Our combat rules are quite different from what I've found elsewhere. Here are some notes regarding our combat rules.
Initiative: We go by the rule that at levels 3, 6, 9, etc. an additional +1 to initiative is gained. This makes it to where a character's experience actually helps them in a conflict - being able to read between the lines of what is going on, etc.
Strike: Strike rolls are standard, there is nothing noteworthy to say about our rolls to strike, except that on a natural roll of 1 it is an automatic miss - everything else is normal.
Parry: I've heard lots of jargon about parrying, and the details of it in other people's games. In our games you can parry essentially any hand to hand attack leveled at you, with few exceptions. You can also parry energy attacks at close ranges, simply by slapping the barrel of the gun(s) away from you. In our game, you may also parry an energy attack, or projectile attack itself, at -6 to parry. We ruled that it's essentially the same for any weapon. The only advantage a rune weapon has over another weapon in that regard, is that it will not channel electricity, AND it does not suffer any kind of damage from the blast/impact. A regular vibro blade, or other type of sword will. Furthermore a high level swordsman or other sort of bladesman can attempt to ricochet or deflect beams or projectiles back at an enemy, but it's done on a percentage rather than a roll to strike, since it's such a technical ability, and the originator of the blast or projectile will NOT be anticipating it anyway. For every level of experience of the WP in question, the character has a 2% chance of doing so. Thus even a 15th level Swordsman would only have a 30% chance of parrying it back at it's originator - we also allow a 1% chance per level of the WP for deflecting it at a target of choice as well. Any target hit with a deflected blast or ricochet shot receives half damage.
Dodge: We took one look at the dodging energy weapon rules, tilted our heads at them, and threw them right out the window. IF a person is trained to watch for a shooter, then they're going to have the agility and reflexes to anticipate the attack. You are not dodging the blast, but the reaction time of the enemy. Look at foot ball players - you jump on that fumbled ball before you even realize it was actually fumbled. Same is true of a character who's dodging an energy blast or projectile. We've also taken into account that aircraft CAN dodge missile volleys exceeding four in number, but we still don't like to do it - still too easy to die. (Chaff is much better!) We also have taken to computing distances and times. If a missile that flies at only 1400 mph, is fired at you from 10 miles out, and you have radar - you've got a whole lot of time to react. For dodging energy blasts leveled at a character from long range, same is true of parrying an energy blast, you must make a successful perception roll to even realize they are aiming at you - unless you're the only one there.
Roll: Standard, as per the books.
Pull: 12 or better to pull. We also do not force dragons to roll a pull just to shake some poor joe's hand.
Saves...: The only noteworthy save modification we've made is the save versus horror factor, every 3rd level there is a +1 to save, AND the M.E. bonus that normally is only for Insanity and Psionics, we also add to our Horror Factor Save. IF a character somehow attains a +19, he or she is considered generally impervious to horror factor.
Movement: Our rates of movement go exactly as per the books, speed wise, but as for leaps it's a little vague. I mean, if a character with Karumi-Jutsu leaps 250' - just how fast is he/she moving?! Now, you could get bogged down with the physics of gravity and such, but we're mere simple folk, and don't have THAT much time on our hands. (This being written after taking several weeks of free time to update a HUGE RIFTS Gallery. Haha!) Thus we go ahead and just say that a character covers the distance from point A to point B in a leap at twice their normal running speed.