Alright, sounds like it'll be fun to play with victory points enabled, particularly from a roleplaying POV. Does 50 for a victory sound like too many? Some of them are worth 3 points, but they've also got defenders that will give even an end game SC pause...
I dont like VP victory, as games will end with someone airdropping to victory.
Take a look in the map file and how the VP's are spread out. If you can manage an airdrop on this map with 50 points the target, you'd win anyway.
If it really has to be victory by VPs, then the maximum please.
Considering how much unwanted the underwater nations are, I wouldn't mind to go to great length in order to make it enjoyable for them. Like restarting everytime their starting positions are not 2 outside and 1 inland sea.