I'd like to see 500 points for standard play.
Tournament can stay at 400.
While anyone can play at any point level, there is the 'legitimacy' psychological factor that comes into play when it's an official, legal point total. It makes it easier to get others to play at 500 or whatever number when it's the legitimate point total of a game.
I played an 800 point game recently and unsurprisingly, it more than doubled the game length. I'd say whatever you want to play casually is fine, but 400 points is essential to force hard strategic choices for the player. Part of the strategic brilliance of the game is that you really cannot bring everything. You've got to pick and pick well.
Bring more Squadrons, your opponent has the choice of taking ships with 2 Blue anti-Squadron and has more points to afford them.
I tend to be of the opinion that small increases or decreases to the points don't affect the time of play greatly. Ships blow up faster, or players having fewer points spend more time thinking as the choices are harder and have more impact. So for me the idea of trying 500 or 600 points games has merit and before I make a definitive comment, I should try and see if I enjoy it more or less before I decide that I would rather just stick with 400 points.
To be honest I think an extra 50 points would be great, 450 points would let you run three big boys and some fighters, or two big ships and some small ships with fighters.
You could keep the timing the same and it would not unbalance the leaders.
I would love 450, it also gives a round number for squadrons. 150.
To be honest I think an extra 50 points would be great, 450 points would let you run three big boys and some fighters, or two big ships and some small ships with fighters.
You could keep the timing the same and it would not unbalance the leaders.
I would love 450, it also gives a round number for squadrons. 150.
I like that Idea some times all I need in a list is about 50 more points to make it a great list and 150 on Squadrons would be enough to make a really good mix
My 400 point games have thus far been shorter than my 300 point games on average. Last one I played took 45 minutes. Things just die faster at higher point values. I like the idea of 500 points. Its a much better looking number than 400. Just hard cap squads at 125-150 at that point level and your good.
I think a move to 500 points, with 100 points being exclusively for squadrons, would solve a number of issues and diversify many fleets.
I think a move to 500 points, with 100 points being exclusively for squadrons, would solve a number of issues and diversify many fleets.
I think 25% of 500 is 125, and that would certainly do it for me!
In this case, 25% of 400. Which would also cut down on the all-rogue sets on both sides.
I think a move to 500 points, with 100 points being exclusively for squadrons, would solve a number of issues and diversify many fleets.
How would forcing everyone to take similar proportion of squads in their fleets, diversify?
I think a move to 500 points, with 100 points being exclusively for squadrons, would solve a number of issues and diversify many fleets.
How would forcing everyone to take similar proportion of squads in their fleets, diversify?
Warmachine does that. No thanks.
To be honest I think an extra 50 points would be great, 450 points would let you run three big boys and some fighters, or two big ships and some small ships with fighters.
You could keep the timing the same and it would not unbalance the leaders.
This would allow me to realize my dreams and become all that I can be.
To be honest I think an extra 50 points would be great, 450 points would let you run three big boys and some fighters, or two big ships and some small ships with fighters.
You could keep the timing the same and it would not unbalance the leaders.
This would allow me to realize my dreams and become all that I can be.
Sure if you want to face my list with 4 MC30's, Jainas Light and Bright Hope, then increase to 450.
It just makes things even more skewed and not more diverse.
I like the idea of a point increase but that's a bit too much. A moderate increase would be good and having squadrons at a nice round number would be good. I propose an increase to 420 points (140 squadron) which would be a moderate accommodation of the new toys, a minor tweak to squadrons and wouldn't be so much that it breaks the tournament/basic game format.
To be honest I think an extra 50 points would be great, 450 points would let you run three big boys and some fighters, or two big ships and some small ships with fighters.
You could keep the timing the same and it would not unbalance the leaders.
This would allow me to realize my dreams and become all that I can be.
Sure if you want to face my list with 4 MC30's, Jainas Light and Bright Hope, then increase to 450.
It just makes things even more skewed and not more diverse.
Generally most wargames may become more skewed with with more points but the skew itself becomes less effective. Skews work because you overload one aspect/tactic and your opponent can't cope unless they prepared for it. Skews are way more effective at lesser points when your opponent just doesn't have the tools/points to cover every eventuality. Conversely, there is a point scale that a game will get broken no matter what due to mechanics. I don't think 450 would be it though.
You know guys....
You can STILL run a 1000 point game and just set a time limit. You might not get past turn 4, but you can ensure that it won't take you 6 hours either! I'm really excited to get a few 1000 point games in. I think it would be a really fun "alternative" way to play. I would also suspect that if they ever release Super Star Destroyers, we might see a higher point cost format, similar to X-Wing's "Epic" format, so getting comfortable with higher cost games might be a good thing.
Possible SSDs now could be:
Executor
Annihilator
Eclipse
Also - imagine if Armada's "Epic" style play was Assymetrical - like the Imperials got a 3 foot long SSD, but the Rebels get instead get a box that has TWO 17 inch-long ships.
You know guys....
You can STILL run a 1000 point game and just set a time limit. You might not get past turn 4, but you can ensure that it won't take you 6 hours either! I'm really excited to get a few 1000 point games in. I think it would be a really fun "alternative" way to play. I would also suspect that if they ever release Super Star Destroyers, we might see a higher point cost format, similar to X-Wing's "Epic" format, so getting comfortable with higher cost games might be a good thing.
Possible SSDs now could be:
Executor
Annihilator
Eclipse
Also - imagine if Armada's "Epic" style play was Assymetrical - like the Imperials got a 3 foot long SSD, but the Rebels get instead get a box that has TWO 17 inch-long ships.
1000?!?!?! I can't afford that!
You know guys....
You can STILL run a 1000 point game and just set a time limit. You might not get past turn 4, but you can ensure that it won't take you 6 hours either! I'm really excited to get a few 1000 point games in. I think it would be a really fun "alternative" way to play. I would also suspect that if they ever release Super Star Destroyers, we might see a higher point cost format, similar to X-Wing's "Epic" format, so getting comfortable with higher cost games might be a good thing.
Possible SSDs now could be:
Executor
Annihilator
Eclipse
Also - imagine if Armada's "Epic" style play was Assymetrical - like the Imperials got a 3 foot long SSD, but the Rebels get instead get a box that has TWO 17 inch-long ships.
So, go ahead and play it.
But don't tell me I need to do it.
I wouldn't mind a point increase, even to 600, but only if they lowered the maximum amount of squadrons to 15%. Now that squadrons are valuable most fleets take some of nearly the maximum amount and these games drag. A 600 point game with a 33% squadron allowance would be too long for me to continue playing. 400 point games with two squadron filled fleets are already too clunky and slow to enjoy, at least for me.
I love Armada, but games with a giant ball of squadrons surrounding multiple ships are just painful to play and often doubles the length of games. I find Armada much more enjoyable with little squadrons and/or when ships spread out all over the map. Less fiddling around with pulling pieces off the map every time a ship needs to move and less fussing with squadron placement precision, a very important of squadron synergies.
To be honest I think an extra 50 points would be great, 450 points would let you run three big boys and some fighters, or two big ships and some small ships with fighters.
You could keep the timing the same and it would not unbalance the leaders.
This would allow me to realize my dreams and become all that I can be.
Sure if you want to face my list with 4 MC30's, Jainas Light and Bright Hope, then increase to 450.
It just makes things even more skewed and not more diverse.
I don't see a problem with that! It's not like the other player isn't getting the same points to work with 
To be honest I think an extra 50 points would be great, 450 points would let you run three big boys and some fighters, or two big ships and some small ships with fighters.
You could keep the timing the same and it would not unbalance the leaders.
This would allow me to realize my dreams and become all that I can be.
Sure if you want to face my list with 4 MC30's, Jainas Light and Bright Hope, then increase to 450.
It just makes things even more skewed and not more diverse.
I don't see a problem with that! It's not like the other player isn't getting the same points to work with
Yeah, but most of the advocates of an increase are wanting to make balanced lists.
The simple truth is that balanced lists will always lose. I am trying to make the point that whilst they add something for balance, my skew list becomes more powerful. The extra points wont help combat it.
I've always wondered why FFG didn't go for 420 or 450 pts, when they upscaled from 300pts. And 140pts or 150pts of squadrons is just a nice round number for me 
IMHO, the only difference between a 400pts and 450pts game, is that you have just the few points you need to squeeze in an extra upgrade or squadron, to make things work for you.
But you should never go beyond 450pts in tournament play, as some lists will be more time consuming to play than others.
To be honest I think an extra 50 points would be great, 450 points would let you run three big boys and some fighters, or two big ships and some small ships with fighters.
You could keep the timing the same and it would not unbalance the leaders.
This would allow me to realize my dreams and become all that I can be.
Sure if you want to face my list with 4 MC30's, Jainas Light and Bright Hope, then increase to 450.
It just makes things even more skewed and not more diverse.
I don't see a problem with that! It's not like the other player isn't getting the same points to work with
Yeah, but most of the advocates of an increase are wanting to make balanced lists.
The simple truth is that balanced lists will always lose. I am trying to make the point that whilst they add something for balance, my skew list becomes more powerful. The extra points wont help combat it.
It's true, but that's the same with every game system. Archetypes will always be stronger than balanced lists against certain and often-times, more balanced matchups. It's the same way in RTS, TCG, MMOs, FPS. There's a good article I'm trying remember by Rosewater that talks about this more in-depth. I can't for the life of me find it right now, but it's not the player archetype one, it's the type of decks being constructed vs. a metagame.
401 points is a good spot to be
.....will also lead to use wanting to have 12 activations per army!
Ahem...we are playing with ships, so I believe the correct term would be Navy
FYI: Its only footsluggers that call any armed force for an Army