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Re: Scale



> Peter writes:
> >>>  Scale:  This is true.  The problem is what is a decent solution?
> >>> Obviously, it should take much longer to walk between towns than shops.
> > 
> > Obviously?  The question we should be asking, is:  does it make the
> > game more fun if we add realism here?  I mean, who is going to ENJOY
> > slogging through boring countryside more than he has to?
> 
> I agree that we shouldn't make the game boring by dramatically slowing down
> playing speed.  Do you have a problem with the compromise I suggested--namely 
> that food consumption should increase when travelling on larger scale maps?

I think that increasing the rate at which time passes while you're outside
a town is the best idea - that means food would be consumed more quickly,
but it may also mean that spell points regenerate more quickly too.
This may seem to much of an advantage - when you get low on spell points,
quickly duck outside and they regenerate more quickly. But you'd need
much more food to do this, and any spells you may have cast on yourself
will wear off more quickly too.

As for spell ranges out of doors, most role-play systems have spell ranges
much greater out of doors than when the same spells are used inside, so
we could readily leave spell casting scales just as they are and save
ourselves a good deal of additional complexity.

Is there anything else that could be affected by a more rapid passing of time
other than food consumption and spell regeneration?

> > If you guys make it painful to travel city-to-city then I'M going to set up
> > for-a-fee teleportation booths in the major towns.
> 
> I think this is a fine idea, and ultimately I think it makes a lot of sense.
> If you want to get to the next town, take a horse ride.  If you want to get
> farther, take a boat.  If you want to get to the other side of the continent,
> take a dragon transport.  As long as the face used for the teleporter appropriately
> reflects the mode of travel I think this would add to, rather than detract from
> the enjoyability of the game.

Ah, the spirit of free enterprise reaches even the crossfire universe! :-)
These are the very reasons that I suggest advantages to go with the
disadvantages of travelling scaled distances - you may need to stock
up more food for the journey but at least it gives you time to recover
your spell points / stat. to return to normal / curse to wear off / ...
We need to make travel an integral part of the game rather than something
to endure. If travel were to be tiresome for a player, it would be better
to leave things just as they are with much more "instant" travel.

Simon