[2022] 8/2/22 - New Player Captain’s Log: Scary Stealth

Greetings Captains,

Welcome to this week’s edition of the New Player Captain's Log! For those of you who aren't sure what this is or what it might do, feel free to check out the introductory post here.

With each topic I discuss, I also added a question at the end to see how y’all feel about things in comparison to how I feel. I just thought it would be an interesting way to get some discussion going!

Without further ado, let’s proceed with this week’s Log!

Accomplishments
Here’s a list of personal milestones that I hit during the week:

1. Participated in the 0.11.7 PTS
2. Familiarized myself with submarines a bit more
3. Took a few new ships out that I had no experience in
Focus Points of the Week
Here’s a list of the focus points for this week:

1. Experiment in the PTS to try out upcoming features
2. Continue to move out of my comfort zone with ships I struggle with

Similar to previous weeks, I am going to talk about the specific ships that I focused on during the week as opposed to the individual events or topics.

Black
Destroyers continue to be a class that (borderline) terrifies me, so it makes the most sense that this is the class of ship that I should focus on the most. That being said, I decided to take the Black into Co-op primarily to not only familiarize myself with the ship but so I can put common Destroyer practices into play for myself. I am a sucker for Radar (as someone who tries their best to stay alive) so I was happy to see that present. Initially I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Black has such long range on her torpedoes, but I immediately realized why: they are slower than molasses. This leads me to believe that her torpedoes are more for scaring enemy ships away as they are for actually dealing regular damage (though they seem to hit hard enough). Regardless, she seems like a really fun DD with a lot of utility, so I am looking forward to taking her out a bit more.

Question: What nation’s DDs are you most frequently taking into battle?

U-2501 (I think)
As mentioned above, I spent a lot of time in the PTS this week. As a result of the missions that were offered, I also took this opportunity to put in a little more focus on submarines, namely the U-2501 (full disclosure, I don’t remember if it was this ship exactly, but it was a German T10 sub so I feel decently confident, lol). Submarines are interesting to me, for sure. I tend to play them differently than how I assume other people play them, which is at a distance. I think the ping mechanic/homing torpedo process is fascinating and requires an intriguing skill check (not only hitting your pings, but managing your distance, your battery and your detection) that makes for dynamic gameplay. That being said, I am unsure if it is the class for me. I am not someone who typically has the patience to play stealth classes in any game I play (see my terror for DDs above) and the wide range of outcomes that I experience while playing a sub can be frustrating. Nonetheless, I am going to continue experimenting and seeing if I can make anything click.

Question: For those of you who play submarines, do you tend to play at range or up close and personal?

Scharnhorst B
After all of that experimentation, you know I had to go back to my roots for at least a few games. I very recently acquired the Scharnhorst and was eager to take her into battle, as I tend to like German BBs as a whole. Scharnhorst (at first glance) appears to be no exception! I really like how zippy she is (I get Repulse vibes from her, somewhat) and I am a big fan of her faster reloads. I do seem to do a bit less damage (which I am definitely attributing to the smaller guns and NOT my performance, of course) but I think the trade-off is more than worth it. I’m definitely not going to be focusing on other BBs with her though, as she seems to struggle in the penetration department. Also, BB torps! What’s not to love? Worth mentioning, I have the Scharnhorst B, which I really like purely for aesthetic reasons. That black perma visual is just SO pleasing!

Question: What is your favorite “B” variant of a ship (ie. Scharnhorst B, Tirpitz B, etc.)?

I think that about covers it this week! I want to remind everyone that the New Player Captain’s Log is also designed to be a place for new players to reply with their experiences or seek advice as well, so feel free to join in on the conversation below!

See you next week for some more New Player musings. Fair winds and following seas!

This is a great idea, and something I should do. To tell you the truth, I am afraid of playing close most of the time in any ship, as I don't want to make a mistake, die and then let my team down with lack of impact. I think what I need to learn though is that it's ok to make those mistakes and get punished for them, because that will be the best way for me to learn how to not make those same mistakes once again.

Genuine question: could you go into why Scharnhorst has a low skill ceiling? I understand the lack of powerful guns but was curious if there are other factors that make you feel this way so I can learn a bit more effectively.

I was discussing this with my NA (and EU colleagues, as we are in Prague for a visit), and they seemed to agree. IJN destroyers are popular for a reason!

The weeb influence knows no borders!