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Originally Posted by Turanil

SOMETHING THAT DRAMATICALLY REDUCES THE TIME SPENT ON ACTUAL COMBAT:

1) DM uses a stopwatch.
2) Each round of combat the player has 6 to 10 seconds to determine what he does.
3) If past the 6 or 10 seconds he is still hesitating and making calculations about his next move, he has lost his turn of play, and does nothing during that round.

Anyway, I am going to implement this rule in my next tabletop campaign. I am death-tired of players who are counting and recounting squares, asking many thing to the DM and whoever, changing their mind and saying "No! No! I don't do this but rather that...", etc. Such players spend more than two minutes per each round of combat discussing tactics and possiblities, arguing over a point of rule, and what not. Now I am going to say: "It's action, you don't have time for strategy unless you spend your round thinking about it and nothing else. So now do something or lose your turn. If it's bad tactics, it's normal, in such a hurry mess, one can only make mistakes, including foes." By the way, when something dangerous happens in rela life, you don't waste time looking around for best tactics, either you fight or run NOW!"

End of rant.

I use to have a few players who did this. Then I implemented the 30 second rule. I kept track, secretly, of the time a player took during their turn. When it got to 30 seconds and they hadn't done anything, or figured out what they were going to do, I'd say "Time's up" and move to the next person. I did it this way because some people, usually the one's who can't make up their minds, have a hard time under pressure and they'll keep looking at the clock and get nervous rather than plan their move.

I haven't had to do it in a while and I've still got the same players.