Re: [OFFICIAL] new ideas!

At 12:18 PM 2/22/97 +0000, you wrote:
>I (rather pompously, check the archives) threw out some ideas for
>rejigging the design rules to emphasise mass over points values and
>by the end of the discussion I'd talked myself round about 180
>degrees.
>
>The conclusion I came to is that the more descriptive the design
>system is, the better it is, and the more constructive the design
>system is, the worse it is. I know full well that this isn't going to
>be a popular point of view, since for many people the engineering
>aspect of a game like Full Thrust is more than half of the game ("my
>designs vs. your designs"), but my first impression of the above idea
>is that it is a huge retrograde step.
>
>The more constructive the design system, the faster a flock of
>maximisers will descend on it and gut it like a big wet fish.
>
>My preferred rejigging would be to go the other way. Want to design a
>ship? Write down what systems it will have, write down how many hull 
>boxes it will have, write down what thrust it will have. Tot up the
>points values of the systems and hull, muliply by some number derived
>from the thrust. Description over construction.
>
>-- 
>David Brewer
>

	I do think you're on to something here. I've seen systems like
this
in the past but I've always had the thought, how do you encourage
players to
take engines in systems like these? If you can take wide arc weapons,
won't
all the ships degenerate into battle stations that drift closer to each
other? Still, the idea is intriguing. If you have or ever decide to do a
Full Thrust ship design optional rule for this, please let me know. I'd
love
to try it out.

	James
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	Battlecruiser INTREPID, CORMORANT-class
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