Larger guns matter less to this fleet plan than reliable engines, boilers, and more capable cruiser hulls. Those technologies are prerequisites for the fast capital ships the campaign seeks. Merchant production also receives investment because the game links commercial shipping to gross domestic product and future naval income. Fleet development here is an industrial and economic program as much as an armament program.
Notable Point · 35:40-38:53
Machinery and merchant shipping before bigger guns
The campaign prioritizes engines, boilers, cruiser hulls, and merchant growth over simply unlocking larger naval guns.