Re: [DL] boring fights? (long)

["Daphne Brunelle" <dbrune4@po-box.mcgill.ca>]

I've found that combats tend to take a long time in our group, since we 
pretty much tend to default to guns (no hucksters or hexslingers where we
come from), and our group motto could be: "Teamwork? What's that?" We *have*
been working on that, but it's going to take a while to coordinate our
efforts efficiently. We're also five posse members now, which means that
many more actions/cards/bullets/stun checks.

On the other hand, I don't think that anyone in our posse finds the combats
boring. Usually we're within two inches of our lives from the first second
to the last, and there's relatively little player discussion of tactics and
the like (not sure whether that's a good thing or not). I haven't noticed
all that much absenteeism from the table during combat (unless it's an
emergency ;-); those who aren't acting right then usually provide background
narrative ("That shot must've taken him right in the eye: he dies
messily."), or spend chips to save the backsides of the rest of us who
usually don't have any chips left by the end of the encounter.

The three-second rule also seems to help. Something along the lines of:
"Jacks. What're you doing?" and if the player waits too long: "Three...
two... one... okay, you hesitate."

We've settled on stun checks instead of wind loss, which seems to speed
things up slightly, except in special circumstances. Also, when a character
is killed/incapacitated, having them play random NPCs occupies them and
gives a slightly different tilt to the combat (that way the other players
have a more difficult time second-guessing the bad guys, since someone other
than the Marshal is controlling them).

JM2C,

Daphné
--
"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty."
                                -Buffy the Vampire Slayer

----------
>From: rs95065@weir.co.uk
>To: deadlands@gamerz.net
>Subject: Re: [DL] boring fights? (long)
>Date: Wed, Aug 30, 2000, 4:59 AM
>

> Some of our combats have really dragged.  My posse tends to end up
> resembling a group of misfits with little or no team spirit.  The
> posse are gun heavy including, 2 gun hexslinger, 2 gun mexican
> (sorry spaniard ;-)), harrowed bounty hunter, a mechanical freak
> (with a gattling rifle) and a huckster (we used to have an indian,
> however the huckster brought a tunnel down on him!).  Rather
> predicably guns tend to be the first port of call when it comes to
> combat.
>
> The 2 two gun's tend to dominate, and when they draw a series of
> high cards, everyone else sighs and sits back, picks up a sourcebook
> and wait for an update on who's alive at the end of it all.  This
> leads to folk all of a sudden saying - what do you mean it's five,
> I've got a seven of diamonds, and with people humming and hawing
> wondering who is left up after the initial hail of lead.
>
> I think many factors are to blame including the way the group
> roleplay and my style of GMing (I tend to be a bi lenient).  However
> I plan to take a harder line, forcing people to amek their decisions
> more quickly and to think ahead and anyone requiring an update on the
> situation will spend their action getting it.  Hopefully this will
> put off those who ignore combat until their action comes round.
>
> When I first Marshalled Deadlands I completely forgot about stun as
> we were all new to it, combat was pretty long then anyway and so I
> decided to leave it out completely.  I plan to introduce it with the
> revised rules for when someone is dealt a more serious wound.
>
> I think boring fights just occur when the rule system and people's
> style of gaming just don't quite mix, then it's up to the Marshall to
> recognise it and change things to regain the interest.
>
> Roy
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> All internet traffic to this site is
> automatically scanned for viruses
> and vandals.
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
>
> To unsubscribe, send a message to esquire@gamerz.net with
>  unsubscribe deadlands
> as the BODY of the message.  The SUBJECT is ignored.
>
>