Ship Classes

The following ship classes exist in Rule the Waves 2, each with different rules and restrictions. Each ship will play an important part in fleet structure.

## Gun-Armed Ships:

Gun-armed ships are the core of all navies as of 1900, and remain in use until the end of the game.

### Pre-Dreadnought Battleship (B)

A pre-dreadnought battleship is a large, slow, and heavily armoured ship. It's the most powerful class afloat as of 1900. Pre-dreadnoughts are limited to two turrets (Fore and Aft) for the main battery, though most include a numerous secondary battery for additional firepower, and often a tertiary battery to deter destroyers.

A ship of this classification (B) with turreted secondaries that are 8" or larger (usually in 2-barrel turrets) is known as a "Semi-Dreadnought".

Technically, the game limits pre-dreadnoughts in the following ways before changing the classification to a dreadnought, despite still only having a fore and an aft main turret:

* Maximum of 22 knots when the belt armor is 12" or less
* Maximum of 20 knots when the belt armor is over 12"
* Maximum of seven main guns

### Dreadnought Battleship (BB)

A dreadnought is much like a pre-dreadnought, but with a larger main gun battery. Dreadnoughts have at least three main battery turrets, and sometimes more, giving them substantially more damage potential. Historically, the HMS Dreadnought, built in 1906, ushered in a new era of all-big-gun battleships, and in doing so, made pre-dreadnoughts nearly obsolete. Once invented, dreadnoughts remain the main fleet unit until the end of the game. Around the 1930s, dreadnoughts can be built as fast battleships (FBBs). The requirements for such a ship is simply being capable of attaining a speed of at least 27 knots, which gives them the hidden "Fast Battleship" modifier. This allows them to join battles with battlecruisers, thereby bringing a much heavier ship to a battle in which they would not have been found before.

### Battlecruiser (BC)

A battlecruiser is similar to a dreadnought battleship, but sacrifices armor and/or armament for speed. The exact dividing line between the two varies with technology level. Battlecruisers are generally used to engage faster enemies (especially cruisers), or to harass battleships and force them into less favourable positions.

### Heavy/Armoured Cruiser (CA)

Heavy cruisers fall somewhere between light cruisers and battlecruisers. The game frequently assigns them as screens for battleships, or as leaders of independent squadrons in less-important regions of the globe. The smallest can be designed specifically to hunt light cruisers. Larger ones can be designed to fight other CAs. They can be built fast to work with battlecruisers, or slower with more punch to support battleships, or fight on their own when no battleships are present.

Armored cruisers cannot have guns larger than 10" or more than 9.5" of armor, unless they fall under one of these clauses:

*Tsukuba*-type:

1. At most 6″ belt armor, at most 22 knots design speed, at most 7 main battery guns in two turrets.
2. At most 23 knots design speed, at most 3 main battery guns.
3. Only one main battery gun.

*Deutschland*-type:

1. At most 12,000 tons, at most 7.5" belt armor, at most 6 11" guns in two turrets.
2. At most 10,000 tons, at most 6.5" belt armor, at most 7 main battery guns in two turrets.
3. At most 10,000 tons, at most 3.5" belt armor, at most 8 main battery guns in two turrets.

There also exists what I'd refer to as a 'Coastal Battleship' which can carry a single 1 gun turret Battleship class gun , but also can only up to 9 inches of armor.

### Light/Protected Cruiser (CL)

Light cruisers are smaller ships, typically used for screening capital ships, though often also used for raiding, commerce protection, and colonial service. Unlike other ship classes, the CL category has different limitations depending on its armour scheme.

A protected cruiser design, with the "Protected Cruiser" armor scheme, is allowed up to 2 double centerline turrets, with no limits placed on the number of main battery wing turrets, as long as the guns are 6" or smaller. Alternatively, the primary battery can be composed of up to 2 twin turrets of guns up to 8", or a single gun of up to 13". In this case, any wing turrets would have to be secondaries, and forego the use of the fire control system. They have a maximum of 8000 tons of displacement when armed with guns larger than 6". The protected cruiser armor scheme is designed with coal bunkers in mind, so they are more vulnerable than other ships when using oil (or diesel). Therefore it is not advisable to build or convert protected cruisers to oil fired engines.

After obtaining the technology "Light cruiser armour configuration", players can build light cruisers using other armour schemes. Light cruisers are limited to 8000-12000 tons (depending on era), and may not have guns larger than 6". They have better protection when compared to protected cruisers of equal armour thickness, and they do not suffer the limitations to the number of centerline turrets or the increased vulnerability from the lack of coal bunkers.

Both varieties of light cruiser are limited to 3" of belt or deck armour, and must go at least 17 knots.

### Destroyer (DD)

Destroyers are light, fast ships often used for anti-submarine, escort, and torpedo duties. Destroyers are limited to 500 tons in 1900, but as technology improves they may eventually be as large as 2500 tons. Destroyers must mount torpedoes, must go at least 20 knots, and cannot have any armour except conning tower armour.

When a battle starts, destroyers with short range have a chance of not being able to participate due to the distance from a friendly port (it's not clear if the game actually looks at the distance or just rolls a die). The game will display a message stating that certain destroyer designs do not have sufficient range to participate. They are not replaced with other destroyers, if available. The forces available are simply reduced. Destroyers with short range and oil fired engines have a higher chance of being able to participate than destroyers with coal fired engines.

### Corvette (KE)

Corvettes are small, slow, light ships used for a variety of minor tasks (such as trade protection, mine-laying, mine-sweeping, and colonial service). Corvettes may not carry torpedoes or have a speed above 24 knots. Small corvettes (100-500 tons) are converted civilian ships, which are built in 3-4 months, but they may only be built in wartime and are returned to civilian use (i.e., scrapped) at the end of the war. Larger corvettes (600+ tons) are purpose-built military ships, which are preserved between wars. Corvettes are the lightest ships which are allowed to mount armour, and can have up to 2". They also can never use superimposed turrets.

### Armed Merchants (AMC)

An armed merchant is a civilian ship hastily converted to military use. AMCs typically take only 4 months to build, and are typically used for trade protection or raiding. AMCs are converted back to civilian use at the end of a war, which in game terms means that they are scrapped. AMCs are limited to a speed of 21 knots, may not have armour, and are limited to guns of 6" or less, in single turrets, that are not on the ship's centerline.

## Carriers:

Carriers are primarily used as bases for aircraft, though they may also mount guns. Many early carriers are converted gunships, though purpose-built carriers become more common as time goes on. Carriers typically become possible in the late 1910s to early 1920s (assuming default technology settings).

### Seaplane Carrier (AV)

A seaplane carrier is a light ship which uses floatplanes for scouting duty. It may not have a flight deck*.* Only small AVs limited to 5 aircraft and 5000 tons are possible until the "Improved seaplane carrier" tech is researched.

### Light Carrier (CVL)

A light carrier is a true carrier, capable of using all carrier-capable planes (i.e., fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers) except floatplane scouts. However, it is limited to 34 planes and 16,000 tons. If a CVL is below 20 knots, it must mount a catapult. If a light carrier is 10,000 tons or below, all planes are limited to a light payload, severely hampering strike strength.

### Carrier (CV)

A fleet carrier is used as a floating airbase, and frequently carries several squadrons of planes. To represent historical skepticism of carriers, the first purpose-built carrier a nation builds must mount at least 8 guns, which must be at least 8" caliber if the ship is 18,000 tons or more, and 6" otherwise. However, no turrets may be placed on the centreline of the ship. Carriers with more than 100 planes receive some penalties to aircraft operation, to reflect the issues with operating such large air groups. Carriers must be at least 24 knots, must use a flat deck armour scheme, and must carry at least 35 planes with a flight deck.

## Submarines:

Submarines are modeled in less detail than surface ships - they have fixed costs and cannot be customized in terms of configuration or size. Submarines primarily act as raiders in wartime, however they will occasionally damage or sink enemy ships.

### Coastal Submarine (SSC)

Coastal submarines only operate in your home areas. They cost 1600 to build, take 16 months, and cost 20 per turn in maintenance.

### Submarine (SS)

Submarines may operate anywhere in the world. They cost 3600 to build, take 18 months, and cost 40 per turn in maintenance.

### Mine-laying Submarine (SSM)

Mine-laying submarines are identical to regular submarines, except that they also lay mines, which can cause additional damage to enemy shipping. They cost 4000 to build, take 16 months, and cost 50 per turn in maintenance.