Your Attention Level During Online Games?

[Retreater]

I'm in some online games that have combats that can span 30-40 minutes before the turn comes back to me. Nothing especially interesting happens during that timespan. I don't get to aid fellow characters. I *might get asked to drop a saving throw or something. Normally, I spend this time doom scrolling, completely disengaged from the game.

Is this atypical?
Should I just quit playing?
If I should stay, can you suggest anything fun I can do besides the doom scrolling?

 

[Reynard]

I'm in some online games that have combats that can span 30-40 minutes before the turn comes back to me. Nothing especially interesting happens during that timespan. I don't get to aid fellow characters. I *might get asked to drop a saving throw or something. Normally, I spend this time doom scrolling, completely disengaged from the game.

Is this atypical?
Should I just quit playing?
If I should stay, can you suggest anything fun I can do besides the doom scrolling?

30-40 minutes feel like a really long time for 1 turn. How many players are there? How many enemies? What platform?

I just ran a 17th level 5.5E combat with 13 enemies and 5 PCs plus 2 NPCs using fantasy grounds that took 11 rounds over about 4 hours, so about 20 minutes per full round.

 

[Retreater]

30-40 minutes feel like a really long time for 1 turn. How many players are there? How many enemies? What platform?

I just ran a 17th level 5.5E combat with 13 enemies and 5 PCs plus 2 NPCs using fantasy grounds that took 11 rounds over about 4 hours, so about 20 minutes per full round.

We're 10th level Pathfinder 2e. We had 3 players (with two NPC characters controlled by GM). [Typically it's 4 players and 0 NPCs.] Last night's fight had 4 opponents, with 3 of the 4 being defeated in combat and the last running away - so it could've gone even longer.
We're on Foundry, with all the updates and automation bells and whistles.

 

[Laurefindel]

30-40 minutes is... a lot.

That said, even 5 minutes between turns is enough for me to phase out when playing online. At the table, you see others roll, you cheer, you can control your own voice to talk with the person beside you without disrupting the fight, use non-verbal communication etc. It's easier to feel connected and engaged in person.

I've come to the conclusion that online gaming simply isn't for me. I hope you find a way to remain engaged, but I'm afraid I don't have solutions to bring forward. I certainly don't think this is atypical.

 

[Reynard]

We're 10th level Pathfinder 2e. We had 3 players (with two NPC characters controlled by GM). [Typically it's 4 players and 0 NPCs.] Last night's fight had 4 opponents, with 3 of the 4 being defeated in combat and the last running away - so it could've gone even longer.
We're on Foundry, with all the updates and automation bells and whistles.

That does seem like very slow turns, but I have only played Pathfinder 2E a couple times and never at that high a level, and I don't know Foundry.

 

[Reynard]

30-40 minutes is... a lot.

That said, even 5 minutes between turns is enough for me to phase out when playing online. At the table, you see others roll, you cheer, you can control your own voice to talk with the person beside you without disrupting the fight, use non-verbal communication etc. It's easier to feel connected and engaged in person.

I've come to the conclusion that online gaming simply isn't for me. I hope you find a way to remain engaged, but I'm afraid I don't have solutions to bring forward. I certainly don't think this is atypical.

I have found that using cameras and not just voice definitely improves the "at the table feeling" with VTTs and people still hoot and cheer at crits, etc.

 

[cranberry]

I'm in some online games that have combats that can span 30-40 minutes before the turn comes back to me. Nothing especially interesting happens during that timespan. I don't get to aid fellow characters. I *might get asked to drop a saving throw or something. Normally, I spend this time doom scrolling, completely disengaged from the game.

Is this atypical?
Should I just quit playing?
If I should stay, can you suggest anything fun I can do besides the doom scrolling?

Unfortunately, there are many players who take way too long to decide what to do. Personally, I spent the "downtime" thinking of a few different moves depending on what is happening with the other players turns.

 

[Retreater]

Unfortunately, there are many players who take way too long to decide what to do. Personally, I spent the "downtime" thinking of a few different moves depending on what is happening with the other players turns.

I don't know if it's indecision. There's a lot of chained rolls.
For example, say one of the characters will take one of their three actions to shoot a target. He discusses what the GM computes the cover bonus to be. Moves to avoid the +1 cover bonus to the enemy. Shoots. Computes the result. Hits but doesn't like the result. Re-rolls the attack with a Hero Point in hopes of getting a Critical. Critical damage achieved. Enemy gets a bleeding condition (which now gets to be applied and saved against later). The enemy also has to make a Will save to avoid a Frightened condition. The enemy succeeds, which means that you put the Frightened condition on the target.
But wait, chimes in another player. This is an enemy that has immunity to bleeding. Which if they don't take the bleeding damage, we should also remove the Frightened condition.
First player complains that he wasted the Hero Point trying to get the Critical since the enemy was ultimately immune to the bleeding damage and the Frightened condition.
My turn: I raise my shield, Move to the enemy. Swing my sword. Miss.
[I'm not needed for 45 minutes.]

 

[Thomas Shey]

I've just got to say I've played a lot of PF2e and I've rarely seen a turn among four people take longer than 10 minutes.

 

[Retreater]

I've just got to say I've played a lot of PF2e and I've rarely seen a turn among four people take longer than 10 minutes.

Apparently there's a lot of rules debate and nit-picking going on, stopping to measure distances, tracing out area effects, etc.