Fixing round length in GURPS

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by kirbwarrior

Yes, I do agree there can be situations where Do Nothing might be appropriate. But considering they've never come up with me as a player or GM, I still see it as a punishment for forcing players to do it.

Don't you ever have situations where someone is doing a long action (typically moving behind cover) and most of the other actors duck down behind solid cover for a few minutes?

I am saying that in the Basic Set Do Nothing does not accomplish anything, but it does not make the situation worse either. In real fights, a common reason people don't do anything effective is that they don't see an effective action, or that action is more dangerous than they like (stepping into Reach of someone with something sharp and pointy, moving out of cover) or it is blocked on someone else doing something.

This is sort of like Time Use sheets: without house rules characters will be far more effective at self-improvement than most human beings, but introducing those house rules is not punishment, its just switching the tone in a gritty/slice of life direction.