How does Crew XP work?

[Suribachi]

How much damage does a crew need to do or tonnage to sink before they become Veterans?

Just for some context:  The entire might of the German Navy, 109 ships (15 BBs, 25 CAs, 47 CLs, 22 TBs), bared down on the Japan home islands.  I had no choice but to engage with the 6 BBs and 3 CLs that were ready for combat.  A single CA escaped only from hitting the Time Limit of 6 hours, the rest litter the bottom of the Sea of Japan.  This single ship managed to keep a blockade of Japan going for 2 months, May (the time of the battle) until July when the blockade was lifted and a month after peace was signed in June.  But that is a different story.  At the end of this, all external provinces belonging to Germany, except the one in China, belong to me now as well as approximately $570 million of their taxpayer dollars.  Should have gotten the CA too to end the blockade faster I guess.

All crews that have participated in this battle are Regulars at best.  Crew Training has been pegged at 100% since the start of this campaign as well.

My observation is that there appears to be a cap of 25 XP earned for a ships crew in battle.
 

Edited December 2, 2022 by Suribachi
Added details

[Sandermatt]

Could it be that the number of battles is the main factor. I recon having ships ending up in inconclusive battles repedeatly and becoming veterans.

[baatsman]

My 2p

-- Transports are free boosts for the 'slacker' shipcrews. Even a single hit on TR, provides extreme damage numbers (often 25xp in one). After reaching their xp 'quota' at 2.5-3K dmg, remember silencing the guns aiding the chances of the weakest ones.

Post battle when 'The distinguished Medal of XP' is handed out, noone is asking how any crew got their share.

The possible +25 xp is a significant increase. It is achieved @ 2.5K-3 dmg done.

-- Crews Peaking in skill levels, have a 'runaway' advantage vs weaker Crews in gaining xp. The more xp skill at hand, more easily and faster they reach the 2.5K quota, and start ruining any xp chances for the rest of your navys ships, and they get better at this from every battle.

--A few Doctrinal Researchables during the campaign, provide additional crew bonuses. Both to Shipcrews-skill and Crewpool-skill, by raising the maximum potential skill, also by increasing the effect of 'investments' in the crew training slider.      [ 'Maneuver Warfare' tech, once was a big one. But IDK whats hot or not now, as I was unable playing for at least half a dosen months. ]

Crewtraining Tooltip states that in peacetime, Crewskill limit is at Trained level. I belive the limit start at 33.99XP and gradually increases with techs unlocked (33xp -> ?49xp). I'm still pondering, if a peacetime 49xp 'Trained' crewskill is even possible as a bonus from techs.

If I remember the crew levels are somewhere close to this:   Cadet 1 -> 15, Green 16 -> 32, Trained 33 -> 49, Regular 50 -> 66, Seasoned 67 -> 83, Veteran 84+

(NO BENEFIT GAINED FROM 84 ONWARDS (84 -> 99) = [CrewSkill +30] ) )

 

( I go bankrupt when I enter peace in the campaign, so I provoke every nation nearly every time I can, while still trying to dodge the (guesstimated) trans-national enemyfleet blockade threshold. The simple reason for why I'm still clueless to the peace effects in mid late campaigns )

A 'battle hardening' spiral of death, at least used to be,Platforms sporting slowloading high-arc plunging guns, manned by their Cadet Crews. The Combination of Crew/Platform debuffs,negate even initiating xp progression in itself, also by producing negative xp gains in battles.  Unless you ram, or rebuild with torps, or 'cheat swap' via an empty crewpool, from another Vessel, well...  board!!!

Edited December 3, 2022 by baatsman