Me and my friend fought a battle about 20x never having first move. The opening move for the enemy team was to stun me or him which is instant. So now im down. The other would use frozen grenade freezing him. We lose our first turn, he loses his second turn. They effectively won by doing nothing but cc.
You didn't say what fight this was specifically, but I get the strong feeling that you are talking about the first two magisters on the beach prior to getting to the Fort Joy Ghetto.
Those guards are level 4 and you were most likely level 1 with base gear and skills -- so of course it's an extremely difficult fight. (I'll let others debate if that fight should be moved, scaled down, or avoided till later)
I'm not here to really argue how crazy CC is or even suggest changes.
I'm actually just here to express my surprise that you frequently mention that you never go first and offer help.
Putting points into Leadership on one or more characters is an effective way to improve your initiative for your entire party.
You can also put points into Wits (really useful at the first couple levels) or equip gear that increases Initiative/Wits.
Lastly, just like that first encounter with the magisters will show -- levels do matter greatly and contribute to your initiative.
Anyways, I know that doesn't solve what you view as CC issues, but hopefully you and your friend can enjoy the game a bit more now.
