Viewing distance in RL is a function of height above the water, visibility conditions, crew (both number on watch, and quality), and optics. IJN capital ships typically had numerous large binoculars on the pagoda constantly watching the horizon.
The max range to the horizon should be on the order of 25,000 yards or so. The trouble is that the game doesn't deal with visibility properly. If you want capital ships in SH4 to duke it out at reasonable ranges, they need to detect each other.
I suppose in retrospect the best solution might be a special radar that cannot detect a sub, but CAN detect a large ship. Downside is that it's be unaffected by day/night/weather.
In game crew quality will matter, as well as the generic AI settings that ducimus has in TMO. Might be interesting to see what my RSRDC patches I just posted do combined with "easier AI." I know I dashed in at flank in a desperate attempt to get a firing solution on Yamato in RSRDC with RFB, and it was near dusk but still quite light out (sun was still up). I dove at ~5000 yards as I was getting pretty spooked by all those guns (I was watching the gun director on top to see if she spotted me).
I was not detected.
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