Just a point to note, if its PCs first followed by bad guys, and the PCs actions are in order of post (which i admit makes a lot of sense in practical turns), where does this leave the player who has got a good inititative (and maybe even chosen stats or feats to improve it)? Mine's crap, so this would be to my character's advantage.
I suggest that there is either some use of initiative, as Pinotage's original example, or anyone who has made choices to specifically improve initiative gets to rethink these.
Don't know, all I know is I've seen some cobats in PBP where it's just been abandoned because player A is slow on the response. I agree Init should play some part but until we do some discovering for ourselves then...
How it works is open to debate.
Taking Pinotage's example-
PC 1
Monster 1
Monster 2
PC 2
Monster 3
PC 3
What happens if PC1 doesn't post for two days and everyone else does, oh and the example is going to actually be more like this-
PC 1
Monster 1
Monster 2
PC 2
Monster 3
PC 3
PC 4
Monster 4
PC 5
PC 6
And remember when I write Monster 1 it could mean Bugbear Leader, Monster 2= Goblin Cuthroats (several) Monster 3 = 3 Goblin Archers & Monster 4 = easy that's the 8 Goblin Minions.
The point being-
PC2 posts attack so-and-so
PC3 Blah
We move on and
PC1 posts I Fireball the lot and nullifies PC2 and PC3 posts as enemies now dead.
We'll have to figure a system whereby posts don't nullify (too much) other PCs actions, thereby wasting their posts and leading to further delay.
Personally I'm happy to start with the rules as written if that's the consensus and see if we can make it work, or else Pinotage's offering, or else a much simplified version like mine.
Or else I set the scene, we all roll init and everyone has 24 hours to post and then I resolve all actions... in Init order.
The other thing is I'm mostly a benevolent DM, if the story is working and cool things are happening- congrats you get the drop on the bad guys and we go PCs first.
If it's a surprise then my guys go first and you're effectively jumped.
This is completely new to me, so I'm open to any and all suggestions.
Cheers Goonalan.
PS No-one has good Init in your team save the Thief and he's not got Improved Init, I understand that's not the point I'm just saying.