Hey fellow GM's!

Currently I have 6 players at my table and we've been discussing ways to make combat quicker. Players are reminded to think about their turn before it reaches them so they know what they want to achieve, and this usually isn't the issue. What we're finding the issue to be is when players with a large dice pool (which is quite a few of them) come to spending their accumulated Advantages and Triumphs. It's at this stage where things seem to slow and get bogged down with indecision and questions to the GM and the like.

Do any of you have suggestions on how to make this process quicker, or even combat as a whole? Any tips and tricks you employ to keep your players engaged and not get impatient?

7 minutes ago, CloudyLemonade92 said:

What we're finding the issue to be is when players with a large dice pool (which is quite a few of them) come to spending their accumulated Advantages and Triumphs. It's at this stage where things seem to slow and get bogged down with indecision and questions to the GM and the like.

Encourage them to plan out ahead of time what qualities and crits they would ideally like to trigger, and then also to think about effects they want from the table. If they've got anything left after that, use the chart on the GM screen or Chapter VI of the CRB to spend the rest of it. Boost/Setback are the most common choices, and memorizing that table will go a long way to speeding up play.

As for expenditures like adding something to the narrative, I would encourage you to wrap those into the narrative descriptions of other options rather than actually spending Advantage/Triumph to add something. For example, spend 3 Advantage to gain +1 Ranged Defense, describe the character taking cover behind something that may or may not have already existed. Then in the future they can take maneuvers to cover behind it.

Granted, most of my playing is, unfortunately,* PbP, but I come from the world of strategy games like Axis & Allies and Risk, so I'm always thinking a couple steps ahead and am generally pretty sure what I'm going to do on my turn, including Advantage and Triumph.

*Unfortunately is a bit of a loaded word there, I enjoy PbP and the people I play it with, it would just be nice to have a consistent group to play with in-person (though that's pretty much out of the question for most people, for a while, anyway).

10 hours ago, CloudyLemonade92 said:

Do any of you have suggestions on how to make this process quicker, or even combat as a whole? Any tips and tricks you employ to keep your players engaged and not get impatient?

Skip the little stuff and don't waste time trying to be too creative. The creative juices will flow when the players really want something, or they can directly relate their results to something they want to influence in the environment. Otherwise if the player can't think of anything in a few seconds there's no need to belabour it. Advantage and Threat can just default to crits/boost/setback or Strain manipulation, and Triumph/Despair can default to upgrades/downgrades (though I give a little more time for better results).

One side effect of boost dice flowing around the table is that people tend to pay more attention, and even beg for it 🙂 So they are usually more ready to act on their turn.

The other thing I do which makes combat less tedious is break it up into smaller events strung together with chases. I use the term "chase" loosely...any situation that requires either party to break off in order to achieve some other goal, and any skill can be used, not just Athletics. Because combat isn't usually the goal, it's only one of possible means to a goal. If the PCs are carrying a Force sensitive baby to keep it from the Inquisitors (or Rebels...), they can hardly stick around for a fight. They might get a couple of shots off here and there (no more than a couple of turns worth) before having to move again to avoid getting flanked or surrounded or the enemy finds their ship.

My players are pretty old-school, and for decades "combat" for them has always meant "grind it out and don't give an inch because if we die it's the GM's fault". But they've take to this new structure pretty well, and they say they have more fun with it, as it gives them a lot more leeway to be inventive...combat becomes just one of many tools in their kit.

Finally, related to the chase thing, don't be afraid to split up the party. These mechanics excel at allowing you to do that. You still need to rotate through each person's turn, but they can doing vastly different things at the same time. Comm links are a staple trope to allow the party to coordinate, and you don't need to overthink range or battery life or whatever. It should just work...until it doesn't because PLOT.