Cool topic. If I were Larry……
I would take away the silly African safari and island hopping thing, making the Commi expansion NO only continental Europe and Mid East. Reduce it to 2 IPCs, but include pro allied neutrals too. I would make a lend lease NO for Russia through the Mid East as well. This would give both sides a reason to fight for the Mid East (axis get oil NO).
3 IPCs for no axis war ships in sz80, and allied control of Persia, NW Per, & Caucasus (no allies on orig red tt).
3 IPCs for the currant LL NO w/sz125 & Arc (no allies on orig red tt).
I would do convoys at the beginning of the victims turn, then deducted in collect income. Still use dice, but at the units combat attack values w/subs getting two dice at 2’s (German subs roll 2 dice at 3’s). Each hit causes one damage to convoy (instead of adding up all dice).
I would look at SBR (could use a tweak), but would realize that raising dice of intercepting & escorting ftrs to 2’s would probably promote even less SBR. I would know that it seems more realistic (felt that way too) w/ftrs on both sides firing at 2, and bmrs/tacs at 1, but it could also cause more air units to get shot down in the dog fight. More risk, less SBR? Right now the defender can get overwhelmed, so wouldn’t send up interceptors. If he gets a higher roll w/def ftrs at 2, as the attacker you would probably have to commit more ftrs to keep him grounded.
W/SBR I would consider raising the damage a minor IC & bases could take.
A major IC cost 30 IPCs, and can take 20 damage (2/3’s of it cost). Minors & bases should be the same.
Major IC cost 30 IPC takes 20 damage (2/3 cost) 20/30 = 66.6%
Minor IC cost 12 IPC takes 8 damage (2/3 cost) 8/12 = 66.6%
Bases cost 15 IPC take 10 damage (2/3 cost) 10/15 = 66.6%
I would also consider lowering the cost of bases to 12 IPCs (like minor IC), because of the bases removed w/Alpha’s (would help both sides and promote more base building).
Then it would be:
Bases cost 12 IPC take 8 damage (2/3 cost) 8/12 = 66.6%
I would also cap repairs for a naval base to a max of 3 ships (like scramble for an air base), and have damage of a base reduce its scramble/repairs ability just like damage lowers production of a minor IC.
For minor IC and bases:
1 damage to facility = 2 units produced/scrambled/repaired
2 damage to facility = 1 unit produced/scrambled/repaired
3 damage to facility = 0 units produced/scrambled/repaired (bases give no movement bonus)