Just a few minor corrections to Slug's post.
The destroyer was conceived before WWII. Torpedo boats are nice ships, relatively cheap and a lucky shot can send a destroyer to the bottom. But hardly as menacing as described in Slug's post. Cruisers and capital ships can take a few hits before going down.
If anyone is interested in naval battles, they should check out the Battle of Jutland, arguably the largest naval engagement of modern times. It was fought during WWI. The British Royal Navy faced the German Imperial Fleet which was trying to break the blockade. At one point, the British fleet maneuvered into a better position. But through superior tactics, (not to mention newer ships, which translated into faster and more powerful ships) the Germans managed to escape and the battle ended with a German tactical victory (There were more British losses.) and a British strategic victory. (The German fleet was contained for the rest of the war.) You can read the details in your local library.
El Spamo's complaint about a confusion in ship classes is not only very much true for Ares and EV/O but even in reality. Today, it is difficult to tell the exact differences between a frigate and a destroyer or a destroyer and a cruiser.
Pyro was right to point out how detrimental modern development of missiles is to naval warships. When a single missile can take down a cruiser, the tendency to build large ships declines. Nowadays, there are missile cruisers, missile destroyers, even missile frigates (not to mention missile submarines). In one sense, this is sad because the chances of seeing an old-fashioned gun battle where warships duel diminished. Nowadays, warships are armed with anti-missile weapons and anti-air guns. Even if they are armed with batteries, those were probably installed with shore bombardment in mind.
Like Laguna, I am also waiting for MOOIII. Let's just hope that it comes out for the Macintosh.
Side note: Doesn't this topic belong in the Trash Talk forum?
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"Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam"
(This message has been edited by htjyang (edited 11-01-2000).)