Firing solution?

[[EXDr] shader3]

So basically, I've found out that this game is unbelievably stupid and unfair when it comes to calculation the firing solution for your ships vs bots. AI will always score the first hit, and hit way more consistently, even on easy difficulty.

The last straw was, when a Cleveland and 2 DDs outgunned my 2x Takao and a Mogami, despite my broadsides vs their frontal guns salvos only. All 3 of my ships were targeting the Cleveland, with solutions reaching up to 80% (med-long range engagement). Such amount of focused firepower would and should absolutely obliterate it. And yet my ships would never score any good hit, the shells landed in front or behind it, while AI just sunk my task force one by one. I saved the game before this battle and tried to replay it many times now, always to the same effect- AI scores the first hit, my ships are unable to hit the enemy consistently enough to do any significant damage long range, and close range combat means my ships get shredded to pieces, while sometimes scoring a lucky hit and maybe, just maybe setting enemy on fire once or twice.

The only way that I've found, to counter enemy surface forces, was to purchase a CV at the beginning of the Battle of Guadalcanal, sacrifying lots of command points, and make them retreat with continuous torpedo strike spam. Otherwise, any surface battle is always lost.

Is there a mod or a setting that would fix this BS and make the engagements enjoyable and fair?

[greggh1961]

You will need someone who plays the IJN side to answer your query.
I have only played the USN side and yes - I would back my Cleveland CL & DDs to take on and sink/damage an IJN CA task force. The reason why is that the USN has superior radar and can score more hits than the IJN. When I do get around playing the IJN side, I will no doubt come across this problem.

[cswiger]

There's a reason why the Cleveland-class cruisers were built in such great numbers: they were better than any of the IJN light or heavy cruisers, and had 3 times the turret armor and almost twice the armor elsewhere compared to Takao or Mogami.

A Cleveland would be expected to win a straight-up naval gunfire duel against any IJN cruiser, aside from the Kongo battlecruisers. As IJN, you need to use better tactics and take advantage of their outstanding torps.

The AI tends to gain some advantage over human players because it maneuvers constantly and that affects your solutions; you can reduce the AI hitting your ships by also maneuvering more, meaning changing speed and direction more often than every minute.

[Stonewallis]

Even IJN Battleships (including my poor Yamato who thought she could beat up a few cruisers with Mogami) are having issues fighting USN surface ships... I realize the USN ships outclass IJN ships, plus the problem is the ships needed to go head to head with USN cruisers are very large targets relatively. With "solutions" of typically 60%-70% at long range for my ships in daylight, not sure what that means but the ships can't land a shot regardless. Meanwhile the larger IJN ships start to get hit (not sure if the AI is cheating but I'm not surprised anyone would think this playing as IJN, perhaps it is the effect of surface radar as none of your ships use it while even USN destroyers utilize it???).

Trying to close the range to where the ships will land shots on the enemy kinda works but it's too risky and always the damage taken hasn't been worth it. I have had luck by putting a fighter and bomber wing from a separate carrier force as a CAP for the battleship force. The bombers can usually nuke a cruiser right off the get go while the ships take long range pot shots and let you decide what to do (but then why not just use carriers). However I'm moving towards not really using battleships anymore except for convoy duty and blowing up bases, and using massed carriers with light escort for all the heavy lifting. Perhaps night battles would be a better idea for the IJN surface forces, as the guy above mentioned it'll let you get close enough with escorts to fling torpedoes which seem to be the most devastating ordnance in the game.