CadetNewb
Well-Known Member
Though the awesome Cluster Map concept was approved a while back, the plan was never initiated despite approval due to some of the clusters never being finished from what I understand. For those that aren't familiar, the map was going to simply consist of 'Clusters' belonging to each faction, and a smaller map would basically be filling in the detail of each individual one. Most importantly however, was the fact that distances on the map were going to be increased, hence, why the main map wouldn't have specific details. It was going to be too large. Right now, the distances on our map - and therefore the ones used in RP - are absurdly short.
The biggest, baddest ships Yamatai has for an example, can make it to the border world of Jiyuu in one hour and forty eight minutes. A trip between Nepleslia and Yamatai would be about 4 minutes in that same honking space battheship. With such short distances, it becomes unrealistic for any situation to develop more quickly than any response can be had. We need a few days at least for an invasion to properly settle on a planet so we can have a campaign to take place for an example. Not an hour or two. Even if GMs come up with reasons for why these incidents festered, it starts looking silly if it's always something coming up, as the suspension of disbelief wears thin, fast. "Oh, there's an attack? Well, we can't get over there in an hour or so because, uh...Space Whales! Yes, they're everywhere! We'll check in a few days or a week later."
An issue as simple as travel time is a lot better and gives GMs more wiggle room story wise.
I'm basically suggesting we put another zero or two to all the distances labeled on the current Star Map as a stop-gap before any additional changes are made. Since it was part of the Cluster Map, which was approved, implementing this individual component of it shouldn't be too much of an issue.
The biggest, baddest ships Yamatai has for an example, can make it to the border world of Jiyuu in one hour and forty eight minutes. A trip between Nepleslia and Yamatai would be about 4 minutes in that same honking space battheship. With such short distances, it becomes unrealistic for any situation to develop more quickly than any response can be had. We need a few days at least for an invasion to properly settle on a planet so we can have a campaign to take place for an example. Not an hour or two. Even if GMs come up with reasons for why these incidents festered, it starts looking silly if it's always something coming up, as the suspension of disbelief wears thin, fast. "Oh, there's an attack? Well, we can't get over there in an hour or so because, uh...Space Whales! Yes, they're everywhere! We'll check in a few days or a week later."
An issue as simple as travel time is a lot better and gives GMs more wiggle room story wise.
I'm basically suggesting we put another zero or two to all the distances labeled on the current Star Map as a stop-gap before any additional changes are made. Since it was part of the Cluster Map, which was approved, implementing this individual component of it shouldn't be too much of an issue.