D20 Modern - Meters or Feet
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Victim
First Post
I hate american/imperial/customary/whatever units. Metric units make my life so much easier when donig calculations.
However, for a game system, intuitive feel and familiarity would be more important than the simplicity offered by the metric system. Therefore, it seems more likely that english units would be used. However, Alternity did use the metric system.
However, for a game system, intuitive feel and familiarity would be more important than the simplicity offered by the metric system. Therefore, it seems more likely that english units would be used. However, Alternity did use the metric system.
PenguinKing
First Post
I don't think it works that way for a "modern" setting. The metric system seems to be part of the American "sci-fi" stereotype - alien and/or advanced future societies portrayed in American fiction and entertainment always seem to have gone metric (maybe it has something to do with the fact that every first-world nation on the planet other than th' USA has gone metric, and the ubiquitously non-American is seen as "exotic", I don't know 
). Hence, Alternity, Star Wars, etc. all use metric units in their RPG books. I'm not sure if his holds for d20 Modern, tho'.
- Sir Bob.
). Hence, Alternity, Star Wars, etc. all use metric units in their RPG books. I'm not sure if his holds for d20 Modern, tho'.- Sir Bob.
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I have two problems with metric:
1) I can't visualize distances in metric. This is not because I don't like it - I think it is idiocy that we are still using imperial units in the US. But all practical applications of measurement in the US are in feet and constantly doing conversions in my head slows down the game sessions. Given enough game sessions, I am sure I will eventually be able to "think in metric", which would be a tiny step in moving the nation as a whole in that direction, but for now it is a hassle.
2) More importantly, the two meter squares used for the combat system are stretching what semblance of realism exists for a "threatened area". Measure it sometime. 6.56 feet by 6.56 feet is a whopping huge threatened area. The next nice round number down, or one meter squares, are really too small. 5 foot squares split the difference, and are about the right size.
1) I can't visualize distances in metric. This is not because I don't like it - I think it is idiocy that we are still using imperial units in the US. But all practical applications of measurement in the US are in feet and constantly doing conversions in my head slows down the game sessions. Given enough game sessions, I am sure I will eventually be able to "think in metric", which would be a tiny step in moving the nation as a whole in that direction, but for now it is a hassle.
2) More importantly, the two meter squares used for the combat system are stretching what semblance of realism exists for a "threatened area". Measure it sometime. 6.56 feet by 6.56 feet is a whopping huge threatened area. The next nice round number down, or one meter squares, are really too small. 5 foot squares split the difference, and are about the right size.
Mal Malenkirk
First Post
Vhane said:
Actually it has happened. No many country still use the imperial system in an official capacity and I suspect that 95% of all the elementary students across the world have been taught the metric system.
The US are sort of a metric anomaly.
For the metrically challenged, it's very simple; You just have to figure out what is 1 meter (a bit over 3 feet, a little more than a yard) and then everything falls into places.
The basic units are meter for lenght, liter for volume and gram for weight.
Common prefixes modify these units as follow:
Kilo means 1000
Hecta = 100
Deca = 10
Deci = 1/10
Centi = 1/100
Milli = 1/1000.
Therefore a kilogram is a 1000 gram and a centimeter is 1/100 meter.
A liter is one cubic decimeter, or a 1000 cubic centimeter (10 cm X10 cm X10 cm).
A liter of water weight 1 kilogram. A ton is a 1000 kilogram.
Oh, and celsius degree; Water freezes at 0 degree celsius and it boils at 100.
It's childishly easy to memorize.
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Mustrum_Ridcully
Legend
I have the exact opposite problem with standard D&D - Here in Germany, we use the Metric System, and everybody is accustomed to it (Hell, my sisters and at least one of my aunts don`t know what a pound is compared to kilogram 
).
When I play, D&D, and, just as an example, roll the height of my character, I look at the values, look at the other players, look at my values, and than ask: "Er, how big is 5 feet 7 inches?
One Feet was what? " (Well, actually, I ask: "Ähem.. Wie gross ist das eigentlich - Fünf Feet und seven Inches? Ein Fuss ist was? - Feet and Inch are typically not translated, like most other game terms, and this leads to a terrible language mish-mash)
Mustrum Ridcully
).When I play, D&D, and, just as an example, roll the height of my character, I look at the values, look at the other players, look at my values, and than ask: "Er, how big is 5 feet 7 inches?
One Feet was what? " (Well, actually, I ask: "Ähem.. Wie gross ist das eigentlich - Fünf Feet und seven Inches? Ein Fuss ist was? - Feet and Inch are typically not translated, like most other game terms, and this leads to a terrible language mish-mash)
Mustrum Ridcully
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A2Z
Adventurer
I work in structural engineering. Our company does a lot of business with the states. A good amount of our jobs are on the federal level. All US federal jobs are in metric. The problem with this is that a lot of the US architectural and engineering companies do the jobs in imperial and then convert it in to metric. Why they don't just bother learning metric I don't know. It makes it a pain in the ass for us to go back and forth. We end up having to put both metric and imperiel dimensions on our drawings just to satisfy everyone.Vhane said:
The world would be a happier place if we could just agree on standards. 
Henry
Autoexreginated
Most of us americans have as much trouble visualizing meters and centimeters as metric-users have in visualizing yards and inches.
It has nothing to do with "understanding it" - the metric system is the easiest system of measurement possibly invented - but the problem is that there is no metric measure analogous to a "Foot." the closest thing is 30 cm.
A dagger being 30 cm long just doesn't "catch" in your mind when describing a dagger. "About a foot," however, does.
Americans tend to measure things in feet, not meters: The discrepancy kills us and metric-users when trying to visualise something in a human scale.
The best thing to remember is that 1 foot = 30.5 cm; that's as close as we'll get to understanding one another.
It has nothing to do with "understanding it" - the metric system is the easiest system of measurement possibly invented - but the problem is that there is no metric measure analogous to a "Foot." the closest thing is 30 cm.
A dagger being 30 cm long just doesn't "catch" in your mind when describing a dagger. "About a foot," however, does.
Americans tend to measure things in feet, not meters: The discrepancy kills us and metric-users when trying to visualise something in a human scale.
The best thing to remember is that 1 foot = 30.5 cm; that's as close as we'll get to understanding one another.
Davelozzi
Explorer
As a gamer, I like using imperial measurements for fantasy based games and metric for futuristic games. I can see how d20 modern straddles the line, but I vote for metric.
As an American, I am in full support of going metric. Immediately. And while we're at it, how about using a 24 hour clock. What's this AM/PM garbage. I could be used to a 24 hour clock in three days.
As an American, I am in full support of going metric. Immediately. And while we're at it, how about using a 24 hour clock. What's this AM/PM garbage. I could be used to a 24 hour clock in three days.
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