Let's Sperg Let's Play Rule the Waves II, Make Techpriest Suffer Boogaloo - In which as various turn of the century navies, I will make abominations unto god in the form of steam and steel warships

[Techpriest]

As viewers of the last thread know, I am somewhat of a masochist when it comes to my ship game autism. In fact, I'm so much of one, that I've decided to in a way resurrect the old thread. Last time, I left off as the Germans after a major patch update came through that essentially totally re-balanced aircraft. Well, we've had another one, this time to make the AI more likely to actually defend their own ships against air attacks. Now, an astute reader of my shenanigans would know that I've played through Austria-Hungary, Japan, and Germany before for all of you. So in keeping with the tradition of 'let's select nations with problems for techpriest to play' I'm going to slot myself in as...

Russia. Imperial Russia. You might think, 'Hey, this doesn't seem so bad. You've got 12 inch guns to start with this time!' well, think again. As the Germans, I have an industry and education base that means I can blitz through tech. As the Japanese, I didn't need to worry about anything outside of Asia, and as Austria-Hungary I didn't have to worry about anything outside of the Mediterranean. Russia though, Russia has to deal with some major geographic problems. To start with, I have a Pacific coastline to worry about. I'm stuck in the Baltic and therefore easier to blockade. I have undeveloped ship building, and poor education, meaning my research and ship design is going to be quite shit. 'No Oil' right now means that while I have oil, I can't make oil firing ships to start with. And my bonus tech is about the most useless in the game. Austria-Hungary has better luck. Anyway, I'll just go thorugh my starting fleet here quickly. I let the AI design it, which means that shit might be a little funky.

I am actually quite pleased with the two ships of the Retvizan class. For 12,800 tons, they're well armored and have a good secondary battery, along with a blazing fast speed of 19 knots. I can't complain too much about that. She has 4 underwater torpedo tubes too, which is rather nice to have early on. What isn't nice is only 80 twelve inch shells per gun, so 240 shots total. Plus, she has a narrow belt - dangerous stuff but acceptable I suppose at the moment.

I am slightly less happy about the Pervenets class. Technically, this thing is pretty close to an all big guns design, sort of in the middle between a Dreadnought and a Pre-dreadnought. Looking into her design also makes me wince slightly. She was built in a french naval yard, and the AI somehow shaved 200 or so tons off of her. She also isn't designed for a long engagement; she's only got 90 shells per big gun. Oof.

This though, is an interesting monster of an armored cruiser. It magically acquired Quality 0 9 inch guns, and at 23 knots will outrun almost anything else at sea. It pays for that by being almost as expensive as the Pervenets class when it comes to maintenance costs.

The Pallada class protected cruiser is a strange beast. It has long range, but only a top speed of 20 knots. She does however, have an absolutely insane broadside of 3 inch guns, meaning most destroyers or other light cruisers will not like getting into close range with her. Plus, she's got three submerged torpedo tubes. An interesting design, but I won't be building more of these. 20 knots on a protected cruiser is a death sentence. Her 6 inch guns don't have splinter shielding either, meaning those guncrews will be cut down in any long fight without mercy.

The Avrora meanwhile is a more conventional 'light' protected cruiser. With a speed of 21 knots and a displacement of only 3400 tons, she has actual protection for her gun crews. I only have one of her.

Meanwhile my Torpedo Boat Destroyers are kind of garbage. The Bistri and Vidni classes lack much of what I like in an early game destroyer, and the Vidni are on a fast track for disposal - cramped accommodations aren't anything I want.

Also every single one of my ships is in Northern Europe. Fuck.

Under construction are a pair of battleships, another Pervenets, and a new class.

This thing is garbage. Like actual hot garbage. Those turrets are saving a lot of weight, but 5 inch guns aren't too great, and that BELT HOLY SHIT. At least this design is considered to have come in at weight, but 8.5 inches of belt is painful. She's still immune to her own guns though, and has the saving grace of having a usable amount of ammunition for her main guns. I could build something like this myself (but I won't because fuck 8.5 inches of belt). She's also made by PERFIDIOUS ALBION. I'll get both her and the other battleship under construction in a year and two months.

Speaking of death traps... this thing. Just... why? She's not even really an 'armored' armored cruiser. And it'll take 13 months to build her. She's going to the breakers. This design is THAT bad. I'm building a replacement for it in the 'smaller armored cruiser' role.

The new and improved Gromoboi class ups its displacement by three thousand tons in order to properly armor the turrets, have a hefty secondary battery, and ups the size of the guns in the turrets by an inch in order to squeeze in a 6 gun broadside of 7 inch shells. She's better in pretty much every way, even if she costs me 3k to develop. She'll be ready in two years.

In the meantime I steal some tech from the Americans, develop actual armor technology, and buy some more tech from the French.

With all that in mind, and after my battleships are commissioned, I start to work on upgrades for my cruiser forces. I need a light cruiser I can count on to brawl it out with not only other light cruisers, but also stick with the main fleet and in a pinch, raid for me. I do have to sacrifice some turret armor to keep her within a reasonable displacement of 5900 tons. With a 5 gun broadside and acceptable armor, she's the best I can do for now. I'll have her ready in two years, along with a sister ship.

Also, how can I NOT be Russian and stoke Balkan tensions. Serbia is our greatest ally there after all.

Give me rubles Nicky, I need them to build you a fleet worthy of Russia!

And my funding increase request is rewarded with a new technology worthy of it. 600 ton displacement DD's are a big step up from the 500 tonners. I can actually build a decent destroyer now.

I even get better torpedoes to go with it!

The Zarki class is a bit on the slower side for a destroyer, but she's got three torpedo tubes and a pair of quick firing 3 inch guns. She'll be good as a fleet unit for a while, I feel. Due to my poor shipbuilding industry, these destroyers will take a year to come off the slipways, so I order seven of them. I'll get another three or four after the first flight is done, if I don't need to design something entirely new.

Right now, I've got a fleet on par with Germany. I'm going to press them, and press them hard.

Kaiser Bill backs off when faced with the threat of the Motherland.

With two years played, I'll stop here for this post. I've certainly got an opportunity here to get in a quick and early war where I'm on par with my opponents most likely. It looks be a very even fight, if not slightly in my favor. The German battleships in general have heavier secondaries than many of mine, but they're rocking 11 inch guns...

Or 9 inch guns in the case of their newest battleship. But their secondary batteries are much better than mine. I'm faster, sure, but some of my battlefleet lacks those tertiary batteries I'd really like. And because of the turrets, the secondary rate of fire is far far lower than I'd like on my battleships too. I'm taking a 40% penalty for them, which is painful. Their new heavy cruisers are good matches to my Pamyat Azova's, at less tonnage and less speed. Their light cruisers are pretty awful compared to mine; I'll have double the tonnage of protected cruisers in service compared to them, with better guns. Destroyer wise, I'm about to outnumber them 3:2. This is a very winnable war.

I'd like you guys to come up with ship ideas for me to test out this run, or even better, mandates from the Tsar's court.

 

[Dick Pooman]

Can I be a Belmont-class technical research ship, specifically one that was completed May 4th, 1945?

 

[NerdShamer]

Fun fact about the autism surrounding cruisers: Everyone has different standards on exactly what kind of cruiser there are. Like how your Gromoboi is technically an light cruiser compared to the Pamyat.

Enjoy being cucked by Catherine the Great.

 

[Techpriest]

Fun fact about the autism surrounding cruisers: Everyone has different standards on exactly what kind of cruiser there are. Like how your Gromoboi is technically an light cruiser compared to the Pamyat.

Enjoy being cucked by Catherine the Great.

Cathy's been dead for over a century by this point. We've got Nicholas II in charge by now, I think.

And yes, Cruisers are warships that have a bazillion different categorizations. Rule the Waves sees Light Cruisers as cruisers with belt armor no greater than 3 inches thick, and guns no larger than 6 inches in caliber. Armored and heavy cruisers according to the game have either armor greater than 3 inches, and/or guns exceeding 6 inches in caliber.

The Pamyat is one of those ships that's a prime example of how the AI designs can be a little wonky. They shouldn't have quality 0 nine inch guns, but they do. They're also 23 knots, which means that for at least the first 6 years or so of the game, they are the fastest 'capital' ships around, and can genuinely outrun what can kill them, and kill whatever can catch them. Early on, Armored Cruisers are what they were historically, extremely dangerous and desired warships.

 

[Adamska]

1903 Mandate

To: Admiral Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov
From: Baron Fyodor Baranovich Shlepin

Good Day Admiral, I hope this letter finds you well. I must give thanks, as your measured response was useful in preventing quite a few cuts due to that idiot Witte from cutting the budget of the fleet. It would have meant my younger brother would likely still be waiting on dock for an assignment.

But on to more serious news. I must state that our interests in the orient are threatened twofold, threefold if you choose to acknowledge the Japanese as anything worth thinking about. Albion seeks to use Asia as a playing ground to cut off our rightful interests in Manchuria, plying the Japanese with their own designs to ensure they may contest us. Berlin has already tried to move in to further weaken the toppling Qing.

Under these circumstances, I must confess we need to rapidly expand our fleet so it may contest both the Baltic and the Pacific. To that end the following measures have been approved of:

1. We need at least three of our best capital ships at either Vladivostok or Port Arthur. We need to be able to at least have a fleet in being at these ports, for the railway is not finished yet and work would be interrupted otherwise.
2. A new cruiser model would be a good idea; you have redesigned our Armored Cruiser (though I do feel the Pamyat Azova has potential...), and Light Cruisers. I suggest building one that is all torpedoes. The concept is simple; a larger vessel than even your new model of destroyer can carry more torpedoes, yes? So why not make a ship that does nothing but throw torpedoes out? Design specs are up to you, but it must go at least 21 kts. These should have use in all fields.
3. Experiment further with large gunned cruisers. The Pamyat Azova is more a Battle Cruiser than any mere Armored Cruiser with those guns, and speed will be needed with our spread out naval bases.

Treat them as guidelines, but do try your best at completing these tasks; the Motherland may be a land power, but the sea needs to be contested at all times.

Keep up the good work,
Baron Fyodor Baranovich Shlepin

 

[Techpriest]

With this many ships under construction, I've got some time to get other designs and technology up to snuff before I head into a war.

Or I can keep pushing the Germans.

War looks nearly inevitable at this pint.

Oh hey, my bonus tech fired. Two years and four months into the game. Mind you I also got better accuracy and better HE shells, so I'm not going to complain too much.

Speaking of which, I'm going to start training gunnery. Every little bit helps.

Apparently the fighting in Bermuda is affecting the British ability to steer.

This is fine. I've moved two of my battleships over to North East Asia in order to both please the Czar and the royal court.

With this many nations pissy at me, I'd like a tension reducer right about now.

What do you know? Nobody wants to disarm right now.

One of my spies manages to steal the detailed information on the new 9 inch gun battleships the Germans have. They've got a pretty low amount of armor for that heavy secondary battery. Flash fires on them will be a real risk for the Germans.

I can really make an obscene predred with this, so I will soon.

At the end of the year, Bermuda has declared independence. The UK government is too busy discussing moving the island away from Europe to notice or care.

This is a somewhat retarded design. I've got no deck armor, my conning tower can be blown over by the wind, and hilariously enough my secondary guns give me the equivalent of two of my new armored cruisers slapped onto the side of my battleship. This thing will either blow up spectacularly, or kick the shit out of other predreadnoughts.

After my gunnery training comes in, I get news that's both good and bad. The Germans have finished their new battleship, but the Japanese press is really mad about the current naval presence they've got.

The next month I find out they're building a battleship with only 6 inches of armor.

And it's only got 9 inch guns. Holy shit it's just a fucking ARMORED CRUISER.

Speaking of armored cruisers, the OG Gromoboi design has somehow come back from the grave.

Britain is really having rebel problems this game.

That's not extremely good. She's more likely to flood, and her speed might be slightly affected.

Spies manage to get their hands on the new German armored cruiser information. Can't say I'm too impressed.

Great Britain does defeat these rebels though. It's also 1904, and I'm not in a war yet. A miracle for Russia of this era, arguably.

Serbian Nationalists have no chill. Neither does my appetite for war.

COME ON BILLY, I'M WAITING FOR YOU!

So close!

1903 Mandate

To: Admiral Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov
From: Baron Fyodor Baranovich Shlepin

Good Day Admiral, I hope this letter finds you well. I must give thanks, as your measured response was useful in preventing quite a few cuts due to that idiot Witte from cutting the budget of the fleet. It would have meant my younger brother would likely still be waiting on dock for an assignment.

But on to more serious news. I must state that our interests in the orient are threatened twofold, threefold if you choose to acknowledge the Japanese as anything worth thinking about. Albion seeks to use Asia as a playing ground to cut off our rightful interests in Manchuria, plying the Japanese with their own designs to ensure they may contest us. Berlin has already tried to move in to further weaken the toppling Qing.

Under these circumstances, I must confess we need to rapidly expand our fleet so it may contest both the Baltic and the Pacific. To that end the following measures have been approved of:

1. We need at least three of our best capital ships at either Vladivostok or Port Arthur. We need to be able to at least have a fleet in being at these ports, for the railway is not finished yet and work would be interrupted otherwise.
2. A new cruiser model would be a good idea; you have redesigned our Armored Cruiser (though I do feel the Pamyat Azova has potential...), and Light Cruisers. I suggest building one that is all torpedoes. The concept is simple; a larger vessel than even your new model of destroyer can carry more torpedoes, yes? So why not make a ship that does nothing but throw torpedoes out? Design specs are up to you, but it must go at least 21 kts. These should have use in all fields.
3. Experiment further with large gunned cruisers. The Pamyat Azova is more a Battle Cruiser than any mere Armored Cruiser with those guns, and speed will be needed with our spread out naval bases.

Treat them as guidelines, but do try your best at completing these tasks; the Motherland may be a land power, but the sea needs to be contested at all times.

Keep up the good work,
Baron Fyodor Baranovich Shlepin

So the problem with a torpedo cruiser at this point is it's all submerged tubes for anything larger than a destroyer.

Large gunned cruisers are a plan for the future, but the issue is they're expensive. I'd rather have more battleships than a fuckload of armored cruisers that cost more and are less survivable in a fleet on fleet engagement.

 

[Adamska]

So the problem with a torpedo cruiser at this point is it's all submerged tubes for anything larger than a destroyer.

"That seems to be a problem for you to find out, not for myself. If not cruisers, then more Torpedo Boats at the very least. We need the coverage given the Kaiser's obsession with the Orient, and torpedoes are a cheap way to do so."

~ Baron Shlepin in response to the problems of storing a lot of torpedoes on one ship

Large gunned cruisers are a plan for the future, but the issue is they're expensive. I'd rather have more battleships than a fuckload of armored cruisers that cost more and are less survivable in a fleet on fleet engagement.

"Why not experiment with those new fangled wing turrets then? They should allow you to put more guns in one spot than before. I think that maybe a focus on big guns can mean the difference between a victorious fleet and a dead one."

~ Baron Shlepin on the Battle Cruiser

"Remember, many of my peers or brothers are in the service and your own peers; disregarding suggestions completely may come up next time I meet the Tsar myself. Especially when we are this close to war..."

~ Baron Shlepin "inspiring" the Admiral

 

[not william stenchever]

So the problem with a torpedo cruiser at this point is it's all submerged tubes for anything larger than a destroyer.

With enough technological advancement can you make CLs that are basically super destroyers?

 

[Adamska]

I was just reading through again and just holy shit I just realized something hilarious about Bermuda rebelling. You see, this happened during the time of the Boer War, so the island had quite a few Afrikaaner prisoners, about 5,000 at the time. One of them was this mad bastard who was obsessed with lake bacon. There also was only about 18,000 islanders and 800 soldiers on hand.

Am I saying that the rebellion were a bunch of Boers taking over the island and forming a new country off of it and then ethnically cleansing the island by taking wives forcefully? And that Hippo Man was made their President for Life? Yes, yes I fucking am.

ADDENDUM: I rather hope you do AARs of major battles again man, I liked them in the previous thread.

 

[Techpriest]

The second of my lighter armored cruisers has finished construction. They'll make fine raiders, arguably.

Once again, the Germans lay down another glorified armored cruiser.

July 1904 brings me a big gift - Central firing is a massive step up in terms of fire control.

This is also very important; signalling errors were not uncommon back in the day, and could have disastrous consequences.

August also sees another one of my improved light cruisers enter full active service. Hopefully it'll be enough.

Over time, these small weight savings really add up. I'll take them, especially when I've got some spare cash and I'm still in the black construction wise.

Face hardening was an extremely important technique for ship armor - it allowed for thinner material to shatter shells that would have just penetrated it before. Better torpedoes are also very welcome. This early in the game, torpedoes can and will kill ships with a single strike - if they hit.

The next couple months are quiet, so I decide that I'll invest in a minesweeper design. Two four inch guns is enough for it.

My next project? A CL designed for fleet defense and for raiding. Her deck armor is pretty trash, I'll admit, but she's got a very heavy broadside of 5 inch guns with central firing. She'll do fine. Hopefully. It'll take two years for her to be finished.

November 1904. Billy's had enough. It's go time.

I'll accept.

At my disposal, 3 battleships, 3 heavy cruisers, 4 light cruisers, and 10 destroyers. The date? November 3rd, 1904 (though as the Russians used a different calendar at this point, the dates are likely what's used by the rest of Europe). Our objective? Sink German ships around Danzig.

Avrora spots an unidentified ship. It is quickly joined by another.

It seems to be the scouting elements of the German fleet, along with a merchant vessel that just happens to be there. My light cruisers will rip them apart.

My cruisers spot the enemy battle line. I order my light cruisers into line ahead, and to steam south. Maybe we can pick off one of the merchants or light cruisers.

The first shots ring out between two cruisers armed with 4 inch guns. Meanwhile, the enemy battleships start to run south as well, chasing my light cruisers, towards my own battle line.

Vesta scores first blood, landing a hit on the Gazelle class.

About 10 minutes after that, the Pallada nearly has her conning tower knocked out, instead the blow glances away from the slow protected cruiser.

Meanwhile, Avrora misunderstands the signals from the flagship and seems to have decided to cross the T of the German line, in a protected cruiser with 4 inch guns. Madness. After the Vesta takes a hit from a battleship only limited by the coal bunkers from obliterating the ship. They turn away, quickly.

Meanwhile, my battle line is starting to get an idea of the range, and landing hits. And then my Destroyers go nuts, and decide to all TURN AWAY. Meanwhile, the Germans are trying to cross my T.

A lucky shot from a German Armored Cruiser nails one of the two fire control stations on my new armored Cruiser.

Now that they've got her range, it's not looking the best for her. Shells are splashing all around her, and two of her turrets are currently disabled.

But the Varyag has the range in exchange, and she's lighting up the enemy.

The German fleet starts turning away too. Which considering the occasional hit my battleships are nailing the Germans with, is probably smart.

I'm taking the occasional hit on my battleships, but they have the range on the opponent CA's in this fight. Two twelve inch shells slam into the rear cruiser.

Splinters from an exploding shell that bursts on impact with the water rip into the secondaries on the Vesta - turning several sailors into what resembles very chunky borscht.

I spot an opportunity here, and turn north. A corvette and a transport are all on their own, and I know that corvette took a 6 inch shell.

The crew of the transport abandon's ship, and soon after that it's riddled with 6 inch shellfire and takes a torpedo.

Dusk starts to fall, as I chase the enemy fleet into the Gulf. Hopefully, we'll get a couple of shots off on the enemy before night falls fully.

A lone German Battleship charges north, right into smacking range.

He's within 3000 yards. Practically open sights.

The rest of the German fleet is following up close behind, and I start my turn. Shit's going to get nuts.

OH FUCK THAT'S A LOT OF DD'S HEADING RIGHT INTO OUR LINE

Loads of these little V2's are getting mauled by secondary fire, but they're still inside my line. It's crazy.

Bravi takes a torpedo and explodes.

As night is falling, it happens again. There's a DD in the middle of our formation. Shit is going absolutely nuts.

And that same fucking destroyer that refuses to die hits one of my light cruisers. For fucks sake.

Meanwhile this German battleship is absolutely nuts, and getting ripped apart at point blank range. She catches on fire soon after. At these point blank ranges, these battleships are also slinging torpedoes at each other.

The night rain isn't helping visibility. But this battleship is getting absolutely ripped apart.

Disaster strikes.

But we've got him dead in the water, and on fire. This ship is dead too.

The Imperator is flooding, and flooding fast. I've cut her speed down to try and save her.

It seems to have worked!

Meanwhile, to the south my destroyers are on some kind of fucking adventure, derping around in the south and skirmishing with some other enemy ships while I limp back to a port in Lithuania.

Meanwhile, I've sunk another ship. Probably the German battleship. That doesn't stop my destroyers from pumping 3 fucking - scratch that, FOUR FUCKING TORPEDOES into it, while it's on fire and dead in the water.

In the meantime, my Light Cruisers go on their own adventure, and find another transport that abandons ship. In the meantime though, both fleets call it a night.

Apparently, we sunk one of the enemy destroyers. Both the Palleda and the Imperator survive torpedo hits (which to be frank is a miracle). We sink two merchants, and two German Warships, while losing two of our torpedo boat destroyers. Torpedoes have certainly proven the threat that everyone anticipated them to be, although it appears that shot placement matters. I'm guessing the front of both the Palleda and Imperator Pavel took fish, blowing their bows off - which while dangerous, doesn't mean that interior bulkheads can't keep all the water out.

The gunnery training instituted among the fleet has proven to be extremely effective. We scored an impressive amount of hits, with the Imperator herself hitting 6% of her shots fired (an amazing feat of gunnery for this era). The nameship of the Zahringen class is now at the bottom of the Baltic, in a major blow to German pride. Kaiser Billy is likely pulling his hair out over all of this.

A prestige point, and a hefty amount of VP to start the war off. The Battle of Danzig Bay will mark the first engagement of Predreadnoughts in the world. Close range gunnery had decided the fight, in a night engagement marked mostly by confusion.

 

[Techpriest]

Apologies for the double post, but I have to mention that this battle took me about an hour to play out in the real world. It's also a real miracle that my two torpedoed ships that weren't just destroyers survived.

 

[NerdShamer]

Never thought that the Germans were taking lessons from the kamikaze tactics of the Japanese. But then again, WW2 didn't happen yet.

 

[Adamska]

Never thought that the Germans were taking lessons from the kamikaze tactics of the Japanese. But then again, WW2 didn't happen yet.

If I had to guess, they were overconfident in taking on the Russian fleet, because in their minds the main thing they are is a landgoing nation. This overconfidence however did cost them a predred though.

And yes, those two ships were extremely lucky; I honestly hope you get Torp protection ASAP.

 

[GnomeofDoc]

OK I have to ask. What the hell is that incomplete clock supposed to do?

 

[Adamska]

OK I have to ask. What the hell is that incomplete clock supposed to do?

It might be more on the mast, which is closer to a pagoda style mast used to help in rangefinding due to its design allowing people to see around better. Not really sure though, since it might be some form of mechanical director system or something.

By the way, a genius idea: we reintroduce Popov style roundboats for coastal defense and other things!

 

[Sanshain]

Pretty cool thread. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it. This game seems right up my alley. Too bad it's 35 fucking dollars.

 

[Adamska]

January, 1905 (December, 1904)

Baron Fyodor Baranovich Shlepin was not ever said to be a reasonable man; he was often a thorn in the side of quite a few ministers, as he tended to be pushy and ill tempered. More than once was he known to throw steak tartar out of frustration at his servants, and he loved to use family or bribery to get what he wanted. But he also happened to be one of the founding members of the Военно-морская клика , the Russian Navy Clique as it was called. He also had the ears of enough generals to be semi-regularly included in Tsar Nicholas' circle.

He was also now under the hot-seat alongside many of his circle (as well as Chief of Navy Ivanov) as the German Hochseeflotte dueled with the Russian Baltic Fleet out in narrow waters. The situation was in the air; on the one hand, the Germans lost a good Battleship; on the other, their industry and shipbuilding techniques were better than the Motherland's and they can recoup losses like this and innovate faster. Russia needed some new ideas, and a revised industry.

He stood along the dockyards of Sevastopol, drinking vodka from a samovar as he looks at the old scrapyard before him. The Black Sea Fleet was a shell of what it could be, but this was the reality of Russia; too many ports to watch over, and the Straits a Noose for anything here. Still, the only way to build up Russia's industry was to crash build. He needed to find something that could potentially turn the war.

His eyes move over some old rusted shape, and then he doubletakes at what he sees. It's a strange vessel; one that one of Ivanovich's predecessors pushed for. The idea was simple, its armor great for the time, but its speed and sea movement was poor. But maybe...

To: Admiral Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov
From: Baron Fyodor Baranovich Shlepin

Good Day Admiral,

I must congratulate you on your victory at the Danzig coastline. I imagine that the Tumbler is rather furious that he lost a good ship, and not one of those jokes he calls a Battleship instead.

Sadly, I write to you not for good news, for the news is in fact dire: Russia's slipyards and building practices are unacceptable. This is not your fault, and not even the nation's fault as a whole. But it does mean we cannot build ships as quickly as we should; we lack the industry for this.

So to this end, I suggest a radical, but logical idea: if you recall, one of your predecessors was a Vice Admiral Popov. He designed a rather innovative if flawed pair of monitors for warfare in the Black and Mediterranean seas. I am of course talking about the Novgorod, and I think we should experiment one more time in this design, with the knowledge we discovered factoring in the role.

These new Circle Ships are not going to be capital ships; they will be light vessels of either a Destroyer or Corvette class size. Their main role will be to guard coastlines or sweep mines, as their wide draft will make them amazingly stable gun platforms or able to clear or infest wider lanes of mines than their size would suggest.

They will obviously not be made for open seas; the Novgorod's issues with rough waters disproves their value here, but they will be very useful along the coastline. It would also revive some shipbuilding usage in Sevastopol, as the Black Seas Fleet is, sadly, but undestandably low priority.

You don't have to take this as a guideline, but I would still suggest building minelayers and sweepers at least, since a mine can and does kill ships.

Happy hunting,
Baron Fyodor Baranovich Shlepin

 

[Techpriest]

Pretty cool thread. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it. This game seems right up my alley. Too bad it's 35 fucking dollars.

It’s a niche simulation game. It’s going to be a little pricier than your average indie title. It’s still cheaper than base Paradox games and there’s no DLC spam. The entire game was made by like 5 guys in a garage, who do have to pay obscene amounts of money for obscure books on the Steam and Steel era of ship design. Also they have to get access to military archives for gun performance data. There’s a demo on their forums you can download to try before you buy.

Also I think the original is like 20 bucks and Rule the Waves I isn’t a bad game by any stretch.

 

[Allakazam223]

It’s a niche simulation game. It’s going to be a little pricier than your average indie title. It’s still cheaper than base Paradox games and there’s no DLC spam. The entire game was made by like 5 guys in a garage, who do have to pay obscene amounts of money for obscure books on the Steam and Steel era of ship design. Also they have to get access to military archives for gun performance data. There’s a demo on their forums you can download to try before you buy.

Also I think the original is like 20 bucks and Rule the Waves I isn’t a bad game by any stretch.

Seems like I would enjoy this as well, I look forward to the next AAR.

 

[Techpriest]

Seems like I would enjoy this as well, I look forward to the next AAR.

It’ll likely come tonight after I’m done with work.