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[Slick]

The problem is that we have about 15 different things we need to do and standardizing and improving uniforms is rather low ranked on that list.

Here's what I purpose you do Slick. On the first page there's a list of what the standard equipment is for our soldiers. Create design proposals that improve or provide 4 areas at a time.

mildmannered I have been doing just that I've been writing up a document like that while enlisting my little brother (He's two years younger than me and we usually ping ideas off of each other) but its been rather slow going. He has also been thinking of getting his own account.

Edit:
Actually I want to know peoples opinions on-if choose to do so-what drab color to use on a standard uniform?

[somemildmanneredidiot]

That sounds great, and I'm glad that you're able to include your brother in the project. Improvements can be as simple as designing combat boots that are preshaped, steel toed, and are better able to handle weather and moisture. You don't necessarily need to know how a design improves something depending on what it is, though that tends to help, as long as that the problem is addressed. Something that might help is typing out the thing you're looking at and adding 1910s to it, like "insulated military blankets 1910s wiki" and you might get something usable for the design. Or as my google attempt with that shows, you might not.

[Aseaheru]

Something like 4-5 months. Breeches also works apparently.

Mind if I get confirmation on the below question?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sorry for the double post but I wanted to confirm something.

In Pi's production plan, we have 4 Swordfish Type Bs listed as being produced, 1.3 per docking slip which would lead to 3.9 Type Bs which Pi rounded up to 4. In the battle report, 3 ships were listed as destroyed, 2/3rds of the Type Bs and one original model, which suggests that we produced 3 Type Bs, not 4.

Is it correct to conclude that any fractions left from ship production do not add together for additional production?

In this case, because I think I missed all that while writing, Im gonna say that one was finished before word came to switch to single 75mm guns.

[somemildmanneredidiot]

Alright so if we have 4-5 engineers assigned to the project of upgrading the turret of the 75mm cannon on the Type B (as well as possibly mounting our new radios) and have part of project be applying those fixes to all 5 current Swordfish, we should be able to manage to have changes go into effect this upcoming battle report rather than designing the fix and then implementing it next design/production phase. We'll be relying on not getting a botch and that any errors or bugs aren't significant enough to screw over the ship, but it sounds like it's worth the risk to me.

Using engineers to attempt to immediately implement a design is unprecedented to my knowledge and possibly not game legal. I am attempting to weasel out an advantage by throwing more engineers than likely needed at the design, so I'm fully expecting this to get shot down. The reason for my weaseling is because at the moment, we have 1 Type B and 4 regulars. The battle report suggests that we can trade ships at about 2 Type Bs per 1 Z-Class reliably. If they're churning out 2 a turn, if we can't shove out the fix this turn, we'll most likely remodel the 4 regulars into Type Bs and produce 3 more Type Bs. The next naval engagement is then going to be 8 Type Bs against 3 Z-Classes, presuming they didn't make any new drydocks last turn. A best case scenario with the loss of regular Swordfish providing distraction is something like 2 Type Bs remaining and all other ships being lost. We come out ahead,  but we'll have lost most of our fleet and capacity to intercept any trade or diplomatic ships they might send. So it's a pyrrhic victory at best. With the additional drydocks listed in my currently suggested plan, we'll be able to recover from that fairly decently with 7-8 Type Bs with the new turret coming out the turn after that, but we're still probably going to be hammered this upcoming battle report.

[somemildmanneredidiot]

Do we handle ship repairs? If so, how does that work and how much dock time does that use up?

Spoiler: Future turn ideas (click to show/hide)

1,200 ton drydock: Probably achievable with 12 engineers. If larger ship ideas don't work out, we can make about 5.2 Swordfish instead and while we work out bugs.

At roughly 4 times the tonnage, the USS Aaron Ward is able to operate 5 times as many artillery pieces and double the torpedo tubes (of a 3.5 times weight, with 6 times the torpedo tubes used in broadside being the norm for the class) as the Swordfish while using about the same propulsion design to go at about the same speed.

The SC-1 runs at about 80 tonnage while having a 76.2mm cannon and being able to deploy depth charges. It only goes about 18 knots, but it provides a nice bang for our buck.

The HNLMS O7 submarine is about 200 tons. It's about the best submarine I could find under 300 tons that was made in the 1910s.

We really need to make a specific ship propulsion design so we have an idea of what we're capable of. The three routes I see are either slapping a bunch of our engines onto each screw and calling it a day, progressing the steam turbine in some fashion, or creating gas turbines (investigation says that patents started coming out for designs as early as 1899, with the kinks due to not understanding aerodynamics being worked out around the 1920s and published).

[3_14159]

Alright so if we have 4-5 engineers assigned to the project of upgrading the turret of the 75mm cannon on the Type B (as well as possibly mounting our new radios) and have part of project be applying those fixes to all 5 current Swordfish, we should be able to manage to have changes go into effect this upcoming battle report rather than designing the fix and then implementing it next design/production phase. We'll be relying on not getting a botch and that any errors or bugs aren't significant enough to screw over the ship, but it sounds like it's worth the risk to me.

This does seem possible. Hopefully, the fix is as simple as exchanging some motors. For example with one that's small, light and cheap like the Pattern 807 Engine.

Do we handle ship repairs? If so, how does that work and how much dock time does that use up?

I don't think so.

1,200 ton drydock: Probably achievable with 12 engineers. If larger ship ideas don't work out, we can make about 5.2 Swordfish instead and while we work out bugs.

That's why I had, originally, proposed to decouple maximum tonnage and production tonnage - after a certain point, it does become silly.

At roughly 4 times the tonnage, the USS Aaron Ward is able to operate 5 times as many artillery pieces and double the torpedo tubes (of a 3.5 times weight, with 6 times the torpedo tubes used in broadside being the norm for the class) as the Swordfish while using about the same propulsion design to go at about the same speed.

Going bigger is one way of going forward, yes. This makes them less vulnerable to enemy gunfire, but increases vulnerability against torpedoes, which currently seem to be the main enemy attack method. I definitely agree we should design a bigger ship, but I'd rather design a better secondary armament (40mm quickfire gun) first.

The SC-1 runs at about 80 tonnage while having a 76.2mm cannon and being able to deploy depth charges. It only goes about 18 knots, but it provides a nice bang for our buck.

18 knots speed means it'll be hugely vulnerable against the enemy ships. On the other hand, against submarines, it should be very nice.

The HNLMS O7 submarine is about 200 tons. It's about the best submarine I could find under 300 tons that was made in the 1910s.

Speaking of submarines, I don't think they're necessarily worth it right now. They're mostly useful against merchant shipping (which none of us seem to rely on). On the other hand, it would serve to distract their efforts further - even a few submarines should be able to induce a panic. And, sadly, cause them to develop similar ideas, assuming they haven't, already.

We really need to make a specific ship propulsion design so we have an idea of what we're capable of. The three routes I see are either slapping a bunch of our engines onto each screw and calling it a day, progressing the steam turbine in some fashion, or creating gas turbines (investigation says that patents started coming out for designs as early as 1899, with the kinks due to not understanding aerodynamics being worked out around the 1920s and published).

The first might work for small ships or larger engines - I'd like to design a torpedo boat using the Pattern 807 engine.

Anyways, thoughts on what we might do this turn:
- Swordfish upgrade: Radio, faster turrets and mounting the 40mm if designed.
- A small torpedo boat, possibly with exchangeable torpedoes/gun mount. Use our engine.
- 40mm quick-fire gun: Should work, at the moment, as AT gun, field gun, secondary warship armament and AA gun. To replace our 37mm one.
- More production
- A small tank
- An air field for designing the first planes next turn.

[Funk]

+1 to the tank, but lets try a case mate mounted gun, save on the need for a turret
how much do our old 37mm weigh?

[Aseaheru]

As a note, you guys are the ones with torpedos on your ships.

[somemildmanneredidiot]

I may have overreacted to their naval capabilites in my earlier post. Their deployment of ships means one of three things; That they've decided to make a major push on the naval front; That their government has told them to rush out any ship because what the heck, why are we letting them wreck our ports?; That they're attempting a feint and are hoping to catch us doubling down seawards while they push forward landwise.

In all cases, the solution sea wise is to upgrade our turrets so they can properly mount heavier weaponry. They also have a minimum of 1600 t of production, so creating a few more drydocks or slips wouldn't be a bad idea.

In any decision they make, we should push hard land wise. Beginning work on the tank and getting the 40mm autocannon running will definitely help there, as will be creating more production facilities.

I purpose we design and construct the following:
Swordfish upgrades (turrets, radio, and upgrading the 793 Revolving Cannon mounts for our upcoming 40mm cannons)

40mm autocannon

40mm munitions (HE and AP)

Tank (the case mate sounds like it'll make it simplier to design and put less weight on the tank, we can put the 40mm on it as well)

2 x 300 t drydocks/slips (we do need to step up ship production to keep up with their Z-Classes, and if they increase their ship production this turn and later ones, doing this will prevent us from being overwhelmed as much next turn)

Munitions Testing Facility (I'd rather it only take 1 turn to get basic munitions we like rather than 2. Plus it'll help us get FAE, incendiary, and cluster munitions easier.)

Airfield/Aerodynamics Testing Facility  (the latter will possibly help better with designing planes. With it, we can create an airfield and better design a plane next turn.)

Factories (Any engineers left over if any can help keep us competitive production wise.)

All of this presuming that any designs we made last turn are not cripplingly flawed.

Also an idea that would be better done sooner than later: A recruitment program. Instead of joining the infantry, how about you join the design engineering corps? We'll train you in skills that will be useful for the rest of your life, you'll have a safe, government assured job, and you're skills will be in high demand for reconstructing ex-Monarchy territories after we win the war.

@Torpedos: That is unusual and might be resolved by next turn?

[milo christiansen]

I think we should do the minimum to get the swordfish turret upgrades working, and otherwise mostly ignore ships. Land is what will win us the game, not sea.

Sea is mostly our way to distract our opponents with the irevelent... If we do waste more time designing ships something even smaller than the swordfish designed for fast hit and run (torpedoes, but not much in the way of guns) would probably be our best bet.

A fast firing 40mm on the other hand will work well for AAA, navel, and light AT, so we should definitely do that at some point. As for mounting the 40mm on any tank we design goes, it sounds like a great idea for a light tank destroyer, but for "tanks" right now we really need trench clearers more than AT vehicles. Anyone considered AT rockets? The may be a better way to deal with any tanks out opponent fields, particularly if we have them in the field first...

AP shells for the Ratio would also be a good buy, as they will be useful both for AS (once we fix the swordfish turret) and AT (once the enemy fields armor).

[Funk]

+1 to the recruitment program.
Remember that we will need to train tank crews and all sorts of skilled technology operators. 

[somemildmanneredidiot]

Pi has a better idea of tanks than I do, so I'll defer specifics to him. I'm in favor of starting off with a light tank as that will be simpler, cheaper, and more flexible. Once we have that, we'll have an udea if what areas we'll need to juggle to sort out a heavier tank.

We already have AP shells, specifically ones that our navy looked at and liked a fair amount. This was obtained when we revised our 75mm munitions.

@Tank Crews: Not our problem actually, once we get it out, all we have to do is make sure the military guys know how to work it and they'll train them their selves.

[3_14159]

+1 to the tank, but lets try a case mate mounted gun, save on the need for a turret
how much do our old 37mm weigh?

Hm. I'm thinking a casemate won't be necessary when mounting a new 40mm gun. For reference, my perfect design would basically be the Renault FT: A light tank mounting a machine gun/40mm gun in a rotating turret, with a target weight of less than ten tons mounting a single one of our Pattern 807 engine. The goal of the 40mm gun isn't to fight against tanks (though that'll be useful) but to fire high-explosive rounds at infantry.
Lastly, I don't know the weight of our 37mm cannon, but it's a six-barrel clip-fed black-powder weapon, so I guess it's a) heavy, and b) doesn't perform very well.

I think we should do the minimum to get the swordfish turret upgrades working, and otherwise mostly ignore ships. Land is what will win us the game, not sea.

I'd also add radio, and if possible the 40mm gun. It should be a significant increase in capability.

Sea is mostly our way to distract our opponents with the irevelent... If we do waste more time designing ships something even smaller than the swordfish designed for fast hit and run (torpedoes, but not much in the way of guns) would probably be our best bet.

That is a good point, true. But the resource system might mean we'd need to build a bit more naval stuff. Let's see.

As for mounting the 40mm on any tank we design goes, it sounds like a great idea for a light tank destroyer, but for "tanks" right now we really need trench clearers more than AT vehicles.

For which the 40mm cannon will deliver HE performance.

Anyone considered AT rockets? The may be a better way to deal with any tanks out opponent fields, particularly if we have them in the field first...

Keep in mind that that'll require a shaped charge, which - in the real world - was only demonstrated in 1932.

AP shells for the Ratio would also be a good buy, as they will be useful both for AS (once we fix the swordfish turret) and AT (once the enemy fields armor).

We already have 75mm AP shells. They're probably pretty useful against tanks, but (since they seem to be missing some filler) not as useful against armoured ships.

Pi has a better idea of tanks than I do, so I'll defer specifics to him.

I strongly object to that remark :-P

I'm in favor of starting off with a light tank as that will be simpler, cheaper, and more flexible. Once we have that, we'll have an udea if what areas we'll need to juggle to sort out a heavier tank.

Agreed. Think Renault FT, not the British Mark V.

All that talking about tank crew does remind me of another thing I'd like to construct at some point if possible: A series of military training areas (for the common soldier) and an officer academy. Use the field-experienced people to teach their comrades. I don't know whether it'll have an in-game effect, though.

[milo christiansen]

Radio (for artillery call-for-fire and the swordfish) is one of the things we designed this turn right? It's been so long I forgot what all we were working on...

And how could I forget about already having AP shells?

[Amperzand]

All this talk of 40mm autocannon made me think of this thing. Probably not the most practical thing, but interesting all the same, and a good combination of light weight with rapid firing.