I love to have these things kitted out, regularly end up with 20k+ ton monstrosities ("unrestricted cruisers kek"), shitloads of 10" guns and 5"secondaries means that they generally kick the shit out of anything CA/CL/DD they come across (seriously, the AI is terrible at cruiser design, the 3" spam CL is a fluke) and they can -but really shouldn't- hang out with BC's. Although BC's vary wildly, if it's one of those thin-skinned glass hammer type of boats, in which case a quick dash followed by opening up the 10" and 5" hoses up close tends to fuck them up real good.
I love to have these things kitted out, regularly end up with 20k+ ton monstrosities ("unrestricted cruisers kek"), shitloads of 10" guns and 5"secondaries means that they generally kick the shit out of anything CA/CL/DD they come across (seriously, the AI is terrible at cruiser design, the 3" spam CL is a fluke) and they can -but really shouldn't- hang out with BC's. Although BC's vary wildly, if it's one of those thin-skinned glass hammer type of boats, in which case a quick dash followed by opening up the 10" and 5" hoses up close tends to fuck them up real good.
Heck yeah. I see no reason to refuse this sort of thing, all it does is help me, and I have the money. My torpedoes are better now.
And my steel is better too.
Also, the russians made their first full battleship.
A bit weird, and starting to head down the road of obsolescence already, in my opinion.
I've decided that I might order the first D-class a few months early, as I think I'll be able to afford it.
My math:
· A D-class in cost: ~4.1 million monthly.
· Months until at least that much is freed up for new construction, as of 2 months from now: 6
· 4.1*6=24.6 million-(2.76 million(my income)*6)=8.04 million
· My total money as of 2 months from now: 23
Yeah, I'll be able to afford it with room to spare, without even considering the fact that almost 4 million will be freed up 2 months before my math would suggest, making my income margin far bigger, and that's not even considering the increased income form tensions with Britain. In fact, I think I could start building now, but I will withhold.
Anyway, next turn.
Oooh, very nice. Let's see what they're building.
Picardfacepam.jpg.
10 12" guns? In 1911, when I'm building two ships with all-centerline 14" guns, and 8 of them, and planning another with 15" guns, AND AoN? Obsolete before it's even built dude. That's kind of sad.
Bugger! That's a very useful tech, so not getting it is really annoying.
This, though… nice. Very nice.
Also, looks like that Japanese boat is being completed in 2 years, sooooo… dang, that's sad.
Also, new DD design: 5" guns! Only 4 of them though, but even more torpedoes than any earlier DDs, and faster too! I'll wait to order them though.
One more month until the D-class can be started on.
Next turn.
Dang, I'll need to put that on the D-class before ordering it, because NEED.
Additionally, torpedoes get better, so putting some DDs in production would probably be a good idea.
I am ordering my first D-class battleship now, complete with director firing and another half inch of turret armor above what was planned. I'm pretty happy with it.
Bugger! The game made me pay another 7.7 million for development costs as Devastator is the first of its class. Still an acceptable value, but that does lower my safety margin to about 8 million, based on my earlier math, so that's probably less than the true value.
Japan starts out with really shitty guns, it may be possible that the AI did not procure improved stuff.
Likewise Russia with its illiterate population can really take the slow boat approach to research.
The ships almost start looking boring once dreadnoughts roll around. It's just centerline turrets with some wing ones. The pre-dreadnought battleships are were the designs got really crazy and it was hilarious seeing what the AI came up with. The large and small gun mixed configurations looked much more cluttered and less modern. Which I found interesting since everyone was still scrambling to figure out the most effective battleship design possible.
Plus, that Barfleur was a fucking beast and I will not stop bringing it up. :lol
The ships almost start looking boring once dreadnoughts roll around. It's just centerline turrets with some wing ones. The pre-dreadnought battleships are were the designs got really crazy and it was hilarious seeing what the AI came up with. The large and small gun mixed configurations looked much more cluttered and less modern. Which I found interesting since everyone was still scrambling to figure out the most effective battleship design possible.
Plus, that Barfleur was a fucking beast and I will not stop bringing it up. :lol
And I will not stop agreeing with you, as it was a beast... for its time. Pretty sure Warner or anything newer could take it 1v1 reliably.
Also yes, pre-dreads have a pretty cool aesthetic, and can be pretty funny too.
Also, I'm now only at 1 million lost per month, and there's 3 months until Chancellor is complete, so I'm good. Further, 5 months until Emden is done, making my economic situation after that every nice.
Also, the side view for Devastator and the rest of the D-class, which are only planned at the moment.
I'm done here, next turn.
Seriously, they should just stop asking me this. Of course I want to.
Also nice, lighter/stronger engines is always nice, if a bit late to put on the Devastator, if nothing else.
Dang, that's taking a long time.
Bottom. Un-freaking-cool japan.
Well dang that pissed them off. I'm going to probably send a battlecruiser or two over there to keep an eye on them, and, you know, do what battleships do best: impose upon people that their owner is NOT TO BE MESSED WITH. I'm not really worried about any of Japan's capital ships, but I'm still got to send something over, to impose, so naturally, my two most modern battlecruisers, Xenon and Warner. It'll leave northeast Asia somewhat undefended, but that'll be remedied by Chancellor being completed in probably more around 3 months, followed by Emden afterwards. I'm also sending two Kiel class cruisers over, because ONE DOES NOT MESS WITH THE GERMANS, and if you do… un-fun times for you.
This should adequately send a message of NO MESSING WITH ME. And if it's inadequate? Well, let's just say Japanese ships, while fairly numerous for their size, are bad, and easy to kill, TBH.
Well, let's see what happens now. Next turn.
Oh, nice, more funding! That'll help me more thoroughly beat up the brits and Japanese.
And nothing else. What a disappointment. Next turn, chancellor will be done, so moving on.
Nice.
OH DEAR GOD. A 10*14" gun (all centerline) battleship? With AHLF DECENT ARMOR? OK, when war comes, this'll be a target to gang up on. Also, they're making two more. Also, shows the brits have AoN (turns out they don't it's just a weird design), probably, so that's a thing. Sadly, I don't get Chancellor yet, making me ALL THE BEHIND.
Also, made a new CL design, will put it into production after Emden is complete. Also, down to 630K dollars per turn lost, so things are getting better.
Anyway, onto next turn, in which Chancellor is done, probably freeing up tons of money for DDs and such, or maybe another D-class.
Hell yes.
DANG.
Foo.
Also, just noticed, I can afford to straight up build 3 DDs. Will do later. Anyway, next turn.
OH GOD FUDGE BLUDGEON CRAP. On one hand, Britain, the powder keg, and japan, similar. On the other, MAH PRESTIGE. You know what, getting it over with. Top option.
Subs get better.
Powder keg intensifies. Also, emden soon, that'll be nice.
I see the international diplomatic situation resembles Yosemite Sam running around an ammunition shed carrying a leaking keg of gunpowder to which's powder trail Bugs Bunny has just touched a match...
I see the international diplomatic situation resembles Yosemite Sam running around an ammunition shed carrying a leaking keg of gunpowder to which's powder trail Bugs Bunny has just touched a match...
Early in the post: "We should reduce tensions, and I'll sacrifice some of my budget for that."
Late in the post: "THIS MEANS WAR, YOU TEA-SLURPING LIMEYS!!!!!"
This entertains me.
As for your post schedule, I'd say "post at the pace that is most convenient for you, because I want to watch all the way through to the end of the game."
Early in the post: "We should reduce tensions, and I'll sacrifice some of my budget for that."
Late in the post: "THIS MEANS WAR, YOU TEA-SLURPING LIMEYS!!!!!"
This entertains me.
As for your post schedule, I'd say "post at the pace that is most convenient for you, because I want to watch all the way through to the end of the game."
Alrighty. Time to head out and try to wreck British crap.
It looks like I have no A-class pre-Magnificents (the first dreadnought type battleship was named Magnificent. I plan to destroy it), thankfully, just the B-class and 3 DANG FINE battlecruisers (which I designed like IRL German battlecruisers with not much guns, but ridiculous armor for the time). Chancellor is here too, she'll be able to help quite a lot with those director-aimed 14" guns, allowing her to probably be able to hit targets reliably from a longer range than the British ships. (The brits don't have gun directors on any of their capital ships, and I hope to not give them a chance to add them). Also, the British managed to get a second Howe class out already. Annoying and frustrating, but eh. I do hope that the brits can't counter my ships though, don't want another Jutland the first.
Further, for cruisers, I have 2 Kiel class and 2 Duala class. Not really ideal, but they'll do. I also have several CLs and DDs, but they don't matter at the moment. I might use the DDs for torpedo flailing (muahaha) but that's about it. Setting one of the divisions with my new 3-torp DDs to manual control.
Target sighted, re-angling my fleet.
And it's a destroyer. Well, continuing on shooting it. Why not.
Turns out to be a CL, so I'm going to continue with my cruisers shooting it, but the battle-line will be restrained from firing, as that would waste ammunition.
Oh, hey. More enemies. I'll wait a bit to have my capital ships open fire, though. I want confirmation first.
Hey, they're running north! So far, no hits for either side, but there probably will be some soon. I can actually see why they're running, when faced with the amount of ships currently bearing down on them.
Well, looks like that Comus-class wants to fight. I'll accept it, and have Arcona come after her. They can dual as much as they want, I'll probably just leave them to it, they seem equally matched, and I'd rather use the rest of my navy on bludgeoning the British ships.
Enemy pre-Magnificent sighted. Not too valuable, as it is, after all, only a pre-Magnificent, but it's still a lot of steel I can sink.
Well that's a thing. It's probably a BB, maybe a Howe, with that range, which worries me. I'm setting my battleships and battlecruisers to being allowed to fire. Also, Victoria Louise gets the first hit, on the Comus-class, despite it being rather far away.
The enemy's visible fleet composition: two battleships, one a Magnificent-type, the other less definite, possibly a pre-magnificent, but likely not. Two ships, probably screening destroyers or CLs. There's a good chance I'm wrong on these ones though.
I'm turning on ship-flags in preparation for possible future cluster-*beep*s in this battle.
The Comus-class is starting to take a beating. Nice. That's happening, and will definitely at least increase how much VP I get out of this battle later.
Well, my fleets are gradually closing on the British battleships. I'm hoping to get new information on what the battleships are, but meh. Nothing too significant can happen until my battlecruisers at least can fire on the enemy. Also, the Comus is now listed as heavy damage, at 10 knots. Heh.
The British battleline is gradually getting more visible. They have a lot of ships, but most of them are pre-Magnificents, so they'll likely be somewhat less that useful. Kiel and Vineta are already engaging with the enemy ships, but no-one is hitting due to them being rather far away if you don't have a director.
In the small skirmish with the Comus and Arcona, the Comus just got hit by a 14" HE shell from Chancellor. That must have done a good bit of damage there.
Huh, those ships I thought were dreadnoughts and similar before turn out to just be cruisers. I know their battleships are around here somewhere though. I'm going to continue having my battlecruisers and cruisers push on though, as battleships are probably over there somewhere, just not sure where. Maybe those ships crossing across the top? Maybe.
Hmm, it looks like the northwest unidentified might be a battlecruiser. Having my battlecruisers respond by attempting to intercept them.
Oh, yay, it's this one. Pretty scary as an enemy BC, but TBH crap belt armor (as usual for most people's battlecruisers). I probably want to get to get fairly close to take advantage of the fact that I have lighter guns than them and at close range? Gun size matters little. But, on the other hand, they have both of their battlecruisers here. Also going to try and send my DDs in for a suicide torpedo run THIS TIME KNOWING HOW TO MANUALLY FIRE TORPEDOES.
Heh, it looks like something scared them. Well, they're not fast enough to escape my DDs or their torpedoes, so it won't help much.
It looks like they might also try to stop my DD charge with DDs of their own. Well, I have the answer for that: more DDs!
Oh, hey. There's the rest of the British battlefleet. I wonder how well they like torpedoes. Also, 15" guns are huge, is unsurprised really.
Ready…
Set…
Wat.
Fire!
And that's a lot of ships. At least if my torp misses it might hit something else. And besides, I have more.
You know what? Screw this. I'm leaving, this is clearly not optimal for me.
My current plan:
All ships: GTFO RUN AAAAH
BatDiv 1: sink this battlecruiser then GTFO RUN AUGH
And this is their target. They've already landed one hit.
My battleships land a few more hits, but it looks like the brits have started to notice my move here. I'll probably have to disengage soon. I hope I can at least screw this battlecruiser up first.
Bugger!
A few parting gifts though…
Actually, looks like it wants more. Eh, why not. Increasing range though, I have a gun director.
I guess it's time to leave, actually.
So persistent! Still leaving, but if you insist, I can fill you with holes while I do so. I do have a gun director, you remember.
Meh, carrying on leaving. It looks like my pursuit is dying down, which is nice, but really they'll never get any closer than they are now. All their BBs and Bs have 20 knots or less, which is the speed all my battleships here go at.
Finally looks like they're breaking off. I don't mind, I just want to leave at this point.
They are persistent as crap, I'll give them that, but that isn't really helping them at the moment. I'm going to leave either way.
Well, it's a Magnificent class, and the other is too, so I can probably take them, but I'm still leaving at top speed, if after letting them catch up a bit by turning to head to port.
Fudge. I'm losing steam as the stokers get tired, and as they have oil, they don't have this problem. This'll also allow them to get closer, and I think their 10*15" battleships are here too, so I can't just turn around and fight them. My only option is… DISTRACTION CRUISERS! I'm sending Kiel and Vineta over to try and distract the enemy battleships.
Night-time will also help, as it will hopefully reduce visibility so they can't see me, or at least, can't see me as well.
I think it's working! The night-time visibility loss I mean. Besides, this is only twilight (not that kind), so it will get darker.
Wait for it.
Well, it looks like I escaped. I bet the system will count that as a tie, despite my having to flee at the end.
Starting new turn in the first month of the war with another 3 DDs ordered.
And onto the next turn.
Nice. Cruisers +1
Also not bad. Shame about that one sub sunk though.
That's rather annoying and fairly insubstantial in my opinion, alright. Sadly, no raiders sink any British merchants. Also, no battles. Odd.
Well, next turn I guess.
Nice, though I want to know what they are.
Oh, ok. That's nice, though I'm not sure what it's referring to.
The subs are doing their job well it appears.
And my raiders are certainly doing theirs.
I'm going to let this auto-resolve, as it is a relatively insignificant engagement.
Huh, that's nice. Well, might as well move on to the next turn. I can't think of anything more I want to do, besides accelerate construction on the D-class, which I just did.
Actually, I want a new CL design:
Taking some design queues from the markedly scary Boyarin class, the Udine uses a similar secondary-spam tactic, but replaces the terrifying amounts of 3" guns with slightly more reasonably numbered 4" guns, as 3" guns could, it was found, penetrate any armor of hostile ships whatsoever, whereas the 4" gun was found capable of penetrating most contemporary light cruisers' belt armor reliably, allowing the impressive secondary armament to be significantly effective for more than just terrorizing superstructure on targeted ships. Further, while having the main armament moved into 2 dual turrets and one single turret would save on weight, allowing another 2 4" secondaries, it was decided against on grounds of doing this would significantly harm the gun crews of the main guns' ability to fire rapidly, significantly enough that it would be less than helpful to the ship's operation. As the admiralty wished to have at least two under construction, and there was little available funding for construction, the Moltke, the French ship under construction in German shipyards until now, was scrapped to free up funding, after an inspection team from the German navy examined it and decided that it's design was unsatisfactory for use in modern warfare, as it did not use a gun director, none of its turrets were mounted in a superfiring arrangement despite easy changes possible to accommodate such a choice, sadly not available by the time the inspection occurred, and it's range being far from reasonable for most actions it would be used in.
Anyway, next turn.
I'm going to say yes, as while it will probably give me tons of unrest, it'll also definitely give the brits more, and I think that'll be more than a fair trade, as I think they are already having unrest problems.
The submarines continue to help, though their getting sunk too is annoying.
Sadly, no British subs are sunk.
The British merchants sunk, by sinker:
Niobe: 3
Ariadne: 2
Nymphe: 3
And a lot of food stuck at the bottom of the ocean.
It looks like another British CL tried to intercept my raiders. Keyword in this sentence: TRIED.
Weird. Once again, no battle offers. Well, I won't say I dislike it, just… weird. Also, it looks like Intel thinks the Renown class has 14" guns not 15" guns now. Alright.
