Reading the weather in Tidelock Command

Most people bounce off Tidelock Command because it feels fiddly. Menus everywhere, numbers everywhere. But once you learn to read the weather, the whole game opens up and starts feeling more like a chess match than a spreadsheet.

That little forecast icon in the corner isn't decoration. Storms reduce visibility and scatter formations, which sounds bad until you use it against the enemy. I now bait AI fleets into open water right before a squall rolls in and watch them lose cohesion.

Route planning is the other half. Hug the coastline during rough weather to keep your ships grouped, then push into the open sea when it clears. Fuel is precious, so don't take the scenic route unless you have a reason.

The campaign assumes you've figured this out by the fourth mission, and the difficulty spike there is brutal if you haven't. Spend time in skirmish mode first. It's the cheapest way to make your mistakes.