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02:04, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

measure unit in international role playing.

Posted by stivale
stivale
member, 68 posts
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 10:42
  • msg #1

measure unit in international role playing

I wonder if someone else faced the same issue.

...The goblin was only few meters from you, pardon, a few feet... or should be some feet... Lets say 15 feet which are roughly 4.5 meters.... Or 4,5 meters if you are in europe... Oh my God


Personally as most of people here is from US i use american standards
Jarodemo
member, 692 posts
My hovercraft
is full of eels
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 10:46
  • msg #2

Re: measure unit in international role playing

In reply to stivale (msg # 1):

Generally I would say stick to the measurements used in the rule system you are using. If no set measurements then just be consistent in using imperial or metric measurements.
Merevel
member, 793 posts
Gaming :-)
Very unlucky
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 10:52
  • msg #3

Re: measure unit in international role playing

I think better in meters lol. Even though I am from America. That being said my lazy eye gives me problems with distances. I guess I am used to rule systems using Meters.


All that being said I agree with Jarodemo, go with the rule system or at least be consistent.
Syrris
member, 397 posts
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 11:46
  • msg #4

Re: measure unit in international role playing

  Generally it's easiest to treat it as 3 feet = 1 meter. It's close enough to work for most things.
stivale
member, 69 posts
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 12:17
  • msg #5

Re: measure unit in international role playing

Yeah I forgot to detail that I am a free-form Gm otherwise I would definitly go with the system.
I am surprised some of you guys are familiar with metric system.
Point is when you want to give just an idea. Worst thing is character height. 5 feet is defintly short. 6 is already pretty tall. It's inpressive how culture and habits influences this stuff.
Not talking of pounds and date formats.... That a nightmare
Gaffer
member, 1170 posts
Ocoee FL
40 yrs of RPGs
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 13:26
  • msg #6

Re: measure unit in international role playing

I would probably express things in more general terms. Characters can be described as short, tiny, rotund, mammoth, tall, taller-than-average, a tall woman, voluptuous, solidly built, thin, slender, cadaverous, etc. Specific weight and height are probably best left to the character sheet.

As for distance and such, you can again be general, across the room, halfway down the block, a long bow-shot, pointblank, just out of reach, a few strides, ten paces (a pace being two steps), etc. You can always add a PM telling the knife thrower that the target is 'just out of range.'
willvr
member, 496 posts
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 13:35
  • msg #7

Re: measure unit in international role playing

Actually I'd be very careful with heights especially with being 'general'.

My family for example, 6 feet would be average. Actually technically for my family below average, but we count it as average. No way would that be considered 'pretty tall'.

But usually I've found, regardless of what units people use for everything else, talking feet and inches for height people can get. Now talking pounds vs kilograms for weights is a different story. Consistency though is the key.
Tzuppy
member, 873 posts
Fate, WoD
and Indie RPGs
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 14:55
  • msg #8

Re: measure unit in international role playing

The other day I posted something mentioning height of two meters, but I don't think anyone understood me.
bigbadron
moderator, 14689 posts
He's big, he's bad,
but mostly he's Ron.
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 15:00

Re: measure unit in international role playing

Depends on the system.  A lot use feet and inches, pounds, and miles per hour.  But Runequest and later editions of Traveller use metres, kilograms, and kilometres per hour.

If you really want to freak people out, give all speeds in furlongs per fortnight.  :)
This message was last edited by the user at 15:01, Wed 01 Oct 2014.
DarkLightHitomi
member, 730 posts
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 15:02
  • msg #10

Re: measure unit in international role playing

You can also use more abstract measures. Plenty of games are made to use a grid, so those games you could refer to "spaces" or how many moves it takes.

For freeform you can always use measures by how reasonable it is for a character to cover that distance, "reach" for within arms/weapons reach, "triple" for a triple pace which is just out of weapon reach, etc.

Like mentioned before, height and weight, could easily be average, below average, etc for the race of the subject.
Utsukushi
member, 1330 posts
I should really stay out
of this, I know...but...
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 17:17
  • msg #11

Re: measure unit in international role playing

Egads!  I was traveling at 147,840 fpf this morning.  People can drive 67,200 fpf right down a residential street!  There could be children out there!

I can definitely see why that would freak people out!
steelsmiter
member, 1183 posts
GURPS, FFd6, Pathfinder
NO FREEFORM!
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 17:49
  • msg #12

Re: measure unit in international role playing

bigbadron:
Depends on the system.  A lot use feet and inches, pounds, and miles per hour.  But Runequest and later editions of Traveller use metres, kilograms, and kilometres per hour.

If you really want to freak people out, give all speeds in furlongs per fortnight.  :)

GURPS uses yards, but says that meters are 'equivalent' even though one is 36" and the other is ~40". There are other considerations besides system though. Depends on the theme of the game as well. If I'm playing some game designed after a japanese based VN or something, the girl is likely either 1.5 meters or 155 centimeters, but she weighs 53 kg. Movements aren't heavily tacked down in thus themed games.

The Bad Movie game I'm running likes feet to judge distance, or Imperial measures in general really. If I'm in a space game, I might talk about Parsecs, but those aren't as commonly known as light years, so I'd rather use LY.
spectre
member, 750 posts
Myriad paths fell
away from that moment....
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 18:22
  • msg #13

Re: measure unit in international role playing

I adapt the units to my story. For instance I run a fantasy campaign that takes place in the middle ages. So people are ten stones tall, a few paces away. Long units are leagues away. Otherwise I revert to simpler descriptive terms, a stone's throw, on the opposite bank of the river, out of earshot, and heavier than a lead brick. At that point it's easier to use similes to compare or contrast distances and weights.
pfarland
member, 257 posts
Wed 1 Oct 2014
at 23:31
  • msg #14

Re: measure unit in international role playing

steelsmiter:
I might talk about Parsecs, but those aren't as commonly known as light years, so I'd rather use LY.


Technically 3.26 Light Years.  But who's counting?  - Local Science nut
steelsmiter
member, 1184 posts
GURPS, FFd6, Pathfinder
NO FREEFORM!
Thu 2 Oct 2014
at 00:45
  • msg #15

Re: measure unit in international role playing

pfarland:
Technically 3.26 Light Years.  But who's counting?  - Local Science nut

You may have misread my comment. I didn't make a statement that parsecs are lightyears, I made the statement that lightyears are more commonly known than parsecs.
Malakan
member, 1244 posts
Thu 2 Oct 2014
at 01:17
  • msg #16

Re: measure unit in international role playing

I prefer metric, but I grew up in the USA so that may bias me.

(It's a joke.)

But seriously, people in the US learn metric.  They can handle it.
This message was last edited by the user at 01:17, Thu 02 Oct 2014.
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