Old Gamers Never Die: The U.S.-China Undersea War Continues in 'Cold Waters'

A Chinese frigate sinks in the East China Sea after a hit from a Mark-48 ADCAP torpedo. All game design elements in these screenshots are © 2017 Killerfish Games

 Hello, again, Dear Reader. 

As you can tell, I am still playing the U.S. vs. China South China Sea 2000 campaign in Cold Waters, a submarine simulation from Killerfish Games that its designers tout as the spiritual heir to MicroProse's 1988 classic Red Storm Rising. As in that sub sim — which was designed by Sid Meier and is based on Tom Clancy's 1986 novel about a conventional war between the Soviet Union and NATO —Cold Waters depicts undersea warfare in an alternate timeline with three different iterations of the Cold War turning hot at three distinct periods; 1968, 1984, and 2000.

A beautiful shot of USS Jefferson City, my third command in this deadly war between the U.S. and China. 

Since this is my first serious attempt at playing a Campaign game, I think I am holding my own even though I am not winning outright. According to my last Campaign summary, I have completed 11 missions assigned by Commander, Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC), sinking 32 surface warships, 18 subs, and 15 merchant vessels, but by the same token, I have failed enough missions to allow China to occupy Taiwan, the Philippines, and several archipelagos in the South China Sea. 

My latest tally in the South China Sea 2000 campaign.

Worse, I have lost two expensive attack boats, the USS Seawolf and the USS New York City. But despite that, I have been given a third boat, the USS Jefferson City, a Flight-3 Improved Los Angeles-class sub which represents the final iteration of that storied class of submarine. Apparently, my superiors have determined that I'm still fit to command a submarine in wartime, because I have been awarded five decorations, including the Legion of Merit and the Silver Star. 

I still have not encountered any enemy capital ships — such as the Soviet tactical aviation cruiser Kiev or the battlecruiser Kirov — but that might change as the war between China and the United States rages on with neither side ready (or willing) to give in. 

(No, that is not my video. I don't know how to do gameplay videos.) 

I finished my last war patrol on a high note by intercepting a huge Chinese convoy and sinking every ship before it could reach its destination in occupied Taiwan. And I did it with a badly damaged boat and only four Mark-48 ADCAP torpedoes left in my loadout. Luckily I had not fired too many UGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, so after I sank the escorts with the torpedoes (including a Romeo-class SSK), I used my Harpoons to sink the merchies before they could even think about escaping. 

Well, that about wraps it up for this installment of Old Gamers Never Die. I'll come back soon with a report on my campaign progress. So, until then, Dear Reader, adios, amigo!