2. PPD deployment is a configuration choice not so much numbers. It should be scaled by the size of the commanding ship, but not restricted to that ship. This would allow for more imaginative fleet formations for the ISC. For example:
If the largest ship in the fleet is of CL(CM) class, then one PPD is allowed for a fleet of three.
If the largest ship in the fleet is of CA class, then two PPD's are allowed for a fleet of three.
If the largest ship in the fleet is of CC class, then three PPD's are allowed for a fleet of three.
If the largest ship in the fleet is of DN(BB) class, then four PPD's are allowed for a fleet of three.
Except :
Some ISC CL class ships have 2 PPD. If they do, the only plasma they have is I-Torps.
CA ships will only have 1 PPD. CC ships will have 2. DN will have 3-4 PPD.
So I do not agree with Corb on this restriction.
I wish as much as anyone to stop the whining. ISC and PPD, Tenders and Casual Carriers, X-ships and First Gen X are all sore spots with someone, yet on SGO4 it was not such a big issue... ISC got somethin handed by Lyrans in MID and LATE with equal ships. The Feds were the very much the same as were Hydrans... Was it the shiplist? Not likely. More likely to be the skill of the pilot and proper strategy vs variuos races. Admittedly you might face a superior ship one v one, but that is the nature of DynaVerse.
No matter who you are if you don't have a good strategy vs equal ships, you will lose. Lots of PPD is cheese and so are fighters but limited amounts of each make the game interesting and challenging. Limit them too much and you take away from the game.
My suggestion is make your own shiplist. If enough people like it, they'll play it.
By simply cutting off ships from possible combinations, you limit the imagination of players and how fun the game can be.
Keep making the restrictions more complex will make some happy, but only the ones who don't have to figure them out as they don't apply.
You want fair? Make it 2 PPD for Light, 3 For Heavy, 4 for DN and 5 for BB.
This would be inline with what I understand of the theoretical History of a possible future of our universe.
This would allow for one CVLS,(which under the above rules would be unusable in any way as it is carrier - CL body and there aren't any Heavy Escorts to go with it)
or three CAY
or one DNZ
or one BB and a CAY
Which brings me to Casual Carriers...how is that Hydrans have lots of causal carriers, but every ISC (except the BB[Z]) with 4 fighters are considered a Carrier. Even one ship that is designated as a Carrier Escort is clasified as a carrier.
Think about it. But reason dictates that rules that are too complex will only cause rifts and confusion, leading to rules not being followed...