I love the idea of CV's in the game. I'm a big fan of the blue airplanes and the idea of flying on and off the boat.
I agree the main problem is survivability. But the survivability problem is more complex than the amount of bombs required to sink them. I think the 3 biggest contributing factors to survivability are:
(1) The MA Dar Bar
(2) Distance between bases
(3) Amphib landings
1. The MA Dar Bar. In real life, CV's (say at Midway) engaged each other beyond radar range of each other. The aircraft were the striking power, period. Not even the massive 16 inchers of the U.S. BB's traded licks with Japanese naval craft. Aircraft were launched from CV's that were 300-400 miles away from each other. That's 12 or more sectors in the MA away from each other. Neither side had the ability to instantly see that suspect dar bar growing in a water only sector in the middle of the ocean and know that represented an enemy CV launching some planes. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to preemptively launch against shore batteries and ordinance before the CV got inside a threat distance, to see people screaming on country channel that I was "giving away the location of the CV". I was two sectors away. And, dutifully, the enemy launched a group of B-24's that knocked out the CV. Currently, there is no safe water sector to launch planes without being discovered. I don't know what the range of search radar was during WWII, but I know it wasn't 300 miles. Otherwise, the U.S. wouldn't have had coastwatchers in the Solomon Islands. Further, the indicator in the MA is a bar that shows you quantity of planes in a sector, not a quantity and bearing/distance. I believe the search radar was 2-D, it would give range/bearing, and the size of the return would indicate a relative size of the incoming formation. This way, the target CV had time to organize a CAP, and respond to the incoming attack. In the MA, all we see is a bar growing in an entire sector. We don't know where that bar is going--we can only guess. And trying to intercept B-24's far enough away to drop all 3 before they get ordnance off is tough when you don't know for sure which way they are coming in until they hit the radar ring at 12 miles? In real life, the defenders knew which way the attack was coming in, while the attackers had to do some searching within an area before narrowing in on the exact location of the ships. Also, both sides had the ability to put a large number of aircraft in the air and on the way to target without (1) the enemy picking up the inbound aircraft, and (2) noting where they took off from as soon as they climbed above 300 feet.
2. Distance Between Bases. In the MA, the bases (for reasons I understand) are too close to effectively allow preparation time for the incoming attack. Many times, planes will up to defend a base when it starts flashing, only to find the bad guys are level bombers at 18K and untouchable for 4-5 minutes until you can climb to meet them. Say the bombers are at 240 mph ground speed, they cover 4 miles a minute, and can close from the radar ring to the ordnance release point faster than the defenders can climb to meet them. Also, you may notice that enemy dar bar coming a few sectors away, but with 4 friendly bases within a sector of each other, which base is the target? When Henderson Field was the only active U.S. field in the Solomons, it was pretty easy to know what to defend when the coast watchers spotted Japanese bombers. The Germans would pick up U.S. or Brit bombers coming in from England as soon as they were over the coast. From there, it was a simple excercise in geometry to figure out what the target was. As the allied bombers continued, the Germans were able to narrow down the possible targets and then vector fighters to hit them before they arrived. In order to defend the CV's in the MA, and have enough time to up a CAP capable of defending, the reaction time must be increased so that a Hellcat, or Corsair, can take the 5 minutes needed to climb to altitude and then get vectored to the enemy, before the ordnance release point.
3. Amphib Landings. In order to take a base from the sea, the CV has to get within approximately 15000 meters to up amtracks to hit the beach. One key element of any real-life amphib landing is local air superiority. If you don't have it, you don't land. While you could CAP the base you're taking, there's one or more within 20 miles the enemy can up from (see argument #2). Therefore, to exercise local air superiority for the landing, you would really need to CAP 3 or 4 bases, take out the ord, and possibly the BH's as well, and then maintain that for as long as it takes to get the town down, move the ships in close, and get troops ashore. Pretty difficult coordination for the MA, in my opinion. Besides, like I said in the first argument, the aircraft comprise the striking power of the CV, not the 8 inchers on the cruiser, or the amtracks in the vehicle hold. Someone else recommended maybe having troop transports in a different group. That may be an answer, I don't know.
The CV group is certainly an asset if used well. But, it is almost impossible to do anything with it without instantly exposing it to impending destruction, since the ability to keep it hidden is extremely difficult. Furthermore, the Dar Bar helps out the enemy much more than helps anyone trying to defend or CAP the CV group by giving away the location of the CV and not defining the route of the incoming enemy bombers. Last, with bases as close together as they are in the MA and the need to bring the CV in close to drop troops, it really exposes the CV to a short life in the attack.
I wish the Dar Bar showed a bearing to targets. I don't need a God-Radar, just what they had back then. I also wish the Dar Bar had some sort of range, maybe a couple of sectors beyond the imaginary line connecting the "front" between countries. I don't really want bases to be much more distant from each other in the MA, since droning for half an hour to get into the action would run most people away from the game. But, I do not think that hardening the CV any more than it is is a good solution.
Just my humble opinion.
Cheers,
