestions, but we just tried to make a balance with what can be realistically achieved in a rather small time span.

... and Avalon is also pushing the dev to take some vacation... an exhausted man makes mistakes, which in turn means more work and bugs to fix.

Anyway, in the meantime, have a nice week-end, have fun and take care !!!

Avalon & Carrier Battles

[Asid]

Version 1.1 Update
Thu, 16 July 2020

Monthly game update

List of additions, modifications and changes - V 1.1

Interface

•   Improved behaviour of screened edge scrolling
•   Possibility to hide the hex grid
•   Hexes are thinner
•   Hex numbers are displayed by a right-click
•   Wind direction and rain/storm sounds on right-click
•   Possibly to display the distance from the last selected TF on the map
•   Use the TAB key to iterate through your TF and airstrikes
•   Use the SPACE key to advance by one phase
•   Short reminder of the sequence of a day on the briefing and as a tooltip over the clock
•   Show the hangar capacity above the hangar in the AirOperation screen


Air combat

•   New result for the air-to-air combat table : bomber confused. Pressed by enemy fighter, it will attack a random ship with a penalty. This increase a bit CAP effectiveness while keeping the same loss level among bombers
•   SBD add only +1 to air combat against unescorted bomber


Miscellaneous

•   Better management of seaplanes when merging or detaching TF
•   No more VP for inoperative runways
•   display bug fixes

[Asid]

Version 1.2 - Beta
Wed, 29 July 2020



Hi all,

Summer vacation are approaching for us and we wanted to leave a little gift for you :steamhappy:
The Play by email feature is going to open for beta-testing

Moreover, the following features comes with the 1.2

- Possibility to launch a new game with a random side
- Possibility to select options at random without knowing which options are active or not
- The scenario info screen list the selected options for the current game

If you are interested by beta-testing this version, please write to the support (email link in the feedback section of the game)

Cheers !

[Asid]

Update 1.1.8
27 Aug 2020


- Fix navigation issue caused by mandatory retreat when North of the Louisiades (both CV and surfaces TF)
- Erratum for the search formula in the rules
- If you attempt to engage a TF which turns out not to be in the attacked hex, this ghost TF will be disappear from map
- Avoid a case IA ships were using anti-shipping missiles in 42 (they were attacking at distance)

Now left with a fuel issue with seaplanes

[Asid]

Update 1.1.9
27 Aug 2020


Cruisers are now correctly sending out their seaplanes as scouts and seaplanes do not run out fo fuel under normal conditions

[Asid]

Update 1.1.10
03 Sept 2020


- Added more controls to avoid freeze at the end of tutorial
- All the reasons preventing a mission to be planned may be displayed in the destination boxes (night, damaged…)
- Music volume was reset to the sound volume after quitting a game back to the main menu

[Asid]

Alpha test 1.2.0.11 - Map control & joystick
2 Sep 2020

There is an alpha branch with version 1.2.0.11

It is experimental but is supposed to only take into account mouse and keyboard for scrolling the map. It shoals avoid to unplug other devices

Looking for some testers with joystick, rudder peals, etc as it cannot be tested locally
To do do, go to Steam Client / Library
Right click on Carrier Battles / Properties / BETAS and select Alpha

The game will update

This is a limited version with a disclaimer and controls got frozen after 2 minutes. This should be enough to see of you may control the map
To revert, just unselect the alpha branch to NONE

Thanks

[Asid]

PBEM - JAPANESE - CHINESE
Thu, 17 September 2020

Important update with the PBEM feature and 2 new languages

Dear players of Carrier Battles 4 Guadalcanal,

A new major version is now available.
You may now play the game against a human opponent by using the PBEM system.



Content
•   Play-by-Email mode
•   Possibility to launch a new game with a random side
•   Possibility to select options at random without knowing which options are active or not
•   The scenario info screen list the selected options for the current game
•   Wake, Revenge Raid scenarios : new option


Fixes
•   The map should only controllable by keyboard and joystick. This will be prevent any joystick-like hardware to mess up with map scrolling
•   Miscellaneous fixes
•   Technical upgrade of Unity components


Note
•   Because of the necessary changes in the game data model, on former games, you may notice the absence of old events
•   The PDF has been updated


What’s next
There is a huge roadmap ahead of us. The 1.3 should see the addition of one major feature among submarines, seaplanes, advanced fog fo war, wind, radio silence, search & destroy

Come to check them on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/CB4G
Patrons will be able to vote for their preferred improvement

[Asid]

Update 1.2.1
20 Sept 2020


- If a player’s email is not part of a PBEM game, he/she won’t be able to open the saved game
- fix a potential crash related to seaplane rebase

[Asid]

Update 1.2.2 & 1.2.3
22 Sept 2020


- Prevent merging with the enemy !
- When clicking on the timer, you should see only air units in preparation for the selected CV, not for the whole TF

[Asid]

Seaplanes in Carrier Battles
Mon, 7 December 2020



A new DLC for the game



Seaplanes
New option to manage your seaplanes
- See and access seaplane bases
- Click on any ship carrying seaplanes to enter Air Op with a zoom on current TF
- Launch Search and CAP missions
- Create seaplane base with tenders TF located in a seaplane spot hex
- You are also allowed to observe and attack enemy seaplane bases by air and by sea

Version 1.3
Search
• Counters colors have been aligned with their search pattern
• No choice of speed in the search pattern anymore. Seaplanes will always be slow and others fast
• When seaplanes are manageable by the computer, surface TF will send reco seaplanes more often
• Intercepted scouts have less chance to transmit TF position
• Overcast and rain have more effects on detection

Scenarios update
• Extra seaplane tenders
• Less fuel on airfields for 2P games
• Wake starts with less fuel to prevent abused rebasing to the island from US CV
• Coral Sea New set-up and victory condition
• Eastern Solomon : new option for F4F

AirStrikes
• Slight improvement of Air-to-air combat table
• Observing an enemy airstrike won’t reveal the exact payload of the bombers until they reach their target. Will these G4M go for your TRS or for Henderson Field ?
• When a TF and a friendly base share the same hex, sum their heavy AA

Naval bombardment
• Bombardment effects have been increased to match reality, check the rules
• Aircraft destroyed by naval bombardment are concealed to the enemy

General
The game takes less memory. A prerequisite for the adaptation for mobile devices
Support of touch screen for the zoom