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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 5079229" data-attributes="member: 386">Right now what I'm working on has everyone saying what they're going to do at the start of the round; initiative each round; each round split into segments where certain actions take place (initiative determining the order during those segments); and totally abstracting damage/GP into a handful based on level plus a few modifiers.(I think combats last a long time for two reasons: NPCs are designed to last through a number of rounds, and players have so many options to consider it takes a long time to decide what to do.  Making them all decide at once collapses the decision time into one block, and abstracting HP and damage obviously lowers that.)What's not working is figuring out how to deal with the simultaneous aspect of actions during each segment.  For example, one PC says "I am charging the orc" and the DM says* "The orc is running away".  If the PC wins init does he reach the orc?  Where?  Does speed and distance matter, and if so, how?  What if the DM says, "This other orc is moving to block your charge?"  Is he able to?  How to figure that out?I can see a possible way through this morass... conflict resolution.  I need to work on it.* - The DM doesn't actually have to declare actions openly, not unless the PCs do something to read the NPC's intents, but he does scribble them down before the players declare.  That's not really needed, but I think it works as a ritual to remind everyone that the DM is not playing favourites.I did run through a combat the other night by myself.  The abstract damage and HP worked well, the combat was over in short order, and the combat was insane and chaotic with characters losing their actions based on what other characters were doing - a constantly shifting situation with powers interacting in unexpected ways.  It was pretty neat, though it needs work before it's even ready for play testing.</blockquote>

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