How to become better in reading of the map?

[WildWind84]

Hi, maybe stupid question, but - how to get better in reading of map? And also, when many of you say "try to be better in reading map in play" - how? Where to start learn? Next questions are about positioning - how to know and see what is best option? I understand on this forum that I need learn much more, so I try.

Tnx for all advices and sry for my low level of English.

[Cammo1962]

4 minutes ago, WildWind84 said:

Hi, maybe stupid question, but - how to get better in reading of map? And also, when many of you say "try to be better in reading map in play" - how? Where to start learn? Next questions are about positioning - how to know and see what is best option? I understand on this forum that I need learn much more, so I try.

Tnx for all advices and sry for my low level of English.

Use the minimap (no matter wich ship you are in) is always a good thing there you can always see the enemys last known position it means that you can take the necessary countermeasures 

[Karkong_the_Impaler]

First things first: Increase the size of the minimap to it's maximum. Press the + key on the keypad to do so.

Then keep looking at it, ever so often. Notice how flank collapses happen, notice how an enemy push is telegraphed, keep track on what's happening on the other flank - do they win, do they lose, do they need help and so on.

[Ubertron_X]

Good question as starting to read "the flow of battle" rather than "just looking at the minimap" is essential in order to improve your own gameplay. However please keep in mind that starting to read the flow of battle is a continuous process that includes processing what you can see from your ships perspective, from the team composition / list and from the minimap itself.

 

Some easy starters:

 

1) Count ships! 9 ships already spotted on different flanks means only 3 enemy ships left for yours. Depending on how many friendlies are around you can then start playing accordingly.

2) Take note of the position of critical ships (usually DDs and CVs, but nowadays may also be Subs)! Enemy CV on your side of the map? Be prepared to be spotted on a regular basis, most often when you really don't like it and start playing accordingly. You are in a BB and an enemy torpedo DD is in your area? Chance course and speed often! The enemy has a "real" DD (e.g. Shimakaze) wheras your side only has a bad gunboat DD (e.g. Elbing)? Take note and play accordingly. You are a DD and an enemy radar cruiser is missing for a while now, but was last seen (last enemy position) in your general area? Be very afraid and play accordingly.

3) Closely monitor the number, tier and heading of your own and the enemy fleet! You have more and/or higher tier ships than the enemy on you flank? Try to push. Your flank are all tier sevens while the enemy force are all tier nines? Play very defensive and already plot for a fighting retreat. Your friendlies are all bow-out to the enemey while you are the only ship facing bow-in? Immediately skip any advance, and plan an escape strategy (which might or might not be needed, but at this point you need to have one), i.e. don't separate from your friends and/or overextend your ship.

[Yosha_AtaIante]

The best and fastest way is to play CV. You will look at it constantly and quickly learn

[Bland_42]

Question about the map: there is a way (or a mod) to move it in other places on the screen?

I would like to try it on the top...

[Yedwy]

50 minutes ago, WildWind84 said:

Hi, maybe stupid question, but - how to get better in reading of map?

Join some boyscout organidation or if you are older the army, they do a fair job at it there, at least for officers and petty officers…

[WildWind84]

52 minutes ago, AtaIante said:

The best and fastest way is to play CV. You will look at it constantly and quickly learn

Can't. Medical reason (not joking). Only bb, cruiser and dd can play.

[WorthyOpponent]

Example:
In general, everything done by a player is done with a plan, the plan may be bad or may be good, just put yourself in your allies' and enemies' boots and try to see what they want to do, WoWS is a very slow game, so being able to see their plan means you know what they'll focus on for at least the next 3 minutes, which is a lot. 
Count how many ships there are on the flanks. It is safer to assume that the weaker flanks will try to retreat and kite away. 
Use the minimap to determine who can shoot you as well as who you can shoot, keep track of enemies that may give you broadside. This is to make sure you're not vulnerable but punishing.
Try to track the position of the DDs. Use your own concealment if you must to determine their location as accurately as possible. 
Beware the enemies who have not been spotted for a very long time. They might show up very close to you when you don't suspect it. 

As an advanced tactic(instead of strategy) for bonus, if you are a BB, look at your ally BBs and stay away from them for about 45 degrees from the enemy so you can create a crossfire and melt them down. This usually means having to go to the middle and it requires a lot of attention, because the middle is a vulnerable position to both flanks. 

It will take a lot of time to get things right to some degree and advancing more will require you to know more about the ships and their capabilities. So practice a lot. 

[WildWind84]

Thank you all :)

@Karkong_the_Impaler and @Ubertron_X , reading yours answers, especially Karkong's and Ubertron I can see where I often make mistakes. And then in the middle of game I question - where is half of my team on other flank?! I will try to implement all your's advices what you write here :)

[Yosha_AtaIante]

16 minutes ago, WildWind84 said:

Can't. Medical reason (not joking). Only bb, cruiser and dd can play.

I would recommend listening to the advice of the others then. I learned it purely through CV play so I have nothing productive to add sadly. Good luck in your learning experience!

[WildWind84]

On 12/3/2022 at 1:20 PM, Yedwy said:

Join some boyscout organidation or if you are older the army, they do a fair job at it there, at least for officers and petty officers…

Not.

 

On 12/3/2022 at 2:16 PM, AtaIante said:

I would recommend listening to the advice of the others then. I learned it purely through CV play so I have nothing productive to add sadly. Good luck in your learning experience!

Thank you! :)

 

On 12/3/2022 at 2:11 PM, WorthyOpponent said:

Example:
In general, everything done by a player is done with a plan, the plan may be bad or may be good, just put yourself in your allies' and enemies' boots and try to see what they want to do, WoWS is a very slow game, so being able to see their plan means you know what they'll focus on for at least the next 3 minutes, which is a lot. 
Count how many ships there are on the flanks. It is safer to assume that the weaker flanks will try to retreat and kite away. 
Use the minimap to determine who can shoot you as well as who you can shoot, keep track of enemies that may give you broadside. This is to make sure you're not vulnerable but punishing.
Try to track the position of the DDs. Use your own concealment if you must to determine their location as accurately as possible. 
Beware the enemies who have not been spotted for a very long time. They might show up very close to you when you don't suspect it. 

As an advanced tactic(instead of strategy) for bonus, if you are a BB, look at your ally BBs and stay away from them for about 45 degrees from the enemy so you can create a crossfire and melt them down. This usually means having to go to the middle and it requires a lot of attention, because the middle is a vulnerable position to both flanks. 

It will take a lot of time to get things right to some degree and advancing more will require you to know more about the ships and their capabilities. So practice a lot. 

Thank you :) And I will all what I read in your's and in some answers here try to implement in game. I'm not expect that will work right now, that would be illusion. But I will try for sure :)

BTW. I am trying with my concealment track, but how to know in which exactly place is dd or something else (example: dd enter in my concealment, but how I can be sure that he is on E5 and not on E7 or F6?

[Cyclops_]

Also a good idea apart from making the Mini Map large is to have it clear so it only shows ships and islands like this. (I have cropped the left side of the picture out)

 

 

 

 

[WorthyOpponent]

11 minutes ago, WildWind84 said:

I am trying with my concealment track, but how to know in which exactly place is dd or something else (example: dd enter in my concealment, but how I can be sure that he is on E5 and not on E7 or F6?

You can't know that. That's why it takes a lot of practice and that's why you must try to guess their plan, because, let's say, that DD going to E5 means they are headed for an objective. Or, maybe, your flank shows broadside to F6 and thus it is way easier to torp from there... Maybe there is a radar cruiser whose radar range sees E5 but not E7. There are a lot of variables. You can just eliminate the options and guess it.

[Hirohito]

1 hour ago, AtaIante said:

The best and fastest way is to play CV. You will look at it constantly and quickly learn

I disagree, because you use that map information differently as a beginner.
As a beginner CV player, you are just looking for the closest ships and especially isolated ones to strike repeatedly, whereas on a surface ship you also have to take into the account the number of ships, not just for target practice but also for knowing whether you should be in that area and how aggressive you can be.
I should know because I started out with CVs when I picked up this game, and despite getting my first T10 being Hakuryu, I knew practically nothing about positioning at that time

.
Then I started to learn slightly more as I played BBs because positioning started mattering ("4X W and only tunnelvisioning on targets will get me killed if I dont pay attention").

Even though I didnt look much at the minimap, it was easier to force myself to do it because the typical BB has 30 seconds between every shot, time which you can use to look at the minimap and try to make sense of the patterns you see there (which is usually hard and takes time when you're new).

[Hirohito]

43 minutes ago, WildWind84 said:

Thank you :) And I will all what I read in your's and in some answers here try to implement in game. I'm not expect that will work right now, that would be illusion. But I will try for sure :)

BTW. I am trying with my concealment track, but how to know in which exactly place is dd or something else (example: dd enter in my concealment, but how I can be sure that he is on E5 and not on E7 or F6?

Depends on what you play, but if you play something like a DD yourself (maybe a cruiser), you can know his position by using the Radio Location skill, that will point you in the right direction.
I think it can be a great tool to start playing DDs/Cruisers if you are not too comfortable with the concealment game yet.

[Karkong_the_Impaler]

Playing BB with a long time between salvos helps, too.

[Yedwy]

3 minutes ago, Karkong_the_Impaler said:

Playing BB with a long time between salvos helps, too.

 Come now, every proper BB player knows MM has to be shrunk to smallest so it doesnt obstruct the view

[tocqueville8]

On 12/3/2022 at 2:28 PM, WildWind84 said:

BTW. I am trying with my concealment track, but how to know in which exactly place is dd or something else (example: dd enter in my concealment, but how I can be sure that he is on E5 and not on E7 or F6?

 

You can use what an astronomer would call "occultation", combining an island and the "situational awareness" skill, which all captains have by default: the one that says "! detected":

1. stay closer to the DD than your own surface detection range
2. sail behind an island
3. your visibility from the DD's point of view, and viceversa your knowledge that he's seeing you (the "situational awareness" skill) are like light: as long as you're behind the island, you're in the shadow
4. once you clear the island and you get the "! detected" warning, you're out of the shadow and you know the bearing and the maximum distance of the DD

This will often happen without you even trying, so every time you become spotted consider if it could be because you just cleared an island. It doesn't have to be: maybe the DD wondered within your spotting range from the open...but it's a useful clue.

[HMS_Kilinowski]

On 12/3/2022 at 12:29 PM, WildWind84 said:

Hi, maybe stupid question, but - how to get better in reading of map? And also, when many of you say "try to be better in reading map in play" - how? Where to start learn? Next questions are about positioning - how to know and see what is best option? I understand on this forum that I need learn much more, so I try.

Tnx for all advices and sry for my low level of English.

 

The best way to read the map is to "read the map". I mean like when driving a car, you at first are instructed to check the rearviewmirror. You do so consciously. At some point, after consciously checking mirrors for thousands of times, it becomes a habit, something you do unconsciously. Same goes for the map. By looking at it frequently, you get an update on the enemy's positions.

The rest is making assumptions as to where the ships are moving, what their intentions will be. Those assumptions are based on your own experiences and plays. You do or should know the favorite camping positions for radar cruisers. You should know e.g. that certain DDs like to flank or prefer open water areas.

Also take note of the last known positions of ships. It's all about awareness. If a ship has the same last-known positions for minutes, it hasn't been spotted for a while. Does that mean anything? A brawler last seen going behind a chain of islands might be about to pop out at the end of that chain of islands any moment.

 

I notice especially for inexperienced players, they do not predict the movement of a ship going dark correctly. Say a cruiser has gone dark 3 km from your concealment range going into you, then you gotta expect it to push you. Then it's time to turn and run. Or say there was a BB 10km away from you going towards you and you are going for it and there is an island between you. Then you gotta turn out or expect the BB to pop up in your perma spotting range. Predicting a ships movement is key for a lot of things.

 

Every time you get surprised by an enemy, you gotta ask yourself, was that really not to be expected? Was there no indication of that ship moving to where it surprised you?

 

So:

- observe the map by frequently looking at the map

- make basic predictions of the ships based on time passing and speed and assumptions on their behavior

- guess from what ships are already spotted and where, what yet unseen ships spawned on your flank, what ships they are in division with

- determine your approach to the enemy line-up and your support based on these assumptions.

 

Typical example for a Warspite:

- You spawn on C cap of Trident map

- You see it is a map where usually teams split up to go A- and C-cap.

- The friendly DD on your side is a Farragut

- A Fuso is spotted by your CV. You check the enemy team and see the Fuso is in division with a Shinonome. So you know the Shinonome will be on your flank and fighting with the Farragut at some point.

- You expect the Shinonome to either torp 9-/10-line or go for C-cap.

- Your Farragut goes for C-cap. So you stay away from 9-/10-line, where you'd eat torps at best.

- You turn out a bit and pre-aim your guns towards C-cap, so you can shoot the Shinonome, if it goes for the cap and gets spotted by your Farragut.

- Hopefully you now kill the Shinonome, supporting your Farragut.

- Your look at the mini map tells you, some enemy ships now start panicking, cause they lost vision, they start turning out. Time to pick a ship prone to your caliber and catch it broadside.

- The Fuso hasn't been spotted for a while, the last known position indicates it went dark going behind the island in 8-line towards 10-line. Chances are he tries to flank you in 9-line, so you angle towards the edge of the island.

....

[Mr_Damager]

Your question isn't stupid. The question is rather strange after 13000+ battles.

I think it can't be learned. It's more like some kind of a talent you're born with. Nobody is good at everything.

Those who say "try to be better in reading map in play" think that you have the same talent as they do and you just don't (want to) "read" the map properly. They cannot put themselves in your place ("curse of knowledge", maybe).

[Hirohito]

1 hour ago, Mr_Damager said:

I think it can't be learned. It's more like some kind of a talent you're born with.

What, looking more at the minimap cant be learned?

[Yosha_AtaIante]

9 minutes ago, Hirohito said:

What, looking more at the minimap cant be learned?

looking at the map and reading it are 2 different thinks.

 

Why do you think there are so little amount of people willing to successfully FC you around in CBs?

[Hirohito]

1 minute ago, AtaIante said:

looking at the map and reading it are 2 different thinks.

 

Why do you think there are so little amount of people willing to successfully FC you around in CBs?

I get that reading it can be hard, but that's a gradual process.
I still read it wrong from time to time as well, but any thought process into reading it at all is exponentially better than not reading it while sailing straight ahead and tunnel visioning through the binoculars 20s ahead of the next reload.

[Mr_Damager]

12 hours ago, Hirohito said:

What, looking more at the minimap cant be learned?

Nope. I didn't say that. Just "looking more" isn't enough. The (OP's) question is not only about reading the map, but also about positioning/actions. Different players make different decisions based on what they see on the map. They may not notice something. Two players may see the same but act differently. If something can be learned then it can be taught and there should be an answer to the question "how can it be learned?" (the answer may include books, courses, video, exercises, etc). We haven't got such an answer yet. They say what to look at but they don't say what to do with that given information. They can't teach you how to make the same (right) decisions they make and how to do it fast.