[majorfailure]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

I agree. Most plane to ship violence during WW2 wasn't against carriers or battleships. Instead, they were anti-shipping strikes or opportunistic attacks against the smaller ships and boats that made up the bulk of each country's navy.

Not only that, in nearly any task force there were destroyers/cruisers for ASW and FlaK support. And convoy escorts were destroyers or even smaller slower vehicles. For lesser targets as marine artillery support, it was destroyer and cruiser fire used (Japanese shellings of Henderson field e. g.).
Any new cruiser/destroyer could be used in more than a few scenarios, while battlships are always limited in that aspect.
And then there is the aspect of beauty, and you can say anything but some of these Japanese WW2 cruisers just look graceful, elegant, yet powerful and menacing.

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

I'd love to see a lot more ships of 5,000 tons or less, as well as lots of little ships and boats, such as patrol boats, trawlers and junks, which could be destroyed using MG or 20mm cannon fire.

For those a ability to reskin them would at least allow for some different look.

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

I don't mind the relative lack of merchant ship types, although perhaps the Japanese freighter model could be scaled down to make a new coastal freighter type.

I just don't like that every bigger merchant vessel of every nation looks entirely the same.

Vs. AI Rookies, they seem okay to me when considering shooting abilities, they shoot at far too great distances and usually miss. Maneuvering wise, hmm could be a little less skilled, but okay for me -at least they stall and crash sometimes. My impression is, that their SA is still too good, and that rookies should lack most in that department - and should more frequently not see the enemy sneaking up on them, especially when targeting one bandit themselves. I mean, thats what happens to any novice of this game, isn't it?