KanColle Phase 2
"Phase 2" of KanColle also known as the "HTML5 Era of KanColle" was launched on the 17th of August 2018. This phase comes after "Phase 1", following the migration of the game systems from Flash to HTML5. The reason the transfer came is due to the fact that it was announced that Flash would be discontinued by 2020. In turn, KanColle made an announcement at the 4th KanColle Naval Review that they would be transferring to HTML 5 by April 2018.
All players' data (ships, equipment, items...) has been kept after this transfer, so players can continue to play KanColle after the HTML5 transfer. Right before the migration, the opportunity to move server has also been offered to all players.
With the migration, the game resolution has increased, going from 480p & 30fps to 720p & 60fps. Some new loading screens have also been added before the game's start menu.
- In the following years, many UI tweaks have also been implemented, gradually improving the general ergonomics of the game.
Major Changes Since January 2018
A non-exhaustive list, only covering the most important changes since the announcement of phase 2.
- Up to date as of the 16th of September 2024.
Remodels and Ships
Some notable ship and remodel additions:
- Musashi Kai Ni: A costly 5 slot Battleship
- Yamato Kai Ni/Juu: A costly 5 slot FBB/BBV
- Both variants gain access to the Yamato special attack (see below)
- BBV variant is also capable of equipping DLC/Tanks
- Nagato-class Kai Ni, Nelson-class, Colorado-class: "Big 7" BB, having access to very powerful special attack, sometimes called "touches" (see below).
- Ise-class Kai Ni: 5 slot Aircraft Battleship (BBV with more plane slots) capable of equipping Fighters and Dive Bombers, and having a special Artillery Spotting.
- Hyuuga K2 have also access to a unic OASW
- Akagi Kai Ni, Kaga Kai Ni: 5 slot strong CV
- Akagi Kai Ni E, Kaga Kai Ni E: 5 slot CVN
- Kaga Kai Ni Go: a 5 slot weak CV, with strong ASW capable of OASW and carrying Jets
- Victorious: a CVB, capable of carrying Jets
- Gambier Bay Mk.II, Unyou Kai+, Houshou Kai Ni Sen: DLC-capable CVE
- Ryuuhou Kai Ni/E: A strong CVE, being either Fast, or CVN capable
- Mogami-class Kai Ni Toku: CAV capable of equipping minisubs and DLC/Tanks // strong AV
- Atlanta: Highly Specialised AACI-Ship
- Yuubari Kai Ni Toku, Yahagi Kai Ni B: "cheat CLT" like Yura and Abukuma with greater uses and 4+ slots
- Amagiri Kai Ni/D: A Destroyer with target priority and accuracy buff against PT Imps, which also applies to the ships adjacent to her.
- Tashkent Kai: A "4 slot" Destroyer
- Mogador Kai: A "4 slot" Destroyer
- Hatsuzuki Kai Ni: A "4 slot" AA Destroyer
- Shinshuu Maru, Kumano Maru, No.101 Transport Ship: LHA, with great Anti-Installation potential and some niche roles.
- Souya, Yamashio Maru: AO with some niche roles.
- Asahi Kai, a second AR, that only shares the repair mechanics.
- Additionally, the pool of "Landing Craft capable ships" has been greatly extended.
- See also: Second Remodel Timeline
Equipment
- Introduction of new Range Extension equipment, allowing notably more range control of Carrier Shelling.
- Certain Dive Bombers now no longer prevent Carriers from attacking Installations. See Anti-Installation Dive Bombers.
- Certain skilled/named/advanced planes now enjoy Anti-Air Resistance.
- Introduction of more Fit Bonuses for most equipment on ships. Check the respective ships/equipment pages to see them.
- Most fit bonuses are now "visible" ones.
- Many fit bonuses have been fixed, such as ASW and AA (nor air power).
- Many equipment now provide additional fits when improved .
- ASW Synergy has been expanded, now featuring more equipment in each category, as well as more equipment with "Armor Penetration" (AP).
- The following can now be put into Reinforcement Expansions: AA Shells, AAFD, Submarine Equipment, Submarine "Stern" Torpedo Launchers, Skilled Lookouts, ETSCF, SDP, SDP+, as well as a variety of secondary guns and radars for several ships.
- New equipment types have been introduced:
- "Land-Based Heavy Bombers", weaker LBAS bombers,
- "Land-Based Assault Aircraft", just some Land-Based Attackers variations,
- LB "Land-based Reconnaissance Aircraft", better recons for LBAS only,
- Sp_Sec "Large Secondary (High-Angle) Guns", secondary guns equippable on fewer ships,
- "Night Seaplane Bombers", that can trigger a special night cut-in,
- "Night Recons" have been extended,
- "Army Units", Anti-Installation equipment,
- "Smoke Generator", to create a smoke screen in battle, decreasing accuracy for both fleets,
- "Balloons", to deploy a balloon in battle against installations, providing damage bonuses to the fleet,
- Land-based Fighter Jet, just regular LB fighters,
- New "Aviation Personnels" types.
- New "Command Facilities" types.
- New Landing Craft sub-type: Armed Armed Boats
, with additional anti-PT boat bonuses and a special animation.
- The equipment Crafting pool has been greatly extended, with notable examples such as Daihatsu Landing Craft, some Interceptors like the Spitfire Mk.I, and Submarine Torpedoes.
- AS & SS/SSV now form a new category of helper for crafting pools.
General Gameplay
- Revamp of all existing maps except 3-5 and W6, introduction of World 7, located inbetween Worlds 3 and 4 in the sortie and expedition menus.
- Introduction of new expeditions, some of which are only to be completed once a month. See Expeditions for details.
- Introduction of combat expeditions, which are able to damage ships.
- Introduction of Emergency Anchorage Repairs and more special Routing on Event Maps featuring Akashi Kai, Asahi Kai, and Akitsushima Kai.
- The Elite Torpedo Squadron Command Facility can be used in regular maps and placed in the RE of most involved ships. See Evacuation.
- Hardcaps have been increased to 350 000 for resources, and 300 000 for furniture coins.
- Ship level hardcap has been increased to 180.
- Equipment Presets are now to be found in the Remodel (Menu).
- Speed Groups A (slow & fast), now have additional bonuses with the +13 Boiler at 7+ , allowing them to reach Fast+ easier.
Combat Mechanics
- Friendly Fleets, event only fleets which may appear on some event nodes to help defeat them.
- Those may be added only after the full release of the event, in either 1 or 2 waves, at the will of the devs.
- Damage caps got raised:
- Support, ASW, Airstrike, LBAS - 170
- Opening and closing torpedo - 180
- Day shelling - 220
- Night battle - 360
- Introduction of very powerful, "Special Attacks" for the Nagato-class Kai Ni, Nelson-class, Colorado-class, and Yamato Kai Ni/Juu.
- Kongou-class Kai Ni B/C also received special night attacks, but those are considered to be weaker and more niche.
- AS & SS/SSV also get a very niche/pay-to-play special attack.
- Introduction of the AA Rocket Barrage, a very strong AA mechanic.
- Destroyer's CIs have been buffed, see Night Cut-Ins.
- The Airstrike Supported Battle has been added, a new off-route combat node with submarines and unsinkable carriers.
- Certain enemy Air Raids now feature Enemy ASW Patrol Aircraft, being capable of damaging submarines.
LBAS
- Introduction of High-Altitude Interceptors and High-Altitude Air Raids.
- Introduction of the Superfortress Air-Raid Sequence requires the execution of a QTE on the map to get optimal Interception (one event so far).
- Introduction of Land-based Reconnaissance Aircraft, increasing LBAS Range alongside Bombing, Fighterpower, and Interception.
- The PBY-5A Catalina has a "rescue function", that can save some bauxite cost in sorties.
- New kinds of bombers have been introduced, using new animations and having additional buffs against some targets, see Special Bombers.
- The "Land Base Maintenance Menu" has been introduced, allowing to improve each world's LBAS to reduce the morale recovering times and swapping cooldown.
- Rotorcraft and Liaison Aircraft can now be equipped in LBAS, but their range cannot be increased (but Hayabusa ones).
Misc
- New items:
- New Model Armament Material (ArmMat) & New Model Rocket Development Material (RocketMat), used for certain remodels and equipment upgrades.
- Emergency Repair Materials & Submarine Supply Material, used for the "Emergency Anchorage Repair" & "Submarine Special Attack" respectively.
- Ribbons, giving a post-cap stat buff and a cosmetic.
- The Inventory now feature an hiden minigame easter egg, see here.
- UI:
- Several main menu art styles are available.
- Most menus now support mouse well scrolling.
- Sparkling is now distinct at different ranges and ships can be sorted by morale.
- When selecting the formation in sorties, it is possible to hide the UI in order to view the map, by clicking anywhere else on the screen.
- When the map is visible, it is then possible to click on the current node to get a glimpse of the enemy fleet.
- Expedition return notification has now more info.
- Amatsukaze Kai Ni CG being animated.
- The Android version has been updated to be closer to the browser version on most aspects.
- Comunity side
Aside from the various external tools implemented/updated, one of the major changes from the player base is the update of cyclical Quests' IDs for all categories, following the system already used for Sortie quests.
- This mostly affect the Wikis and viewers.
Useful Tools
- KCNav - Look up user-submitted compositions and routing for maps,
- KCMC - a great comprehensive quest tree,
- LBAS Calculator,
- Asashio-Bot - A useful Kancolle discord bot,
- GotoBrowser - An alternative way of playing Kancolle on Android Devices, forgoing the need of the official Flash app,
- KC Cache Proxy - Faster loading times by saving assets locally,
- KC EN Patch - An English patch for Kancolle based on asset replacement.