Matrix Games

We know there are a lot of fans of Rule the Waves out there; finally you can read all the new features and improvements that the developers have made for Rule the Waves 3.

There are a lot of changes compared to the previous game:

POLITICS AND STRATEGIC AFFAIRS

Rule the Waves 3 offers new nations, a new region and new political options, we made some changes to improve the strategic level of the game, such as: 

• 8 AI nations will be in play
• AI nations can now go to war with each other and suffer consequential losses
• We added China and Spain as playable nations
• There is a new Baltic region
• Treaties get tonnage limits and you can affect treaty negotiations in more detail.
• Nations may now choose national training focused on Damage Control.
• Larger naval bases require more time and cost more to build.
• Before wireless telegraphy, strategic movements in remote areas may be delayed.
• Submarines can now be moved on the strategic map

SHIP DIVISIONS

Ship divisions give you unprecedented control over your own assets.

You are in control: You can determine for yourself the number of ships and their compatibility when you form your divisions. You can set your division's subordination and assign the role the division will play if it finds itself thrust into battle.

Each division is unique: You will find that each of your divisions will form its own personality, nurtured in training but forged in battle, and guided by the particular personality of its divisional commander. Whether it is in the chaos of battle or in the measured movement between regions, divisions will operate as a single entity.

Division nuts and bolts: Creating divisions is completely voluntary, you may use them or ignore them as you wish. Divisions may be altered slightly by the battle generator before entering battle depending on the number of ships assigned to the battle and the type of mission. There is no requirement that all ships in a division be operational or even be located in the same region.

NEW COMMANDERS, NEW BATTLES

Naval officers impact many different ship operations both in and out of battle.

Officer on deck: Every ship above the size of a destroyer will have a captain, while all divisions get a divisional commander.

Officers have ranks, and can be promoted; they have personal traits that can evolve as they age. Officers get a detailed personal history. They can be re-assigned, sacked, retire and expire from old age or die gloriously in battle (or be rescued from their sinking ship). They can be experts at maneuver, engineering, rate of fire, accuracy or diligently work to improve ship morale, but they can also be terrible administrators, lousy motivators, overly devoted to exercise or music, have a tendency to have ill-advised affairs or even fight duels.

Depending on your inclination you can exercise intimate control over promotions, assignments and sackings or you can ignore the entire system and let the AI handle it for you.

The AI fights better: AI nations will tend to avoid battles in constricted waters after aircraft become effective weapons. There are also changes to how forces act during battles. Fleets now have an overall morale that can affect how each ship in the fleet behaves in battle. Ships will be less likely to target already sinking ships, carriers are less likely to continue to operate aircraft when threatened by a downwind enemy, destroyers will take a more aggressive position when in a support role.

AIRCRAFT EVOLVE

Rule the Waves 3 offers a number of new aircraft types, weapons and airborne abilities.

More New Aircraft:

• Special squadrons with a mix of aircraft with specialized roles such as SAR, ASW & ECM.
• Helicopters offer better ASW performance and can be carried by most ships.

Fancy planes need fancy weapons:

• Medium bombers can deploy an experimental rocket-assisted torpedo
• Air-to-surface missiles can be carried by most prop and jet aircraft.
• Some aircraft are able to carry two torpedoes.
• Night aircraft require the proper technology and training.
• Light jets cost more than prop planes and heavier jets are even more expensive.
• Jets occupy more space on carriers than do prop planes, especially heavy jets.
• Carriers must undergo modifications to operate jets of any size.

SHIPS EVOLVE

Rule the Waves 3 provides new features for ships with new equipment and abilities.

Ships gain abilities new and old:

• You can install VTE, coal-fired turbines, oil-fired turbines and gas turbines.
• All ships age more appropriately, suffering a variety of ills as they age.
• Every move and battle is recorded in a ship history for all ships.
• Most larger ships will be capable of equipping a helipad to improve ASW.

Carriers launch into the jet age:

• Before they can operate jets, existing carriers must undergo an extensive refit.
• Carriers that are too small suffer capacity penalties when operating heavier jets.
• The conning tower may now be completely removed during carrier conversions.
• Carriers can operate helicopters to improve their ASW in a “special squadron.”

Ship construction and repair enhancements:

• Each nation has a maximum shipyard capacity.
• Helicopters can be deployed from any ship to enhance recon and ASW.
• If you build huge battleships, the AI nations may counter with its own behemoths.
• Damaged ships can be placed in mothball status to delay the cost of repairs.

SHIP WEAPONS SYSTEMS

New weapons, new systems

Pre–20th Century Systems:

• Short-ranged and inaccurate weapons but they were the best available in the 1890s.
• Early torpedoes have very short ranges but can easily sink an ironclad.
• Ships built in the 90s will have compound, nickel-steel or Harvey armor.

Post-WW2 Defensive Systems:

• Radar-directed AA guns gain greatly improved anti-jet and missile capability.
• Premium anti-aircraft protection in an efficient and compact package.
• Fast short-range cannons providing last ditch protection from missiles.
• SAM systems of increasing range and accuracy for all but the smallest ships.
• ECM systems and other countermeasures reduce the hit chance for missiles aimed at the ship.

Powerful new ASW Weapons:

• These weapons offer a longer-ranged ASW solution for small ships.
• Helicopters deployed on ships increase ASW capability..

The Ultimate Anti-ship weapons:

• By the 1960s missile weapons will begin to dominate surface combat.

SUBMARINES, DESTROYERS AND ASW

New abilities and new dangers.

Submarines rise: Submarines gain an operational mode in the Expansion as submarines can now move between regions. The total number of submarines on active patrol in a region will be reduced to account for boats in transit and undergoing refit, making long-ranged submarines quite valuable. Both submarines and ASW ships on trade patrol will do their work only in the region in which they are currently located. Missile submarines put in an appearance, but no nuclear power or weapons are included in the game.

Destroyers swell: Destroyers have been addressed as well, increasing their usability and use. AI nations now build substantially more destroyers. The AI uses destroyers more effectively by positioning them closer to the front of supported divisions. Destroyers get a new maximum size of 3,500 tons that allows them to effectively deploy guided missile systems.

ASW gets serious: Anti-submarine efforts have not been ignored. Surface ships gain improved ASW weapons with the introduction of rocket-assisted anti-submarine torpedoes. The introduction of helicopters allows most ships to improve their ASW capabilities by fitting a helipad. Even aircraft carriers can operate helicopters to improve their ASW efforts. You will be informed if you have too few destroyers to protect your fleet against enemy submarines.

For the casual player: Not interested in the additional work to manage submarines? No worries, the new functions of submarines can be automated. It's easy to turn over control of both the construction and deployment of submarines to the AI.

GUIDED MISSILES

A dangerous new world

ASMs - The earliest guided weapons:

• Air to Surface missiles - ASMs can be carried by most aircraft, including prop planes and eventually, helicopters. They come in several sizes and are equipped with warheads that are equivalent in destructive power to similarly sized SSMs. Guided bombs that can punch through most deck armor will be used by medium bombers as an early precursor to ASMs.

Surface to Air Missiles — Potent jet killers:

• Heavy SAMs - These weapons are very large and require a large ship for deployment. They have great range and can knock down aircraft even before they come close enough to fire their own weapons.
• Medium SAMS - The earliest guided missile weapons to be developed, medium SAMs offer very good anti-jet capabilities, but require considerable space, have some installation restrictions, and can only attack aircraft that are actively attacking their task force.
• Light SAMs - The main benefit of light SAMs are that they can be installed in most ships and in locations unavailable to heavier SAMs. These are close-in, last-ditch weapons without much more range, but with better accuracy than dual-purpose guns. They can also shoot down incoming missiles.

SSMs — Surface combat will never be the same:

By the early 1950s Surface to surface missiles will begin to transform surface warfare. While first generation SSMs are limited to targets within visual range, later generations have ranges that allow attacks even beyond surface radar range. Most SSMs lack great penetration power but cause substantial damage to upper works,

• Heavy SSMs - These weapons offer great range and power but take up substantial deck space. The penetration ability of early versions against heavily armored ships is fair but can be improved through technology advances. If they hit superstructure, they will cause massive damage fires.
• Medium SSMS - Medium SSMs provide good range and cause considerable damage. They can easily wreck superstructures and cause fires.
• Light SSMs - Light SSMs can be used effectively against lighter ships but can do little other than cause fires and knock down deck structures against moderately armored ships.

Air to Air Missiles — Deadly new weapons

• AAMs - Air to air missiles enhance the air attack ratings of aircraft that carry them.

A SUPERCHARGED SUPERSTRUCTURE EDITOR

New abilities for the Superstructure editor:

• Each superstructure layer may now have a different color assigned.
• The size of each layer may be individually scaled, expanding or contracting the layer to make the layer fit the image more accurately.
• Entire ship superstructures may be scaled, allowing a ship drawing to be used for different sized hulls.
• The position of individual layers, or the entire superstructure, may be adjusted vertically within the drawing, allowing precise positioning.
• A layer’s order may be changed (Change layer 3 to be layer 5.)
• Each layer and the entire ship superstructure drawing may be saved as separate files. This allows ship drawings and separate components, such as bridges and masts, to be reused between games or even shared.

We hope you liked what you read, Rule the Waves 3 is coming on May 18th, wishlist the game and prepare to command your ships.