Re: [MISC] [OT] Bring and Battle

> 
> >Maybe it's my (heretical) background in Car Wars, but I *enjoy*
designing
> >ships, vehicles, forces etc. and then taking them out for a spin.
> >Designing is something I can enjoy about the game *alone*, when it
suits
> >me (which is becoming a more and more important consideration). 
> >
> >I also *enjoy* the uncertainty of not knowing what your opponent is
> >fielding.
> 
> Myself, as well.  Back in the long-go days when I played Magic, I
always
> took as much pleasure in building decks as I did in playing the game
> itself.  And understand--the decks that I designed were not always (or
> usually) winning decks!  But they were fun....  My Pirate deck?  Lost
> consistantly.  My Infinitely Recursive Rukh Eggs Deck?  Won, but only
> rarely.  And those two were my favorites, constantly fiddled with and
fine
> tuned.  I like being able to do the same sort of things with my Full
Thrust
> fleets, and my many DSII forces.
> 
> Can't do it with Stargrunt, though.  Thus, I use Shock Force.
> 

The same is true for me, SGII looked like a good game and we gave it a
go. 
It seemed to play alright with a few problems, but that was expected. 
It
was probably about mid way through the evening that we decided to put it
away.  The fact that it lacked a points system robbed it of just too
much. 
You can always ignore the points system a game has if you wish, when
designing a scenario or some such - but you can't do the opposite.  The
lack of a points system gave me only part of a game with SGII.	 

For all the arguments brought against points systems it must be
remembered
that a game without one can't even try to accomplish what a game can do
that has a point system (good or bad).	I remember going to one
convention
here in Ohio (USA) about a year or so ago and I ran into one of the list
members from here.  We got to talking a bit about Full Thrust and within
a
few moments we were dragging out our miniatures (my tyranid/savasku
conversions against his human ships) and had a game going.  That game
would
not have take place if FT lacked a points system.

If a game has a point system and you don't like it you can ignore it
(and
thus you have SGII if you like) or you can change it to fit what you
feel
is balanced.  Either is much easier than trying to add a points system
and
then hope that someone you happen to run into will just happen to agree
with you.  A game without a points system is not a complete game and I
would not (again) buy one.  Just as now with computer games I would not
buy
one that is not playable over the internet.  It either has all the basic
features I want, or I spend my money some place else.  There are simply
too
many games on the market for me to bother with something that doesn't
have
all the features I want.

The sad thing is that SGII COULD be the giant killer to 40k, but it
won't
do it without a points system.	That is just the way things are.  If GZG
wishes to sell SGII to a wider group then a point system must be
included
in the next edition.  I don't see how that can be gotten around. 

Chad