I really like the idea of a Pacific Campaign style of setup.
4 Frames, and each frame determines what happens in the next frame.
Let's say the First Frame starts up as the Battle of Midway. 4 Japanese Carriers against 3 U.S. Carriers.
Depending on the results of the battle, the next Frame will have different kinds of action.
So on that thought, what happens in Frame 1 is extremely important.
What do we do depending on what happens, though?
What if the American fleet is annihilated?
- The the island of Midway is taken, the Japanese regroup their forces and prepare for an attack on Pearl Harbor.
- The Americans will gather whatever ships possible, up to and including CV's in repair and able to realistically make it to a meeting battle.
- American fleet elements would then form up to attempt to halt the Japanese fleet as it advances towards Pearl.
This leads to a Frame 2 with an open-water head-on clash between the survivors of Midway+Whatever the Marines and Navy can manage and the Japanese attacking force.
What if the American fleet is again annihilated?
- Then the Americans retreate to Pearl Harbor, Army, Marine, and Naval air units are sent in frantically to defend, additional fleet forces that couldn't arrive in time prepare to defend Pearl Harbor.
This leads to Frame 3, the second attack of Pearl Harbor. Japanese forces advancing in a seemingly unstoppable onslaught against whatver the Americans can hurl at them.
What if the American forces are again annihilated?
- Then Frame 4 will once again be an open-water battle, as reserve carriers and new carriers are marshalled off the coast of California, a hastily readied force determined to halt the Japanese and push them back to Pearl.
Frame 4, the last resort: Japanese forces are facing the last of American Naval strength in the Pacific.
What if the American's are again annihilated?
Then the Japanese win, duh! Well played Yamamoto.
And similar could be drawn up for the American side. This is of course examples of the extreme, as DGS showed if both sides are organized and lead well it will be a difficult contest to show who won each frame and the overall design of the next frame will be very interesting to come up with.
Overall player organizations will remain the same, ie: Joe, Fred, and Bob are in VMF-XXX onboard the Yorktown in Frame 1, they all get shot down and the Yorktown sinks, since they're dead and their carrier is sunk they'll simply be airmen on a different carrier, say Lexington in Frame two.
If the battle is a draw in Frame 1, then the remaining forces will be augmented by reserves drawn up and maybe even strengthened and Frame 2 will be the same area but with different tactics, techniques, more/less forces. If in Frame 2 All the U.S. Carriers are sunk but land-based reinforcing fighters/bombers manage to stave off the Japanese Invasion force, then further reinforced land-based forces could hold out for the siege of Midway while Carrier reserves are foced to move in from long range. Which could lead to an interesting defensive battle, how to allocate the players to either the Midway defense force, or as many with the Carriers steaming en route as possible, in order to catch the Japanese in the midst of fighting the Midway defenders and surprise them.
All in all this could be a really freaking cool scenario.
But seriously, however this goes, I really really really really really want to command a Carrier TF. Please
