Re: [FT] (LONG) The Balance of Power -- Fighters and a Defense

> If that's the feel you want, force fighters to be weaker/more
expensive in
> your house rules. Or make PDS more effective. That'll change the
balance
of
> your games and make fighters virtually disappear as elements. Weren't
> fighters much less of a threat to ships in WWI?

I think I've drawn this analogy before, but I believe FT fighters are
more
akin to WWI torpedo boats than to WWI, WWII, or even modern aircraft. 
At
least that's my take on them.

I think the best point has been made though, the fighters are balanced
as a
system with the other systems in the game.  The really neat thing about
FT,
and what Jon seems to insist on, is that FT is YOUR game, and that you
should tune it to the genre you play.  If you and your fellow players
don't
like fighters, then just don't use those systems.

Everything exists in the game so that players can model whatever genre
they
want.  Without balanced fighter rules, one couldn't do Battlestar
Galactica
(where fighters do dominate), or even Star Wars.  Heck, even Star Trek
has
fighters, as mentioned in one DS9 episode.

Right now, even though I like fighters, we don't use them at all because
people here only want to play if its Star Trek, and I haven't gotten
around
to putting together any carriers yet.  Star Trek is however, at least
earlier versions, a ship of the line style anyways.

The beauty of FT is that its meant for all likes.  Any point system is
abusable if taken outside of a genre.  I personally couldn't imagine
designing a fleet just for a one-off game, as it seems that some people
do.
I can imagine designing MY OWN fleet that I always play, one that has
certain design rules that I impose on myself, (thus establishing a
genre).
I can also see those designs evolve from game to game slowly to react to
the
tactics and designs of my enemy.  But, I can't see designing a ship just
for
the one game.  Some people claim putting in "genre limits" is arbitrary.
Hell, I think its necessary for the game, in my opinion, no limits is
arbitrary.

As I've said in the past though, I'm really more of a scenario type of
player anyway.

Anyways, my thoughts, such as they are.