OK, so until I had more time to spend writing up adventures for my group we have been doing a little arena contest time for fun and to sharpen our tactics. Some of the movement rules in combat have been really trying my patience so I think I have come up with a solution that I like but it is always good to get feedback.
Moving Diagonally
The whole thing that you count 5 and then 10, the 5 and then so on is getting irritating. It is not that no one in my group can't count or do basic math but it slows down the game because it is easy to make a mistake and then we start arguing about it. Now I understand why the rule was in place because a diagonal line across a square is more than one side, not by much but it does add up.
Solution
Square Loss
For every 30 increment of speed that you have you reduce a diagonal move by 5 feet ( or one square ). This means a speed of 30 would only allow you to travel 25 feet. A speed of 60 or the average charge would be 50 feet and so on and so on.
Now I am aware that partial moves of one a straight direction and then a diagonal would effect this mathematically but remember we move in increments of 5 so a square would always be lost no matter what. I am also aware this is "Fuzzy Math" but I am more concerned with the flow of the game.
Full Attack and Moving
OK, we all know the whole thing about you can only make a full attack if you don't move or move only 5 feet but as soon as you move past 5 feet you can only make one attack unless you have a pounce like ability/effect or have Heroic surge. I believe this was done this way because movement is a measurement of time and thus if you move more you loose it but this is like falling of a cliff. I find this really stupid especially if you are at high level with up to 4 attack or more and then when you move an additional 5 feet you suddenly loose those three extra attacks which also in turns gimps warrior types with full BAB which causes them to lag behind.
Solution
Incremental Attack loss
Based on the average movement rate of 30 I want extra attack loss for every 10 feet traveled. This means that every 10 feet you move you loose 1 attack due to a high BAB, secondary attacks, and flurry of blows. This only applies to extra attacks and you can always make at least 1 attack/standard action as normal after a full move.
I seem to recall advocating almost exactly that rule during the Alpha... and the Beta...
I also use this rule:TACTICAL MOVEMENT
Characters with iterative attacks can trade attacks for extra movement. Each iterative attack given up can be used instead to gain 10 ft. of movement, +/- 5 ft. per 10 ft. difference in base land speed from 30 ft. (e.g., a halfling with a 20-ft. movement merely takes additional 5-ft. steps for traded attacks, whereas a barbarian with a 40-ft. speed can move 15 ft. per attack traded in).
Iterative attacks can be taken and/or traded at will, as long as they are completed in order. For example, a character with Speed 30 ft. and BAB +16 could attack once at +16, move ten feet (losing his +11 attack), attack again at +6, then move ten more feet (losing his +1 attack).
An attack of opportunity can be traded for a 5-ft. step.
When using this option, two-weapon combatants keep or trade their attacks in pairs. For the example listed above, if the character in question had Two-Weapon Fighting and Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, he could choose to attack once with each weapon at +14, move ten feet, attack again with each weapon at +4, and then move ten more feet.
PREEMPTIVE ACTIONS
A combatant can choose to hold movement and/or attacks, to his normal limit, for use as immediate actions later in the round. For example, a ranger with attacks +6/+1 could attack once at +6, then choose to wait and take a 5-ft. step and an attack at +1 at any time before his next turn, even if his doing so interrupts someone else’s turn.
These rules supersede the normal Pathfinder rules for Readied Actions and Delay.
As for diagonal movement, I almost never use a gridded "battlemat," so it's a moot point.
For diagonal movement, have you thought about simply measuring? With squares being 1", a tape measure should work. I use mechanical pencils that just happen to be 30' (6 squares) in length… it solves a lot of measuring/movement situations. I've mentioned making some sticks cut to certain lengths for measurement purposes when others have asked similar questions. What can I say… I played a lot of Warhammer.
For diagonal movement, have you thought about simply measuring? With squares being 1", a tape measure should work. I use mechanical pencils that just happen to be 30' (6 squares) in length… it solves a lot of measuring/movement situations. I've mentioned making some sticks cut to certain lengths for measurement purposes when others have asked similar questions. What can I say… I played a lot of Warhammer.
Great Ockham's razor Batman, why didn't I think about that before. Actually I think I did a long time ago just forgot about it. Thanks for remind me about the simplest solution.