I posted this in another thread, but wanted to throw these ideas out here for the consideration of the naval mod community.
I guess I'm just saying I think we should try to come to some sort of conclusion. This point has kind of been argued to death. I'd rather see improvements in the game than watch similar arguments go back and forth on this forum.
Satcho is right, it has been a fun argument, but a consensus on some improvements would be productive. There have been many good suggestions in this thread. My two cents worth:
1. Revise the tech trees to better reflect the reality of the logistics needed to undertake an invasion. This would include:
A. Remove the ability of regular merchant shipping to transport units and drop them off on beaches. They should only be available to transport units from friendly controlled port to friendly controlled port or be added to convoys. These are CARGO ships, not ships designed to put troops ashore in an opposed landing.
B. Adding two new techs, landing craft infantry and landing ship tank to the naval tech tree (per Mediator's suggestion). These techs would then activate higher cost, very short range units with very slow movement rates -- the LCI and LST, which would allow Infantry and Tanks to make shore attacks. The short range would preclude transoceanic attacks, and the very slow movement rate would necessitate a player having sea and air superiority in the invasion area lest his troops be destoyed en route by repeated air and naval attacks. The tech availability should be linked to the naval doctrines and not be available until Early War Experience Analysis and Maritime Invasion Organization are completed. Once again, these should be short range, reflecting the ability of nations to do short range invasions, which would allow a player to do cross channel, trans Baltic, trans South China Sea, trans Mediterranean, and other short range invasions. This also would serve to better simulate the need for island hopping in the pacific to acquire new bases for the next invasion.
C. Add a new Naval Doctrine called Overseas invasion logistics, which would be researchable after Late War Experience Analysis is completed. This tech would in turn open up a new tech in the Naval tree, available only with the Advanced shipbuilding technologies, that would activate advanced LCI and LST units with significantly higher range and and better speeds, representing improved ability to project force overseas. This would enable transoceanic invasions. To get this technology, a player would have to invest quite heavily in naval doctrines and shipbuilding doctrines, meaning it is likely that only the US, UK and Japan will get it during the course of the game, and if Germany or Italy wants it, they will have to make a conscious choice to invest heavily in naval techs at the expense of other priorities.
Admittedly, as Mediator has pointed out, these changes may be problematic for the AI. However, they would put an end to many of the explots that human players are using with ahistorical invasions. And, with the ongoing work of modders, the priorities for these techs could be worked into the AI.
In the end, I think they would make a much better game. A german player with transoceanic ambitions would have to plan ahead and invest heavily in building the capabilities and infrastructure necessary for success, rather than the current system which allows 2 civilian freighters and 2 36 infantry divisions to give the Germans all of South America's resources.
If I did develop a way for it to work, it would mean the default build time would be doubled at least, and brought back to the current levels during a time of war. I feel that the times as they are now ar good for at war building, but unrealistic for peacetime. A side effect of lengthing the build time would be a decrease in cost as it was spread out. MDow
