Board Thread:Game Updates/@comment-25730832-20180426002331/@comment-1017333-20180427174345

FogRepairShipAkashi wrote: Sebsmith wrote: Sammy B. is called a Destroyer in game because DE are a type of Destroyer – that's what the D stands for – just like APD, which we already have in game categorized as Destroyers. She's not classified with the Kaibouken because she's not one.

Everything else arises entirely on our side. You are correct and incorrect; Yes tecnically Destroyer Escourt (DEs) were just a subclass of Destroyers (DDs) but in practice they are very diffrent, mainly due to their roles. A DD scouts and escourst a battlefleet and can fight enemy surface ships usually enemy destroyers. A DE escorts a convoy of merchantmen or a submarine hunter killer group, they are meant to sink enemy submarines not engage in surface combat.

This is in part why the battle of Samar is so incrediblebecause Taffey 3 was a sub hunter group, heck when the Kurita Fleet was sighted most of the bombers actually dropped depth charges on the ships instead of bombs because that was what was loaded. A DE is meant to sink subs not surface ships. This is also reflected in game as DEs only need 60 ASW to do an OASW attack not 100 like most othre ships in-game.

Now I'm not saying you are incarrect, you are correct that DEs are just a sub-class of DDs, but in terms of practical use both in real life and in game they are ver diffrent. The fact Sammy B. has traits of both a DD and a DE makes myself think that the creaters know she is a DE but wwanted to give players something diffrent for the 5th aniversary so they used the fact she was misidentified as a DD to give us soething unique.

Again not completely disagreeing with you just my own thoughts on the subject. First, if we want to get really technical, DD are Fleet Destroyers and non-Fleet Destroyers shouldn't be within the classification. This means that ASW Destroyers, such as Asashio Kai Ni D and other yet to be released Type D Destroyers like the Matsu class wouldn't be DD. This means the aforementioned APD wouldn't be DD. This may even mean Type C ASuW and Type B AA Destroyers should receive a different classification.

Using the Fleet Destroyers classification (DD) to refer to all Destroyers was a decision reached by western players. This means a bunch of unlike types – already including DD, DL, DE, and APD – are going to get grouped.

Kaibouken – the thing we're currently incorrectly calling DE – are closer to Ocean-going Subchasers (like the PCE class), large Gunboats like the Temptress class, or Cutters. This issue was foreseen and mentioned when that label was originally discussing, but not adequately addressed back then.

Second, Taffy 3 was a unit providing air support to the Central Philippines Attack Force. By the time the battle happened, any subs should have been cleared out, so the primary reason to keep ~400 planes around was giving air support to the ground invasion. This is especially true because late war performance of Japanese subs was atrocious.