BLUB__BLUB

I think you are both misunderstanding each other. 11 minutes from ending, could indeed already have ended, I see a lot of games that are much shorter. So @MacArthur92 is right in that. But @ColonelPete is also right, if you look at the amount of ships seems there is still a long time to go. I think we'll all agree that OP doesn't have very long anymore though... I'd say 30 seconds. (looks like in front he has Gaede and at the rear Vladi).

There's a point in that. However I'm quite sure I can, with AP bombs. And the thing is, unlike a Yamato I can't be punished. Also, unlike a Yamato, I can't be counterplayed. I'll be miles away from the victim. Perhaps that is the most frustrating.

I also met Masterrrr @El2aZeR again and sure enough we lost. I was with 3 teammates and we had a div of T6 ships... I think he took pity on us and let us live. Very sporty! We all received +1 karma (and sent some return). Thanks Masterrrr!!! The chat was really funny. I started with "Oh hello master. Means we are all dead now". And the enemy team did not understand, so I added: "Your CV is Chuck Norris". They tried to throw the win anyway and almost succeeded (I killed the NC in my Arizona... LOL). My div-mate in the DD went to check Masters stats at start... he said "Oh my Lord", and then I said "won't help much". The other DIV-mate in the cruiser already knew and we were LOLing so hard. Masterrr got "first blood" of course (whacked a DD), and then we went "you're next..." BTW you should read this as "5 kills for El2azeR" as I am quite sure he could have blapped us T6 bunch any minute.

On the 40K average? You want the answer why that is the current fact? Because it depends on DoT, largely. Alpha is only on the torps and rockets but it's not that big. So: - When you set fire (RNG, fly-out-time, etc), the ship uses DCP; - by the time you get back (slow planes) somebody else has already set 3 fires, no chance for you; - then you happen to set 3 perma-fires, you go "oh goody here comes 30k" and then your teammates kill the ship Same goes for flooding. And then I get 5-7 minute ROFLSTOMP games. In a 15-20 min game I'll do 80K, usually. So that 40k average is more the length of games than the actual damage potential. I can do MUCH MORE damage with Furious, except it has only 2 torps, and less HE-bombers. But with Furious I can come back and hit the ship again, set the perma-fire (flood), before my teammates do it/kill it. Why Ark Royal is OP - because those 3 torps are actually hard to get all three on target. Most potatoes can't do it. They are also sort of avoidable, because the planes are slow. In Furious... any ship will eat the torps. No misses. And then there's the HE-carpetbombers, AR has better ones as well. It means you can hit less ships... not because it is difficult, but because the planes are slow. And those that you hit, will suffer harder. Why do you think I have almost 25% more on Ryujo... it is because AP bombs. The chance for them to hit a citadel is ~similar to the chance for Ark Royal (or Furious, or...) to set a fire. That fire has to burn out, largely, to get the same DMG. But it will usually not burn all the way. Note that I haven't got that many games in Ryujo... and same 5-7 minute games. The only thing holding back Ark Royal from doing 200k is plane speed. Can't whack them any faster. One day I'm gonna find myself in a slow (losing?) lemmingtrain coming towards me... and I'll do that 200k. I could have done far more in that T9 if the game had lasted longer. Imagine Ark Royal being a BB, with 2.5km concealment, and just one large gun, reload 1.5 minutes. It shoots with 100% accuracy, and if it hits = guaranteed fire. If the reds come closer, reload time gets reduced... How much damage could you do? And would that be OP?

With German BBs, maybe better just "fart in the general direction" and be pleasantly surprised if you get a big bang. Rather than trying your utmost and getting disappointed every time...

No I'm not. But I am not very good either. Well, playing in div doesn;t really make it better. Except for the WR... You tend to help your teammates, and your own damage count goes down. Furious is way easier. You should try that thing in T9 then you realise how easy it is with fast planes.

So far I haven't managed to really "crossdrop" a DD. I dunno why: - The planes on Ark Royal are just a little bit too slow/DDs too fast? - I sort of think the turning radius of the Swordfish is slightly bigger than in T4? (but I'll keep trying). When you hit them right and RNGesus accepted your sheep, yes. Half the DD gone. Rarely happens. However most of the time it is more like 1-2K for a rocket strike ( OK you have 3) and 2-3 for a carpet-bomb whack. or perhaps mine always zig when they should zag, anyway the times I hit a DD for 4-7K can be counted with one finger... OK maybe five. True, but there's also those that you hit full on with HE bombs and then nothing much happens. It will also cost you more planes, plus they have heal so percentage-wise you hurt them much less. Well... ehh... How about +3 then? Still above average... Yes a TIV IJN CV will do better, because they recently gave them double torps... Yet the server average is still <25K for Hermes and Langley. My average on Ark Royal is 42.500 or so. A bit above average but I'm not THAT good... check the Ranger. I'm still learning the best ways to exploit Ark Royal... so studying. And usually I leave the fat ones to my div-mates, not being greedy. With div-mates I have almost 70% WR, damage 41.5K. Solo I manage a bit more, over 43K. However... 48K for Ryujo, which is only gonna get better. Must say most of it due to games ending really really quick (weekend player). I just cannot get enough damage in fast enough (better with Ryujo AP bombs). But why CVs are OP, well, here is why: Bismarck is my favourite food...if I can't find one I'll just tear a North Carolina apart. T8? What heavy AA? Heavier than Bismarck? No problem.... This depends. Most CV players are potato. If you get a good one (and we get more of those, as potatoes are giving up CV), he is right. The average-to-good DD player has absolutely NO CHANCE against an average-to-good CV player, assuming equally skilled. One potato vs the other, well, it is a matter of who potatoes the most... of course. Any T8 BB can get 3 torps up the rear, depends which one it is if I can do it a second time with same squad. And that's just me and I am not that good, really.

Well, sometimes all I get is CV games so be careful what you wish for. Also, T8CV when I am in a T6 cruiser. I know though what they do so usually not a big problem. But yeah, when they want you dead, you are dead if they're any good. Some of them aren't so I got one yesterday in my Nürnberg... Basically, what the others said - indeed this is the case. BUT it could also be he just used the rest of the (full) squad elsewhere and you get whacked by the few that are left. IMO thoe that fly around with depleted squads are potato, because there is never a need for it, managing plane-supply is easy enough. I manage with Furious or Ark Royal in T9... the only time I use a depleted (rocket)squad is when I want to finish off a 100HP target. But I'll have full squads of torps and bombers ready, then. Except the BB had to be quite unlucky or potato, and the CV is more like a sledgehammer. Also, I have survived that (Shima didn't...) in a BB myself. I think in a DD I would not. Then again, it is mainly a matter of who is the bigger potato. The usual problem is to find that DD in the first place, while the BB... well... gets detected halfway the map. And the DD will see the planes, too. The BB probably will not notice the Shima before he eats torps.

Yeah that is sort of what was said above. I just spent the whole evening playing, had only ONE game with a CV. I guess finally the potatoes have concluded it only costs them credits. @El2aZeR is right, back to the 2.2% like in RTS. This is always true for every kind of ship, those DDs are also a pain to me when I play CV (I'm not a star, farrrrrr from that, but also not a potato). Also, try Sims... or that Russian thing (I think Grozovoi but not sure). Well as a cruiser I also have to keep an eye out for BBs... so... and you will see the planes from 10km. Which is wayyyy before they see you. 2.5km unless you have the AA active, then they'll see you when the AA starts shooting. Yes if a competent CV player wants you dead, you die. If it is a competent DD player it will take him a while though. And all that time he cannot do anything else. Turning isn;t enough. You have to know how their stuff works. There are TWO main "set fire"points for the CV. ONE is when he triggers the attack. The planes get less agile, and if he has to move his aim, it will throw off the accuracy. Also, after he triggers ONE then he has a few seconds in which the rockets have to AIM. WHen aimed, he has limited time to FIRE them (Which is TWO). Now... if you run TOWARDS the planes... this makes him have to fire early. And if you ALSO manage to run towards him, while at the same time zig/zagging.... that will work best. Nevertheless it most likely won't help 100% if you have a GOOD CV-player. But if he comes from the side with rockets, and you keep going in a straight line... well... yeah. Even if you do that... a potato player might still miss a lot. A GOOD one will hit almost all rockets. The difference will be from 2.5K hit to just a few 100... worthwhile I think. I had VERY GOOD DD players that after 3 attacks I had not even 1K damage. And I'm not that bad CV player. They were just very good at avoiding them. Tactics depend on what CV it is, and what he brings. Some CVs have HE-carpet bombs. Some have TiTs (large rockets but less of them). Some have HVARs (lots of tiny rockets). Some have AP- bombs. All have torpedoes. Torps are probably regarded as "meh". However, I have killed quite a few DDs with them if they were dumb enough. But yeah, a CV can kill you if he wants. Depends how much "priority target" you make yourself. If you attack the CV, well, he won't give up, eh. But if you defend well and run to a BB or something, he just might decide you're not that tasty anymore. In case you didn't notice yet, the Italian cruisers are kinda crap. You cannot deplane a CV anymore, the -planes regenerate and ïn principle" CV has unlimited supply. BUT... there is a limit to how fast he can regenerate planes. SO you cannot deplane them, however you can seriously hinder his effectiveness. Also, while he is chasing YOU he cannot do anything else. Like harvest your BBs and cruisers. But forget deplaning a CV in your DD, it won't happen unless he is very very stupid. However if he has only 2 bombers, 3 torpedo-planes and 3 rocket-planes left, it will take a while before he can try again. And THAT happens. Any decent CV-player will manage his plane-count though. So... unless he got attacked by 3 DDs... you'll only see it happen to stupid players.

Sort of Little Red Ridinghood.... alone in the woods... with the wolves...

The problem with DDs is you tend to delete the ones that are the 90% incompetent... ...and then they come here and complain. I usually do not even see the 10% competent. OK some of them I see when it is too late...

Well the second one makes sense, I often do that when you have a map where there's no islands around except in cap. Or when there's just ONE island, and everyone-and-their-mum knows that is where the CV is gonna be... When your team takes that cap, pushes into the next one... you best sit in that cap behind the island. Closest possible but safe from detection. CVs can't detonate... but they can be WHACKED by BBs when detected.

That's true, but it depends on the playstyle. I always hide my CV behind something, detection range doesn't matter much... I stay undetected unless they find the island. I do not like to re-locate as the I have to deal with the drunk AI-WG-pilot again (oh my goodness...). So I find myself a nice spot... and usually stay there. I only re-locate when it is handy or required. I do however kinda swoop around with any planes... so the 10% less aiming time is beneficial. Also... I minimise plane losses by picking targets that are behind an island/mountain/whatever. They don't see me coming... often I do not even get flak because I'm already in DPS-bubble when spotted. Ss for me, then. To those that leave their CV in the open, and like to relocate a lot, yes CE. I can see where/when/how it is handy.

Depends what you like better. Getting closer (less flight time) and hitting more often, or being able to turn like a madman (staying close, out of the FLAK) and get one more good hit. I have sight stabilisation on the IJN and US CV, because of torps. Makes them aim quicker.

I don;t think you can in Ranger or Lexi since each of the bombers have one bomb, and there's 2 bombers... You could though if you manage all 3 attacks to land one bomb. Note: quite often I get one bomb = DD dead devstrike (ran without detonation flag, no doubt). Same thing happens on lightly armoured cruisers.

I know that, that is why I'll give +1 to a DD that manages. Usually it means they have to sneak up undetected and torp me. (yes also means I FF-ed up, I applaud them for pointing that out...) That's all true, but what happens is the game ends in <10 min and I get lulzy damage. There will be little damage farming afterward. While I do the job that needs to be done, that's what my teammates will do. As a rule of thumb, I'll spot the DD, maybe use one swipe on it (if he doesn't smoke up), drop fighter and F3. Usually I try to use the DD-attack as "pre-drop" (1K) and then whack some BB or cruiser (10K...).

If a DD manages to kill my CV, he gets +1 from me. It's pretty hard, I have been attacked by as much as 2 DDs AND a cruiser... (yeah, that's what you get with lemming/potato/ROFLSTOMP teams). Usually I manage to kill them all before they kill me. With or without help... in Ark Royal it is handy, they'll come to me, I do not have to spend long time flying out. So, a DD that manages to sneak up unannounced, and then manages to kill the CV... and survive to be useful... hats off. I had some DD players that were actually good (and lucky... CV also depends on RNG). Usually it was a close call, and I kill them afterwards. What doesn;t help me as a CV is the "great AI steering"... when the WG autopilot rams your CV into a rock, makes it go front/rear or whatever nonsense. But "going for it at the start" and kill the CV is rather useless. Most of the DDs that did, well, their team lost - because it took away a valuable ship. - While he was searching for me, I still knocked off a lot of their team. - He didn't cap, spot or whatever. Was useless for anything else. - I didn't have to go looking for him... and was alerted automatically. - Usually (because I keep track of the minimap) I notice a DD has gone missing and ~where he is... ...then he gets spotted and he's all alone... he won't get far... - So i kill them about 99% of the time they try. That's right. I usually do not bother with DDs. I'll drop a fighter near them, use F3, as other ships can kill them far more efficiently. Sure I can blap them if needed, and will do if they become a threat. But I think killing DDs is not the specified task for CVs. I'm not going to every cap that is being turned just to blap the DD. I'd spend all game doing tasks that can be performed better by other ships. Sure I'll assist them... but really... what do I have to gain from turning the game into a ROFLSTOMP by killing all the red DDs? Say I'll kill all 3-4 DDs, what will I have accomplished all game? WG wants CVs to be damage-whores, so that's what I'll be.

Yes. In (for example) Furious or Ryujo I can strike anything at will. Even other CVs. Yeah sure you will pay for it, but you can do it. In Ark Royal you can only do it if you are "sneaky". Otherwise, all the planes will die before you strike (or the victim misplays). Eh, I also take Ark Royal to T9 (fail-divisoning with T7 DD). It's no problem there either. The thing is other CVs are quicker and the DPS doesn't have time to do much. Nor does the FLAK, but that's totally avoidable if you are somewhat good. Then add the fact that slow planes give ships time to react. Plus AA targeting the last plane first - what you get is what we have.

Done it quite a few times... but in Conqkek.... rush.... maybe eat torps... HEAL... blap the DD (or Mino, which is easier). You have ~30% chance for it to work, I have blapped 2 DDs or 3 DDs and it also happened I didn't make it. Depends also on having good nerves... best chance you have when the DD turns to launch the second set. THEN you blap him. If he survives, you miss, or he dies but gets the torps off... well...

Yes does. Furthermore, even BBs have the option to avoid. If you drop the 3 trops from the side, they usually manage to avoid 1, or sometimes 2. DDs have (IMO) fair chance to avoid everything. With RF you will always hit them - full on straightlining DDs can take 2.5K if they just barge straight on and get all full on the broadside. A DD that actually weaves and dodges gets away with 300 form RF, never eats torps, and HE-bombs will take 6 attacks to kill it. Of course,, there are DDs that eat 2 torps and are dead then, as well. I think Ark Royal is far more fun as a CV, because of that.

When you watch the map, you will find that it 'recalculates', you see the line "getting re-calculated" and then weird stuff happens. A curve that you have seen as "normal", well, the CV has a different speed at that moment when it is there, than when you set it. What happens, instead of (for example) "turning right between the islands", the AI makes the CV stop, go backward and then go between the islands... The most annoying is when you want it to go hide behind the island. You set a course, you think "nice and fluent". Then what does the AI do. When it comes to the island, it wil (maybe I should make this a "vote/choice": - make you stop, go backward (staying exposed longer), to "make the turn"; - ram the island... keeping CV exposed... start going back/front/back front.... - almost hide behind the island, ram it, get out backward and expose the CV (oh crap), and stick it behind again... - it will hide behind the island but then "delivery full speed" so it overshoots exposing broadside.... (that usually happens to me). Meanwhile... sometimes you do not notice... CV gets blapped... or it will take soooooo long to set up a course, because you have to set it so that even the idiot AI cannot FF it up... (but still does hahahaha!). Often ends up you are in the middle of fight and then you go WHAAAATTTTT!!!

Yes, that makes sense now. The only thing keeping me back is a bit of luck. Oh and I need to get better at avoiding FLAK. I find it quite hard in the slow planes. But... Someday I'll do 200k in that Ark Royal... BTW if you want "fast repetitive" stick to IJN. Comparing Ryujo to Ranger, the Ranger is much less "fat and repetitive" style.

I already know that trick... except so far I have only AP on Ryujo... that Mino has to wait. But I have become quite good at estimating if I can drop torps (do they have time to aim). And then I am such a sneaky B@sta@rd I even manage to get a second drop in, from the other side. BTW with Ryujo I manage to do it with 3 planes, and have ZERO LOSSES. Yeah, short squad twice, and all 3 planes even return... (dead ships do not have AA). Noticed though can't do it with RF.

You mean you missed it...