So I am playing the game and I get to that kid who is locked up in the Arx sewers. I have my Sebil with 70+ initiative(high crit, arbalest summoner). I free the kid; he has some nice background, he transforms and the battle begins. On the top row I notice that Sebil is first. But the game skips her turn entirely(She does no get a move this entire first round, at all!) and then that mage nastily nukes my party(because he has to say that he likes it 'dramatic').

What, in heaven's sake, is that design about?!

Sure, I will probably reload from a point 5 minutes early and booby trap the whole place with good positioning of the party, because the way that this battle works, I am incentivised to cheat, because, otherwise, the enemy is given unfair, and quite puzzling, an unreasonable advantage. Sebil is heavily invested in initiative and is prohibitively punished for it.

It is very perplexing to think about that design choice.

Can we discuss, please?