[Guardian]

The problem here I think is you're trying to get too specific and concrete for the medium.

Think about pen and paper RPGs with ranged weapons - say, Cyberpunk 2020 or Shadowrun or Heavy Gear. Would you guys *really* break out slide rules, maps and miniatures for every single encounter?

Text gaming, just like text fiction requires a certain level of imagination and therefore is at least partially abstract. I've always been under the impression that's why people enjoyed text games when graphical alternatives exist.

So it's perfectly fine to abstract ranged combat within a given room - for instance, if you're on a street that's comprised of a number of consecutive rooms you don't need exact measurements for each room. You can have range modifiers stored on weapons, and affected by combat stances. For example, if one combatant is taking an aggressive stance it can be assumed he's trying to close in, whereas one taking a defensive stance is likely increasing or maintaining range. You just need to take the current total range value into account when one of the players tries to disarm or tackle or whatever else you have in your combat system.

On the MOO I GM on, that's how ranged combat works - we have ranged sniping with max range/damage dropoff values stored in props on the weapon, modified by weapon mods (a sawn-off rifle will have very different accuracy/range capabilities than one with an extended barrel installed) and the ammunition type (likewise, a 9x19mm carbine will not compare favourably to a 7.62x54R sniper rifle). This runs off a dynamic 3D space system that's also used for roof-running, falling, paragliding and flight.

We also *do* have movement speed - it's modified by movement mode and fatigue or if you're in a vehicle, your driving speed, skill, and aftermarket upgrades installed in the vehicle. This does use a lot of floats rather than integers though, since any time value is in seconds.

It looks something like this:

You get down on the ground and remove the lens caps from your Norinco Type 79X sniper rifle. Flicking off the safety, you aim it in the direction of Fuller Street.

From your perch, you can see:

Fuller Street
The familiar crunch of glass and garbage beneath your feet is almost drowned out by the cacophony emanating from the establishment to the south. A flashing, neon light above the door proclaims [The Black Drome Bar] in gaudy red letters. People of all shapes and sizes seem to gather outside the place, the thick crowd moving slowly. To the north, an ancient radiation sign hangs from the doorway, [The Fallout Shop] spray painted across it. Through the bulletproof windows you can make out a strange mixture of wartime propaganda and electronics. A Chex Taxi C305 is parked here. The walls have been daubed with colorful graffiti. The dim light from above does little to penetrate the heavy fog that has settled here.

Pimps and hustlers loiter in doorways, hollering sales pitches into the hubbub of the passing crowds. A helmeted tall pimp is a massive figure, standing here quietly. Berenike is pacing back and forth, shouting that this is SNAKE turf. Bhamini is shouting that this is SNAKE turf.

You carefully begin to line up the crosshairs on Berenike while slowing your breathing and steadying your hand.
You brace yourself, and slowly squeeze the trigger...
The Norinco Type 79X sniper rifle bucks hard against you as a shot rings out!

Looking through your scope, you see it was a hit!

You engage the safety on your Norinco Type 79X sniper rifle and replace the lense caps on the scope. Being careful not to bang it, you carefully stand up.


One NPC was hurt in the making of this log. I'm pretty sure he's going to bleed out any minute now...