First point, I like the default scenario, I like how the default game isn’t “line up either side of the table and charge!”, I like how you have variable victory conditions and indeed a variable size of force.
that said, a few ideas to take this and improve it:
- before you play, build a “fleet” – pick the desired game point value and build a fleet to 150% of this size, do this knowing which nation you are fighting, but nothing else, these are the ships in the general area you can call upon. (including picking a year etc)
- now roll your objective (see the additional suggestions below for enhancements here)
- now build your fleet using the assigned game value +/- 10% as per the objective selecting units from your pre-selected fleet – thus when designing this fleet you need to consider the possible missions instead of being to pick exactly what you want always
note you have to pre-select land based air support etc as part of this, before you pick the mission and before determining weather and time of day (in whatever way you do that)
for the actual objectives I’d expand this into two lists, one for the nation on the offensive and one for the nation on the defensive, I’d further do this with counters numbered 1-10 for each side you draw and keep face down – thus your opponent doesn’t know what your objective actually is (this is easy to do with the current objectives too) so you have your mission but have to guess what you need to stop the enemy doing. further to this allowing ‘underbuilding’ your fleet using fewer points for deception as to your objective (but not overbuilding)
other thoughts
additions to the scouting table, so on the higher dice rolls you can gain the ability to influence the time of day (dead of night, dawn, day or dusk) – with say a die roll for the time of day (2d6 roll say 2-3 = night, 4 = dawn, 5-9 = day, 10 = dusk, 11-12 = night). dawn & dusk see the sun rise or set end of turn four – higher scouting being a case of take the stated benefit or gain a dice shift (say ability to +/-1 on 7 scout points, +/-2 on 10+, or +/-1 and the benefits of a “7” on a 10+).
weather I’d set as random, again 2d6, with different tables depending on where you fight and what time of year maybe – North Sea in winter being worse than say Pacific outside bad weather seasons
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