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<blockquote data-quote="MerricB" data-source="post: 5120023" data-attributes="member: 3586">This one is pretty easy: it's because combat length scales with the number of players. That's how it is designed.Unlike previous editions, most characters deal damage to one opponent at a time. (There are some exceptions, but overall combat is dominated by that observation). Each new character added to a combat also adds a matching opponent.So, if it takes one character 12 minutes to take down one opponent, this scales linearly with the number of characters. Four characters: 48 minutes. Five characters: 60 minutes. Six characters: 72 minutes. Note that the 12 minutes is half (or thereabouts) dealing with the action of the character and the other half dealing with the actions of the monster.These figures can be adjusted slightly by good tactics - if five characters attack one monster, they can eliminate it quickly. So, instead of spending 6 minutes on that monster's actions, you only spend a minute or two. However, this is a relatively minor effect. (It's often hard to actually put these tactics into play; and more combatants also means more complex tactical situations that work against this effect).So, length of combat (and therefore session) is almost linearly proportional to the number of players. In RPGA sessions, you can thus say it will take 48 minutes per player or thereabouts. (4 players = 192 minutes or 3 hours 12 minutes; 5 players = 240 minutes or 4 hours; 6 players = 268 minutes or 4 hours, 48 minutes).Hmm. I hadn't analysed that before. Interesting.Cheers!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="MerricB, post: 5120023, member: 3586"] This one is pretty easy: it's because combat length scales with the number of players. That's how it is designed. Unlike previous editions, most characters deal damage to one opponent at a time. (There are some exceptions, but overall combat is dominated by that observation). Each new character added to a combat also adds a matching opponent. So, if it takes one character 12 minutes to take down one opponent, this scales [i]linearly[/i] with the number of characters. Four characters: 48 minutes. Five characters: 60 minutes. Six characters: 72 minutes. Note that the 12 minutes is half (or thereabouts) dealing with the action of the character and the other half dealing with the actions of the monster. These figures can be adjusted slightly by good tactics - if five characters attack one monster, they can eliminate it quickly. So, instead of spending 6 minutes on that monster's actions, you only spend a minute or two. However, this is a relatively minor effect. (It's often hard to actually put these tactics into play; and more combatants also means more complex tactical situations that work against this effect). So, length of combat (and therefore session) is almost linearly proportional to the number of players. In RPGA sessions, you can thus say it will take 48 minutes per player or thereabouts. (4 players = 192 minutes or 3 hours 12 minutes; 5 players = 240 minutes or 4 hours; 6 players = 268 minutes or 4 hours, 48 minutes). Hmm. I hadn't analysed that before. Interesting. Cheers! [/QUOTE]

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