[Irian]

yeah in 3rd edition shooting really well was kind of common, and with the old initiative system the players often nuked all in parts of a second. I knew some sam's that would regularly act 3 times before the mudanes moved. Usually killing 2 each phase.

With "old" you mean "2nd edition"?

[Medicineman]

He must mean 2nd Ed
Bad as 3rd Ed was it had the same (better) Initiative-system as 4th Ed

with a better Dance
Medicineman

[Irian]

Honestly, even after playing 2nd, 3rd and 4th edition, I'm still not sure if the 3rd ed. initiative was a good change. Of course, yes, it is more balanced for all non-extremly cybered or magiced, but somehow it is missing a certain flair. With the old system, a sam could start firing immediatly, with the new one, a sam must consider that after his first action, people will start throwing bullets in his direction - and thus the most sensible use for his first action is to get into cover. It's simply a different style...

[Doc Chaos]

Well, since "Oh, BULLETS! Better get some fraggin' cover!" seems like the natural reaction to the outbreak of a gunfight me... it works for me

[anotherJack]

Try to take every opponent down BEFORE the "Oh bullets !" reaction isn't dumb from a sammie.

[Irian]

Well, since "Oh, BULLETS! Better get some fraggin' cover!" seems like the natural reaction to the outbreak of a gunfight me... it works for me

I don't say that the new rules make combat unrealistic or something like that, but they DO change the style. For an Action-Movie approch, the quick-as-lightening sam who start fireing and kills 4-6 enemies before considering cover is also acceptable.

[Glyph]

Keep in mind, though, that full defense can be taken as an interrupt action.  So a street samurai can take his action, then spend his next action on full defense when the other guys go.  This is another reason why multiple initiative passes are so important for a combat-focused character.

[FastJack]

Keep in mind, though, that full defense can be taken as an interrupt action.  So a street samurai can take his action, then spend his next action on full defense when the other guys go.  This is another reason why multiple initiative passes are so important for a combat-focused character.

But he does lose the next action (from either the next IP or Combat Round, whichever's first), for doing so.

[Doc Chaos]

Sure, but he just has to have one more IP than everyone else, so he can be in full defense for their IPs and on his last IP start blasting a lot of frustrated goons

[Kontact]

Running, even for cover, is a free action. 
The Sam can still throw lead down range and take cover at the same time, provided he doesn't have to sprint to cover the distance.  But, even with 4 IP, a running Sam can cover at least 5 meters in a pass.  Cover shouldn't be that hard to come across within 5 meters.

Priorities shift a little, but it's still a good approximation of a gunfight.

[The_Gun_Nut]

And if nothing else, dropping to the ground provides some minimal amount of cover.  It's better than nothing.

[voydangel]

Or grabbing the dwarf and using him as a human shield...

[Walks Through Walls]

Voydangel wouldn't that be a dwarven shield then? And it would only give you partial cover

[voydangel]

ok, fine.. grab the dwarf and use him as a meta human shield. And yes, only partial cover.

wait... meta human shield... is that a triple entendre?

[Medicineman]

....oO(would a Dwarf ,strapped to the Forearm of a Troll be considered a Buckler ?And what Armor Value does he have ? Would his struggling and whining be considered a distraction? What Modifier for the distraction -2 or -4 ....and would it be worth it ? Questions,questions,questions... ....)

with a thoughtfull Dance
Medicineman