Re: Scatterguns and SMPs... and PDAF

On Sun, 20 Apr 1997, David Brewer wrote:

> There is a gamble, as you mention, in allocating points to 
> defensive systems such as PDAF and screens. The cost should not
> only be related to their defensive abilities, but to the amount
> of offensive weaponry displaced.
 
IMHO, the cost should relative to effectiveness against attacks modified

by the likelihood of such attacks. E.g. in human-human games screens
have 
near perfect likelihood score, but in KV-human games it's ZERO, since 
everything the KV's have ignores screens anyway.

> There is no gamble in purchasing scatterguns because they are 
> both defensive and offensive. No offensive weaponry is displaced.

Hmmm... Do you think C-batts should be more expensive if they're allowed

AF fire? They fit this bill perfectly. 1-arc C costs equal to PDAF.
It exchanges slight reduction in AF power with AS power.

Btw: Does the "C's as PDAF" rule ever mention firing arcs?

> I'm still not saying this isn't justifyable. I still call it odd.
> I don't want to make too big a deal of this.

Ok, let's stop beating this particular example of deceased 
animal.

> I think "overhaul" is too strong a word. In some cases 
> clarification is needed. 

Pretty much the same thing, IMHO. Take the current system, get rid of
the 
oddities and print it clearly in one place, with such a wording that it 
doesn't have to be amended the minute someone thinks of a new weapon 
system. 

> One can make endless arguments about how
> things should be changed to "make sense" or "balance". I would not
> play with the Kra'Vak as they stand because I think the rules are
> poor (and for *that* reason in need of overhaul), but the rules are 
> there for those who wish to play them and they are not overly
> complex IMHO.

But sometimes the clear lack of internal logic suggests oversight
instead 
of design choice. Like the hvy ftrs/scatters issue.

> ...weren't you justifying the use of aluminium cans above?...

What I find historically justifiable is not necessarily the same thing I

find the subject or flavor of a desirable game. Please understand this 
difference.

While Harpoon is a very good game, I don't play it because I don't like 
the setting. 

You could justify turning FT into a game of stand-off missile ships 
launching salvoes at extreme range and then running home to reload in 
numerous ways, but it's not the kind of game I'd want to play.

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