Initiative

[Yubacore]

Dose anybody use different rules for initiative?

Would the game still work if it wasn't the "one side goes then the other" and it was changed to something more like the "normal" everyone roll then that is your place in-line to act? Then you could possibly have things like Delay Action instead of deciding if your side goes first or last. Anybody try this?

[Xain Arke]

This is how I've run initiative since my game group started playing WEG Star Wars, it's always worked fine for us.

Xain

[klhaviation]

1st edition dose not use init. All actions are considered essentially simultaneous. If it matters... for instance if a stormtrooper and Rebel fire at each other.... The higher blaster roll fires first.

This system really keeps the game moving. 1st edition Rules Companions expanded a lot, adding more steps in each round... thins like "haste" and order mattered more. It works more like a traditional game. Not my preference, but very functional. 2nd ed re uses the simple Perception roll. D6 Space is Probably the most complicated.

It really doesn't matter though... what ever style you like.

[evilnerf]

I use a more D20 like initiative in my game. The players go in initiative in the order they rolled and they can take as many actions they want during their turns (with the Multi-Action penalty applied).

Works pretty darn well, if I do say so.
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[shootingwomprats]

I have each player and important npc, and roll for groups of minions.
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[Yubacore]

[evilnerf]

[Leon The Lion]

How I do it:
Everybody rolls for initiative every round (possibly groups of identical mooks get a single initiative roll for all; also, a commander may confer his own initiative to his entire command, but must pass a Command roll to do so).
Each round has 5 "initiative passes", In each pass, everybody may perform one action, in order of initiative (MAPs get assigned progressively instead of all at once).
Once all five passes are over, a new round begins, with a new initiative roll.

I am a little ambivalent on rolling initiative each round. On one hand, it is time consuming and somewhat tedious. On the other hand, I love how unpredictable, dynamic, and cinematic it makes combat, keeping everybody on their toes, because you never know when somebody may get a really good or bad initiative roll, changing the entire tactical situation in a heartbeat.
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[CRMcNeill]

It's interesting to note that, at least for the QuickDraw rules, WEG reverted to the 1E method by basing initiative on a dice pool of the Blaster skill. There likely are other gaming scenarios where the 1E rule be more efficient and realistic, as well...
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[shootingwomprats]

[quote=Yubacore]Interesting. The way shootingwhomprats dose it seems like a good mid-ground. Do you guys keep to the rule "first actions on one side, then first on the other, then next round, second actions"? Or if a player declares 3 actions dose he resolve all of those actions on his turn (with the die penality of course)?[/quote]

I also forgot to mention that I roll initiative once per side for the entire counter. The only time I roll initiative is if: 1. another group enters the fight, 2. conditions change (earthquake, flood, etc), or 3. a character or groups resets their initiative.

Resetting initiative requires the character or group does nothing else that round while it assesses the situation or organizes people and assets. At the beginning of the next round they may re-roll their initiative.

So they way I do it, all important characters and groups roll one time for the entire scene. I do use the 1st action, 2nd action, and so on, moving down the initiative order.

I have toyed with doing away with the 1st action, 2nd action, etc, and have the player roll all their actions with MAP. If they decide to dodge it happens after they have performed all their skill rolls and is assessed a further -1D penalty. The only real downside to this, they do not have the option to burn the rest of their action in the round and perform a reactive defense at no further die penalty.

For example, the character declares two actions, his first action is to shoot his blaster at the pirate. The pirate returns fire. Now the character has two choices .He can declare a reactive action, treating it as an instant 3rd action and thus rolling his defense roll at -2D, but when it comes to his end action, instead of -1D it will be -2D. His other choice is to burn his 2nd action and perform the reactive defense at -1D, the original map for two actions.

So you can see, by letting the players do all their actions then dealing with possible defenses gives them fewer options. On the upside it would streamline things.

[Yubacore]

[evilnerf]

[Yubacore]

[garhkal]

In Sparks we do the "Group roll, based on highest perception score makes the roll for his side" way..
In my home games i have done some where it was everyone rolls their OWN initiative score (perception) and acted in that order, much like individual initiative in ADND.. While in other home games i did it just like the book, where its one side then the other..
Some players much preferred the individual system, while others preferred the group method.
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[garhkal]

Bringing this back up to ask a question..

When you DO use the "highest per in the group rolls" initiative way, what happens IF both the PC group and the enemy roll the same for initiative?? Do you have a tie breaker roll off? Use something else to 'break the tie'?
Or do you have everything go simultaneously?
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