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I have lot's of fun with his version, there are many other new things besides CR. But I tend to agree that the whole logistic system, seen for itself, is not a very "fun" mechanic. I don't know if pure logistics even can be.
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Pure logistics can absolutely be great fun! Just look at Cities In Motion or, if you're a weirdo like me, Euro Truck Sim. XD
It just has to be designed correctly. The problem is with the fact that Alex seems far too afraid of becoming too "micro managey". What has to be kept in mind is probably the NUMBER ONE THING that will upset a player: lack of control. It's why so many people hate table top rpgs (don't worry, I love them). It's why there are jokes everywhere on the internet of a veteran samurai killing tanks (Civilization). While realistic, lack of control will *** nearly anyone off.
The only problem with CR I've had is, very possibly, that it's far too abstract. It may be far better to split things up. I see people bringing CR being taking care of crew injuries, replacing damaged parts, ect. It's my opinion that it should maybe be split into 3 parts.
Upkeep: Very basic. Base daily cost. It's the cost of food, basic supplies, clothing, ect. This is per ship. Could also include per crew, but I'm not sure how easy that would be to really balance. This is a baseline and shouldn't change.
Maintenance: Subsystem damage, maintenance. This should be our repair costs. This should be what we use when going into combat. Lighting up that tachyon lance is not easy if there's a pothole in the EM shielding! This should be able to be suspended by the player.
Casualties/Medical: This, I think, is the best addition. As people have stated, they see CR, in part, as taking care of injured crew. I agree with this assessment, and it makes sense that you can't just "suspend medical treatment" and everything is fine and dandy. But, in this game, it always had the atmosphere of "unfriendly, unrelenting universe". You can't suspend this. BUT, you can cancel it, and lose a random, but high, percentage of the injured crew. Not only is that insanely inhumane (which can be interesting in itself in an ethical exploration standpoint), seeing your injury numbers after combat gives a kind of beautiful depiction of the human cost of your conquest.
I really think this adds far more to the game and gives the player more control, while also not being too micro. We're only talking a single fleet here. Two dozen ships, if that. If you're running low on supplies, this is not too much to think about and shouldn't be a problem very often, only if something has gone horribly wrong. For example, you took on a large fleet and lost a major ship or two and were then chased and caught by another fleet, which you luckily beat. The chase drained your supplies and the multiple combats in quick succession (as well as the low maintenance of the ships) have caused large amounts of crew injuries. Do you halt maintenance on a few ships to keep you held over 'til port, but risk being outmatched on the long trip home, or do you stop treating the injuries and lose 80% of the casualties you sustained in battle, just so you don't have to risk losing more ships to retreats if you're caught on the way? Or are you so low, you have to do both? Are you ethically willing to do both?
I dunno. I may be off base here, but I see some interesting passion in that.