Decision making process designed new class

[dorn]

We have a lot of discussion about different classes of ships, what is better, discussion about ship itself however we do not speak a lot about decision making process.

I would start with battleship and how I decide to build ship. May be it could be interesting for someone or others can share different view

Battleship design - decision making process

1. Free budget ==> decision to build new ship

2. Analyze - Comparison of fleets with other nations preferable potential or actual enemies. Number of ships per classes, quality comparison ==> Need of specific class of ship

3. Decision to build battleship

4. Analyze my technology with technology others nation I can build battleships with taking considaration actual tension and speed of construction and how much urgent new battleship is

5. Decision where to build battleship

6. Analyze my budget situation and maximum budget allocation for battleship/s.

7. Decision of maximum budget for ship/s and maximum monthly amount for new construction

8. Analyze maximum caliber and quality of guns. In case of 1" caliber less maximum caliber is better quality than both option is available else using only max. caliber. In case that more than 16" caliber available, 16" guns could be preferred.

9. Decision of main guns caliber

10. Analyze option of number of turrets and number of guns per turrets availability. Preferrable 8-9 guns per broadside. Higher number only in case of inferior calibers to foreign designs. Preferable turrets in order A,B,(L),Y,V,X, wing turrets

11. Decision of the layout of main guns - turrets, guns per turrets, caliber with number of shells available

12. Analyze secondary guns needs. Do we have strong escort or do we need strong defense or do we need additional guns to enhance firepower of main guns. What type of ship, how large would try to torpedo us. Do we need 6", 5", 4", 3" guns and ho much? Do we prefer casemetes with their protection or single guns or we can already build double or triple turrets without penalties?

13. Analyze tertiary guns need. Do we need enhance secondary guns against torpedo attacks?

13. Decision of secondary and tertiary guns armament.

14. Analyze speed requirements, accomodation. Do we have standard battle line speed? Do we need increase speed of battle line or design ship with higher speed? Do we need to attain maximum speed for long time in case of coal. Do we expect the ship will travel outside our supply area of our bases?

15. Decision of speed, engines (normal/speed) and accomodation note: I do not think reliable engines are ever needed for battleship, cramped accomodation could save

16. Analyze enemy ship firepower and penetration of main and secundary guns, preferred ranges of battle, zone of immunity

17. Decision of level of protection with type of protection (sloped deck/flat on top (AoN), level of belt and deck protection, level of extended belt and deck protection, level of turret protection)

18. Analyze whole ship and costs to point 7 budget

19 a. - ship in line with budget ==> go to point

19 b. - ship is not with line in budget ==> go to point 22.

20. analyze possible saving of tonnage - firepower/protection/speed/range/accomodation

21. make saving and go to point 18.

22. save your ship and try to design completely different solutions (e.g. different firepower, different protection schemes eg. narrow belt with complete protection)

23. compare different solutions and choose final one

24. think about small fine tunning (small changes in armor, armament, speed)

25. final decission about design to be build

26. analyze priority of ship  building

27. Decision of normal/accelerate speed of construction

[director]

I'd agree that free or projected budget is the single most important point. It doesn't matter how badly I need a ship if I can't pay for it...
What I do for my estimate is to see how long I can sustain a shortfall, then look at which ships will complete (and free up budget) in the short term.

Rarely do I look at significant speed increases; I tend to keep my battle line at around 22 knots and my BCs at 27-28 knots. Similar speeds (27-28 knots) do for my cruisers and 33-34 knots for DDs. Firepower is the most desirable attribute for a CL or DD and large size is essential, while moderate-sized CAs are more my style.

I will push for a 12-gun battery of 14", 15" or 16" caliber, though 9 guns (of a caliber larger than the preceding class) will do if defensive power can be significantly improved.

I do not like tertiary batteries, nor do I use anything larger than a 5" for my secondaries. If I have a (+1) gun in 4" or 5" size I will use it; if not, I use a 5". My secondary battery for capital ships goes from 16 guns (pre-WW1 era) to 20 and 24 guns when twin secondary turrets come available.

Light cruisers will use 6" or a 5"(+1) gun; DDs will use a 3" gun (600 tons or less), 4" (1100 tons or less) or 5" (1100 tons or larger) unless a (+1) 4" or 5" gun is available. Armored cruisers will use either a 10" or 8" gun, depending on circumstances, but I'd rather have 12-8" than 8-10". Cruisers use a 4" secondary, unless every other ship has moved to 5".

I do not accelerate construction - shaving one month off is never worth the cost for me.

If a small amount of money is available, I will build DDs. If a small deficit has to be accepted, I will build DDs. I will have more DDs than any other two or three nations combined... and they will ALL carry at least two triple or quad mounts for torpedoes. I prefer to serve my enemies fish for appetizer, entree and dessert, and I insist they dine often and well.



My ship design procedure centers around these factors:

1) can I increase offensive power without lowering armor protection of preceding class, either by adding more barrels or a larger caliber?
2) can I increase firepower and defensive power without a substantial increase in tonnage?
3) if the increases in offensive and defensive power are quite desirable, can I build a ship of that tonnage?
4) is the desired design affordable under budget constraints? Is the desired improvement worth waiting for budget to be increased or freed up?
5) if I can afford the new design, build it. If not, can I make small improvements to an existing design and afford that? If so, build it.

[noshurviverse]

Generally when I'm making a new class of BB/BC, I utilize a 'working backwards' method. I set displacement to roughly 80% of the maximum available and create what my ideal design would be given the technology of the period, while ignoring the weight. This leads, of course, to me having a design vastly overweight. It is then decided where weight should be saved given my likely opponents and the design is shaven down or enlarged to meet these demands. My 'standard' design that most of my capitals start as before the adjustments take place usually looks something like this:

•Primary Armament: 8-12 Highest caliber Q0 guns available, excluding 17/18"

•Secondary Armament: 12 6" guns, single or duo mounts with splinter protection

•Belt: 12"
•Deck: 2", increasing by 0.5" every 5 years after 1915

•Turrets: Belt armor +1/2", Tops Deck +1/2"

•Speed: Fastest practical

[rimbecano]

For capital ships, I always use the largest caliber available for the main battery, unless the next lower caliber has a quality advantage of 2. I prefer to have better deck penetration and to make bigger holes than to have better belt penetration.

Target armor thickness changes somewhat through the game as penetration improves, but in the midgame I target turret armor for about main gun caliber +2 (though I'm usually looking very hard at actual penetration figures at any point in the game) and belt for about main gun caliber. Belt thickness is more flexible, I will sacrifice just about anything to make sure that turrets are impenetrable against any plausible near-future opponent in a daytime, clear weather engagement. If my capital ships take turret penetrations in combat, I immediately open the range.

In the early game I design to the maximum tonnage available, once I can build a 2x3 AB battlecruiser, I design for this layout with the heaviest guns available and a maximum speed appropriate to a BC for the period.

Despite preferring a fast fleet speed, I go with reliable engines if I can manage them to avoid ships falling out of line due to breakdowns in combat.