RE: [GZG] Re: Points systems

[Oerjan Ariander <oerjan.ariander@xxxxxxxxx>]

Binhan Lin wrote:

[...]
> Blue Fleet
> DD1     16VP
> DD2     1VP
> DD3     1VP
> DD4     1VP
> SDN1    1VP
[...]

> Blue fleet has a problem, a DD is a fragile ship so to place it in a
> screen in front of the SDN poses an issue in that a lucky salvo will
> cost you the game.  The prudent thing then is to place the DD further
> away - but that might also draw attention to it as most people place
> their escort class ships in a screen IN FRONT of the capital ships.

"Most people" *might* do that - unless of course they normally use their 
escort ships as Banzai Jammers (in which case they want the DDs to surround 
the SDN), or use the beta-test fighter rules where having a DD or two to 
cover the SDN's (A) arc against incoming fighters or missiles is very 
useful, or they like to send a few fast ships as an outflanking force to 
make the enemy to think about where his own (A) arcs are pointing, or any 
of the other numerous reasons to not put all their escort ships in front of 
your capital ships.

In short, your "most people do X" reasoning only really works if you play 
against someone whose playing style you know well enough that you can 
determine when they do something out of the ordinary. Which is pretty much 
what John A. said with the "telepathy" comments, of course.

> If the VP were blind the tactics would fall out like this -
>
> Red Fleet - Keep the BB and CA in a second line, just in range of their
> weapons but not so far forward to make them enticing targets.  Expend
> the CL's in a direct attack on the SDN as it is the biggest weapon
> threat.  If it turns out the SDN is not worth all the victory points,
> then mopping up the remaining DD's should be easy.

Here you're assuming that 3 CLs will be able to take out the SDN without 
much support from your CA and BB - if the latter are just in range of their 
weapons, they won't be able to contribute very much to the CLs' fight!

In my experience a more likely outcome of the tactics you describe here is 
Red losing all three CLs in return for only light damage to Blue's SDN and 
none at all to the DDs (since Red concentrated on the SDN), leaving Red's 
BB and CA seriously outgunned for the second half of the battle. (Unless, 
of course, the CLs were sent as a flanking force allowing the CA and BB to 
get into Blue's (A) arcs :-) )

> Conclusion - even not knowing what the exact VP designations for ships
> are, you still will make sound tactical choices

Sound tactical choices such as splitting your fleet up to be defeated in 
detail? :-/

> What may change is that if given a choice between two or three targets,
> you will have to weight the VP cost vs. the danger that ship poses to
> your fleet (i.e. a 1VP SDN is easy to decide - it needs to be destroyed,

Not if you've determined that some other ships will give you more VPs for 
the same effort expended.

However, if you don't know the VP value of the potential target ships - and 
as far as I could see from your proposal, you only learn the VP value of 
the enemy ships when they are destroyed - their VP values won't influence 
your targetting decisions anyway...

Regards,

Oerjan
oerjan.ariander@xxxxxxxxx

"Life is like a sewer.
 What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
-Hen3ry

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