Time Limit in Combat Rounds: Yes, or No?

[Doctor Futurity]

I do a quick round-robin by initiative, give them a 30 second window with a bit of flex.....I get arbitrary and cruel if they get contemplative and stop discoursing (i.e. studying board, no questions, mulling it over far too long). Such PCs end up refocusing and then we move on to the next initiative rank.

This can be vital with some players and groups; I have one with some very slow players. I have another group where this is never an issue at all; they're all chomping at the bit to shout out their actions, and the problem becomes one of maintaining proper order. (Thus my other rule, of no declarations until your initiative is called on).

I have also noticed that combat in freeform style games is about twice as fast as miniatures based combat. One group has no minatures and alway seems to get about twice as much done as the other group which has a large investment in minis and always drags them out.

 

[Painfully]

Short answer: If it is YOUR TURN, then EVERYBODY is waiting on YOU. Don't wait. Say what you say or do in character, and ROLL YOUR DICE!

Long answer: A 10-30 second limit to decide an action is more than fair. Thirty seconds is almost too generous even for newbies IMO. For experienced players, I expect them to form a thought, and verbalize it before ten seconds pass after calling on them. This time doesn't include the actual implementing of the rules, but they do have to say what they intend to do, and roll the appropriate dice. "Fireball here" [pointing], or "I'll flank the ogre and swing my axe," are both good examples.

If a player can't think of something after 30 seconds, they really are just stalling the game IMO. Those people should take up chess.

OOC talk, and "thinking out loud" can become real problems. It's even worse if you add metagaming into that mix, or allow people to speak out of turn. These are the real enemies of good, flowing combat IMO.