Games like Aurora

[boggo2300]

RTW focuses you on playing defensively when you are in a war and as the UK for example has holdings EVERYWHERE to defend you chew up so much of your fleet just giving a minimal defence to places you don't have enough to basically smite the weakling nations,  now this is accurate but maybe a little over focussed as the penalties for allowing enemy fleets activity around your colonies are a little harsh and restrict you a LITTLE too much (saying this, I've now kicked total ass as the UK with a finishing prestige of 61 and 5 monster Aircraft Carriers, 45,000 ton's each

[ZimRathbone]

RTW focuses you on playing defensively when you are in a war and as the UK for example has holdings EVERYWHERE to defend you chew up so much of your fleet just giving a minimal defence to places you don't have enough to basically smite the weakling nations,  now this is accurate but maybe a little over focussed as the penalties for allowing enemy fleets activity around your colonies are a little harsh and restrict you a LITTLE too much (saying this, I've now kicked total ass as the UK with a finishing prestige of 61 and 5 monster Aircraft Carriers, 45,000 ton's each

Impressed!
 
Haven't managed that well, but did get 58 prestige and 5 x 43,000t BBs with 17" guns and 1 CV at the same size (also a bunch of smaller CVs around the 32,000t mark that actually carried more a/c).  Was in the process of building HMS Superb (59,000t with 6x20").

[boggo2300]

How well you do does depend a LOT on the RNG, probably more than it should, if you for instance get a few early wars, that are short and sharp, when your opponent chickens out of a lot of fleet engagements, as soon as that war finishes you can build up quick, you get a few of those then more serious wars also start to go the same way,  I see it very much as your first war sets up the rest of the game

[Andrew]

I can usually manage a prestige of 100 + and a fleet of doom for the UK with historical resources but the USA is a definite threat in the end game with a fleet at least as large and often more modern. Playing the US makes the end game easy as no one else with AI control produces a fleet that can stand up to you even slightly.
I am having fun trying to dominate as one of the lesser powers