Recent Roll20 Learnings

Speed for me is being able to focus on drama instead of just the rolls. I want the narration and the emotion substantive  with the rolls getting a little out of the way.

Maps Preparation

Recently there has been some map updates allowing Light Sources to be in place that will not be seen when there is no line of Sight. Ctrl + L while selecting a Token to check for visibility. 

Another is the improved speed when importing a map that is > 1024x1024. So i learned: Try to keep my maps smaller. 

You can Scale Down Hexes despite the number of "Units" a map is made up of. The default is 25x25 but you can shrink a grid to 0.6 before the tokens that fit these hexes become problematic to click on (in my experiments). So I have a 35 unit wide map at .6 scale it now has about 60 hexes wide. Adjust the unit scale appropriately.

Perception as Visibility 

Perception is Visibility. The Perception Score and the ACT of observing affects what the PC can see. Lets use GURPS as an example - Perception-5 or Observation Skill + Night Vision + Acute/Keen Vision is the Light Radius Score of the PC token, x3 this value for their Fade Radius Score. if the PC has Night Vision Goggles x2 to the Light Radius, if they spend the Turn to Observe x2 as well (to a x3 if NV and Observing).

Limiting Perception means making more Inferences and Making it a more challenging Puzzle. I like it that the PCs cannot see how many they are actually fighting.

Rule Experiment, trying to Simulate Cone Vision.Players Token is 0 Lighting Score. Use only Fade Score = 1/2Per. Then give a Light Token (a Tinted Token of themselves) that is assigned to the PC, that has only a fade score = Per under the ownership of the PC. The PCs can only move this Light Token up their Per*2  in Ruler range. 

Speeding Up Turn Taking

I'm getting rid of NPC Combat Turns, instead I will move NPC tokens on the Turn of a PCs their action or before (asking the PC if he wants me to move first, and allowing the PC to react or interrupt). NPCs will not be on the Turn Tracker, instead only PCs.

The trick is that I will only move a number of NPC tokens every turn as all of them will take Optimum Actions (Aim x 3, Shoot) while the Player decides. The faster their decision making the LESS NPCs I move. This heightens the drama since the PCs have to act quicker and decide sooner how they are going to act or the Baddies have a very high to hit.

I realized this as it takes newbies (and I have a lot of people new to GURPS) to choose their action. So while they are deciding I will start moving units while they are taking their time. If they decide faster I move less units. Since Units are moving on the TURN of their Allies, they have to pay attention on their Allies turn. Lolz. It sounds ruthless but I think of it more as a DRAMA enhancement.