Fixing round length in GURPS

[Rupert]

The old game Aftermath! had an action that I've always thought was worth putting into lists of possible actions in games, and it seems worth using here. It could be assumed that a non-forced 'Do Nothing' is also this.

Originally Posted by Survey and Command

This Action allows the character to observe what is going on around him. Normally a character will only observe what is in front of him. This Action also allows the character to make a short coherent statement to other characters without using the normal rules for communication in Detailed Action Time. This Action may not be performed while Engaged.

Some of that is system-specific and can go, but the idea seems sound - spend a turn looking round and possibly saying something more than a short, simple sentence, and you get to not have to make Perception rolls to notice obvious things that aren't right in your face, etc.