Re: [MISC] Points systems

At 07:10 PM 9/24/98 +0100, you wrote:
>The main thing
>that I've gathered from the recent discussion is not that we need a
points
>systems for its own sake, but that what is needed is a way of at least
>roughly balancing ad-hoc games; how many people would be happy with
>achieving this in a non-points-based way, such as suggested here?
>
>Jon (GZG)

One other comment in case you do decide to go with the point system
option;
in my opinion, the only good points system is one that reflects the
"historical" cost and availability of a unit and thereby allows you
create
a realistic force for the environment you are playing in.  It doesn't
have
to reflect any kind of game balance concept, but rather the limits on
availability of resources.

This type of points value is especially useful in a campaign setting
where
points (whether they are MegaCredits in Starfire or Prestige points in
Panzer General) are won or lost through play.  Starfleet Battles, IIRC,
even had a distinction between combat point values and economic point
values.

If you are not comfortable trying to create a scale of combat
effectiveness
point values, then you may wish to provide a point system that reflects
the
"real world" cost to a major power in your universe to equip and field a
force of size X with equipment kit Y.  Presumably, the better equipment
will be a lot more expensive which gives you a whole world of quality
vs.
quantity matchups to explore.  For example, you might have the
"high-tech-low-tonnage" mobile force invading the
"low-tech-high-manpower"
planetary defense force.  (oh, and conversion rates and interface info
for
FT, please? <g>)

To my mind, this is more in keeping with your idea (and mine) of how the
world works.  No one could every realistically calculate a point value
for
evaluating the relative combat effectiveness of a U.S. armored division
versus that of an armored division from the former Soviet Union, but we
can
find data on the number of such divisions which were based in a given
theatre of operations, the real world cost of outfitting and maintaining
these units, relative levels of availability, and so forth.  A good
points
system won't necessarily produce perfectly balanced scenarios; but then,
that's realistic too.  And as long as everyone knows up front the
yardstick
being used, it should also be "fair."

Jeff