Customer Reviews

Fighting Steel

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hey, I've read all the reviews on Fighting Steel. There is hope. Although Divide By Zero did not do a good job, a group of guys called Navalwarfare Simulations has picked up the ball. They've created patches and updates for virtually every problem with FS and continue to update the game. They've added new ships all the way up to 1946, AND new fleets. They've totally revamped the gunnery and damage control systems. Best of all it's FREE. They're currently releasing the patches all in one easy download. They respond to input and are currently getting ready to release version 7.0 of the FS game. Again All free.

...navalwarfare...

BUY this game. Then download the patches and the newest version. You won't regret it. Included in the download are over 60 new scenarios. I've played over 500 times with no crashes.

Mike

This three-demensional simulation of naval surface combat in the early days of world war II is just the game naval historians and the avid war gamer has been looking for. All the major vessel classes are represented in all the major engagements in both night and day action from 1939 to 1942. Let the PC do all the bookingkeeping as to who shot who where, you get to do the fun part as to deployment, tactics and the the thinking end of the fighting. With the exception of no land featured in the game, which makes re-supply and bombardment scenarios difficult to simulate, this is a shortcoming that, hopfully future editions or updates will address. All in all, an excellent game!

When I first saw Fighting Steel on the shelf, my immediate reaction was "Finally, the ultimate follow-on to the Great Naval Battles series." As I read the details printed on the box, my interest peaked and I couldn't wait to get into a major capital ship engagement. Unfortunately, I then installed this turkey and tried to play it.

Simply put, the game requires too much detailed effort to be enjoyable. There are an endless series of menus and sub-menus that must be employed to get anything done. By the time you have formed your forces, set navigational parameters, and maybe gotten lucky enough to engage the enemy, you're more than ready for the action to start. It doesn't happen that way. The game requires micromanagement of every aspect; navigation, gunnery, damage control, and this for every ship. What should be a very enjoyable simulation just bogs down in minutia.

What is even more frustrating is the magnificent selection of available forces. Battleships, battlecruisers, heavy cruisers, destroyers, subs and just about everything else from every major fleet are there, alongwith an almost overwhelming assortment of weapons. This game could have been a World War II enthusiast's dream come true, but it just doesn't deliver on the promise.

Worse yet is the brutal tendancy for the game to lock up in the middle of the action, with no apparent pattern to the problem. Technical support is non-existent, so you just get to start over and hope for something better.

The graphics are good, the sound effects are excellent and, if you can get a battle going, it's quite realistic. The problem is that it takes too long to get there, too much effort to control the forces engaged, and carries no guarantee that you'll get to see anything through to a conclusion.

If they ever get this right, it's going to be great. Somehow, I don't think I'll hold my breath.

Land masses played a significant role in the sea battles during WWII, especially in the Atlantic / North Sea Campaigns. Unfortunately, Divide By Zero doesn't provide any land masses. Its like conducting a sea battle where there is endless water and no land. This detracts from the realism of the game.

The US used air craft carriers during the naval battles in the Pacific. Also, the British Navy used air craft carriers in its relentless efforts to sink the Bismark. Yet, this game doesn't provide any air craft carriers, air craft, and submarines. Players are treated to Navy forces consisting of battle ships, cruisers, and destroyers. This is very unrealistic.

Now, for the major problem I have encountered with this game. I have an opponent's vessel completely out of action. I pull up real close to the vessel -- say about 500 - 700 yards. My ship blasts my opponent's vessel with its main and secoundary guns. However, at this close range, most of my shots miss the enemy's boat. How can that be? The enemy his helpless in the water; he is not moving, and I experience such rotten accuracy. even the most inexperienced gunners can hit a target some 500 - 700 yards away.

Another interesting problem. Let's say I have sunk all the opponent's vessels. I click on acclerate end to move on. Well, guess what I find? Some of my vessels have either been sunk or damaged because of "Air/Sea Superiority." How can that be? -- Considering that my opponent's naval force has been sent to the bottom of Davy Jones's Locker. If Superior Air Power is used, then ships should be allowed to defend against it. "Fighting Steel" does not give us the option of fighting air craft.

The images of the ships are "realistic." Battle Damage, however, is not. True, when the main gun batteries explode, they appear destroyed on screen. However, other battle damage is not all that realistic.

For these reasons, I believe the game is still a Work in Process. It is incomplete, and needs enhancing. The graphics are accurate, but they look like unrealistic cartoon images. Overall, it is not the worst game on the market. But, unfortunately, it is not the best either.

It's been a while since the last WW2 battleship game out on the market. This game broungt some attention, but the contents are not very well.

The game didn't have enough ships to make it a complete WW2 naval game. It didn't have the later battleships which joined WW2. So the players could not enjoy the whole history and battles during the entire WW2.

The models and the resolution of the ships were out of date. This was not a flight sim which the objects moved more than 200 miles per hour. How much computer power needed to make a 20 knots ship looked good ? I don't think as much as 40 fighters and bomber under the same sky in EAW or even the compaign of Falcon 4.0. So what happened to SSI when they modeled this game ? Didn't they notice the change of the military sim market and the power of graphic cards?

If you want some taste of traditional gun fighting naval game, you can try this one. If you want to find some excitment, this game probably wouldn't give you too much.

I was really hoping to like this game. You get the impression of playing an unfinished product. Problem #1 : At point blank range with a broadside from any ship, your likelyhood of hitting something is never greater than 10 % a shot. This is understandable at twenty miles but at 100 yard? Problem #2 no lands masses, island, depth? They recreat the battle of Savo Island with no island and no chance of finding a transport fleet at anchor.

no subs, no planes, no carriers, no signifigant objectives?

On the plus side accurate depiction of vessels, and nice 3d look

I think the concept was great and I especially liked the scenario editor - it's fun to set up whatever kind of naval battle you'd like. Unfortunately, there are too many bugs. The most frustrating is right in the middle of a battle, the game quits and goes back to desktop.

Would really like to see a better version with the bugs "debugged". I agree with the other reviews that improvements need to be made in:
1)land mass
2) range tables (more hits at closer range)
3) later WWII ships included.

I've had this game for about 10 years now. I play it on an old Windows ME PC. One of these days, I'm going to try to get it going on my Windows 7 machine. I'm a naval history buff as you can probably tell from the books i review. It's great fun lining up the forces and simulating various real life battles and "what if" scenarios. The graphics aren't great, but honestly, most of the naval gun battles were night actions where the real life forces couldn't see each other very well anyway. Various reviewers have complained about the game being incomplete. As shipped it is incomplete. You should look up Naval Warfare Simulations' Fighting Steel Project upgrade. This upgrade allows the game to be played on newer computers, and it adds ships through 1946. Plus, it cleans up various bugs in the original. I would love it if the original publisher and Naval Warfare Simulations got together and did the equivalent of Fighting Steel Project for the iPad. That would rock.

Bought this game for a friend and said that it's based on the entire WWII Navel Forces from all countries of the world.

What game did you guys play?? This is a fascinating game. I got it when it first came out, been playing it until this past spring when it finally gave out. Probably played several hundred games and that doesn't cout my son who has played it for several years as well. I'm ordering another Fighting Steel, since I have seen nothing better in shp to ship combat. By the way - have you tried Carriers At War?? AWESOME. Each gen just gets better.