Which of these is the optimal distance of measurement for your TTRPG enjoyment?

[Tonguez]

I like Zones as used in FATE - they represent dramatic space rather than set distances ie its about the difficulty of moving from one physical/social/mental position to another via use of actions and skills.

 

[Milieu]

I use the Furlong-Firkin-Fortnight system

 

[Aldarc]

Close/Near/Far, or zones, or, at least, abstract squares.

This.

I say just the opposite. Precision in measurement is vital to argument avoidance, as the difference between being 9 feet away and 11 feet away from that 10-foot-radius blast can sometimes be the difference between a PC's life and death.

I think this really varies by table.

I DM for a lot of players and no one I currently play with would make a big deal over this. But I certainly believe you that it's a big issue at your table.

I don't think it's a universal thing.

Yeah, I agree with Whizbang here. I would say that I can recall far more arguments - both in terms of raw numbers and proportionally - between people at the table over precise measurements than I can ever recall for abstract distances like Near/Close/Far.

I even think that your framing, Lanefan, presumes the use of precise measurements. Why is precision in measuremeant necessary? Because those 2-feet matters in determining who is hit in a game that uses precise measurements. However, it's not like precise measurement matters for casting a fireball with the casting range of "close" when the player had already established that their PC is "close" or within the "zone" of effect.

 

[Lanefan]

"This is the fastest boat in the fleet. She can out sail the fastest pirate by 10 squares a round."

In space that would be 10 parsecs a round...

 

[Lanefan]

Yeah, I agree with Whizbang here. I would say that I can recall far more arguments - both in terms of raw numbers and proportionally - between people at the table over precise measurements than I can ever recall for abstract distances like Near/Close/Far.

What's the defining border between near and close? Between close and far? What about medium? And if you're thinking the answer boils down to something like "you know it when you see it", sorry, that ain't gonna fly. And smart casters know the subtle range differences between different spells and will try (one hopes!) to use that to their advantage once the foe has unleashed a spell or two.

I even think that your framing, Lanefan, presumes the use of precise measurements. Why is precision in measuremeant necessary? Because those 2-feet matters in determining who is hit in a game that uses precise measurements. However, it's not like precise measurement matters for casting a fireball with the casting range of "close" when the player had already established that their PC is "close" or within the "zone" of effect.

I have a grid. I can look at that grid and the minis on it and easily see how far away a character is positioned from anyone or anything else (in straight-line distance, not silly pixellated-square measurements). If real precision is needed I can go old-school wargame over it and pull out a piece of string, though it's a while since I did this. Never mind I still use expand-to-fill-volume fireballs, so it might not be the best example.

In a broader sense, having only three units of distance isn't nearly granular enough. It's also useless for anything other than spell ranges; even different types of missiles have different ranges beyond just near-close-far, that is unless all the different types of bows, slings, etc. have been made to have the same ranges even when in reality they'd be widely different.

Asking someone met on the road "Please, goodman, how many fars is it to Praetos?" is unlikely to get a useful answer.

 

[Aldarc]

What's the defining border between near and close? Between close and far? What about medium? And if you're thinking the answer boils down to something like "you know it when you see it", sorry, that ain't gonna fly. And smart casters know the subtle range differences between different spells and will try (one hopes!) to use that to their advantage once the foe has unleashed a spell or two.

You'll know it when you bother reading the given game rules for once that explain in-game distances.

I have a grid. I can look at that grid and the minis on it and easily see how far away a character is positioned from anyone or anything else (in straight-line distance, not silly pixellated-square measurements). If real precision is needed I can go old-school wargame over it and pull out a piece of string, though it's a while since I did this. Never mind I still use expand-to-fill-volume fireballs, so it might not be the best example.

I don't need a grid. I have Close/Near/Far. You don't have those distances and use exact distances for your games, so you need a grid.

In a broader sense, having only three units of distance isn't nearly granular enough. It's also useless for anything other than spell ranges; even different types of missiles have different ranges beyond just near-close-far, that is unless all the different types of bows, slings, etc. have been made to have the same ranges even when in reality they'd be widely different.

I hope you realize that you are making a lot of unsubstantiated assertions here that basically can be explained as you believing that your hang-ups about in-game distances are universally-held ones.

Moreover, considering that there are many functional games out there that use Close/Near/Far or analogous concepts for their spells and weapons, then clearly these distances can work for TTRPGs. Like with many things else outside of your gaming bubble, I would suggest familiarizing yourself with the rules of other games to see how they work instead of building your argument entirely out of assumptions.

Asking someone met on the road "Please, goodman, how many fars is it to Praetos?" is unlikely to get a useful answer.

Neither will asking "goodman" how many feet it is to Praetos. Realistically, when I ask someone how far away something is, no one will tell me in terms of distance. They will likelier tell me in terms of travel time (e.g., minutes, hours, days, etc.) according to mode of transportation (e.g., foot, car, train, plane, etc.), or even something more analogous to zones (e.g., how many blocks away).

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

I have a grid. I can look at that grid and the minis on it and easily see how far away a character is positioned

And people who don't want to HAVE TO run everything with minis and a grid, might want measurements that are useful for running things descriptively. Otherwise you get to this arguing over whether something is 9 or 11 feet away, and that comes down to GM wishy-washy feelings anyway.

 

[delericho]

Can't say I'm bothered either way: feet, meters, or squares all work for me. I tend to favour feet or meters for aesthetic reasons, but I have found that quite often some players aren't comfortable with either feet or meters, so I end up doing at least some conversion with either of those.

 

[Umbran]

I say just the opposite. Precision in measurement is vital to argument avoidance, as the difference between being 9 feet away and 11 feet away from that 10-foot-radius blast can sometimes be the difference between a PC's life and death.

In a system that depends on precision measurement for resolution mechanics, sure.

But in a system that doesn't use precision measurement as core to it's mechanics, not at all.

 

[Darth Solo]

The funny thing is, after I posted this, I thought to myself, "Damn, I forgot palms!"
What is a Palm, like 4 inches?

Three inches, which is thirty feet within an AD&D dungeon, but becomes again three inches for the purposes of tabletop miniature usage.