Maneuvering

This article is a stub. A place to put interesting facts. Someone will write a real article here some day.

• What's the point of maneuvering?
• Does maneuvering affect gun accuracy?
• What are the dangers of maneuvering?
• Where did this island come from? Is it on the map?

See also Controls and Terminology.

QWASDE

These keys (case insensitive) are the ship's stick and rudder -- the keys to control speed and turning.

Throttle

There are six throttle settings. The initial setting is All Stop. The propellers stop turning. If the ship was moving when this setting is selected, it will coast to a stop.

Forward power is applied over four settings: 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and Full Throttle.

The last setting is Back Full. The screws turn in reverse, driving the ship to full reverse speed.

• W increases the throttle setting
• S decreases the throttle setting

A single tap to the key moves the throttle one setting.

Steering

A ship is steered by its rudder(s). Rudders are huge and when underway control enormous pressures. Rudder movement is not instantaneous and on larger ships can take a number of seconds to move, translating to slow steering response.

• A moves the rudder to the left, causing the ship to turn to port.
• D moves the rudder to the right, causing the ship to turn to starboard.

Depressing the key starts to move the rudder toward full deflection. Releasing the key allows the rudder to return Amidships.

The A and D keys are often held down or feathered to control a turn. But a major turn, e.g. 180°, can take 30 seconds or more. The Q and E keys function differently: they order the rudder between preset deflections at Full Left, 1/2 Left, Rudder Amidships, 1/2 Right, Full Right. This frees the left hand to move to other keys, then back to the steering keys to complete the turn.

• Q moves the rudder to the left, causing the ship to turn to port.
• E moves the rudder to the right, causing the ship to turn to starboard.

Depressing the key orders the rudder to be moved one preset in the desired direction. The rudder will not automatically return to Amidships when the key is released but must be changed by counter-order.

Ship Speeds

A ship's maximum forward speed is developed over time with the application of full power in a straight line.

• Full Throttle - maximum forward power
• 3/4 Throttle -
• 1/2 Throttle -
• 1/4 Throttle -

Speed in reverse

Maximum speed in reverse is a function of the ship's maximum forward speed.

[ Max Speed / 4 ] + 4.9 = Reverse Speed

Modifiers to Speed and Power

• Combat signal Sierra Mike
• Consumables Engine Boost  and Emergency Engine Power 
• Slot 4 Upgrade (Tiers VI and above): Propulsion Modification 1
• Slot 2 Special Upgrade Engine Boost Modification 1
• Unique Upgrades to several Tier X ships.

Stopping

A ship has no brakes. It either coasts down, allowing water resistance to dissipate speed, or applies opposite power. Turning will also slow a ship down more quickly than straight-line coasting.

In World of Warships, ships automatically apply reverse engine power in order to stop (or forward engine power if stopping from a reversed-speed), reducing the amount of time and space needed to come to a stop. If a ship's engines have taken critical damage, the amount of time needed for the ship to come to a stop greatly increases as it's unable to apply power to assist with cutting speed.

Is This Island On the Map?

The fastest way to decrease a ship's speed is to run into something immovable, notably terrain. In World of Warships, impact with terrain causes no damage to a ship. Likewise, the hull of a sinking ship can be used to slow or stop. (Canny drivers have been known to use them as torpedo shields.)

Running into a movable ship will also slow or stop a ship, but not without potential penalty. Colliding with a teammate causes no damage to either ship, but doing so repeatedly may produce penalties. See Teamkilling.

Running into an enemy ship will also bring a ship to a halt, but with severe consequences. See Ramming.

Turning

Rudder shift time

Higher level hull modules, e.g. a B hull, include an improvement in the ship's rudder shift time, even though that improvement may not be stated in port.

Modifiers to Rudder Shift

A module upgrade to a B or C Hull almost universally includes an improvement to rudder shift time.

On many higher tier ships, the performance of the rudder can be further improved.

• Upgrade Slot 4 (Tiers VI and above): Steering Gears Modification 1
• Upgrade Slot 5 (Tiers VIII and above): Steering Gears Modification 2

Turn rate / radius

The ship's turn radius listed in port describes the amount of room the ship needs to come about at 4/4 engine power, with the rudder hard over and after the ship has decelerated to a constant speed. The amount of space needed for a ship to complete a turn isn't fixed. It is determined by not only its nominal turn radius but also a ship's speed.

The position of a ship's rudder has a linear effect on ship's radius and rate of turn. With the rudder half over, the ship will need twice the amount of room and will come about at half the rate of turn.

Generally speaking, the faster a ship is moving, the faster the ship's rate of turn and the more room it will need to come about. Reducing a ship's speed will reduce its rate of turn, though the turning radius will only reduce until a speed around 16 to 20 knots. At speeds below this, the amount of room dramatically increases again. As an example, here are the sustained turning speeds, rate of turn and turning radius for Bayard (Tier VIII Premium French Cruiser) at different engine settings:

• 4/4 engine power: 27.2 knots at 5.7 º/s over 730 metres
• 3/4 engine power: 21.6 knots at 5.1 º/s over 650 metres
• 1/2 engine power: 15.7 knots at 3.6 º/s over 670 metres
• 1/4 engine power: 8.2 knots at 1.6 º/s over 810 metres
• Max + Engine Boost: 31.4 knots at 6 º/s over 800 metres
• Max + Engine Boost + Sierra Mike signal: 32.4 knots at 6.2 º/s over 810 metres

In practical terms, when you need to come about in the smallest area possible (such as avoiding crashing into an island), adjust your engine power to maintain a speed within the 15 to 20 knot value. Be aware that this will slow your rate of turn. If instead you want to change your heading as quickly as possible (such as to dodge incoming fire), increase your speed by any means at your disposal, though your ship will require more room to do so.

Speed in a Turn

Ships lose speed the moment the rudder is touched, decelerating until they reach a sustained turning speed. At 4/4 engine power, this value is predictable depending upon the ship type.

• Destroyers turn at about 84% of their max speed. A 32 knot destroyer is expected to maintain ~26.9 knots in a turn.
• Cruisers turn at about 80%. A 32 knot cruiser is expected to maintain ~25.6 knots in a turn.
• Submarines on the surface or at periscope depth turn at 80%. A 32 knot submarine is expected to maintain ~25.6 knots in a turn.
• Battleships turn at about 75%. A 32 knot battleship is expected to maintain ~24 knots in a turn.
• Aircraft carriers turn at about 67%. At 32 knot aircraft carrier is expected to maintain ~21.4 knots in a turn.

These values only apply at the unmodified 4/4 engine power setting. The addition of any speed boosting commander skill, signal or consumable will cause the numbers to deviate from this expected result.

The most notable exception to these values comes from ships with improved acceleration and energy retention; the most infamous of which are the British destroyers and light cruisers. Such ships maintain upwards of 98% of their maximum speed in a turn at 4/4 engine power settings. This can create the illusion of the ship accelerating through the turn, though this only occurs if the ship wasn't already moving at its 4/4 maximum speed at the time the rudder was touched.

Dodging

Sometimes known as "WASD hacks".

• Gunfire
• Torpedoes
• Air strikes

Ship:Anti-Aircraft_Fire#Maneuvering

Autopilot

All ships have access to the Autopilot. From the battle screen:

• M opens / closes tactical map (<esc> etc. also close it).

• Left-Click on a spot on the tactical map enables autopilot and sets the first waypoint.
• Shift + left-click on the map: adds a waypoint. There can be up to 5 waypoints.
• A waypoint can be dragged by the mouse cursor (hold LMB) to adjust the route.

• Use of the QWASDE keys on the battle map disables the autopilot

Maneuvering Aircraft Carriers

Aircraft carriers may be manually steered (with QWASDE), but only when not controlling aircraft. Manually set throttle and rudder (QWSE) remain set while operating aircraft without the ability to change them until the squadron lands. Thus the Autopilot is most commonly used to change location.

While under manual control, Sector Reinforcement and the manual selection of a secondaries target are enabled.

Maneuvering Aircraft

• W increases speed (engine will heat)
• S decreases speed (engine will heat)

Ship:Consumables#Engine_Boost_2 ...