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  1. #1

    Looking for advice from other GMs...

    I've been using Fantasy Grounds for... a lot of years now... and the thing that continually frustrates me is getting my players to pass their turn in combat.

    For YEARS now I've been politely saying "Is that the end of your turn, Sir?" when the player has stopped taking actions.

    When I'm teaching players to use FG, I ALWAYS stress the "pass your turn" button at the bottom left corner of the Combat Tracker.

    For a while I decided to just do it myself... just click the bubble on the left edge of the combat tracker, but my players get frustrated when I do... "I wasn't done," or "Hey, can I still move my token?" or "can you give me my turn back so I can roll a bonus action?" or something. They cannot, for the life of them, figure out that the combat tracker doesn't lock them out of the map.

    Recently I made a big bright red and yellow image that I can share with them that reads "Is that the end of your turn, Sir?" but that really just feels obnoxious.

    What do other GMs do? How do you teach your players that one thing you've been telling them for TEN FREAKING YEARS that they just refuse to learn?

    My players aren't stupid... they're just... I dunno... stupid?
    A.J.

    “It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?"
    "But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.
    "Are -are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.
    "I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.”

    ― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

  2. #2
    LordEntrails's Avatar
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    lol, I'm lucky, after the first 6 months or so I only have to remind them every few turns No, not that bad, but it definitely is something many people seem to struggle with.

    Try getting them to add the button to the F1 position on there hotbar. That might help.
    The other thing to consider is the turn timer extension, forget what its called, but might help them as I think it gives a visible timer.
    Finally, maybe you can encourage them to remind each other?
    Or maybe give out an inspiration point or other reward at the end of the session if you don't have to remind them that session?

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  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by LordEntrails View Post
    Or maybe give out an inspiration point or other reward at the end of the session if you don't have to remind them that session?
    I've been giving these same players inspiration points for years... they almost never use them.

    I love these folks... I really do... but I just can't figure out how to get this right. Really makes me want to stop GMing for a while, man.

    Thanks for the advice. =)
    A.J.

    “It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?"
    "But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.
    "Are -are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.
    "I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.”

    ― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

  4. #4
    damned's Avatar
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    I often let 2 players run combat together. If they are slowing you down set the next character. If slowmo objects tell him to hurry up and finish his turn and then tell the new guy he can start his actions too.

    There is also a Combat Timer it can be your arbitrary and impartial friend that sets the pace.

  5. #5

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    You might try the timer and if they go over time take off an inspiration if they aren't using them anyway. If they don't have inspiration then tell them their turn is done. This might work for your guys, even though they don't seem to use inspiration since losing something tends to motivate players. It might have the side benefit of getting them actually use their inspiration for something other than being over the time limit.

    I would be cautious of using the timer in major boss fights until your guys are really use to it.

    I have used the two players go. I think it works better in larger groups, but it can be abused since the players can sometimes effectively switch initiative order. As an alternative you could use the timer and when the time is up instead of cutting off the current player, just tell the next PC to go, or start a monster's turn and cut them off the first player when the next creature finishes.

  6. #6
    Wait, players can end their turn themselves??

    I've been asking them for years, too!

  7. #7
    I have been a DM for almost 2 1/2 years now on FG and I always ask "is that the end of your turn" or "anything else" because once they hit that button there really isn't anything else they can do unless they hurriedly say "can I move here?" Maybe after 10 years it will bother me, but right now no issues with it as I find it almost polite to ask.

    Depending on how tight knit your group is maybe the ones that don't hit the button get a light Vicious Mockery from the group?

  8. #8
    Odd. It did take a little bit for my players to get used to it, but only a couple sessions or so of passive-aggressive long silent pauses followed by, "Ya done?" Now it's pretty much automatic for them.

  9. #9
    Use peer pressure. Give inspiration points or a luck roll or what ever to the first player that point it out to the offending player they need to hit done.

  10. #10

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    A carrot-stick approach often can work best. It's mostly just a habit thing.

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