Re: FMA/SGII (non)points system for DSIII

On Sat, 6 Apr 2002 01:20:19 -0500 (EST), Roger Books
<books@jumpspace.net> 
wrote :

> On  5-Apr-02 at 18:27, Tomb (tomb@dreammechanics.com) wrote:
> > 1) Point systems:
> > Yes, a capacity-only point system could work, but it needs a
mechanism
> > for miniaturization to allow construction of minis that don't
match... 
> 
> I've already provided that.  A size three vehicle has variable
capacity
> based on tech level.	This reflects miniaturization of components.
> 
> > 
> > Cap only system is one way to go (hard to get right), points only is
> > another (hard but not as hard to get right), and cap + points is (as
OO
> > pointed out) harder by x4 to get right. 
> 
> Why is this any harder to get right?	We have just gotten away from:
> Weapon X kill Y% of the time unless the opponent has A mods to armour
> in which case it kill B% of the time out to range L in which case
> it kills M%.
> 
> How do you point that?  Especially when you have various survibility
> based on armour type and various mobilities.
> 
> Everyone in this discussion has freely admitted that points systems
> don't work.  When something doesn't work I have this odd tendancy
> to discard it.  Call me strange but I just can't see wasting time
> on SOMETHING THAT WILL BE BROKEN NO MATTER HOW I DESIGN IT.  I
> like the point system in SGII.  Why don't we use something we know
> will work?

Well...

For one thing, a point system has a lot of value to new players; both
new to 
DSII and new to microarmor gaming in general.  It’s pretty easy for the

experienced folks like you and me to design a functional scenario, but a
lot 
less so for the complete newbie.  And a few bad initial experiences are
a good 
way to put people off a game forever.

Even for the experienced players, they have a value: you don’t
necessarily need 
to design a scenario for every single game.  You and your friends can
bring X 
thousand points and slug it out, without forcing someone to GM.

(That’s a pet peeve of mine, frankly -- I like gaming, and I like
GMing, but I 
don’t want to be forced to GM every time I want to play a given game. 
That was 
the case for a while, but things are easier now.)

Additionally, point systems sell.  SGII’s lack of a point system is one
of the 
major sources of criticism I’ve heard of the game, and I know for a
fact that I 
lost several sales of the game to people who didn’t want to buy an SF 
miniatures game without a point system.  It makes the transition from
40K a lot 
easier for those players who want to try something different.

I know that some people are going to say that the people who can’t
handle the 
lack of a point system can go <EXPLETIVE DELTED> themselves, but
personally I’d 
like to broaden the available player base, *and* see Jon move into his
own 
castle and start producing FMA stuff day and night.

-- 
John Crimmins
johncrim@voicenet.com