Variable and Tall Paul, I personally like the idea of a Naval only game that would be a fight clear across the Pacific.
Here are some ideas.
1.  Have all USN units sat start a Pear Harbor, Commonwealth units start at Sidney, IJN units Sasebo Naval base.  If you decide to add the Russians they start at a base up north.
2. All bases have factories for production of the required units.  Add a few Naval and Army Commanders such as Yammato, Halsey, Nagumo, Nimitz, McArthur, Homa ect…
3.  Use P-38s as an airbase defense unit only, they never where used from carriers.  Add amphibs so we can properly storm each others island with invasion forces.
4.  Have a specialized to build sequence.  For example nobody starts with super battleships and heavy bombers.  Have these as tech that must be developed thru collection and expenditure of IPCs. 
5.  Go with the single unit ship concept and have the Infantry and armor represent battalions or regiments.
6.  Aircraft represent flights of 12 aircraft or squadrons of 24 ea.
7.  CVs Large CVs can have 4 squadrons assigned, OOB 3 Squadrons, CVLs 2 squadrons and CVEs 1 squadron.
8.  Now we could add the IJN SNLF Special Naval Landing Force.  Each IJN Naval base had 2 to 5 regiments assigned to them.
9.  USMC use is self evident, conqueror the Japanese Homeland.
10. No more 2 hit Battleships.  Gents IJN Yamato took 20 torpedoes and 18 bombs to sink. Her sister IJN Musashi took 17 bombs and 20 torpedo hits and 18 near misses.  So these Monsters and the future Montana Class need to be at least a 4 to 6 hits to sink.
Remember after Pearl Harbor no USN Battleships where sunk by IJN aircraft nor did the IJN ever come close.
11. We could add long convoy routes, and based on number of ships that get thru undamaged means more IPCs.  This will force players to invest in convoy escorts or suffer severe losses to subs and rouge naval patrols of ships and aircraft.
12. Keep the atomic Bomb out of this game.  If you want big naval engagements do not allow anyone to have them or two or three dropped and game over.
13. Marine Raiders are a cool idea, I suggest a max of 5 USMC to represent them.
14. FOG OF WAR.  Use PBYs and IJN Mavis Long Range Aircraft for Recon to find the enemy.  If your recon lives thru the AA defense roll they can Identify the enemy types and disposition at this time the enemy forces must be placed on the board.  Until then use task force markers upside down to show there are forces but not who owns them.  I think Coach has made some the at would be perfect for this
15. Add the seabees into the mix for building aditional air and naval bases on captured or undefended islands.
16. Have off board base boxes where ships are in port and aircraft are at their bases. Move ships and aircraft from board to base boxes as needed.
17. Hidden movement is a must to keep the FOG OF WAR alive.
Now I know their will be some die hard AA fans who want to keep it clean and less technical that is great if we do not want a primary naval game.  To have a really impressive Naval game we need to get a whole lot more technical.  Not to the level of Avalanche Press Second World War At Sea series but somewhere in between.

Coach, I am in for pre-orders.  Excellent choice of a stand alone USN fleet.  May I suggest a Baltimore Class heavy Cruiser and a Birmingham Class Light or Atlanta Class.  Otherwise excellent potential line up.  My Marines arrived today, but I can’t check them out until I get back from ND.  I am sure that they are a high quality product.  Bring on a USN line up you have my support. :-D :-D :-D

Variable and Tall Paul, I like the idea of a time phase in for units to be upgraded to newer models.  I foresee something like this.
USN starts with a OOB Hornet CV and thru the time line upgrades it to a Essex CV, later if the Midway CVs are available upgrade to them.
So the IJN player would have to start out with two lesser CVs say an Zuikakau and Hiryu before they could upgrade to a OOB Shinnano.
Eliminate the tech would be great if we do upgrades thru a time-line.  Now how will the new units be paid for?  Do we use Battle Bucks or IPCs that are collected from convoys safe passage and island and sea zones we control?

SnakeEyes,

I just was hired for a transportation position 3 weeks ago full time.  Now I am playing catch up with collection agencies, It will be around mid September before I can pay for a GOLD Edition.
If I want to purchase extra B-52s so I have a total of 12 bombers and additional Migs how much do I need to add to my current $185.00 pledge amount?  Second When I do pay can you process a visa debit card for payment or a Paypal transaction thru someone else??

V/R

WARRIOR888

SnakeEyes, Per your request

20th Tactical Fighter Wing – RAF Upper Heyford

55th Tactical Fighter Squadron F-111E 1971–1993
77th Tactical Fighter Squadron F-111E 1971–1993
79th Tactical Fighter Squadron F-111E 1971–1993
All three Squadrons were fully combat ready by November 1972.
Some of these Aircraft  and F-111s from RAF Lakenheath pulverized Kadaffi years later.

So I would for game purposes say 3 squadrons available for 72-73.

WARRIOR888

SnakeEyes,

From my knowledge F-111’s begin to arrive in 3rd Air Force USAFE Jan 1972 at RAF Upper Heyford and the last F-111’s were sent in 1977 to RAF Lakenheath. Any other questions please let me know.

WARRIOR888

SnakeEyes,

I don’t know if you are looking to expand the aircraft in your 73 game. Here are several ideas:

General Dynamics F-111 Fighter Bombers capable of delivering nuclear weapons were a mainstay for USAFE during the Cold War. The 20th TFW stationed at RAF Upper Heyford, UK participated in F-111 NATO and US unilateral operations Shabaz, Display Determination, Cold Fire, Ocean Safari, Datex, Priory, Reforger, Dawn Patrol, Highwood, Hammer, and others from January 1972 to October 1993. The 474th Nellis AFB, Nevada sent their General Dynamics F-111, and the 366th TFW at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, sent their F-111Fs to RAF Lakenheath in early 1977 for additional USAFE SAC bombers. Between the two bases during the 1980s they had roughly 150 bombers combined. These were known as are front line bombers to stop the WARSAW PACT while I was assigned to 81st TFW RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge twin bases 1981-1986 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs.  B-52s were on a rotation to RAF Fairford, RAF Menwithhill and RAF Upper Heyford.

Second Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II were operational at multiple bases in USAFE during the Cold War. 1972 onwards.

WARRIOR888

SnakeEyes,

How do I contact you after the Kickstarter is over?

WARRIOR888

Gentlemen.

Here is a little of my Family History, My Father and most of my Uncles were in Vietnam.  My Father served in the USAF 819 Red Horse Engineering Squadron and was assigned to the following locations in country. Ben Wah Air Base, Da Nang Air Base, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base and TTakhli Royal Thai Air Force Base. I discovered all this after he passed away many years ago. I spoke with my mother about this last weekend and she thought he never left Ben Wah.  I found his medals that he hid from everybody so he was not heavily ridiculed for serving in Vietnam. Unfortunate that he hid them and didn’t wear them while he was still active… It was an heart felt moment for me when my wife and i found them and the certificates of presentation. He received a medal for each base he was assigned to during Vietnam. I had an Uncle who was a USMC Embassy Guard and another who was signed to the Task Force 77 as a Petty Officer in charge of Aircraft repairs aboard the USS Kitty Hawk. Note spelling on the Vietnam bases maybe in shambles Iv’e seen them spelled several ways, so I choose the spelling that looked best to me. If anyone can find anything on Ben Wah Airbase please let me know i have searched the web and can not find even a reference to it so far. My mother still has several letters envelopes from that time with the APO so I know it was a real US Base.
WARRIOR888

SnakeEyes,
Thank you.  i really appreciate that.  I will purchase the game from you as soon as my situation allows me to do it.  I really wan’t to Thank you for taking al leap of faith on me for this game.  Keep up the excellent work and may you have a very prosperous Kick Starter and be blessed in all of your future game creations.

Very Respectfully

WARRIOR888

I agree with everyone that Eagle games are low end at best. The only thing they did Right in my mind was the Conquest of the Empire Roman game a re-make of Milton Bradley’s Conquest of the Empire (1984). The Civil War and Civilization could have been done to a lot higher standard.  Enough of that.  Vietnam War I am still wanting to jump on board and purchase this game at the Gold level. But being without work for now 16 months has really put a damper on purchases.  I may end up waiting till the last hour to jump on board since Uncle Same took my income tax for Obama Care.  Anyway everyone supporting this game to bring it to our gaming tables, Thank You.

WARRIOR888

i think Wizards would have gotten more $$$$ from a Cold War or Ultra modern game or even an American War for Independence, instead of zombies which I can not see any thing positive for using them in a AA game.

Gentlemen, Heads up, over on Kickstarter is a Vietnam War miniatures Axis & Allies type war game board game with over 800 veitnam era playing pieces. It has kinda just started and has 27 days to go.  I have not posted anything for over a year ever since i lost my job and for the last 14 months I have been looking for a job so it consumes most of my time. I want to own of these but that is not an option right now.  Just wanted to give everyone an update as to why i have been silent for so long.

WARRIOR888