Re: (fwd) Re: [FT] F***ters [was: Operational game]

> Certainly. The problem isn't so much to determine the ship's real
combat
> power with good accuracy as to create a formula which approximates
this
> real combat power reasonably well while still being simple enough to
use
> without a computer program. The ideal is a formula which can be used
with
> only pen and paper, of course.

Ideally pen and paper, but I'd be just as happy with a formula that
works on
a calculator, if it works well.

> The formula Laserlight gave a link to gives reasonable results up to
around
> TMF 250-300; larger than that that the ships get more and more
overpriced.
> I'd prefer that to the current situation where ships get more and more
> *under*priced as the TMF increases, though :-/

In campaign games, it might be possible to use the existing point
system, if
there was a time delay to build larger units.  If 20 mass or less ships
could be built in 1 turn, but SuperDreadnought in 6 turns, I suspect
smaller
ships would be more useful, especially if total cost had to be paid up
front...  I know; I'm getting dangerously close to StarFire again...

> If you're talking about "largest" as in "largest of the designs
published
> in the Fleet Books", then I agree

Definately Fleet Books.  I once tried to build a full size Zentradi
Flagship
on a spreadsheet.  I never did the ship display, the stats were
obscene...

> Should work reasonably well, though you need to make some special
> allowances for carriers (who don't get the large-ship advantages in as
> large degree as non-carrier warships)... and I'd prefer not to
calculate
> that "to the power of three-fifths" with pen and paper :-/

I suppose I could do a modfied version for carriers, that reduce the
points
per fighter group carried (and cargo for armed auxialleries).  I'll look
into someother way to get the curve I'm after to see if I can get rid of
the
three-fifths exponent.

ias