Combat in Play-by-Post games

[RS14]

I'd like to know how you handle combat in play by post/email games.
How much lighter are they on combat? Is it possible to have a combat heavy play by post?
Do you have any tricks for running battles smoothly? Do you have any special instructions for your players? Do you choose different sorts of encounters?

Now, my observations.
The one game I participated in as a player was mostly exploration and combat. We had close interactions with the NPCs, but mostly to learn more about people, places, and events. Our DM did a very good job of keeping us updated on our individual status and outlining options in combat. I think this is the biggest thing I missed when I ran my game. I also found tough (in hp terms) monsters to be a nuisance, as they led to multiple rounds of dull combat.

[Kyeudo]

So far, I have found that being a little loose with inititive order, with something of a recap post can get people online and posting often. This works best with fewer people.

For more people, go with a strictly enforced inititive order to keep things organized, and it keeps things moving without confusion.

Also, institute something of a stunt rule. The cooler someone's actions are, the more likely they should be to work. This gets people to actualy put some effort into their discriptions, and leads to better roleplaying.