SpAFerrari

Ive been playing this genre of game a LONG time. Started out with old paper wargames. Then found computer Harpoon, played various representations of that for many years until it was obvious that Harpoon was at a dead end. Then I found Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations. For me this was an instant buy. First reason is the Database. If it has floated, flown, or fought in a battle since the end of World War II, chances are very good it is in this sim. Youll have your pick from a lowly patrol boat all the way up to entire US Navy battle fleets complete with air wings. Every country in the world is represented on a google earth like map. Now this sim is NOT a 3D representation of the world, units are represented by symbols, and not in a 3D environment. Some people may cry foul and say in this day and age, everything should be like a FPS. But command strives for a look of a map a naval commander would look at in real life. Second reason is the Scenario Editor. When i first played this sim, this is where i headed to first. It is VERY easy to create two sides, plop down some units for both, and just turn the sim on and play. I consider it the ultimate sandbox. You can play to your hearts content and add as many units as you wish. There is a learning curve with this sim. There are a LOT of buttons and options and different windows to manage your forces. Is this too much? I think not, there are several good tutorials that introduce you to the mechanics of the sim, and MANY good resources online via YouTube and elsewhere to find out how things work. A sim of this magnitude requires complexity. The Command online community is by far the most helpful and friendly bunch o have come across in some time. It is not uncommon to see the developers of the game in a chat room and have them respond to bugs and have a patch out within a few days. I have seen them put out several patches in a day just to make sure a **** bug is finally quashed. They are veterans of the whole naval warfare simulator community and have years of experience in their chosen craft. This game has received Game of the Year awards given to it by several sites such as War Is Boring, Grogheads, Usenet, Eurogamer, and elsewhere. IF modern air naval combat is interesting to you, THIS is the simulator to buy.