There’s nothing wrong with down time in games. That being said, where I depart from how I played in the 80s is that I don’t want to spend my precious time “playing” at mundane tasks. Additionally, I don’t want games to get aimless where players have no clue where to go next. That’s when bad behaviors like murder-hoboism creep in; people start inventing “fun” just to have something to do.
So, with those polar stars in mind, I modify various events to keep the game moving. Let’s take “playing town” for example. If town isn’t the encounter (eg, orks start burning the place and dragging innocents out of their homes), then I tend to focus on the goals of town. It is shopping? Okay, then let’s do two rounds around the table where everyone gets to grab the two things they want most. You can still RP the potion shop and the dwarven blacksmith, etc., but once those two rounds are done, we move on, and it’s back to the main plot in the movie.
If the purpose of town is clue discovery, then it’s a similar approach, but I will outline six and only six key locations/people for investigation. So, the bartender has a piece, the shifty cleric at the temple, the tired gate guard, etc. I use six because if folks don’t have a clear direction, roll a D6 and then they might run into one of those random folks hurrying across town. This might take more than two rounds, but the goal is to always keep the game moving towards bigger resolutions. My games aren’t a performance. We don’t spend two hours talking to one gate guard, for example. That’s when phones come out, and that’s no good.
Notice, none of those non-combat activities have the 3Ts. That being said, if the game starts dragging or it starts getting aimless, it’s time for a timer to come out, and it’s time for something exciting to happen. (Timer comes out. Rolls a 3. “You sense it. Like a sudden change in the air. The hairs on the back of your neck go up as the sun dips behind the clouds…”). Then, you know, people start screaming and running and werewolves burst through the market or something.
Finally, I am also a bit meta about clues anymore, just to keep players moving toward a bigger confrontation or climax in “the show.” So, if they talk to the shopkeeper who has key intel, I’ll just summarize it for them. “Basically guys, she’s saying that the cobbler’s boy disappeared in the old caves outside of town.” Now, I have players moving in the right direction. I’d be shocked if they went, “yeah, let’s just head to the tavern for drinks,” when there are old caves to explore and a missing kid. Because, I have learned over the years, no matter how clear you think you are in terms of dropping hints, people sometimes need to hear new information 13 times before they understand it. There is a gap between hearing and understanding. So, I just summarize and keep my games moving.
ICRPG isn’t just a combat tool. It’s a mindset in terms of simplifying gaming and keeping the game moving. So, streamline mundane activities. Avoid aimlessness. Keep the focus on what matters next, like a good movie or show. We never see characters in a killer movie buying groceries or making the bed. Why would you spend your precious time, in this day and age, “playing” those moments? Instead, skip to the part where the vampires show up.
Just my two cents in terms of approach.
