Procrastes

I can't say that I have tested the following with a proper scientific method in an online environment, but here are my two cents on how the ramming mechanic works in WoWs. 1. The weight of the involved ships is the main deciding damage factor, as far as I have gathered. Speed should also have an effect, although I'm unsure as to what degree. 2. Ramming an enemy ship as a survival tactic, is probably only possible if the target is a much smaller ship. Otherwise both ships are likely to sink. I have sunk destroyers by ramming them in a cruiser, and what happened then was that my cruiser got a hefty amount of instant damage as well as ongoing flooding damage, while the destroyer was cleft in twain. A battleship on good health could probably do the same to a cruiser, and survive the collision. I once accidentally drove headfirst into an enemy battleship in my Murmansk, and while I sank immediately, the battleship plodded on for a few kilometers before it, too, sank - presumably to flooding. 3. Ramming an allied ship does much less damage, to both ships. This is a good and balanced game mechanic, since any kind of realistic damage model in this case would boost "friendly collisions" to the top half of the cause of death list, as well as create a hefty number of life-long hate relationships across the internet. 4. I haven't yet hoisted the ramming signal, Hotel Yankee, on any of my ships, and so I can't say whether or not it might make ramming a viable battle tactic in its own right in this game, the way it can be (or has been, at any rate) for some tanks in WoT. But I somehow doubt it. It is more of a Gandalf vs. the Balrog kind of thing, really - taking your enemy with you to the bottom in a last, defiant and very well animated plunge to the bottom!

I took IFHE on my 10-point Perth captain! The way I reason, I'll use the moving smoke and the excellent manoeuverability as first and second line of defense, and take the skill option that maximizes the possible damage output while I am able to keep the enemy under fire. The Perth already has a pretty decent detection radius, and on top of that, I can use the spotter plane to extend my range even further. But IFHE is by no means an obvious choice for the first level 4 skill. CE might very well be the better choice; I don't have any hard figures on the possible improved damage figures after I got the IFHE skill. I would welcome further discussion on this matter, since I really like my Perth - she's a nice little ship with very interesting tactical capabilities!

Oh, I don't know. While it's fun being able to drop fire shells with impunity, I am not all that worried about being hit with return fire from enemy ships 14 km away, even if they do see me. With the possible exception of the Russian light cruisers, most of that fire would be better spent if it was directed at something that could be reliably hit - every salvo that misses me, is a salvo wasted. In a way, I might even help my team more by drawing ineffectual fire, than by stealth-firing at extreme range. And if someone does manage to sink me at extreme range, well, kudos to him for being a gunnery ace!

They're fast little buggers, those Russian DD:s. Respect.

It's at 64 percent. But there's only a 40 percent chance for that... Edited: This post is an attempt at self-mockery only. I suck at math.

The König Albert will be available again, I'm sure! And she's well worth the wait - she's easily the strongest battleship on her tier, if you count the possibility of using a high-level captain on her, due to her being a premium ship. In a straight ship-to-ship comparison, I'd say the Nassau is about her equal, albeit with arguably better gun turret placement. But there is also the purely aesthetical aspect to bear in mind - the König Albert is quite simply one of the best-looking ships in the game. In short, if you play this game at all from a strict having-fun perspective, don't hesitate - buy the König Albert!

Akizuki: 13 Benson: 33 Lo Yang (Mk. 15 mod. 0): 23 Atago: 34 Chapayev: 11 Mikhail Kutuzov: 36 + 1 = 37 Amagi: 11 - 3 = 8 North Carolina: 23 Tirpitz: 23 + 1 = 24. An unparallelled close quarters brawler. Bismarck: 16 Shokaku (2/2/2): 26

Akizuki: 16 Benson: 33 Lo Yang (Mk. 15 mod. 0): 23 Atago: 34 Chapayev: 14 Mikhail Kutuzov: 36 Amagi: 14 - 3 = 11 North Carolina: 23 Tirpitz: 23 Bismarck: 14 + 1 = 15. An unparallelled mid range brawler. Shokaku (2/2/2): 26

For some reason, I've found Gneisenaus in particular to be notoriously prone to that death-by-smokescreen approach. They see my smoke screen, and they just drive right up and into it... and then they die. It's a bit of a mystery, and one likely never to be fully explained.

As can be plainly seen on all available screen shots, the guns on the Okhotnik are remote controlled - presumably by Comrade Stalin from the depths of Hell etc etc.* *This ghostly intervention is confirmed by Jingles in any number of WoT videos. It stands to reason that it would apply in WoWs as well.

A Pan-Asian line... ...has every chance to be both fun and entertaining, I think! It's off to a great start, at any rate - the Lo Yang is such a fun ship to drive, and the only reason I don't play the Anshan all that much is that I have the Gremyaschy. In answer to your questions, OP: 1: Yes, I think we can expect some gimmicky ships, along the lines of the Lo Yang - clones of existing ships from other nations, but with an entertaining twist or two. These twists could be functional, such as the sonar on the Lo Yang, or purely cosmetic, such as the Southern Dragon King skin on the Myoko. 2. That depends on how far WG are about to go concerning so-called paper ships and the like. Unless we go into the realm of pure fantasy, there will probably not be very many Pan-Asian modern-era battleships, for instance. 3. Yes, I think we can expect either some kind of Pan-European line in the future, or else at least a smattering of nice little ships from various nations. The beautiful Blyskawica is a good sign, in this regard.

I don't own the Marblehead, since her main selling point - i.e., the higher fire chance on the HE shells - wasn't enough of a lure to tempt me. I do own the Omaha and the Murmansk, though. Apart from the stronger short-range torpedo armament on the Omaha, I never really felt that she could compete with her Russian cousin, so out of this trio, the Murmansk is the only ship I have captained with any regularity. Those early days on the bridge of the Murmansk, ah, that takes me back. Captain Alexandr Radionov, gentleman adventurer and rogue White Russian dilettante, sailing the seven seas during the mid-war period together with ace aviatrix Katarina Chopalsky... what stories they could tell!

Akizuki: 16 Benson: 33 Lo Yang (Mk. 15 mod. 0): 23 Atago: 34 Chapayev: 14 Mikhail Kutuzov: 36 Amagi: 17 - 3 = 14 North Carolina: 22. This should be the correct number, all votes considered. I hope. (I got it wrong before; see post 160. Thx to Robber Baron for setting things straight!) Tirpitz: 22 + 1 = 23. If it comes close, shoot it. If it comes closer, torp it. If it stays at range, ignore it. Hours of fun! Bismarck: 20 - 3 = 17 Shokaku (2/2/2): 26

This was a pretty hilarious ship review. I swear, if there'd been a webcam view, we could probably have seen Flamu frothing at the lips at some point. Has he ever butchered a ship that thoroughly, before?

Which pilot was that?

I know! What I meant was, I want Porco Rosso as my on-board fighter pilot. And of course, he must fly his iconic plane! As long as he's assisted by master mechanic Fio, the Flying Pig will make short work of any enemy planes he encounters!

Possible "Special Characteristics" for the Duca D'Aosta Will her floatplane be a spotter or a fighter? Or will she have a choice between them?* Will she have a smokescreen? If so, will it be a regular smokescreen, or the Perth variety? Will her torpedoes be slow, long range area denial weapons, or fast but short-ranged close quarters shipkillers? Will she have an especially effective sonar? * I want Porco Rosso as my on-board fighter pilot!

Well, both. While we have seen that premiums do not necessarily set the standard for silver ships - such as the Royal Navy premiums sporting regular HE and AP ammo, while their regular cruisers don't - the Russian and Japanese premiums have basically the same characteristics as the regular ships of their respective lines. Unless Wargaming plans to do something wildly unique with the Duca D'Aosta (I am looking at the Mikhail Kutuzov and the Perth, here), it would be reasonable to see her as at least a hint of things to come on the Italian side.

Does anyone know what the Regia Marina's special cruiser characteristics will be? (Like the Royal Navy has smoke, stealth and no HE, the Russian Navy has rail guns, the Imperial Japanese Navy has good HE, stealth and awesome torpedoes, etc.)

Akizuki: 19 Benson: 33 Lo Yang (Mk. 15 mod. 0): 23 Atago: 34 Chapayev: 14 Mikhail Kutuzov: 35 Amagi: 20 - 3 = 17 North Carolina: 24. Corrected the numbers; Shingetsu did vote down the Amagi in post 156 above. Or have I got it wrong? - I did get it wrong; see post 165 below. Tirpitz: 21 + 1 = 22. Strength and grace; a lovely ship. Bismarck: 20 Shokaku (2/2/2): 26

I find that I can't really feel the love for, or from, the US battleships. Apart from the Arkansas Beta, I just can't seem to ever make them work for me. With the exception of a single game with the Texas, which went rather well, I just drive around getting shot at and then sunk, without landing much other than bounces or overpenetrations in return. This morning I had a typical game in the Arizona: Three shells hit a Graf Spee - two bounces (!) and one overpenetration. The next salvo hits another Graf Spee - two hits, both overpenetrations. Four shells hit an Emerald - all overpenetrations. I finally sink, without much regret, under a metric ton of HE fire. I realize that the problem here is me, and not the battleships - am definitely not a good battleship player. But still, I have a so much better time in the German battleships, on every tier, that there is really no comparison. Is it just me? I have heard that the Arizona has some very good win rate statistics overall, so I guess it must be... Edited: On the plus side, I guess this means that I should probably stop deliberating on whether or not to get the Missouri!

So would I. The Regia Marina might possibly have built the best-looking ships of the entire era. (I write "possibly", since I am now a proud owner of the Scharnhorst. That lady will be hard to beat for looks!)

When a collision has occurred, culpability - i.e., whom to blame - is often a tricky thing to decide, whether online or IRL. I haven't yet spotted if the game has some way to decide which captain drove into the other one. I always apologize in the chat no matter what, as a matter of courtesy if nothing else.

I'm a little miffed that we regulars can't have that nice squid god camo pattern on the ship; sailing around the archipelagos chanting"Iä! Iä! Cthulhu F'thagn!!!" in the battle chat would have been so awesome!