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Campaign settings - Speed


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It took me some time to parse this properly

 

So, if I am right, you are saying every character should start being able to run the same velocity regardless of their speed? So everyone begins, able to run 48m in 12 seconds. Their move per phase starts on that basis, so a SPD 6 character moves 8m each phase and a SPD 2 character moves 24m. Is that right?

 

I don't think it is a terrible place to start. When you buy movement thereafter, it is prorated by your SPD. Everyone should purchase it by turn and use it by phase? I kind of like the principle...

I think I misunderstood his post then. I don't care for the idea. When I buy up movement, the primary thing I'm concerned about is increasing my half-move. Champions is in many ways a tactical game. Travel time over long distances isn't that important (it's all offscreen anyway).

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The only problems I've seen with guys who have really high speed is indecision.  For some reason this guy in one campaign who was the smartest guy in just about any room (he literally was a nuclear physcist, worked at Hanford while at college) wanted to play a speedster, so I helped him build one.  He had 7 speed, but the problem was, every time his phase came up -- and with that speed, it came up a lot -- he wasn't sure what to do, so he'd hold or waffle indecisively and I would assume he held and move on.

It may be because he's the smartest guy in the room. He sees more alternatives, and is comparing them all, where the less bright player just makes a half move and uses his go to attack on the target who hit him last or otherwise catches his attention.

 

One of the most frustrating things for me as a GM is players who get frustrated because it takes longer than they want for their phase to come up... but then aren't ready when it does.

Especially when they are the ones fiddling with their smart phone, engaged in side conversations or otherwise paying no attention to the game outside their actions. Why does it take longer for your phase to come up? Because we have five players all needing a recap of everything that happened since their last action when the next one comes up, after which they must consider every possible action they could take now, seeing the placement of their allies and enemies for the first time.

 

If, instead, we were all watching the game (and did not have to be prodded three times to pay attention when our own characters are attacked), we could have our next move planned out when our phases came up and the game would move much faster. Typically, if I'm at team average speed (or in a game like D&D with no variance in action speed) and there's four or five players, my planned move changes at least two or three times between my actions, but I'm typically ready to go (even if only to say "delay") when my turn comes up.

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Especially when they are the ones fiddling with their smart phone, engaged in side conversations or otherwise paying no attention to the game outside their actions. Why does it take longer for your phase to come up? Because we have five players all needing a recap of everything that happened since their last action when the next one comes up, after which they must consider every possible action they could take now, seeing the placement of their allies and enemies for the first time.

 

If, instead, we were all watching the game (and did not have to be prodded three times to pay attention when our own characters are attacked), we could have our next move planned out when our phases came up and the game would move much faster. Typically, if I'm at team average speed (or in a game like D&D with no variance in action speed) and there's four or five players, my planned move changes at least two or three times between my actions, but I'm typically ready to go (even if only to say "delay") when my turn comes up.

This has more or less been my experience as well. Generally speaking if the player is paying attention to the game, they already have a decent idea of what they want to do when their Phase comes up. The problem is though that these new-fangled smart phones are just too damn distracting. Its so bad I typically ban the use of phones at the table except for dice-rolling or rules referencing. I expect that if you are at the table, you are paying enough attention that you don't have to be reminded what just happened to make your decision. Naturally though it is okay if somebody needs to step away from the table to make a phone-call, answer a text, use the restroom, and I'll happily give them a recap when they return.

 

However, this has little to do with SPD, and everything to do with Player Etiquette.

 

Regarding SPD, the most frequent time I see players who are paying attention suffer Analysis Paralysis is when their speed is so high they are taking multiple actions between the phases of other players, or when they need to wait for a slower character to react to their action, but don't want​ to 'waste' their phase by Holding it.

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One of the most frustrating things for me as a GM is players who get frustrated because it takes longer than they want for their phase to come up... but then aren't ready when it does.

 

In my opinion, this factor (players not being ready when their Phase comes up) is the single biggest contributor to Hero's reputation for slow combat.

 

A standing house rule in 4-color superheroic games I run is that every character (including the bad guys, so I have to be on my toes as GM) has to immediately make a soliloquy as soon as their Phase comes around (this can be an internal "thought bubble" soliloquy if the situation would be inappropriate for the character to actually speak), and if they're not ready to talk when it's their turn, they lose their Action that Phase!  The camera doesn't cut to you if you have nothing to say!

 

How does this help speed up combat?  Just by making them keep their heads in the game. They're not technically required to immediately take their Action (or declare a Hold) the way they are the soliloquy, but it doesn't usually matter.  If they're ready to go with the roleplaying, they're ready to go with the Action too.  :)

 

I could run Challenge of the Super Friends combats with 11 heroes vs. 13 villains, and finish them in less than 2 hours...

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In my opinion, this factor (players not being ready when their Phase comes up) is the single biggest contributor to Hero's reputation for slow combat.

 

 

I agree, its more exaggerated in Hero than other games because with the options and cinematic play can make each phase longer than, say, a D&D round.  Some people can't handle the options.

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In my opinion, this factor (players not being ready when their Phase comes up) is the single biggest contributor to Hero's reputation for slow combat.

 

A standing house rule in 4-color superheroic games I run is that every character (including the bad guys, so I have to be on my toes as GM) has to immediately make a soliloquy as soon as their Phase comes around (this can be an internal "thought bubble" soliloquy if the situation would be inappropriate for the character to actually speak), and if they're not ready to talk when it's their turn, they lose their Action that Phase!  The camera doesn't cut to you if you have nothing to say!

 

How does this help speed up combat?  Just by making them keep their heads in the game. They're not technically required to immediately take their Action (or declare a Hold) the way they are the soliloquy, but it doesn't usually matter.  If they're ready to go with the roleplaying, they're ready to go with the Action too.   :)

 

I could run Challenge of the Super Friends combats with 11 heroes vs. 13 villains, and finish them in less than 2 hours...

I love this idea.  Consider it stol....errr borrowed!

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I've done a count down before to speed up play. I have a friend who tries to weasel every advantage he can tactically! The last game I played, I said to myself when it came to some questionable decisions "screw it" I went with my first (& sometimes wrong) decisions and I had a funner time!

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I've done a count down before to speed up play. I have a friend who tries to weasel every advantage he can tactically! The last game I played, I said to myself when it came to some questionable decisions "screw it" I went with my first (& sometimes wrong) decisions and I had a funner time!

 

Plus, unless a character is particularly analytical, this is probably more in-character anyway.  Especially for impatient, impulsive, or excitable characters.  Most folks just don't sit around for hours dissecting every option before they make a decision, unless it's a major decision.  And sometimes not even then...  ;)

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Well, I try to give people a bit of time to consider, to make up for them not being combat-experienced, hardened heroes personally, and because they have more and better exact information in their minds from being in the fight rather than having it described and shown with like miniatures on a map.  But there are limits.

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I once made a Rep for Gamesworkshop upset because I played a sample game as Space Marines like Leroy Jenkins. In the edition I played (2 ed I think) The Space Marines were heavily favored mechanically so I march my Marines across the board like a WWI charge and went after the Orks! I think I still won that battle. The Rep was upset because in the game before he was showing someone new and had the Marinea take all the cover they could which as an Ork leader was frustrating to even hit the Marines let alone wound them. So I told the player next game let's switch and I promise to be in the open which I did. My idea of fun is actually fighting not playing hide and seek on a battle board especially when you only have 4 rounds of play and takes you three to get into range.

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