Thanks, [MENTION=61026]tuxgeo[/MENTION], for providing the link to the November Sage Advice. I remember thinking after having read the combat section in the PHB during one of our combats for Stonefast sometime this summer that combat started with Round 1 and that characters were either surprised or not surprised, and--if surprised--got no action for Round 1. We also had some confusion in that same combat about when to roll initiative. I could be mis-remembering, but I *think* I called for initiative (which raised eyebrows), then resolved surprise actions, then started into Round 1. I'm not sure it's worth scouring the IC to find the incident in question. Overall, I think I agree with Mr. Crawford's Sage Advice about surprise.
I'll say this, though. The Sage Advice makes absolutely no sense for a combat situation like we've just had in the IC this week, where the party happens upon a combat going on between other creatures. Some of you had the element of surprise...while the orcs and spider were caught surprised (by you, but not by one another). If we were to apply the Sage Advice to this situation, it would lead to the ludicrous result of the orcs and spider having to completely stop all activity for an entire round while we resolved your surprise actions against them. I wouldn't have wanted to do it that way. The spider was, for example, hell-bent on biting and stinging the orcs. Why should it lose an action because some other creature (the party) is spying on it?
Moreover, I don't feel at all compelled to adopt the Sage Advice as errata, generally. I'm pleased to read it when it comes out and am interested to hear what others say about it, and some of it makes sense and is a good fit for the style of game I want to run. But I stopped feeling the need to follow it as gospel when, for example, Jeremy Crawford stated that Shield Master grants the ability to shove prone before taking one's action for the round, thereby granting a character with the Shield Master feat the ability to gain advantage each and every round. I'm really glad 5e is explicit about empowering DMs and players to make decisions about what's best and most fun for their table. I'm definitely a RAF (rules as fun) adherent.