Points values, uses thereof.

In message <199703101541.JAA03953@www.intelli.com> "Donald A. Chipman
> III" writes:

Currently, that's not wholey true. Merchants cost way too much and
non-FTL combattants don't cost enough. Some utterly useless things
are given points values, like ortillery systems. Points values should attempt
to represent tactical worth, although this is something of an impossible task.

> This is all well and good, but

I suppose the solution would be to take the vessel's core statistics and throw
them through different valuation systems. The economic construction cost
thingy would probably be very dependent on the background idea you have and
the specifics of the campaign.

For an example, consider the "Traveller" background. Two ships might
be considered identical in FT terms, while one has a "jump-3"
capability, the other "jump-4" (goes further in the same time, gets
places that are more remote, make two jump-2's without refuelling).
The latter will therefore be larger and cost more, and may even be built at
different "tech levels".

Other factors might include mass construction over custom ships, or scarce
vital resources (e.g. lanthanum for jump drives in Taveller). I really don't
know where to start. Sorry.

> Donald A. Chipman III writes:

Not necessarily -- what if the points system were scrapped and mass was
the only measure of a ship's value? How would you differentiate between
the value of a thrust-2 Superdreadnaught and a thrust-8
Superdreadnaught?

> At 10:02 AM 3/11/97 -0500, you wrote:

> the value of a thrust-2 Superdreadnaught and a thrust-8

This is easy, thrust-8 is called the winner, thrust-2 will usually be
called the loser:)

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> >Not necessarily -- what if the points system were scrapped and mass
In a pure mass based system, bigger engines will take up more mass so the
thrust 8 dreadnaught will have less room for weapons and other systems.

--Binhan

> Not necessarily -- what if the points system were scrapped and mass

It's a radical change, but I think you need to change the system so that
engines take up hull space. Then you have the situation of
trading off engine power vs firepower, and maybe the thrust-2
Superdreadnaught has enough firepower to win.