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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zustiur" data-source="post: 5875374" data-attributes="member: 1544">Let me reflect that back at you...You know, a lot of people around the world, in real life, manage to keep track of distance using feet and yards, without the need for "squares."Why do we need "squares" -- which is a terrible abuse of jargon, by the way -- for tracking fictional distance?The answer to both questions is - We don't, but they can be easier to use in certain circumstances.With 'turns' it partly boils down to how abstract you treat time. When we say a round is 6 seconds, we don't grab a stop watch and make sure you don't speak for more than 6 seconds on your round. When we say a turn is 10 minutes, we don't necessarily mean that it's exactly 10 minutes. Which strikes you as easier? Tracking time when 4 actions take 9 minutes + 7 minutes + 13 minutes + 10 minutes; or tracking time when actions each take 1 turn?It's basically a form of rounding off the numbers. In the first example the party has used up 39 minutes. In the second, they've used up 40 minutes (4 rounds). Was that missing minute really worth the heartache of trying to calculate exactly how many minutes an activity takes?The other thing you deal with is player mentality."I search the room""Ok, that takes 1 turn"This example works, players will accept it."I search the room""Ok, that takes 10 minutes"This example, may or may not, work depending on your players. Some players, in some groups will say:"But it's a small room, I should be able to search it in 8 minutes"To which the DM should say, 'who cares' and just move on. However in most groups, a comment like that will result in several minutes of real time conversation while the group tries to reach some sort of consensus.On the other hand; in yet other groups, with different play styles, it would instead go like this:"I search the room""Ok"Because in those groups, time is irrelevant in explorer space. Days are important, combat rounds are important, but the guff in between is irrelevant to some groups.With all that said; I don't like calling them 'turns'. I do like 'turn = player's go' and 'round = every combatant has a go'. I like that very much indeed.On a related topic: I'm not a huge fan of 6 second rounds. I can see why 1 minute rounds bother people, but the slow movement WAS explained. It's not that you can only walk 30 feet in 1 minute, its that you're in combat and you are moving cautiously lest you get stabbed.1 minute rounds go well with the abstract combat of 1E and kin. I'm not sure that 6 second rounds are the best fit for DND. I'd quite like to see 10 second or 12 second rounds myself. Keep all the other rules the same, just call it 10 seconds per round so that you get 6 rounds per minute. I personally think that's a better fit for the level of abstraction in 3E and 4E.</blockquote>

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