Feng Shui, for example, is one of my favourite rpg's. But one of it's greatest flaws is that running combats with mutliple NPC's is a chore; keepiung track of all their abilities while trying to get the players to remember when they can act. Likewise games like M&M (and, tbf, most superhero games) are a similar headfuck for the simple-minded GM like me. What is the best rule system for making the GM's job, in combat, easier, without having to necessarily track the same level of detail as individual players with their characters.

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;398027Feng Shui, for example, is one of my favourite rpg's. But one of it's greatest flaws is that running combats with mutliple NPC's is a chore; keepiung track of all their abilities while trying to get the players to remember when they can act. Likewise games like M&M (and, tbf, most superhero games) are a similar headfuck for the simple-minded GM like me. What is the best rule system for making the GM's job, in combat, easier, without having to necessarily track the same level of detail as individual players with their characters.

You can use the Mook Rules I set up for my games with any game system. If you do X damage in an attack, the mook is killed outright. If you do Y damage, the mook is stunned and out of action, but not dead. If you do Y > Wound damage, but the exact amount will vary with the particular mechanics used. In play, a wounded mook is marked with one or two W's, a stunned mook is circled, and a dead mook is X'd out.  

-clash

I find that tracking damage to NPCs isn't the main headache - though it can be nice to simplify that.  For me, the worst is keeping track of which NPC is doing what, what their abilities are, making all their rolls, etc.  

My favorite system for this is Buffy the Vampire Slayer - which became the "Cinematic Unisystem."  NPCs have a simplified set of stats that still lets them be distinguished.  Players do all the die rolls in combat.

Just get one of the NPCs to do a cool move each round and hte others take normal attacks. roughly track in your head what they are doing but don't sweat it. Chances are the NPCs won't last too long and few Players will worry about how the NPCs powers relate exactly to the rules.

Quote from: jhkim;398068I find that tracking damage to NPCs isn't the main headache - though it can be nice to simplify that.  For me, the worst is keeping track of which NPC is doing what, what their abilities are, making all their rolls, etc.  

My favorite system for this is Buffy the Vampire Slayer - which became the "Cinematic Unisystem."  NPCs have a simplified set of stats that still lets them be distinguished.

Hi John!

My games do this too, but that's got a whole bunch of tables & stuff to quick-gen it, and it's more game specific, so I couldn't post that here so well.

-clash

@ghost wistler: There's no genitive case in RPGs or NPCs.

I'm not talking about mooks/unnamed characters. I'm talking about situations where the GM has to track multiple cases of initiative, different abilities, etc. Not just damage.

Quote from: Phantom Black;398087@ghost wistler: There's no genitive case in RPGs or NPCs.

I have no idea what you are talking about.

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;398114I have no idea what you are talking about.

I think he means you needn't use an apostrophe when you write RPGs or NPCs.

Quote from: Claudius;398121I think he means you needn't use an apostrophe when you write RPGs or NPCs.

he failed his communication roll.

Quote from: jibbajibba;398071Just get one of the NPCs to do a cool move each round and hte others take normal attacks. roughly track in your head what they are doing but don't sweat it. Chances are the NPCs won't last too long and few Players will worry about how the NPCs powers relate exactly to the rules.

Fair enough, but the OP was asking which rule systems work best for this - not advice for use with any rule system.  "Don't sweat it" is generally good advice for GMing, but given open choice of whatever rules you want, there are more specific things that can work to simplify tracking of NPCs.  

Quote from: flyingmice;398081My games do this too, but that's got a whole bunch of tables & stuff to quick-gen it, and it's more game specific, so I couldn't post that here so well.

I know you don't like to toot your own horn, but the OP was asking for rule system suggestions - so I think it is on topic to describe game-specific stuff.  I seem to recall that In Harm's Way had NPCs with the only physical stats and very simplified skills (like a general combat to-hit rather than specific weapon skills).  Please correct me and/or fill in the details.  

That is similar to what the Cinematic Unisystem does.  NPCs have the six basic attribute scores, but instead of skills they have three stats: Muscle, Combat, and Brains.  While PCs add attribute + skill + die roll for checks, NPCs just use their stat as a flat number.  In combat, rather than rolling dice, the GM just uses the Combat number.  Since the player rolls for their side, there is still always a roll (except in NPC-NPC conflicts, which are dull anyway).

Like a lot of people here, I've got a job, a family, in short responsibilities, and my attention span is shorter and shorter, so lately I've become very interested in games that are easy to run, with NPCs that are not a chore to create and play, and combat rules that are easy but meaty.

My two favorite games in this regard are Usagi Yojimbo and Savage Worlds. In Usagi Yojimbo creating an NPC on the fly is a breeze, and the damage is very easy to track. You can have NPCs with no special abilities, who will die like flies (the equivalent of mooks in other games), or NPCs with as much special abilities as the PCs, or even more, who can be a challenge for them. Combat is very fast and electrifying, and special abilities are easy to use.  I've got the sensation that Savage Worlds has the same vitues, but I can't vouch for it because I haven't run it yet.