RE: [DS] No Capacity was: Points system (fresh)

At 1:21 PM -0500 4/5/02, Bell, Brian K (Contractor) wrote:
>
>And if vehicle B has an enhanced PDS, a ECM system, ADFV and
>additional components filling in that space, then shouldn't it still
>be more than vehicle A?
>
>[Bri] But if you add an enhanced PDS, a ECM system, ADFC and additional
>components to _both_ vehicles, should not _both_ vehicles increase in
cost
>by the _same_ ammount?

What you should be saying is

Vehicle A With weapon of X effect and Y movement.

Vehicle B With weapon of X effect and Y movement.

The problem is that when you tack on that extra capacity, its going 
to eventually get used.

>  >...which illustrates the point nicely, I think.  Two vehicles with
>>identical performance, but one costs a little more than *twice* as
>>much as the other.
>
>Because the assumption is that if you build a vehicle with additional
>capacity, it will be used. You're leaving this big empty box on the
>back of this tank and saying it doesn't have a combat value. Thats
>true. But if you stuff additional components into that tank then
>you've got a better tank.
>
>[Bri] But the subject of this tread was a point system _without_ a
capacity
>system. If you use just a point system, then size should not matter. If
you
>use a capacity system (or other device as a constraint on the design
system)
>it (or the constraint) should penalize building ineffecient vehicles.
But,
>again, that was the whole arguement for the points-only system (that
points
>reflect the capability of the vehicle, and points were the only
constraint).

I think a points system without a capacity system is the wrong 
direction. Perhaps I'm old fashioned, but how do you decide what a 
given vehicle's signature is with out a common frame of reference 
among players. By tossing size out the window, you're getting even 
more nebulous.

>I have a problem with the fact that you're squishing two things
>together and saying they are the same when they are not. Size =!
>apparent signature.
>
>[Bri] True. Size <> signature. However, size has _NO_ game effect, but
>signature _does_. Thus, signature should effect points, and size should
not.

Inches and scale have no game effect. We could just have sticks a 
certain length for each type of movement rate or range. But they are 
a good common unit. Size in DS/SG is a very quick thing to describe 
to someone learning the game and it creates additional reference 
points when describing a vehicle.

-- 
--
Ryan Gill			  rmgill@mindspring.com
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