Prepare for a massive undertaking of which will be...massive.
Seriously, set your brain for overload.
Ok, I can help you with the currently avilable techs, the deployable techs, whether or not certain R&Ds will be ascertainable, I can provide for you an R&D program that let's you create your own ships, I can provide for you a couple of websites that are immensley helpful, I can tell you all you need to know about the world's resources for such a scenario and how it would help you, I can help you devise a rules system, and much much more.
For now, let's get started by going here:
http://p216.ezboard.com/bwarships1discussionboards Oh, and here is an example of a ship I have designed using Spingsharp, the ship designing program. It is a follow on to the British WW1 Queen Elizabeth class Battleships.
Resistance, Great Britian Battleship laid down 1917
Displacement:
34,679 t light; 36,990 t standard; 40,000 t normal; 42,408 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
675.00 ft / 675.00 ft x 100.00 ft x 30.00 ft (normal load)
205.74 m / 205.74 m x 30.48 m x 9.14 m
Armament:
8 - 16.00" / 406 mm guns (4x2 guns), 2,048.00lbs / 928.96kg shells, 1917 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
12 - 6.00" / 152 mm guns in single mounts, 108.00lbs / 48.99kg shells, 1917 Model
Quick firing guns in deck mounts
on side ends, evenly spread
6 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns (4 mounts), 32.00lbs / 14.51kg shells, 1917 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships
Weight of broadside 17,872 lbs / 8,107 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150
2 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes, 4 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm submerged torpedo tubes
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 16.0" / 406 mm 675.00 ft / 205.74 m 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Upper: 8.00" / 203 mm 438.75 ft / 133.73 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
Main Belt covers 154 % of normal length
- Torpedo Bulkhead:
2.00" / 51 mm 438.75 ft / 133.73 m 29.11 ft / 8.87 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 16.0" / 406 mm 10.0" / 254 mm 10.0" / 254 mm
2nd: 4.00" / 102 mm 2.00" / 51 mm -
3rd: 1.00" / 25 mm 1.00" / 25 mm -
- Armour deck: 4.00" / 102 mm, Conning tower: 11.00" / 279 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 94,051 shp / 70,162 Kw = 26.00 kts
Range 8,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 5,418 tons
Complement:
1,413 - 1,838
Cost:
£6.496 million / $25.985 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 2,234 tons, 5.6 %
Armour: 14,506 tons, 36.3 %
- Belts: 6,023 tons, 15.1 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 945 tons, 2.4 %
- Armament: 3,287 tons, 8.2 %
- Armour Deck: 3,973 tons, 9.9 %
- Conning Tower: 277 tons, 0.7 %
Machinery: 3,448 tons, 8.6 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 14,467 tons, 36.2 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 5,321 tons, 13.3 %
Miscellaneous weights: 25 tons, 0.1 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
55,115 lbs / 25,000 Kg = 26.9 x 16.0 " / 406 mm shells or 7.9 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.15
Metacentric height 6.5 ft / 2.0 m
Roll period: 16.5 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 50 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.75
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.23
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised forecastle
Block coefficient: 0.691
Length to Beam Ratio: 6.75 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 25.98 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 53 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 41
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 28.58 ft / 8.71 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m (18.19 ft / 5.54 m aft of break)
- Mid (50 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 25.00 ft / 7.62 m
- Stern: 18.19 ft / 5.54 m
- Average freeboard: 23.75 ft / 7.24 m
Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 92.0 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 166.1 %
Waterplane Area: 53,686 Square feet or 4,988 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 102 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 194 lbs/sq ft or 948 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.95
- Longitudinal: 1.49
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily
25 tons reserved for command and futuristic aviation facilites.