Massachusetts semi-confirmed

[Big_Spud]

So it seems like WG has actually confirmed that Massachusetts  (Alabamas older sister) will be entering the game at some point in the future. It seems a while off however, so its time for some speculation as to what her differences will be compared to Alabama.

 

First of all, we know that her AA battery is heavier in the Bofors department than Alabama, with 18 quad mounts to Bamas 12. In exchange she loses 19 Oerlikon barrels (although 4 of them are in a nifty quad mount and another two in twin mount) when compared to Alabama.

 

And to be honest, that's about the only gameplay related differences between the two. The only other major one that comes to mind is that Massachusetts kept her original SK radar set through the end of the war, while Alabama got the SK-2 (that cute rotating radar dish on her mast). Functionally they are otherwise the same ship. They have the same armor, the same speed, the same maneuverability and the same guns.

 

I wonder what, if anything, WG will change soft-stats wise to differentiate the two. My personal idea is sacrificing TDS value for more accurate main battery stats (signifying her excellent gunnery performance at Casablanca), but beyond that I have no ideas.

[MrDeaf]

It will have radar or DFAA or engine boost or smoke

Just you watch

[YamatoA150]

My Guesses:

- Stock-equivalent Mamie at T7.

 

- Mamie w/ reduced TDS but:

-- Slightly better accuracy

or

-- AADF

or

-- Radar

 

- Mamie as an ST Exclusive w/ Kraken Camo

[Cruiser_Chicago]

I don't really see the point having two very similar ships being sold in the premium store at the same time. Massachusetts could be like an Alabama that can be earned without spending money... Such as spending Free EXP to get her, or by making players grind through a month long mission to obtain an Alabama clone without the premium benefits like the Atago and ARP Takao. 

[DoomStomper]

 First of all, we know that her AA battery is heavier in the Bofors department than Alabama, with 18 quad mounts to Bamas 12. In exchange she loses 19 Oerlikon barrels (although 4 of them are in a nifty quad mount and another two in twin mount) when compared to Alabama.

 

The Mark 15 mount will be cool to see.  Sorta reminds me of an early CIWS.

 

[Pata1985]

I would like a 2nd branch of USN BB-s !

 

  Infact ... a 2nd Branch of everything in game (xcept CVs lol) I like to have options in gameplay, different styles, more stuff to play and grind!

[PelicanHazard]

She's probably going to be another Free XP ship. No rational reason to have two, semi-identical Premium pay boats.

 

The Kamikaze sisters disagree, even if they've been pulled from the shop.

[Show_Me_Your_Cits]

It will have radar or DFAA or engine boost or smoke

Just you watch

 

If it were Russian it would have all of those and a 50kt top speed besides. 

[Tzarevitch]

Are you sure they confirmed this? While I always preferred to have Mamie over Alabama because she actually had an interesting war history, I don't see how there is any value to Wargaming in introducing her. There is minimal functional difference between the two of them. They could MAKE differences a la Missouri, but I don't see how adding a second premium which is basically the same as an existing premium does any good. I also don't see how you could downgrade it enough to be a T7 and if they did, where would that put a potential West Virginia. If the want a T7 American BB they'd be better off just introducing West Virginia. The only other thing that makes any sense to me is put Mamie in as a reskin and you can just buy the ship as Alabama or Massachusetts (or buy both if you really want them). (If they do that though I want to be able to trade my Alabama in for Mamie.)

 

[Ace_04]

So a premium on top of a premium?

 

Where was this "semi-confirmed"?

[Izolyn]

 

The Kamikaze sisters disagree, even if they've been pulled from the shop.

 

To be fair, two of those three were special events ships for Halloween and Project R.

[crzyhawk]

Could be a reward ship too.

[YamatoA150]

Are you sure they confirmed this? While I always preferred to have Mamie over Alabama because she actually had an interesting war history, I don't see how there is any value to Wargaming in introducing her. There is minimal functional difference between the two of them. They could MAKE differences a la Missouri, but I don't see how adding a second premium which is basically the same as an existing premium does any good. I also don't see how you could downgrade it enough to be a T7 and if they did, where would that put a potential West Virginia. If the want a T7 American BB they'd be better off just introducing West Virginia. The only other thing that makes any sense to me is put Mamie in as a reskin and you can just buy the ship as Alabama or Massachusetts (or buy both if you really want them). (If they do that though I want to be able to trade my Alabama in for Mamie.)

 

Well seeing as how WG is repurposing stock hulls as Premiums a tier lower, they could do it with at least one sister ship of each ship class currently in-game within the USN lines.

[Lert]

Where was this "semi-confirmed"?

 

I'd like to know this as well. Because it makes zero sense to introduce a second premium variant of a ship that doesn't even exist in the tech tree yet. I believe that If Mamie is going to be introduced (and that's a big if) it'll not be as a purchasable premium. As a sister ship and not the class name ship she'll likely not be the tech tree ship in a second line either, that'd be SoDak herself.

 

That leaves either a free XP 'special' like Missouri (which I think highly unlikely), a camp[aign reward like Shinonome (which I think somewhat likely), a reward ship for ranking out an X number of times (which I think somewhat unlikely) or a reward ship for some undisclosed reason for some undisclosed group (like Alabama ST, and I think this highly unlikely as well),

 

So if Massachussets is going to be in the game it'll IMO be likely as a campaign reward or ranked reward ship. However, I have yet to see any reason to believe that she'll be in the game at all, let alone 'semi confirmed'.

 

Well seeing as how WG is repurposing stock hulls as Premiums a tier lower, they could do it with at least one sister ship of each ship class currently in-game within the USN lines.

 

I don't think any historical variant of SoDak could be viable as tier 7 without completely unreasonable nerfs.

 

"But what about Mutsu and Nagato?"

 

You're talking about a 1920s ship / loadout firing WWI ammunition vs a 1930s ship  / loadout firing WWII ammunition, a ship that underwent substantial modernization during the 1920s. The first SoDak was commissioned in 1942 and none of the SoDaks underwent significant modernization during their service.

[PelicanHazard]

Where was this "semi-confirmed"?

 

I'd like to know this as well. Because it makes zero sense to introduce a second premium variant of a ship that doesn't even exist in the tech tree yet.

 

It came from an RU livestream that an RU forumer "transcribed", though as you can see from the original thread the "transcriber" got into hot water over it. So how much was actually described in the stream and how much is the "transcriber's" invention is an open question.

[Big_Spud]

Source is taken from the TAP transcript of a WG stream taken from RU. They also mentioned possibly adding Makarov (Nurnberg in soviet service) as a campaign reward for RU at some point.

 

Although yeah, looks like the guy who posted the thread got shut down hard. Hence the semi-confirmed OP name. Even if it turns out to be fake, no harm in speculations.

[jeffreywalker74656]

http://forum.worldofwarships.com/index.php?/topic/121290-uss-massachusetts-bb-59/

 

I have the original link to the source in my topic from yesterday.