[Mr Johnson]

Just started playing a more traditional version of Anarchy without the rotating narrations and decided to use optional initiative.

I didn't look up the alternative intiative rules at the time and off the top of my head just came up with rolling Agility+ any Shadowamp modifiers.  I did remember that I wanted to give an extra die for every level of things like wired reflexes, rather just the 2nd+ levels with extra plot points as suggested in the book.

Is there downside to this formula?  I guess it greatly favors the same players over and over again acting quickly, those with agility and enhanced reflexes,  rather than just  having a mechanism that depends on the game level (street gang versus prime runners changes the base dice you roll, but it's not individualized per player) with a more muted addition of Shadow Amp reflex rules (only at level 2 and above).

[Gingivitis]

With fewer Attack Action disparity between players (some get one, some get two), altering the order of Narrations is not THAT detrimental to game flow.  It essentially puts faster characters on the GM's left and circles clockwise to the slower players on the GM's right. (Think about just sitting people where they would normally land in the Narrative Order).

The player that wants to go faster can always just spend a Plot Point and go first.

I agree that "Game Level" is not a good way to determine Initiative.  NPCs do not have a stated level and there is no method of "graduating" from Street to Prime, etc.

The main downside to your proposed initiative calculation is that it does not take the Matrix or Matrix icons into consideration.  Previously fast VR-capable characters are going to go last based on having an AGI dump-stat.  Think about using AGI or LOG (whichever is higher) so that VR or IC (who have no AGI stat) can still get a fair shake at going first.

The other downside is that, if you are rolling dice pools and counting hits, you are going to effectively round down their dice pool to 1/3rd. This causes a lot of duplicate hit scores.  My experience is that you end up having all the players at the table with 3-4 hits and the enemy NPCs with 3-4 hits and lots of ties that you have to break anyways.

I have another method that I use: Roll 2d6 and add them together.  Add the higher of your AGI or LOG. Then players who want to spend Plot Points may add 1d6 for each PP spent. Players with free PP can reliably get higher scores by spending them but they do not have to. That sets the order for the whole combat  Then if a player wants to Seize the Initiative, they can narrate first for that Turn only. Players with Combat Paralysis go last for that Turn only.

[Mr Johnson]

Sorry, I used agility because I started the party off in a firefight or a quick demo of the game, there was no Matrix.  I would use Logic for the matrix stuff, I think that makes sense.  It doesn't make as much sense to use logic as the stat for initiative in a physical fight though. 

I like your method of initiative and I like the use of the plot points in that system.  Maybe reflex and quickness related Shadowamps gives you a + bonus per level, so wired reflexes 2 gives you a +2 to your initiative.....

The main downside to your proposed initiative calculation is that it does not take the Matrix or Matrix icons into consideration.  Previously fast VR-capable characters are going to go last based on having an AGI dump-stat.  Think about using AGI or LOG (whichever is higher) so that VR or IC (who have no AGI stat) can still get a fair shake at going first.

The other downside is that, if you are rolling dice pools and counting hits, you are going to effectively round down their dice pool to 1/3rd. This causes a lot of duplicate hit scores.  My experience is that you end up having all the players at the table with 3-4 hits and the enemy NPCs with 3-4 hits and lots of ties that you have to break anyways.

I have another method that I use: Roll 2d6 and add them together.  Add the higher of your AGI or LOG. Then players who want to spend Plot Points may add 1d6 for each PP spent. Players with free PP can reliably get higher scores by spending them but they do not have to. That sets the order for the whole combat  Then if a player wants to Seize the Initiative, they can narrate first for that Turn only. Players with Combat Paralysis go last for that Turn only.