Re: Planetary Size under 3rdEd?

On Sat, 3 Jun 2006, Night_Druid wrote:

>> Of course Dragonstar didn't have the option for things like flat and torus
>> shaped planets either.
>
> And don't forget that SJ uses the same scale to classify suns and nebulas as
> well. :)

Personally, I don't see what's wrong with just using kilometers (or miles, 
for the backwards-compatible). In what case could you possibly need a size 
category for a planet? You want to ram it? It's not like you'll be missing 
it if you really try.

Miles / Kilometers are something everybody can relate to. Whatever would 
be a "Small planet"? And how does that relate to a "Large Moon"? 
Descriptors simply break down if you use such categories for things that 
aren't really in the same league. Likewise, what's a "size b asteroid"? 
Does it orbit a "type m planet"?

Sounds silly to me.

If you really want to make things easier to relate for players, compare 
stuff to the real world. "This planet is about the size of Jupiter" might 
be a bit immersion breaking, but I'd say most gamers know enough about 
space flight / astronomy to know this is one big whopping planet.

Don't press into strange game mechanics what doesn't have to be squeezed 
into them.


- Nils