Trainspite

I could make South Carolina work as well, I liked her, and when it came to me culling ships for port slots before they went on sale, St Louis was sent to the breakers yard before South Carolina. Kawachi was meh, but was okay in my eyes. Nassau just does far too much damage with her RoF for my liking. Sure, I see my fair share of overpens, but the damage usually stacks up, and aside from her speed, her impact on the game is usually huge. Not saying that South Carolina can't achieve this, but it is so much easier with Nassau. Simply put 22 seconds for a reload is too much I think. Well, the comparison is about right actually. Stock tier 4 vs stock tier 4. In this case, one has all the equipments, and the other has been nerfed a little to squish it into tier 3. The firepower is not all that is relevant remember. A stock Kaiser could beat a stock Wyoming, and has advantages like the much tougher armour. I doubt even the Boggy B and St Louis could get away with it, since this target has the biggest broadside, and the toughest armour. Of course that is dispersion dependent, but that is the life of a BB. Of course she is too weak for tier 5 games, she has had her range tweaked down, and dispersion as well probably. If she was similar to the mighty Ark, then she would probably do reasonably well at tier 4. Which is basically what I wanted her to be in the first place. I would actually rate Albert more overpowered than Molotov, and probably equal to Gremyaschy, in terms of OP-ness, if there ever was such a thing. But the problem would be that she still outclasses all the other tier 3 BBs and makes the problem of power creep worse. I'll disagree. I don't count the range as the guns, it can be a tier 9 gun and have the range of Albany, it would still be tier 9 in my eyes. The range is just a limiting factor. As for tier 6 Matchmaking. Tier 8 is harsh, but at tier 6 and 7, Molotov can wreck face with her guns. Which is her only advantage really. Which is why if you don't get the opportunity to use them, then the ship will feel quite lacklustre.

Perhaps being a slightly nerfed stock tier 4 at tier 3 has something to do with it. I mean the American equivalent is an Arkansas with about 1km less range and possibly worse dispersion. Albert still has the best firepower, the best armour, and equal mobility. The other tier 3s, even the currently OP Nassau don't hold a candle to her. NA won't remove it so soon, it would look a little silly after saying it would immediately go to the tech tree. (I do have an NA account, but I don't want to spend money on it. I don't spend a lot on my EU one as is).

Well, how else do you try and limit the numbers of an overpowered ship? I think a mission would do it alright-ish depending on it's difficulty. Molotov is arguably too strong, though that follows on from Budyonny, which is also pretty OP. The thing is one can be nerfed fairly easily, and the other can't, and if it even was, then it would have to be light. Since Molotov has only one thing going for it, as I said. Though I have neither, I do observe their performance. I know your issue isn't with where the ship is, you just want the ship. Unfortunately, due to the nature of how the ship has been released, and that WG EU seems to be a bit more aware of the balance of the ship, it makes it difficult for you to get the Albert. It is more the fault of the development team and WG EU being a bit sensible that you or I can't get it for £10 or so.

~forum eats post, will edit once written out again~ I kind of expected that kind of response. Maybe you guessed that I am more concerned about the state of gameplay rather than entitlement. However, my point is that WG EU is actually stopping the power creep at tier 3, and is at least making some sort of effort to make lower tiers a bit more enjoyable, but not flooding the matchmaker with a blatantly overpowered seal clubber. It is bad enough with the Nassau already. The marketing team at WG EU are still in the same company as that of WG NA (don't know why you would bother to bring that up, that should be common knowledge), but because they are in different regions, being different teams that are responsible for their region. The thing is, one team has decided differently from another. One seems to be a bit more interested in trying to halt power creep and keeping at least some seal clubbers out of tier 3, and the other has gone ahead regardless. The idea of a unified global WG team seems dead from the start to me. I doubt it would ever happen. To be honest, it is probably not worth the effort. Sure there are advantages, but it is far simpler for WG to delegate to regional teams, and is probably a more workable method. It just wouldn't be a high priority, for the small advantages it comparatively brings to the game.

How? NA is separate to EU. Thankfully, this is a step in the right direction to halting power creep. Having what effectively is a stock tier 4 at tier 3 is poor balance. Especially after releasing the vastly overperforming Nassau. WG EU Marketing team gets my praise on this, actually valuing the low tier enviroment. If you want that overpowered ship, then go complete the missions to get her when she comes or something. I would do it, though I am more influenced by the history than the fact it is OP.

Welp. That is a relief for me. On the balance perspective. Hopefully means we won't have Konig Alberts roflstomping everything else. Now Nassau just needs a nerf. Seeing 4 of those per team is too common for my liking. Some on NA may be laughing, but it is only because they want the rest of the tier 3 BBs to buffed to that standard. Which is a bad idea in terms of trying to keep newer players from going straight to BBs, especially when so many BBs are around. WG has only tripled the practical battle rate of fire, otherwise, the RoF on Molotov seems fine from game perspectives given 5.5 RPM was achieved on trials. And WG will adjust the RoF for balance purposes, and usually use a trials RoF. E.g. County class getting 5RPM from trials on HMS Kent. I agree Molotov is a little too good, but having the tier 9 guns at tier 6 is her only selling point really. I would like to see her RoF toned down from 4.6RPM to 4.3 or so though. As for Leningrad, I think the NDA was lifted, though I will wait until safe before I tell you my view. But a question, do you consider Gremyaschy OP? Albert falls into the same category for me. I guess you just have to put the effort into the missions, as will I, though the game has become a lot less friendly to historical issues recently.

Yes, but submerged and fixed tubes are not making an appearance, it doesn't exactly apply for gameplay purposes.

Well, more content really. She can diversified in a way I think. Plus WG have some ARP conetent for her, so I would think she would be a regular. Oyodo at tier 7 seems a bit much, I was think 5 or 6 premium. I think the lower and upper parts of the new IJN DD branch will be filled in eventually.

Just in case, here is what I think could happen. Cue the slightly outdated Trainspite info-tech tree graphic ™ .

No, Tone as originally designed, with 4 Mogami (6") Turrets. As compared to the premium/on hold Tone which has 4 8". The premium historical could have the aviation capabilities, and the 6" armed regular would have none, unless WG work that into the line, giving Mogami another hull with her CAV conversion.

*calms self by drinking tea*

She has the same secondaries as Warspite. (In terms of 4").

42/3/4. 41 is perfectly fine for tier 7, and I expect WG will have that as a base option, and maybe add a C hull later.

Aside from the other problems I pointed out in my post, this is mainly to do with it being a refit. It is a substantial refit, but refits like these usually don't split a class, unless something extremely big is changed. The QEs and the two R BCs didn't get split because one got a refit, even if they were definitely more capable ships when rebuilt. Yes Scharnhorst and Gneisenau are split, but that is because one has had it's main armament completely changed, and had it's hull lengthened. The refit for Hood/Admiral would not be as substantial, especially to gameplay, as that. There is still no reason to split them.

I don't think WG would use the 28kn speed unless Hood was a premium in her 1941 form, which I am vehemently against. Usually, even if the ship would be worn out, or on a full load, WG keep the speed the same as a regular load as built ship. (Sorry for the double post).

Well, the ship would have about North Carolina levels of health, roughly equal armour, would be faster though not as good at turning, have pretty good AA and respectable secondaries. Her main guns are nothing to be sniffed at either. Maybe I am just paranoid, but it sounds like a big improvement over Colorado and Nagato.

I'll take 3 please, for one regular tier 7 British BC. 1920 - A hull 1941 - B hull 1942* - C hull (If it is not overpowered) *= More likely to be 1943 or 1944 when she would have left the docks I think.

I was thinking along the lines of:

To be honest, that exclusivity would be removed at some point Takao appeared in the tech tree herself, I think that was the original intention, since she fits better than Mogami as a T8 Heavy cruiser. And Atago's model is actually Takao. I guess ARP just comes in and gives you a regular Takao earlier.

Of course I know why Hood was kept out of the refit. Unfortunately, you can't really try and differentiate them on a rebuild like that, since that is Hood's refit (being built, she definitely has a greater claim to having it other her 3 cancelled sisters). She would have got it if not sunk. In the same way the other 3 would have got it if not cancelled. It is making a lot of assumptions that is quite hard to justify bending the rules for a money grab. You can't really try and differentiate a post refit Admiral from a pre-refit Hood. It is not the same as Scharnhorst and Gneisenau where one was completely rebuilt with a new armament and lengthened. As said before, the equivalent is basically saying that if Queen Elizabeth was sunk before refit, then Valiant would be the tech tree ship and QE a premium, based on those differences. Which is a better secondary armament, AA, better engines, and strengthened armour. From the precedent set with Fiji, Clemson etc. - I would say that Hood has no right to be a premium by trying to split the class on the refit. Plus, if that was the case, it would also mean that Admiral class would have 1 hull; (any more improvements and another hull is likely to make her overpowered) Post-refit. It is simply not practical to try and shoehorn Hood into a premium role, without it being a moneygrab, no more, no less. Hood is already a fast BB in her own right, but I'm not sure about how she would fit in a RN BB tree. Sure, it can work, she is a bigger faster QE to some, but she fits better between Renown and J3 to me. Jumping up and down in speed with Hood to KGV seems a bit of a stretch.

Nelson is by no means bad, just not tier 8 quality, at least in how she was built. She would probably be among the best tier 7s, but at tier 8, she would struggle tremendously. It really isn't hard to see that her contemparies are Colorado and Nagato. She has an extra gun, though the guns are arguably worse. She is slightly faster than Colorado, and should have better AA. Her armour is the equal to Colorado's, and she can fire 6 guns forward, but none behind. I doubt Nelson would need any soft stat nerfs. She is very competitive at tier 7 as is. New Mexico's & Colorado's biggest problem is not losing half of your firepower if you turn, since that is a feature of most battleships with an even spread of guns. It is more of an adaptation of Nelson that she is better for aggressive pushing, and quite poor for being forced to retreat. Well, for tier 7 RN BBs & BCs, you have a choice of Hood, Nelson, a slightly faster Queen Elizabeth design, or the F2/F3 BC designs. Since I envisage at least 2 and more likely 3 British BB/BC lines along the road, there is a pretty decent chance Nelson would end up as a regular ship.

Yes, Birmingham is not going to be the best tier 3 cruiser around, WG would have to give a few soft stat changes her way. Monmouth is a little iffy however, since she is effectively as well protected as the St Louis and Bogatyr, with the same armament, while being the in the middle for speed. She would also have the hit points of St Louis. Effectively, some things about her may need to be toned down. In the way that St Louis and Bogatyr are questionably overpowered. I'm not saying she shouldn't be a tier 3, but maybe a premium space is better, since she would not exactly fit in, in the progression of the line, though that is not always WGs concern. WG has said in a Q&A that a tier 9 and 10 for the IJN DD line will come at some point.

Personally I think the SMS Scharnhorst should be a tier 4 regular. Armoured Cruiser/Panzerschiffe line.

The thing is, the difference made by the torpedo tubes on Tirpitz make her a lot more different gameplay wise than the Admiral and Hood can ever be. There are still the problems I pointed earlier though. You can't really say that the Admiral can get the refit when never built, as then that is suitable excuse to reason that Hood was never sunk and was refitted as intended. It would be double standards to break the rules to make money on the famous ship effectively. Nelson will be fine on tier 7. You've got to trust me on that one. I would imagine both Hood and Nelson would be tier 7 regulars, one for the BC line, and the other for a slow BB line. Rodney gets the premium spot. At tier 7 in the condition in which she sank the Bismarck, or at tier 8 with one of the proposed refits for a Dual Purpose secondary battery and refitted engines for a speed of 25 knots. You can do the same with Colorado though, if you just turn the same way each time, the angle is effectively the same. The advantage only comes in flexibility, which while an advantage, isn't all too important in the grand scheme of things, since usually a Colorado or Nagato will just turn to the same side again. The only advantage for Nelson would be for going forwards, she can fire a salvo or two more from one turret. And going backwards, Nelson suffers the problem of having to turn to one side to get any of her firepower facing behind. I know, but many people who think Nelson is too good for tier 7 have, purely on the stats I mentioned. I don't find it likely she will be a premium though. Rodney maybe, due to fame and being a sister ship, but Nelson herself deserves a tech tree spot. L3 can get a full refit to compete at tier 10, so new engines, the lot. She is bigger, faster, and more flexible than N3, so an ideal fit. N3 can recieve a modernisation as well, though maybe to a few less extremes. However, I think the first tier 10 RN BB will be the Lion design from 1945, the stats of which are earlier in this thread, since it seems more likely Lion will lead to Lion, and then N3 to L3 in a slow BB line that arrives later.

I might get triggered by the above. It wasn't me you saw for sure.