Thank you for opening this thread. I've only been playing around with the game since late in Alpha 5.
I do have some thoughts on the complex simultaneous equation that is topic of gunnery.
Agree rate of change is one of the more important factors in naval gunnery (probably two rates of change - rate of range change and rate of baring change, but any whoo) Essentially if there is a low rate of change the firing ship and the target ship are travelling roughly on same course at a very similar speed (assuming the rate of change calculation is correct) and while that is maintained the laying of guns on the point the target will be when the shells land is simpler.
High rate of change means, therefore, course and or speed of firer and target are widely different then the prediction becomes a bit harder and the consequences of not correctly calculating rate of change more.
Calculations were made by mechanical computers of varying levels of automation and plotted on a plotting table or its equivalent (at least once longer range director controlled fire came along).
To overcome the many problems noted above with calculation (e.g. accuracy of range finding, correct deduction of relative course etc) observation of fall of shot is used to empirically correct the plot. So the longer both the target and shooter (both likely playing both roles of course) the better the accuracy of the plot should get even at a high rate of change (though not as good as low).
The plot becomes less reliable when either the target or shooter changes course (and to a lesser extent speed) and the observed fall of shoot is likely to fall off target and the target will need to be reacquired and the accuracy the plot re-established.
What's the game implication of that? And the game mech seems to be doing some of this,.
A) Accuracy should build the longer both target and shooter both maintain course, and improve particularly following the fall of shot
Accuracy should degrade when either change course, the bigger the change in course (well change in rate really) the bigger the degrade and more so if the shooter violently changes course because that will likely to throw out the gyro stabilizers that are key components of the plotting table/computer and they take a while to settle down again.
C) A high speed target, even at 55 knots, that is holding a steady course (and therefore steady rate of change or range and bearing) should become a predictable target to a steady shooter. I don't think the game yet does that. Speed of target seems to be a permanent degrade on accuracy (though my testing isn't limitless yet).
Happy to have the developers tell me I'm teaching them how to suck eggs and they are doing this.
cheers.