Speeding up combat resolution - tools?

[Silent Hunter UK]

Does anyone know of any tools out there to speed up the rather time-consuming combat system of T2K?

[ArmySGT.]

If you build tables for each players weapons and the most common mooks weapons with the s, m, l ranges with the players skills and modifiers factored in that helps.

[Cdnwolf]

Using the tabletop system of roll20.net I was able to make macros to speed up the firing of weapons and damage.

[Draq]

Maybe some kind of dm screen type thing?

[Medic]

I would suggest a table with player weapons and related skills, listing both aimed and snapshot values per range, listing the effective range bands for each weapon. Then add a smaller table with the modifiers for use with anything else than the usual gear.

I can try to craft an example at work tonight.

[Silent Hunter UK]

I would suggest a table with player weapons and related skills, listing both aimed and snapshot values per range, listing the effective range bands for each weapon. Then add a smaller table with the modifiers for use with anything else than the usual gear.

I can try to craft an example at work tonight.

Excellent! Please do that!

[pmulcahy11b]

When I was GMing, I would take a piece of clear acetate, then draw with a alcohol pen ranges of typical weapons and modified ranges, if necessary, So you just lay it across the map and Voila!

[Adm.Lee]

I would suggest a table with player weapons and related skills, listing both aimed and snapshot values per range, listing the effective range bands for each weapon. Then add a smaller table with the modifiers for use with anything else than the usual gear.

I can usually fit this kind of information on a 3x5" card, one per gun carried by the PC. I print it with the numbers off, then pencil in the calculated #'s, since they will change sooner or later.

As a GM, I find it helpful to write out before-game what the NPCs' tactics ought to be, as well as their to-hit numbers. It's one less thing to remember when the dice start rolling.

There's also this ad: http://fastercombat.com/enroll/ I've not read nor bought this product; it seems to focus on fantasy RPGs, but a reviewer for Traveller thought it worthwhile: http://freelancetraveller.com/features/reviews/othertoys/runcombat.html

[LT. Ox]

When I was GMing, I would take a piece of clear acetate, then draw with a alcohol pen ranges of typical weapons and modified ranges, if necessary, So you just lay it across the map and Voila!
Great Idea .....as always.
I play in three scales so this is super. Adding the burst radius to same sheet works too.

[Ancestor]

I've come up with my own homebrewed system for small arms and crew served weapons but what about vehicles, especially armored vehicles. I love V.1 and I get what they were trying to do but frankly I suck at math and I'm looking for something to the effect of "no effect/richochet/reactive armor save, mobility kill, crew kill, fuel/ammo hit (immediate burn), fuel/ammo hit(time for crew to escape before secondary explosion)"

And yes, don't laugh, I'm not a tanker...I just want something remotely realistic that involves very little math!

[Adm.Lee]

I've come up with my own homebrewed system for small arms and crew served weapons but what about vehicles, especially armored vehicles. I love V.1 and I get what they were trying to do but frankly I suck at math and I'm looking for something to the effect of "no effect/richochet/reactive armor save, mobility kill, crew kill, fuel/ammo hit (immediate burn), fuel/ammo hit(time for crew to escape before secondary explosion)"

And yes, don't laugh, I'm not a tanker...I just want something remotely realistic that involves very little math!

IIRC, Dirtside II, a minis ruleset that I was in love with in the mid-90s, had very simple armored vehicle combat results. You had the armor value and weapon type/size (it was written for generic sci-fi, so there lots of types); drew a chit from a box, if the chit matched the weapon type, it was a hit, and depending on the size vs. armor, perhaps a kill. Mixed in with the numbered & colored chits were "mobility damage" and "system (electronics) damage" and so forth. It's been a long time since I've read those rules, but it was easy-squeezy to read the chart and get results.

Bonus: the rules are now free as downloads, here: http://www.shop.groundzerogames.co.uk/index.php?_a=category&cat_id=130

Several games there:
Dirtside II was written for battles of battalion-sized forces, with platoons as the units maneuvered.
Stargrunt II was written for infantry fights, maneuvering squads, with few individual vehicles. It used opposed die-rolls, so if my gun rolled d8 and your armor was d6, we'd each roll, and if I beat your die, the target was damaged; if I doubled your die, it was destroyed.
Full Thrust is starship combat, also generic (though they made up a setting) and fast-playing.

I have it in mind some day to write and play T2k conversions for these for a convention someday.

[Marc]

I am quite satisfied with the speed with which the combat turns are resolved using v2.2 set of rules. But it is true that some of my players are very familiar with the rules thanks to have played Traveller:The New Era (another of my favourite games). But if they could take a look to my side of the table (the referee side) ... Chaos! Anarchy!

I'm a quite organized referee until combat arises. Then, I want rythm. Nothing more boring for a player than to wait their turn. And with the speed... disorder. As a result, rythm can be lost.

I have mitigated the problem with a NPC Sheet. We call it Collective NPC Sheet, to represent up to eight individuals and write up their health status, ammo, skills, and stuff like that. After that we, created an Individual NPC Sheet for important NPC.

I have translated the page of our site where you can find both sheets. You will find it here, with all the explanations: L'Argonauta, T2K NPC Sheets (https://sites.google.com/site/elrefugidelargonauta/twilight/non-playing-character-sheets)

By the way, I will very grateful if anyone takes a look to the linked page and indicates to me any miss in my English Skill roll. :o

[Silent Hunter UK]

I am quite satisfied with the speed with which the combat turns are resolved using v2.2 set of rules. But it is true that some of my players are very familiar with the rules thanks to have played Traveller:The New Era (another of my favourite games). But if they could take a look to my side of the table (the referee side) ... Chaos! Anarchy!

I'm a quite organized referee until combat arises. Then, I want rythm. Nothing more boring for a player than to wait their turn. And with the speed... disorder. As a result, rythm can be lost.

I have mitigated the problem with a NPC Sheet. We call it Collective NPC Sheet, to represent up to eight individuals and write up their health status, ammo, skills, and stuff like that. After that we, created an Individual NPC Sheet for important NPC.

I have translated the page of our site where you can find both sheets. You will find it here, with all the explanations: L'Argonauta, T2K NPC Sheets (https://sites.google.com/site/elrefugidelargonauta/twilight/non-playing-character-sheets)

By the way, I will very grateful if anyone takes a look to the linked page and indicates to me any miss in my English Skill roll. :o

Just downloaded this. +10. :)

[LT. Ox]

I am quite satisfied with the speed with which the combat turns are resolved using v2.2 set of rules. But it is true that some of my players are very familiar with the rules thanks to have played Traveller:The New Era (another of my favourite games). But if they could take a look to my side of the table (the referee side) ... Chaos! Anarchy!

I'm a quite organized referee until combat arises. Then, I want rythm. Nothing more boring for a player than to wait their turn. And with the speed... disorder. As a result, rythm can be lost.

I have mitigated the problem with a NPC Sheet. We call it Collective NPC Sheet, to represent up to eight individuals and write up their health status, ammo, skills, and stuff like that. After that we, created an Individual NPC Sheet for important NPC.

I have translated the page of our site where you can find both sheets. You will find it here, with all the explanations: L'Argonauta, T2K NPC Sheets (https://sites.google.com/site/elrefugidelargonauta/twilight/non-playing-character-sheets)

By the way, I will very grateful if anyone takes a look to the linked page and indicates to me any miss in my English Skill roll. :o

Thanks you very much!

[Ancestor]

Thank you both Adm. Lee and Marc. I've got my teenage boys as my PC's so the attention span is about, well, nil! This will really help!

[pmulcahy11b]

Y'know, I was thinking, and it occurred to me that the same thing I did on maps with acetate could also be done with figures and pieces of thread.

[LT. Ox]

Y'know, I was thinking, and it occurred to me that the same thing I did on maps with acetate could also be done with figures and pieces of thread.

Ala H.G. Wells "Little Wars"