RE: Capital Ships in Campeign Games

>Definately, a 'real life' campaign would be tough to win without
>tenders, tugs, merchant shipping, and revenue boats... Often these
>aren't the optimum force mix for rules lawyers or power gamers. I
really
>prefer the full spectrum of ship designs, a low-down gritty combat
>between small, relatively inefficently (from a points-optimization
>standpoint) designed ships is my speed. Especially if it has a
>believable scenario backing it up, and/or a place in a grand campaign.
>Why do all ships necessarily have to be  optimum. Take a look at the
>appraisals in Janes Ships of the World regarding some classes. Quite a
>few ships in it are described as old, obsolete, undergunned,
>underpowered. Many navies maintained near hulks on their rolls for
>decades.... Maybe that class of Superdreadnought carries so damned many
>'A' batteries in order to ensure that 50% of it's guns will actually be
>functional. Maybe the superdestroyer with the 3 arc 'A' battery is so
>cramped and prone to malfunction that only a few were made, and crews
>that serve on them are rotated so frequently (due to fatigue, radiation
>burns, general morale loss) that no ship ever really attains 'crack'
>status. The problem is convincing those with a mind that 'points are
>points' that scenarios using 'real' ships are worthwhile. A refereed
>campaign game can give rewards to players with a convincing realistic
>'angle' on ship design, much like rewarding clever players in
>role-playing games.
>
>Just some thoughts...
>
>Gene

I couldn't agree more - some very well-expressed sentiments. The
question
is, how do we persuade all the powergamers/munchkins/anoraks* that this
is
the way to go? Does anyone feel we should actually legislate on things
like
this in future rules (maybe on the lines of the previously-suggested
"maximum % of certain ship types in fleet"), or do we continue as before
and leave it up to the players to be "reasonable" about this....:) ?

Awaiting deluge of replies with interest!!

Jon (GZG).

*To quote Flanders & Swann's wonderfully politically-incorrect little
ditty
"A Song of Patriotic Predjudice": "... they argue with umpires, they
cheer
when they've won - and they practice beforehand, which ruins the fun..."