All of this looks great and fine... on the other hand I think the most simple solution is to simply make it so that warp point combat order isn't based on player number position and is just random. Simple, easy, and it gets rid of the problem that people are griping about as being totally unfair for one side over another. Sure initiative etc would be great and all... but at this point I see it as being alot of work that isn't necessary to fix the basic problem.
Major Problem = One side always disadvantaged to another in Warp Point combat.
Major Solution = Make it so that one side is not always disadvantaged to another in Warp Point combat.
Minor Problem = Make it so that NO combat is ever in any combat disadvantaged based on who goes first IE: No one side wipes out another before it can move despite having equal forces.
Minor Solution = Totally rewrite the existing combat system in such a way that initiative either on a fleet basis or a ship by ship basis that is based on a large number of possibilities ranging from ship size and fleet experience to components and scanner differences in a way that no one seems to really agree on cept that it should be different.
Looked at this way I think we should leave the "Minor" problem as I have dubbed it for a sequel and just get the major problem outa the way.
*edit*
Like to add that I have worked on stuff like this and in general when the people using it all suggest a different solution the first thing that pops to mind is the problem can't be that bad because they arn't united in an effort to fix it. This isn't always true but I tend to think if the players can't agree on a change then odds are its pretty ballanced. EXAMPLE: RPG type MUD system where fighters whine that clerics are too strong and Clerics say that mages are too strong and mages say thieves are too strong and thieves say fighters are too strong. My conclusion: None of them are too strong and they ballance out so leave it alone. Now if everyone comes out and says "Fighters are too strong" I see a tendancy to look into it and see the problem and fix it. Thus if everyone is fighting for a change that they can't agree on it is less likely to be changed at all.
*second edit*
So lets all just focus on getting rid of player order combat starts and then once that is done we can all get back to posting our ideas that really are super great and better than *his/hers* until one of us wins.
[This message has been edited by Cyrien (edited 13 October 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Cyrien (edited 13 October 2001).]