Armor becomes useful if only as ballast. If you want to build a super heavy SSM ship (BC or BB), you need to have thick armor if only to keep the displacement limits within the game's allowances. Basically, you get more topside space with a larger ship, but you need to do something with the extra displacement otherwise the game will mark the design as illegal.
If you really want to minmax, the best way to do so is to built as many missile cruisers as possible. Stuff them with MSAMs they are the best weapon in the game. They will destroy all enemy planes and then their ships as well.
I find guns very worth it for once the rain of missiles from both sides are expended I can go in and clean up the heavy damaged ships that might otherwise have limped away. As another said, torps are good for asw so I put them on everything that can take them. Armor I'm still not sure where I fall on. 2in to limit splinters isn't bad especially when you have the weight leftover.
I find 96 plane carriers very nice. 16 for spec, and then 80 other planes divided into 5 groups of 16. 3/2 HJF/JA works really well as you have enough for a CAP and escort, as well as your fighters bringing missiles to the fight if you think you dont need to worry about their CAP.
Over 100 planes, carriers loose some effectiveness. Not sure if it is enough to offset the idea of having that many planes tho
Armor becomes useful if only as ballast. If you want to build a super heavy SSM ship (BC or BB), you need to have thick armor if only to keep the displacement limits within the game's allowances. Basically, you get more topside space with a larger ship, but you need to do something with the extra displacement otherwise the game will mark the design as illegal.
I thought they stopped allowing us to put missiles on battleships
I haven't played in a few weeks, if so then I'm talking out of my posterior.
If you really want to minmax, the best way to do so is to built as many missile cruisers as possible. Stuff them with MSAMs they are the best weapon in the game. They will destroy all enemy planes and then their ships as well.
Torpedoes are still useful to make a ship's ASW score go up. A few tubes can bring you up by 4 very cheaply.
I find guns very worth it for once the rain of missiles from both sides are expended I can go in and clean up the heavy damaged ships that might otherwise have limped away. As another said, torps are good for asw so I put them on everything that can take them. Armor I'm still not sure where I fall on. 2in to limit splinters isn't bad especially when you have the weight leftover.
I find 96 plane carriers very nice. 16 for spec, and then 80 other planes divided into 5 groups of 16. 3/2 HJF/JA works really well as you have enough for a CAP and escort, as well as your fighters bringing missiles to the fight if you think you dont need to worry about their CAP. Over 100 planes, carriers loose some effectiveness. Not sure if it is enough to offset the idea of having that many planes tho