Favorite Initiative and Activation Systems

[Elstree]

Hello all, and greetings! New member here, and since I need to post something within the first month to keep my account open I thought I'd throw this question out there:

What are your favorite initiative/activation systems, and why?

By initiative and activation systems, I mean the rules that govern who gets to activate units when and in what sequence. Some examples might help:

IGOUGO (I go-you go): I activate all of my units, then you activate all of your units.
Alternating activations: I activate a unit, then you activate a unit (or maybe a few units at a time, but not the whole force).
Shifting initiative: I continue to activate units until some triggering event causes initiative to pass to you (e.g. Song of Blades and Heroes, Future War Commander, Crossfire)
Fixed queue: the order of activations is determined by a deck of cards containing one card for each unit, which are turned over in turn.

...and so on.

I'm relatively new to wargaming, and am approaching it from the board gaming side, so my experience is mainly with things like Command and Colors (Memoir '44, Battlelore), Ogre, Battletech, HeroScape, etc. Still, this is an aspect that doesn't really depend on whether you are counting hexes or measuring inches/cm.

[Elstree]

Thanks, Humakt. Dislikes are good too. Mostly I'm curious what people hear what people consider the pros and cons of different systems. What in particular don't you like about IGOUGO?

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

Lion Rampant has an interesting but frustrating Shifting Iniative system which really gives an excellent "fog of war" effect.

A player activates his units one at a time.
Each time the player tries to activate i.e. issues an order to the unit, two D6 are rolled and the score shows if the activation succeeds..
Some activations are easy - expert archers shoot on 4+ but others are difficult - archers will only attack on 7+.
As soon as an activation fails, the next player takes a turn.
This means that, often, a player only activates one or two units.
If you think about what you are doing, you can increase your chance of success by issuing easy orders first.

[Inkpaduta]

I am pretty much an I go you go type of guy.
A few times I will go with cards representing a given unit.
Some times both sides roll and the highest roll goes first.
But, mostly, I go you go works for me.

[A Lot of Gaul]

My all-time favorite system is the four-phase turn sequence found in Swordpoint:

1. Initial Phase: players resolve morale and cohesion tests simultaneously;
2. Shooting Phase: players' eligible units shoot simultaneously;
3. Movement Phase: players dice for initiative, with the winner choosing who moves first for that turn;
4. Combat Phase: players resolve unit combats simultaneously.

[Sir_Theo]

I like random systems such as the ones found in Bolt Action and games like Muskets and Tomahawks.

Alternating activations are also enjoyable, as are systems where you can lose initiative with push your luck mechanics.

Least favourite is the IGOUGO style but I've played enough warhamer etc that it doesn't bother me too much. I just hate those turns in games like that where you just sit back and take everything with no opportunity to respond.

As you mentioned board games I do like the C&C style where although it's your opponents turn you can often respond with card play etc. Keeps things interesting.

[AWu]

Random card generating system is my favourite activation method but I can like any if its well implemented.

Chain of command has IgoUgo but with very interesting spin to it and dice activation. And i like it a lot but can be very brutal.

[fitterpete]

I like I go you go.
But my favorite is War Gods of Aeyptus alternating unit activation with a iniatiative roll to see who starts the activations each turn.You also add your command rating to the roll so more disciplined leaders have a edge.Plus if you beat your opponent by a significant amount you get to activate extra units. Great fun.
Least fav is card draws, just too random.

[Belligerentparrot]

My favourite for small skirmish games is the "wheel" system. Each model has a corresponding counter, placed on a wheel/clock dial. When a model activiates, you move its counter back around the wheel a designated number of spaces. When things happen to un-activated units (e.g. takes a hit) they may also be moved back. It gives players a super flexible yet manageable initiative system, and allows for cool effects: e.g. a model under heavy fire will be hard to activate, but that almost certainly allows other models on the same side more freedom of action.

My favourite for larger games is 2nd ed Space Marine's "orders" system. Pretty much perfect, for my 2 cents.

I hate IGOUGO. Boring, and not interactive enough. Whoever upthread said "I might as well watch TV" captured my feelings exactly. Don't like reaction rolls etc much either (e.g. Advanced Space Crusade, which had dynamism at the cost of fiddlyness), the "wheel" system handles that kind of thing much better.

[FramFramson]

Pulp Alley is a great variant of the Shifting Initiative genre.

One I don't see mentioned is "Secret Simultaneous" for lack of a better word. Each player either writes down their actions or stacks pre-printed order cards in a certain way to indicate their orders for the turn; these are then resolved simultaneously. I like the way it can represent the unknowns of a real battle, where a commander must try to anticipate the enemy's moves, without their being laid directly on the table for you to see. Anything that allows for "hidden" information like that (including hidden units), is something I really enjoy.

[armchairgeneral]

You could of course move everything simultaneously but write orders for your units first. Obviously this might get a bit irksome so simplified order counters placed face down by each unit is an option such as system used in Johnny Reb and maybe other rule systems.

[armchairgeneral]

Sorry FF. You beat me to it 

[fitterpete]

After reading a few replies after my own
Forgot to mention in Wargods units are given order cards before the initiative roll is made.

[sonicReducer]

My personal favorite is card / chit activation ala Sharp Practice. I found Chain of Command to be closer to IGOUGO with a twist in that you need to choose who gets to activate.

I like the card system as you often feel like one side just has their act together and is outperforming their opponent when the cards go their way. I can understand why others don't like it but I enjoy the drama of the system.

I'm currently working on some home-brew small skirmish and I've settled on an IGOUGO system whereby you get to act with one model and then dice to see if you can still act, 2+ at first and then incrementing after each activation. Planning on some playtesting to see how this goes.

I can't play IGOUGO ala 40K now, sitting through the opposing turn doing nothing is just dire. Some games like Infinity are pretty good, you get to react and at least need to plan your reactions in advance

[AWu]

A certain way to remove problems with card activation is activating units of both players on each card.
I tried that very successfully with Necromunda larger game i GMed, but it take some preparations.

It works both in randomized combinations and matched by power level/role
3 cards from my game as an example