Warship construction in secret

[Wiggy]

An idea - for an increase in cost, you can design and build a warship in secret in order to prevent the AI finding out about it. This would mean that you could build your new super-battleship without giving away to everyone that you've gone for a huge gun calibre and escalation of tonnage (thinking of Yamato), or deployment of new technology like radar or quad turrets. This could also be a way to dodge treaty limits, although the foreign powers are bound to ask questions of that big tarpaulin you've stretched over the dockyard, so maybe you get a big prestige hit if you're rumbled. The AI could do this too - maybe only nations with a certain trait, that is - as it would be fun to know the Germans are building a new ship, estimated at 40-60,000 tons, but you have absolutely no clue about its specs.

[zederfflinger]

I really like this idea, although there should probably be a pretty big penalty if you get caught. 

[w2c]

I think it's interesting for sure though rather limited in its usefulness. I feel it would ultimately be more of an RP thing. The AI will continue to design their ships regardless of whether they find out your secret design or not. Not saying this to be critical, but rather to encourage discussion because it does sound like it could be fun but would need more to have it really work. A simple prestige penalty definitely doesn't feel like enough. I think the increase in cost should be pretty significant too. It's hard to cover your trails to the extent necessary to keep word from getting out and really only effected a few ships. At least for what this would cover.

[navalperson]

Nov 20, 2021 16:40:17 GMT -6 w2c said:

I think it's interesting for sure though rather limited in its usefulness. I feel it would ultimately be more of an RP thing. The AI will continue to design their ships regardless of whether they find out your secret design or not. Not saying this to be critical, but rather to encourage discussion because it does sound like it could be fun but would need more to have it really work. A simple prestige penalty definitely doesn't feel like enough. I think the increase in cost should be pretty significant too. It's hard to cover your trails to the extent necessary to keep word from getting out and really only effected a few ships. At least for what this would cover.

Maybe apply this to the treaty system in the game instead in that you could be allowed to go over the treaty as much as you want, but different governments would affect if your prestige suffers or gains. And if a country finds out tensions will rise and prestige will go down.