We will talk about a lot of important updates for some of our Matrix Games best sellers and coming soon games, such as:
Modern Naval Warfare
Armored Brigade 2
Nuclear War Simulator
Command Modern Operations
Flashpoint Campaigns
Rule the Waves 3
And much more. Stay tuned!
Modern Naval Warfare - Navy Log Book #7 - NPC Ships Part 2
Welcome back to the Navy Log Book. This month we are looking at Part 2 of our exhibition of NPC ships featured in Modern Naval Warfare. As a submariner there are plenty of surface targets out there, and it's important you know which ones to pass up, and which ones to send to Davey Jones's locker.
In case you missed Part 1, here it is again covering the Missile Boat, Frigate, and Destroyer classes of ship.
We also have a helpful glossary at the end of the article, in case you need a refresher in terminology.
Anyways, on with the show!
Cruisers:
* While the Chinese consider the Type 052C a Destroyer, NATO reporting considers it a Cruiser.
Cruisers in modern days are used mainly as escort for carriers or auxiliaries but they can also do area denial missions. Cruisers are the most powerful surface ships after the aircraft carriers in term of weaponry and sensors. Their build and maintenance cost make them rare, less than 30 are currently in service across the globe.
A small number of countries still have cruisers in their fleet, the USN with the Ticonderoga class (15), Russia (2 Kirov and 2 Slava class) and China with the Type 055 (6) - note that in the PLAN, the Type 055 is considered a destroyer.
Those are a few of the surface ships that are a threat to you as a submarine. Either they are a waste of ammo like a missile boat, or an active threat capable of hunting you like a destroyer. The others military ships you will meet in MNW are bigger, sometimes slower, but juicy targets!
These are the auxiliaries, amphibious assault ships and aircraft carrier; they are few and almost always protected by escorts. These are the ships that will win or lose a war if you manage to sink them.
Auxiliaries:
The auxiliaries are ships specialized in resupplying other ships at sea. Their designation starts with AO or AOE in most navies. These ships are designed to resupply other ships with fuel, ammunition, spare parts, food … in short everything needed for a ship to accomplish missions at sea when coming back to a port is not an easy option, especially in the Pacific.
These ships are usually very lightly armed, they rely mainly on the destroyers for their protection.
Amphibious Assault Ship (AAS):
These are specialized ships that are designed for amphibious assaults (the most difficult operations for any Navy) bringing troops and their equipment to the shore.
In Modern Naval Warfare you will encounter two different type of AAS, the LPD/LHD (Landing Platform Dock and Landing Helicopter Dock). The LPD delivers troops using small landing ships (flat bottom or using air-cushion like the LCAC). The Landing Helicopter Dock use mainly helicopters like the CH-53 Sea Stallion or the Osprey V-22 to move troops and equipment from the sea to the shore.
Aircraft Carriers:
These are true Capital ships, they serve as floating airbase able to launch, recover, rearm, refuel, and repair airplanes, helicopters, and UAVs.
The are the biggest ships and targets you will encounter in Modern Naval Warfare. They are rare and the most protected assets in real life and in MNW. They will be a real challenge for you, but disabling or even better sinking one can win or lose a war.
Air assets:
Air assets are helicopters and planes. In MNW as in real life, ASW helicopters and planes are not as big a threat as you might think. The ocean is vast and deep, but if you make a mistake they can be really annoying, like a wasp that invites herself to an outdoor lunch.
Helicopters like the Seahawk, the Harbin Z-9CE or Kamov Ka-27 use a dipping sonar that can be deployed at different depths using a winch. This sonar can be use in passive or active mode. The helicopter can also deploy sonar buoys, there are different types (DICASS, DIFAR, BT, … ). The weapons mainly used by ASW helicopter are lightweight torpedoes. Don’t be fooled by the name, their range and explosive charge is far less than a heavyweight one launched by a submarine, but can sink your boat all the same.
A helicopter by itself will have almost zero probability to detect you. It will always rely on other platforms like a dedicated ASW ship (or two) to make a first detection. Then it will come and check using it’s sonar and/or sonar buoys to confirm the presence of a submarine. Ocean fauna like whale pods can be read as a false positive for submarines, meaning your AI opponent will sometimes have to hunt down and confirm whether a sonar contact is an actual submarine, or just Shamu.
Planes, like the P-8 Poseidon, the P-3 Orion or the Chinese Shaanxi Y-9Q rely mainly on their sonobuoys to pinpoint your location. Like the helicopters, they works in conjunction with other assets such as ASW ships. The have a longer range and can stay on-station for hours unlike helicopters, but lack the hovering ability and the dipping sonar. On the other hand, these aircraft can carry a larger number of sonobuoys.
That all for this Navy Logbook. Development continues at a rate of knots, so expect more exciting news and teasers in the coming months! Happy sailing everyone.
Glossary
AAS - Amphibious Assault Ship
ASW - Anti Submarine Warfare or as the ASW experts says Awfully Slow Warfare
AShM - Anti-ship missile
CH-53 Sea Stallions - Heavy-lift transport helicopters
CWIS - Close-In Weapon System
CCG - Cruiser Guided
DDG - Destroyer Guided
FFG - Frigate Guided
IUSS - Integrated Undersea Surveillance System. Successor of the SOSUS array. See SOSUS entry
JMDF - Japanese Maritime Defense Force
LCAC - Landing Craft Air Cushion
LDH - Landing Helicopter Dock
LPD - Landing Platform Dock
ManPAD – Man Portable Air Defense
OPV – Ocean Patrol Vessel
P-15 Termit – AshM developed by the Soviet
Panamax – Maximum size for a ship using the Panama Canal 106 feet in width and 965 feet in length
PLAN - People Liberation Army Navy
SAM – Surface to Air Missile
Sonobuoy - Droppable buoy that deploy transducers (passive or active) at a determined depth and relays the signal to the surface via radio
SOSUS - Sound Surveillance System. A moored array of transducers listening to the oceans sounds installed during the Cold War by the USN. Renamed IUSS at the end of the 80’s
SURTASS - Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System. Specialized ships that tow a very long Towed Array. Able to detect submarines and ships at considerable distance
UAV - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (drone)
UUV - Unmanned Underwater Vehicle
V-22 Osprey – Tilt Rotor Aircraft
VLS - Vertical Launching System
Modern Naval Warfare - Navy Log Book #6 - NPC Ships Part 1
Foreword: Those unfamiliar with some terms used in the text will find a helpful glossary at the end of this Navy LogBook. Ahoy! Today, it’s time for a little naval review, last month we had a tour inside the Virginia, today we are going to take a look outside at some of her potential victims or hunters (depending on the side!). Starting with the Chinese PLAN ships and ASW air assets that roam into the South China Sea. Not all ships are currently modeled since all the assets are in house created. At launch there will be around 75 ships, submarines and air assets (military and civilian) ready.
In the simulator, you are going to encounter different type of surface ships, from small missile boats to aircraft carriers and submarines. There will be civilian ships from small life boats to Panamax Containers, Cruise ships, tankers, etc.
You may have already heard about the terms patrol, OPV, corvette, frigate, destroyer or missile boat. But what is the difference between a frigate or a destroyer and a missile boat?
World Navies enjoy designating ships by types, but these designations are not cast in stone. Some Frigates in one country are considered a Destroyer in another one (and Destroyers as Cruiser). In some case for constitutional reasons, Aircraft carriers are designated helicopter-destroyers (e.g. the Izumo of the JMDF). There are no hard and fast rule to designate a ship by its length or tonnage. Usually, the ship's purpose is used to classify a vessel as frigate, destroyer or auxiliary.
In Modern Naval Warfare, you will encounter enemy ships in the first playable area, the South China Sea. As we update the game after release and plan future DLC, this will expand to include more enemy ships, and eventually more playable submarines and surface ships. Modern Naval Warfare is not exclusively a submarine game.
Ranked from low displacement to the highest we have...
Missile boat
Frigates
Destroyer
Cruiser
Landing Ship
LHP / LHD
AOE/AOR/AOT/…
Aircraft Carrier
You might wonder about their respective role's and whether these ships are a threat or juicy target... Missile boats
A Type-022 Missile Boat: cheap, fast, and capable of carrying a deadly assortement of anti-ship missiles.
These ships are small but fast and carry anti-ship missiles. Easy to build and cheap with a small crew. They are used for coastal defense, operating in the Brown/Green water area. Their range is a short 300-400 nautical miles. Speed and numbers are their main advantage. They wait in the cover of coves or inlets and then swarm ships, fire their missiles, and hastily go back to cover. They are almost defenseless with limited air defense capability, usually being armed with short range SAM/MANPAD or CWIS for close protection.
A good example of missile boats in MNW is the Chinese Type 022 Houbei. A squadron (8 boats) can launch 64 missiles at a time. This can be a painful nuisance if correctly used.
The first ship destroyed by anti-ship missiles was the Israeli destroyer INS Eilat. In October, 1967 she was sunk by two Egyptians Komar-class missile boats with P-15 Termits.
For a submarine they are no threat unless they catch a glimpse of your periscope (they can report you) or worse if you are surfaced (they can shoot you)... but you know better, stay deep and silent.
Frigates
Type-056 Corvettes are a kind of light frigate that's fast, capable of operating in shallow waters, and has variants equipped with anti-submarine weaponry.
Frigates are primarily designed to escort and defend other ships, military or civilian. They are mostly defense-oriented but that does not mean they cannot chase you and make your life miserable or short. These ships are designed to be easy to build and replaced, as their main purpose is to escort convoys from the US to Europe in case of a hot war. During the Cold War, the Oliver Hazard Perry and the Type 22 class were the main US and UK frigates respectively.
Since 2015 and the retirement of the Oliver Hazard Perry class, the US Navy has no more Frigates at sea until the Constitution FFG-X program based on the Italian FREMM will be launch in 2030.
Another role for a frigate is to act as a picket far the main force, serving as an alarm bell in case of air or missile attack. Pickets are usually the first ship to get sunk by a player which is usually a bad move. Frigates are relatively cheap, and the heavier ships are usually your primary targets.
A frigate is equipped with multiple sensors and weapons, able to detect and engage air, surface, and submarine threats. Their armament consist of anti-ship missiles, SAM launchers, torpedoes, and one or two helicopters dedicated to ASW. These helicopters can also do reconnaissance and support boarding teams. Most moderns frigates also carry a UAV and UUV.
One of the most common tactics used by frigates against submarines is the “sprint and drift”. The frigate sails fast for some time then cuts it's engine and remains silent. It then listens for sonar contacts and repeats the process. They can also do this with two ships, one listening while the other sprints.
Another tactics is the “anvil and hammer”. A frigate listens while the helicopter use it’s dipping sonar in active mode. This can also be reversed, with the helicopter listening while the frigate use the hull active sonar.
Destroyers
Destroyers like the Type-052 displace more than frigates and are capable of carrying a more substantial loadout - this can include weapons like ASW rockets, torpedoes, and helicopters.
These ships are built mainly to protect high value assets like landing ships, auxiliaries, or carriers. They are bigger than a frigate and have better sensors, weapons, speed, and range.
Since the introcution of the Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) and the invention of new multipurpose missiles able to engage sea/air or sea/land targets, the distinction we knew between the frigates and destroyers is fading away. Modern ships are now multi mission and multi domain. Only size (therefore the size of their loadout) and speed really differentiate them.
Some example of destroyers classes are the Arleigh Burke, Udaloy, Type 55, Horizon, or Type 45 class.
Part 2
A Type-052C - Displacing 2,500 tons more than the earlier Type-052, she has a far more impressive sensor package.
The next part of this article will cover Cruisers, Auxiliaries, and Carriers. These ship's represent significant resource investments, and are prime targets for a submariner. We will see you next month with Part 2!
Glossary
AAS - Amphibious Assault Ship
ASW - Anti Submarine Warfare or as the ASW experts says Awfully Slow Warfare
AShM - Anti-ship missile
CH-53 Sea Stallions - Heavy-lift transport helicopters
CWIS - Close-In Weapon System
CCG - Cruiser Guided
DDG - Destroyer Guided
FFG - Frigate Guided
IUSS - Integrated Undersea Surveillance System. Successor of the SOSUS array. See SOSUS entry
JMDF - Japanese Maritime Defense Force
LCAC - Landing Craft Air Cushion
LDH - Landing Helicopter Dock
LPD - Landing Platform Dock
ManPAD – Man Portable Air Defense
OPV – Ocean Patrol Vessel
P-15 Termit – AshM developed by the Soviet
Panamax – Maximum size for a ship using the Panama Canal 106 feet in width and 965 feet in length
PLAN - People Liberation Army Navy
SAM – Surface to Air Missile
Sonobuoy - Droppable buoy that deploy transducers (passive or active) at a determined depth and relays the signal to the surface via radio
SOSUS - Sound Surveillance System. A moored array of transducers listening to the oceans sounds installed during the Cold War by the USN. Renamed IUSS at the end of the 80’s
SURTASS - Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System. Specialized ships that tow a very long Towed Array. Able to detect submarines and ships at considerable distance
UAV - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (drone)
UUV - Unmanned Underwater Vehicle
V-22 Osprey – Tilt Rotor Aircraft
VLS - Vertical Launching System
Modern Naval Warfare - Navy Log Book #5 - The Virginia-class Submarine
Copyright 2003 U.S.DoD. Graphic by Ron Stern. Image ID 030521-D-9078S-001
Ahoy Modern Naval Warfare Fans. In this Navy Logbook we will look at your workhorse, the Virginia class submarine. This series of boats is the latest in service into the US Navy. Be sure to read to the end for some shiny new footage of the command stations featured in Modern Naval Warfare.
In Modern Naval Warfare, you will be able to command either a Virginia Block I, II or III but before entering into the details, let’s have a very short historical background on the Virginia submarine.
The Virginia-class submarines have their roots in the Seawolf class submarines, which was designed during the Cold War to counter the Soviet submarine threat. However, due to cost concerns, the Seawolf program was scaled back; only four units are currently in service.
A new class of submarines was requested. The Virginia-class submarine program officially began in 1998, with the goal of producing a versatile and cost-effective submarine for a variety of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, land strike missions and finally intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) with a Special Force delivery capability.
To reduce the cost of the submarine, it was decided to use a modular construction system and wherever possible use COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) parts and softwares. For example, the SONAR suite named the Acoustics-Rapid COTS Insertion (A-RCI) is installed on the submarine. This give the ability to upgrade either the hardware or the software more often, reduce drastically the maintenance costs.
Two naval yards, General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton and Huntington Ingalls Industries/ Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport, were chosen for the submarine production. The goal was to produce at least two Virginia per year to keep the cost contained.
With the new AUKUS trilateral security partnership, 2.33/year boats are expected to be build but currently the delivery is only 1.2/year, which also raised the total cost of the program.
The first Virginia-class submarine, USS Virginia (SSN-774), was laid down in 1999 and commissioned in 2004. Since then, 22 are in active service, 2 in pre-commissioning, 10 in different building phase. A total of 66 boat were requested by the USN.
Over the years, the Virginia-class submarines have undergone various upgrades and improvements to enhance their capabilities. These include the integration of new weapons launch systems, improved sonar and communication systems.
Specifications:
Length - 377 ft (115 m)
Beam - 34 ft (10 m
Propulsion - One S9G nuclear reactor delivering 280,000 hp (210 MW)
Speed - +25 knots (46 km/h)
Test depth - +800 ft (240 m)
Crew - 135 (15 officers and 120 enlisted)
As we wrote before, Modern Naval warfare reproduce the three first block of the series. A block is a batch of boat with the “same” configuration. In fact, almost all submarines are a little different one from the others; new equipment can be installed in one and not in the others or a software upgrade not applied. Modifications of the submarines are done during period of long overhaul.
Block I & Block II
The main visible difference between those are the number of segments used during the construction. Originally, for the first four hulls (hull 774 to 778), 10 modules were built and then assembled to form a Virginia.
For the Block II, only four super-modules are used, reducing the whole cost, number of parts and time to build one submarine.
Block III
Block III is a small departure from the two first block. The 12 independent bays housing the Tomahawk cruise missile in the bow where replaced by two Multiple All round-up Canister MAC cylinder carrying each 6 Tomahawk cruise missiles. Note that the MAC installed on the Ohio SSGN contains 7 missiles. The missing one on the Virginia is to accommodate the connection between the submarines and the missiles.
The block IV and V are the next boat to come in the next years. With the retiring of the SSGN, the USN wanted to add a strike capability to the Virginia.
The bock IV will be an elongated version of the Block III with the addition of a new section adding 15m to the boat housing the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) will be able to carry 4 pods of 7 missiles in addition to the 2 already present on the block III. Systems of the Virginia
The Sensors
The submarines relies on their sensors to create a picture of their surrounding when you think of submarines, you consider sonar and periscope but there is more than these two iconic sensors as you are going to discover.
The SONAR system:
There is not one SONAR aboard the Virginia but a series of passive and active ones that give the submarine a 360 degrees situation awareness.
The bow sonar (for the Block I and II) and the Large Aperture Bow (LAB) introduced in the Block III and further.
The side sonar, wide aperture lightweight fiber optic sonar array, consisting of three flat panels mounted on either side of the hull,
Low-Cost Conformal Array (LCCA), on both side of the sail,
Two active sonar complete the series, one below the bow chin and the other on the sail.
The Towed Array
A towed array is a set of hydrophone towed behind a ship or submarine. It’s main advantage is that decoupled from the hull, it is not subject to the ship/submarine self generated noise. In addition, a TA can cover the baffles (the blind area at the rear of the submarine).
Here is two TA aboard the ship. The TB-16 or TB-34 and the TB-23 or the TB-33.
The TB-16/34 thick-line towed array. The acoustic array 75m long, trailing behind a 800m cable. Different upgrade, added a self noise reduction, a full digitalization of the data, …
The TB-16 was found not well suited for shallow waters operation since at slow speed the array tend to sink too depth under the submarine.
The TB-23/33 thin-line towed array. This array is 305m long, housing around 100 hydrophones, an environmental module and some radio modules (HF, MF and LF). It trailed behind a 800m line.
Like the TB-16, it as been improved a lot with new sensor, telemetry modules…
The Masts (periscopes, antenna, …)
The sail is the house of a number of masts.
The Radar is like all others ones mounted on the USN a Sperry Marine AN/PBS-16.
There is two optronic periscopes with day, night and thermal cameras. The video can be displayed on almost all station of the boat CIC. The mast are non hull penetrating, meaning they didn’t get below the sail.
Four masts dedicated to communication (SLF, LF, MF, HF and VHF)
One Electronic Support Measures dedicated mast, note that on top of each periscope there is a small ESM module to detect any enemy signal as the scope breach th surface.
The last one is a snorkel raised only when the auxiliary diesel is in use.
After a really quick look at the gears used to detect, ID and classify a contact, he the “Boom“ moment, with all the destructions tools needed to sink them.
The weapons of the Virginia
The Virginia class can use a variety of missiles, torpedoes and even mines. Each Virginia as 12 Tomahawk cruise missile in the bow in the Vertical Launch System and 25 or 26 weapons in the torpedo room depending to the sources. Usually is 2 or 3 Harpoon missile only and 23 or 24 the Mk-48 torpedoes but remember that the loadout is mission specific.
The Mk-48Torpedo:
The history of the Mk-48 begin in the mid 50’s as a replacement of the Mk-37 whose performance against soviet submarines in terms of maximum depth, range and speed had become obsolete. The Bureau of Ordonnance wanted an increase of 150% in depth, 400% in range and the ability to detect a target at greater range by 20%. The Mk-48 entered in service in 1972.
Since then the Mk-48 has been improved multiple time, with the biggest one in 1988 with the introduction of the Mk-48 ADCAP (Advanced Capabilities), following the rapid evolution of the Soviet submarine threat in term of maximum speed, depth and improvement o their self noise reduction.
The current version use by the Virginia are the Mk-48 ADCAP mod 6 and 7.
Mines: The Virginia is able to carry mines that can be deployed for interdiction (in a narrow sea-lane or a port for example). This capability is on the Virginia fact sheet but there is no public evidence that any mine has ever been deployed in exercise or in anger.
But, don’t worry, mines will be available in the simulator to add some existing missions! The effector for deployment is a Mk-48 carrying 2 mines.
Missiles
The Virginia SSN can use a wide type of Tomahawk and anti-ship missiles.
BGM-109 Tomahawk: The 12 first Viginia (block I and II) have 12 in separate vertical launch tube like in the Los Angeles class. On the Virginia block II and III, there is 2x6 TLAM in two MAC modules.
The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) can be type C (block III or IV), E or D (Block V/VA). The C and E models are use against bunker or fortified targets; the D is the sub-munition dispenser version.
Note that currently some TLAM-C are modified to be able to strike naval targets.
UGM-84 Harpoon: The other type of missile aboard are the Harpoon (Blocks 1C, II and II+), those are launched via torpedoes tubes and are use mainly against ships but the block II can also hit land target.
So we have land attack missile with anti ship capabilities and vice versa!
The Special Forces: As the Ohio SSGN and Seawolf class, the Virginia, has a dedicated space in the torpedoes room to accommodate some special force and their equipment for covert operation on hostile littoral territories. In addition, a large lockout truck (LOT) allow the SF/Divers to exit or enter the submarine while it is submerged.
To conclude this Navy Logbook on your future office, here's a short video tour to the Virginia Command and Control Center.
Note: some stations in this video were not operational at the time of the recording. Modern Naval Warfare is still work in progress
In Modern Naval Warfare, you will have access to nine stations:
1. Radio
2. ESM
3. Pilot
4. Command
5. Navigation, Map and Situation Awareness table
6. Sonar
7. Fire control system
8. Radar
9. Periscopes
In the future, we will make specific videos detailing the full interfaces of each of the stations.
See you next month, sail safe!
Modern Naval Warfare - Navy Log Book #4 - The Development Process
Ahoy there! In the last month's Navy logbook, we explored the personal side of our developer team, answering questions and offering introductions to our vibrant community. In this months logbook, it's all about diving into the depths of Modern Naval Warfare’s development and showcasing a few of our latest efforts.
The team, though small, packs a mighty punch. They are now like a well-oiled machine, constantly sprinting forward in the development of Modern Naval Warfare.
Starting off, we figured it would be nice to show off some of the modeling work being done. Our artists have been hard at work designing ships and we have some pretty nice renders to show you today.
This model is currently a work in progress and may not represent the finished product
Besides these beautiful new ship models, we also figured you would like to hear about the actual in-game process of firing shipboard weapons. In Modern Naval Warfare this launch is not just a simple "press button - missile fires", but a very involved process with multiple in-game factors occurring.
Let us consider a scenario where you are tasked to launch a BGM-109D Tomahawk missile. You receive the mission order and all the plans via satellite communication. Following the directives, you position the submarine 200 miles east of the Paracel Islands.
Moving to the Fire Control station, you select the missile in the vertical launch tube, start the fire sequence and patiently wait for all the lights to turn green before pressing the launch button.
Excitedly, you rush to the periscope to witness the missile emerge from the surface. Within seconds, the booster falls away, and the missile vanishes into the hazy morning, commencing its journey to the target.
But hold on a moment! While this 20-second event may seem straightforward, it's the culmination of months of rigorous research, coding, testing, and meticulous 3D and VFX work.
Let’s start. The AGM-109D Block III (TLAM-D) used for this mission was meticulously crafted and textured by our dedicated 3D team. The stunning engine exhaust and contrail plume were skillfully created by our VFX experts.
The development of the flight model involved a lot of research on missile flight and control, a long and meticulous debugging process (often accompanied with a lot of laughing) to accurately account for the aerodynamics and physics laws governing the missile's trajectory including considerations for weight, thrust, drag, fluid dynamic and more.
To ensure the missile stays on course between waypoints an Inertial Navigation System (INS), Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM), and DSMAC (Digital Scene-Matching Area Correlation) models were also developed. Yes, in contested environments with GPS jamming, the missile will use the DSMAC to realign the navigation system.
Finally, upon reaching the point of impact, a complex process activates the warhead following the mission orders inputs (axis of delivery, altitude, ….). The missile's terminal attack mode, whether it's a pop-up maneuver, a sub-munition dispersal or a direct attack mode, dictates the outcome. This could mean a powerful detonation for a single strike or, in the case of dispersing BLU-97s, a series of smaller explosions. Each explosion is meticulously designed and executed by our skilled VFX team, adding a touch of realism and intensity to the simulation. As always, we all love big Boom!.
I know you're eagerly anticipating some videos and more screens, so let your wishes be granted!
NOTE: All media presented are works in progress and don’t necessarily represent the final product.
Here's a sample of the works of the 3D and texturing artist
Video of the simulator flight model (work with aircraft, missiles, ….), at the end, a little blooper. It happens when some flight parameters inputs are incorrect. Videos of the VFX artist. Since he got an Oscar, he got to have TWO videos (but only this time!) Underwater Explosions Atmospheric Explosions As you've witnessed in this logbook, the effectiveness and dedication of our development team are paving the way to deliver the most realistic consumer simulator of Modern Naval Warfare to date.
While I hope your craving for simulator development insights has been partially satisfied, I understand you're hungry for more, but that's all for today!
So, stay tuned for another exciting update next month!
Modern Naval Warfare - Navy Log Book #3
Ahoy, tech enthusiasts and oceanic visionaries! After a brief hiatus, the Navy Logbook Series is making a splash back into the scene this year.
We're committed to delivering a new logbook every month leading up to the simulator release and beyond, so keep those eyes peeled on the screen of the photonic mast.
In this edition, we're pulling back the curtain to introduce the team—actually, they'll be introducing themselves. You're likely familiar with the two dynamic Maslas brothers, Kyrmitsos and Kyrgiannis, one is good looking and smart, the other is smart and good looking!
But behind the scenes, there's a fresh squad of up-and-coming developers and 3D artists who recently joined our studio.
Amidst their challenging tasks, our talented team graciously took the time to answer some questions about themselves and their contributions to the project. Rest assured, no developers or 3D artists were harmed or injured during the course of this interview.
So, plunge into the pixelated depths with our coding and artistic crew as we set sail on a journey to craft Modern Naval Warfare, a simulator that'll have you exclaiming, "the sonar, the merrier! (I know, it’s a bad joke but I had to do it).
Let’s start!
Michael-Evangelos Diamantis (MAD) - Game Developer, QA/QC and Integrator.
I'm currently 23 years old - soon to be 24! As a character, I find myself constantly evolving, learning from experiences, and cherishing the relationships that shape me throughout my life.
With a small background at programming that started as a hobby back in to 2012, I began experimenting with various Game Engines, Programming languages and steadily began self-teaching myself through high quality programming books and of course a lot of tinkering. The rest is history because I've lost count of how many things I've done since then.
I joined the studio in 2022 because aside from the Maslas Bros being a damn good, internationally recognized development studio (OBVIOUSLY!) I chose to apply for the position of the -then- Internship Game Programmer to hone my skillset and further develop my programming skills in my line of work. As to why they chose me, aside from my then skillset they saw the "spark" and passion about my work and hobby called programming.
In the span of one year with them, I've developed several features (and bugs) inside MNW and not only these. I really can't "count" the things I'm doing in the project because it's a "love about my work and the subject of it" not "work I have to do so I get paid" situation.
I am a gamer, of course! I've played countless games in my lifetime and I've yet to play even more! Right now, I'm playing Baldur's Gate 3 and - still - trying to play Command (it's hard).
I am using a PC for everything except couch-gaming, this is where the consoles win.
Outside work I like to socialize, partying, make new friends and NOT stay inside in a Saturday night - although I do so many times heheh. When I'm not doing any of these I like studying about my field, playing games, having a coffee with a friend and trying new things. LEGO building is my guilty pleasure...
My favourites games are TESV: Skyrim, Cyberpunk 2077 and of course every LEGO game in existence. In the field of books, I'd say that the following are must-read:
When Nietzsche Wept - Irvin D. Yalom
The Anti-Christ - Nietzsche
Ecce Homo - Nietzsche (still reading it for the 4th time...)
As of movies I love any kind of movie but psychological thrillers/horrors, action-packed and fantasy/sci-fi movies are my go-to e.g. "The Shadow People" or any John Wick and Harry Potter movie. My music taster varies based on my mood, but my non-changing music group is Rammstein. A martini Bianco with three ice cubes - other drinks do not exist.
Petros Daskalakis (DSK) - Game Developer
Well, I'm 20 years old and as far back as I can remember, I was always obsessed with consoles and computers. Even though my age, you would always catch me playing some very old school games, mostly 2D top-down or platform games.
From an early age, I loved the idea of programming and the opportunity it gave people to transform their ideas, in functional realities. The ability to bring concepts to life through code fascinated me. So, because I played those classic video games that gave many children like me moments of freedom and joy, I decided to become a Game Developer, so through my ideas I can give to other people those exact feelings I had while I was playing.
I join Maslas Bros because of my good posture? Well, who wouldn’t want to work with highly experienced developers and passionate people about their work? Since then, I've been involved in a variety of aspects within the project, including widgets development, tools creation, and systems managers.
I've been a gamer since I could understand how a console or a PC works! Currently, playing Shovel-Knight: Dig and Cyberpunk 2077 (yes, two completely different genres I know, don't judge me for being diverse...) I really don't have a preference between PC and consoles. I started my gaming addiction with an NES and then followed with PCs and other consoles. Anything that can run a videogame is good enough! My favourite games are Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Crash Bandicoot, Days Gone and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.
With my free time, I mostly blast some music on my headphones, play guitar, I pursue photography as a hobby and of course gaming. Should I say that I try to socialize? Well, I'm a very social person so I try to have fun with my friends and family also!
Music is a big deal to me. I listen to lots and lots of Blues and Soul music. Favourite music group I'd probably say Snowy White & The White Flames, but I listen a lot of solo artists like Rory Gallagher etc.
My favourite drink is Whiskey...just any kind of Whiskey is good for me.
Evagelos Vasilakis (ZX) - Developer and Technical Artist.
I'm currently 21 years old, I enjoy winter (despise summer) and believe Windows 7 was Microsoft’s best OS (ok and maybe 2000). Back when I was 10, I discovered a "making of Halo 2" documentary, fiddled with game engines after and got hooked.
Well, I choose to work for The Maslas Bros because I wanted to work with games (or simulators) and they were making one! They also periodically feed us quality food which is a great bonus! The best part about my role as my tasks can range from Explosions and Shaders to the studio infamous zx map scalebar. Currently I'm working on water based explosions and I believe Damage modeling is next.(I make ship go boom)
When I am not working for the studio, I try and keep up to date with various games but I usually end up playing either the same old ones I enjoy (Halo), and yes, my favorite game is Halo Combat Evolved but I also like dabble with borderline ancient titles (Quake, Unreal, Half-Life, Wipeout etc.) on PC and Xbox 360 (specifically).
Outside work I enjoy coffees (and cocktails), limited socializing (I'm a cave goblin) and would you believe it dabbling with stuff on my computer. This usually entails failed attempts at Visual FX or studying/whining about Unity and other software. I also sometimes fiddle with music (my favourite music group is My Chemical Romance). The movie I like the most is Hackers 1995 (not a joke). Finally as you asked, what I like to drink, I will say anything with Mastiha liquor. (or lemon soda)
Andreas Konstantakopoulos (Learie) - Junior Game Developer
I am currently 24 years old going for the big 25. I am a very passionate for what I do in life whether that's working or playing video games whenever I have free time, I try to give the best parts to of me to what I m passionate about. I am very considerate of others, and I try to help out my coworkers whenever and however I can.
The inspiration to become a game developer came after years of being a casual gamer playing Pokemon, Call Of Duty and World of Warcraft I felt like this was my calling.
I recently join the studio, it is one of the very few Greek development team in the Greek gaming community and I m very happy I chose to work for them especially when I met the rest of the team. I m in training and for the time being I m still learning
As I told you earlier, I am a gamer and of course I play video games the game that i play a lot lately is World of Warcraft with some single player games along the lines. I don't have an issue with the platform because it really depends on the game for example if there is a game on console, I'll play on my PS4 or Nintendo Switch it really depends on what I feel like playing.
During my free time, I generally go out with friends and hopefully I’ll start going to the gym soon but I m mostly spend my time gaming.
Apart from that, Pokemon Emerald and WoW are my favorite games. John Green's "Looking for Alaska" is my preferred read, while Bring Me the Horizon takes the lead as my favorite band on the music front. Shrek is my favorite movie, and when it comes to beverages, I have a penchant for Weiss beer, especially for those in the know.
Nicolae Laurentiu Dulca (Dulcan) - Junior Programmer.
I am 23 years old. And I enjoy to learn new things and to constantly evolve.
Since I can remember myself, I've enjoyed playing games and I kept saying how interesting it would be to create one myself. So when i was in high school, with the support of my computer science teachers, my journey into programming began.
I join the studio last year and one of the many reasons is that they do something unique. Now that I've spent some time with the team, I really like working with the other members of the team and the vibe it has. They're not creating another shooting game. For the moment I am in training and learning a lot of new things.
As I said above, I've been playing games for as long as I can remember (my favorite game is Hollow Knight). I'm currently playing "Cookie Cutter". On the platform, I don't have a preference, I consider PlayStation a more "cosy" solution and the PC a more capable for better experience in games like Cyberpunk.
When I have free time after work, I enjoy listening to music (my favorite music group is Twenty One Pilots), walking in parks, and going on day trips. For me, the best movie is Deadpool and the book is The Da Vinci Code, and finally as you wanted to know, my favorite drink is whiskey.
Nick Michalopoulos - Game Developer/Programmer
I'm 25 years old, an only child and hail from Athens, Greece! In general, I try to assimilate and cherish all the knowledge and experiences I can while I am able, in order to better myself every way I can. I used to study Physics for a few years before acquiring my Computer Science degree, I love music and games
Ever since I was little I loved video games. Growing up, my way of thinking got a lot more analytical and this love turned into fascination, then into curiosity. So when the opportunity to study programming presented itself, I knew that was what I wanted to do.
I've worked for Maslas Bros for the last six months. I was very intrigued when I saw MNW; the combination its big scale and the small (at the time) size of the studio really impressed me. I also loved the concept of a submarine simulator, as well as the Maslas Bros' personalities. Now as to why they picked me, I have no idea. They say it was something about my decent mathematics and physics background, my personality and my potential, but I don't believe them!
In the span of this time I've developed a number of different tools, features and, of course, a lot of bugs and unstable code. Overall, I adore what I do, so it's hard to actually quantify my work; however I try to be involved, in any way, in a lot of different parts of the project, because I like learning new things
I am a gamer both PC and consoles and most likely will continue being one for the rest of my life. Currently I'm playing Resident Evil 4 Remake, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dead By Daylight while anxiously waiting for the PC port of Spiderman 2 and God Of War: Ragnarok (to my bosses if you're reading this: of course this answer is hypothetical in nature, I spend all of my waking hours working on MNW and my absolutely-minimum-necessary-sleeping hours dreaming about how I will be working on MNW when I wake up/subconsciously working in my sleep!)
I generally have a reputation for doing a lot of things in my spare time, to the point where I don't have time to do all of them well. Except for playing games, I also study the guitar, singing and music theory and psychology. Furthermore, I work out a few times a week, and dabble in the art of handcrafts and miniature/replica painting and chess.
I cannot for the life of me pick a single thing of the above that is my favorite, due to me being extremely indecisive. If I can give a generalized answer for each, it would look like this: For games: God Of War (old & new), Uncharted, Darksiders, Dead By Daylight, Smite, Pokemon, Half-Life, Spiderman, Tomb Raider (old & new), Assassin's Creed, all the LEGOs and more that I'm certainly forgetting!
On the books side: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Sword of Truth, Mortal Instruments, Eragon, Greek Myths (by Stephen Fry), the Odyssey, Iliad, It.
Some of my favorite group and single artists are Bon Jovi, Garry Moore, Billy Joel, Queen, Scorpions, Evanesence, Kelly Clarkson, Green Day, Paramore, Pentatonix, The Beatles, Ed Sheeran and many more
As for movies, I love most genres, with horror and fantasy being my go-to; some examples include Star Wars, Harry Potter, all the famous horror and slasher movies of the 80s/90s and their sequels, Kung Fu Panda, most of the superhero movies from the last decade and more. And finally, I will surprise you about my favorite drink: Nothing beats a cup of good old water!
Konstantinos Lampropoulos – 3D artist.
I am currently 21 years old. I grew up in Corfu, Greece. While I am working I like listening to music or even podcasts sometimes. Also I love coffee, I drink two or three per day (I am not addicted I swear).
From a very young age I wanted to create video games similar to the ones I was playing. Yes I wanted to make AAA games by myself... Anyway I started by making 3d assets and I loved every minute of the process and then soon enough I realized I want to make a career out of it. So I did. And honestly it is a dream come true situation. I always wanted to break into the gaming industry and was lucky enough to find The Maslas Bros where I am mostly responsible of the 3d modeling side of things.
Like my teammates, I am a gamer. Unfortunately I haven't played as many campaign games as I wanted, I am mostly stuck on multiplayer games. The last thing I played was PUBG. My favorite games are the Halo franchise, maybe Halo 3. Personally I play on PC but consoles are great too, in fact it doesn't really matter as long as you have fun.
My free time is mostly about spending time with family and friends, watching movies (and since you asked about my favorite movie I will say Parasite - 2019) and TV series. However, I really want to learn how to draw so I think I am going start doing that.
As for book, it’s hard since I not an avid reader but if I have to choose one, it will be Stranger by Albert Camus which is fantastic. Musically speaking, I am a Kanye fan. Finally, when it comes to drinks, I'm a wine enthusiast.
Christina (Qui) - 3D artists
I am 30 years old, (sadly) and I was a waitress for most of my life until one day I woke up and I realized I hate talking to people. So I tried to make some money to enroll to SAE College in Athens and start a different career doing something I like at last. That actually DID go well.
Since I was a kid I loved playing video games with my brother, and since he had kind of a rich godfather every year on his birthday he bought him gaming consoles. (My godmother didn’t remember my existence). I continue to play games as an adult and realized that this was not a "phase" as I thought and I decided to contribute in the gaming industry.
First of all. I really needed the money to not die of starvation. BUT to be honest when we did the interview, I really thought the vibe was so good and I knew I wanted to work in that kind of environment. I also liked the idea of working in this project cause they showed me how organized this company is and how the whole vision has inspired them.
Here at the studio, I mainly do the 3D texturing in Adobe Substance Painter but also I’m trying to learn how to do 3D modeling in Blender. We did learn modeling at the college but sadly we did it in 3Ds Max which is my arch enemy.
I am a gamer since birth PC, I think and right now I’m replaying Baldur's Gate 3.
I’m very fond of sleeping (he he!). I also love gaming in case I didn’t mention. I try to go the gym because at 30 if I don’t my whole body decays and hurts and dies. I listen to music and I go do different activities with my friends like bowling, cinemas and escape rooms.
My favorite game hands down is Baldur's Gate 3, I just can’t comprehend the level of dedication needed to make such a good game. As for movie it has to be Interstellar and for music group, I’m going to pick The Jonas Brothers, joke aside, I love the Archive a lot. And since you ask my favored drink, it has to be the hated by the whole world: Campari & tonic with a peel of orange (I know, I'm a psychopath!).
As we reach the end of this post, I want to thanks the incredible developers and 3D artists for generously sharing their time, a bit of their personal life and insights during the interview for this first Navy Logbook of 2024.
Their willingness to delve into the details and provide valuable perspectives has truly enriched the content. The passion and dedication they exhibit in their work are evident. Cheers to their exceptional talent and commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation in creating Modern Naval Warfare!
We will continue to deliver more insight and unique content of the development of Modern Naval Warfare in the following months.
Home of Wargamers Live Event announcement
We are proud to announce our new Home of Wargamers live event, which will take place on September 12th at 5 pm UK time.
Join us on our Twitch channel to know more about our biggest franchises. You can set a reminder here.
We will talk about a lot of important updates for some of our Matrix Games best sellers and coming soon games, such as:
Modern Naval Warfare
Nuclear War Simulator
Command Modern Operations
Flashpoint Campaigns
Rule the Waves 3
Strategic Command
Combat Mission
Valor & Victory
Modern Naval Warfare - Navy Log Book #2
Modern Naval Warfare - Navy Log Book #2
Welcome to the second Navy Log Book. This time we decided to get more technical and give you a tiny peek of "behind the scenes" mechanics.
Submarines by nature are some of the most complicated vehicles ever conceived. In complexity they are comparable only to spacecraft and additionally submarines have to operate in a vastly more hostile environment even if nobody shoots at them.
Your Virginia class sub submerged, well trimmed and underway.
In order to pilot a submarine in average you need to control the propeller turns, the rudder, two sets of planes (one aft and one fore or on the sail), two sets of main ballast tanks (fore and aft) and an assortment of compensation and trim tanks. Additionally you will need to keep your eye on the environment as factors such as sea state, sea temperature, salinity etc. play a part in the seakeeping of the boat. As one of our consultants (and active NCO) has pointed out if you take a submerged sub out of the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar the sub will start to sink due to different environmental factors (e.g. salinity). All of this is just to move from point A to point B without taking into account any navigation or operational needs. No it is not as easy as driving a car and that's why it takes from 2 to 4 four people to do the job depending on the sub class.
In previous US submarine classes there where four people driving the sub:
Helmsman
Planesman
Chief of the Watch (sitting behind them and putting order to chaos)
Diving Officer of the Watch (making sure the boat sinks, but not too much!)
In the Virginia class subs and through the use of automation these four positions where consolidated into two:
Pilot
Copilot
The pilot and co-pilot station in a Virginia Class Block III submarine. Along with the main operating displays all the analog controls and gauges are also working. In fact the "fly-by-wire" and "auto-trim" systems are advanced enough that the two positions are for operational reasons and redundancy rather than for technical reasons. However there are manual overrides for all the automated systems and (you guessed it!) they are duly modeled. "If that's the case" then you'll ask "why there is almost nothing for me to do at the helm station in modern subsim games?" Well guess what? Not anymore...
This time it actually floats! In order for our development team to achieve a true and realistic approach to the matter a standard research procedure is to learn from the works of the veterans of the subject matter (in this case the subsim genre). Strike One! There is NO subsim that actually ever simulated underwater physics! Then the only other alternative is to research the works of the sibling genre; Aviation Simulators. Strike Two! Indeed, the sector of aerodynamics and aerodynamic stability is deeply researched by the simulation development community. But still there is a missing part for a complete simulation of underwater physics; Hydrostatics.
Behind the scenes look of the submarine along with the locations and status of the various ballast, trim and compensation tanks. Also both the center of buoyancy and the center of gravity are indicated.
Underwater acoustics to the rescue. The research and development done on the underwater propagation of sound, a topic of another time and another log book, set up the infrastructure for the development of the surface and underwater physics.
The ship actually floats due to its ROB (Reserve buoyancy) and dives due to the human intervention in exchanging the ROB with sea water therefore increasing its displacement. Standard operational procedures, like flooding and blowing MBTs (Main Ballast Tanks) and achieving longitudinal stability to the ship by transferring water between the trim tanks is only just a taste of the tasks that the player has to master in order to achieve a successful transition of the ship from surfaced to submerged.
What's the connection with flight physics after all? A modern nuclear submarine, is a two faced beast. When is surfaced it acts like a non sea worthy ship but when it submerges, it transits into its true element. It becomes fast and agile. At that particular point the submarine, with the allowance of some disciplined exaggeration, we could say that it flies through water. The need to apply some differentiated flight dynamics in combination to the previously introduced Hydrostatics raised.
When a submarine increases its speed then it is able to change its depth with the use of its hydrodynamic wings which are called planes. And its in the responsibilities of the Planesmen (the planes operators) to follow the proper procedures in order to reach the ordered depth given by the Chief of the Watch.
Like in any surface ship and the submarine is not an exception the course is changed by the helm which is actually the mechanism that rotates the rudder of the ship in the specified degrees. That is the responsibility of the Helmsmen, again under the watchful eye of the Chief of the Watch.
To sum up...
Usually two pairs (fore and aft) of under water wings called planes and at least one rudder are needed in order for a submarine to achieve under water navigation. That almost sounds like a plane's behavior, doesn't it?
The various displays on the pilot and co-pilot stations that directly have to do with the control of the submarine. Then why so small wings? Simple, the medium is different. Water and especially sea water is almost 830 times more dense than air. Due to the foundational axioms of both aerodynamics and in that particular situation hydrodynamics the more dense the medium is the higher lift force is achieved in the same surface area of the airfoil or plane.
For those of you who already have an experience in aviation simulators you will not find striking the fact that every and each submarine provides an operating envelope to the operators called submarine safety envelope. Environmental and operational factors like speed, depth, temperature, pressure and salinity will affect the performance of the planes in MNW, so be extremely careful? A high speed submarine can reach its depth limit (crush depth) in a matter of seconds.
"What's the matter, Colonel Sandurz? Chicken?" We know that the whole process explained may sound intimidating and yet it is. Nevertheless technology always progresses to the benefit of the amateur subsim enthusiast.
Submarines traditionally struggle at the surface in bad weather. And in Modern Naval Warfare we take no shortcuts as far as physics are concerned.
Virginia class submarines are using much of their sophisticated technology (fly-by-wire, auto- trimming and auto-hovering) for the purpose of reducing the work load and the number of the operators. Therefore, the Helmsmen, Planesmen, Chief the Watch and the Diving Officer have been replaced by two Pilots and in most cases only one is enough to pull through most of the tasks needed in standard operational procedures.
In retrospect that is not very good for us financially wise. We would sell 4 copies of the game if we modeled a 688 LA class sub ed.
The player will have the freedom of using any of these technologies to his/her benefit. If however this still sounds too intimidating to you there is always the AI that you could put the blame on if during a surveillance operation the Sail/Fin (tower-like structure found on the topside surface of submarines) will collide against the keel (the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a ship) of an enemy destroyer.
So... Ladies and gentlemen, grab your joysticks! Till next time...
Modern Naval Warfare - Navy Log Book #1
Modern Naval Warfare - Navy Log Book #1
Ever wondered what controlling almost 8000 tons of one of the most lethal machines ever invented? With Modern Naval Warfare you will get your chance to command some of the most advanced submarines in the world: The Virginia class fast attack (or hunter killer) submarines.
Your very own Virginia class sub idling on the surface.
However, as many navy veterans say, a ship is never better than its crew and that is certainly true in Modern Naval Warfare. Despite the cutting edge sensors, weapons and quieting technology it is you, the captain that decides the outcome of each mission.
In this first log book we will make a quick tour around the sub, see how the interface works and see the difference between the various blocks of the Virginia class submarine.
Getting to know your boat MNW includes the following rooms/areas for the player to move around:
The control room
The radio room
The ESM room
The various areas for a block 1 Virginia class submarine. From left radio room, control room and ESM room.
Within these areas there are several stations that the player can take control including:
Pilot station
Command station (where the captain and the officer of the deck usually stand)
Sonar suite station
Photonics station
Fire control station
Radar station
Nav station (the large digital table at the center of the control room)
Radio station
ESM station
Most of these stations span several displays and include many modes and submodes.
The player can also monitor several working displays and gauges scattered around that include:
The two large displays in the control room
Analog anglemeters
Analog depth gauges
Digital ownship status displays
Analog and digital UTC clocks
In contrast with previous classes of US submarines the sonar room (or sonar shack) is not in a separate room but is integrated in the control room (on the port side).
As the Captain you can move freely around the various rooms interact with the various stations, monitor information displays and gauges and give orders. In real life the radio room and especially the ESM room are considered off limits for the majority of the crew.
How to interact with your surroundings As a hardcore simulator MNW does not include any health bars, magical god view minimaps, underwater radars and other game like mechanics. The player has to collect information and assemble the tactical picture from the ship's sensors through the various stations just like real captains do.
We wanted to make the user interface as seamless and fast as possible while keeping the controls familiar. After a lot of trial and error we settled to a combination of FPS controls with world space interactions as you move around the ship and a basic mouse driven control when the player is working on an actual station.
With the player located at the command station a quick look around can give him/her all the vital information for the ship. The information includes speed, heading, depth of your ship and the whereabouts of the various contacts (that means the possible targets) if a geoplot or a time bearing plot are open on the large displays.
Then if the player wants to dive further (pun intended!) most stations, displays or gauges are just a left click away.
Monitoring an analog anglemeter.
On the other hand a right click will open a station relative menu to allow the player to monitor, get the status, give orders or anything else useful for the particular station. Each of these actions are just two clicks away. It is difficult enough having a torpedo chasing you while jumping from station to station to get the complete picture, the player should not have to fight the interface too.
Context menu for the command station.
When the player takes control of a station then the control scheme changes to a normal point and click mouse driven interface that mimics that of the real world submarine system. The player can look around the various screens of the station and control as a normal crew member would. The interface for each station might differ from all the others (since a different subcontractor made each component in the real world) and there are also differences between the various blocks of the Virginia class (more on this later).
These are some of the displays and menus of the pilot station.
We tried to model the operation of each station to the maximum level that usability and unclassified sources would allow. Although for the later part, in some cases we might have pushed it a little further, but don't tell anyone.
Differences among the class members As most military hardware the submarines of the Virginia class are being built in batches that are called blocks. In total 5 blocks are planned. From these blocks the first three have been completed and are in service while the first members of the block IV have just been delivered. In MNW we model blocks I to III and we hope to include further blocks in the future as information become available.
Comparison of the control room of the three blocks I to III (left to right).
One of the initial project specifications for the Virginia class was that it should be easily upgradeable through the use of COTS (commercial of the shelf) components and software upgrades. As of today the first member of the class the SSN-774 USS Virginia is more than 20 years old and 18 years in service. Obviously technology has changed a lot since then. In order to keep the class members relevant the US Navy upgrades its submarine systems on a biennial basis. The hardware is upgraded every even year through the TI program and the software every odd year through the APB program. The latest upgrades are installed on each submarine during the next refit (usually between 4 - 8 years). These refit cycles roughly coexist with the block construction cycles. So in essence a recently refitted submarine is at similar technology level with the latest block member being constructed.
In MNW and for gameplay purposes we decided that each sub will be modeled with the APB/TI level at the the day of its commissioning.
Comparison of the radar station (left) and photonics station (right) for each of the three blocks I to III (top to bottom).
The differences in each block are not just cosmetic. Most aspects of each system improve incrementally. The improvements range from the display type and resolution of the station to the software and of course the performance of the sensors. The end result is that while stations like the pilot station are almost identical in all classes there are stations like the photonics that have significant differences between blocks both in terms of UI and actual sensor performance.
We could dig into the nuances of each block but we would need a lot more space (and time!) and anyway that is what manuals are for. So this is it for the first Navy Log Book.
Till next time…
NOTICE: All images in this dev diary are still WIP
Modern Naval Warfare – Navy Log Book
Modern Naval Warfare – Navy Log Book
The Navy Log Books are articles, sometimes accompanied by videos and screenshots, published by Matrix Games to describe the game design in detail.
We will go through the developments of Modern Naval Warfare together, discovering the news and features the developers are working on.
