Slow start, great follow-up

With the slow start to the new year gaming, I found myself filling the time with work, and other things(other than family) instead of RPGing.

But in the last 2 weeks, I've gotten in 3 games, and am heading for my 4th game of the year this week.
I ran two games, and played in one(my friend Craig's Cthulhutech-mwahahaha). And we're now on track for the third game in a row of my DnD game.

And I've made some changes to the game to help speed it up and allow my players to progress faster.

• I've added the "you level up" functionality instead of rewarding exp at the end of each session. Less book keeping and more control on my end of how the ebb-flow of the game will be. Plus they love the faster progression.

• 1 minute rounds for the players. Hastens game play and gets people focused on the game. If they finish up their turn within the time, they gain a poker chip with they can use as a +1 dmg or attk bonus. They can only use one per attack or damage roll. They can have as many as they can earn, but they can turn in three of them for a +2 chip.

So far my players love it. It made for a faster game play in terms of combat, and I didn't have players getting "analysis paralysis".

I plan on adding in Complications from Burning Wheel/Mouse Guard for failed rolls. So things are not a total loss something will engage the player from their attempt.
For instance, the group is searching for a lost grain merchant. They know he went into the Harrowing Woods. The party decides to let Velrin use his Nature to track the merchant down. Velrin fails, by a lot, he doesn't find the merchant, but does find the merchant's wagon with scattered grain and tracks.
So it's an attempt to create a sense of drama from a failed roll.
I should have done it in the last game when the Fighter rolled a critical miss on an attack. The person she attacked had a hostage in one arm, and his weapon in the other. I had her describe her miss, which kinda fell flat on my end. I should have told her, "in your aggressive strike at the duergar, you barely miss him but do connect with the gnome hostage. Blood sprays forth from a grievous wound splattering your face, blinding you and wetting the floor." But I didn't... oh well.