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Cyclical Initiative: AN Explanation
- Thread starter Deadguy
- Start date
Of course, you can still delay to the end of the current round for exactly the same effect as refocus - but you should note that you don't go earlier but actually later in this manner.
Henry
Autoexreginated
Actually, in skirmishes, it's rolling for initiative that doesn't make sense. In an actual real-world fight, assuming you don't put someone down right away, the fight itself is a series of exchanges of blows, some faster than the other. Unless it's a VERY lopsided fight in terms of fighting ability, each fighter will take a punch or a stab, and the other one will try to take advantage of the opening. In some cases, it's RAPIDEXCHANGE, back off and size up, RAPIDEXCHANGE, back off, etc. - but in few cases do fights last more than a few seconds; someone is usually hurt enough or dead enough to stop the fight.
Cyclic init makes more sense BECAUSE fights don't have "rounds."
And Delay doesn't make a darned bit of difference; thinking of it, you're going first before anyone else in the next round; there's no stop or start. Ever since we use init cards from Game Mechanics, this part has gotten fairly seamless.
Cyclic init makes more sense BECAUSE fights don't have "rounds."
And Delay doesn't make a darned bit of difference; thinking of it, you're going first before anyone else in the next round; there's no stop or start. Ever since we use init cards from Game Mechanics, this part has gotten fairly seamless.
Zaruthustran
The tingling means it’s working!
One thing that might help is a physical manifestation of cyclical initiative. That's a fancy way of saying "write each person's name on a domino and arrange in order."
Use one of those silver paint pens and write the names of each character on the back of a domino. Then write "NPC 1" through "NPC 10" on the backs of other dominoes. Write "End of Round" on another domino.
Roll init. Ask for the result of the first two players. Arrange the dominoes so the name of the person with the higher result is first. Put "End of Round" last.
Ask for the next result. Stick his domino above or below the others.
And so on.
Delaying or readying can rearrange the order of the dominoes. Once the order is changed it stays that way. "End of round" is there so you can keep track of stuff like "after 5 rounds of combat, guards come to investigate the ruckus".
Example:
Init is rolled. Results:
A = 19
B = 18
C = 5
D = 1
Arrange the dominos A, B, C, D, End of Round. Play proceeds in order of the arrangement. If on B's turn B decides to delay until after D goes, then rearrage the order like so:
C, D, B, End of Round, A. Use this order until something else changes the order.
In a cyclical init battle it doesn't really matter what the actual score is. It only matters who goes first. A with an init result of 57 and B with an init result of 4 is the same as A with a result of 5 and B with a result of 4. A goes, then B goes, then A goes, then B goes.
If outside reinforcements arrive then simply insert them into the order. Let's say that a wandering monster comes into the battle after round 6. After you hit End of Round for the sixth time just add a new domino at the front of the order.
Cards are much easier to actually use, especially since you can write stats and stuff on them. But dominoes help explain the system to those that learn best with visual aids. If you want to stick with physical objects I recommend plastic mahjong tiles instead of dominos. You can write/rewrite on them with wet erase pens.
-z
Use one of those silver paint pens and write the names of each character on the back of a domino. Then write "NPC 1" through "NPC 10" on the backs of other dominoes. Write "End of Round" on another domino.
Roll init. Ask for the result of the first two players. Arrange the dominoes so the name of the person with the higher result is first. Put "End of Round" last.
Ask for the next result. Stick his domino above or below the others.
And so on.
Delaying or readying can rearrange the order of the dominoes. Once the order is changed it stays that way. "End of round" is there so you can keep track of stuff like "after 5 rounds of combat, guards come to investigate the ruckus".
Example:
Init is rolled. Results:
A = 19
B = 18
C = 5
D = 1
Arrange the dominos A, B, C, D, End of Round. Play proceeds in order of the arrangement. If on B's turn B decides to delay until after D goes, then rearrage the order like so:
C, D, B, End of Round, A. Use this order until something else changes the order.
In a cyclical init battle it doesn't really matter what the actual score is. It only matters who goes first. A with an init result of 57 and B with an init result of 4 is the same as A with a result of 5 and B with a result of 4. A goes, then B goes, then A goes, then B goes.
If outside reinforcements arrive then simply insert them into the order. Let's say that a wandering monster comes into the battle after round 6. After you hit End of Round for the sixth time just add a new domino at the front of the order.
Cards are much easier to actually use, especially since you can write stats and stuff on them. But dominoes help explain the system to those that learn best with visual aids. If you want to stick with physical objects I recommend plastic mahjong tiles instead of dominos. You can write/rewrite on them with wet erase pens.
-z
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