Originally Posted by karamazovnew

Great post. And btw, thanks, I had no idea about Carrier Command.



Somewhere in the code, there must be a formula on which the speed is dynamically calculated. Ubi could very well make ample config files for each difficulty setting. I see no reason for the game to be arcade for those who want it so, but realistic for the others. Let's say we have 2 ships, Nelson and a Torpedo Boat... A perfect sim should have something like this:
Speed+= Power - Friction
Speed+= p*e^(-a*T) - h*e^(b*S)
where T is the time, S is the speed, p is power, h is hull friction and a and b are logarithmic factors. In this way, with just 4 parameters for each ship, you can realistically mimic any ship behavior you want. You can make them go as fast as you need, and accelerate as fast as you want. Plus, when turning, all you need to do is apply a new formula for the hull friction
h=a + e^(b*r), where a is the "go ahead" normal friction, b is an amplitude and r is the angle of the rudder. Throw in some wind and wave effect and with 2-3 formulas and a few parameters you can mod any ship...