Panda, you are correct, however in the one scenario with fog and rain and open ocean, I did a quick scan and missed one enemy ship that popped up later. I found that land battles really had no effect without the minimap since there were reference points (i.e. roads, rivers...etc) to orient yourself. It made a huge difference in open water with several ships involved when you needed situational awareness far more. You are also correct about knowing where ships start, but once battle begins and all the twisting and turning, things get lost. Eh, just an idea...I can live with either way.