Drongo
Posts: 2205
Joined: 7/12/2002
From: Melb. Oztralia
Status: offline
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Glad you're exited.
In terms of the best deal, I have seen other posts that mention that pre-loved copies for sale have appeared on the web. It may be worth a search. Otherwise, I would assume any purchases from the distributors would be a standard deal. Others will know more.
Just a little clarification to your expectations. I share your passion for good naval sims. In my opinion UV is a great game but If you are after a game purely on the basis that it offers highly detailed surface and carrier-based air combat, this game is not strong in this area. Hopefully this comment will attract the grogs (experienced blowhards;)) so that you get other opinions. I will give you a short description of what I mean.
The who, when and where aspects of your airstrikes is handled by the AI (often with results that have players banging their heads in frustration over why an airstrike was not launched and if it is, at what target). All the players can do is assign general mission types to their squadrons and set engagement altitudes. Enemy bases can be set as potential targets but not enemy TF's. After that you sit back and let the AI determine what will happen. On the positive side, all the factors that influenced air combat (experience, weather, fatigue etc) are taken into account. If you are looking for the player control levels of something like CAW, look elsewhere. Also, you may have noted from reading other threads that LBA (Land Based Air) can achieve, rightly or wrongly, far greater effectiveness in low level anti shipping strikes than would be indicated historically. This characteristic will not become obvious when playing the AI as it tends to use LBA level bombers medium altitudes but expect it when playing PBEM. A patch is currently coming out that includes a reduction in the effectiveness of low level shipping attacks by level bombers. What impact it will have is yet to be seen.
On the subject of surface combat resolution, player interaction once again is minimal (none during the resolution phase). Once again you can give general orders to TF's along the lines of move to this hex/base and perform this task using these qualifiers (ie stay and patrol or retire on task completion). Once again you cannot tell one TF to attack another. You select which ships to make up the TF and which officer will lead it (care should be taken to get the right man for the job). Once more the AI takes over for the duration once the turn resolution begins. If surface combat occurs, a screen will appear showing the opposing TF ships laid out in rows on opposite sides (a la Pacwar). The AI then determines which commander has achieved tactical superiority (ie crossed the 'T') and then the firing begins between ships that have seen each other. Range will change during the engagement and the combat may last quite a few rounds. It is like watching a sophisticated version of 'Battleship'. On the plus side, radar, experience, gun and torpedo characteristics etc are all incorporated into the model. If you want player interaction and detail along the lines of GNB, keep looking for that updated version. The patch will change one or two aspects of surface combat but the combat will still follow along the same lines as above.
In my opinion, this game is a great attempt at producing an operational/strategic simulation of the South Pacific Theater 42-43. It is not surprising, therefore, that it does not come with the naval combat detail and player control of GNB (it's simplistic strategic game was really an excuse to give the player a lot of battles). I am getting as much enjoyment from UV as I did from GNB but they are really complete opposites.
I hope my post has been of some benefit.
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Have no fear,
drink more beer.
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