Procrastes

I'm not really sure you should do that.... I'm waiting for one of those übergeeks computer wizards that abound on this forum, to jump in and smack me over the head with the "that was ages ago, where have you been hiding you old coot?" bat! Edited: Quod erat demonstrandum; see post 26 below. Also, ouch! Thanks, Stewie!

Yes, I really like the improved sinking animations. They add a lot of immersion value to the game! As for the computer programming thing, do you recall those old shoot-em-up games where the dead bodies used to blink away and disappear after a few seconds? I was told that this was because of the strain it took for the game engine to have them remain indefinitely.

Alright, how about "too much extra strain on computer processing power"? I don't know squat about programming, myself, but I seem to recall that adding permanent and semi-permanent elements to the gameplay architecture, can put quite a strain on the CPU*? *If that's what it's actually called. I got the term from Terminator 2.

At a guess? Because they would seriously block certain parts of certain maps, to the detriment of the game experience.

Optional 'Eldritch Horror' setting: Death by Kraken!!! (Can be deactivated in the port menu.)

I got the secondaries upgrade on slot 2 for my Tirpitz, as soon as I heard of her new and improved secondary battery range. And boy, that feel of heady power when they open up at an enemy that isn't even near enough to begin thinking about doing a torpedo rush... I am not sure that I will ever get the manual secondaries skill, though. Activating the manual lock on an enemy ship is still something I usually do only as an afterthought, after noticing that my secondary batteries have opened fire. I would probably lose a lot of damage done if I get that skill. The extended range is worth choosing in any case, is my opinion. I even fly the relevant signal flag!

...and the main mast is launched into the sky, makes an ET pass before the moon, and spears the nearest enemy ship through the funnels!!!

Just adding my two cents to the discussion... and hopefully, the WG staff reads these threads now and then?

The 'Radio Location' skill is bad for the game, and it should be removed. Here's why. 'Radio Location' removes an element of individual player skill, that is the ability to read the game and outguess the opponent, and replaces it with an automated game mechanic. I am, as a rule, sceptical towards these kinds of "ESP" game mechanics, that supply the player with information on what is going on in places he can't otherwise see on the screen. They take the game away from being a test of wits and tactics, and makes it more of a test of reflexes; or "click-and-play", if you like. I don't believe this is the best direction to go, as it impoverishes the game experience. The 'Situational Awareness' skill is one such mechanic, and one that I think is actually good for the game, since it removes the dreary necessity of zig-zagging all the bloody time - but it was a very good thing when it was removed as a skill and added as a general ability. The 'Radio Location' skill, on the other hand, makes the game less fun for everyone. It's less fun not only for the sneaky destroyer, that can no longer make a well-timed ambush attack, but also for the intended victim, that can no longer second-guess the destroyer captain and turn the tables on him with an unexpected riposte. An end-game between a cruiser and a destroyer, that might otherwise have been a tense and rewarding nail-biter, will be trivialized as the cruiser just makes a bee-line for the destroyer (and sails between the torpedoes on the way). What kind of victory is that? The above said is the main reason why I think the 'Radio Location' skill is bad for the game, and why it should be removed. (Another reason is that I can't help but see the 'Radio Location' skill as another blow to the challenging but very rewarding gameplay for small, fast and lightly armoured scout vehicles - but the balance issue is less pronounced here than in a certain other game, since destroyers are still very versatile and capable as a ship class.)

I spent an afternoon battle in my Mikasa, loading HE into my main guns and chasing a South Carolina around the battlesea. He burned and fired AP at me and missed and burned some more and put it out and I set him on fire again and he shot AP back and this time he hit and I repaired it and put him on fire in a second place and I drank his incoherent rage like nectar. And then a destroyer sneaked up from behind and killed me. Fun times.

Independence (1/1/1) : 20 - 3 = 17New Mexico : 20Cleveland : 26Farragut : 24Arizona : 20Shinonome : 20Mutsu : 21Ryūjō (1/2/2) : 17Fusō : 19Aoba : 27Fubuki : 17Graf Spee : 25 Ernst Gaede : 15 Warspite : 14 Leander : 23Molotov : 13 Budyonny : 11Gnevny : 14Dunkerque : 15 + 1 = 16. A frequently underestimated ship, with a unique playstyle. It brings something of its own to the game!Anshan : 17Duca d'Aosta : 22Perth : 30

Benson: 11Atago: 42Mikhail Kutuzov: 43+1= 44Tirpitz : 11 + 1 = 12. "Fear will keep the local destroyers in line. Fear of this battleship!" (Immediately thereafter followed by 'Detonation'.)Shōkaku (2/2/2): 16 - 3 = 13

So, what are your thoughts on the Duca d'Aosta? Pros - She's fast and nimble. - Her guns have high shell velocity. - She has both the 'Acoustic Search' and the 'Defensive AA' consumables. - She's a beautiful ship. - Long range torpedoes. Cons - She's easy to citadel (because, cruiser). - She has a harder time getting out of trouble than getting into it. - Her HE has low fire chance and seems rather lacklustre overall (see below).* - Slow torpedoes. * A special note concerning the High Explosive ammunition on the Duca d'Aosta: Is the IFHE skill more mandatory on her than on other light cruisers? Last night I landed thirteen (13) hits with HE on the side of a Mogami cruiser, at less than 10 km range. Apart from setting one fire and knocking out some torpedo tubes, these hits did zero (0) damage. I do kind of suck at gunnery, but still - what the heck? Is the HE ammunition on the Duca especially weak, or is it just me? Is the IFHE skill more mandatory on this ship than on other light cruisers, or was I just unlucky? I have chosen the IFHE skill on the Belfast and the Perth, but since they both have smoke, that was a no-brainer. After all the long-range AP chastisement I have taken in the Duca, I was sort of leaning toward CE as the first 4th-level skill, but being able to avoid damage won't do any me any good if I can't dish it out. The 152 mm AP can do some real damage, of course, but it's always so very situational and can't be relied on at long range.

Independence (1/1/1) : 20Independence (2/1/0) : 5 - 3 = 2. The less versatile setup.New Mexico : 20Cleveland : 26Farragut : 23 + 1 = 24. A strong and capable ship. And the Defensive AA option is a nice little extra, that shouldn't be overlooked!Arizona : 19Shinonome : 20Mutsu : 21Ryūjō (1/2/2) : 17Fusō : 18Aoba : 27Fubuki :15Graf Spee : 25 Ernst Gaede : 18Warspite : 17Leander : 23Molotov : 13 Budyonny : 11Gnevny : 17Dunkerque : 15Anshan : 17Duca d'Aosta : 22Perth : 30

Benson: 10Atago: 45Mikhail Kutuzov: 40+1=41Tirpitz : 16 + 1 = 17Shōkaku (2/2/2): 28 - 3 = 25

My question is simple: How do you all feel about Cyclones, in the game? As far as I get it, cyclones usually appear only in tier VIII or higher battles. You get a few minutes warning ahead of the coming storm, and when it does arrive, it lowers detectability and view ranges to just a few kilometres. This last for a couple of minutes, after which the cyclone subsides. Now, I haven't encountered cyclones all that many times - but it still feels that even one time would have been too often. Cyclones tend to screw up my fun. I am no longer able to reliably keep the distance to the enemy, and an enemy ship - or even the entire enemy fleet! - might suddenly appear out of nowhere. Nor can I work together with my allies, since I don't know where they are. I just sail around, waiting to die. If things were going well in a battle, it's suddenly turned topsy-turvy. If things were going badly, well, cyclones don't really tend to help. I am sure that a cyclone is something that can be countered, or even exploited, with proper team work. But team work on such a scale and level is not, in my experience, regularly encountered in the game. It should be said that I am not adverse, in principle, to randomly occurring in-game effects.* Done properly, they can add an extra element of fun. But I simply don't feel that way about cyclones. Maybe this is something that depends on my lack of a proper understanding of the game. Maybe some love for cyclones will grow, gradually and over time. Or maybe it won't. Maybe I am not alone. Maybe there are more of you cyclone sceptics out there? Anyway, I am curious. What do you, fellow captains, have to say about cyclones? * I don't even mind the much-reviled 'detonation' mechanic.** And at least there's a flag for that. I guess you can't really stop a cyclone by waving a flag. ** But that's a discussion for another thread!

Let's think positive and not assume that forts will always be a bad thing? I for one am prepared to approach any oncoming PvE modes with an open mind!

Does anyone have any idea when we can expect the HMS Gallant to be in the shop?

Independence (1/1/1) : 20Independence (2/1/0) : 14 - 3 = 11. The less versatile setup.New Mexico : 20Cleveland : 25Farragut : 23Arizona : 19Shinonome : 20Mutsu : 21Ryūjō (1/2/2) : 17Fusō : 18Aoba : 26Fubuki :15Graf Spee : 24Ernst Gaede : 18Warspite : 17Leander : 23Molotov : 16 Budyonny : 11Gnevny : 17Dunkerque : 15Anshan : 17Duca d'Aosta : 22Perth : 29 + 1 = 30. That special moving smoke to confound torpedoboats, great manoeuvrability, and a cute little upgraded Walrus spotter plane with long-haul petrol tanks. Also, koalas!

I tried out the Hood yesterday, and had some good games in her. I landed more shots at long range than I usually do in a battleship, and did consistent damage as well. She's not so very tanky, but then I never expected that, and she's got a good repair party consumable. I didn't get the chance to try out her AA. I have to account for happenstance, of course - it might just be down to lady luck - but still, it's a good first impression!

Alabama: 10 Benson: 10 Atago: 44 + 1 = 45. Beauty, strength and majesty! Mikhail Kutuzov: 40 - 3 = 37. A good ship! Tirpitz : 21 Shōkaku (2/2/2): 28

Fools like us are also what keeps Wargaming what they are. Namely, in business.

I just bought her. It was the 12-point captain more than anything else that settled it; I plan to promote him to the HMS Gallant, when I get hold of her. Not to belittle the Hood, but because I feel that high levels of captain skills are generally more useful on destroyers than on battleships. The Belfast was another strong contender for a highly promoted captain; even more so than the Gallant, I should think. But my Belfast captain is already a 10-pointer.

Bye Bayern! (See what I did there?)

You don't have the Scharnhorst? Then you really oughta buy her. She's great fun! Also, do I get this right, that you are running an account on both the EU and the NA server? If so, why? (Honestly curious, here; won't mind at all if you don't answer!)