Detection

Revision as of 18:09, 13 September 2017

A ship or aircraft is spotted when another enemy ship or aircraft gets close enough to detect it, and if necessary for the type of detection, has line of sight (LoS).

Detection range

The most important value is detection range, which is divided into two categories:

• Surface Detectability Range: This is the range at which a ship will be detected by an enemy ship. A Line of Sight (LoS) is required between the spotting ship and the ship being spotted. A ship will not be spotted if there are no enemy ships within this range.
• Air Detectability Range: This is the range at which a ship will be detected by an enemy aircraft. This is usually shorter than the surface detectablity range. Unlike surface detection, catapult launched aircraft can spot enemy ships within 4 km of itself regardless of LoS, beyond that range they need LoS to the ship. Carrier based aircraft are not restricted by LoS at all when detecting enemy ships.

All aircraft have a surface detectability range of 8 km and an air detectability range of 7 km.

Launching torpedoes will not increase a ship's detectability range. Sailing slowly or stopping completely will not reduce a ship's detectability.

Firing main guns

Firing main guns will increase surface detectability ("bloom") to the current maximum range of the main guns. Air detectability will also increase by a smaller amount depending on the ship (and it is possible in this situation for air detectability range to exceed surface detectability, e.g König). Detectability will reset after 20 seconds. However, if the ship remains undetected at the moment of the bloom it will reset immediately.

Firing AA guns

Firing AA guns will increase air detectability (but not surface detectability) by an amount depending on the ship. The detectability resets immediately when the AA guns stop firing. AA guns can be toggled with the P key.

Fires

A ship that is on fire will have 3 km added to their detectability range (2 km by air) for as long as it is on fire. The increase does not stack with multiple fires.

Upgrades, skills, camouflage

A ship's detectability range can be decreased by using certain upgrades, skills and camouflage. The bonuses from each of them can also stack together, so a Kagero (with base surface detectability range of 6.84 km) fully decked for concealment can have a surface detectability range of only 5.37 km.

View range

Note that only the allied battleship is rendered while the other two ships outside the player's view range are not rendered

Another value is view range, which also doubles as a ship's render/targeting range. It is indicated by the outer limit of the grey cone on the player's minimap in battle. Any ship outside of this range can not be detected by the player, while any allied ships and spotted enemy ships outside of it will not be drawn on the player's screen but will be displayed on the player's minimap as outlined icons. In general, the taller the ship the higher its view range will be. Therefore battleships tend to have very long view ranges (in excess of over 20 km), while destroyers usually have shorter view ranges than other ship classes.

Aircraft carriers have unlimited view range, while aircraft (both catapult launched and carrier based) have a view range of 11 km. In most cases, view range has little impact on ship to ship detection, because it is usually far higher than the detectability range of the ships being spotted. The only time view range has any appreciable effect on ship to ship detection is when the spotting ship has a lower view range than the target's detectability range, such as a destroyer attempting to spot certain battleships. In these cases, the target is spotted not at its detectability range but at the moment it enters the view range of the spotting ship.

Cyclones

Cyclones reduce view range for all ships on the map. At full effect the view range is limited to 8 km.

Example

In the diagram to the right, assuming all ships are enemies to one another, the destroyer (pink) can detect the cruiser (orange) as the cruiser is within the destroyer's view range (pink dashed line) and the distance between the two ships is smaller than than the cruiser's detectability range (orange line). However, the destroyer can not detect the battleship (blue) even though the distance between them is smaller than the battleship's detectability range (blue line) because the battleship is outside of the destroyer's view range (pink dashed line).

The cruiser on the other hand can detect the battleship, as it is within the cruiser's view range and the distance between them is smaller than the battleship's detectability range, however the cruiser can not detect the destroyer even though it is within the cruiser's view range because the distance between them is larger than the DD's detectability range.

The battleship can not detect either the destroyer or cruiser even though the battleship's view range encompasses both of them because their distance to the battleship is larger than their respective detectability range.

If the destroyer and the battleship are on the same team while the cruiser is on the opposing team, the destroyer will spot the cruiser for the battleship and it will appear as a solid icon on the battleship's minimap and be rendered in its main view. If the destroyer and the cruiser are on the same team while the battleship is on the opposing team, the cruiser will spot the battleship for the destroyer but it will only appear as an outline in the destroyer's minimap and not rendered in its main view.

Consumables

Smoke

Smoke works by blocking LoS. If a ship is inside a smoke screen or have a smoke screen between it and all possible spotters, it can remain undetected even when there are enemy spotters within its detectability range. For air detection, smoke is considered as being at the same height as flying aircraft, therefore a catapult launched aircraft needs to be close to or over the smoke screen in order to detect any ships hiding beyond it. However, an aircraft can not detect a ship that is inside the smoke screen itself even if the aircraft is flying directly over the ship.

Hydroacoustic Search

Hydroacoustic Search automatically detects ships and torpedoes at a fixed range when active, regardless of LoS.

Surveillance Radar

Surveillance Radar automatically detects ships at a fixed range when active. It does not detect torpedoes, but has a longer range than Hydroacoustic Search.

Proximity spotting

At 2 km ships will automatically detect each other regardless of LoS, making it possible for ships to be detected even if they are hiding inside a smoke screen or behind terrain. The ship upgrade Target Acquisition System Modification 1 will extend it permanently to 3 km.

Torpedoes

Torpedoes are detected at different ranges according to its type, the values are the same for both surface and air detection. The consumable Hydroacoustic Search can help detect torpedoes by providing a flat proximity spotting range that is higher than the range the torpedoes are normally detected for a limited duration. Once a torpedo has been spotted, it will remain spotted for the duration of its run.

Radio Position Finding

This commander skill displays a white marker indicating the approximate (22.5 degree sector) direction---but not distance---to the nearest enemy ship. That ship will be notified that their direction is being tracked.

Situational Awareness

Formerly a commander skill, Situational Awareness is now a standard feature of the game. When you are detected by an enemy there will be an icon informing you of the fact. It will also show the type of detection:

1. By Hydroacoustic Search or Surveillance Radar
2. Visual/proximity by sea
3. By air
4. Radio Position Finding

If you are detected by multiple means only the highest in the list will be displayed.