The Grandest Fleet 2 is a big improvement over the original Grandest Fleet. The AI update alone is worth changing from the old version. There are also many new scenarios that can be played that add much to this old games appeal. If you enjoy the challenge of commanding a fleet against a pretty good opponent (the AI), you should try this game out.
There is a lot of strategy involved in the game play, centering on the requirement to earn victory points in order to win.
These points are based on the cities you have in your control. It is essential to build up and hold your cities in order to win. There are many ways to accomplish this, but building Universities isn't the best method. Having a transport ship in the dock of a city seems to be the best way to add to your victory points.
It isn't a good idea to build too many carriers when the game starts out, as they seem to have very little tolerance for damage. It seems to help if you instead concentrate on building heavy metal such as battleships. They will take more damage for longer, and are effective up until they are sunk. The carriers seem to be cannon
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fodder after their air wings are depleted. The cruisers are best bought in the opening rounds, due to their high cost during game play in ratio to their ability to sustain damage. They are handy in that they can cause damage to a submarine, where a battleship can't. It pays to have one or two attached to the fleet at all times to help sink those pesky subs. Subs are a good investment when it comes time to sink some battleships. The battleships can't damage the subs, but a sub can sink a battleship in about 6 turns. If you can have a couple shadow the enemy fleet, they can do real damage with little chance of being damaged. It is also a good idea to build resources in your cities so you can build super ships. These are very tough, and can inflict serious damage in a few turns. The most bang for the buck is the super battleship. With its missiles, it can reach out and do damage to any nearby ships that are out of direct fire range. This seems to be the best thing to use on carriers, as it will allow you to sink them very quickly. The next best asset to build is the super sub.
