Main-deck protection consumes weight, while cutting operating range recovers roughly 2,000 tons for the rest of the design. Pitch must fall far enough for the ship to fire effectively while moving, so stability is an operational requirement rather than a cosmetic game statistic. Simply reducing speed does not solve every problem because changing one parameter can worsen other parts of the design. Heavy belt and deck protection therefore comes at the cost of range and demands further adjustments to machinery and weight distribution. Torpedo launchers become another controlled weight, showing how even secondary fittings alter the complete design.
Notable Point · 55:40-1:02:23
Trading range and speed for battleship stability and protection
Deck and belt protection compete with range, speed, pitch, and weight distribution as the oversized battleship is made capable of firing while under way.