What are the benefits of using Skype to streamline combat scenarios?

[MonkeySage]

I'm running three online games, and thinking of using skype voice conference to supplement our roll20 gameplay.

I recently got what seems like a very good mic, and ran a one on one battle using voice. My only trouble was that my player kept forgetting to type out the roleplaying bits and sometimes forgot to roll his attacks. We used voice to keep up the pace, to make sure we were both at the keyboard when our turn came around. We also used it for expositionary purposes; if he had a question, he didn't have to type it out.

Most of my players, save one, would probably readily accept the idea of using voice chat to streamline things. The one exclusion is a very shy player(I'm the only person who knows his real name, and only because he accidentally let it slip.) I've never heard this player's voice, and he has never seemed very keen on the idea of using voice. I would like to convince him to try it out, even if it means muting himself and just listening to the rest of us.

[PersonMan]

Doesn't Roll20 have built-in voice chat? Just broadcast voice (and he can choose not to) - though if one player doesn't want to it may be best to keep it to a minimum or they'll feel left out (typing is so much slower than talking that they'll have trouble keeping up and participating).

Thing is, running Roll20+voice chat basically makes the game into something a lot closer to playing at a physical table, which in my experience results in a lot less detail/description but far higher speed.

If you want lengthy descriptions of each round, I wouldn't recommend it. If you're fine with dropping a lot of the cool writing in favor of the fight going quickly, then go ahead.

[MonkeySage]

My game is mostly story driven, with combat mostly being a necessity to prepare them for greater challenges in the future(as yet, I've not been able to come up with a good way to dish out experience rewards for something as subjective as good role playing).

Anything you might suggest?

[PersonMan]

I think that text-based, if you're cool with the speed, is best, and you can go to the less-detail-more-speed in combat. If it's not a big focus anyways, then you should be cool without long descriptions of each attack.

You can use macros to make pre-written ones, as well.

EDIT: An example would be pre-writing something like 'Nerik unleashes a bolt of arcane fury that races towards its target, pulsing purple before exploding into harsh red light as it connects. (Eldritch Blast; Ranged Touch Attack [roll here] Damage [roll here]'.

[Calen]

IF your players are cool with it having voice chat does speed up asking a clarification question.

That said the online games I play everyone knows each other anyway, so YMMV

[goto124]

You can use macros to make pre-written ones, as well.

EDIT: An example would be pre-writing something like 'Nerik unleashes a bolt of arcane fury that races towards its target, pulsing purple before exploding into harsh red light as it connects. (Eldritch Blast; Ranged Touch Attack [roll here] Damage [roll here]'.

If you're repeating pre-written descriptions, it shouldn't be too long before you can cut it out entirely, and jump to 'Nerik tosses an Eldritch Blast at the orc (Eldritch Blast; Ranged Touch Attack [roll here] Damage [roll here])'.

One reason I like text: I can skim through the descriptions if I wish to. Much as I appreciate the GM's efforts, sometimes I'm just not in the mood to listen to it so thoroughly. I've saved such descriptions and came back to read them again at my own pace and time.

Might also have to do with how I struggle to listen to descriptions ('What did she say again? Was it 'son' or 'sun'? Crud, I can't remember what she mentioned about the castle earlier on. And it'll be my fifth time asking her to clarify.'). While with text, the words are there for me to take in slowly.

[PersonMan]

Well, the reason you use pre-written descriptions at all is because you want to preserve the feeling of more in-detail descriptions rather than just saying 'I'll EB the orc here are my rolls', so cutting it out of the macro is counter-productive.

Or do you mean writing the descriptions and only saying the basic stuff? I was assuming that'd be what it's like anyways - I generally don't see a lot of detail in combat descriptions outside of written stuff anyways.