tgcb Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 (edited) Why do all humans get a Movement Rate of 6M? (I do understand why'd you'd want a bunch of mooks/monsters to be the same rate for ease of play). If I'm taller than you and my DEX is way better than yours....you can bet I'm moving these long legs farther than you are moving your slow stumpy legs. Is it a left-over from miniature combat days? Is this to eliminate another variable that bogs down play? It almost seems like Movement Rate should be calculated from DEX+SIZ (but then again, maybe it is more math that just gets in the way). Edited July 20, 2013 by tgcb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nclarke Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Because all humans have had an identical movement rate for thirty years and it's ingrained. YMMV Quote Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawrence.whitaker Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Why do all humans get a Movement Rate of 6M? (I do understand why'd you'd want a bunch of mooks/monsters to be the same rate for ease of play). If I'm taller than you and my DEX is way better than yours....you can bet I'm moving these long legs farther than you are moving your slow stumpy legs. Is it a left-over from miniature combat days? Is this to eliminate another variable that bogs down play? It almost seems like Movement Rate should be calculated from DEX+SIZ (but then again, maybe it is more math that just gets in the way). Read the description of the Athletics skill, page 58. Quote The Design Mechanism: Publishers of Mythras Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgcb Posted July 20, 2013 Author Share Posted July 20, 2013 Read the description of the Athletics skill, page 58. My point is that a 6'5 guy with DEX 18 should have a base rate faster than a 5'1 guy with DEX 10. I shouldn't have to roll great on my Athletics/Running to gain an extra metre on him...I already have an extra metre on him based on my Characteristics. But as Pete Nash said today on my other post, you guys want to emphasize Skills and de-emphasize Characteristics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baragei Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 My old 2nd ed Character Law for RoleMaster has a nice table for stride length and movement speed. In fact, that book has a lot of nice things in it. But I'm not sure if the extra math is really worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp42 Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Another point to consider - SIZ is not height, nor necessarily remotely proportional to leg length. Dwarves, for example, are SIZ 10-12, and explicitly not due to their height. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rust Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 My point is that a 6'5 guy with DEX 18 should have a base rate faster than a 5'1 guy with DEX 10. It is certainly possible to increase the granularity of the game's mechanics, and it would certainly make the game a better simulation of the real world. Unfortunate- ly the increased realism would require an increased complexity of the rules, and as rules get more complex they tend to reduce a game's playability. It is a matter of personal preference where one sees the best compromise between realism / rules complexity and playability, I always liked the d100 family games because they are comparatively rules light compared to games like GURPS or Rolemaster. Quote "Mind like parachute, function only when open." (Charlie Chan) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgcb Posted July 21, 2013 Author Share Posted July 21, 2013 It is certainly possible to increase the granularity of the game's mechanics, and it would certainly make the game a better simulation of the real world. Unfortunate- ly the increased realism would require an increased complexity of the rules, and as rules get more complex they tend to reduce a game's playability. It is a matter of personal preference where one sees the best compromise between realism / rules complexity and playability, I always liked the d100 family games because they are comparatively rules light compared to games like GURPS or Rolemaster. Got a copy of HARP (which is "Rolemaster-light") and skimmed through it - nice enough at first glance but looks like too much math. And of course, Rolemaster is even "worse" from what I've read (haven't seen a copy since mid-80's). So, personally I'd stick with Runequest, which in some places is a little "too light" versus games which are definitely "too heavy". May use some the HARP charts though! (I love charts for some reason). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vagabond Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 My point is that a 6'5 guy with DEX 18 should have a base rate faster than a 5'1 guy with DEX 10. I shouldn't have to roll great on my Athletics/Running to gain an extra metre on him...I already have an extra metre on him based on my Characteristics. But as Pete Nash said today on my other post, you guys want to emphasize Skills and de-emphasize Characteristics. As mentioned already, SIZ is not height, it is actually more closely related to mass. Also, DEX is not speed, but rather, it represents balance, agility, and reflexes. Absolute speed would be a combination of STR and DEX. Also, as Loz mentions, re-read the Athletics section, especially the part where it says "For every full 25% a character has in Athletics, he can add an extra metre to his base Movement when sprinting, or half that when running over longer distances." No roll necessary (and Athletics is based on STR+DEX). Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgcb Posted July 21, 2013 Author Share Posted July 21, 2013 As mentioned already, SIZ is not height, it is actually more closely related to mass. Also, DEX is not speed, but rather, it represents balance, agility, and reflexes. Absolute speed would be a combination of STR and DEX. Also, as Loz mentions, re-read the Athletics section, especially the part where it says "For every full 25% a character has in Athletics, he can add an extra metre to his base Movement when sprinting, or half that when running over longer distances." No roll necessary (and Athletics is based on STR+DEX). Ian I want to read the Skill chapter today (all the way through instead of skipping around). Hopefully I "get it" when I'm done. Don't give up hope on me yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soltakss Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 In my experience, people all move at roughly the same rate, give or take. When I was younger, I walked faster than I do now, but my SIZ has not drastically changed and my DEX is the same as it ever was, in fact my SIZ has probably increased by 1 or 2, so according to a formula I should probably walk faster now than then. I know some very tall people (6' 6") who actually walk quite slowly and some shorter people who beetle around very quickly. I don't see much benefit in using a formula to work it out, although you might give a +1 or +2 bonus to those with long legs or a -1 or -2 penalty to the morbidly obese or those with very short legs. Quote Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. www.soltakss.com/index.html Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgcb Posted July 21, 2013 Author Share Posted July 21, 2013 I guess I was thinking in "game terms" rather than "reality terms" as most every thing else is calculated so it struck me "odd" that movement wasn't. Again, more of a curiosity than a controversy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.