Quote Originally Posted by Anonymouswizard View Post
I'm just not a big fan of them, possibly because my first experience of Deathwatch included us being denied the ability to a) plan, b) scout, c) check orbital scans, or d) sneak in through the back door before commencing the blazing guns*. Always like Dark Heresy more, maybe it's because the PCs are going to spend their first few sessions in way over their head ad underequipped, it encourages solutions other than 'set it on fire'.
I feel for you, but that's just an obnoxious GM. My GM gets us orbital maps, details of the relevant hive sections (if not of all the buildings making up that section), and likely enemy strengths. And while we don't always get to choose our insertion points (we usually do), we always get some time to plan before climbing in the thunderhawk/droppod/boarding torpeedo. For us it usually goes mission briefing - planning session - requisition - deployment. And ever since I read the Universal Brotherhood file (Shadowrun), if they are available, my characters always bring recording devices.