Carrier Command 2 News

Dear Players,

Playtest 2 is now live!

Over the last 2 weeks, we have been working hard to improve the game and add more to the playtest.

Thank you so much to the many players who gave us feedback on playtest 1 - we read it all as a team, and have implemented a bunch of new features - the main change being a more detailed tutorial!

With this new playtest, we have unlocked difficulty level 3 - so expect to fight tougher enemies and perhaps even enemy navy on your final island. To help you out a little, we have added some extra items to your inventory :-)

Please remember, this remains a very limited version of the game, with only 4 islands to capture, compared to the full game campaign with 64 islands. As a result, we have removed multiplayer, a lot of the vehicle chassis, attachments, abilities, difficulty scaling, logistics gameplay, enemy carrier, and more, for the playtest version.



This playtest will run for the weekend, then we will shut it down early next week as we review your feedback. If you do playtest the game, please use the "leave feedback" button on the game menu!

If you don't receive your Steam invite to play the playtest immediately - don't worry! We are releasing invites in waves and plan to send more invites over the weekend.

Much love
The Carrier Command Developers




Patch Notes

playtest0.0.12

rework - enabled bearing display for carrier observation camera
rework - offscreen icon for friendly vehicles matches style of onscreen icon
rework - observation camera support orders can be set in all tracking modes, activating observation camera laser triggers new order if active order is complete instead of requiring cancelling first
rework - HUD notifications when observation camera target status changes
rework - added unique map icon for land vehicles that have robot dogs equipped
rework - extended tutorial to show player how to use main carrier gun
rework - updated control bot seal map icon + blinking
rework - observation camera HUD shows weapon list when cycling weapon target after completing an order. Camera support order is cleared when cycling weapon if complete
rework - replaced "land" with "surface" when referring to land vehicles
rework - vehicle control map hints show controls for adding new waypoints when hovering waypoints and vehicles
rework - screen UI buttons/list items visually different to basic text elements
rework - multi-line tutorial objectives display correctly
rework - added sound effect and flashing when objective is complete. Objectives with timeout display progress bar
rework - tutorial objectives move to center of the screen when changing state
rework - added version number to settings file. Settings reset if version number mismatches
rework - added 15mm turret attachment that does less damage and has slightly lower accuracy. 15mm turret equipped on all land vehicles on difficulty 1 islands
rework - increased land vehicle spawn count on difficulty 1 islands
rework - updated more UI elements to be consistent with new button style
rework - screen resolution always set to fullscreen display resolution by default when settings version is incremented or settings file not found
rework - carrier main gun fires burst of 5 rounds when triggered and no longer stops firing burst if target has moved significantly
rework - added tooltips to inventory table cells to explain what each column is
rework - improved audio effects for turret rotation by making them continuous and not use start/end sounds
rework - added missile launch sound effect to hardpoint missile attachments
rework - added setting for choosing whether pressing back opens the pause menu when not seated (behaviour enabled by default, always disabled for gamepad)
rework - SFX for carrier launch, carrier water splashes
rework - turret attachment range and out of range indicator on hud
rework - turrets can be used to observe/tag enemy units
rework - added additional tooltip data to vehicles with virus bot attachments
rework - tutorial objective text changed to specify that all surface vehicles need to be deployed
rework - increased character interaction range slightly so self destruct buttons are easier to interact with
rework - swapped order of tutorial enable stabilisation/manual control objectives
rework - control prompt for pausing game is always visible and contextually shows back as pause
rework - pause menu objective shows which key opens the pause menu. Capture island objective shows map icon for seal and attachment icon for virus bots
rework - added playtest scenario configuration with fixed number of islands at each difficulty
rework - added additional attachments and vehicles to carrier starting inventory
rework - added torpedoes to carrier starting inventory
rework - enabled enemy ship spawning
fix - fixed observation camera hitscan range
fix - tutorial help tab objective no longer requires player to focus help tab if using mouse/keyboard
fix - fixed robot dogs being manually launchable when not in manual mode
fix - fixed robot dogs no longer triggering when reaching a deploy waypoint
fix - fixed amphibious vehicles steering in the wrong direction when reversing
fix - fixed playtest welcome message being displayed more than once in the same game
fix - fixed hud UI not being properly reset when returning to main menu
fix - fixed flare omni light frame blending
fix - fixed objective completion sound not playing for deploy carrier objective
fix - fixed nav screens not all going into boot sequence when launching carrier
fix - fixed navigation screen going straight into context menu after deploying carrier
fix - move lighting button that was in the mesh in well
fix - fixed volumes not being reset to defaults when clearing audio manager causing playback group volumes to not get set after loading a saved game
fix - fixed vehicle hud not displaying notification when support order goes straight to active state
fix - fixed target accuracy calculation for carrier main gun and flare launcher. Target accuracy uses same function for all turret attachments
fix - fix additive light flares being visible through ocean waves
fix - fix additive light flares flickering from depth samples
fix - fixed crash when entering vehicle camera with fewer attachments than selected attachment index
fix - clients send begin/end events for firing vehicle weapons instead of continuous input events to fix chaingun weapons stuttering when server ticks faster than client
fix - fixed holomap camera pitch
fix - fixed turret hitscan range check
fix - fixed playtest tutorial not being forced

Dear Players,

Playtest 1 has begun!

Playtest 1 will be live from Friday 21st to Monday 24th May 2021, and will be available to a limited number of players, who are all randomly selected by Steam.

Playtest 1 is a stripped down version of the game to focus only on the initial 30-60 minutes of core gameplay, to introduce the concept of the game, and allow players the opportunity to give their thoughts and feedback.

If you are accepted to the Playtest, please let us know your thoughts using the "Submit Feedback" button in game.

We are really interested in how players find the core experience of the game, and how easily players learn the mechanics and progress through the playtest. To this end, we have added some tutorial with instructions on what to press, and also an in-game manual, always available, as a reference for the many controls and screens within the game.



This is the first time we have run a Steam Playtest, so we are starting things slow with just a small number of players, so that feedback is manageable. We hope to quickly scale things up for future playtests, so if you have not been approved for this test - don't worry! There will be shortly be more playtests scheduled and we plan to add more playtesters!

If you are not yet signed up, click "Request Access" on the Carrier Command 2 Steam store page.

Thank you to everyone who gives your time to help improve our game! We care about Carrier Command 2, it is a very important thing for us, and your help means a lot.

Much love
The Carrier Command Developers

Dear Players,

We are now accepting sign ups for an upcoming Steam Playtest of Carrier Command 2!

To join this playtest, simply go to the Carrier Command 2 store page and click "Request Access". The playtest is free to everyone and you can sign up now!

The Playtest for Carrier Command 2 will involve a limited number of players having access to Carrier Command 2. Access will be done in rounds, with each round lasting a few days or a long weekend. Each round will feature more of the game than previous rounds!

We expect to start the first round of live playtesting in a couple of weeks.



For this playtest, we are trying out the new in-built Steam Playtest feature here on Steam. Anyone can sign up, and all players are treated equally. Players are selected at random from the pool of signups.

Depending on the quantity of applications, it may not be possible to give access to all players who requested it. We will see how it goes, carefully considering player feedback, and will communicate our plans to you.



We are running these playtests to show you what the game is, why Carrier Command 2 is so special and unique an experience, and get feedback from players on what you think of the game! This is a huge milestone and we are really excited to share everything we have been working so hard on.

We can't wait! Sign up now.

Much love
The Carrier Command 2 Developers

Dear Players,

In developer spotlight posts, we discuss the detail and ideas behind Carrier Command 2.

In this post, we discuss the sound track of Carrier Command 2, it's inspirations and development. We are also sharing a preview of some of the music to help describe the sound of the game.

Turn your speakers up and check out the music preview here:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The direction of Carrier Command 2 is to mix the scope and precision of modern gaming with the creativity and pioneering spirit of the original game, and to celebrate the golden era of 1980s gaming. Many parts of the art style make reference to this, with low poly graphics and pixel art. In terms of music, we want to achieve a similar reflection of this era of gaming.

We are inspired by many well executed films and TV shows such as Tron Legacy and Stranger Things which capture the zeitgeist of an age gone by, in a way that captures the feeling of nostalgia and an appreciation of the styles of the era.

We are also inspired by original works of the 1980s, particularly of Ridley Scotts 1982 classic, Bladerunner. The sound track created by Vangelis creates a unique identity and brilliantly supports the incredible visual visual design that tells the story of their neo-noir world.

The Carrier Command 2 sound track is created by Chris Randle and Jon Daou, two brilliant composers who we have been working with for over 7 years and 5 games. Previously, they had produced a short 36 second main theme and soundscape for a small text based game we had developed called True Legacy. We loved working together in this style and had been waiting years for a new opportunity to take that style further.

Their sound track for Carrier Command 2 comprises of a main theme, 3 in game tracks (each with 3 layers corresponding to a state of alertness) and a boss fight theme. They are also working to produce an album version, designed for listening as music rather than integrated into a game, where the music is designed to loop and change procedurally.



Sound and music is such an important part of the experience of playing a game, so we have been very excited about developing this, and pushing this aspect as far as we can. A huge thank you to Chris and Jon who have wildly surpassed our expectations yet again.

We would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on the music and direction of the game. Let us know in the comments!

In the mean time, development is going very well and we are working on final features that we are really passionate about. We are hoping to make some new exciting announcements soon! Until then...

Much love
The Carrier Command Developers

Dear Players,

In developer spotlight posts, we discuss the detail and ideas behind Carrier Command 2.

In this post, we announce naval warfare in Carrier Command 2.

Across the archipelago, the enemy have a small fleet of corvettes and gunboats that guard the highest value islands. While these ships only guard a small number of islands, they are very dangerous. These ships are armed with a subset of the same armaments you carry on your carrier.



While it may be possible to sometimes approach an island undetected and deploy ground forces while avoiding a naval conflict, it is often prudent to eliminate the enemy naval force before landing. This can be achieved through several means, such as the same armaments that you already have versus ground targets such as cruise missiles, naval artillery cannon, guns, rockets, precision bombs, but also the new carrier launched and air launched torpedoes.



Torpedo combat is inspired by classic Microprose title, Red Storm Rising, and also the well-crafted spiritual successor Cold Waters. Torpedoes are launched with a compass bearing and arming timer. Once the arming timer becomes active, the torpedo switches from cruise to search mode, and actively searches for sonar targets. Once a target is locked, the torpedo steers towards the target to close the distance and maintain lock.

Torpedoes are displayed on the vehicle control screen including their position history to show their progress and tracking behaviour.

As well as offensive torpedoes, your carrier and some enemy ships are equipped with decoys and noisemakers. Decoys are another type of torpedo that emit a strong signature, which other torpedoes are likely to lock on to. Noisemakers simply generate a huge amount of sonar interference in order to blind sonar tracking capabilities and disrupt a sonar lock.



Fighting these ships is hugely engaging, but also serves as great practice for when you finally fight the enemy carrier, and everything is being played for.

We have been having a great time developing and playing with the new naval combat and cannot wait to share more with you.

Please let us know if there is anything particular you would like to know more about, as well as your thoughts and feedback on naval combat.

Much love
The Carrier Command Developers