RE: Massed Fighter issue.....

>To Damo and the other "screw points systems; play scenarios instead"
>people:

Well, let not go too far. I think points are a great tool when not used
to
exclusion...

>Scenario games need someone to create the scenarios before you can
play. 
>Campaign games require a set of campaign rules, and someone to
coordinate 
>the campaign. Both types of games are viable in stable gaming groups
who 
>are experienced with the game... but when most of your games are
against 
>relative strangers who lack the time to play campaings, or against
newbies 
>who lack the experience to create interesting scenarios, you're pretty
much

>left with one-off pick-up games.

Then when's the book or PDF of various and sundry canon scenarios for
the FB
fleets? ;-) How many people reading this got their start in the
gazillion
SFB scenarios? Not that it's the final solution, but it's a start.

Or how about getting each Polity/Race Playtester to write up a doctrine
paper, PDF it, and provide it free on the website? 

>That's where the points system is really needed: to provide a common
ground

>between strangers, and to help newbies to set up reasonably even
battles 
>before they've gained enough experience to create unbalanced scenarios 
>which are still enjoyable to both sides.

I'd think that just as helpful or more would be some hardcore examples
of FB
fleet design. And a series of explanations about where the game does
break
down...

How novel!

"Yes, gentle reader, a soap-bubble fleet is nigh-on unstoppable in a
one-off
game... etc. etc. etc. Here's an example of a classic soap-bubble
carrier:
Yadda, yadda, yadda. Here's how to balance out a game where somebody
wants
to play one. Blah, blah, blah."

David Rodemaker