RE: Maximizing ship designs

Mikko Kurki-Suonio:
>
><<Didn't I make my message clear enough? It's NOT about coughing up $20
a
>year for NEW stuff. It's about coughing the $2 a year for the Official
>Timeline(tm) I already have in three different books!>>

Clear enough to me. 

><<I don't mind paying for stuff I get. I *do* mind paying for stuff I
don't
>want. I don't throw dollar bills into trash just because I can afford
to.
>
>It's about rule:bs ratio.>>

It is for me too. However, I feel that I should support a fellow like
Jon, who produces a game that has an acceptable "roadapple coefficient".
If this means paying for the printing of GZG's "O-ficial" timeline with
a few niggling expansions here or there per volume, this is a small
price to pay. Putting it this way, when you go to a restaurant, do you
complain about the lettuce and tomato garnish that is taking up space on
the plate.  I understand your point, however. I simply am willing to put
up with Jon's background in order to get to the gamin' goodness at the
core.

><<In the good old days, games were mostly rules, let's say 90:10.
>These days, games are sold on nifty background and have very little
rules,
>mostly lifted from somewhere else. 10:90.>>

Ah, hand typed, xeroxed (or mimeographed). Hey, what's that thing on the
cover. Um, it's a drawing my brother did, I think it's a tank or
something...
I remember it well, rules did seem like they had more 'heart', back when
it reall was a labor of love. Oh, well, so much for nostalgia.

><<Thus, if there are major rules revisions, 90% of the money I spend
updating
>a typical modern game goes toward buying the same background bullshit I
>already own.
>
>GZG products do have a very good ratio, especially in these days.
>
>The upcoming Fleet Book will probably be more along the modern lines,
10%
>rules and 90% ships I could have designed myself and Official
Background(tm)
>I'm still not going to use. Fine. I'll just not buy that particular
book.

>*But* if the FB was the *only* source for some rule updates, I would
be...
>annoyed.>>

Again it depends on the ration of good-to-garbage. If there's enough
good stuff, then it's worthwhile, otherwise, don't shell out the money.
Personally, I'm willing to take the plunge and risk the fact that there
may be some stuff that comes out as useless for my personal campaigns.
Now if GZG begins to fall into a decaying orbit similar to GW/Citadel
Megacorp, producing nothing but a highly stylized miniatures painting
competition and die-rolling wrist muscle strengthening plan, along with
rulebooks held together entirely by snazzy artwork and mucilage, with
the occasional 'rule' to confuse things. When that happens, by all means
feel free to bail out. From what I've read, on this list, and in the
rules, there seems to be little danger of that happening.

Later, 

Gene
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