​📰​ ST 0.10.1, ZF-2 and Z-31 (They really lost that turret 😱)

[S0und_Theif]

ST 0.10.1, ZF-2 and Z-31

Clarifications regarding the models of ZF-2 and Z-31, changes to ZF-2, and the characteristics of Z-31.

 

Reasons for choosing the current ZF-2 model

When creating models of premium ships we use the following approach:

• If a ship was historically built to completion, we make her in-game model correspond to the real ship according to its status on a specific date to the best of our ability, to the extent that the materials that we have allow us to. 
• In case a ship existed in reality only as a project, or her construction was incomplete, we can consider various options on how the project could be developed, taking into account all the nuances of the shipbuilding industry of the particular time period and country, and implement it in the game. When we make the decision to move away from historical blueprints, it's primarily influenced by game balance.

ZF-2 was one of the unfinished French Le Hardi-class destroyers—L'Opiniâtre—captured by Germany in 1940. The historical project for the ship's completion assumed a complete replacement of the armament with German samples, but these changes were not brought to life. In our game, the project of the ship is also based on the Le Hardi-class, but we implemented a possible variant of the development of these destroyers considering the historical features of shipbuilding at that time in Germany. 

⚠️To ensure that our design did not contradict the actual blueprints, we decided to rename the ship ZF-6 - the first name assigned to the captured L'Opiniâtre before it was renamed ZF-2.

 

Changes to the tier and the concept of ZF-6

• The ship is moved to Tier IX.
• The Hydroacoustic Search consumable is removed.
• The Smoke Generator, Engine Boost, and Defensive AA Fire consumables were added.
• Main battery reload time reduced from 6.5 to 5 s.
• Torpedo tubes parameters were changed:
  • Main battery (Torpedo, lol) reload time increased from 90 to 120 s.
  • Torpedo damage increased from 13,700 to 18,400
  • Torpedo speed increased from 64 to 75 knots
  • Torpedo detectability range increased from 1.3 to 1.8 km.

For the new concept, we decided to make the ship more versatile, having good concealment, AP shells with improved ricochet angles, the Engine Boost, Smoke Generator, and the Defensive AA Fire consumables. The Main Battery Reload Booster consumable will be useful for fighting enemy destroyers. As for more heavily armored targets, torpedoes with high speed and damage, but long reload and high detectability will be of use.

 

Why is Z-31 different from the existing prototype?

When creating the models of researchable ships, we can take several projects of the same type of ships into account. The resulting researchable ship is a collective image which may differ from any single historical prototype for balance reasons. She can have armament that doesn't exactly match that of the lead ship or any other ship of the historical class. As a rule, each researchable ship is named after the lead ship of its class, even though it differs from her historical counterpart. That's why, for example, researchable ships do not have side plates on the bow or stern with their names or historical identification numbers.  

Z-31 is the lead destroyer of the 1936 Mob class. When creating her model, apart from the original blueprints, the blueprints of other projects of same-type ships were also used. We changed the artillery layout so that Z-31 is in a consistent progression with regards to the artillery development within the branch of German destroyers. 

---

 

Link:

https://blog.worldofwarships.com/blog/115

[S0und_Theif]

 

German destroyer Z-31, tier VII

Hit points – 19,400. Plating - 16 mm.

Main Armament:
Main battery - 2x1 150 mm and 1x2 150 mm. Firing range - 11.5 km.
Maximum HE shell damage - 2,200. HE initial velocity - 835 m/s. Chance to cause fire - 12%.
Maximum AP shell damage - 3,700. AP initial velocity - 835 m/s.

Reload time - 7.5 s.
180 degree turn time - 22.5 s.
Maximum dispersion - 55 m. Sigma – 2.00.

Torpedo Armament:
Torpedo tubes - 2x4 533 mm. Range - 8.0 km.
Maximum damage - 13,700. Speed - 65 kt.

Reload time - 90 s.  
Launcher 180 degree turn time – 7.2 s.
Torpedo detectability - 1.3 km.

AA defense:
6x2 20.0 mm, 4x2 37.0 mm, 2x4 20.0 mm.
AA defense short-range: continuous damage per second - 109, hit probability - 95 %, action zone 0.1-2.0 km;
AA defense mid-range: continuous damage per second - 98, hit probability - 100 %, action zone 0.1-3.5 km;

Maneuverability:
Maximum speed - 36.0 kt.
Turning circle radius - 670 m.
Rudder shift time - 4.2 s.

Detectability:
Surface detectability - 7.2 km.
Air detectability - 3.5 km.
Detectability after firing main guns in smoke  - 3.1 km.

Available consumables:
Slot 1  - Damage Control Party
Slot 2 - Hydroacoustic Search (Duration time 100 s; Torpedo detection range 3.0 km; Ship detection range 4.0 km; Reload time 120 s; Charges 3)

All stats are listed without crew and upgrade modifiers but with the best available modules. The stats are subject to change during testing.

[Paladinum]

26 minutes ago, S0und_Theif said:

 

• If a ship was historically built to completion, we make her in-game model correspond to the real ship according to its status on a specific date to the best of our ability, to the extent that the materials that we have allow us to. 
• In case a ship existed in reality only as a project, or her construction was incomplete, we can consider various options on how the project could be developed, taking into account all the nuances of the shipbuilding industry of the particular time period and country, and implement it in the game. When we make the decision to move away from historical blueprints, it's primarily influenced by game balance.

Ah yes, excuses.

 

26 minutes ago, S0und_Theif said:

⚠️To ensure that our design did not contradict the actual blueprints, we decided to rename the ship ZF-6 - the first name assigned to the captured L'Opiniâtre before it was renamed ZF-2.

"Nice" dodge, WeeGee.

 

26 minutes ago, S0und_Theif said:

• The ship is moved to Tier IX.

Still a Dockyard ship.

 

26 minutes ago, S0und_Theif said:

When creating the models of researchable ships, we can take several projects of the same type of ships into account. The resulting researchable ship is a collective image which may differ from any single historical prototype for balance reasons. She can have armament that doesn't exactly match that of the lead ship or any other ship of the historical class. As a rule, each researchable ship is named after the lead ship of its class, even though it differs from her historical counterpart. That's why, for example, researchable ships do not have side plates on the bow or stern with their names or historical identification numbers.  

Well, this is known to some people, for a long time.

[Paladinum]

15 minutes ago, S0und_Theif said:

Reload time - 7.5 s.

Scuttle me.

[Paladinum]

2 hours ago, S0und_Theif said:

 

Changes to the tier and the concept of ZF-6

• The ship is moved to Tier IX.
• The Hydroacoustic Search consumable is removed.
• The Smoke Generator, Engine Boost, and Defensive AA Fire consumables were added.
• Main battery reload time reduced from 6.5 to 5 s.
• Torpedo tubes parameters were changed:
  • Main battery (Torpedo, lol) reload time increased from 90 to 120 s.
  • Torpedo damage increased from 13,700 to 18,400
  • Torpedo speed increased from 64 to 75 knots
  • Torpedo detectability range increased from 1.3 to 1.8 km.

In other words, WG turned this ship into a French DD carrying a German flag.

[Mechfori]

Oh well they just give me every reason to give up on these babies, thanks , WG , and no thanks.

[Moggytwo]

12 hours ago, Paladinum said:

In other words, WG turned this ship into a French DD carrying a German flag.

Well she's got smoke, so that's a pretty major difference.  It will really come down to her gun power, which is looking okay at the moment.  Overall it's looking like it could be a pretty decent gunboat, and tier 9 is a golden tier for DD's.

[S0und_Theif]

I'd wish Sonar and DFAA be an option on the same consumable slot.

[S4pp3R]

17 hours ago, Moggytwo said:

Well she's got smoke, so that's a pretty major difference.  It will really come down to her gun power, which is looking okay at the moment.  Overall it's looking like it could be a pretty decent gunboat, and tier 9 is a golden tier for DD's.

Am I the only one who dislikes almost all KM DDs thanks to their anemic HE and no improved pen angle AP to compensate?

I'd just rather play RN DDs...

So yeah, the new line and these changes 'meh'...

I can happily ignore it and take a break then (subject to RM BBs).

[S0und_Theif]

57 minutes ago, S4pp3R said:

Am I the only one who dislikes almost all KM DDs thanks to their anemic HE and no improved pen angle AP to compensate?

I'd just rather play RN DDs...

So yeah, the new line and these changes 'meh'...

I can happily ignore it and take a break then (subject to RM BBs).

Nope, you are not the only one.

Many players has voiced out these concerns before (HE and AP).

Especially the 150 mm guns.

[Paladinum]

5 hours ago, S4pp3R said:

Am I the only one who dislikes almost all KM DDs thanks to their anemic HE and no improved pen angle AP to compensate?

I'd use AP more on those ships if AP fuse time is as short as the RN CL's AP. DD's standard AP fuse timer is 0,010s, but RN CL's AP is like 0,005s - basically explode on impact.

To me (before the Swedish DDs), German DDs are torp spammers, not gunboats.

 

4 hours ago, S0und_Theif said:

Especially the 150 mm guns.

I have problem with their reload time, not their shell damage. Not even 5s...

[Moggytwo]

4 hours ago, S4pp3R said:

Am I the only one who dislikes almost all KM DDs thanks to their anemic HE and no improved pen angle AP to compensate?

I'd just rather play RN DDs...

So yeah, the new line and these changes 'meh'...

I can happily ignore it and take a break then (subject to RM BBs).

I quite like KM DD's.  For the HE, it's the pen that really makes the difference on them, and makes up for the low damage per shell and dpm.  A Z-52 or Z-46 gunboat build is extremely effective, and those two ships have very good ballistics.

As for the AP on the new line, there are a few issues to make it viable.  The low pen I think is probably okay, it's not too bad with the 150's, so I think they'll stick with that.  They absolutely need to improve the AP angles on any AP focused DD or cruiser, and they've done that, so that will help a great deal.  The main problem after this is the fuse threshold, which is 25mm for 150's.  That means they aren't fusing shells until 40° against tier 8-10 DD's and BB superstructures, and 50° against tier 6-7 DD's.  This basically makes the AP non-functional against destroyers, and that is simply untenable for an AP focused ship, since any DD that is fighting a new KM DD will only have a small fusing window they will need to avoid.  If they angle steeply away, or stay fairly broadside, they will neuter the incoming damage.  They need to give a much lower fuse threshold to be viable - the RN CL's for example should have a fuse threshold of 25mm using the standard calibre/6 rule, but WG changed this to 12mm for the reasons I outlined above.

Providing they change the fuse threshold (which I think is inevitable), this combined with the better AP angles should make the ships viable in terms of gun power.  The KM DD 150's do have a 0.025s fuse timer, which could be an issue (DD's generally have a 0.010s fuse timer), but I don't think the shells are fast enough to be a massive issue, you can play around this.  A shorter fuse timer may be an option for them though if they want to improve the shells a bit.  It's the fuse arming threshold that is absolutely the key problem though.

The main problem with the new KM DD's apart from the gun issues, are that they are huge, slow, and have worse maneuverability than many cruisers.  They don't have smoke, so they are going to need some changes to give them an opportunity to actually avoid damage, because right now the line is non-viable because of this issue.

The potential is there for this line, I like the concept, but if they are actually going to work, they'll need some serious changes during the balancing process.

[Paladinum]

There is one ship in the game that has -1⁰ aurobounce angle. A low tier Japanese prem, either Tachibana, Iwaki or Katori?

Give the new KM DDs those autobounce angle  Never will I load HE ever again.

I still expect an RoF buff, however minor, because 7,5s is even worse than the 150 on Z-23.

[dejiko_nyo]

If only wg showed as much effort into fixing the core game issues as they put into Fantasy Ships Never Built.