- Yamato’s Turret Armor and Ammunition Detonations – Is This Really Intended?
I have only started researching the Yamato recently, and honestly, what I have experienced so far is absolutely ridiculous.
Three consecutive matches. Three ammunition detonations almost immediately after spawning. And that is only the beginning of the problem.
What makes this even more absurd is that shells from guns as small as 350 mm seem capable of penetrating the Yamato’s main gun turrets directly from the front. Battleships at lower Battle Ratings can still one-shot the Yamato, turning what should be one of the most heavily protected battleships in the game into an easy target.
And the most ridiculous incident happened recently: even an AI-controlled bot managed to penetrate the front of the Yamato’s main gun turret and detonate its ammunition.
Seriously? Isn’t the turret’s frontal armor supposed to be 660 mm thick?
I understand that armor thickness alone does not determine survivability, and that penetration mechanics, shell characteristics, impact angles, and internal damage models all play a role. However, when a battleship supposedly protected by such massive armor can repeatedly suffer direct frontal turret penetrations and catastrophic ammunition detonations, something feels seriously wrong.
The Yamato is starting to feel even more fragile than the Hyuga did during the early days of Naval Battles. At this point, it feels less like commanding a battleship and more like setting off fireworks on a beach.
What makes this even more frustrating is the comparison with other battleships. The Iowa may have its own armor weaknesses, but its survivability does not seem to be anywhere near this absurd in my experience. Meanwhile, the Yamato, a real battleship famous for its massive armor protection, can feel incredibly vulnerable in situations where it should at least have a reasonable chance of surviving.
This raises a serious question about the current balance of Naval Battles. Are historical armor schemes and vehicle characteristics being represented consistently, or are some ships being adjusted so aggressively for balance that their actual strengths become almost meaningless?
It is especially frustrating when some paper projects or ships that never entered service can end up feeling more effective than real battleships that were actually built and commissioned.
I am not asking for the Yamato to be invincible. No battleship should be immune to well-placed shots or catastrophic damage. However, there is a difference between having weaknesses and repeatedly having your ammunition detonated through what appears to be heavily protected frontal turret armor.
I would like to see the developers investigate the Yamato’s turret armor, shell penetration interactions, and ammunition detonation mechanics. If this behavior is intentional, then I would appreciate an explanation of how these mechanics are supposed to work.
- The New Naval Firing Mechanics Make the Experience Even Worse
Another thing I want to bring up is the new firing mechanics. I recently came back to War Thunder, and honestly, this change has made me enjoy Naval Battles even less than before.
When this system was first introduced, I could barely figure out how to aim properly. My shells seemed to fly all over the place, and I genuinely had no idea what I was doing wrong. Although I have gradually gotten used to the new system, I still find it frustrating and far less flexible than the old experience.
Instead of giving players more freedom to calculate their shots and adjust their aim based on the situation, the current system feels like it is pushing everyone toward a more restrictive, supposedly safer way of shooting.
The most frustrating part is how poorly the auto-aim system works against maneuvering destroyers and light cruisers. These ships can change direction and speed quickly, yet the firing system does not feel flexible enough to let players properly account for their movements and make precise adjustments. Trying to engage these agile targets often becomes an exercise in frustration rather than a rewarding test of aiming skill.
I understand that naval gunnery is supposed to involve range estimation, shell travel time, and target movement. That is exactly why I want a system that gives players meaningful control over those calculations instead of making the process feel unnecessarily restrictive.
Even after getting used to the new mechanics, I cannot say that they have made Naval Battles more enjoyable for me. Quite the opposite: they have made aiming feel less intuitive, less responsive, and less satisfying.
Combined with the survivability issues I have experienced with the Yamato, these changes make Naval Battles feel increasingly frustrating rather than rewarding.
I would really like to see the developers reconsider the current firing system, especially how it handles fast-moving targets, and give players more control over aiming instead of forcing them to rely so heavily on a system that does not always perform well in actual combat.
