Steve Jackson Games Forums - Minus vs dash symbol?

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- - Minus vs dash symbol? (https://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=189894)

briansommers

03-30-2023 01:58 PM

Minus vs dash symbol?

Sometimes I’m having a hard time figuring if - is a dash or a minus sign/negative modifier etc.

Is there any “rule” or ?

For example sw-2
Is this swing damage with 2d6 or roll your swing damage and then subtract 2?

Refplace

03-30-2023 02:01 PM

Re: Minus vs dash symbol?

Quote:

Originally Posted by briansommers (Post 2477787)

Sometimes I’m having a hard time figuring if - is a dash or a minus sign/negative modifier etc.

Is there any “rule” or ?

I think this might be why the style guide says to use the EM dash instead of a hyphen?
Basically go by context, if it is before a number its probably a minus sign and anything else consider it a dash.

briansommers

03-30-2023 02:09 PM

Re: Minus vs dash symbol?

My follow up is this:

Low tech
Saw (TL1). A small saw for single-person use. Does sw-3(2) cut per second. $20, 3 lbs.

What does the (2) represent?

Dalin

03-30-2023 02:15 PM

Re: Minus vs dash symbol?

Quote:

Originally Posted by briansommers (Post 2477790)

Low tech
Saw (TL1). A small saw for single-person use. Does sw-3(2) cut per second. $20, 3 lbs.

What does the (2) represent?

Armor divisor (divide DR by 2 before subtracting from basic damage).

Rupert

03-30-2023 02:20 PM

Re: Minus vs dash symbol?

Quote:

Originally Posted by briansommers (Post 2477790)

My follow up is this:

Low tech
Saw (TL1). A small saw for single-person use. Does sw-3(2) cut per second. $20, 3 lbs.

What does the (2) represent?

As Dalin says, it's the armours divisor. A complete description of the weapon damage format can be found in Characters, p.268-269.

Refplace

03-30-2023 02:24 PM

Re: Minus vs dash symbol?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dalin (Post 2477791)

Armor divisor (divide DR by 2 before subtracting from basic damage).

Yep. It follows the guideline I suggested.
SW-2 means Swing damage minus 2 with the armor divisor listed afterwards.

Ulzgoroth

03-30-2023 02:27 PM

Re: Minus vs dash symbol?

Quote:

Originally Posted by briansommers (Post 2477787)

"Is this swing damage with 2d6"

That isn't a thing it could ever possibly mean. I'm not even sure I can parse that sentence. It's the other one.

Dalin

03-30-2023 03:59 PM

Re: Minus vs dash symbol?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sir_pudding (Post 2477803)

If it's in a published GURPS book and it's not an em dash (—) or a hyphen it is a subtraction sign. There are no exceptions. GURPS never ever never ever never never ever ever uses en dashes.

I could have sworn that it was em dashes that SJG was allergic to.

[edit] Confirmed:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Author's Guidelines: Editorial Style

Dashes and hyphens. For a true dash (what a typesetter calls an en-dash), type option-hyphen on a Mac, or control-minus (from the numeric keypad) in Word for Windows. Place a space on both sides. For number ranges, use a true hyphen rather than a dash, and don't use spaces on either side.

DouglasCole

03-30-2023 04:42 PM

Re: Minus vs dash symbol?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dalin (Post 2477817)

I could have sworn that it was em dashes that SJG was allergic to.

[edit] Confirmed:

Gaming Ballistic on the other hand uses en-dash for number ranges and minus signs, and em dash for the pause/break in a sentence.

sir_pudding

03-30-2023 04:58 PM

Re: Minus vs dash symbol?

Ugh, well if it's not a week where I'm certain about something wrong, I probably just didn't get corrected.

Regardless en-dashes are longer than subtraction symbols or hyphens. It's short and not a hyphen it's a subtraction sign.

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