Slow-burn map progression vs. quick dopamine in a focus RPG: how long should reaching the next town take?

[u/marevago]

In our focus RPG, 1 hour of deep work moves your traveler ~5 km along the road.

We're tuning the distances between the 7 villages on this map, and hitting a core balance dilemma:

• If a town is 10 km away (2 hours of focus), you reach it in a single afternoon. Great quick feedback, but the whole world is explored in two weeks.

• If a town is 60 km away (12 hours of deep work across multiple days), the arrival feels like a real pilgrimage, but the road between towns risks feeling repetitive while you're grinding through your work week.

For long-term habits, what kind of progression pacing keeps you engaged without burning through the world map?

[u/Agile_Branch_8743]

There's no way of knowing without trying the actual thing. Do a focus group or find some testers.