I'd buy that! (for more than a dollar though
)
But my feeling is that if you're motivated, you should go for it - you won't get from the subsim forum alone the sort of attention/support (especially the financial kind) you would need to know in advance that your game is viable. If you have the technical skills & the funding to spare, going for a prototype sounds like the safe and efficient way.
At any rate, just so we're clear, except if you're making it multistation but still fun (aka much simplified), your glass ceiling is - best case scenario - the audience reached by Cold Waters. Make it multistations but require people to learn to operate an actual sonar to play it and you're in Dangerous Waters zone. If you're looking for a way to make your life easy, there are better ways.
I am making a carrier simulation myself, and if I ever get to half the numbers of Cold Waters, I'll die a happy man
Cheers and best of luck