Flight, Megascale and FTL travel

[SinedOL]

I was looking up a vehicle with flight and FTL travel, and found something surprising :

If I buy Flight 1m, Megascale 1m = 100 billion light-years and costs no end, I get something faster than FTL travel at less cost. Is it legal/intended ?

[unclevlad]

11 hours ago, Simon said:

You also get something that doesn't scale - you cannot use it to travel, say, across the planet.

 

He didn't say "can't alter scale."  Megascale p. 340:

 

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The amount of MegaScale a character buys defines the upper limit of the scale of his power. He can vary the scale of the power from use to use, ranging from 1m = 1m up to 1m = the maximum distance he bought MegaScale for (varying the scale is part of activating/using the power, it doesn’t take any extra time or Actions). However, special considerations apply to using powers at MegaScale level, as discussed below.

 

The consideration is that ANY scale above 1m = 1m is noncombat movement.  But the example specifically says you can go from 1m = 1 1m in one phase, to 1m = 10 km...so you have instant acceleration and deceleration.  

Something that is mentioned with MegaScale movement is the need for MegaScale senses.  Say you scale back so that you're doing 100 km/second...so, coast to coast in a minute.  How long is your vision range?  Because a reaction time of 1/10th of a second still means a 10 km move between the time you see your destination and the time you can react.

 

To OP, it becomes a matter of what the system technically allows and what the GM should allow.  The rules took out the notion of minimum purchase amounts that were in earlier editions;  the GM is pretty much expected to Just Say No to things like this now.

[Simon]

6 hours ago, unclevlad said:

He didn't say "can't alter scale." 

True enough, so you're left with the second paragraph of the writeup for Megascale:

 

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MegaScale is a “Stop Sign” Advantage, so the GM should monitor its use carefully. It’s intended to allow characters to create interesting, useful, and flavorful abilities (often non-combat ones), not to make it easy to build planet-destroying weapons for just a few points or to allow a character to travel anywhere he wants instantly. As always, players should use common sense, dramatic sense, and an appreciation for game balance when creating MegaScaled abilities. The GM should carefully monitor all uses of Mega- Scale to prevent abuse or loss of game balance, and should forbid any use of a power he considers improper or harmful to the game.

 

[Simon]

You also get something that doesn't scale - you cannot use it to travel, say, across the planet.

[Simon]

Please avoid discussion in this forum -- not the place for it.

[dsatow]

I originally email this response to SinedOL back on Aug 23.  I am reprinting it here for informational sake in case others have similar issues.

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Its been a while since you posted to ask Steve about this rules question.  If you don't mind, I can answer the question if I understand what you are asking and I generally answer from the 6e1 and 2 books.  As a caveat, I am not Steve but I'm 99% sure I can answer your question on this subject.

 

FTL travel vs. Flight Megascale.  

 

So yes, its a peculiarity to system.  The game limits megascale to a +5 advantage or about 1000 ly (6e1p341) but it can easily be extrapolated out.  Still, your GM can always limit usage of megascale so its not good to assume it can be used to that extreme or if the GM will allow its use at all.  Some GMs will not allow scale back with megascale making the advantage a little cheaper but limiting its use more.  The reason most GMs would be okay with it is that megascale on a travel power is usually a non-combat issue but again, its a GM call.

 

Note that megascale does mean whenever you are using the power, you are using it at that scale.  So unlike FTL, you can overshoot or undershoot your distance and you can never use it in less than 1m = 1km.  Of course there are ways around this like using teleport instead of flight and making it a safe blind teleport or to keeping changing the scale of the megascale power.

 

Hope this helps.