ng to use the super explosive “Lyddite” to devastate your enemy with powerful HE shells, but its very unstable nature can cause uncontrollable fires or even a detonation, if your own ships do not sufficiently protect the magazines.
Torpedo Diameter: Researching torpedo technology, will allow you to choose heavier torpedoes which cause increased damage. The trade-off is not only the bigger increased weight and cost of torpedo launchers but also greater detonation risk.
Torpedo Propulsion: As technology improves the general torpedo characteristics, three choices can further customize torpedo propulsion: “Standard” (The default choice), “Fast” and “Electric”. “Fast” increases torpedo speed but reduces torpedo range, stealth and accuracy, while “Electric” increases stealthiness and accuracy, but reduces range and speed.
The armor is the most essential protection for capital ships, not only because they are large and extremely valuable targets but because they carry huge amount of explosive ammunition that may detonate. As gun technology evolves, armor protection must follow or else your ships will become very vulnerable to shell fire. The first thing that must be decided is the chosen armor quality.
Early technology provides access to simple Iron Plate Armor which covers less ship surface in thicker layers or the first type of Compound Armor, which is much more durable and more expensive. As technology progresses, Nickel-Steel, Harvey and Krupp armor qualities become available, which progressively enhance the armor strength per weight, but at greatly increased expense.
You can choose how this armor is distributed on your ship in various areas including: Belt, Belt Extended, Deck, Deck Extended, Conning Tower, Turrets, Turret Tops, Secondaries etc.
Armor will significantly increase your ship’s weight and cost, so the slightest increase in these areas will have noticeable effects on the tonnage available for other purposes, including armament and propulsion.
One of the designer’s top priorities is to sufficiently protect the underwater sections of the ship. If they these are penetrated by torpedo or shell the damage may easily spread to engine, rudder or ammo storage, leading to extremely severe consequences. The main design choices for this type of protection are the following:
Bulkheads: These steel walls divide the hull’s interior in multiple rooms. The number of bulkheads directly affects the ship’s survivability. When the hull is subdivided in many sections, flooding or fire damage is more easily controlled, and the ship’s citadel is far more protected against shells that penetrate the hull.
Bulkhead thickness: Bulkheads are reinforced with armor and watertight doors, enhancing their offered protection.
Barbette thickness: Turreted guns of caliber above 5-inch have an internal ammo feeding system supported by a barbette. The barbette needs sufficient protection because if it is penetrated then the stored ammunition may explode.
Torpedo Protection: No Battleship should lack this type of protection, at least at a minimum level, because otherwise a single torpedo hit may cause it to sink. Torpedo protection increases the weight and build time of a ship, in exchange for reduced damages and flooding effects from torpedo or mine hits.
Hull Bottom: Adding a second or third inner hull at the bottom of the ship forms a redundant barrier to seawater in case the outer hull is breached, reducing significantly the damage impact of torpedoes and mines. However, this construction process also costs weight and build time.
Citadel protection: The citadel encloses the machinery and magazine spaces. Engine damage and ammo detonation become less likely when the division of the hull by bulkheads is dense and well armored but additional protection schemes are needed to increase survivability. The early options on this category include simple “Protected Deck” schemes while later you can choose between more advanced and expensive “Turtleback” or “All or Nothing” armor schemes.
Anti-Flooding System: A useful protection scheme, that trades additio