You are probably right, but yeah, here is the thing, he assumed you as a player knew that and that you could read his mind. He doesn't write it out at all or explain what happens. If that was the case, he should have written it in the rules for the system because there are people who might want to get into the game and use those rules and might only be super familiar about 3.5 or 5th edition, but not so much 2e
Since we're putting way more thought into this than Darrick ever did:
So he's stealing the 1 minute round thing from 2e. Fair enough, I've stated that I get the reason why since tonally the fights last longer, even if they mechanically don't. My issue is that he then tries to subdivide them, which is stupid because my first reaction, and it'd likely be a semi-common one, would be confusion. What would be the point of splitting the round apart, since the round consists of your turn and the others anyway? It's what literally most any other game fucking does. Note that the best I could come up with, since I do know of other ways turns could be split, would've been phases akin to the Warhammer games. And that's still not quite the level of dumb needed.
This is a bit more at key point of where he fails. The system he proposes is a functioning initiative system because other games use it (both roll 1dX where X gives better results for speedy classes, and 'classes act in this order'; though I've never seen one where Monsters are one mono-group and usually the rules tell the GM where monsters should be slotted, or the bestiary does. I've also never seen where if a die roll is involved there wasn't some mechanism to adust the roll up or down. Lazy stoner, etc).
The fact
you fuckers keep making make these posts defending his shit why are you doing this what did I do to you is highlighting the greatest flaw to Darrick's highdea: For the dice one, it explains like ass, is over complicated, and counters every other initiative system players are likely to have encountered - both in how it gets arbitrated, and the fact low-rolls are needed.
The biggest flaws to the class/role-based initiative is that you remove that Pavlov thrill from players of "Roll Initiative" and his system as proposed gives players no way to adjust their position; no point in the wizard being alert, he's always going last.
The play acceleration is worth it if you're doing a PbP, since that is one less dice roll you've got to wait on (or roll for players which is pretty much the same thing).
Also addressing Adamska's point:
He can't warhams split the Round because each turn contains all the phases for everyone who is going on that Turn, and everything in the same block resolves at the same time.
You sort of have a better idea, except in D&D (which he is ripping off) you can shoot and move, or move and shoot.
So then it becomes initiative slots, where 1-6 means you act. Well then that's fucking stupid there chief, especially since he uses up to d8s, meaning you have to double calculate what you do in a turn, especially if you're a caster. On top of that, it leads to the retarded situation where a caster can fling three spells in a row on rounds since it isn't out of possibility for the nerd to get 7, 1, 1 in that initiative order. And on top of that, you have to constantly roll for it, which...
Look. People already struggle just to remember what their fucking turns are in the beginning when people play. This guarantees that no one will remember who does what. Such a fucking lie of an idea.
This isn't applicable to Darrick's system. You roll initiative once a combat.
Sorry, this one is my fault. I was trying to wax philosophic about initiative in general to highlight my general thoughts about initiative as I looked at his half-baked(ha!) system, and pointing out that what is a great system in your head and/or from a statistics perspective is not always a good/fun system to use at the table, for the same reasons you point out (and more).
I was using "Every turn initiative" as one of those systems where it makes sense from a mechanics perspective and does a lot of things to the statistics table that are good, and really makes combat more realistic where you don't know if next turn the Gnoll will get to pop off before you or not.
All of these positives do not change the fact that every-turn initiative, even if you use a program to instantly roll and reorder, increases the amount of higher brain power required so folks can't play as long before needing a break, and gums up combat to the point its nearly unplayable.
Oh, and because of the way his stupid game works; it's blatantly obvious Darrick tended to play Dick Ass Thief or Rape Thief given he really gives them the best shit out of all of them. Not only does backstabs do the most damage, but they can literally keep ambushing and surprising due to their 25% chance.
Its a little over 6%. You have roll a 1, and then you have to gamble and roll again. Roll 1 again, you get a surprise round. Roll less, and that's the new initiative (I think; again a burnout describing things like ass? Say it ain't so.).
The statistical result is just a tiny better bit better than rolling a natural 20 on a D20. The problem is, as you said... I forget how Sneak Attack works in 2e, but I know in 1e/BX as rogue you can only sneak attack an enemy that is unaware of you, but its an instant kill*. But that's wildly different than 3/5e, or 4e, where you just need a 'distracted' enemy to sneak attack and you just chain up D6 and hopefully kill it.
It is WAY weighted for Rogue but....well, Rogue levels fastest for a reason.
*(unless the creature is immune; if its got more HD then the rouge I usually give the monster a SvD)
In short, Darrick is a mongo.
QFT
