Need help with rules at p. 161:
"He can make that declaration when it is time for players with that score to act. Characters who have a Delayed Action and intervene in this manner can choose to go before, after, or at the same time as a currently acting character who would normally take his action on that Initiative Score; any actions they take receive a –1 dice pool penalty. If multiple characters delay their actions until the same Initiative Score, they break the tie in the same manner as Initiative (p. 159). Characters delaying an action in this manner keep their initial Initiative Score. If the character does not act before the end of the Initiative Pass, they incur the standard reduction of 10 at the end of the Initiative Pass."
For example, the combat has been started. My character is standing in a room, pointing his gun at a doorway. My character's Initiative Score is the highest in this combat. I'm sure that the enemy soldier (standing behind the wall in the corridor) will rush into the room, so I delay action and want to shoot him as soon as he'll appear at a doorway. So I have some questions:
1) Am I right in assuming that I can declare at the beginning of enemy's Action Phase that my character will act simultaneously with the enemy soldier, and thus my character can shoot him as soon as he'll try to enter the room?
2) If answer is "yes", what will happen if I declare my "overwatch shooting" intervene action, but enemy soldier won't appear at the doorway (GM has decided that NPC is escaping the site)? Will I be able to delay action again?
I want to believe I can, because it's kinda consistent: if my character will see that there's no target, he won't shoot and will stay at overwatch.
3) If I delay action till next Initiative Pass, but next Initiative substraction (-10) normally will leave me without Action Phase in following Initiative Pass, will I be able to accomplish my delayed action despite my Initiative Score has been exhausted?
I guess I won't: "A character can delay his action into the next Initiative Pass and be the first to act. He must still use his own Initiative Score to determine the Action Phases he has for the Combat Turn." (p. 161).
On the other hand, why not? Initiative substraction represents quickness and ability to accomplish multiple actions in a short period of time. But my character isn't trying to be quicker than he is, he's trying to accomplish only one action.