[Torg] Jumping in Torg

Thu Dec 11 02:20:20 EST 2008

Hi Benn,

    Interesting discussion - however for me the answer for all of the aspects of the equation is "its up to you as GM". If the speedster is required to conserve momentum and energy (and he's not changing mass) then he's going to have lots of both! This obviously causes him to be able to jump long distances and collide with things really hard. However if we then include realistic air resistance they would burn up in a few seconds, any collisions would probably kill him and his legs would have severe issues at that speed. Also if he's changing mass he can be blown of course by a gust of wind. For all of the questions there's a logical follow on question that causes a problem.  For me this is one reason why Superman needs his package of powers - he has enough (Super speed, super strength, super toughness, super reactions) that he can stay alive while using them. 

    In game terms I personally would handle it as separate powers - if the player wanted Super Speed I would make that 1 power and Super Jumping a second (with DEX for speed and STR for jumping). Extending this though I would rule that super speed applied only to transit between two points and that actions couldn't be taken on the way - such as shooting a bow, using a spear etc where all of that additional momentum would grant them massive bonuses. However that would just be my judgement and I fully accept wouldn't strictly apply the laws of physics (although I would probably come up with a reason for the PC around not being able to accurately target things when moving that fast).

Graham

________________________________
From: Benjamin Grant <benn at 4efix.com>
To: torg at justintimeadventures.com
Sent: Thursday, 11 December, 2008 7:57:01
Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: [Torg] Jumping in Torg

Again, I am fine with talking about air resistance or energy or anything
-*but* I only want to handle one aspect at a time, and the current topic is
momentum. ;)  If you want to move on from momentum to air resistance, I am
fine with that.

-Benn Grant
eFix Computer Consulting
benn at 4eFix.com
603.283.6601

-----Original Message-----
From: torg-bounces at justintimeadventures.com
[mailto:torg-bounces at justintimeadventures.com] On Behalf Of Stephen John
Smoogen
Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 9:25 PM
To: torg at justintimeadventures.com
Subject: Re: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: [Torg] Jumping in Torg

On Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 7:12 PM,  <travisjhall at optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> Benjamin Grant <benn at 4efix.com> wrote:
>>
>> I do not deny that I have failed to communicate it well to you - the fact
>> that you are still claiming that I haven't is proof of that.  But that's
the
>> catch 22, and I don't know how to demonstrate further to you that I have
>> when I have and you come back to me saying that I haven't.
>
> The issue isn't when you first did it, but whether it has been done. Even
if you think it has been done, as the matter is in dispute, it can be easily
resolved by doing it. That way it has definitely been done, no matter
whether it had been done previously.
>
> In other words, if you want to make your point, do the comparison of a
speedster to an otherwise-identical non-speedster. Do it clearly and
explicitly, without hiding it amongst a bunch of other stuff that would
obscure whether it has been done.
>
> Then it will be indisputable.
>
> Just remember that if you give the non-speedster an advantage the
speedster does not have (like a cannon) you invalidate the comparison (for
this purpose).

Also realize that if you keep pulling out things you don't want to
consider "air resistance", "energy usage", etc it makes the
conversation also harder. Yes the super-speedster is running at X
velocity.. but how are they doing it. If they are doing it via say
momentum conversion (as Flash was doing in the mid 1990's) then the
distance he is going to 'jump' is not going ot be the same as he
runs... because he isn't being shot out of a cannon.. he is just under
a constant momentum when touching the ground. If the Speedster is
doing it from super strong legs then yes he is going to jump further..
but he won't be able to run faster than a certain speed because the
laws of physics and how a leg is put together put a hard limit on
that. If he is running faster than that then there has to be some sort
of explanation.. most comics/cartoons/have a limitation to make the
storyworld stay stable.

Stable because at some point you come up with the speedster carrying a
cannon ball and then letting it fly so it gets a KE of a nuke. And at
that point, the story is pretty much.. oh look another city gone
because of a bowling ball.

You as the GM would have to make that determination for your world..

-- 
Stephen J Smoogen. -- BSD/GNU/Linux
How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed
in a naughty world. = Shakespeare. "The Merchant of Venice"
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