How much of your typical play time is combat?

[Pinotage]

Probably about 30%. PbP games tend to have less combat because it takes longer to sort out than standard RP.

Pinotage

 

[glass]

Varies widely- sometimes none of it, sometimes all of it and sometimes anywhere in between.

Ditto for us, although I'd say 'all' happens more often than 'none'. I voted for 70-80% but that is a total guess.


glass.

 

[Reynard]

Outside of the extreme ends, there seems to be a good spread. Another question: for those that voted relatively high (50%+), does that involve lots of combats or does that involve long combats?

 

[kensanata]

for those that voted relatively high (50%+), does that involve lots of combats or does that involve long combats?

Few combats. We recently had a discussion after the game and via Email when one of our players once again mentioned that on average a player must be taking three minutes per turn. It seems impossible, but that's what he said. So now we're trying to minimize that.

Update based on later comments: This is based on a weekly game with five to seven players.

 

[Frost]

I voted 80%-90%. I would say that is partially due to the large size of the party (6 PCs + 2 NPC followers). 3e combat is a slow process and more so with a big group. However, having said that, I'm amazed at the 20% and under crowd. Sure, we have our role-playing sessions in town or even in the dungeon, but I can't imagine not spending the bulk of the evening rolling dice and letting the fur fly.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

It very much depends on the game - there has been no combat (outside of a few rounds of fisticuffs) in my Steampunk Spycraft game since the most recent campaign began. (The team gives off a weird Scooby Doo vibe for me sometimes, investigating the paranormal to solve a mystery....)

The more recent Delta Green Spycraft game has spent about a third of the time focussed on combat.

The Auld Grump

 

[Fifth Element]

Depends greatly on the session. It ranges from 0% to 50% I'd say. Average about 15-20%.

 

[exile]

Gilladian had an interesting insight into why some of us spend more time in combat, and then Frost had me see it in a different light. Mayhaps some of us who spend so much time in combat do so because of large party size. Certainly both groups that I have played in recently are pretty large. (about 8 people).

This I guess leads to long combats for two reasons. One combats tend to be more complex, involving larger numbers of combatants. Two, more time is spent in combat because combats tend to keep everyone more involved.

Chad

 

[Ahnehnois]

I just guessed 40%-50%. I know in my games it's a lot, but it varies a ton. Two sessions ago it was probably in or above that range, with a host of sundry battles and one big one. The last one, two moderate battles over the course of a seven hour marathon.

That's D&D though; for a CoC game, which I've run on occasion, it's probably 10%-20% at most.

I wonder how much of the people in the low range are playing rules-lite non-combat-focused games.

 

[Fenes]

0-10 %. We don't play out most combats in detail, usually just the fight with the main enemy, and the rest of the combat is narrated.