>
> It's the "professionnal runner" (17) vs "run like a galloping horse"
> (17) problem again... which of them is the quickest ?
>
It depends on the contest circumstances - which is best handled with situational modifiers.
A human runner trying to beat a racehorse on a track is going to take a beating. On the other hand I know which one I would back to race to the top of the tower up the spiral staircase to give a warning signal.
Any scales or tables should come with lots of advice to the effect that few game contests will be on racetracks (or their equivalent) so any measure of optimum speed is largely irrelevant. Put the two contestants on a crowded battlefield and each has advantages that might outweigh those of the opponent - I'd let the contest go ahead and the outcome will tell me if the horse found sufficient open ground to use its greater top speed or if the greater focus and agility of the professional runner won out.
The same applies to "can I lift it" or similar contests, the outright mass of an object is far less important than your ability to get to grips with it, find good leverage etc. Tables of mass vs resistance can lead people into the mistake of thinking that all 500kg obstacles are equal - or all 10km distances so I think they need to be heavily surrounded by advice on their limitations.
-- Nic
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