[2023] 1/24/23 - New Player Captain’s Log: Driving a Hybrid

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!

Focus Points of the Week
Here’s a list of the focus points for this week:
1. Try out the new US Hybrid Battleships

Nebraska
12.0 has officially dropped, and with it comes early access to the new US Hybrid Battleships (at least eventually). For what I hope are obvious reasons, I decided to try the Nebraska first, as it is the lowest tier out of the released ships and I am still getting my sealegs, as it were. My first instinct was that it is my favorite looking out of the three hybrids. I quite enjoyed my time with the North Carolina when I was grinding the US BB line, so my first battles in the Nebraska were decently enjoyable. Unsurprisingly, it felt like the same guns as the NC with the ability to use a plane to my advantage. As a whole, I am not sure how I feel about hybrids as it relates to my play style. It is really nice to be able to spot for yourself at a distance, and the utility of the plane is fun to have. But even at my stage of play, the tradeoff of using your plane instead of your guns doesn’t seem worth it a lot of times, as your guns have more potential damage. I definitely get enjoyment out of playing them, but I am unsure as to if they will be a “go-to” ship at the given tier.

Question: What is the best possible utility for Hybrids in a Randoms environment?

Delaware
Having had some fun and intrigue while messing around with the Nebraska, I felt like trying my luck and giving the Delaware a go. Firstly, I still feel as though my skill level doesn’t really translate to Tier IX, since I can be matched more easily with Tier Xs and Superships, and thus I feel outmatched in every sense. I felt as though since I enjoyed my time with the Iowa, there was a good chance that I would also enjoy my time with the Delaware. I have to say, I think I prefer the Nebraska. Delaware has a rear turret, which is somewhat useful when you’re kiting away, but using it in a normal scenario required me to show too much broadside and thus I found myself rarely utilizing it. Other than that fact (plus the fact that I think the Nebraska just looks a bit cooler), the same considerations came up for the Delaware. When is it worth it to use my plane over my guns? What is the overall utility of hybrids? These will be things I consider as I continue to learn and move forward.

Question: How do you feel these new US Hybrids compare to already released hybrids (Kearsarge, Ise, Tone, 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 THE FINAL iteration of the New Player Captain's Log! Fair winds and following seas!

Great point on the retreating/hiding ships!
Regarding time utilization and multi-tasking, what about if the target is far enough away that you could theoretically get another salvo off in the time that it takes the planes to strike? For example, I shoot with my guns and then launch the planes immediately. Because there is some range to the enemy ship, there are times where I could have instead waited for my guns to reload and get a second salvo off in the time that my airstrike took. That being said, as long as they stay in range I could theoretically shoot, airstrike then immediately shoot again but what about when it doesn't work that way?