[Torg] Jumping in Torg

[Benjamin Grant]

The main issue is that giving the speedster speed without giving him momentum not only contradicts how this works in literature (such as The Flash) but also more importantly violates physics for no good reason.

The most important thing a GM can do is guard the authenticity of his world.  Without that, the game gets silly and arbitrary.  Always resist the temptation to meddle in the world in order to fix minor perceived problems - there is usually a better way.

-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 Jon Woodman
Sent: Friday, December 12, 2008 9:55 AM
To: Stephen John Smoogen; torg at justintimeadventures.com
Subject: Re: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: [Torg] Jumping in Torg

Seems to me a bit of the question becomes to be concerned about character strength or over strength.  I think many of the people here are concerned that the speedster really doesn't need this ability.  Having it perhaps makes him too powerful.  Thus Stephen's comment here about the speedster being able to use the bowling ball to destroy a city.  

Ultimately you can decide what powers that speedster is allowed.  And it seems you have regardless of what anyone else says.  Not allowing him the power to jump super distances doesn't punish him in any way, it just limits his already pretty awesome powers.  And all supers have to have some limitations, otherwise their sheer power becomes boring to the players.  If you can accomplish any task at will, it makes nothing exciting.  

It is superhero physics and those obviously don't apply to real world physics.  So you can make the judgement as to whether or not he can jump incredible distances.  They don't have to apply to real world physics, so while the computations are fun, they aren't really necessary.  You can just decide what it'll be.  Have fun with it.  I think you are as you have a lot of comments about your campaign and it sounds to me like your players probably enjoy it.  Just be careful about how strong you make them.

Dr. Jon

>------- Original Message Follows -------
>From: "Stephen John Smoogen" <smooge at gmail.com>
>To: <torg at justintimeadventures.com>
>Subject: Re: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: [Torg] Jumping in Torg
>Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:25:06 -0700
>
>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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