There are many different aspects of Shadow Run that allows for GM interpretation. Frankly, that's part of the awesomeness of the game. However, I'm curious to see how everyone else handles this particular aspect of our favorite RPG.

~ Combat Tempo ~ I've learned a lot about the nature of SR DMing via my threads on the board. I have even learned a lot about this subject by analyzing what others have said in those threads. However, I am continuing to have problems with PCs combat turns taking too long.

I will prelude my discussion with a few statements. I have come to understand that combat is more of a game booby-trap then a commonly used game mechanic. The runners tend to avoid combat since once they END UP in combat, their objectives just got harder to achieve. I understand this, but there will be times where GMs will want to complicate combat a bit with special terrain, environmental effects, spells and a host of other modifiers. In these situations I'm seeking some tips on how to keep each PCs combat "turn" brief.

We have found ourselves in situations where one person has an automatic weapon and wants to fire on several guys. This ALONE has taken a while to resolve. Admittedly, we are not yet proficient with the combat rules, so much of this may or may not be a result of our inexperience, but is there anything that we are missing to help? Do you all pre-roll opponents attacks? Initiatives? Do you keep up with all the situational modifiers that effect everyone just in case?

If this thread doesn't glean any useful information for everyone then I'll be happy to have this die, but I'm taking a shot in the dark. I have a lot more questions, but these seems to be the more pressing one. Discuss!!!

I started to use a Spreadsheet where I could type in the "raw data" of attack hits, defender hits, and weapon DV and AP. The spreadsheet then spit out the damage boxes and whether it was Physical or Stun. I have seen moved to a computer program I wrote that does the same thing, as well as tracking Initiative and the damage the NPC's have taken. I'm not saying that computer assistance is necessary, just that it does makes things go faster.

Alternatively, you could make some "crib note" sheets help you with the most common calculations that need to be done. We also found that a dry-erase white board for Initiative really helps. Prop it up where everyone can see it. That way people see when their turn is coming and hopefully have their action ready.

Make the players do a lot of the work when it's not their turn. Have a player track IPs, have players track initiative, have players figure out cover and positions and turn order, have players track DV done to NPCs, have players check on tables and rules, and if a player is not ready when it's their turn, then they are holding or losing an IP until they do.

Share the fun. Get everyone involved. Do it.

Personally, I've had the most success doing what DireRadiant suggests. While one player tallies up hits from a roll, the next player rolls, and the player after that figures out their dice pool, etc.

Interesting concept: having players take on tracking tasks.

I don't mind keeping track of it all on note sheets. I usually write down an attack dice pool, reatction, body + armor pool and the condition monitor. I track all initiative with colored note cards and have a separate set of note cards to display the current IP. When a player shoot, I immediately roll reaction and tell him my hits and request that he just tells me his net hits, and then give me a DV and AP. From that, I resist and mark down damage taken.

I'm sure that I miss wound modifiers and other things from time to time, but it all goes pretty fast.

Now, if someone started using burst fire, suppressive fire, full auto, a shotgun with a spread...well, even after playing for 3+ years, I'd have to look it up, and that will slow down the game.

What I would suggest is that if the player is going to do something out of the norm, they really need to read up on that and be ready to explain to the table what the deal is. But I know that doesn't happen at my table. I look it up and if anyone has a problem or thinks differently, they either research themselves or wait between sessions.

Combat isn't too slow for our table right now, but the fact that there are a list of modifiers for the attacker and defender, that could change from pass to pass, it can slow things down. I know I created little visibility index cards that I toss on the table so everyone can see the penalties and adjust accordingly.

For me, the biggest slow down is juggling about 5 pertinent numbers in my head during combat. I should really just spend the time and right down the important stats...

Have your players make cheat sheets that list out their weapons and the stats and modifications for each. Have them write down common attack types. ie: wide burst with their machine pistol using ammo#1: 6 dice to hit, 6 base damage -2 armor, narrow burst with the machine pistol is etc etc.

Keep notes of your dice-modifiers. In my experience, a lot of times, the slowness in combat systems is caused by people having to pause on every action to figure out all the modifiers that apply, look up how much they're worth, and then add them all up. Your character's at medium range(-3) and is firing from behind cover (-2) but has a smartgun (+2), go ahead and write these down, along with the total (-3). And next round when the hacker turns on the sprinklers, add the modifiers from that to your list. Sure, once you get more familiar with the system, you can pull most of these from memory, but writing this down after the first time you figure it out means not needing to remember it for your next shot.

Depending on how extreme this gets, you can have people not roll for hits on initiative and just go in order of initiative. You can further simply things by having people sit at the table in order of initiative.

Have people declare who they are shooting at roll all their shots at once using different colored dice.

If things are really dragging only allow some limited amount of time for them to declare what their character is doing, like 10 seconds, and if they don't decide they are "delaying". If someone asks detailed questions of the scene they are "observing in detail" that IP.

You can insist that the players write down their weapons damage and mods, and if they don't have them written down and have to look them up they miss, the grenade fails to go off, etc.

But the GM has to do this with the NPCs and he has to be fair in describing the things that the PCs would see and know.

I should add that I made it clear to my players that they are responsible for tracking modifiers that related directly the their character: bonuses due to powers, cybeware, or equipment and penalties due to wounds or qualities or such are also theirs to track. I tell them any additional situational modifiers that apply to the situation (range, visibility, etc) and they apply that to the DP they have and tell me their hits.

It's a small thing but it helps - when the players roll their initiative, and you roll nish for your npc's, write them all down in order. Then you don't have to ask who goes next, you tell that person. The only real complication is injury modifiers, so make sure the players know to inform you when they get them.

There are some aids to help with initiative. I've also used cards and the magnetic tracker they've put out. Any will help. Papaer works too. As for combat-tips to make it quicker-keep the grunt stats simple. Add the attribute + Skill + their gear mods handy. Also the BF, FA mods that you plan for them to use. They are there for combat. If the encounter is supposed to be tough-remember use that group edge to give them the first action.

A major NPC should be more written out. Also-have an idea how the NPCs are going to function in combat as best you can.

Yes, having the PC know the rules is a good start.
Having them know their dice pool is good, having them be able to add the modifiers themselves is even better (you just have to give the visibility modifier and they do the rest). The best is to have them be able to roll without you telling them to.
Experience should do the rest.

For example :
"What do you do?"
"I shoot that guy with two short wide burst 7P+2 and 7P+1, -1 AP".
Then all you have to do is roll Reaction-2, Reaction-1 and twice Constitution+armor-1 (that's still a lot of rolls, I admit. An auto-roller can help).
or
"The guy shoots twice: 5P+4 and miss."
And your player takes care of the rest.

Another problem is when there are many NPCs shooting at the PC. In that case, I use a house-rule based on suppressive fire: I roll the average dice pool of the NPCs +1 die per NPC in the group. If the PC don't dodge, they get hit by the weapon's base DV once for each of the attackers' net hits.

The biggest time sink is lacking concentration / attention to what's going on. There have been some really good tips on speeding up rolls and tracking modifiers.

If you (or your players) are still unfamiliar to the rules: Include small skirmishes that use one special rule at a time. Like gangers with shotguns using spread. Or some punks throwing grenades. Or a security team using suppressive fire until backup arives.
Go one novelty at a time and prepare it beforehand by making notes, marking the page number with the specific rule for your players to check it out after combat (not in between).

I even made handouts with rules excerpts for one group, unfortunatly I can't find them right now.

Another thing I do for standard opponents is that I simply buy hits for the NPCs if it's unlikely the actual die roll will matter. Why roll 6 dice to resist a 16 DV attack? Not worth the time.

*slap*

Pay attention! What game are you playing man?

Interestingly: did anyone else notice on the GM screen that the section for opposed social tests lists "Constitution+Charisma" instead of "Con+Charisma?"

What's the program written in? Are you open to sharing the source?

BlueMax

Visual Basic .NET for Framework 2.0 (in Visual Basic Express 2008), and yes.

I have a few more features I want to put in (delayed action tracking), but after that I'll release it for community consumption.

Shadowrun 4... French version.

Ah, the French. That explains a lot.