Game Time and Real Time

[IcyCool]

Other.

Sometimes the game world goes on pause (like combat). When game-time matters, I may announce that the players are being timed, or we may just handwave it and make time fit the way it needs to. When game-time doesn't matter, well, it doesn't matter.

I'd have fun playing in any sort of time stream though. If I were playing in a game where we as players were being timed (and it wasn't announced that we were being timed), then I'd probably wind up losing a character in the learning process, but I'd be fine after that.

I personally like knowing we are on the clock, it makes things more exciting.

 

[freebfrost]

My players aren't trained combat specialists who've fought dragons, faced death together, and work as a seamlessly oiled team.

QFT.

I also allow my players some time to discuss strategy and the like during combats for this reason. Whereas I can seamlessly plan the actions of the enemy, my group of players is not such a seamless team, even after years of gaming. So, I'll give them a fair amount of time to work out their plan.

There are times when I'll enforce a more "real time" combat - when the players are caught by surprise for example, but in most cases I'm fairly generous with this.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

I allow a bit of tabletalk, particularly when people ask for advice in combat over something that their character would know, but they dont. You get about 30 seconds or so, then I press you for an action. If you cant think of something, you delay until the end of the round, then skip your turn.

My players are free to ask questions and get more information that would be readily apparent to their characters (ie, what armor are the orcs wearing, who's the biggest guy, etc) and that doesnt use any time (within reason).

 

[Quasqueton]

Those who do (as DM) or expect (as a Player) for time to stop for talk, how much time is allowed/expected? Can the Players talk for an hour without their PCs’ minute-duration buffs expiring? And is it assumed that the PCs had the same talk, but just much quicker?

Quasqueton

 

[Henry]

Those who do (as DM) or expect (as a Player) for time to stop for talk, how much time is allowed/expected? Can the Players talk for an hour without their PCs’ minute-duration buffs expiring? And is it assumed that the PCs had the same talk, but just much quicker?

Quasqueton

For us, I allow time to slow for a bit, but I remain arbiter of how much that is. The main reasons are:

1) The PCs are heroes, and skilled at tactics. My players aren't.
2) Real time for all strategy is not fun for us.
3) The only time I do concern myself with is how long before the session ends, so I can at least pack a dramatic minor climax in before the game ends, whether this takes slowing up or speeding down time before this happens. If combat for instance is imminent about an hour before the session is to end, I'll either take steps to try and drawn out the pre-combat business, or just break early.

 

[IcyCool]

Those who do (as DM) or expect (as a Player) for time to stop for talk, how much time is allowed/expected? Can the Players talk for an hour without their PCs’ minute-duration buffs expiring? And is it assumed that the PCs had the same talk, but just much quicker?

Quasqueton

As you mentioned earlier above, it's really more of an art than a science. So for me, there's no real set amount of time. Usually the only time this comes into play is when the players get into a discussion that seems like it will drag out, so I'll say, "Your characters don't really have the time to discuss this in detail, you should come up with a plan quickly and we'll get to it." I haven't actually timed anyone in my games yet.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I don't really think of most PCs as skilled tacticians unless they have something like military training or skill points devoted to that. Your average adventurer isn't going to know tactics for fighting, say, an ancient red dragon if they've never fought one. And the old "We really discussed this yesterday even though we didn't mention it, we're just talking about what we said then now" never works on me.

So, same timeframe.

 

[Gold Roger]

I actually thought hard how I handle this and it struck me. My players don't even discuss tactics. I wish they would, but if they did I'd prefer they did so in game and out of combat, I wouldn't slow down combat much for them.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I actually thought hard how I handle this and it struck me. My players don't even discuss tactics. I wish they would, but if they did I'd prefer they did so in game and out of combat, I wouldn't slow down combat much for them.

See, my Players used to discuss tactics. They'd figure out some plan of action before an assault, or they'd make up some elaborate Ocean's 11 type heist deal, and so on and so forth.

Then, when they'd try to pull it off, it would blow up in their faces within the first few minutes. Every time. They just wouldn't incorporate the bad guys' actions when they did it. They wouldn't take into consideration things like grappling, dispel magic, or other things. So, 30 minutes of planning turned into wasted time.

So now, they promote chaos. They don't plan at all, and they try to sow confusion in the enemy ranks. Anything to get the attention off of them and onto something else while they kill as many opponents as possible with no rhyme or reason.

It's... something. Definately something.

 

[Iku Rex]

My players aren't trained combat specialists who've fought dragons, faced death together, and work as a seamlessly oiled team.

My player's characters however, ARE. For this reason- I allow quite a bit of strategy to be discussed, basically due to the fact that this is what the PCs eat, drink, and breathe. A wizard with even a 16 intelligence should be able to come up with all the pros and cons of a given plan in a few seconds... and most wizards have a 18+ int. And that needs to be represented somehow. A fighter trains for years on battle tactics- my players work 9-5 jobs. I assume the PCs spend quite a bit of time when they're sleeping, or sitting around the campfire discussing strategy- I'm not going to penalize my players for not gaming 24/7.

What he said...


I can see how a strict "wargaming dungenocrawl" type game might focus more on the players wits and skills than the characters, but it's not my cup of tea.

As for the poll, I answered "other". Some plans need to be worked out in the game world, although it's unlikely to take the same amount of time as the players spent talking about the plan, Bill's new kitchen, the latest episode of Stargate SG-1 and whether or not you can flank with an invisible opponent. DM call.

In-combat plans can often be assumed to be part of the PCs training. I don't ask the players to show me how they're swinging the axe or dodging the arrow from the trapped chest . Nor would I expect a player trying to relax and enjoy himself with his friends to think as fast and as well as a highly motivated legendary hero in the middle of the tactical situation.