Gamemaster: Okay, Alexis. You have highest Initiative. It's your turn.

Alexis Machine: I want to say something to them as my free action.

GM: Okay, what do you want to say?

AM: "Drop your weapons or we'll shoot!"

GM: Okay

AM: Any responses?

GM: No it's not their turn. Are you done?

AM: No. I don't want to waste my turn; I'm going to use my complex action to gun them down.

GM: <sigh> Roll your dice.

<Much dice rolling>

GM: You've killed 3 of them.

AM: Good.

GM: <to self> Lets see who's next? Nope, he's dead. He's dead. Garvey, it's your turn.

Garvey: I'm going to say, "This is your last chance," then kill the other two.

Ever notice this happening in your combat situations? According to SR3 rules (and all older rules) a combat turn takes 3 seconds. During that 3 seconds, all players act simultaneously. How is it then that a player can take and resolve an entire action all before the next player acts? In my campaign players don't like wasting actions, because most combat takes all of one combat turn. This is why I have created an alternate combat system.

Note: This system requires heavy mathematics. A powerful calculator, or my custom program is recommended.

Step 1: All characters roll initiative as normal.

Step 2: Take 3000 and divide by each player's initiative score (round nearest). Record these numbers. (Delay time)

Step 3: Write down a second copy of these numbers. (Next Action)

Step 4: Find the character with the lowest Next Action score.

Step 5: That character takes one action.

Step 6: Multiply that character's Delay Time by a multiplier from the Action Multiplier Chart and add to their Next Action score.

Step 7: Repeat steps 4 - 7 until all character's Next Action scores exceed 3000

Step 8: Repeat steps 1 - 8 until combat is over.

Action Multiplier Chart:

Action Multiplier
Delay 1
Movement 1
Free 2
Simple 4
Complex 8

Note on movement: Under this system I require all players to take an action to start moving. This represents the time it takes to both start your body moving and to stop it at a certain point. Since this system is rigorously timed it allows the GM to determine how far a person can get from one action to the next.

Note on all these numbers: The numbers in both the Delay Time and Next Action score represent the time that has elapsed since the beginning of the combat turn in thousandths of a second. Using this system will tell you how many milliseconds have gone by from one action to the next.

An Example Combat:

Our team of runners has met up with their arch-enemy's the NPC Thug gang. Both sides find themselves facing off on either side of a dark alley.

Initiative Scores:

The GM then turns these scores into Delay Times.

These scores are used as the first Next Action scores. The character with the lowest score (Alexis Machine) goes first.

Alexis: "Drop your weapons or we'll shoot!"

Free Action. 130 + (130 * 2) = 390

Next Action scores are now.

It is now NPC Thug 3's turn.

NPC Thug 3: "Slot off frag face!"

Free Action. 150 + (150 * 2) = 450

Garvey: <hold action>

Delay. 167 + (167 * 1) = 334

NPC Thug 5: <heads for cover, running (Quickness 4 x 4)>

Movement. 176 + (176 * 1) = 352

Next Action scores are now.

By the time Zenith's turn has rolled around NPC Thug 5 has ran .202667 meters (approx 8 inches) not yet to cover.

Zenith: <shoots NPC Thug 5. Moderate Damage>

Simple Action. 214 + (214 * 4) = 1070

NPC Thug 5's Initiative decreased by 2 to 15

NPC Thug 5's new Delay Time is 200

NPC Thug 5 had 138ms left till his next turn.

138 / 176 = .784091 turns

.784091 * 200 = 157

214 + 157 = 368

NPC Thug 5's new Next Action score is 368

NPC Thug 2: "Youze gonta payz fer dat"

Free Action. 250 + (250 * 2) = 750

NPC Thug 4: <cast spell on self, no drain>

Complex Action. 273 + (273 * 8) = 2457

NPC Thug 1: <runs toward group; Quickness 5 x 4>

Movement. 333 + (333 * 1) = 666

Garvey: <runs at Thugs; Quickness 5 x 3>

Movement. 334 + (167 * 1) = 501

By 375ms into combat:

NPC Thug 5 has moved 199ms. (5 1/3 m/s.) = 1.06133m (approx 3' 6")

NPC Thug 1 has moved 42ms. (6 2/3 m/s.) = 0.28m (approx 11")

Garvey has moved 41ms. (5 m/s) = 0.205m (approx. 8")

Jester: <shoots NPC Thug 2; Light Damage>

Simple Action. 375 + (375 * 4) = 1875

NPC Thug 2's Initiative decreased by 1 to 11

NPC Thug 2's new Delay Time is 273

NPC Thug 2 had 375ms left till his next turn.

375 / 250 = 1.5 turns

1.5 * 273 = 410

375 + 410 = 785

NPC Thug 2's new Next Action score is 785

Alexis Machine: <fires in full auto at NPC Thug 4, Deadly Damage>

Complex Action. 390 + (130 * 8) = 1430

NPC Thug 4 does not retain consciousness and is removed from combat.

NPC Thug 3: <reacting to fallen comrade> "Noooo! You MothaFraggers!"

Free Action. 450 + (150 * 2) = 750

NPC Thug 5 has moved 306ms. (5 1/3 m/s.) = 1.632m (approx 5' 4")

NPC Thug 5 has reached cover and stops running.

No Action.

NPC Thug 5: <shoots at Zenith, No Damage>

Simple Action. 482 + (200 * 4) = 1282

By 501ms into combat:

NPC Thug 1 has moved 168ms. (6 2/3 m/s.) = 1.12m (approx 3' 8")

Garvey has moved 167ms. (5 m/s) = 0.835m (approx. 2' 9")

Garvey: <shoots at NPC Thug 1; Serious Damage>

Simple Action. 501 + (167 * 4) = 1169

NPC Thug 1's Initiative decreased by 3 to 6

NPC Thug 1's new Delay Time is 500

NPC Thug 1 had 165ms left till his next turn.

165 / 333 = 0.495495 turns

0.495495 * 500 = 248

501 + 248 = 749

NPC Thug 1's new Next Action score is 749

NPC Thug 1: <shoots at Garvey; Moderate Damage>

Simple Action. 749 + (500 * 4) = 2749

Garvey's Initiative decreased by 2 to 16

Garvey's new Delay Time is 188

Garvey had 420ms left till his next turn.

420 / 167 = 2.51497 turns

2.51497 * 188 = 473

749 + 473 = 1222

Garvey's new Next Action score is 1222

NPC Thug 3: <casts spell at Alexis; Moderate Damage, Light drain>

Complex Action. 750 + (150 * 8) = 1950

Alexis's Initiative decreased by 2 to 21

Alexis's new Delay Time is 143

Alexis had 680ms left till his next turn.

680 / 130 = 5.23077 turns

5.23077 * 143 = 748

750 + 748 = 1498

Alexis's new Next Action score is 1498

NPC Thug 3's Initiative decreased by 1 to 19

NPC Thug 3's new Delay Time is 158

NPC Thug 3 had 1200ms left till his next turn.

1200 / 150 = 8 turns

8 * 158 = 1264

750 + 1264 = 2014

NPC Thug 3's new Next Action score is 2014

NPC Thug 2: <shoots at Jester; Light Damage>

Simple Action. 785 + (273 * 4) = 1877

Jester's Initiative decreased by 1 to 7

Jester's new Delay Time is 429

Jester had 1090ms left till his next turn.

1090 / 375 = 2.90667 turns

2.90667 * 429 = 1247

785 + 1247 = 2032

Jester's new Next Action score is 2032

By the end of the first second we have:

NPC Thug 1 has moved 667ms. (6 2/3 m/s.) = 4.44667m (approx 14' 7")

Garvey has moved 666ms. (5 m/s) = 3.33m (approx. 10' 11")

Don't be daunted by this example. My program keeps track of all the mathematics for you, so all you have to worry about is all the carnage.