Disclaimer: I'm a preorder not a backer, so it's entirely possible this might be in the book.
I've run the Starter Set, and am in the process of running the Daybreak 1-shots. I have noticed that so far, there have generally been two main types of action scene; timed slugfests, and timed problem-solving (and of course a significant overlap between the two). I'm planning a campaign for as soon as the pdf drops, but I'd like to include different types of scene - specifically chase and stealth scenes. I'd like some advice on my ideas.
For chase scenes, I figured it would be relatively easy to adapt a normal fight by having a challenge to 'keep up', that creates a new unchecked box on each environment turn. In effect, it most likely 'resets' itself, but with the possibility for the heroes to fall further behind if they concentrate on other objectives. twists can then generate additional obstacles (the bad guy pushes over a cabinet to block the way; there is a pile of cardboard boxes in the middle of the road; 2 men walk out carrying a sheet of glass) or distractions (a multi-car pile-up; a herd of cattle released from a lorry; a discount at the pizza place but only until noon).
For stealth scenes, I wanted something a little different. I have thought about adding in an additional (for stealth missions that are also timed) or replacement (for untimed missions) scene tracker. This would be much shorter than a usual tracker, but it would only go up in response to how close the heroes are to discovery. My working solution currently is 2 green boxes, 2 yellow boxes and 1 red box (with the option for cutting out 1 green box for especially high-stakes infiltrations). This system is currently operating very much off video game logic, and is illustrated with appropriate NPC barks.
The first box is checked off when enemies notice disappearences ("why isn't anyone doing rounds over here?").
The next when a body is discovered ("someone's down!").
Then when a hero has been spotted or otherwise given away their precise location/identity, but is not engaged in open combat or is running/hiding ("attention rebel pilot: surrender now, and we'll show you leniency!").
The next box is checked off when an all-out firefight breaks out ("never should have come here!"). This is the failure point for high stakes missions, e.g. this is the point when the hostages get shot
The final box is checked when the NPCs alert a higher authority ("reinforcements are on their way!"). this is the final failure point meaning that even if the heroes clear out this whole area someone will know they've been here
I like this system because it encourages the players to take their time and do things properly. It's very different paced to usual scenes; in situations where it isn't acompanied by an additional timed scene tracker, it's a very different pace. By having the box only check up on the environment turn, I figure I can encourage tactical passing because if a single hero engages but doesn't down an enemy, there is time for other heroes to take them out and, if they do, they won't recieve the penalty for having revealed their presence.
I think with the chase, you pretty much nailed it - this is precisely how I've been doing it.
However, I had the fugitive car have a lieutenant driver whose special ability was to add one more step to the challenge (representing the distance covered). Thus, the heroes had a choice of simply catching up, but also hindering that driver from doing his thing, making for more interaction between the two parties. I described it somewhere here on the bords; will link it when I managed to dig it up.
With the stealth scenes, I'd recommend a much simpler approach: Just see that every failed overcome will additionally advance the scene tracker. That's additionally to the regular advancing, because keeping up the tension is important - and this simple mechanic will invite them to accept more minor twists for successes than they would normally do (which you can exploit much later - Remember that receipt you dropped, when you were sneaking through that research lab? Well, let's finish this session with a small 'meanwhile' story where we see a pvc-gloved hand picking it up and raising it into view, while a female voice says "now how does that come here?"... to be continued!).
If you want them to take their time, give them a slightly longer scene tracker, but always keep them on a clock (the bad guys won't sit on their hands forever) and things will inevitably escalate if they start dawdling.
You might want to entertain players with a few "meanwhile" stories to give them a sense of what happens around while they are bustling. Whenever the Zone changes, something happened that makes things a little more difficult - the next regular patrol is due, a surprise visit of the pizza delivery wakes up the dousing watchman, someone happens to discover the rigged CCV - that sort of thing.
An interesting idea, that I'd not thought of. Going by what I've run of the starter set, even the challenge-heavy scenes (e.g. in Justice Comics #740) don't usually generate very many failed overcomes; I doubt I averaged as many as one per scene across normal gameplay. Plus, I'm not sure I want to encourage them to feel more time pressured if they make a mistake; I want them to feel like they can take their time to do it right and not make mistakes in the first place
Generally speaking, a hero team with a broad swath of Qualities and Principles can power through just about any challenge you care to throw at them. For instance, my group had a super-scientist, a wizard, a detective and a tactican. If the whole group made it to the session, they'd blow through challenges, often knocking out two steps on a challenge at a time thanks to Principle Invocation and Boosts.
That said, one time I had an Omnitron-esque adventure prepared and the super scientist's player couldn't make it for some reason. The challenges were a lot more challenging and entertaining. (It's like in Leverage, it's always cool to see Parker do the cat burglar thing, but it's often a heck of a lot more entertaining tosee her attempts at being the grifter.)
There's a balance to be struck between letting the characters shine at the thing they're good at and putting characters in situations where they can't rely on their best stats.
I must admit I can't really think of a situation where I wanted to encourage players to take their time! At least for action scenes, this seems somewhat counter-intuitive ... Maybe you can expand a little on how this might come to be, or what is your purpose there?
Anyway, if you want no mechanical timer on the scene, you can always go without the scene tracker, essentially playing it out like a social scene where you free-form actions and consequences. Or start without, and then at some narratively-fitting point introduce the tracker (and nobody said it must always start in green) when time becomes relevant.
My purpose here is partly to give a particular type of experience, and partly to add in a new type of scene that can, just occasionally, break up the pacing with a different kind of tension. Normally SCRPG is tense because everyone's in a panic, rushing to get way too many things done before the timer runs out. Red zone rolls around and any kind of finesse goes out the window; people accepting big twists on sloppy rolls because it's that or run out of time. There's nothing wrong with that, it's great fun, but I don't want it to be the only thing in the action scenes.
I wanted to add a different kind of tension, tension of being caught or of negative consequences, without that panic. I've mostly been envisaging these scenes using the idea of stealth video games or stealth levels in video games - things like Dishonored, or the stealth segments of Marvel's Spider-Man 2018 or the Arkham games. I also hope that these kinds of scenes might allow a character like wraith to shine a little bit more, unlike in a normal action scene where stealth is generally handwaved away as a defend or similar.
In that case, I'd say simply play that scene without a tracker, much like a social scene.
And if needed, simply define your own thresholds or triggers (or completely wing it) for zone escalation.
I'd recommend preparing some backup point when a tracker element still gets introduced, just to have some means when the scene starts to overstay its time (like, when you decide time's finally up, someone rings the alarm, you call it RED and now there's three turns left until you're all busted).
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However I'm still struggling with allowing endless time for an action scene - heores playing all too safe, going way out of pace and starting to pick flowers along the road seems a dangerous thing if you want to keep some tension.
Instead, how about a typical Shadowrun approach: Make two scenes! One is a montage where they can plan and prepare all they like, create some boosts for later use (the rules say a limit of 1 boost per Hero, but you could raise that bar). Then, an action scene where you have to make your shots count and keep your eye in the prize, because the opposition is also quite active.
The OP's idea for stealth reminds me a lot of how the video game Invisible Inc plays out, fwiw. That game even has a sort of "scene tracker" in the form of an alarm which advances in steps by one every turn and then advances even more if you get spotted or cause a fight. So inspired by that, maybe have a lengthier scene tracker where if your players do things carefully and efficiently they can get through it within the time limit, but if they either lollygag too much, or get sloppy and cause too many situations that reveal themselves (advancing the tracker more times each turn every time it happens), it causes more and more of a time crunch. Feels like the best of both worlds.