One of the elements of a game that I always harp on is that I think flow is a quintessential element. Granted you still need to have story, players willing to role play… but really overcomplicated rules slow down game play and can really put a drag on having fun, especially once you get rules lawyers involved.

What do you do to keep games flowing quickly?

My typical methods involve..
1) Generalized notes on areas and characters for quick reference
2) Minimized additional rules
3) Avoid going into too much detail for beginners, letting them play and pick the game up as it goes.
4) Quick arbitration, detailed arguments can be heard after the game is done
and lastly
5) Favoring simple systems

Obviously the last point doesn’t work if you’re a tactical battle guy that enjoys playing with miniatures.

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