Help! Combat Too Slo-o-ow

[Cap'nCodskale]

Hoping for suggestions!

As stated elsewhere, I've returned to the WEG Star Wars game after a long hiatus. I'm trying to approach the game with fresh eyes, playing it as written, rather than by recollection of how I may have played it long, long ago.

All said, the game is going well. The players (most of them new to the game) are having fun. Only one of the four characters is any good in a fight, so they're continually trying crazy stuff to save the day (and their bacon)!

Our first real snag occurred in the last session, during which the group was involved in its biggest firefight thus far (if you know Tatooine Manhunt, this was the shootout in the cantina following Labria's betrayal). The characters did fine, dispatching a sufficient number of foes to enable a fast exit using the back door. However, the players and I suffered through an hour or more of dice throwing to work through only a few minutes of story.

I know slow play in combat is a common problem among RPGs but it seems like a Star Wars game oughta be breezier than this. I shudder to imagine the first time the party runs into a score of stormtroopers!

I did realize after the fact that employing combined fire among the opposition, thereby reducing the number of die rolls, probably would've moved things along. Also, I am very rusty; I can probably cut myself some slack!

Still, I'd love to read your suggestions for smooth, quick combat, especially ones that don't involve "NERFing" the opposition or excessive houseruling (since, as indicated above, I'm trying to apply the rules as written, whenever possible). I'm particularly interested in tricks of organization or facilitation that could make things run more smoothly and/or quickly.

For context, this was our setup:

• Players seated around a table
  
• Cantina map and colored pawns to indicate position
  
• Whiteboard with a table drawn on it; each PC or NPC had a row and each column represented an intended action during the given round

Here's how the combat ran:

• Declare actions, going clockwise around the table
  
• Roll for actions, recording scores on the whiteboard
  
• Review scores and narrate outcomes
  
• Continue, ad nauseum

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful comments.

[Bren]

You will all get faster as you play more.

If you are playing 2E R&E take a look at page 77-78. I think the process you are using may take a bit longer than the Rules As Written (referred to around here as the RAW). Essentially it is a little different that what you were doing.

Determine initiative. Side with initiative acts first.

1st player declares number of actions for the round and rolls for his/her first action.
2nd player declares number of actions for the round and rolls for first action.
Continue until first side is done.

Repeat the process for the second side.

Continue with first side and any second actions etc.

Each action occurs in order.

Also, the recording probably adds more time. If you are resolving action results in order you may not need to record anything more than damage and any special results, which may go faster.

[Guardian_A]

I think Bren pegged it. Given a little practice you wont need to refer to the rules as often, and everyone will know what they need to roll with a glance. That will make things go a lot faster, and smoother.

Also, if people are enjoying themselves, I wouldnt worry too much about the ammount of time you have invested in a battle. Its when the combat starts taking away from the gaming experience or boring your players that you need to start looking for ways to streamline the proccess.

[cheshire]

In addition to determining initiative for the players, I find that it allows things to move more quickly if you ask each person how many actions they want to perform, and allow them to perform those actions before moving on to the next person. You sacrifice some realism, and it's a further departure from the RAW, but I think it moves things along.
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Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[Azai]

One thing I find to help out with recording company is reduce some damage to NPCs.

I usually give them "wounds" depending on their strength. So if they have 2D, they have 2 wounds. If they are wounded twice, they are dead. It does sacrifice realism and can make Npcs a little weaker but it does make things faster.

To off set it a bit I ignore keeping track of stun for Npcs, and at the same time 16+ still kills.

[garhkal]

[tetsuoh]

Also - you may or may not like them - but dice rollers are often of benefit to the GM.
Especially when time is a matter. Also if the majority of the NPCs will be rolling the same numbers of
dice over and over, as most rollers I've used will keep the number of dice to be rolled over again.

I especially like the html roller chesire posted Here.

[ZzaphodD]

To keep combat funny, encourage the players to be more creative than roll blaster, roll dodge, repeat ad nauseum. Give situational bonuses for good tactical thinking, lower the difficulties for 'fun' maneuvers (diving over the bar while firing at the enemy, etc).

If the opponents are not true professionals they might 'duck and cover' between shots, perhaps shooting each other round. This cuts back on the dicerolling...
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My Biggest Beard Retard award goes to: The Admiral of course..

[garhkal]

[Cap'nCodskale]

Thanks for the insightful comments, everyone! It's great to get feedback from folks who love this game at least as much as I do.

[Bren]

Luck!

[Nico_Davout]

My teem speed up the combat by:

- Initiative is a fixed number depending on the Perception and several skills.
- There is only Full Dodge option (in life you don't 'dodge' shots, matrix is a different universe, you either hide or shot).
- There are only three actions per turn (2nd -3, 3rd -6), so you don't need to declare and remember who has declared how many actions, often in a heat of combat people forget to declare this. Three actions for 6 seconds is enough I think.
- There is no rolling for Damage Resistance, it is a fixed number equal to number of dice on STR, so like in life: one shot - one kill (in general).

Combat is faster and much deadlier, players think twice before pulling out the blaster and try to solve the puzzles by non-lethal approach.
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Nico,

Han Solo shot first, midichlosomething do not exist, Rebel Alliance was created as in the WEG books and indoctrination theory is the true ending of ME3.

[ZzaphodD]

[Bren]

[Jatrell]

Something I personally do is use Rolz.org for all NPC rolling. I doesn't count the wild die but when its NPC's I don't really care. Using that program making rolling for 30 NPC's ina mission very helpfull
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Experience is the excuse everyone gives for their mistakes