I don't want to sound rude but.... Yuugumo Class.... again?
They aren't creating these ships from thin air, there's a set number of ships to draw from, and there's simply far more destroyers than battleships. If they're going to eventually include every ship that wasn't hopelessly obsolete or otherwise not participating, (or in the case of several carriers that weren't really ever made operational, several that are...) they'll need to pace themselves on what they introduce, when.
There's four new ships, and only one was a destroyer this time, which is less than they'll need to be putting in to avoid having a giant glut of destroyers when they've exhausted all their cruisers and carriers. (Unless they start putting in more transports and submarine tenders that never got turned into carriers...)
Granted, throwing in foreign battleships can extend the working space a bit...
And besides, this girl actually seems to have a more distinct personality and appearance. (OK, when I look closely, she kind of looks like Myouko with Haguro's personality, but still, distinct for a destroyer...)
Granted, throwing in foreign battleships can extend the working space a bit...
How far do they have to go before they exhaust every single real and planned Axis ship?
Subsequently, will they be able to feasibly include every single Allied ship or will they be forced to be extremely selective or strictly limit to one girl per class?
How far do they have to go before they exhaust every single real and imaginary Axis ship?
Subsequently, will they be able to feasibly include every single Allied ship or will they be forced to be extremely selective or strictly limit to one girl per class?
Allied Ships were save for the last, we have already confirmations (sort of) that the Devs will implement Allied Ships (as the game director's wish) and will start with the RN, maybe they are doing this just because they knew that Allied Ship (specially the USN) will be extremely overpowered (but not for their destroyers).
Oh and by the way, about Takanami... Takanami did escorted Myoukou during one of her sortie in the Solomons, maybe the "escorts will imitate the looks of the ship they have escorted" rule is being applied here.
And we need more submarines, the I-201 series will be a great addition.
How far do they have to go before they exhaust every single real and imaginary Axis ship?
Subsequently, will they be able to feasibly include every single Allied ship or will they be forced to be extremely selective or strictly limit to one girl per class?
How far do they have to go before they exhaust every single real and imaginary Axis ship?
Subsequently, will they be able to feasibly include every single Allied ship or will they be forced to be extremely selective or strictly limit to one girl per class?
That said, they might want to include the USS White Plains from that class, since it wins the title of "only carrier to ever shoot another surface ship with direct fire from a deck gun" during the Battle Off Samar (the famous "last stand of the tin cans" battle where Johnston held back 1/3rd the Japanese navy), and possibly sank Choukai thanks to detonating its torpedoes. Gambier Bay might also be included thanks to being sunk in the same battle. (Oh, and the Fletcher-class Destroyers, of which Johnston was one, numbered 175, which is incidentally more than all Japanese destroyers combined...)
Anyway, back to the first question...
Japan had 12 battleships. (Including the four Kongou-class battlecruisers.) All are already in the game.
Japan had 11 carriers, 9 light carriers, and 8 seaplane tenders, including carriers-in-construction. (Including transport-converted-to-carrier Akitsu Maru.) All but 5 are in the game, and most were never completed, like Shinano or Ibuki, although Mizuho was an active seaplane carrier that isn't in, yet. There were also 10 escort carriers that don't seem to be in the game at all.
There were 18 Japanese heavy cruisers, and 26 light cruisers... The only ones missing are Katori's two sister ships, and a single light cruiser stolen from China, the Yasoshima (originally, Ping Hai).
There were about 167 destroyers, although two classes (26 ships) are not in the game due to being hopelessly obsolete WW1 ships (even compared to the Mutsuki class), and two other classes (32 ships) are "light destroyers" that were built on the cheap and without surface weapons or any speed late-war that aren't in the game, either, due to being guaranteed useless but for expeditions and having no memorable ships among them. Still, there are 2 Mutsuki-class ships missing, 4 Fubuki-class ships missing, 4 Ayanami-class ships missing, 2 Hatsuharu-class, 3 Shiratsuyu-class, 2 Asashio-class, 5 Kagerou-class, a whopping 13 Yuugumo-class, 6 Akizuki-class, the entire (4) Fuyutsuki-class, and the lone Hanazuki are all ships missing.
Even throwing out the 26 obsolete destroyers and 32 light destroyers, you have 5 never-completed or rear-line carriers, 2 training cruisers, and a stolen cruiser versus 46 destroyers to add to the game. (Totaling 53 Japanese ships.)
This, however, excludes subs, simply because there's a TON of Japanese subs, but little distinguishing many of them. (In fact, Maru-Yu is 39 subs rolled into one...)
Hence, you can see why they're pounding out destroyers, never-completed carriers, and foreign ships at this point... it's what they have left. (Well, and subs, but then, with over 250 subs to choose from, and them all just being serial numbers, they need to pick carefully from them...)
I don't want to sound rude but.... Yuugumo Class.... again?
I agree with you that the Yuugumo class and the Kagerou class are nothing more than placeholder trophy trash that is only there only to be there, as a way to prove that people got them, but...at least this one is cute, right?
Takanami might be the cutest Yuugumo class yet. She might be the only one I would actually try to get, keep and maybe even use. She just has that cuteness factor, like Maru-yu. Just so damn adorable.
Not an expert of WW2 ships but were there any destroyers of note in the USN?
If not then the devs could start from that class and think about game balance later.
The Johnston, again, along with sister-ships Hoel (the flagship) and Heerman are pretty notable for standing off against basically 1/3rd of the Japanese Navy in the legendary Battle Off Samar. (Basically, Johnston single-handedly forced Yamato to fall back, destroyed the bow (and directly led to the sinking of) Kumano, forced a line of 7 attacking destroyers to all retreat, bought time for most of the carriers she was escorting to escape, and only finally sank under combined fire from 8 heavy cruisers, Kongou, Yamato, and Nagato. During that time, the bridge had been destroyed, and the front half of the ship blown off, so the captain was directing the ship by shouting orders from the aft of the ship to keep firing the one remaining turret even while the ship was sinking.
It's basically the most epic last stand you could possibly imagine that actually happened. The Japanese Navy actually stopped and gave a salute to the Johnston as she sank, and Admiral Kurita had apparently thought he was shooting at a heavy cruiser the whole time. When told Johnston was actually just a destroyer, he was stunned, and then responded that it fought like a heavy cruiser in spirit.
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Another pair of notable Fletcher-class ships are Heywood L. Edwards and Richard P. Leary, or as they might otherwise be known, Ariake and Yuugure. They were sold to the JMSDF to help kickstart the new Japanese naval forces as a sort of reverse-Hibiki. (Although it makes you wonder why they didn't just let Japan keep Ushio if they were going to send some replacement destroyers out to them, anyway...)
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Other American ships that really need representation (IMHO) include the O'Bannon, which is most notable for the Potato Incident where the O'Bannon started a potato fight with a Japanese submarine (Ro-34) it had tried to ram. (The potatoes were eaten by the staff afterwards... if by "staff" you mean carrion-eating fish.)
She also survived having her bow blown off and served until 1970, and was known to be the single most aggressive (and most decorated) destroyer in a very aggressive USN. She charged Hiei to protect Henderson Field (AKA Airfield Hime), and lived to charge other battleships again later by getting so close Hiei couldn't aim her turrets down low enough to hit her while O'Bannon plinked what damage she could against her massively superior foe.
I kind of picture her as a pigtailed red-haired pipsqueek battle junkie with a broken nose throwing potatoes at people...
Not an expert of WW2 ships but were there any destroyers of note in the USN?
If not then the devs could start from that class and think about game balance later.
Oh we have more actually aside from the Taffy 3 Sisters, Edsall is worth noting, Fletcher, Nicholas and Jenkins were awesome on their own way, Radford is a submarine killer, O'Bannon, AKA the Potato Destroyer, the pirate Kidd, Laffey who challenged Hiei head-to-head. The Destroyers who fought in the Battle of Kamandorski, and many more.
The Casablanca-class are escort carriers. Built on freighter or oiler hulls if I recall. The 11 or so Japanese escort carrier have not been introduced yet.
But it is likely that if they want to keep giving out larger ships as event reqards, they will have to move on to the Allies within a year. There is functionally only one Japanese capital ship left, Shinano. Unless they want to throw in something like Mikasa or the remaining armored cruisers from the Russo-Japanese War that were still around in 1941 (usually at target ships or otherwise unarmed ships). The Germans have three remaining battleships, three pocket battleships (modern armored cruisers), and a pair of pre-dreadnoughts. Of all that only one has 15 inch guns, the rest have 11 inch guns. The Italians have I think five battleships left now. One more of their fast battleships with 15 inch guns, and then four heavily rebuilt dreadnoughts armed with 12.6 inch guns up from 12 inch guns. All of those are around Kongo and Fuso's age and less powerful. Both Germany and Italy have basically one unfinished aircraft carrier each. Both were nearly completed.
This leaves the British, French, Russians, and American unless they really wanted to get into the the minor powers (which the Soviet Navy almost qualifies as in 1940). The French have some interesting designs. A lot of very fast ships (as do the Italians), but only their newer fast battleships would be of interest for their capital ships. The British have the ten Revenge and Queen Elizabeth class battleships, all armed with 15 inch guns. They have Hood, Repulse and Renown as their fast 15 inch guns armed battlecruiser force. They have two of the 16 inch armed Big Seven in Nelson and Rodney. Then they have the five new fast battleships of the King George V class with their 14 inch guns. And I suppose Vangard. Then a number of armored carriers.
The Americans have a large number of standard 14 inch gun slow battlehships (basically 9 ships from the slightly smaller Nevada-class to the Tennessee-class), plus the three remaining ships of the Big Seven, the 16 inch armed Colorado class. As well as the older 14 inch armed New York class and the even older Wyoming with her 12, 12 inch guns. Then they have their ten fast battleships, all armed with 16 inch guns. Then they have the massive number of fleet carriers (2 Lexingons, Ranger, 3 Yorktowns, Wasp, and several of the 24 Essex, though not all saw action in the Pacific war, and the 3 Midways would be too late) and a smaller number of light carriers (9 Independence and 2 Saipan), and a pair of 12 inch gun armed Alaska-class large cruisers to round out the capital ships. The American carrier eventually get the ability to become night carriers late in the war (Enterprise and Saratoga, with Ranger being the training ship for pilots sent to the other two ships)
It's basically the most epic last stand you could possibly imagine that actually happened. The Japanese Navy actually stopped and gave a salute to the Johnston as she sank, and Admiral Kurita had apparently thought he was shooting at a heavy cruiser the whole time. When told Johnston was actually just a destroyer, he was stunned, and then responded that it fought like a heavy cruiser in spirit.
Do you know which of the Japanese destroyers gave that salute? It was the luckiest ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, Yukikaze
Johnston also managed to fire nearly every single shell (of over 500) it carried (which was the only reason it didn't suffer a magazine detonation), with the gunner actually only stopping because the cannon exploded from overheating from firing so many times. They attempted to rescue him, but he waved them off, and told them to just keep firing the gun in his place rather than rescue him. He not only got a posthumous Silver Star, but a destroyer named after him, as well...
That particular piece took place aboard DE-413 Samuel B. Roberts.
Like every single member of DesRon 23 under then-captain Arleigh Burke
I don't see that happening though. I think if they ever put USN WW2 ships, they'll be the ones that were eventually transferred to the JMSDF. They might start with their USN names at first but get renamed in their first or second remodels to their Japanese names.
One funny ship to do would be USS Atherton DE-169. First remodel would be JDS Asahi then second remodel would be BRP Rajah Humabon (with somehow weaker fighting stats but maybe an enhanced joke stat somewhere or even lower supply consumption than subs or mutsukis for expeditions).
I could swear there was one that was USN in ww2, JMSDF right after, then transferred back to the USN (because it was a loan), then re-transferred to either the ROKN or VNN (south vietnam) before ending up with the PN (philippines) -- but since I can't find it, it must've just been my imagination
The Casablanca-class are escort carriers. Built on freighter or oiler hulls if I recall. The 11 or so Japanese escort carrier have not been introduced yet.
[snip]
... with Ranger being the training ship for pilots sent to the other two ships)
The Casablanca-class escort carriers were capable of carrying as many planes as Ryuujou, and were basically CVLs with a slightly different designation. Like Ryuujou, they were extensively used in support roles, so just lumping them in with CVLs makes perfect sense from a gameplay standpoint. Besides, their history is worth including them - they were heavily involved in many major actions in ways that directly parallel CVL usage, and frankly, the Casablanca-class alone was carrying more planes than the entire IJN ever had.
Also, Ranger is about as much a CV as Houshou is, since they were both "first purpose-built carriers", but never really used actively, and instead being more training vessel. (Although Ranger didn't carry quite so pathetically few planes...)
As far as British carriers go, however, HMS Victorious has a storied carrier, including at one point being the USS Robin before changing back. She's an armored carrier, as well, and was capable of night battles (thanks to her Swordfish torpedo planes) long before any Japanese or American carriers were. (Guaranteed air supremacy, yo!) In fact, the supposedly "Night battle experts" Japanese switched strategy against the British, attacking in the day, and retreating in the night to avoid Victorious, and sister ships Illustrious and Indomitable.
Also, another famous Brit carrier, HMS Ark Royal is largely responsible for sinking Bismarck.
OOZ662 said:
That particular piece took place aboard DE-413 Samuel B. Roberts.
Holy ballsacks. I just looked through it and it seems Taka-cutie here's remodel comes with a skilled lookout! And at relative ease too! You know, the item hundreds of people bullied Hoppo endlessly for slim chances of getting the hishimochi 10 times so they hand it in for it.
The Casablanca-class escort carriers were capable of carrying as many planes as Ryuujou, and were basically CVLs with a slightly different designation. Like Ryuujou, they were extensively used in support roles, so just lumping them in with CVLs makes perfect sense from a gameplay standpoint. Besides, their history is worth including them - they were heavily involved in many major actions in ways that directly parallel CVL usage, and frankly, the Casablanca-class alone was carrying more planes than the entire IJN ever had.
Also, Ranger is about as much a CV as Houshou is, since they were both "first purpose-built carriers", but never really used actively, and instead being more training vessel. (Although Ranger didn't carry quite so pathetically few planes...)
As far as British carriers go, however, HMS Victorious has a storied carrier, including at one point being the USS Robin before changing back. She's an armored carrier, as well, and was capable of night battles (thanks to her Swordfish torpedo planes) long before any Japanese or American carriers were. (Guaranteed air supremacy, yo!) In fact, the supposedly "Night battle experts" Japanese switched strategy against the British, attacking in the day, and retreating in the night to avoid Victorious, and sister ships Illustrious and Indomitable.
Also, another famous Brit carrier, HMS Ark Royal is largely responsible for sinking Bismarck.
Ah, sorry, my mistake.
Ryuujou did carry more planes than the Casablanca-class and was considerably faster. The Casablanca-class could do 20 knots. That is slower than the slow battleships. Ryuujou could make 29 knots. USS Ranger could do the same with twice the amount of planes. Ranger was used in combat in the Atlantic until 1944 when she was pulled to become the night training carrier for the Pacific. She wasn't used in combat in the Pacific because she didn't have the spare top weight and space for all the AA guns she would need to fight the Japanese. She was also about three knots slower than the Lexingtons, Yorktowns, and Essex-class ships (USS Wasp was barely any faster than Ranger). She wasn't needed in Europe in 1944 because the numbers of escort carriers was high enough to take over fairy runs and convoy duty and sub hunting patrols. They didn't need naval air cover for D-Day since the beaches are in range of RAF bases which can't sink.
Ryuujou's air group is about the size of those on the Independence-class light carriers, and a little under than of the later Saipan-class light carriers.
USS Langley on the other hand...that was a tiny carrier. It had been converted into a seaplane tender by the start of the war and was sunk at Java Sea. Otherwise she might have made for a nice escort carrier herself. A bit slow, but with a slightly bigger deck than the Casablancas.
The Johnston, again, along with sister-ships Hoel (the flagship) and Heerman are pretty notable for standing off against basically 1/3rd of the Japanese Navy in the legendary Battle Off Samar. (Basically, Johnston single-handedly forced Yamato to fall back, destroyed the bow (and directly led to the sinking of) Kumano, forced a line of 7 attacking destroyers to all retreat, bought time for most of the carriers she was escorting to escape, and only finally sank under combined fire from 8 heavy cruisers, Kongou, Yamato, and Nagato. During that time, the bridge had been destroyed, and the front half of the ship blown off, so the captain was directing the ship by shouting orders from the aft of the ship to keep firing the one remaining turret even while the ship was sinking.
It's basically the most epic last stand you could possibly imagine that actually happened. The Japanese Navy actually stopped and gave a salute to the Johnston as she sank, and Admiral Kurita had apparently thought he was shooting at a heavy cruiser the whole time. When told Johnston was actually just a destroyer, he was stunned, and then responded that it fought like a heavy cruiser in spirit.
---
Another pair of notable Fletcher-class ships are Heywood L. Edwards and Richard P. Leary, or as they might otherwise be known, Ariake and Yuugure. They were sold to the JMSDF to help kickstart the new Japanese naval forces as a sort of reverse-Hibiki. (Although it makes you wonder why they didn't just let Japan keep Ushio if they were going to send some replacement destroyers out to them, anyway...)
---
Other American ships that really need representation (IMHO) include the O'Bannon, which is most notable for the Potato Incident where the O'Bannon started a potato fight with a Japanese submarine (Ro-34) it had tried to ram. (The potatoes were eaten by the staff afterwards... if by "staff" you mean carrion-eating fish.)
She also survived having her bow blown off and served until 1970, and was known to be the single most aggressive (and most decorated) destroyer in a very aggressive USN. She charged Hiei to protect Henderson Field (AKA Airfield Hime), and lived to charge other battleships again later by getting so close Hiei couldn't aim her turrets down low enough to hit her while O'Bannon plinked what damage she could against her massively superior foe.
We have yet to see Republic of China(Taiwan) Tan Yang remodel for Yukikaze. And Hibiki or rather her Kai ni form Verniy is technically the only non-axis ship in the Kancolle roster. A small technicality I'm sure, but it still stands as she did serve in the Soviet Navy post-war till 1953 when she was scrapped.
Though I can see how the devs might be wary with introducing a Chinese vessel considering the current bad blood between the 2 countries. Again this might apply only to Mainland China and not Taiwan. So Yukikaze's remodel might be a possibility.
We have yet to see Republic of China(Taiwan) Tan Yang remodel for Yukikaze. And Hibiki or rather her Kai ni form Verniy is technically the only non-axis ship in the Kancolle roster. A small technicality I'm sure, but it still stands as she did serve in the Soviet Navy post-war till 1953 when she was scrapped.
Though I can see how the devs might be wary with introducing a Chinese vessel considering the current bad blood between the 2 countries. Again this might apply only to Mainland China and not Taiwan. So Yukikaze's remodel might be a possibility.
Taiwan has one of the biggest anime fan base in the world, but then like China, the bad blood seems to also brought over to Taiwan, although not as bad.