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<blockquote data-quote="Sir Brennen" data-source="post: 8553124" data-attributes="member: 553">Group initiative seems to me of having the drawback of ALL the players having to sit and wait while the DM goes through the actions of all of the NPCs. Players may make some reactive rolls, like a save, but mostly it's just marking off hit points if a blow lands. If the problem is players disengaging when it's not their turn, this seems to me like it would just compound it. Especially if it's a game where the DM has to reference/roll on tables or look stuff up in the rules.And on the players' turn, who goes first really doesn't matter as much, as the entire other side are now just sitting ducks. Not much is going to change in combat during the players' turn except maybe one or your allies kills your target before you. If the goal is to increase strategizing, this seems like it would do the opposite.Of course, it would also depend on other factors in the system how smoothly it'd work. A game where the PCs rarely face a number of opponents greater than party size, and usually fewer, or the system supports robust solo creatures, should go faster during the DM's turn. Pointing to The Fantasy Trip again, it uses a group initiative roll, with the winning side getting the option to move first (meaning they can allow the other side to move and then respond to it.) After that, however, actions occur in Dexterity order, with ties going to those on the side that won initiative (ties on the same side roll a die, or the GM adjudicates.) A couple of exceptions include polearms striking first due to reach. But overall, the turn order is more interwoven, requiring more attention and strategy on the players' part.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Sir Brennen, post: 8553124, member: 553"] Group initiative seems to me of having the drawback of [I]ALL[/I] the players having to sit and wait while the DM goes through the actions of all of the NPCs. Players may make some reactive rolls, like a save, but mostly it's just marking off hit points if a blow lands. If the problem is players disengaging when it's not their turn, this seems to me like it would just compound it. Especially if it's a game where the DM has to reference/roll on tables or look stuff up in the rules. And on the players' turn, who goes first really doesn't matter as much, as the entire other side are now just sitting ducks. Not much is going to change in combat during the players' turn except maybe one or your allies kills your target before you. If the goal is to increase strategizing, this seems like it would do the opposite. Of course, it would also depend on other factors in the system how smoothly it'd work. A game where the PCs rarely face a number of opponents greater than party size, and usually fewer, or the system supports robust solo creatures, should go faster during the DM's turn. Pointing to The Fantasy Trip again, it uses a group initiative roll, with the winning side getting the option to [I]move[/I] first (meaning they can allow the other side to move and then respond to it.) After that, however, actions occur in Dexterity order, with ties going to those on the side that won initiative (ties on the same side roll a die, or the GM adjudicates.) A couple of exceptions include polearms striking first due to reach. But overall, the turn order is more interwoven, requiring more attention and strategy on the players' part. [/QUOTE]

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