Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations is the ultimate military simulator for modern military conflicts. Designed with a huge emphasis on detail, realism, accuracy and flexibility, Command allows you to simulate and direct any historical or hypothetical air or naval engagement from 1945, at any scale, including strategic nuclear war.
User reviews: Very Positive (66 reviews)
Release Date: 26 Sep, 2014
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"Do you have $80? Do you like Call of Duty? If your answer was yes to either of these questions, this game is for you!"

Recent updates View all (14)

9 April

Ukraine rebels, flattops and battlewagons, ISIS-hunting and Desert Storm nukes: Nine new Command scenarios available



Miguel Molina has posted a new revision of the Command community scenario pack, the compendium of Command scenarios crafted by the user community. The new release contains nine brand-new scenarios:

They Came From The Museum, 2015: Soviet/Russian tactical aircraft have a long history of 'inexplicably' showing up in various conflicts under the hands of 'rebel', 'advisor' and otherwise non-official pilots. This scenario assumes that the "little green men" in Ukraine take this strong tradition one step further and piece together a hodgepodge air force from various odd sources, including a number of exhibits from the Luhansk Air Museum. How will these Cold War cast-offs and their mysterious pilots fare against Ukrainian air defences?

The Battle of Langkawi, 1973: By 1973, the communist insurgency that erupted in Malaysia has taken control of most of the state of Kedah.  They have captured a number of artillery pieces, armored cars, and other military equipment, including a number of aircraft. An international coalition, led by the UK, and including forces from Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore are assisting Malaysia in its fight against the insurgents. However, the Soviet Union, China, India, North Korea, and Cuba have all  recognized the self-declared People's Republic of Kedah - and will actively assist it against blockades of its ports in the Kedah region, including the island of Langkawi.

The Clash Of Titans II, 2018:  India started the year with intensive naval activity in both Indian Ocean and Arabian sea. The brief Indian incursion into littoral waters of French island Reunion was condemned by French diplomacy. Further diplomatic tension eventually resulted in a double embargo between France and India. A week ago, the French CVBG led by the Charles De Gaulle CV left Toulon naval base and headed to Suez. INS Vikramaditya with its escorts was ordered to head towards the Gulf Of Aden. Politics will continue by other means from now on.

Closing the Kurile Gap (The War That Never Was) - US, 1989: The Soviet Pacific Fleet would have faced a difficult problem with geography if the Cold War ever went hot. Their largest base, Vladivostok, faces the Sea of Japan. Any units transiting to the Pacific either need to pass through the narrow Tsushima Strait, flanked by likely-hostile South Korea and Japan, or they need to head northwest and pass through the disputed Kurile Islands. The other major Soviet naval base, Petropavlovsk, opens to the Pacific. However, it is located at the end of the remote Kamchatka peninsula and has long, vulnerable supply lines. This scenario examines the Soviet Pacific Fleet's ability to break out through the Kuriles, and the US Navy's role in plugging the gap.

Closing the Kurile Gap (The War That Never Was) - USSR, 1989: The Soviet side of the above scenario.

Those Who Face Death, 2014: In this hypothetical "from the headlines" scenario ISIS has captured much more intact military equipment from the Iraqi and Syrian Armies; they also have the technical capabilities to put it to use. Expect to see American, Iraqi, Syrian, Iranian military equipment. You are hunting a convoy of artillery and APCs heading to Mosul from the south before turning west towards the Yazidi camp at Mount Sinjar. You will need to airdrop supplies and parachutists to the Yazidi camp to achieve success. You are sending British and American aircraft from bases in Turkey, Kuwait, and Cyprus.

Log Bridge, 1989: World War III has been raging. The fighting over Keflavik has been so heavy that what remains of the airfield, currently held by NATO, is unusable.  At the same time, the fighting in Europe has pl aced demands upon available resources that preclude either side sending long range aircraft to attack or defend Iceland.  The fate of Iceland will therefore be decided by a decisive surface battle. The big guns are coming out - literally.

Nuclear Storm, 1991: Desert Storm is underway, and the unthinkable has happened: Saddam's forces have launched chemical attacks on coalition troops, with significant casualties. Now a retaliation is in order - to illustrate within limits that some lines are not to be crossed.

No Time for Mischief, 1995: Mischief Reef is in a disputed area of the South China Sea.  In 1995, China angered the Philippines by occupying the reef and constructing structures on it, ostensibly as shelters for fishermen.  In history, the matter did not escalate into violent confrontation. This scenario assumes the government of the Philippines has taken a more aggressive approach, assuming that if worst comes to worst they will be backed up by the United States.

As always, the community scenario pack is available for download at the WarfareSims download section: http://www.warfaresims.com/?page_id=1876

p.s. Yes, we are working on Steam workshop integration for scenarios and other content.

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Reviews

“If you have even mild interest in the underlying subject matter (Modern Air/Naval Warfare), I can just about guarantee that you’ll be captivated by”
9.5/10 – SimHQ

“A seriously fun, intense, involving simulation of modern naval combat with nearly infinite replay value.”
9.5/10 – Armchair General

“If it is not named “Game of the Year” in its genre, then that accolade is meaningless.”
The Wargamer

About This Game

Scream over the runways of super-hardened Iraqi airbases as your squadron sprinkles bomblets on the pavement or blows up aircraft shelters using laser-guided bombs. Turn back the Russian tide in the Ukraine. Ride the Mediterranean waves in fast Israeli attack craft, trading barrages of anti-ship missiles with Syrian ships. Stand toe-to-toe against Iran in the Persian Gulf. Wrestle the Falklands under your control. Go “Down Town” around Hanoi and spar with the deadly NV air defences. Hunt down rogue nukes in Pakistan before they fall into terrorist hands. Face off with your carrier group against India or China – from either side. Square off against the Soviet Union in the cold war confrontation, and against resurgent Russia in the new multipolar world order. Lead nuclear-powered sharks of steel against the masters of antisubmarine ops. Exchange volleys of fire in close-quarters gun duels, or obliterate the enemy with sophisticated, heavy-hitting hypersonic missiles from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Survive massive, vicious air battles. Escort vital convoys to their destination, or make a last stand against all odds. When things escalate out of control, step up to unconventional or even nuclear weapons. Play the most dangerous game of hide and seek – at sea, on land and in the air - even in near-space. Command is the next generation of air/naval wargaming.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
Surface fleets, submarine squadrons, air wings, land-based batteries and even satellite constellations are yours to direct as you see fit – from the lowliest pirate skiff to the mightiest aircraft carrier, from propeller biplanes to supersonic stealth fighters, and from WW2-era iron bombs, torpedoes & mines and the trusty "Mk1 Eyeball" to ultra-modern radars with imaging capability, multi-spectral recon satellites, "brilliant" self-guided stand-off weapons, 200-knot supercavitating torpedoes and hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missiles. Every sensor and weapon system is modeled in meticulous detail. You are given the hardware; but you have to use it well.

THE WORLD AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Throw your distorted flat maps away – Command uses a realistic 3D earth globe for each of its scenarios. Rotate and zoom in and out of the action, from satellite view down to the trenches and wavetops. Play scenarios or build your own on any place on earth – from classics like the Middle East, South Atlantic, North Cape and Europe to new and rising hotspots like the Arctic, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean. Use a powerful yet intuitive point-and-click mouse interface for controlling your forces and go advanced with a wide collection of hotkeys for quickly jumping around the action and issuing complex orders in the heat of the battle.

RELENTLESS REALISM
Sensors and weapons work just like in real life, with all their strengths and weaknesses. Units move, detect, fight and win or die based on what their systems can and cannot do. Electronic warfare and technological levels can tilt the balance of battle. The weather can be your best ally and your worst enemy. The terrain, both overland and undersea, can hide you from the enemy but also can block your weapons from firing. Your aircraft can choose different mission profiles and loadouts, each with its advantages and limitations, and can dash high (speed, range) or scream low (protection). Thermal layers, convergence zones, surface ducting, the deep sound channel and factors such as water temperature and terrain slope may decide the sub vs ship duel. Thick clouds or rain can render your fancy laser-guided bombs useless. Stealth may help you avoid detection, or a jamming barrage may tip the scales when you are out of options. Command’s battle environment is as unforgiving as the real thing – and as rewarding for those who understand and use it.

THE MEN AT THE CONTROLS
Your war machines are (almost always) not robots; they are crewed by humans. People trained with varied proficiency (from novice to ace), operating under custom doctrine and rules of engagement (when to do what, how to decide, how to react etc.), most of the time making the rational decision, and sometimes making a brilliant call or a mistake. These people often matter far more than the hardware. The very same surface-to-air missile battery that is a worthless toy when staffed by Iraqi or Libyan crews turns to a deadly weapon even against ultra-modern aircraft under the expert hand of Egyptian, Serbian or Russian operators. The deadliest combat units are only as sharp as their crews.

AIR/NAVAL WARFARE AROUND THE WORLD
Korea. Colonial wars. Vietnam. Middle East. Cuba. Falklands. Iran-Iraq. World War 3. Desert Storm. India & Pakistan. The Arctic circle. Past and future conflicts in the Pacific, Norwegian Sea, Russian periphery and more. Experience conflict from post-WW2 all the way to 2020+ and beyond. Test your mettle against lethal land-based missile batteries, air regiments, naval fleets or pirate groups. Face off against threats of the past, present and future. How do you measure up against the challenges of modern warfare?

LEAD, DON’T MICROMANAGE
Realistic modern combat with all its technicalities scaring you away? Your staff & tactical AI sweat the details so you don’t have to. Airbase crews shuffle aircraft around on land facilities to prepare them for the next mission. Aircraft position themselves to deliver their payloads optimally, and refuel on their own if they have to; Ships and subs maneuver on their own to reach out and touch the enemy (including winding their way around islands, landmasses and even known mines) – and everyone tries very hard to save his skin when bullets are flying. Manage the big decisions and let your virtual crews get to the details – and still intervene whenever you want.

MAKE YOUR OWN WAR
Think you can build a better conflict? Prove it! Command’s integrated scenario editor offers unparalleled functionality for making your own scenarios or editing existing ones. Create and share with other players detailed, exact-down-to-the-meter land installations from all over the world – from airbases to port complexes to ICBM fields. Customize unit icons, sound effects, even platform weapons and sensors (Aegis on the USS Iowa – click and done). Create multiple sides with variable, complex alliances and postures and different proficiency ratings. Assign forces to detailed missions with custom behaviors and inheritable doctrines. Script complex interactive events with the advanced event editor. Assign variable success thresholds – from triumph to utter defeat. From a gunboat duel all the way to global thermonuclear warfare – the possibilities are endless.

UPDATE V 1.06

Check out update 1.06 with two great boons for airwar enthusiasts and an a-bomb for modders and scenario creators.

Surge and Quick-Turnaround air operations allow players to faithfully recreate the frantic tempo of historical operations like the Six-Day War or the first nights of Desert Storm (or apply the same sortie rates on their own hypothetical conflicts), while also having to deal with the inevitable punishing wear and tear on both crews and airframes that this relentless pace enforces.
Customizable unit-level proficiency settings allow scenario creators to model both hard-seasoned eagles and green nuggets on the same side, even down to the same squadron. The effects of unit proficiency are also even more amplified than before, and veteran or ace operators now have decisive advantages over their less experienced counterparts.
Integration of popular Lua scripting language allows unprecedented (indeed, undreamed of) levels of editing power and flexibility!
Of course there is a lot more to this update, including interface, AI & mechanics improvements and gameplay additions. The list here is so long, that the document containing the full list of changes is over 53(!) pages long.

HUNDREDS OF SCENARIOS

Command MANO includes 42 scenarios (3 tutorials) and hundreds of community scenarios available online

FEATURES

  • Powerful, detailed 3D-globe (Google Earth-style) with multiple map layers
  • Intuitive, point-and-click user interface for beginners backed up by a vast array of hotkeys for power users
  • Aircraft, surface ships, submarines, land units, strategic & space forces and all their real-life sensors, weapons and other systems are at your disposal
  • Extensive, detailed simulation databases modeling faithfully the capabilities & limitations of each unit
  • More then 40 included scenarios covering multiple historic and hypothetical conflicts.
  • Integrated scenario editor - make and share your own battles or modify existing scenarios
  • Integrated database viewer - browse through the stats for every platform, sensor and weapon in the game
  • Tremendous flexibility of scale: From counter-piracy skirmishes to strategic nuclear war
  • Detailed modeling of air (including near-space) and naval operations, both surface and underwater, supported by high-quality physics, sensor/EW, terrain and weather, weapon and damage models
  • Focused modeling of land-based forces relevant to air/naval/space operations
  • Mine and mine-countermeasure operations
  • Nuclear operations and other special-weapon categories
  • Recorder & replay ability

System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • OS: Windows XP SP3 / Vista / 7 / 8
    • Processor: 1 GHz (Dual-core Pentium and above recommended)
    • Memory: 1 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Video/Graphics: DirectX 9.0c compatible video card with 16 MB RAM
    • Hard Drive: 10 GB available space
    • Sound Card: Compatible sound card
Helpful customer reviews
55 of 70 people (79%) found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
7.2 hrs on record
Posted: 13 December, 2014
So if you're thinking of buying this game, I beg you to get it on sale. If you're anything like me, if you want the game you'll ignore my review entirely and buy it at the ridiculously steep price of almost $90 it's offered at at the moment, but this review is coming from someone who bought it on sale for the low low price of $54.

Now, I really can't recommend this game, but I'm not going to actively discourage anyone from buying it either. It feels more like a super-precise military combat simulator rather than a game, like something NATO uses to figure out if they could plausibly declare war on russia.

However, the fact of the matter is, it's so expensive because it covers so much. I have yet to actually find a post-WWII military unit I can't build in the game. The search function may lead you astray because it *sucks*, but if you know exactly what you're looking for you can find the precise unit built in the exact year that you're looking for. And it doesn't stop there. If you pick a unit (This is most prominent with aircraft) it will let you select the onboard loadout. And I mean there are a *ton* of loadouts for every unit that carry every very specific missile made in a very specific year by a very specific company, and they have loadouts with 4, 5 and 6 of them onboard. I mean this game (simulator?) is seriously detailed.

After you've spawned a unit, you can go into a screen showing you very detailed information about the unit. The game (Again, simulator?) feels like they had 200 people working 24/7 finding out literally as much information as they could get their hands on, and supplied these people with an IV injecting caffiene directly into their bloodstream. There is a mind-boggling amount of detail in this ame, as in more than you could find if you wrote a doctorate thesis about every one of these military units.

Now, I do have some concerns about this game:

- This is very trivial, however I have not yet found a way to turn down the ingame music volume so I can play (simulate?) while lisening to music.

- It seems like they put waaaaay too much effort into detail and not enough into sound, because if you have a couple destroyers firing on an enemy all you hear coming through your speakers is the same monotone boomboomboomboomboomboomboomboomboomboomboom. I haven't checked, but in the game files I'm pretty sure there's boom.ogg and aircraft.ogg, because this game has like 2 sounds.

- The game (simulator?) gets really boring, really fast. I can't really take this game in high dosage without getting bored of whatever I'm doing. Everything goes so slowly it gets very annoying after a while.

- If you're not a military expert with several four-year degrees, this game is going to confuse the ever-loving hell out of you. You'll boot it up, find the only plane you know (Which is probably the F-18 or F-22), try to spawn one, and then sit there trying to figure out which convoluted loadout is best, and then just clicking one at random and finding out the one you picked has no guns.

So, to summarise my review for those who don't want to waste their time reading the entire thing:

PEOPLE WHO SHOULD PLAY THIS GAME

- NATO
- People who are serious military geeks and don't think Wargame: Red Dragon is enough of an intellectual challenge
- People who want to become serious military geeks and *really* like reading
- People who kinda like military stuff with some money to burn

PEOPLE WHO SHOULD NOT PLAY THIS GAME

- People who play Supreme Commander and think this game is exactly like SupCom (It's not, in any imaginable way. Don't ask why, it's just not the same).
- People who know nothing about military anything and have no desire to learn
- People who want to play this game and not simulate this simulator.
- People who have trouble paying attention for a long period of time.

I'll reccomend some alternatives for people who want a casual-ish military simulator without having to alt-tab to wikipedia every 3 minutes:

- Wargame: Red Dragon
- Supreme Commander (Not the second one. The second sucks. Get the original)
- Command and Conquer
- StarCraft
- SuperPower 2 (Good if you like running a country, but it does not have nearly as many units as C:MANO)

TL;DR: Read the review.


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23 of 31 people (74%) found this review helpful
39.3 hrs on record
Posted: 1 January
This game is fun! Really fun! Right off the bat, after downloading the game, CMANO has monopolized most of my game time.

This game though is probably not for everyone.

It's for people who love simulations and RTS games. Those who are into action games, platformers, and shoot-em-ups would probably want to avoid this. If you enjoyed Warcraft, Starcraft, the Total War games, Civilization, Warhammer, the Wargame series (EE, ALB and Red Dragon), then this game would be worth considering.

AND, if you are an old geezer like me and have sneakily played Harpoon on the office PC during the late 80s/early 90s then this one is a no brainer.

Watch Baloogan's YouTube videos on this game. I have spent hours watching his games and have learned a lot from it. His videos are what gave me the final push to get this game.

For some reason, Steam has a problem tracking my game time. My guess is that the initial loading screen is what it tracks (that screen stays on after loading the game screen which I turn off the first few times) and not the game screen itself.

The learning curve is a bit high but not too high that it becomes frustrating. For me, the difference between frustrating and challenging is that frustrating is when you just want to get it over with in order to move on and challenging is doing it again and again until you are satisfied while enjoying it each time.

This game is challenging.

Graphics are basically limited to the unit symbols and the terrain map.. basically its your imagination (best to dl the image mods to have a mental picture of the units) that drives what you're seeing on screen. Reminds me of old Infocom ads in the 80s, how the brain is the best graphical processor around.

There are a lot of mission scenarios. The page says 40 but after downloading the community pack, I have another 177 (!!!) scenarios that cover engagements all around the world! And there is an editor where you can even make up your own scenario.

To give you an idea of the missions, the first tutorial mission was to bomb a couple of land targets that are protected by SAM installations. I launched a couple of F14s to patrol the area, set up Prowlers and Hawkeyes to monitor the area and jam enemy radar, then set up my strike force.

I still haven't got a major victory (only a minor one; ran out of ordinance and had one bldg still standing). But I'll get back to this mission later. Going back to this mission and repeating it didn't feel like a chore to me.

In the second tutorial, I had to micromanage one submarine through 4 stages sub v sub, sub v boat, sub v boat with a helicopter patrolling the area seeking you out, and finally sub v land target.

Units are intelligent. Just send out the mission order, define the conditions and send them off. You can have them do the mission automatically or manually control and guide them.

Much has been talked about the price. I got it on sale but still it was a bit high for me that I really had to think five times whether I should or should not. I'm glad I did.

I think about it this way, I have spent much more on games I haven't played yet and some that I never will play again.

Just to set expectations:

1. The first thing you'll notice is that the game rests above Windows UI (similar to how Excel or Word launches). This took me by surprise since I initially thought that it was a subpar game because of it. But don't let it fool you, the game is top notch regardless. Plus using dual monitors is easy because of this.
2. The graphics. Much has been talked about it but to quote Cypher from the movie The Matrix, "But there's way too much information to decode the Matrix. You get used to it. I...I don't even see the code. All I see is blonde, brunette, red-head"
3. Sound. There is none to talk about. It's really basic that I just play it without my headphones on.
4. The pacing closely resembles how the pacing would be in real life. Missiles takes minutes to hit targets. Your planes need time to be loaded up, taxi to the runway, and launch.
5. Planning and strategy. When a scenario loads up, a pop up with mission details come up. It's best to read it and familiarize with the scenario. The overall strategy is laid out with some helpful tips but you must still have to plan out how to execute it
6. The Database. Much has been written about its extensive database and boy, it really is. It's like a big technical manual of every weapon, vehicle, and even installations around; complete with its history, and the different versions and iterations around.
7. No multiplayer. I really can't comment on this because I'm happy already with the way its set up but some would want to try this out in MP but sadly it isn't an option.
8. UI comes out clunky and there's no immediate accessible keyboard control guide. After awhile though like most games you'll get the hang of it. But if I have to complain, it's the UI really.

Command: Modern Air / Naval Operations is 100% really about the gameplay.

Anyway, not sure if this review makes much sense but I wholeheartedly recommend this for people who love the genre and are deciding whether to get it or not.
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19 of 28 people (68%) found this review helpful
153.7 hrs on record
Posted: 29 October, 2014
+ huge database of units
+ extreme attention to detail
+ real world mechanics modeled (weather, radar, sonar, etc)
+ map is full globe of earth
+ continued development and patching

- map is pretty low res as you zoom in
- iconography is also low res and takes getting used to. This isn't a huge negative, but when you're dealing with dozens and dozens of air craft and naval vessels its a lot to manage and remember who-is-who.
- tutorials are handy, but far from exhaustive.
- huge learning curve for GUI, game mechanics, and of course actual tactics
- massive, nearly insane price

bottomline
If you're looking for a high detail RTS that's major aim is to be true to life, this is your game, because this is what they largely succeed at. In fact, going back to other games, which might have nicer interfaces or 3D graphics, they feel like a letdown when you compare the selection of units, tools and detailed mechanics.

Very worthwhile game for strategy fans, especially if you can catch a sale.
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11 of 20 people (55%) found this review helpful
24.4 hrs on record
Posted: 28 October, 2014
Very addictive, very accurate, so far the best modern warfare strategy i have ever played
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11 of 20 people (55%) found this review helpful
1.7 hrs on record
Posted: 8 November, 2014
Very enjoyable with a great deal of potential. Check out the Baloogan youtube videos to get your bearings... But be ready for a slightly punishing learning curve. Definitely appreciate this as a Steam offering. There will be a lot of moments where you will be slightly frustrated... I'm sticking with it. Price point is a controversy but I can see this one having decent longevity.
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3 of 5 people (60%) found this review helpful
3.0 hrs on record
Posted: 9 January
not for casual gamers. anyone that is used to tactical layouts formations and knowing a lot of about naval and air combat control will enjoy this game. It really is more of a of lets see what i can take with this type of game than anything else.
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6 of 11 people (55%) found this review helpful
72.2 hrs on record
Posted: 10 November, 2014
A naval and aerial warfare simulator without parallel, if you can get past the price.
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7 of 13 people (54%) found this review helpful
10.7 hrs on record
Posted: 2 November, 2014
As an avid simulator fan and someone whom enjoys RTS and warefare strategy this game brings the next level of detail and realism. The price point is high and you need to spend some time learning the units data and game mechanics but for a warefare simulation fan there is nothing out there like this game.

P.S. this is not for your quick thrills COD fan, this game takes alot of time and patience.
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195 of 227 people (86%) found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
46.4 hrs on record
Posted: 27 September, 2014
Firstly, let's get the elephant in the room dealt with, this game is expensive. If you have any doubt as to whether this is your sort of game, don't moan about the price, watch some of the Baloogan Campaign videos to decide whether it's for you or just don't buy it. In context, it's less than the price of two new AAA games (or one AAA game plus DLC), and unlike AAA games you won't be done with them in 15 hours apiece, you could happily sink a thousand hours into this and never run out of things to do.

CMANO is the spiritual successor to the Harpoon series, the grand daddy of modern naval command sims. That means while the graphics are limited to maps and NATO symbology, the breadth and detail of units and capabilities represented is second to none, CMANO is capable of simulating pretty much any naval conflict from 1945 to near future hypothetical flashpoints. This is at heart a serious minded simulation toolbox, rather than a balanced and scripted game. If that appeals to you, then there is no finer product available, period.

I bought this shortly after the first patch (1.01) about a year ago and since release there has been ongoing support from the devs, who seem to be in this for the long haul and it hs come on in leaps and bounds. The long term future for this game is looking bright!

What I like
-Breadth of units, every post-WW2 unit I can think of is in the game, or will be
-Global coverage, simulate any naval conflict post WW2 in any location
-Community created scenarios pop up regularly
-Ongoing dev support

What I hope is improved
-Beginners are somewhat left to their own devices, small scale scenarios are limited
-Air combat is less well developed than naval combat (though this is improving)
-Interface is definitely an acquired taste!
-Sound is glitchy
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102 of 129 people (79%) found this review helpful
3.4 hrs on record
Posted: 27 September, 2014
This game is complex, has a steep learning curve and is a niche game, but if you want to understand the evolution of moden naval warfare - there is no better choice in any form of media. There are lots of online video tutorials to help with the learning curve. It is a virtual naval war college and it is managed by a team that is dedicated to its constant improvement (I've never seen such dedication to supporting any game in my 25 years of playing them). They have improved the game non-stop over the last year, It is insightful, flexible, versatile, and has a database that rivals the most expensive reference books like Combat Fleets or Janes. I served in the USN for 24 years, and I can tell you that this game is priceless for understanding how navies operate and how modern air/naval warfare works. It is the best simulation I have seen in or out of the service - and a useful tool for taxpayers who want to understand where their hard earned money goes. It gives you 65 years of naval warfare across the entire globe with a multitude of realistic and challenging scenarios, and a scenario editor that is relatively easy to use and which has generated an impressive amount of user content. If you have any interest in naval warfare you should buy it - I doubt we will ever see a game this good on naval warfare for the foreseeable future. Hope you give it a try....

Mark
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62 of 82 people (76%) found this review helpful
26.7 hrs on record
Posted: 29 September, 2014
I would like to say Bravo! to the developers. You have an impressive system here. I call it a "system" and not just a game...I'll explain:

First, if you are looking for fancy graphics and ultra-fast unrealistic action, this game is not for you. This is a complex, battle simulation on an Operational and Tactical level of war. It uses the NTDS symbology to plot unit positions on a map, much as you see on real world battle systems.

(I feel like I am back in the Command room that I worked in years ago...only much improved.)

Second, I don't have to dig out my Jane's books to look up a range or specs on a particular weapons platform. With a click or two you have that information available almost instantly. The weapons database is one of the other reasons I call it a "system"

Third, you must plan your attacks, or defenses with attention. This is not the run in and gun type of game. This requires thought and planning, considering terrain, resources and unknowns.

Fourth, you can create your own scenarios with units from the Korean War era to the near future. Your imagination is not limited by the by the system but enhanced by it. Oh, and by the way, there already is a large user community out there making scenarios for download.

My fifth and final positive point is that the developers are very engaged in this project. Both fixing bugs and adding functionality.

Some minor negatives:
1. Don't bother with the sound. Turn it off and use your imagination. There's no sound effects in the Command Room either, (Unless you count loud Lieutenants)

2. Some users have reported blocking bugs, but realtively few and the devs are actively working on it. I have encountered none so far myself.

3. Currently no Steam Workshop support, but installing scenarios is no more complicated than unzipping and placing in the correct folder.

A definate buy for the wargame enthusiast, but it is not for everyone. If you have qualms about buying, do some research first.




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77 of 109 people (71%) found this review helpful
6.7 hrs on record
Posted: 26 September, 2014
I've been playing this for a good ol' while before it came to Steam.
Its certainly a niche title, and this should go some ways to explaining the price point, I don't think this type of game will appeal to every type of gamer.
However, I would highly recommend this, and I am no fanboy (never even played harpoon, which most people seem to compare this to.

To help with the price, be aware that the game has a very active community who are constantly creating new scenarios to play, and many of these are as good (or better) than the stock ones, so there are always new scenarios to play.
There are packs of these, so they are easy to get hold of.

I must have played one scenario (Duelists) 10+ times, as the British force vs Soviets. I am determined that I can prevent that hidden sub from getting enough info to effectively missile my carrier force, but so far some missiles always do seem to get through...

Not for everyone, but a good game if the genre interests you, and a helpful community.
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85 of 133 people (64%) found this review helpful
80.3 hrs on record
Posted: 26 September, 2014
Command is one of the best games that I've played in the last several years, and has given me hundreds of hours of enjoyment (note: this is not reflected in my Steam time, as I purchased it originally from Matrix). It provides a much more faithful model of modern air and naval strategy than any other game out there, vastly better than the Wargame series, and aligning with many other real sources. I don't think that there's any better simulation with both the depth and width of this.

There are a few issues. The UI is very hard to get used to (and the learning curve is rather steep) - while the interface looks like Google Earth, it doesn't work anything like it, and takes some time. The keyboard shortcuts are somewhat annoying to find, and are really, really nessecary to play well. It also requires something of a powerful CPU, as I'm running on a upper-mid-level notebook i7 and can't go much past 30x time acceleration.

The game certiantly is still under development. A number of features remain to be added, such as a time-on-target strike planner (what other game even needs one?) and "surge" air operations are forthcoming. However, the developers are very active and responsive, and the game constantly improves further. This is augmented by an extensive community of scenario creators that have done some fantastic work (I'm especially a fan of the Caribbean Crisis scenarios, where Venezuela invades the ABC islands).

All in all, I would highly reccomend this game. I think that the $80 I originally paid for it was entirely worth it, and the $60 price is more than justified. While I wish that they would reduce the price further, I think that if you have even a passing interest in modern military you should spend the money.

Edit: Rewrote for more completness.
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53 of 80 people (66%) found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
8.2 hrs on record
Posted: 7 October, 2014
“Command: Modern Air / Naval Operations” is a strange beast. Its good features could make for a gem of a game. However, its bad features deeply mar it. And, unfortunately, the bad features outweigh the positives BY FAR. I bought it from Matrix store one year ago and followed its evolution up to the current patch. Unfortunately I do not have good news.

The game is fairly functional, but the interface is crude and cumbersome with tremendous clutter in the single map that cannot be disabled. The dearth of hotkeys is also noticeable as the player is forced to chase back and forth across the map with his mouse to accomplish the most basic and simple functions. The lack of a database editor for this game is quite significant especially in this day and age where the most successful games such as “ArmA” or “Crusader Kings 2” (not to mention “Harpoon” itself) actively encourage their user communities to create additional content and, more importantly, to tweak the existing one. “Command” users are limited to only those things that are already within the database since no new planes, ships, or submarines can be created nor can any pre-existing information be modified. You can mount American SSMs Tomahawks on a Soviet Kirov class cruiser, but players who like to tinker with known units (or experiment with hypothetical planes and weapons) are out of luck.

There is no multi-player option available at this time so players are limited to the AI opponent. The game is, in fact, primarily designed for players to issue general orders even for the friendly AI assistant to interpret and implement. Unfortunately, the AI is so weak that the users have to constantly follow what’s going on if they want to hope for success. This means that the player is virtually compelled to micro-manage every single aspect of his battle. Instead of the role of battle group commander, he is relegated more to that of supply clerk or bean counter as he almost has to fire each bullet or drop individual bombs from his aircraft.

If a daunting UI and awkward game functions do not scare you, then moving into surrealism maybe will. The “depth of research” and “the value of the database alone!” are the other items which are touted as “crown jewels” for this game. Then you discover that almost all planes’ speed is topped at 950kts. Planes capable of reaching MACH 2 on afterburner (about 1300kts) are out of luck. That these planes were designed for speed above anything else doesn’t seem to bother the “hard researching developers”. True, some planes, like the MiG-25 or its “heir”, the MiG-31 can exceed this “roof” and act as interceptors. But try to check an F-14, an F-15, an Eurofighter 2000 or even a Tu-22 “Backfire” (naval bomber, top speed 1,250kts): every single of them will have a top speed of 950kts.

Still in the realm of surrealism is the weather model, which allows the player, via the scenario editor, to choose the weather for the whole world. A “true WWIII scenario!”, another possibility touted by the developers as the Second Coming or such (“Harpoon 3”, BTW, already manages thousands of units just fine) will see Russian ICBMs depart from their silos in a rainy Siberia, overfly a rainy North Pole (!) descend over the rain that pours over Canada from Montreal to Vancouver, follow the soaked Western Coast and hit a San Diego chilled by the low, rainy clouds. As a consolation, the people of San Diego can be assured that, in the meanwhile it is raining in Italy, Mumbai, Tasmania and the Marshall Islands. Maybe the developers were hit by the famous passage of James Joyce’s “The Dubliners” where Gabriel Conroy’s soul “swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.” I don’t know. I love Joyce, but I never associated it with Tom Clancy.

I had high hopes for fun from this game and excitedly followed its development and eagerly awaited its release one year ago from Matrix; but, even after the patches Command is, currently, too much of a chore to play. It really is work to accomplish the simplest tasks. Scenarios that might take 1 hour to play in similar games like Harpoon usually take 2-3 hours in “Command” due to the difficult interface. True, “Harpoon” players (the game “Command” will be most compared to) will be happy to know that many of the ìHarpoon 2/3 functions are replicated within “Command” thereby making it easy for them to quickly jump into the game, as the fundamental mechanisms are the same. However, once in, they are likely to run into a wall of frustration as not all the helpful Harpoon 2/3 functions are available. They soon begin to ask themselves “How do I do <<this function>> that I remember was so helpful in Harpoon?” only to find that it isn't possible with this new game. Why, just to give a simple example, I cannot designate an independent subordinate map for every area and/or group of platforms of interest, when ”Harpoon 2” managed to give us this opportunity in 1994? (!!) The sad truth is that every time I fire “Command” up, I start looking for something else to play within 10 minutes or so because the constant mouse-work required in this click-fest just isn't fun. The lack of basic game functions such as Multiple Maps and an easily functional or recognisable Formation Editor soon become apparent.

Command is like a "big box" of "shiny new toys”. A wargame like “Panzer Corps” gives you the whole War in Europe. You can (metaphorically) shake it and exclaim, "Wow! Ships! Airplanes! Land Units! Flame throwing tanks! Look at the beautiful map!” The same happens, for example, with "World in Flames" (yet to be published on Steam): "All the counters from the original war game! An enormous map! Video tutorials!"

The key question, however, is: "Do they work together to return a cohesive, fluidic, and fun game experience?" “Panzer Corps” does and it is a blast to play. "World in Flames", after a year, is BARELY functional, full of bugs, and lacks basic functions like an AI and multi-player capability.

Then, a treasure like "Command Ops: Battle of the Bulge" comes along with its masterful use of real time, chain of command, and realistic control over troops in a war zone. A game worth every penny of its price But a lot of people will “shake the box” and say, "It's just the Battle of the Bulge! Where are the toys? I won't pay this price for only a Sherman and a Panther!"

“Command” is a box full of "toys" ("Ships! Airplanes! Sensors!") which still lack cohesive and functional interaction. It is not "difficult to play" because it is supposedly realistic, but because the basic design still creaks BIG TIME. Ask any Admiral: their job is to fight the enemy, not the interface. And, maybe, the same Admiral will tell you that the sonar model is broken, but no one can do anything about it because the database is locked.

Don’t be depressed if my comments sound negative! “Command” is delivered by passionate people. I can only see it to improve - hopefully to the point when you both have fun and your biggest challenge is to come up with a winning strategy. But, don't fall into the trap of, “Lots of toys + I need a degree in naval warfare = Masterpiece!" Games that help you learn while having fun: those are masterpieces worthy of your money. It doesn't even need to be a computer game. Even Chester W. Nimitz could have told you that.
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29 of 42 people (69%) found this review helpful
1.0 hrs on record
Posted: 28 September, 2014
If you enjoyed Harpoon, Fleet Command etc than you'll enjoy this.. There is a LOT of depth to the game/simulation which can be intimedating there is no denying that fact. As others have mentioned look at the video's around etc before you buy to check if its your cup of tea or not.
That being said there are some things that they could have done a little better.. The UI is not the best, actually I've seen real military systems with far more friendly UI and that's part of the point here.. with the amount of information/data etc that your juggling UI is important and here you either need to know every short cut key or go hunting in the menu's, that shouldn't be happening especailly not in this day and age.
The other is that you'll find the music getting on your nerves fast... but that's easy enough turn it off..
Finally the Video they show is a little misleading in that even in the missions.. there is no scripted radio messages.. that come through audio.. at all, least not that I've seen.. again not a biggy but slightly misleading.

All in all though I'm happy with it, But then I enjoy these styles of games..
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44 of 73 people (60%) found this review helpful
18.4 hrs on record
Posted: 2 October, 2014
TL;DR, 6/10, would not buy again unless discounted, but still weirdly timeconsuming in a good way.

Interesting if you liked strategy games, sandbox and military history.
Much easier than expected. Huge database, but limited gameplay mechanics. It comes to life when applying mods. Unfortunately it suffers from heavy framerate issues even on modern systems(insanely bad coding, suspect no GPU usage at all) and the sound is terrible. Soundtrack crashes halfway each time so had to disable it. It is a great game if you value data over everything else. fortunately I do, but can not recommend it as it is priced far to high and the quality is sadly to low. Multiple crashes during gameplay. It is still being developed, but only attempts at bugfix. Pick it up when it comes in the discount bin (50%). Hope the developer makes a successor game with a better engine. There is so much potential with the concept.
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29 of 47 people (62%) found this review helpful
54.8 hrs on record
Posted: 29 September, 2014
This is very heavily based on Harpoon 2/3. I still have the original Harpoon 2 command cards, and all the keys in-game are even bound to the same values. I've played a great deal of Harpoon 2 and 3, and this is Harpoon 2/3 with nothing removed, but with a lot of extra detail added. The multimonitor support is very nice too.

In a nutshell, it's Harpoon 2/3, with a graphical and UI over-haul, better performance, improved sensor modelling, mobile ground units, and with rates of turn and acceleration added for aircraft and vessels. This game is the ultimate in its genre, truly fantastic.
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15 of 24 people (63%) found this review helpful
27.4 hrs on record
Posted: 7 October, 2014
The work on this game is impressive, it's really detailed and realistic. The database is huge and complex.
Good game if you love wargames/simulations, it's clearly the most detailed that i found.
The interface may first shock you, but after a little learning it is great.

+ Realisme, depth. It's a real simulation with a big learning curve.
+ Impressive database.
+ Moddable.
+ Supported by the dev team over the time.
+ IA
+ Variety of scenarios.

- Some bugs.
- It's necessary to micro-manage multiple elements.
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14 of 24 people (58%) found this review helpful
62.0 hrs on record
Posted: 12 October, 2014
Command: Modern Air/ Naval Operations is a text based 2D global strategic Cold War-Modern military RTS based around air, ground and naval operations. The game allows total control of land, air and naval assets from changing atltiute to turning on ECM jammers to firing all weapons. This game is one of its kind due to the sheer amount of content (at least 10,000+ units 5000+ weapons), replayablity (30+ standard missions, 60+ community missions and an in game mission editor) and total control from a tactical to strategic scale.

Pros:
Sheer amount of content
Sheer amount of replayability
Good AI
Requires a lot of micro which is wanted out of a game like this


Cons:
Very poor UI; hard to tell which unit is which
Steep learning curve for those not a familiar with modern military equipment. If you don't understand what rifle AIM-120C at Angels 40 means then you will have a lot of work to do.
The game requires a strong imagination (You need to visual something like this while you're playing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLtmqi9SLrk) otherwise you probably won't have much fun
Lag...oh the lag....but you get used to it.


Overall I rate this game 8/10, two points off is for the lag and poor UI, otherwise this game is perfect for the gener

PS: Download these if you choose to purchase the game, you will thank me http://www.warfaresims.com/?page_id=1876
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19 of 34 people (56%) found this review helpful
58.5 hrs on record
Posted: 29 September, 2014
ENG:
If you ever played Harpoon Series and/or Jane's Fleet Command and if you're interested in tactical/operational sims where you have full control over air and naval units, based on Cold War and/or Modern Era this sim is for you.

Pretty easy to start if you have similar games experience.

Built In Scenario Editor gives you possibility to create almost any scenario you want, from fully historical authentic to absolutely fictional operation.

In-game tools provide you with very detailed control on whole operation phases.

Every unit is worked out in details, every ship has its own, modeled in real time, system - which can be controlled by crew(AI) according to RoE or by yourself.

Simulator provide player in real time detailed environment log, where you can check - when, who and what did.

You can plan and execute small scale operation (ex.:Israeli air raid on terrorists HQ in Tunisia) or you can be in change of the whole Desert Storm operation.

Really like it and looking forward for multiplayer addon.

RUS:
Если вы играли в серии игр Harpoon и/или Jane's Fleet Command и если вы заинтересованы в симуляторах тактического/оперативного типа охватывающих период Холодной Войны и/или Современных операций, где имеете полный контроль над воздухом и водой - этот сим для вас.

Довольно легко начать, если у вас есть опыт в похожих играх.

Встроенный редактор сценариев дает возможность создать почти любой сценарий который вы пожелайте, - от полностью исторически аутентичного до абсолютно вымышленного боестолкновения.

Внутриигровые инструменты дают вам возможно полного контроля на всех этапах операции.

Каждый юнит спроектирован в деталях, каждый корабль имеет свои собственные моделируемые в реалтайме системы - которыvb может управлять сам экипаж(АИ) в соответствии с RoE или-же вы можете это делать самостоятельно.

Симулятор обеспечивает игрока журнал событий в реальном времени, где вы можете проверить - когда, кто и что делал.

Вы можете планировать и осуществлять маломасштабное операции(Например: Израильский авианалет на штаб террористов в Тунисе или вы можете встать во главе операции - "Буря в пустыне".

Очень нравится и с нетерпением жду аддона с мультиплеером.
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