When French hotel-style battleships might have worked

What if the French hotel-style battleships had proved better than their contemporaries, even Dreadnought?

They could excel in a small-craft threat environment, but the Royal Sovereigns would still offer better ocean-going seakeeping and squadron utility.

If Jeune Ecole attacks by small craft had proved more practical, the French ships' height and space for numerous secondary guns could have been useful advantages. Their closer British contemporaries were the Royal Sovereigns, whose stronger seakeeping allowed them to manoeuvre effectively in rough water. Dreadnought was designed for oceanic or large-sea operations, where small attacking craft faced their own difficulties with the weather. She also carried numerous 3-inch guns, and alternative arrangements included casemates or small shielded mounts. Better small-craft defence therefore gives the French designs a plausible advantage in particular conditions without settling the wider comparison.