Speeding up PBP games Combat

[#Raptor]

I've just had 2 ideas... thought I'd post em here, so you guys can criticize them/suggest improvements/use them for your own game(s)/suggest them to your DM's.

1.) The DM rolls Initative for all. This way the group don't have to wait for each player to make a single "Initative roll post" before they know the initative order.

2.) Breaking up the Initative order a bit.
I.e. if 2 players have higher initative than a monster, let em post in whatever order, then goes the monster, then the players who have lower iniative than the monster (again, in no particular order). This could even work when fighting groups of monsters - just use theyr average* initative modifier.

Spoiler

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*Either 10+dex+Initative improving stuff (imp. Init., items, etc.) or roll for theyr init and then use average of theyr rolls.

Example Initative Order:
19 Krusk
14 Jozan
13 Lidda
11 Orcs
8 Mialee
5 Regdar

Now Krusk, Jozan and Lidda get to act first - and Lidda's player is absolutely free to post before Krusk's player or Jozan's player, but Mialee and Regdar's players can't act untill the Orcs acted.

After the Orcs acted, its Mialee and Regdars turn and again, Regdar's player is free to post before Mialee. Once they both acted, its Krusk, Jozan and Liddas turn again.

Simple, eh? I know I've probably explained it in alot more detail than necessary, but I wanted to make sure everyone gets it.


So, what do you guys think of those? Got any other ideas to speed up PBP games?

[Gaiyamato]

Done this myself.
It works a treat.

:)

[RTGoodman]

You could just use passive initiative. Just take each player's initiative modifier and add 10, and do the same for monsters. If not, having the enemies either go first or last automatically could work, too, but some situational things could make that bad.

Also, one thing my current PbP DM (NecroRebel) is doing is ending the combats early once 80% or so of the enemies are dead so we don't have to worry about the time-consuming "mopping up" of enemies.

[Tengu_temp]

To simplify your idea even further, you can make all the players move at the same time after the first enemy turn. In your situation, after the orcs move, the initiative changes to:

Mialee, Regdar, Krusk, Jozan, Lidda
Orcs

The players move in any order they want.

[BooNL]

The way I usually do it is to roll initiative for all the players (or take 10, depending on the group) like mentioned already. Its a great method, as it easily shaves off a day or two of waiting for everyone to roll.

So far, I've had everyone take their turn based on their initiative roll, with some people posting their actions in advance if they have little time to be on the boards. "In my next couple of turns, I will target enemy X and Y, using only my daily uses and save my consumables."
I can live with posts like that, though I prefer everyone to actually roleplay their combat. It depends on the game and the time frame though.

I also have a rule that I will take control of a characters actions if they haven't posted a combat action in 2 days. I don't do delays, if you want your character to do something, you should play him yourself.

[Fixer]

Here is what I did:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showp...&postcount=155

I rolled the initiatives, and once initiative was set it only changed if someone did something to change it (like choosing to go after someone else). Players gave me their actions and I made the die rolls (except for really critical saves, which I gave the player an option to roll). Each round was done in one day, because I only posted once or twice every day.

[crimson77]

Or you could just drop initiative. The NPCs (or monsters) either attack before or after the party. The party members just go in the order of their posts so they can post when they have the chance. I have used this system for years and it greatly speeds up combat.

[Froogleyboy]

In PBP I've done away with init. Its what ever order you post in.

[DragoonWraith]

We do a lot of conditional posting. Like if the archer hasn't posted yet but goes before me, I'd say "If the archer hits the bad-guy and the poison knocks him out, I'll cast Ray of Enfeeble on the other one. Otherwise, I'll throw a Alchemist's Fire at the first guy." And everyone posts like that and the DM sorts it all out when he posts. It works out reasonably well (we get in a full round per DM post, usually).