Re: Engineering Crews

Arthur Green [email removed] writes:

[engineer comparison table deleted]
>It looks like engineering crew requirements have doubled in FFS.

It's actually worse, and might be worst of all at lower tech
levels, depending on how the computer multiplier comparisons
work between MT and TNE.  In TNE you have "Engineers" who are
calculated based on the power produced by your power plant and
your computer multiplier.  You also get "Maintanance" crew
that are calculated based on, among other things, drive tonnage.
So the whole question is complicated by differing definitions
of what an engineer is.  I suspect that the maintenance crew
requirements have also risen, but I don't have FFS with me right
now.

One of the effects this new rule has is that high-tech power
stations will have computers built in to reduce the number of
engineers required to run them.  Otherwise, your 5000 MW tech-17
antimatter plant requires the same number of engineers to run
as your 5000 MW tech-5 steam boiler.

Incidentally, one of the things that is good about FFS is that
they've dropped those awful control point calculations from the
rules.  One thing I find annoying, however, is the inconsistency
of units for calculations.  Sometimes the rules call for cubic
meters, sometimes kiloliters (which are the same thing) and
sometimes for displacement-tons, for instance.  You have to stay
pretty alert to avoid making stupid errors.

  Steve Bonneville
  [email removed]