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In 1890, American naval officer Alfred Thayer Mahan published The Influence of Sea Power upon History. In it he traced the rise and fall of maritime powers in the past and demonstrated that in every case, the state that ruled the seas commanded its own fate; states deficient in naval power were doomed to decline. At the dawn of the 20th century, nations across the world sought control their destiny by controlling the sea. A series of interconnected naval arms races saw dozens of massive battleships and cruisers constructed as each great power vied for dominance of the oceans.
Rule the Waves is a Grand Strategy Game (think something akin to Paradox's games or the Total War series) where instead of ruling counties and leading armies into battle, you're the Grand Admiral of a nation's navy at the dawn of the 20th century. It is up to the player to manage your budget (which politicians are all to eager to fuck with), advise your nation's leaders on matters of naval and foreign policy, direct research, design and build your fleet, and, when the time comes, order your forces into battle on the seas against your nation's enemies.
A German and French fleet engage in a disorderly line battle at a range of barely over a nautical mile. The German fleet has ordered a destroyer attack as it turns away, the French fleet turning in kind.
Designing an ideal battleship
In this LP I’ll be taking charge as the Admiral of one of these nations. Unlike TriggerHappyPilot’s rather inventive approach, I will be retaining a greater deal of control. However the audience will still be involved. Not only will you determine which naval power I will play, but from time to time I’ll hold a vote on various matters. They could be matters of naval policy with significant future ramifications, choosing between one of several designs for our next battleship, or matters of foreign policy and strategy.
While the focus will be on the gameplay, I’ll try to put my (lousy) writing skills to the test and construct at least a light narrative around the events as they unfold. Don’t expect too much though, it even somewhat depends on which nation is chosen.
Here are the nations I am putting up for vote to play, ordered in rough ordering of power. Even the powerful nations have their challenges, a stronger nation just means grander ambition. In addition my choices in game won’t always be optimal, including in ship design as I will potentially emulate the chosen nation’s historical designs and schools of thought (at least early on), even if I don't adhere to them completely.
Great Britain
Rule Britannia! Britannia Rules the Waves! At the start of the 20th century Great Britain is the world naval superpower reigning over a massive empire that spans the entire globe. However with this great power comes a great deal of challengers. With its status as a great power and its very national identity tied to its mighty navy, the empire on which the sun never sets must never rest.
Opponents: Germany, France, Russia, USA, Japan, Italy
++ Loadsamoney
+ Excellent Shipbuilding capability
+ Technology Leader
+ Starting access to oil
+/- Vast Colonial Empire Requires significant global commitment of ships
- Ships sometimes plagued with problems and have a worrying tendency to explode
The United States of America
Fresh from their victory in the Spanish-American War, the United States is an emerging sea power seeking to establish its credentials as a serious blue water navy. The United States Navy has many lessons to learn, but has significant industrial backing.
Opponents: Germany, Great Britain, France, Russia, Japan, Italy
++ The full industrial capability of the United States of America (their budget rivals or exceeds Britain towards the end of the game)
+ Technology Leader
+ Permanent access to oil
+/- Modest overseas holdings
+/- Cage masts 
- Lacks rivals in home waters, meaning wars might be a bit boring
Germany
Lead by an ambitious (and insecure) Kaiser who has a particular obsession with naval matters, Germany is rapidly overtaking France as the greatest land power in Europe and is determined to build a navy that rivals any in the world.
Opponents: Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, Japan, USA
+ Technology Leader
+ Respectable Economy
+/- Modest overseas holdings
- Troublesome and Bombastic Kaiser will cause headaches
France
Though not as powerful as it was once, France is still a major player in Europe and controls a large colonial empire. Relations with England and the rest of Europe remain uncertain and France's Navy cannot be sure who tomorrow's friend, or enemy, will be.
Opponents: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, USA
+ Respectable Economy
+/- Modest overseas holdings
- Government meddles in Naval Affairs
Russia
A powerful but somewhat backwards Empire, Russia struggles to modernize itself while also contending with growing social unrest. In Europe the other great powers eye it warily while in the East the upstart nation of Japan represents a possibly underestimated threat.
Opponents: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, France, Japan, USA
+ Respectable Economy
+ Permanent access to oil
+/- Modest overseas holdings
- Undeveloped Shipbuilding Industry
- Poor Education (effects shipbuilding and crew quality)
Japan
Another rising naval power, Japan has embarked on an aggressive plan to establish itself as the dominant power in the Asia. Japan knows it ambition means that it is only a matter of time before it finds itself at war with Western Powers. The only question is will the nation be able to persevere through the coming hardship.
Opponents: Germany, Great Britain, France, Russia, USA, Italy
+/- Isolation from Western Powers ensures enemies will struggle to bring their full naval power against Japan, but might make wars a bit more boring.
+/- Poor Economy strained by heavy naval expenditures
+/- Surprise Attacks against colonial powers in Asia
- Undeveloped Shipbuilding Industry
Italy
Italy is a place of great and ancient heritage but also a relatively new nation struggling to merge a rich north with a poor and backwards south. Meanwhile the nation continues to modernize its navy to compete with Austria-Hungary and the other Mediterranean powers.
Opponents: Great Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Germany, USA
+ Innovators in Ship design
+/- Minimal overseas holdings
- Weak Economy
- Government meddles in Naval Affairs
- Poor Education (effects shipbuilding and crew quality)
- Corruption in elements of Navy/Government
Austria-Hungary
The Dual Monarchy is a crumbling patchwork nation of schizophrenic identity and plagued by internal unrest. Russia, protector of troublesome Serbia, looms threateningly and Italy challenges its power in the Mediterranean sea.
Opponents: Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, Germany, USA
+ Permanent access to oil
+/- No overseas holdings
- Poor Economy
Ottoman Empire (Alt-History)
The 1882 Young Ottoman revolution resulted in the overthrow of the despotic reigning Sultan and the establishment of a Constitutional Sultanate. Now the nation works diligently to modernize itself as the new philosophy of Ottomanism encourages a greater sense of national identity, unity, and religious tolerance. The war for Crete against Greece has shown the nation is capable, but revealed its navy to be outdated and the haughty European Powers still all too willing to meddle in the affairs of "The Sick Man of Europe".
Opponents: Italy, Austria-Hungary, France, Russia, Great Britain, Germany
+/- No colonial holdings outside the Mediterranean
- Poor Economy
- Undeveloped Shipbuilding Industry
- Poor Education (effects shipbuilding and crew quality)
- Corruption in elements of Navy/Government
Spain
The once-mighty Spanish Empire is no more. The unprepared and obsolete Armada was humiliated and largely destroyed in the the Spanish American War and all her overseas territories were lost. Now Spain finds itself in political turmoil and much reduced in stature and respect. Can it claw its way back up to contention as a European Power?
Opponents: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, Italy, France, USA
+/- No overseas holdings
- Weak Economy
- Undeveloped Shipbuilding Industry