Separate CV and Amphibious Assault fleets – CVBG’s would have two CV’s, a cruiser (CA), and four DE’s. The latter would include a battleship (Iowa class is my vote:D), two CA’s, and four DE’s. LVT’s only available from the AA fleets.
Direct Helm Control of Fleets – when the commanding player is on the bridge (i.e. the tower), he has control of speed and direction of fleet via a ship’s wheel and engine telegraph. Leaving the bridge would cause ship to return to standard fleet speed and resume plotted course. Simple instruments would be included to give speed, heading, and fleet status (damage/sunk status of all ships in fleet), which leads to…
Increased Complexity of Ship Damage Model – Ships can take specific damage that will affect operations, such as CV elevators affecting ability to launch A/C, damage to guns putting them out of action, etc. This would be accompanied by smoke and fire affects. Damage would still accumulate towards sinking, but damage control would repair damaged equipment and halt/pump-out flooding.
Fleet Auxiliaries – Oilers, ammo ships, and troop transports would accompany fleets. Sinking them has the same affect as destroying fuel tanks/ammo bunkers/barracks at land bases.
Fire Control Director Positions on Fleets – Instead of manning each gun position individually, there would be multiple gun director positions on ships. A cruiser might have four: Forward Main Battery, Aft Main Battery, Port 5-inchers, and Starboard 5-inchers. Gun director would have a pintle-mounted range finder (looks like binoculars); aiming range finder aims all guns that will bear on that bearing at the same point. Gun Director positions would be in gun-director towers to get them up high. Pull trigger and all guns in battery fire together.
Just maintaining my campaign to expand AH’s naval component:). The above will do for a start.
