Burger said:
DM said:
Most of the players I know who are thinking of giving the rules a spin won't be using the system in the rules, preferring to use historical fleet lists or OOBs from actual battles instead.
So you're thinking of giving the rules a spin, by using some completely different rules?
My brain hurts.
IMO we have 2 VaS gamer "types".
The historical oriented (see above DM) and the gaming oriented.
For the historical oriented the PL system is nice to have, but he just picks the ships he has in the historical engagement and plays it. As said above often with unbalanced forces...
The gamer will use the PL system of the rulebook.
Both approaches are IMO valid. I see reasons for both points of view.
Personally I am more gaming oriented. I would happily use ships against each other that could not be on the same table because their service date is not fitting. The problem with the only gaming approach is that you have a tendency for cherry picking.
I had a playtest game against the IJN. The IJN has very good torpedoes, so most of the fleet of my opponent were torp carrying Destroyers...
Bottomline for me: I still depends on the ´players involved, there is no right or wrong.
To answer the initial question: Yes you build fleets the same way as in ActA. patrol/skirmish/raid/war/ect
Raid lvl brings you apr. 2h of playing time.