WCNAW v1.0+ Combat Mechanics Details

[Warship NWS]

Here at NWS we do not base the combat systems we design into our naval simulations on what "feels right". Every weapon, ship, armor scheme, shell type, damage system, and torpedo is researched in extensive detail. Even though WCNAW is designed to be easy to learn and start playing right away.. the mechanics are some of the most detailed ever developed for a PC naval simulation and future engine upgrades will only increase the level of authenticity and detail even further. At present the level of simulation detail included in WCNAW v1.0 is close to, or exceeds, our work that we developed previously for the Fighting Steel Project.

A list that includes most of the gunnery calculation examples are illustrated below,

Gunnery Combat Calculations:

* Illumination levels - Scaled system for night combat lighting.
* Smoke screens - Angle of obscurity (firing and/or target ship) and stack or chemical smoke adjustments.
* Target and/or firing ship turning - Severity of maneuver.
* Speed change rate - Target ship speed change rate in knots.
* Range change rate - Target ship, compared with firing ship, range change rate in yards.
* Target ship speed - Speed of target in knots.
* Target ship aspect - Bearing from target ship to firing ship.
* Firepower adjustments - Gunnery arcs, shell type, dispersion patterns, date of shell design, time on target, ROF, etc.
* Danger zone - Size and area of target ship.
* Fire controls - Quality of fire control systems.
* New target - Adjusted based on previous target ship proximity or completely new target ship.
* Straddled target - Target ship previously ranged, or bracketed, by shell impact pattern.
* Evading target and/or firing ship - Adjustments for evasive maneuvers.
* Radar fire controls - Radar fire control quality, if any. Also affects "blind fire".
* Target and/or firing ship "surprised".
* Weather, visibility, and sea state conditions
* Firing ship being fired upon - Varies based on firing ship size, shell sizes, and intensity.
* Multiple ships firing on same target - Varies based on intensity, shell size, and target ship size.
* Crew quality ratings.
* Ballistic calculations - Adjusted for range to target by specific gun type and design.
* Impact angle vs armor quality/level and location per target ship.
* Efficiency of the gun battery and size of firing ship.

Note: Fire control systems, and fire control radar where applicable, also modify the adjustments calculated for firing and target ship motion, target speed and range tracking, etc. All systems included with the fire controls are modelled as part of the quality ratings including V/H stabilizers, local control, RFs, RFCs, RPCs, DCTs, AFCs, efficiency considerations, etc.

More details will be posted with our updated WCNAW v1.0 online manual.

Thanks.

[Saffron]

Quick question:

When calculating how much ammo a ship expends in a particular salvo, is the aspect of the ships taken into account? For instance, a ship that can only fire its forward guns would theoretically use less ammo, even at Full ROF.

[Warship NWS]

Quick question:

When calculating how much ammo a ship expends in a particular salvo, is the aspect of the ships taken into account? For instance, a ship that can only fire its forward guns would theoretically use less ammo, even at Full ROF.

Valid question.. not as of yet, but it is something I could easily adjust for within the ammo reduction code as the firepower is already reduced by ~50% for firing through the fore and aft gunnery arcs. Added to my list.