Exploring ‘Sea Power’: A Naval Combat Experience

Late Morning, Friday, November 15, 2024, Miami, Florida

Hi there, dear Constant Readers.

Well, here it is late Friday morning, and it’s shaping up to be a typically warm – even hot – and humid day in the subtropical zone. The temperature is 83°F (28°C) under partly sunny skies. With humidity at 63% and the wind blowing from the northwest at 5 MPH (8 Km/H), it feels like 94°F (34°C). It doesn’t remotely feel like a northern fall or early winter day – I’ve experienced both types of day in my temporary home in New Hampshire – but it’s the climate I’ve lived in most of my life, so I’ve readjusted to this aspect of South Florida life comparatively easy.

Trivial Pursuits: Gaming Through a Bout of Writer’s Block

Yesterday was not one of my most productive writing days. I tried to stick to my workday routine, but I was under the influence of The Evil Blinking Cursor and couldn’t figure out a way to start Reunion: Coda’s 21st chapter. I had a few nebulous ideas in mind, but as hard as I tried, I couldn’t snatch them from the ether of my subconscious to jot them down in Microsoft Word. I could have – and some of you might think I should have – pushed myself to produce at least an outline for Chapter 21’s beginning, but it’s been my experience that forcing my brain to come up with new ideas for the novel is counterproductive at times.

I tried to focus on the novel, but after two hours, when no new material sprung from my mind onto the computer screen, I gave up. Instead of trying to bash through a bout of writer’s block, I decided to recharge my batteries by playing my latest computer game acquisition, Sea Power: Naval Combat in the Missile Age.

Released on Tuesday, this game marks my first new “for fun” purchase since returning to the vibrant city of Miami after an eight-year hiatus. Like Regiments, Sea Power is set in the tense Cold War era but shifts the battlefield to the vast, unpredictable oceans. Developed by the talented team at Triassic Games and published by MicroProse, Sea Power promises a captivating blend of historical naval battles and hypothetical conflicts that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Sea Power is currently in “early access,” which means it’s not quite complete but already offers a riveting glimpse into naval warfare. You’ll engage in epic sea battles, navigating complex scenarios involving NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and other key factions, including Israel and its Arab adversaries, spanning various points in the late 20th Century.

If I had to compare Sea Power to other games I’ve enjoyed in the past, I’d say it’s a visually striking fusion of Command: Modern Naval/Air Operations and Fleet Command, both of which are themselves inspired by the classic Harpoon series of naval combat sims. It also includes a touch of Cold Waters’ impressive visuals.

The developers are currently addressing bugs in Sea Power, which is still in early access. They are also working to enhance the game’s existing features. These features include a combination of historical naval battles and hypothetical scenarios that imagine World War III at sea. Unfortunately, Sea Power does not currently offer a dynamic Campaign mode like those found in Regiments and Cold Waters. However, the developers have promised that a Campaign mode will be introduced around the second quarter of 2025.

So far, I’ve only played one scenario—Dong Hoi—all the way through. The missions in Sea Power vary in complexity and historical settings, and Dong Hoi is, in my opinion, the best one for a beginner to try. Set in the spring of 1972, as U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War was winding down, the scenario has a what-if vibe because North Vietnamese MiG-17s and Soviet-made P6 torpedo boats are unexpectedly more successful in battle than their real-life counterparts.

I’ve tried Dong Hoi four times since I bought Sea Power on Tuesday. The first three times didn’t result in victories, as the North Vietnamese MiGs broke through my U.S. Navy task force’s anti-air defenses and successfully bombed one or more of my warships. Poor USS Higbee was hit and sunk at least twice. In real life, MiG-17s of the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) bombed the Higbee—the first and only time a U.S. warship was bombed by enemy aircraft during the war—and although the destroyer’s aft 5-inch turret was damaged, it survived the encounter.

I wasn’t expecting a different result when I booted up Sea Power to try the Dong Hoi scenario a fourth time. However, knowing that the North Vietnamese MiG-17s pounce on my flotilla early in the scenario, I activated the air and surface radars on all four of my warships and set their readiness status at “Weapons Free” instead of the default “Weapons Hold.”  As a result, all the VNAF MiGs were shot down before they could drop their bombs, and my task force – including Higbee, the first American combat ship named after a woman – successfully carried out its shore bombardment mission.

I’m not quite ready to craft a full review of Sea Power just yet; I’ve only navigated through one scenario from beginning to end. But I can tell you this— the game is truly captivating, brimming with realism, and visually stunning. The ships on-screen are intricately detailed, right down to their pennant numbers and names. The aircraft don’t just flaunt their national insignia; you’ll also spot their squadron insignia and other intricate visual details. It’s no wonder—it turns out that one of the designers previously lent their expertise to Killerfish Games’ Cold Waters, the 2017 submarine simulator that’s been my go-to since 2020.