Unfortunately many game designers confuse the game-balancing points cost
system with the "in-background" *economic* costs required to build and
operate these highl-tech units, and that inevitably leads to disaster
(since the entire "in-background" purpose with tech development is to allow
the design of units which give *more* bang per (economic) buck than the old
technologies did, whereas the entire purpose of a game-balancing points
system is to give the *same* bang per buck regardless of tech level)...<<
That's a point that I think I was on my way to making - but never really got
there. It's the similar reason why so many custom built fleets look so wonky
- nobody is constrained in having to build ships that had to do anything but
conduct war (let alone anything like a political limitation on what or how
to build things). Related is the idea that fleets have to do more than just
fight war - they have to show the flag, escort shipping, etc. etc. etc.
Sort of the reason why I don't mind fighters being so damn effective - we
play campaigns and as valuable as the fighters are - the pilots are much
more so...