Re: Galaxy: Yet another idea to change a perfectly good game

From: desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)

Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1993 06:05:52 +0000

David Gibbs <dagibbs@quantum.qnx.com> writes:
> David seems to be suggesting that there is an optimal fleet design.
> I may be reading him incorrectly on this though.

That's certainly not what I meant, and I should clarify.  What I do
believe is that there is a general class of tactics which is applicable
to most (but not all) circumstances, and which is based on fleets made
up of three basic types of ships: "chaff" (or "decoys," or "targets"),
and small guns, and big guns.  This is as much as you said yourself.
There are further certain mathematical relationships which can be
derived relating, for example, the appropriate level of shielding for
the large ships to the level of shielding for the chaff.

Of course, these relationships are only approximate and further depend
on enemy ship design.  Indeed, all the specific details---like exactly
how large are the guns you build---obviously depend on a lot of details,
especially including (but not limited to) your relative tech level with
respect to your opponents, whether you are attacking or defending, and
your knowledge of enemy ship designs and tactics.  Turning that basic
knowledge into successful tactics in a particular situation still
requires a suitable mixture of skill and luck.  (Having five fully-
developed homeworlds doesn't hurt either!)

Nevertheless, I see a lot of people who build fleets with perhaps a
large number of [1 1 1 1 0]s, a medium number of [3 1 3 3 0]s, a smaller
number of [10 1 10 10 0]s, and a few [30 1 30 30 0]s.  (Not to name too
many names, but one of them has the initials RW. :-) )  I *know* this is
not right.  There may not be always-optimal tactics, but there certainly
are always-nonoptimal ones!  IMO, of course.

David desJardins

References

Galaxy: Yet another idea to change a perfectly good game
bruneau@griffin.emba.uvm.edu (Mark L Bruneau)
Sat, 20 Mar 1993 06:50:05 +0000
Re: Galaxy: Yet another idea to change a perfectly good game
desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
Sun, 21 Mar 1993 00:55:56 +0000
Re: Galaxy: Yet another idea to change a perfectly good game
dagibbs@quantum.qnx.com (David Gibbs)
Mon, 22 Mar 1993 04:35:39 +0000