Reaction and Perception

## Reactions

In fiction, movement over long distances and movement over short distances - which can be dubbed "combat distances" - tend to be remarkably different for different characters, resulting in serious discrepancies when considering their overall speed. On this wiki, we therefore differentiate between various types of speed, including reaction and perception speed.

Reaction speed is defined as a single movement in a defined timeframe, which a character has been shown capable of. A series of movements in similar timeframes makes this combat speed, so this term should only be applied for a single, quick movement. Examples include ducking backwards to dodge bullets and diving away to dodge extremely fast vehicles. When measured in terms of a single movement of often undefined, small distance, humans have displayed between 300 milliseconds (below average human) to 100 millisecond (peak human) reactions. Autonomous body reactions for humans can also reach as high as 40 milliseconds, but this is oftentimes inapplicable to reaction speed and shouldn't be used.

Perception speed refers to a character's ability to quickly process and understand sensory information. Unlike reaction speed, it's about the initial intake of data, not any subsequent actions, so perception speed doesn't encompass decision-making or actions beyond the initial sensory processing; characters with a perception speed higher than their reaction speed would be able to notice something without necessarily being able to dodge it.

## Rules Regarding Reaction Speed and Scaling

1. Reaction speed has both a distance and a timeframe component, so all calculations that are completed for reaction speed cannot simply be a timeframe by itself. Do not randomly assume a 1 meter distance for each timeframe and use that speed for the reaction speed. Other way around, perception time is just a timeframe and by that not proportional to a speed value alone. Do not assume that a character with a certain speed will have a perception time of 1 meter divided by that speed. Such calculations need a feat that demonstrates perception time and a suitable distance determined from that feat.
2. If only a timeframe is known (for example, characters who do not need to move to attack or defend), then they should get a perception speed rating in line with the table below.
3. If character A can blitz character B, A's movement speed may be scaled to B's reaction speed.
4. If character A is considered an equal in combat to character B, then reaction speed may be scaled if there is no discrepancies or showings that suggest the opposite.
5. All other scaling of reaction speed is circumstantial and must be discussed with the staff.

## Calculating Perception Time

When calculating the perception time of a character, the method utilized requires distance and speed components. The distance being the movement an object has when it is first in the perception of the character, and then the distance where the character starts to react. The speed can be something calculated or assumed, but preferably it should be a reliable statement stating how fast a projectile, object, or even another character is. To find perception time, you divide the distance (in meters) by the speed (in meters per second), and you will get the timeframe of the perceptions of the character.

Use the following formula:

* [(Distance the projectile was away from the character when it was first fired in meters) - (Distance the projectile was away from the character when he/she started to move in meters)] / (Speed of projectile in meters/second) = Perception Time of Character in seconds

This method should be used for feats where a character is slower than the projectile but manages to react to it at close range distances.