Re: [DSII] Heresey

At 9:24 AM -0500 4/4/02, John Crimmins wrote:
[snip]
>It seems that DSII is missing this factor; it's very easy to see 
>(and design) the ideal tank.  Given two grav tanks of similar size 
>with turreted weapons,
>designed by two different people, how different are the end results 
>going to be?
>
>If they are designing in a vacuum (no scenario or background 
>restrictions to worry about) you are likely to have a pair of almost 
>identical vehicles:
>assuming Size Class III, each will have an MDC(4), Superior Firecon, 
>class 3 armor, the best ECM available...and if points are not a 
>problem, two levels
>of stealth.
>
>There are a number of minor differences that are possible -- 
>ablative or reactive armor, APFCs, and so on -- but nothing that's 
>likely to have much game
>effect.

Look at the current trend in tanks. They all fall in the same 
category. There is pretty much one way to make a tank. All of the 
side routes from WWII pretty much fell by the wayside. Biggest main 
gun you can carry ammo for and still have a reasonable load out. As 
much armor as you can put up front and on the sides. A crew of 4 
(usually) and extra MGs. Everything else is icing.

>Doing my own designs, and self-limiting myself to Enhanced Firecons 
>for most vehicles (Basic is for low -tech, Superior for ultra-tech), 
>I found that there
>was a depressing sameness to the results.  Going from a WYSIWYG 
>standpoint, there's not all that much that the system can do to 
>differentiate
>between a pair of tracked Class III tanks of similar tech level.

Land warfare has a number of roles that are specific to their nature. 
A Tank has a big gun in a turret and lots of armor. Anything with a 
big gun and not a lot of armor is a tank destroyer, an armored car, 
or an assault gun depending on what it can do. It can try to be a 
tank, but it will have problems.

>Solution?  Beats me.  I'd like to see something like the FT building 
>system, or even (bear with me for a moment here) classic Car Wars. 
>Given $15,000
>to spend, you could end up with a ton of different vehicles, all of 
>them of similar combat potential.  Maybe I need more experience with 
>the system, but it
>seems to me that DSII can't do the same right now.

Thats because Car wars was super un-realistic in how it works. You 
can't fire a RR from within a car. You can't drive a car and operate 
multiple weapons by your self.

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