Points vs No Points

Here is my view of the points vs no points debate:

Points:
Advantages:
 Starting reference with which to roughly balance games.
 One-off games between strangers are easier (bring X points).
 One player does not have to provide miniatures for both sides ("but I
don't
have an ADS vehicle." "Oh. The whole scenario revolves around having 3
of
them.")
 Scenarios are easier to balance (you have a starting point, so the
balance
only need to be tweaked).
 The relative value of a unit can be determined (estimated) quickly.
Disadvantages:
 Players depend on points to balance the game. This ignores scenario
imbalances, the effects of terrain, etc.
 Holes and weaknesses in the point system tend to be exploited.
 Players sometimes feel "cheated" or that the system is broken due to
assumptions in the point system.

No Points:
Advantages:
 Encourages (enforces?) scenario based games (victory conditions of the
scenario determines balance).
 No squabbling (whining?) about the points or how the point system is
broken.
 Flexible. (No "I'm sorry, you are 12 points over, you have to remove a
unit.")
 Less mini-maxing (not none, but less).
 Usually leads to more satisfying games (better scenarios).
Disadvantages:
 Very difficult for starting players (if no one has played the game
before,
it is difficult to set up a satisfying game).
 Scenarios take longer to develop and balance (no starting point. This
should decrease with experience).
 It may be diffucult to determine the relative worth of a figure.
 Games often take longer, because players have to "wait and see" the
strength of opposing figures/units (which may be balanced or not), so
are
more cautious (rather than trust the point balance).

Note: I have played both and enjoyed it. I have designed scenarios with
both
and enjoyed it. So, this is not a bashing of one or the other, just a
recognition of the strengths and difficulties of each approach.

---
Brian Bell
bbell1@insight.rr.com  
ICQ: 12848051
AIM: Rlyehable
YIM: Rlyehable
Cygnus X1.info
http://www.cygnusx1.info/