Command: Northern Inferno

Why do people think this game is going to be difficult to play? I suppose it must be all the icons and range circles that put people off this sort of game but I must admit I am very surprised how simple this game is to play. After reading many comments about it I was expecting a massive learning curve but that just isn't the case. Admittedly I am used to playing complex flight sims like Tornado and EF2000, not to mention games like ARMA3, Silent Hunter and Paradox's strategy games. But this game seems to me to be rather intuitive. I was surprised for example to find out you cannot manually deploy the towed array on the subs. But when I thought about it I realised that well you don't have to lower the landing gear on the planes or manually taxi them so why have to carry out the sub routine operations? When that clicked I realised that this game is not about micromanagement. Its about knowing how to use your assets, and having them ready when they are needed, and in the right place a...

I played "Harpoon" from when it was new until long after it had disappeared then re-appeared on the web. This game is infinitely closer to the reality of the periods it is set in. The ranges and models of the various machines are excellent and it is obvious a lot of time was spent on getting them correct. A lot of the information in the various fact sheets does not have images or stories and bare facts are a little disappointing. The quantity of items is breathtaking but I would still like to see more images and stories. The creators of this version have gone to great lengths to improve the complexity and control. I missed some of the aspects of the old games. The ability to apply air patrols into geometric selections around the ships and airfields and so on made it easier to set up a fleet action. Those patrols were then invisible until they were forced into action which saved some clutter on the screen. The current game has various ways to set up patrols that allow a lot more contr...

I've owned and played the base CMANO game for a long time, but hadn't put in many hours recently. That's changed with Northern Inferno. The use of a Campaign system - even if it is just a series of scenarios aids immersion, and the 1975 Cold War setting is one I find fascinating. The introductory video is great (I wish every scenario had something similar) and the range of platforms - some common, some more unusual (D43 HMS Matapan anyone?) - maintains interest. If I had one wish it would be that the database descriptions for involved units be expanded a little with some narrative to back up the exhaustive stats (maybe with a few hints on how that particular platform could best be employed) and a somewhat better selection of photographs. Overall this is highly recommended, either as an introduction to the game or as DLC for more experienced players.

Just spent Saturday evening and most of Sunday monring playing the first 3 missions, and I have to say that it's engrossing. The scenarios are as realistic as one would imagine, and the cut-videos of 70's tacky reporting add that little bit of flavour and realism. It's a shame the core game didn't ship with Northern Inferno, instead of relying on community support almost from the start, but, that said, the future of CMANO should be in providing more campaigns like NI. Recommended.

This is a way overpriced updated version of Harpoon. I really like the game but in todays market it just doesnt seem right to pay 20 bucks for a campaign, which is all you get here. You can play any part of the campaign which is nice, but weapons miss/failure rate is depressing. This game also comes with a bunch of scenerios but you cant play them without dropping an extra $90 on it. So dont waste your $20. Pay the $90 for command modern air if you are thinking about trying this game. Just keep in mind there is no graphics - which doesnt bother me, i like strategic games. I wont pay the $90, that is way too much for a game with no graphics. If i had to do it over again, i wouldnt pay more than $7 for it, and i wont pay more than $25 for the real game.

+ Incredible level of details + straightforward interface that allows total control... or let the IA do the job + tons of fan made scenarios (you will need CMANO though) - 50 years ago, owning the information contained in the database will have sent you to jail for spying activities - nuking is fine... and fun - you will need to sleep at some point Northen Inferno is an excellent introduction to Command Modern Air Naval Ops, I have played many wargames and this simulation is the top gun.

Top of the line cold war command simulator and a sensible gateway to the full CMANO product. Needs a stack of tacit knowledge on weapons and sensor systems that it doesn't teach. The mission editor is critical to avoid micro management hell, but documentation is light and logic is less than intuitive (e.g. CAP / AAW behaviours) so the product takes some learning.

I have not put a lot of time into this game as it is a very deep simulation and I just bought it. This is a good entry point to this series but be aware that it is also very limited. Since this package does not include the mission editor you will not be able to create your own scenarios. Nor will you be able to play the over 200 community developed scenarios. You will only be able to play the 15 Northern Inferno scenarios plus the 5 tutorial missions. This program costs a quarter of the full game and if you are a casuall player this probably will work for you. But if you want more playability than you should consider buying the full game.

I really wanted to like this game, but I have to say I'm giving up on it. I understand that there is niche market for people who desrie an extremely realistic simulation of real-life situations, but I feel like this game has gone too far in delivering that. This game is apparently for people who actually have experience working in a naval command and communications center and (i guess) try out things that maybe they weren't allowed to. If you're looking to play this game and learn more about how naval operations are conducted, I would say the learning curve as presented in the game is too steep for all but those who may have already had some professional experience in the navy.

This was a great idea by the CMANO PEOPLE. I didn't want to drop 90 bucks on the full game, 20 bucks is much less of a risk and allows you to try the whole game engine in only 15 scenarios. i now have 130 hours in and am only on #10. lots more gaming to do, i consider this a steal. It has a very high learning curve but if you spend time on the tutorials, do them several times, it all will click in. Modern battle systems are much more complex than i realized and this simulation has definately taught me a ton about modern warfare in the electronic age. This is not a button smasher game, but there are times when you have to play at real time to get things done because alot is going on. Download the picture mod for the data base and game on, two thumbs up, i now know i will buy the larger complete CMANO once i survive this battle simulation first!