An Initiative Conundrum (d20)

[Ziether]

Why I'm Posting Here

To start this off, I realize that my preferences are complications to this situation. I'm willing to compromise on my preferences to a degree, but I'm not willing to abandon the general values they represent. I don't judge others for playing their games differently, but at the same time, I steer clear of those sorts of games because they aren't to my preferences.

I enjoy immersive, narrative PBP gameplay. Posts of less than a single solid paragraph are not what I look for in my games, though I also don't demand excessive volume.

I am recruiting for a game which will prominently include an extended athletic event which is designed to be executed in initiative order. The event is designed to include an equal number of PCs and NPCs. I do not wish to resort to strict initiative, as my players may only be available to post on one or two specific days each week, and might drag a single round out for 3+ weeks. At the same time, giving the PCs the ability to clump all their actions together over the course of this event could make the latter portions trivial at best.

I don't want to remove my players' narrative agency. I'd like to leave them with the ability to meaningfully post rather than collecting their preferred actions and then assembling a GM post that details all the PC and NPC actions in initiative order.

How I Normally Run Initiative

I generally run modified initiative (Pathfinder 1e) in my games. PCs whose initiative roll beats the average of all enemy combatants' initiative rolls may act first in any order, followed by those enemies, followed by all PCs as a slightly larger Round One. In subsequent rounds, the enemies go, then the PCs. Essentially, high-rolling PCs get a full round of surprise, and then it's enemies/PCs.

What I'm Looking For

I'm looking for ideas that allow me to maintain some sort of regularity to posting while simultaneously giving my players the vast majority of their creative agency and removing the potential unbalancing effects of my customary alternating PCs/NPCs method. My own posting rate isn't much of a concern. For the duration of this exercise, I'd be willing to post daily, despite my usual preference for a more leisurely pace. My biggest concerns are maintaining a relatively high degree of authenticity in the challenge, keeping the overall pace of the game reasonable, and allowing my players the freedom to write descriptive posts.

So I solicit your ideas for ways to solve this issue or improve on the status quo.

Please remain civil with one another here.

[anamiac]

This is exactly the initiative system I use for PBP gameplay. I find that it takes players a bit to grasp it, but once they do it works very well. I do have one player who's in 8 different games though and he's prone to forget that my game has a different initiative system.

I wouldn't use it for tabletop or voip gameplay.

[sammichweasel]

Perhaps stagger the NPC actions immediately after each PC post? It screws their rolls and takes away the agency of building for a high initiative, but it at least prevents the clumping bit. You could allow them to "game" it a little still if they want, and provide the NPC initiative order, so they could decide to let so and so post first to trigger that NPC before you go, but otherwise it would at least let you, the DM, react better.

So like, 5 PCs, 5 NPCs. A PC posts, you the DM respond quickly with an NPC reaction/action, check that NPC off the list until next round? So on and so forth.

[ruffdove]

It sounds like this encounter is going to be an exception in your game in terms of mechanics. What I would do in your shoes is engage the players and explain that, for this one encounter, you will require an exceptional level of attention and availability from them. Ask if they will be available to check in once or twice daily for this encounter and tell them that you will prompt them with a PM when it is their turn to post. Ask that they post as soon as possible after the prompt. This will be labor intensive for all involved, but I think there's a good chance your players will think it is worth it for a unique and interesting encounter. Even if they cannot be available for maximum speed, you probably will get to at least an acceptable posting rate.

My approach is not a clever solution to your question, but as always communication first when faced with an issue in a game.

[Ziether]

I'll raise some sort of increased pace conversation with the players when the time comes. The current expected post rate is at least one post per week with a preference for cutting the internal to five days. Shooting up to daily is highly unlikely, but getting to twice per week might be doable.