Task Force Admiral - Vol.1: American Carrier Battles

[Asid]

Task Force Admiral - Vol.1: American Carrier Battles
Mon, 11 November 2024

We?re back!

A taste of things to come in Task Force Admiral (KS Update 1) Where we?ve been at, and where we?re headed for. It?s been five long years since we began this journey publicly with our reveal on YouTube. No one feels that passage of time more than we do, believe us ? our lives have been completely consumed by this project since then, especially for Jean-Baptiste, our sole developer.




Make no mistake, if we could have released sooner, created a smaller game, or worked on a simpler endeavor, we would have. Perhaps it was hubris?but that same hubris kept us going despite the time invested, the setbacks faced, and the frustration of not yet having something playable to share with you.

Where we've been at

Although the pace of our Steam updates might have suggested otherwise, we have never let up on our development efforts?quite the opposite. Those who know us and follow us on social media are well aware of our steady progress, and there hasn't been a single week since our last Steam update that we haven't shared our efforts and achievements with our community. We chose to focus on the work itself, saving our energy on Steam (an interface not particularly suited to regular updates) for a more impactful announcement that would mark a significant milestone in the development of our video game. Today, that day has come.




Building a world one stone at a time

As for "the meat" of the game itself, we have made significant strides in further integrating our graphics and sounds into the larger game world to make it more vivid and immersive. Hope we're getting there - you'll be judge of our progress soon enough hopefully, but until then here are a few nuggets of contents released over the previous months that will give you a clear indication of what we're aiming for.




We are of the opinion that the sound atmosphere is crucial for creating a deep sense of involvement, as it immerses you in the experience and makes you feel like a true part of what's happening. Sounds are often your primary sensory input for what?s happening around you. The hum of engines, the crackle of radio transmissions, the distant roar of enemy planes, or the ack-ack of anti-aircraft fire ? they all contribute to making the game world feel alive and reactive to your presence.




Our goal is to make you feel right in the thick of the action, involved in the consequences of your decisions in the field, rather than feeling distant & safe. We want sweat, virtual eardrums bursting, and virtual smoke filling your screen. We?re just getting started, but it?s off to a rather OK start, if we can pat ourselves in the back.

Building an interface, switch by switch




The biggest remaining task alongside developing the virtual world was creating the entire interface that enables players to interact with their own forces and those of the enemy. This includes nearly all the tools needed for a so-called ?diegetic? representation, aiming to enhance immersion by using graphics reminiscent of the actual tools of that era, in addition to more modern-looking indicators available in the menus on both sides of the screen.




A diegetic graphical user interface is a type of game interface that is designed to blend seamlessly with the game?s world, as if it?s a natural part of the environment rather than an overlay. This approach uses elements that characters in the game could realistically see, hear, or interact with, rather than purely visual aids meant solely for the player.




In Task Force Admiral, most of the planning tools are designed to be diegetic, fitting naturally into the game world. However, we don?t see the non-diegetic approach as incompatible?quite the opposite. Non-diegetic elements offer practical alternatives, and we strive to keep these elements visually aligned with our aesthetic choices while still providing you with quick and efficient information.




So, that was a small report about what we did during that time. But what about we're about to do in a couple months from now? Well, if you're into some extra intel, here's the dope...

The World of Tomorrow

The Kickstarter

First thing first, let's be clear, it is not about funding. We do have other avenues of financing ourselves, so it is not really the focus on this campaign. There are many ways to raise funds in this day and age, and a Kickstarter campaign is just one way among many others. We could very well launch Task Force Admiral in early access, or make people pay for a beta. But this is not what this is about. It's more about what we can do, using the tools of today, so as to recreate the full experience of what we had back in the 1990s, at the time of the prime of the original MicroProse: big boxes.


Disclaimer: goodies & all still very much work in progress, the KS landing page should come in very soon!


I know, it's 2024, why still do things the old way? Nostalgia is hard to explain, but easy to diagnose. These behemoths are relics from a time some of us in our 40s something probably remember with much kindness. Preparing for this kickstarter was the opportunity for us to embrace that dream of ours - actually owning a game box, of our own game, while satisfying a urge that has been progressively denied to gamers since the turn of the century.



For the younger ones among you who might wonder what's a big box (courtesy of the excellent channel Ahoy)


As MicroProse has made experiments already with a prototype game box for Highfleet (a gem, this one, don't forget to go check it out too if you haven't heard about it), we felt it was time to try our luck with our community. As Task Force Admiral's fanbase has grown over time and has often mentioned its willingness to give us a hand, this Kickstarter allows us to provide you with such an opportunity - by either supporting us with a digital pre-order, or indulging in the guilty pleasure of owning a big, heavy box full of old-fashioned treasures. The choice is yours, starting Q1 2025!

The Demo

Since it wouldn?t be fair to ask for your support without showing you what we?re working on, we?ll be releasing a demo on the same day we launch the Kickstarter campaign. This will give you a taste of what we?re building, though, of course, some smaller features will still be disabled as they?re not fully finished. That said, the game is already in a playable state, and we?ll do our best to make this demo as enjoyable as possible.



We?re also hoping to include a few prototype game modes for you to try out during the Kickstarter campaign. These modes could steer the game?s future direction once we wrap up the core experience, and they?ll make ideal stretch goals. More on this and much else in our next update, as soon as our new website and Kickstarter landing pages are live!





The Sea Power




Of course, we couldn?t post today without giving a shoutout to our friends over at Triassic. We?ve been long-time companions, joining the label at the same time and supporting each other however we could along the way. Words can hardly capture the pride and happiness we feel knowing they?re nearing their big moment. If you haven?t heard yet (though, honestly, they probably introduced you to us), Sea Power is hands-down the most significant and promising game recreating naval warfare in the Cold War era?a true successor to Fleet Command that you didn?t even know you needed. Launching in Early Access, it?s a solid offering?give it a try! We?re confident it?s worth the investment, and that's hardly a dangerous bet! We don't believe many of you, if any, will be disappointed by this masterpiece. Fair winds to them.

As for you, go get 'em vampires & hurt them bad! Launching November 12 everywhere in the world!


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1286220/Sea_Power__Naval_Combat_in_the_Missile_Age/

I guess that'll do for us being back in action.

Believe us, we?d love to speed things up. But patience brings the best results, or so they say. For those feeling the wait, we apologize for the delays. And to everyone sticking with us on this journey, our deepest thanks!

To those who might be reading us on November 11, please have a quiet Remembrance Day, wherever you might be from, and stay safe. See you soon, and take care.


The Task Force Admiral Team

[Asid]

Demo & Kickstarter : it's alive!
Tue, 18 February 2025



Ok, here we are! After a few hurdles, everything is a go!

Greeting to you all, Task Force Admiral followers !

It is going to be a very short update (the shortest ever, but it's been quite a day!). Let's be efficient, because some of you will be impatient to go out there have fun.

First item: our Demo is ready!

Just head to our store page, and it's there, in a glorious green button.

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


Second item: our Kickstarter campaign is live!

Click below to go have a look and tell us if something inspires you! It will be up for 30 days or so, so take your time to see if there's anything you like in there, and don't hesitate to ask around if you need more information!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/microprose/task-force-admiral-limited-first-team-physical-edition?ref=88qb7r





And last but not least, a nice KS launch trailer from JP Ferr?!




Take care, everyone, and tell us what you think!
Cheers,
The TFA Team

The Task Force Admiral Team

[Asid]

The State of the Demo & Kickstarter - Statistics, Changelog & Stretch Goals
Wed, 5 March 2025



Click for more details about the Task Force Admiral demo!




Dear players, supporters, and friends of Task Force Admiral,

We are thrilled to announce that the player base for the Task Force Admiral demo has surged past 40,000 downloads and activations. Yes, more than 40,000 people have tried our game. According to Steam's data, out of 30,000 users with measured playtime, the average duration was 2 hours and 23 minutes. Impressively, 18% have played for more than 5 hours, which is remarkable considering the limited content available!

We will not let you down. We are currently developing several improvements and surprises for the demo. To start, we will continue to support it by squashing as many crashes and debilitating bugs as possible. The latest changelog can be found at the end of this post.








Current state of the demo & kickstarter

The demo is being patched almost daily and will soon enter a phase where we start adding small, incremental content all the way until the end of the trial period. Yes, Next Fest was a fantastic time for us as we celebrated the Steam festival with you. Just as the demo was available before the festival proper, we are keeping it online until March 22nd, coinciding with the end of the Kickstarter campaign.


https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/microprose/task-force-admiral-limited-first-team-physical-edition?ref=88qb7r

Regarding the Kickstarter campaign, it is going exceptionally well! We are nearing 1000% completion of our original goal and are well on our way to reaching the next stretch goal, which includes native support for Tacview. We explain Here and Here why this is not just a minor, inconsequential addition. It serves a greater purpose, and we're excited to achieve this milestone within the next few days. Once we reach that point, brace yourselves for the next step - it will be quite cool, believe me!



Need some cues on how to play? Worry not! Besides Wolfpack's excellent early video now featured on our steam store page, have a look at these vids - his part 2, of course, but also the fantastic contributions of RAMJB, Ryu1940 and The Warsimmer who will walk you through every single function in the demo - some you might not even know existed in the first place!










As for the limitations of the demo, it's important to clarify a couple of things. Two features are currently unsupported (even if, under the right circumstances, they might seem viable): maneuvers near land masses (due to the absence of actual pathfinding for our AI) and surface combat (which is currently only implemented as a token defense system for your ships). There's no need to report issues with these; they are intentionally not fully implemented yet. To the question, "Will they be supported?" I can assure you, "They certainly will!" Just not in this demo, not yet. And for those who might be tempted to venture too far north, be aware that you might get a "bloody nose" when our content update hits Steam sometime next week...

Bring out the big guns and damn the torpedoes!

About that, if you really want to use guns, allow us to show you an alternative that happens to be already available in the line-up of our publisher: Boat Crew!



Boat Crew

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1633370/Boat_Crew/

Back in the day we were pretty happy to introduce the team to our publisher, and so far it seems it was a great match indeed. Ever since then, Boat Crew has improved, found its public, and grown a fond community receptive to its easy-going - yet comprehensive approach to the topic.



Boat Crew now has it all, including big friendly guns and aircraft carriers, for more and more extreme violence in the Slot. We'll get to revisit the era & the area soon enough in our own way in Task Force Admiral, but until then don't hesitate to give the game a chance, the team sure deserves some love, and is on its way to accomplish even greater things, as one can easily see in their choices of gameplay modes & units.

Demo Changelog

Last but not least, here are the latest changes made to the demo over the past days.

LATEST UPDATES & BETAS CONSOLIDATED CHANGE LOGS : 05-03-2025

Note: changes made to both build (stable & beta).

STABILITY
- Another array of 10 different crashes has been identified and solved
- Fixed a bug that divided a task force into smaller chucks when speed was set too high

USER INTERFACE
- Added a small widget on the left of the air ops timeline to improve feedback about the air ops status aboard the selected carrier. A fly-over info tooltip will provide you with context on demand

GAMEPLAY
- Greatly improved timing of scout missions landings. Aircraft from these missions will land back on carrier at least three times faster
- Improved ship-to-ship avoidance logic
- Clamped waypoint max speed to the fleet's slowest ship, outside of damage. Note that a damaged ship will fall behind the formation until it is detached by the player, as designed
- Improved fighter AI behavior
- Improved large strike package formation keeping and behavior

IMPORTANT NOTE

- Some of the changes brought to the aircraft AI mean that older saves are unfortunately no longer compatible with the current build. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Big thanks again to all the players who provide us with the vital intel allowing us to catch 'em bugs & hunt down 'em crashes. Everybody have a great time!

For a complete changelog updated regularly, please refer to this topic in the relevant Steam discussion forum.

Thank you all for your time and friendship, and see you up there in the skies over the Coral Sea!

The DDG Team

[Asid]

Demo Changelog & Upgrade, Contest, New Stretch Goal & New ways to have fun!
Wed, 12 March 2025



News galore for this 3rd Demo update. A lot of digest, take a coffee & take your time, you're going to need both!




Dear all!

A rather beefy update today. Stay with us, it will be worth the read!

State of the Demo: Upgrade incoming + Changelog
Win a Copy of Task Force Admiral! Screenshot Contest with the Tally Ho Corner
New Stretch Goal : Introducing the TFA Battle Stations!
Good Friends & Good Dope!

Read on...

[Asid]

TFA Demo: Success, Roadmap & Fond Farewell (For Now!)
Thu, May 8, 2025



A page is turned. The Demo will be retired tonight for good in this form. But it will return, only bigger & stronger!



Greetings, digital Admirals!

It's been an incredible couple of months, and we're still reeling from the overwhelming response to the Task Force Admiral demo. To say it was a crazy ride would be an understatement!



A Golden Waterfall

A staggering 43 thousands of you took to the high seas and experienced the strategic challenges of the Pacific. What's even more astounding is the dedication you showed: an average playtime of 3 hours and 15 minutes per user! This, coupled with an honorable median playtime of 21 minutes ? well above the typical engagement for demos ? speaks volumes.

In fact, 50% of players dedicated more than two hours to exploring the intricacies of Task Force Admiral truly warms our little French romantic hearts. It shows us that you didn't give up on our vision easily and took the time to delve deep into the gameplay we've been crafting with a passion.



Words can hardly capture the feeling of these past two months, watching our concept navigate the vast ocean of player feedback. Your engagement and insights have been invaluable. We're pleased to see that beyond the bugs & the limitations, our core design decisions and strategic directions have been assessed and validated by a fanbase the kindness of which knew no limits.. A massive thank you to each and every one of you who invested your time and shared your thoughts ? you've helped shape the future of this game.

However, even the most thrilling voyages must eventually reach their port of call. The Coral Sea Demo will be taken offline in a few hours tonight, US time. We encourage you to get in a few more sorties and enjoy the experience before the gangway is lifted.




Sighted... Main Body!

This isn't goodbye, but rather a "see you on the next tide!" We're taking all that we've learned and heading back to the shipyards to continue development, fueled by your enthusiasm & by the kind sacrifice of all those who decided to ride with us in the beta testing phase. Here's what they are to expect on our way to our next patrol zone: Midway!



To those who did not join us for this leg, worry not: this next stage is fully expected to deliver a second Demo experience which will allow us to show you the advancement of it all. So stay sharp and stay with us, you're still part of the cruise after all.



As for the few among you who regret having missed the original offering - well we are still in the process of treating upgrade requests for the Kickstarter, we'll get back to you soon, hopefully. We're doing it slowly, deliberately, so as to make sure we're not forgetting anybody on our way there. We'll keep you updated in this very section. Stay sharp for new intel! And if you want the latest dope, never forget - we have our own Discord!

👉 Click here to join the TFA Discord ! https://discord.com/invite/C4brTa9wyt



Until then, fair winds and following seas,

The TFA Team

[Asid]

Fall Update 2025 - News on the Road to Point Luck
Wed, 5 November 2025



We have a "release window" now, and we're talking about what's next, along with the latest dev updates



Hello there, Steam fans!

It?s been some time since our last update. We haven?t been idle, far from it, so no worries about that. We have some nuggets of interest today, along with a few shots from the work that has been achieved over the last few months. Welcome back aboard & let?s get done with the latest intel digest ? and please accept our apologies for the time it took!

Note: Kickstarter backer have a custom version of this update online on the KS website. Please click here to check it out!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/microprose/task-force-admiral-limited-first-team-physical-edition/posts/4529142

The Team

The funds acquired from the Kickstarter campaign allowed us to expand the talent pool, hiring some ?off-the-shelf? fashion makers from the War on the Sea & Sea Power modding community. They did bring new blood into these old arteries of ours (yeah, 2019 feels like a century ago by now), and are helping much to increase the overall cadence. Allow me to use this article to thank them all for their contribution ? in particular Ian, Reis & Skyblazer, with whom you will certainly be very familiar if you?ve been dwelling on the unofficial SP & WotS modding server.



We have also hired a couple of experts for short-term missions for the animations (more about it below) & the overall action log system, which is about enabling, at first, compatibility with Tacview, and then an actual replay system. All of this is progress happening in parallel, but also remember that we only have one single dev, and as such, more than ever ? good things do take time.



Most importantly, don?t take the lack of news as a proof that we were idle or something. We simply had to keep a lower profile, as a couple of us were also in the last leg of their studies (and will defend their respective thesis in the weeks to come), while we were simultaneously working on the future schedule with our publisher. This also meant that the extra help was not only welcome, it was actually decisive in keeping us on track. JB our dev, on his end, took a few weeks of rest before the last development stretch, and we?re going into November with a strong organization and project timetable.

The Release

So what are we going for in terms of a deadline? Right now we?re planning for an early access release in Q1 2026.



Why the early access release thing? Several reasons. First of all, we owe a version of the game to the pledgers, and having it in the ballpark of what was promised cannot hurt (well, at least there will be something delivered...). Besides, obviously, the number of new features introduced by the successful campaign means that the game will have to be further developed stage by stage. Selling it as a final product in this state would be deceiving, and EA offers that kind of safe space, an intermediary stage between something not playable and something final that fits neatly as far as the current state of the game is concerned. Besides, it will also allow us to have a price that increases step by step along with the completion of the game ? those who will buy into early access will be rewarded compared to those who will buy the final game, as will Kickstarter backers compared to EA & 1.0 customers. It might be all about a few dollars more or less, but the symbolism is important. At any rate, Beta Access players get to play with the exclusive contents a bit longer, so there?s that too.



So, we know some of you guys might have their reserves regarding Early Access as a release mode. But I?d rather focus on what?s been done right in the past as an example of what we're aiming for. Take a darling of mine, Doorkickers 2 for instance. Or Sea Power, that has built a steady & strong followership a year after a strong EA release. So, yes, success stories do exist, and we?re really going to work hard to emulate them. Obviously, we?ll also do our best to provide you with a working demo ? all efforts are now directed at the release so I can?t promise to have the demo hit Steam in due time. Possibly we might be able to refurbish the Coral Sea one for a small early surprise, but no promises there.

Read on...

[Asid]

Christmas Update 2025 - Demo, Release Window, Pricing, Progress & More!
Sat, 27 December 2025



Demo & release news, incoming! Ho ho ho!

Dear Friends,
Dear Fans,

Welcome back to our December SITREP! New stuff spotted ahead, fasten your seat belts and let's dive into this serious business.



Hope you?re having a great holiday season right now. We are taking a short break for a few days to spend some time with our loved ones too, which gives me the opportunity to provide you with some news.

First, the important stuff: the Demo is about to return!




THE DEMO

We will re-release the Demo next week. It will contain the original content, along with an extra scenario (a variant of the base scenario "Of Cranes & Patriots"). New objects featured in said scenario will be available in the mission generator too.

The real added value isn't really found in the scenario itself?it is more a matter of providing you with the latest gameplay options and GUI improvements made over the last six months. The most obvious change is the ability to jump into the cockpit of one of your F4F fighters at any time, whether it is involved in a Combat Air Patrol or on escort duty for a strike. Those who were disappointed they couldn't influence the outcome of a tactical battle will now be able to get directly involved, and try to prevent your carrier from taking that extra bomb or torpedo in the face. Obviously, it?s all optional, so it will not change your core game experience. Access this feature at your own discretion.

Read on...

[Asid]

The Demo is available yet again! Happy New Year!
Thu, 1 January 2026



TFA's Demo is coming to say hello, and this time it is sticking around!

Dear fans,

As promised, the demo has now been released. We pushed it out a little quickly so that you could enjoy it during the final days of the New Year break. As a result, you may encounter a few minor issues here and there, but nothing game-breaking so far. We?ll begin providing technical support on Monday.

Ahead of its Early Access release coming in Q1 2026, Task Force Admiral?s demo lets you take command of Task Force 17 during its showdown against Carrier Division 5 in the Coral Sea, in May 1942. Will you prevail and save Port Moresby, or will Shokaku and Zuikaku prolong Japan?s supremacy over the Southern Seas?



This new version of the demo includes the following features:

? Two single scenarios (one historical, one variant with a new guest).

? A functional Battle Generator using the scenarios? assets.

? Take control of your friendly fighters in 1st- and 3rd-person view to defend the skies over your Task Force!

? Compatibility with Tacview to review and assess your accomplishments.

? Updated gameplay and graphics.

If you have issues, either post about them in the dedicated channel on discord or feel free to share them in this dedicated discussion room. https://steamcommunity.com/app/1281220/discussions/2/?snr=2___

Good luck, Admirals. Happy New Year, Best Wishes of Good Health ? and stay sharp: on to the decisive year!

The TFA Team

[Asid]

IMPORTANT: Last 24 Hours to Try Task Force Admiral Before Early Access!
Mon, 26 January 2026



Pricing, Roadmap, it's all in here, come have a look!

Dear players,

We're about to embark on a long-planned journey. With less than 24 hours to go before Task Force Admiral enters Early Access, we wanted to take a moment to clarify what you'll get on day one, what lies ahead in the coming months, and what this final day before launch means for the demo. This is the point of no return!






Early Access: State of the Game & Roadmap

A word about Early Access

Early Access means buying into an evolving piece of software.

Systems will change. Content will expand. Balance will shift. Some features will be refined, others reworked, and a few may take longer than initially expected. Save compatibility is not guaranteed.

If you're unsure whether this development model is for you, it may be wiser to wait. Task Force Admiral will still be available later. Feel free to join us when you'll know for sure that you'll be happy with what the game has to offer, that is all that counts for us!

At any rate, here's the pricing at Early Access launch

  - Base price: $39.99 USD

  - 10% launch discount

  - Optional bundles with other MicroProse titles (including ones you may already own)

What's included at Early Access launch (January 2026 build)

At the moment Early Access opens, Task Force Admiral will already provide a playable operational experience that includes:

  - Coral Sea scenario & variant (May

  - Midway scenario & variant (June 4)

  - Coral Sea battle generator set (the Midway one will follow shortly, right now it is emulated by having the Midway task forces being included to the Coral Sea environment)

  - Playable fighters, savegames, and TacView integration

This is what we deem a solid foundation meant to be replayed often, and discussed openly. We plan to expand this ASAP with the following:

  - New Coral Sea & Midway variants

  - New carriers (Saratoga, Ryūjō, Junyō)

  - A complete Japanese Midway Order of Battle (that's a lot of ships...)

  - An original 1940 -Early War- Midway variant with older air groups and aircraft models.




Short-term plans for the next six months

Over this half of the 2026, development will focus on expanding content, refining systems, and reacting directly to player feedback. Planned additions include:

Gameplay

  - Debugging & fixes based on community feedback

  - New Strike, Search, and Seaplane mission options

  - Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz battle sets

Graphics & Sound

  - Combat chatter for aircraft & ships (so that it looks more like our new trailer ^^)

  - Static and animated crew

  - New music tracks

Other Features

  - Guadalcanal, Rabaul & Port Moresby bases

  - Localizations: Deutsch, 中文, espanol, francais

  - A functional scenario editor (yay - I know you want that, but making it properly will still require a bit more time, apologies)



Further down the line (beyond this initial window), development will continue toward refined surface combat, submarines, search & rescue, extended direct gunnery control, additional locations (Wake Island, Mandates), a complete manual and historical supplement, interactive tutorials, in-game replay cinematic tools, and campaign modes.

Besides, we are particularly, painfully aware of the need for a proper documentation and a well-thought interactive learning curve. This is complicated, considering that functions are still being implemented (quite the issue for localization, as you can guess). We will try to find ways to improve that ASAP, so as to give you all a better experience.






The Demo Is Retiring (for Now)

These are the last 24 hours to download and try the Task Force Admiral demo.

As the game enters Early Access, it will evolve rapidly. Maintaining a separate demo branch would require time and attention better spent improving the main game - remember, we're just one computer guy at the end of the day, and that requires focus. For that reason, the demo will be retired when Early Access goes live tomorrow (countdown on the store page).

From then on, the -trial- experience will fall under standard Steam conditions.

We strongly encourage you to try the demo today if you haven't already:

  - Check hardware compatibility

  - Get a feel for the pacing, tone, and command philosophy

  - Decide whether this is the kind of game you wanted to grow alongside

The demo will return whenever possible, updated to reflect meaningful additions or milestones during Early Access. In the meantime, neat trick: note that if you really love it and don't want to commit to TFA's EA just yet, even after it is disabled, you will be able to access it by directly launching the executable in your installation folder.



Tomorrow, Task Force Admiral leaves the pier for its trials, after a long building and fitting phase, and all thanks to you and your support throughout the years. From that moment on, development has a change of nature - but it will remain a shared voyage, all the way up to the "commissioning" of this beast. See you on the bridge for this first cruise!

With Love,

The TFA Team

[Asid]

Released

[Asid]

[UPDATE] A busy week - what has been done and what lies ahead
Sat, 31 January 2026



An exciting few days, and still more to come!


Note & credit: all the screenshots were provided by players on the game's discord. Big thanks to them!




Current Status

The first three days since the Early Access release have been stellar, exciting, and challenging. This update gives me the opportunity to thank all our players for their kind support during this critical moment. We did our best to be transparent. At times, for various reasons, this may not have been obvious, as it can be difficult to convey that kind of information outside of the news section.

Most players, I believe, are adults who know what they're buying. They understand that we're attempting something fairly unique, with means that are what they are. If the whole team were in the same place, we'd probably be working out of a garage. Does that excuse everything? Certainly not. But it's important to understand what kind of product one is committing to when buying into Early Access: it is about supporting us and our project with a premium, and in no way does it mean we can suddenly reach AAA levels of quality and development overnight.

Early Access was also primarily a way to provide our early Kickstarter backers with the access they were promised within a reasonable timeframe. In the meantime, please keep in mind that you are playing a version that is incomplete and subject to regular changes. We greatly value the feedback you send our way, especially whenever you encounter major issues, whether gameplay- or system-related.

At the end of the day, this is a handmade experience, crafted with all the care and attention you would expect from traditional artisans. That said, don't buy it if you feel it's not yet up to your expectations. We would rather have happy late players than disappointed early ones. We're not going anywhere: a 10% discount will naturally return every few months during major events, so there's no need to rush. Join us when you feel the state of development justifies the price. That's perfectly fine. We hold no grudges, and we're certainly not trying to force anything on anyone.

Launch is, of course, a critical moment in the life of a project, so we are especially thankful to those of you who are enjoying the game and are willing to leave a positive review. We're currently hovering on the edge of "Very Positive," and if you want to help us, a few kind words in the review section can truly go a long way toward securing TFA's future.






Improving Accessibility and Learning

One of the most consistent pieces of feedback we have received concerns the learning curve. This is a valid concern, and we acknowledge that onboarding can and should be improved.

Several core systems are still undergoing refinement, which complicates the creation of long-lived instructional material. We have also observed that many questions raised by players concern features that already exist but are insufficiently documented or communicated. Improving clarity and accessibility is therefore a priority.

Planned actions include:

  - The introduction of a video-based instructional layer, providing short, focused explanations of interface elements at each station.

  - These videos will form the basis for multilingual support, with the goal of enabling future interface localization.

  - Video scripts will be reused to build a structured knowledge base for the manual.

  - Manual development will continue in parallel.

  - Interactive tutorials will be introduced later, once all major systems are finalized, to ensure their long-term relevance and reliability.

In addition, a centralized FAQ thread will be compiled on the General Discussions board, addressing the most common gameplay and technical questions. Community spaces on Steam and Discord remain valuable resources, and we are grateful to those who actively help others there.

In the meantime there are a few very good videos out there. Allow us to particularly recommend this one from The Warsimmer, which despite its age covers all the basics you need to know about to have a clean, easy start.

Watch YouTube Video







Weekly changelog

To avoid wasting space, here are the changes made to the game since the Early Access release. As you already know, the changelog is visible at game startup, but for clarity, we're also listing it here. It will also be shared on Discord.

29/01/2026

  - Fixed carriers not retrieving aircraft despite being undamaged and having available deck space.

  - Improved torpedo bomber trajectory planning.

  - The TBD + Mk13 combination has been refined to reduce the risk of "aberrations" when finding an attack angle. Feedback, both good and bad, is welcome.

  - The ruler now also displays the bearing relative to true north.

  - Fixed bearings in contact reports.

  - Fixed incorrect radio messages.

  - Slightly increased TBD-1 range.

  - The TBD remains the limiting factor for strike missions, but now has a small range increase.

  - Reworked SOC-1 flight model.

  - The Seagull is now much less viable as a long-range naval search platform. Please be mindful of its limitations, especially speed. Proper mission types for US seaplanes will come in due time.

31/01/2026

  - Fixed spotting bug placing aircraft over the edge of the deck. Please test several strike configurations in-game.

  - Fixed planes getting stuck on Midway's runway. This mainly occurred during second strikes. Feedback welcome.

  - Fixed missions disappearing from the AIR panel when a carrier is destroyed. Yorktown can now sink — but its air group will live on!

  - Pilots will now redirect to the closest available carrier from another Task Force or to an airbase if their original carrier (or fleet) is unavailable. This is an important change and needs testing. Note that rerouting to Midway currently means you'll lose control of the squadron once they land for the remainder of the scenario, though Midway will make good use of them.

If you ever see the message "WARNING, mission inserted into the wrong airbase!" in the radio panel, please report it and tell us what actions led to it.

We remain committed to fixing the game as we go, but obviously contents will have to start coming in so that we can move to our next scenario ideas. One in particular involves Saratoga (in her June refit), Ryujo and Junyo, and we can't wait for them to be completed so that you might have new toys to play with - or against. We'll keep you updated ASAP about these ones!





Again, thank you all for following us and giving Task Force Admiral a chance. It's still quite the journey ahead, but we'll be happy to spend that time in your good company. Welcome aboard, and let's get serious!

With love,

The TFA Team

[Asid]

[EA SITREP #2] New Fixes, New Features, New Scenarios
Sat, February 7, 2026




A preview of the fixes expected next week along with the script for the next 3 scenarios

Note & credit: action screenshots were provided by players on the game's discord. Big thanks to them!

Welcome back, admirals!

It's been another busy week, building the game around a strong - if somewhat stress-inducing - launch. To soothe everyone a bit, here's the latest contribution from JP Ferré to our marketing efforts, who compiled a few unused trailer rushes into an original video. A good way to kick off this update on an oneiric note.

The News of the Week

As we were saying, so far, the game works properly for most of you, foundations are good, we're now busy with improving the rougher mechanics & the polish overall. We have kept on updating the game on our testing build, and the following changes, fixes and improvements are expected to be pushed next week. Some were already as part of the February 5 update (please refer to the in-game patch notes on startup for more details)

Air Ops

  - Added a "Clear Deck" button to the Air Plot screen. This moves as many aircraft as possible into the hangar; any remaining aircraft are moved to the bow. This feature is experimental - if you experience crashes while using it, please report them and include your email.

  - Fixed cases where aircraft could remain stuck on the flight deck indefinitely with engines running and landing gear up.

  - Updated SBD payload configurations to more relevant ones:

  -   - Offensive configuration now uses a single 1,000 lb Mk13 bomb.

  -   - Endurance configuration now uses one 500 lb Mk12 bomb and two 100 lb Mk4 bombs.

  - B-17s and B-26s now use 500 lb Mk12 bombs instead of 1,000 lb Mk13 bombs, as they historically should.

  - Improved the B-17 flight model.

Naval Ops

  - Improved aircraft ship avoidance (mostly visible during torpedo attacks).

  - Fixed wrong assignations in the AIR OOB panel when splitting/merging fleets.

  - Fixed bugs in formation editors when working with multiple fleets.

Eye Candy & UI

  - Added proper tactical map 3D models for most of the missing ships.

  - Improved Akagi's nets rendering.

  - Fixed bad textures on USS Atlanta.

  - Added true Benham class destroyers in the Midway scenarios.

  - Fixed old empty shells still being listed in the AIR OOB panel.

  - Fixed planes & pilots marked as MIA by the original carrier after some time despite having landed properly elsewhere.

  - Fixed pilots not being properly marked as available when a mission about to takeoff is canceled because of damages.

The tactical map 3D models are important, not only as a way to streamline the visual experience, but also because they are used for the future upgraded Tacview library. Gone will be the days where a B-1 or a B-2 silhouette was flying in the skies above your 1942 task force! Big thanks to Skyblazer for his hard work.







As you can see with the family reunion, pretty much 50% of all ships and aircraft are already in-game by now. Some of the missing ones aren't too simple to integrate (Wasp, I am looking at you) and we still need to complete many auxiliaries, but we're closer to the end than we are from the beginning (fortunately, you'd say!). Talking about auxiliaries, we have a few new victims waiting for their last trip to the paintshop before final deployment.



Big thanks to Rizki and Julien for the new upcoming models, to Akos for the research, and to Reis for their integration (along with an impressive list of fixes for gun directors!).



Next stage is all about more "critical" hardware, as Saratoga (in her June 42 configuration), Ryujo and Junyo will join the fleet. Nagato is on her way too, and then we have Chitose, the E8N seaplane, etc... As you can guess, there's some heavy duty rumble in the air. We still lack half a dozen hulls after that to make Midway complete, but that's a good part of the job done already.








New scenarios incoming

We're also about to get you guys new scenarios. Here's a small introduction to the next three operations, which will make good use of some of the new assets we're about to introduce in-game.

1. An Early Payback - December 8, 1941

Historically, Nagumo's carrier strike force was supposed to detach Zuikaku and Shokaku on its way back to safety in order to bombard Midway Island as a target of opportunity. For various reasons, Nagumo and his staff decided to forgo this option, certainly a wise choice considering that Hiryu and Soryu were soon detached to support the Wake operation after its initial failure. In the end, only two destroyers, sent separately with a support ship to act as a mobile refueling base, shelled Midway Island, causing a single casualty.

At that point, the defenses of Midway Island were not nearly as developed as they would be six months later. What would have happened if the plan had been to invade the outpost immediately instead, offering the Japanese Navy a strategic stepping stone in the Hawaiian chain? In this scenario, the destroyers depart Japan as expected, but are accompanied by several fast transports, with the intent of executing a coup de main in the fashion of the Wake operation. As this operation goes beyond a mere demonstration of force, Nagumo provides the heavy support expected of him.

This larger operation does not go unnoticed. PBYs operating from Midway spot the small invasion flotilla and report it to CINCPAC. Admiral Kimmel, still reeling from the shock of Pearl Harbor, sees a chance at partial redemption. With short notice but great determination, Admirals Halsey, aboard Enterprise, and Brown, aboard Lexington, converge on the small island with the explicit mission of repelling the enemy assault. Lexington in particular, tasked with delivering a Marine dive-bomber squadron to Midway, is highly motivated, as the flying Leathernecks still aboard, though relatively inexperienced, are eager for payback with interest. Letting down the Marine defenders will simply not do. Little do they know that they may encounter Japanese carriers, but at least, the feeling happens to be mutual!

2. Wake-Up Call at Tulagi - May 4, 1942

Historically, the operation known as the Battle of the Coral Sea opened with a lightning raid by USS Yorktown against Japanese landing operations off Tulagi, in an area soon to become famous for other reasons in the annals of naval history.

This raid was successful partly due to a series of misfortunes on the Japanese side. Indeed, had everything gone according to plan - a recurring issue in Japanese naval operations throughout 1942 - Admiral Takagi's carrier strike force, centered on Carrier Division 5 (Shokaku, Zuikaku), should have been just north of Tulagi at that time and could have caught Yorktown by surprise. Unfortunately for the Japanese, in a stroke of bad luck, a failed delivery attempt of Zero fighters to Rabaul due to bad weather, followed by an impromptu need for refueling, meant that the task force was nowhere near where it was supposed to be. This scenario assumes that Takagi delivers the Zeroes to Rabaul on schedule, refuels afterward, and is conducting routine operations north of Santa Isabel Island.

Yorktown's attacks meet unexpected resistance over the Tulagi invasion group. In addition to the historically present Pete floatplanes, carrier fighters are spotted as they are rushed to the rescue. Lexington is down south, having just refueled, but may need a full day to join the fight.

3. Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold - May 12, 1942

Historically, Takagi received a bloody nose at the Coral Sea. Although the situation was not yet desperate, Port Moresby was saved in extremis by Admiral Inoue's reluctance to push his luck, leading him to recall the MO operation against the wishes of the Combined Fleet. But what if Shokaku had escaped damage on that fateful day, and if the air groups had been somewhat less depleted?

In this scenario, we explore the possibility that, as was historically the case, Lexington sank and Yorktown was heavily damaged. We assume that Admiral Crace's force was unsuccessful in repelling the invasion in the Jomard Passage, as Carrier Division 5 did not suffer losses anywhere near as severe as those sustained historically, having surprised TF-17 early on with a knife in the back while it was busy striking at Shoho. With troops landed at Port Moresby and its Allied airfields neutralized, all appears to be going well for the Japanese. Admiral Takagi even goes so far as to launch a raid against Cooktown and Cairns in Australia, pursuing Crace and Fletcher down the coast and giving the invasion additional room to proceed unhindered.

Admiral Halsey, who is about to enter the area with Enterprise and Hornet, is not recalled to Pearl Harbor for the Midway operation just yet. Instead, he seeks to exploit this opportunity to strike a decisive blow against the Japanese fleet as its carriers and transports retire northward around the New-Guinean peninsula. The only way to do so is to commit fully across the Coral Sea, within range of search assets and Rabaul's strike aircraft. Nimitz, though initially reluctant, understands that this is the only way for the US Navy to reassure Australia of America's commitment after the Coral Sea disaster, and is told in no uncertain terms by Admiral King and Washington that passing up this opportunity would reflect poorly on his judgment. Although diminished, the air groups of Carrier Division 5 remain combat-ready and more experienced than they were a week earlier. Leaving his destroyers behind, Halsey drives forward at full speed through the night, hoping to catch the Japanese forces with their pants down.

The other news of the Week

Spotlight today on two other games about to rumble, both firmly rooted in the past - that is, the good parts of the past.

First up, the remaster of F-22 Air Dominance Fighter has been announced and is set to release on the 17th. It is a full refurbishment of the classic air combat simulation. Many of you likely have fond memories of this important stepping stone toward Total Air War, a series that is arguably the magnum opus of DiD's modern combat lineage.




This upgrade very much follows in that spirit. Much of the underlying technology was originally developed as part of an ADF upgrade, and if the game finds its audience, all that passion - along with the new features - is expected to make its way into Total Air War in short order. Videos circulating online have been fantastic, evoking a more polished, less crude version of childhood memories - something we can all wholeheartedly cheer for. Go support it, days away from release, they need it more than ever!

F-22: Air Dominance Fighter


A legendary golden age flight sim. The perfect balance between realism and arcade with retro glidecore graphics.
Available: Feb 17, 2026
Steam page

On a slightly closer chronological front, Bracer's Battleship Command has a new devlog out. Head this way for some solid sim tech, Made in Kriegsmarine. Yeah don't worry, we'll do something about our clouds-related gameplay soon enough too, but in the meantime... Enjoy!

Battleship Command


https://store.steampowered.com/app/3367430/Battleship_Command/]Steam page

That's all for today. Thank you all for your continued support, and see you next week with more progress - hopefully!

With love,

The TFA Team

[Asid]

[EA SITREP #3] Current Progress & the Next Steps
Sat, February 14, 2026



Where we're at and where we're going for the next few weeks

Note & credit: action screenshots were provided by players on the game's discord. Big thanks to them!

Welcome back, admirals!

One more week - we can't believe it's been nearly three weeks since the early access release. Honestly it feels like forever, but there's probably a reason for that. We've been up on the deck non-stop ever since d-day and it starts to show. Still, the week has been busy, so let's have a look at what has been done, and what is yet to come.






The News of the Week

Lot of work behind the scenes. We won't repeat ourselves in here, as there's enough contents as it is, but if you are curious about it, please do take the time to have a look at our patch notes from yesterday.

Task Force Admiral - Vol.1: American Carrier Battles EventFri, February 13, 2026
Patch Notes (public build 21906357) & 7-days History

Patch notes for the current build and the previous builds over the last 7 days. Reminder: all patch notes are visible on startup. Thank you in advance for your feedback!

Since then, another update has hit the digital shelves of your Steam library. That patch includes the following changes:

13/02/2026

•     Improved automatic FDO & Scrambles interception logic that will impact fighter responsiveness against strikes.
•     Minor improvements were made to fleet maneuvers when turning into the wind when the task force is set in a non-circular (non-ring) formation.
•     Fixed the glitches on arresting barriers introduced in the last patch.
•     Game won't "acquire" the mouse anymore.
•         Except when the player is controlling an aircraft.
•             This means the -nograb option is no longer necessary.

New models are being integrated in-game (yay, new targets), and will continue to be integrated next week, so as to be readily available for the new scenarios. Said new scenarios are set to be released hopefully in the last week of February or the first week of March, depending on our progress and our debugging, as some new mechanics will have to come into play to enable them.









In the meantime, we released an "ironman" version of Midway for you to try out, set around a second Japanese carrier task force supporting carrier divisions 1 & 2.


A Flight to Somewhere?

Historically, Fletcher's morning search proved overly cautious, and Mitscher's morning strike the complete opposite. But what if their fears of being flanked by an unannounced second force had proven right? For tough players only, along with tough choices!

In this scenario, American historical tactical fears prove validated, as the Kido Butai is not anymore a mere blob headed for Midway. This scenario is meant to be more challenging, but is in no way impossible, as many of our players have discovered so far. It requires finesse as your fighters will be under heavy pressure to repulse the enemy's onslaught, and catching the odd scout at the right moment could be the difference between a quiet morning and a deadly one.

The whole point is to allow us to scale the game up, as the extra 120 or so aircraft it adds to the mix along with a new task force will help us better identify issues belonging to that sort of complex engagements. You will also have the opportunity to strike Junyo, a ship not often seen in videogames over the years, that we are happy to reintroduce - along with Hiyo - to the digital world of carrier warfare. Her sleek liner lines are a sight to behold - it's now up to you to massacre these with little mercy!










The Team: some R&R time, as we rest & regroup!

Next week our lead dev JB will take a well-deserved rest for a week, so as to take a small break from the hectic time he has gone through since before the release. As such, the flow of smaller updates will pause for the duration of his rest.

In the meantime, Victor our newly minted deputy lead dev will try to organize our QA pipeline by scouring the forums and the discord, finding yet non-addressed issues that he will either report in orderly fashion to JB, or try to fix by himself. In doing so, he will be assisted by Lawson, our Discord mod, who is currently compiling a much-needed FAQ topic which will be published on the Steam forums. These efforts will also come in handy to properly write our helping tips, as the famed Wolfpack345 has kindly accepted to assist us in filming a dozen animated short videos, designed to be accessible as an overlay from the game's stations, in order to provide some sort of narrated companion.

As for what's next, Victor is only getting started. Among other things, he'll give us a hand in getting other core functions ready - including the mission editor and the much-awaited cinematic in-game replay system. Please make him feel welcome, for he's only getting started!

Thank you all for being with us on this journey. We'll do our best not to disappoint.






That's all for today. Thank you all for your continued support, and see you next week with fresh news!

With love,

The TFA Team