Re: Crew Quality & David Weber

Imre A. Szabo wrote:
> 
> John Leary wrote:
> 
> >	 Try using the elite crews as 'plus one' on 'To Hit' rolls.
> > I would suggest a starting ratio of 1.5 to one for the points
> > difference between the two sides. (Try a couple games and adjust
> > as necessary.)
> 
> John, you might want to re-think this one.  Technology has radically
> changed crew efficiency.  In tanks, the difference between average
crews
> and excellent crews in M60's is very substantial, the good crew is
> probably 2 to 3 times more effective.  In M1's, it is still a factor,
by
> good crews are only 10 to 15 percent more effective...  In ships, the
> difference is expressed in their ability to correctly interpret the
> situation from sensory data, and their skill at damage control.  If
you
> want to have a difference for elite crews, try giving them a +1 to
> damage control, and/or a +1 to all electronic die rolls, and/or the
> ability to plot movement "for elite crewed ships only" after all other
> ships have moved, but before fighters (another reason why having
> fighters move before ships is a bad idea).
> 
> IAS

IAS,
     The 'plus one' on the 'To Hit' is an 18 percent change (roughly)
in odds, somewhat higher than what you are stating (IF I have not 
made an error in the reading), but the best I could do on short notice
with a six sided die.
     Plus one on any sort of electronic rolls will not have any 
effective value in combat and so I did not consider this an option.
     
     Part of the original premise had to do with fighting at
odds for the elite ships,  the only way to counteract (IMHO)
the additional points available to the other side is the plus
on the weapons.   I DO like the idea of the elites moving after
the mob side, but I do not feel that would truly make the two 
sides equal in an uneven point encounter of 1.5 to 1 (or
possibly worse odds).
     IMHO the mob side would win 70 to 85 percent of such
encounters even if executed with average players.

     These comments relate to FTII games.   The suggestions/comments
/opinions really need to be tried out and the results reported to 
gain an understanding of the possibilities/limitations.

Bye for now, 
John L.