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<blockquote data-quote="jgsugden" data-source="post: 9094548" data-attributes="member: 2629">Speed of play is important in driving engagement.&nbsp; Board Games that feature simultaneous play and simultaneous decision making go faster and leave less time for players to become disengaged.&nbsp; I try to limit this by having multiple players that seem unlikely to interact with each other go at the same time, and rolling for monsters while a player is deciding what to do so that I can just unfold the monster turns, unless the PCs interact in a way that alters what would happen, once the player is done.&nbsp; However, the rules set does not make it easy - and could make it easier.&nbsp; We see it in Baldur's Gate 3 with simultaneous play, but it could be better.For example, player 1 is a fighter and is engaged with a high hp enemy.&nbsp; When it is his turn, I'll ask him what he is going to do and he says, &quot;I'm attacking it.&quot; I say, &quot;OK - roll.&nbsp; Player 2, what are you doing?&quot;&nbsp; Player 2 says casting a fireball.&nbsp; While they get out their dice, roll them, count it up, and announce what the damage is, I'm rolling the attack rolls of the big monster the first PC is unlikely to kill and the two archers unlikely to be caught in the fireball.&nbsp; Then I roll the saves for the fireball and I announce the scene from over those turns - often slightly nonsequentially - to tell a story of what took place.&nbsp; I get two player and my NPC rolling and decision making done all at the same time, reducing the time it takes to one third or one half what it would have taken.To that end, I'd revise the initiative rules to have characters going in groupings rather than by tracking it down to the indiciatual pip level so that you can have more players making decisions at the same time.&nbsp; I'd have us roll initiative at the same time, but then have all PCs that roll 20 or above go first, then all monsters that go 20+ go next, then all PCs that roll 13 to 19 go next, then monsters in that range, then PCs 7 to 12, monsters 7 to 12, PCs 1 to 6, monsters 1 to 6, PCs 0 or below, then monsters 0 or below.&nbsp; Players can decide their order within these ranges, and the DM can decide the monster order within these ranges.&nbsp; That would allow us, with a little practice, to do more simultaneous calculations and decision making, and speed up the game.&nbsp; As you might ask: spells that last 1 round would end at the end of your next grouping.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="jgsugden, post: 9094548, member: 2629"] Speed of play is important in driving engagement. Board Games that feature simultaneous play and simultaneous decision making go faster and leave less time for players to become disengaged. I try to limit this by having multiple players that seem unlikely to interact with each other go at the same time, and rolling for monsters while a player is deciding what to do so that I can just unfold the monster turns, unless the PCs interact in a way that alters what would happen, once the player is done. However, the rules set does not make it easy - and could make it easier. We see it in Baldur's Gate 3 with simultaneous play, but it could be better. For example, player 1 is a fighter and is engaged with a high hp enemy. When it is his turn, I'll ask him what he is going to do and he says, "I'm attacking it." I say, "OK - roll. Player 2, what are you doing?" Player 2 says casting a fireball. While they get out their dice, roll them, count it up, and announce what the damage is, I'm rolling the attack rolls of the big monster the first PC is unlikely to kill and the two archers unlikely to be caught in the fireball. Then I roll the saves for the fireball and I announce the scene from over those turns - often slightly nonsequentially - to tell a story of what took place. I get two player and my NPC rolling and decision making done all at the same time, reducing the time it takes to one third or one half what it would have taken. To that end, I'd revise the initiative rules to have characters going in groupings rather than by tracking it down to the indiciatual pip level so that you can have more players making decisions at the same time. I'd have us roll initiative at the same time, but then have all PCs that roll 20 or above go first, then all monsters that go 20+ go next, then all PCs that roll 13 to 19 go next, then monsters in that range, then PCs 7 to 12, monsters 7 to 12, PCs 1 to 6, monsters 1 to 6, PCs 0 or below, then monsters 0 or below. Players can decide their order within these ranges, and the DM can decide the monster order within these ranges. That would allow us, with a little practice, to do more simultaneous calculations and decision making, and speed up the game. As you might ask: spells that last 1 round would end at the end of your next grouping. [/QUOTE]

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