Grabbing a Nice Quote from Some Space to Think:
"Honestly, initiative is one of those areas where I really prefer GM instinct and dicelessness. That is to say, while numeric initiative totally makes sense when everyone is part of the big picture (as in the case of, say, a tactical minis skirmish) that's not how fights work in fiction or perception. They are lots of miniature stages within the large picture, and we (as audience) move from one to another according to the cadence of the fight. A good GM can use "initiative" as that audience, moving from place to place according to the logic of the fights, not according to some numeric counter. Doing so covers a multitude of sins, allows for characters with different levels of combat focus to get different levels of attention while still keeping the spotlight from lingering too long in one place.
But that's not something you can really write a rule for. That's a problem."
This is a really interesting thing to keep aware of. How would you try to formalize that sentiment into a set of guidelines, perhaps AW-style?
But that's not something you can really write a rule for. That's a problem."
This is a really interesting thing to keep aware of. How would you try to formalize that sentiment into a set of guidelines, perhaps AW-style?