We talk of maybe submarines but there's a lot of other things that could be fun ..... and of which I daydream.
Ships being designed much like planes and vehicles and though task forces will spawn together and the other ships will form around the flagship just as drones will form up on the lead bomber .... players can take individual command of any ship in the task force, altering course, speed and commanding from a bridge setting. Other players may still operate the guns and torpedos.
Damage on a ship should be like other vehicle/plane objects in the game. Detailed and graphically depicted.
A battleship's damage list could read:
15" gun
15" gun
15" gun
15" turret
15" gun
15" gun
15" gun
15" turret
15" gun
15" gun
15" gun
15" turret
5" gun
5" gun
5" turret
5" gun
5" gun
5" turret
ammo storage (catastrophic hit?)
superstructure
hull armor
rudder
engine
engine
engine
bridge (same as pilot to a degree except instead of a "blackout due to wounds effect" it could have "smoke and flames making use of ship controls - steering, engine telegraph, orders to damage control - more difficult)
Ships could exhibit signs of damage by smoke (and possibly flame), listing to one side by various degree (or even being low in the bow or stern). In some cases the list may make operations impossible (landings on the flightdeck, aiming of turrets).
Ocean mines. Which would leave a possibility for mine layers and mine sweepers as individual ships. Perk the mine layer!
And if ships can be controlled to a greater degree ... specifically speed ... even to the point of dropping anchor ... then harbors may be refuges ... or deathtraps ... if the fleet comes in for repairs or replenishment. But make sure the torpedo nets are up.
Give the turrets a better ranging/aiming device. Put a scoutplane on a catapult.
Depth charges on the DDs and PTs.
For the submarines ...
Hehe .... yeah .... daydreams.
