[TML] First Session CT Questions

[Doyle Tavener]

Hello all. This is my first post. Please excuse any inordinate breaking of
rules.

I originally sent this to the CT mailing list this morning, but I didn't get
a lot of love. So I am hoping for more feedback from the higher volume TML.
Normally I would wait a while for an answer, but it looks like I'll be
Refing this weekend. - Thanks

I am about to run my first CT game in over twenty years, and I had some
combat-related questions. I understand there is no `right' way
to address these points; what I am looking for is your experience in
dealing with these issues.

- Book 1 combat is simultaneous, I presume.

-Is using Tactics (the skill) to determine initiative a popular variant?

- If I did use Tactics, I assume the way to implement it would be to total
the tactics skill of all sides in a battle, and award first actions to
the side with the higher total. Or is that too weighted in favor of the
higher skill, making Tactics too important?

- Does anyone use Dexterity to determine who acts first?

- Is a better approach to use the system as it is, treating
`surprise' as the initiative system, when it applies?

- Do you always use the Mercenary expansion (with the extra rules, weapons
and armor) when you run Book 1 combat?

- I assume that Snapshot combat takes longer amounts of time than Book 1
combat. By what factor? (Half again as long, twice as long, etc.)

- When you run Book 1 or Snapshot combat, do you use the modifiers listed
for armor, range, stats, and posture? Or do most people just apply skill
and skip the rest of the modifiers? What effect does this have on combat
(i.e. how different is it because of this)?

- I assume that any sort of combat with military-grade weapons (ACR and
better) is significantly more deadly than Book 1 available weapons, by
as much as an order of magnitude. Am I correct, generally?

- Do law level restrictions generally make use of military grade weapons
available only in formal mercenary actions and `anything goes'
planets? Do you generally just say to your players, "Forget using
those weapons unless you have a mercenary ticket, or are going into a
situation where you don't care about any restrictions."

- Are there interstellar (Imperial) restrictions on possessing these
weapons (especially high energy weapons and battle dress) on board a
ship?

- Does a law level sufficient to own military grade weapons imply the
freedom to buy these weapons, assuming a proper tech level? Or do you
generally have to go to a low law-level world and then deal with an arms
merchant who imports weapons from off world, with a significant mark-up?

- Do you allow PCs to purchase military grade weapons and armor during
character generation? Or is this why the `gun' and
`blade' mustering out benefits are so important?

I think that's enough for now.

-- 
Doyle Wayne Ramos-Tavener

...it is not reasonable to assume that Aristotle knew the Number of the
Elect...
- Albertus Magnus