Hello Developers
This is my 2nd post after discussing the lightweight/standard/heavy/superheavy shell options in my 1st. In this post I want to talk about the various propellants that can be chosen in game and problems I've found:
1. Bonuses/penalties to gun range are effectively accuracy bonuses/penalties
It took me some time to figure that one out. And it makes no sense. Gun accuracy is a combination of precision manufacturing and consistency. The closer to the average muzzle velocity each projectile is shot, the easier it is to aim it at a specific range. The less the spread of a shot the gun has, the less shells falls around the aim point. This has NOTHING to do with the actual gun range.
Gun range is a function of the average muzzle velocity of the gun and the drag and weight of the shell. Heavier shells and higher muzzle velocities increase the gun range. They DO NOT increase the accuracy.
In fact: heavier shells and higher muzzle velocities tend to make the gun less accurate unless the engineers take design measure to counteract. Those counter-acting design measure however make the entire gun mechanism (gun laying drives, recoil absorbtion, ...) bigger and heavier. NONE of that happens in game.
2. I have yet to use Lyddite or Lyddite II for anything. I cannot find a suitable application for either. -50% to the penetration for Lyddite 1 and -20% for Lyddite II simply isn't a sacrifice worthwhile. Purposely lowering the penetration capacity of the shells fired is really very counterproductive, if I want to design a ship that can actually do something.
3. The same goes for Cordite and Cordite II. But the main issue here is that the sacrifice for extra armor penetration is gun range. And as discussed above, penalties go gun range are effectively penatlies to accuracy here in the game. Example:
Mark 3 18" Gun stats at 25km range with Ballistite (+5% gun range, +110% cost per shell) as propellant:
27.6" belt armor penetration; 28.8" deck armor penetration, 3.6% chance to hit
Mark 3 18" gun stats at 25km range with Cordite II (-6% gun range, +550% cost per shell) as propellant:
26.6" belt armor penetration; 27.7" deck armor Penetration, 2.6% chance to hit'
Ballistite also has a lower chance of ammunition detonation than Cordite. Ballistite is an alround BETTER propellant. And it is much cheaper.
4. Tube Powder isn't really worth it either. It suffers from having a range penalty. So as discussed in the 1st point any penalty to gun range makes the propellant choice not really worth it. Tube Powder would be a really good choice if range penalties weren't effectively accuracy penalties
5. Shell Type: Going for any less than the heaviest type shell out of Lightweight, Standard, Heavy or Superheavy is a bad choice. This is because going to a heavier shell type increases the gun range AND therefore the gun accuracy, as these are tied together at the moment. Additionally you also get more damage for a not that large penalty in ship weight or cost.
Best regards
4plainsq