Rule the Waves 3 DLC Expanded Battles

[@rbfishcs123]

I am glad they are coming back to future proof the game engine, that tells me that Matrix / NWS have planned for the next RTW and possibly beyond.

[@RvTWargames]

Exactly. That's the real news for me.

[@FoxxofNod]

This is huge! Being able to actually mess around with carrier ops and missile mechanics without the consequences of a long campaign has been desperately needed.

[@RvTWargames]

@@FoxxofNod I can see you'll be amusing yourself with this, when it arrives!

[@stevejones5824]

Definitely thrilled to see the future expansion of this game series. One thing I would really like to see is the ability to generate starter fleets for all starting years.

[@torarne7796]

Graphics aside, a new engine would allow for a much deeper strategic layer with more believable campaigns.

[@RvTWargames]

My hunch is that the Expanded Battle DLC is a way of keeping the game developing while the heavy lifting of the game engine rework is in development.

[@akarinnnnnn]

inb4 DLC in Summer 2025 becomes RtW4 in winter 2027.

[@RvTWargames]

Software without significant bugs takes time. I'm happier with a well developed game than an early access that is never finished.

[@EllenbergW]

I don't remember which dev said this, but it's true: A delayed game will eventually be released, a crappy release will always stay a crappy release.

[@akarinnnnnn]

@@EllenbergW It's called a joke, do you think anyone was upset that the RtW2 dlc turned into a full game?

[@RvTWargames]

There was some negative comments about having to pay for it, having assumed it would be a free upgrade.

[@EllenbergW]

@@akarinnnnnn Oh, there definitely were some complaints about it turning into a new game that had to be bought instead of a free upgrade. Edit: As for your OP being a joke, it flew straight over my head, so that's on me.

[@jacobmartin1100]

I hope we're able to play around with the tech options as well; it'd be cool to have the results that can happen with tech variation as options in the battle generators when designing ships

[@RvTWargames]

You might have to handle it by the year of the fleet, which can be different for each fleet.

[@natehancock9663]

very much looking forward to what this will bring for the game and future iterations

[@RvTWargames]

Me too. Should be interesting.

[@dukery0939]

I hope the game UI and game engine will be upgraded, but I hope the graphics won’t be changed too much. Two reasons: 1. I hope the development team will focus on improving the core of the game, and I don’t want them to spend too much effort on improving the graphics. 2. I hope that the new game can still run on the battery for four or five hours on the laptop. 我希望遊戲的介面跟遊戲引擎升級，但是畫面的部分，希望能不要改太多。兩個原因：1.我希望開發團隊專注在遊戲內核的改善，不希望他們花太多心力在畫面改善。2. 我希望新遊戲仍然能夠在文書筆電上用電池跑四五個小時。

[@Tom-pt5wm]

Great news, the developers are really listening to the players👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻

[@RvTWargames]

Being a small outfit they've always been quite responsive.

[@Kyle-b5x2k]

Hope you can use existing ships and build your own too. If the "H" class isn't in the German OOB in 1943 for example, build it and add it! Being able to share battles as well as share ships/fleet builds would be very fun! I am to cheap to get a computer with really good graphics so I hope they don't do too much there, just improve the UI but don't go graphics heavy.

[@RvTWargames]

I think there is a ship design button in some of the mock up shots.

[@buttersquids]

One of the screenshots for the DLC shows a fleet selection screen with a "Manually build a ship" button so that's probably going to be a feature

[@diggerau698]

This is great news thanks for the info, an updated UI and graphics, looking forward to these improvements.

[@RvTWargames]

I doubt they will be present in this DLC, to manage your expectations, but for RtW4 is a strong possibility.

[@boss9846]

Огромное спасибо за Ваш труд! Желаю Вам успехов и крепкого здоровья!

[@RvTWargames]

@@boss9846 пожалуйста. с удовольствием

[@KamenosTypas]

I will buy this DLC to support the devs as I am a huge fan of their work and approach! However, I doubt I'll ever play an expanded battle. This should have been a basegame feature and putting it in a DLC would only have made sense if there were some specific scenarios in the DLC (Jutland, Denmark Strait, Matapan, Tsushima, Elli etc.) and preferably some mini campaigns as well.

[@Simon-ow6td]

All I really want is a free standing ship builder where you can choose nation and unlocked techs and build designs as you wish.

[@Tuning3434]

Almost feels like you need Springsharp and Paint, or would you still like to play battles with them?

[@Simon-ow6td]

@@Tuning3434 Wow, I got to check that out! Thank you! Obviously cool to play with them, but that looks like the kind of thing I would be into.

[@b1laxson]

Soon you can use fonts like Olde West to show your ship names like Boaty McBoaty

[@RvTWargames]

Or visually impaired players get a sporting chance of seeing anything!

[@Swrdfshtrmbns]

Do you have any tutorial videos or know of any about how to use aircraft and general strategy regarding their organization and deployment?

[@RvTWargames]

I have a lot to say about aircraft, but they are embedded in the two long playthroughs rather than drawn out as an explicit video. The main points are 1. Keep them high research priority 2. Cycle through the different types to keep them up to date 3. Realise that 1920-30s planes are mainly for search and damaging ships for the battle fleet to catch and sink - Find, Fix, Sink in the Royal Navy's doctrine 4. 1940s aircraft become much more dangerous and need a big investment in air defence and CAP to keep the fleet safe 5. 1950-60s conversion to jets requires missile and radar directed air defence, abandoning your previous mass gun air defence. 6. In peacetime keep your squadrons small so you spend too much money on them. 7. Pilot quality is vital. If you're squadrons have taken a quality hit move them to a quiet sector where they van recover. 8. In wartime only fill up the airbases that face your enemies, not every airbase you have - to if you are Germany fighting England don't bother with your Baltic airbases 9. Fighters are the most important aircraft type. They need to go on your CVs of course, and bases that might provide land-based CAP such as Stavanger in Norway. 10. Patrol boats are your second most important type because of their search range and their ASW rating that soon makes them more important than Corvettes in fighting submarines. Hope that helps.

[@KamenosTypas]

Excellent summary! You should use this as the basis for a tutorial video on using aircraft! ​@@RvTWargames

[@gregisbad3205]

I'm hoping there will be an easy way to share battles with other players, that way the community could come up with some really tricky battles that challenge players to get the most out of their fleet and then let players solve them like chess puzzles.

[@RvTWargames]

I believe sharing battles is part of the plan.

[@nameholderplaceholder4856]

Sweet outro, do you got a link to the full video? Im very happy that theyre adding custom battles, will definitely make the jump to RTW 3 when it comes out. But moving past windows 95? What about the games identity!!!??? lol

[@RvTWargames]

@@nameholderplaceholder4856 the outro was just a little thing made for me by a friend. As for Windows 95 looks, I'm hoping it will be like the jump from black and white to colour TV!

[@TheGerudan]

Well...if a lot of people were actually asking for a scenario editor like this, fair enough. But I would've rather seen a form of integrating the operational side into the game. Not only build fleets and lead them in battle, but also set up operations for them or trying to prevent an enemy operation that then leads to a battle.

[@RvTWargames]

I suspect the reworking of the game engine is a pre-condition to improving the operational side of the game.

[@HalIOfFamer]

Can they please make a functional dark mode? Holy hell people have been asking for this ever since rtw1 and when they finally touched on it it's only half the screen. How difficult can changing the color of a spreadsheet menu be, especially compared to games that have actual graphics.

[@RvTWargames]

You need to add a comment onto the Dev wish list on the forums.

[@mikhailiagacesa3406]

X-battles! Cool...

[@RvTWargames]

I'm sure they'll do a good job.

[@antonisauren8998]

So excercise with pregenerated ships. :/ I'd rather pay for improvements to campaign excercise UX, like reusing set up fleet formations.

[@RvTWargames]

I suspect this is a way of giving us something to amuse us while the heavy lifting work of rebuilding the game engine is taking place.

[@robmarsh6668]

I personally don't want the game to be more appealing to 'non-navally' people. Keep it for us grognards. Let them play WoW.

[@RvTWargames]

Lol. Indeed. I suspect they are after Ultimate Admiral Dreadnoughts, many of whom have been disappointed, including me.

[@robmarsh6668]

@@RvTWargames yeah Ive heard campaign-wise it's not very good at all. Too bad. Looks really cool.

[@cbblackard]

The navy building aspect of RTW3 has never been that appealing to me (and thus I have not purchased the game). Historical battles, on the other hand, are most appealing.

[@ClarkyKenty72DailyP]

... ... multiplayer?

[@RvTWargames]

I don't think so.

[@ClarkyKenty72DailyP]

@@RvTWargames Yea... But it would be EPIC seeing you guys recreate Jutland!

[@dennissvitak5475]

Not a big fan of scenario generators, or manually setting up battles. There is enough variability in the basic game.

[@RvTWargames]

@@dennissvitak5475 but you'll also be able to play historic battles, like Jutland or Matapan, which should be interesting.

[@dennissvitak5475]

@@RvTWargames - Fair enough. I will likely purchase it day one, if only to support the developer.

[@RvTWargames]

@@dennissvitak5475likewise!

[@jeromemagquilat3050]

I hope they expand on air warfare. atm for me its tedious & boring.

[@RvTWargames]

How would you like it to be changed? Now would be a good time to go to the forums and add your ideas to the mix on the Feature request channels while things are being planned.

[@jeromemagquilat3050]

@@RvTWargames you are right ill do that thanks, im a long time fan since RTW1, i got faith on the devs.

[@lewiswells6763]

this DLC doesn't interest me

[@RvTWargames]

It's not my favourite either. But if it's anything like previous expansions to the game, this is just the headline feature and others will be introduced between now and next summer.