OP, first of all...the Samurai in OA is actually decent I suppose (don't touch the C.Warrior version with a 10 ft pole!), but I'm still going to recommend you make your Samurai with the Warblade class instead. The
Warblade can easily fit the flavor of a samurai, and is much more powerful. It also means you can get Balance and Tumble ranks and Uncanny Dodge all within the one class. The way your Warblade plays is dependent on the disciplines you learn your maneuvers from. Iron Heart is partly (lists 1/3 to half the total maneuvers) available for viewing free online
here. Diamond Mind, you'd need Tome of Battle to look at. I think those two dsicplines make for a great Samurai (and have a lot of synergy between them). The Unnerving Calm (based around Diamond Mind, also in the book) feat gives you a sort of "staredown" ability, if you want one.
If you've never heard of Tome of Battle or maneuvers, the latter are basically once per encounter feats of prowess, some of them quasi-magical. You can also use your class's recovery mechanic to regain expended maneuvers to use again. Like spellcasting, your Initiator Level (IL) determines what level maenuvers you can learn. If you stay single classed, your IL will simply be equal to your Warblade level. So, for example, just as a Wizard level 3 gains access to level 2 spells, a level 3 Warblade gains access to level 2 maneuvers, and so forth.
Now, the other thing I wanted to say was...be realistic. If this setting has abundant gun use, don't expect to face nearly as many melee enemies as a normal D&D game. In fact, I'd say expect in every combat that YOU wll have to advance on the enemy, and they will likely try and play keep away from you. Practically, this leads to two major consequences.
1) Unless you get Pounce (a level 5 Tiger Claw maneuver or simple 1 level dip in Barbarian will give you this, though the latter requirs you be nonlawful to enter the class) or tons of swift/free action teleporting or movement abilities, you will seldom get to full attack. Don't plan on it. This is another reason Warblade is nice. A very maneuverable class with balance and tumble, and most strike maneuvers are standard actions that give bonus damage or effects that make them comparable to the damage of a full attack, so you can feel free to fight on the move.
2) Ranged defense is critically important. I know as a samurai you probably don't want a shield. But...it'd help so much! Not only for the Shield Ward feat I mentioned. It also means that you can get the Augment Crystal of Arrow Deflection (Magic Item Compendium), which is a very affordable magic item to add +1, +3, or +5 (for the least, lesser, and greater versions) to your AC against ranged attacks. It can only be placed on shields, though.
Sounds like stormguard warrior from tome of battle, but IIRC, it merely helps to offset the attack penalties from expertise, but does not eliminate it altogether.
I alreay answered this question. Stormguard Warrior is an always useful feat and could definitely help his character (the fighting defensive tactic is actually applicable to him, and making touch attacks on a round he goes for full defensive fighting means he could still reasonably "hit" with many of them, setting up a devastating "counter attack" the following round where he gets +5 damage for each successful touch). But he was looking for Defensive Strike.
Complete warrior also has some quarterstaff defense feat as well.
Quick Staff. He's probably using a katana, though.
