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[OOC] New Beginnings

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RHat

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« Reply #345 on: <01-30-13/2020:52> »
What about if we were to write a message on the ground for the other group to read? Would that be concealed as well?

The spirit was not instructed to conceal signs of our passage - so we could use one of the rocks to mark trees as we go, which is a good idea anyways (it's actually pretty easy to wind up going in circles otherwise).
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Thvor

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« Reply #346 on: <01-30-13/2027:34> »
What about if we were to write a message on the ground for the other group to read? Would that be concealed as well?

That could work--the spirits can only conceal the people they can see--but if there's anything more intelligent than the barghests out looking for us, it could cause problems...
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RHat

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« Reply #347 on: <01-30-13/2039:04> »
What about if we were to write a message on the ground for the other group to read? Would that be concealed as well?

That could work--the spirits can only conceal the people they can see--but if there's anything more intelligent than the barghests out looking for us, it could cause problems...

More problems than such pursuers catching either group on its own?
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irisheathen

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« Reply #348 on: <01-30-13/2214:37> »
Even if we mark the trees there is no guarantee that the other group will see it. They could be farther downstream already or just not see them. I'm not saying that we shouldn't leave the marks I'm just saying we shouldn't count on it solving the problem. Also have you ever tried to mark a tree with rock.... its not quick or very visible.  ???
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RHat

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« Reply #349 on: <01-30-13/2218:45> »
Even if we mark the trees there is no guarantee that the other group will see it. They could be farther downstream already or just not see them. I'm not saying that we shouldn't leave the marks I'm just saying we shouldn't count on it solving the problem. Also have you ever tried to mark a tree with rock.... its not quick or very visible.  ???

Yes, but it's also an important survival thing anyways - if you're not aware, every person has a minor disparity in the lengths of their legs; without some kind of marker, if you're going through unfamiliar wilderness territory it's possible to wind up walking in wide circles.  Following the stream helps us on that note for now, but should we deviate from it we'll be risking that problem.

As for visibility, if we can get through the outer layers of the bark, visibility shouldn't be an issue, and we did grab sharp rocks off the top, so they should at least be semi-suited for use as such am implement (especially considering that the specific blade for this purpose on a multi-tool is quite a bit duller and thicker than the main knife).
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irisheathen

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« Reply #350 on: <01-30-13/2300:38> »
Where did you hear the legs thing? As for walking in circles, so long as we can see the sun or a large landmark (like the mountain behind us) we should be fine. But like I said the only reason I was bringing it up was the time consumption thing, I wasn't trying to shoot the idea down. Its not like Johnny would know anyway he's lived his entire life in cities.  ;D
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RHat

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« Reply #351 on: <01-30-13/2305:04> »
Where did you hear the legs thing? As for walking in circles, so long as we can see the sun or a large landmark (like the mountain behind us) we should be fine. But like I said the only reason I was bringing it up was the time consumption thing, I wasn't trying to shoot the idea down. Its not like Johnny would know anyway he's lived his entire life in cities.  ;D

First heard it years ago - originally proven quite some time back, but its really only common knowledge to people who have spent any time learning wilderness survival stuff - that's kind of the only context where it really matters and part of why it's important to take bearings relatively often.  There's actually a specific method of walking to get around it, too, but don't ask me what it is.
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Thvor

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« Reply #352 on: <01-30-13/2321:49> »
Well, just to do some more math for the fun of it...from where we are now, we're supposed to walk 3 to 5 X along the river, and then 1 or 2 X away from it. Let's assume that we're talking about a right triangle for simplicity. :) If we could somehow get a precise bearing on the lodge and go there, we're talking about:
[spoiler]
Following the River3X+X = 4X3X+2X = 5X5X+X = 6X5X+2X = 7X
As the Crow Fliessqrt(10)X = 3.16Xsqrt(13)X = 3.61Xsqrt(26)X = 5.10Xsqrt(29)X = 5.39X
Savings0.84X (21%)1.39X (28%)0.90X (15%)1.61X (23%)
[/spoiler]
(You can look back at my earlier math for the times associated with each of these scenarios.) The point, however, is that going cross-country doesn't gain us much--about a quarter of our remaining planned hike in the best scenarios, less in the more probable ones--and seems very likely to result in the GM calling for rolls to determine how lost we get.  ::)

I vote we stick to the river. Very hard to get lost that way.
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RHat

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« Reply #353 on: <01-30-13/2324:21> »
Well, just to do some more math for the fun of it...from where we are now, we're supposed to walk 3 to 5 X along the river, and then 1 or 2 X away from it. Let's assume that we're talking about a right triangle for simplicity. :) If we could somehow get a precise bearing on the lodge and go there, we're talking about:
[spoiler]
Following the River3X+X = 4X3X+2X = 5X5X+X = 6X5X+2X = 7X
As the Crow Fliessqrt(10)X = 3.16Xsqrt(13)X = 3.61Xsqrt(26)X = 5.10Xsqrt(29)X = 5.39X
Savings0.84X (21%)1.39X (28%)0.90X (15%)1.61X (23%)
[/spoiler]
(You can look back at my earlier math for the times associated with each of these scenarios.) The point, however, is that going cross-country doesn't gain us much--about a quarter of our remaining planned hike in the best scenarios, less in the more probable ones--and seems very likely to result in the GM calling for rolls to determine how lost we get.  ::)

I vote we stick to the river. Very hard to get lost that way.

Hard to get lost, sure - but hard to be sure we'll make it by nightfall.  We could have Sammy go astral and orient us on the hunting lodge every now and again so we don't get lost - we may not be able to get an accurate idea of distance, but direction should not be difficult.
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RHat

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« Reply #354 on: <01-31-13/0050:27> »
Man, I just get left out of everything, don't I? :P
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HydroRaven

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« Reply #355 on: <01-31-13/0113:58> »
I guess that means we're separated if you guys can't see him.
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Gorean

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« Reply #356 on: <01-31-13/0146:29> »
Where did you hear the legs thing? As for walking in circles, so long as we can see the sun or a large landmark (like the mountain behind us) we should be fine. But like I said the only reason I was bringing it up was the time consumption thing, I wasn't trying to shoot the idea down. Its not like Johnny would know anyway he's lived his entire life in cities.  ;D

First heard it years ago - originally proven quite some time back, but its really only common knowledge to people who have spent any time learning wilderness survival stuff - that's kind of the only context where it really matters and part of why it's important to take bearings relatively often.  There's actually a specific method of walking to get around it, too, but don't ask me what it is.

Actually LLD being the cause of walking in a circle has been disproven.

Walking in circles is especially a problem in areas of reduced visibility, for example woodland.

RHat

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« Reply #357 on: <01-31-13/0213:23> »
Where did you hear the legs thing? As for walking in circles, so long as we can see the sun or a large landmark (like the mountain behind us) we should be fine. But like I said the only reason I was bringing it up was the time consumption thing, I wasn't trying to shoot the idea down. Its not like Johnny would know anyway he's lived his entire life in cities.  ;D

First heard it years ago - originally proven quite some time back, but its really only common knowledge to people who have spent any time learning wilderness survival stuff - that's kind of the only context where it really matters and part of why it's important to take bearings relatively often.  There's actually a specific method of walking to get around it, too, but don't ask me what it is.

Actually LLD being the cause of walking in a circle has been disproven.

Walking in circles is especially a problem in areas of reduced visibility, for example woodland.

Hadn't heard that - mind you, I haven't really been involved in anything like that for a while now, so I may be a bit out of date.  Disproven how, exactly?  And in any case, the phenomena still exists.  And I'm pretty sure our current environment would be woodland.
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Gorean

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« Reply #358 on: <01-31-13/0244:24> »
Hadn't heard that - mind you, I haven't really been involved in anything like that for a while now, so I may be a bit out of date.  Disproven how, exactly?  And in any case, the phenomena still exists.  And I'm pretty sure our current environment would be woodland.

[spoiler=Stuff about LLD and walking]
So there primary one was the repeated tests using same people on same terrain. The same person would sometimes veer right sometimes left and sometimes would "wiggle" from right to left. If LLD was main influencer then there would be more consistency of which side a person would favour.

Also as studies on LLD continue, it seems LLD affects between 40% and 70% of people (depends on study as environment ,diet, health etc, affect it), with only 2 in a 1000 having a LLD of 20mm or more which is the point at which LLD has a noticeable affect on gait.
[/spoiler]

Yeah that's why I mentioned it. Woodland really screws with walking in a straight line by reducing visibility and walking around trees.

farothel

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« Reply #359 on: <01-31-13/0306:56> »
I don't know if someone has a perception + intuition above 5 (maybe with some cyber stuff).  That person can still try to find tracks and such, it's just much more difficult (you substract five dice).  But as we're not really taking any precautions except for the concealment, there shouldn't be other modifiers, especially next to the river (muddy footprints and such).  I could use a couple of low force fireballs to mark a couple of trees, but that depends on how dry it is at the moment (I'd rather not burn the entire forest  :) )

As for the route, I would suggest keeping to the river and then following the path to the lodge.  At least that way we can't get lost, which is already one less problem to solve.
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