I'm considering another system blend involving Savage type ideas. In Savage a core concept was the treatment of Quasi-Balanced hands (abbreviated QBal, these are hands that are balanced or near-balanced); with a big hand and not-QBal one could open a one bid, knowing if later a big hand was shown, it must be distributional. For example:

1H (if 18+ must be not-QBal)-4S(Overcall)-Pass-Pass-Double: this double promises a not-QBal, so responder knows to pull the double if shapely.

One problem with Savage was the Catch-All 1D opener, handling non-Qbals in either minor, from 13/14+. If we give up the weak-two in Cs (sadly losing a key EHAA influence), we can go with something like:

1C:
-- a) Cs, unbalanced, 10/11-17 (poor 17)
-- b) Balanced, 11/12-14
-- c) All QBals with 17/18+, including QBals with a five card major

1D: Natural, forcing, with:
-- a) Ds, unbalanced, 10/11-17
-- b) Ds, 17/18+, not-QBal

1H/S: Natural, 5 or longer, 10-17 (poor 17), or 17/18+ to near GF not-QBal

1NT: 14/15-17, balanced

2C: Artificial, forcing. Either:
-- a) Cs, 17/18+, not-QBal
-- b) 5 card or longer major suit, Game Force, not-QBal (this could be moved to a 2D Multi opening)
-- c) Something else, since opening not doing a lot of work here - could be weak with both majors etc.

Rest: Preemptive package

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This brings up thinking about limited one-level major suit openings, like in Precision. One concept has been that balanced hands define strength, unbalanced hands show shape. However the limit major suit openings, which tend not to be balanced, are one of the most effective parts of a Precision system, so why does it seem to be an exceptional success to the concept?

One key factor is how quickly responder can get to the right spot after an opening. Take the 1NT opening - responder will often pass, or bid 3NT, or bid Stayman, and then rebid to the spot, or invite. Very direct, 1 or 2 bids.

With a limit major suit opening, one can bid a game, or make a raise on a whole bunch of hands. If responder bids 1NT, or 2/1 first, responder can often place the contract on the next bid. Once more very direct.

When opener has a minor, things take longer to unwind. One usually needs to investigate for a major fit, and perhaps untangle what opener has. So we have frequent sequences like:

1D-1H--1NT-2C(Checkback)--etc., with responder taking at least three bids

Since responder will often take several bids over a minor opening, one might as well package a bunch of hand types into the opening, since opener will have time to unwind. From a design point of view, one wants to have the packaging such that if the opponents compete, some of opener's hands do not need to take any further bids (unless responder shows values), and big hands can either double or show shape.

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So returning to the system blend above, let's try an alteration with limited major suit openings:

1H/S: Natural, 5 or longer, 10-17 (poor 17)

2C: Artificial, strong, forcing. Either:
-- a) Cs, 17/18+, not-QBal
-- b) 5 card or longer major suit, 17/18+, not-QBal

That certainly fits in the ACBL General Convention Chart

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The in-between hands of the 1C opening could be a concern if the opponents get into the bidding. 15-17 Cs unbalanced is more than a 11-14 minimum, yet not quite a 17/18+ Big QBal, and might not be QBal to boot. So one looks at ways of moving this hand type out of 1C, such as:

1C:
-- a) Cs, unbalanced, 10/11-14
-- b) Balanced, 11/12-14
-- c) All QBals with 17/18+, including QBals with a five card major

1D: as before, but not forcing

2C: Natural, non-forcing. Either:
-- a) Cs, 15 to near GF, not-QBal
-- b) Cs, 15-17, QBal but not appropriate for 1NT opening

2D: Artificial, game force, a not-Qbal hand

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Let's conclude with a design walk on the wild (non-GCC) side:

1H/S: Natural, 5 or longer, 10-17 (poor 17)

2C: Artificial, forcing. Either:
-- a) Cs, 17/18+, not-QBal
-- b) Weak two in Ds
-- c) Weak with both majors

2D: Multi. Either:
-- a) Weak-two in either major.
-- b) 5 card or longer major suit, 17/18+, not-QBal

2H/S: Major + minor, weak

2NT: Minors, weak

So no weak two in clubs (sadness) but we have weak twos in the other three suits, and can show all two-suited weak hands. If the opponents compete over 2C and 2D, the strong hand type has many options to show strength. For the Multi opening, responder can make pass or correct bids in the majors, without concern for the strong hand type, since opener always has a major for the opening. 2NT for the minors is likely not the best treatment for the opening but it completes the two-suited weak openings.