How big is too big?

A free-for-all place for any discussion under the sun. Just find yourself a log and chat away!

Moderators: Clay, Jade

Post Reply
Joe_Mello
Exalted Amphibian
Posts: 196
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:50 pm
Location: Here and There, Now and Then

How big is too big?

Post by Joe_Mello »

I have a concept in mind for a short campaign using the OVA system. However, it would probably have a player list in the teens, so I ask you: how big of a party is too big? The largest group I've been with is 9, except for the one D&D I subbed into that had about 14 before it split.
Joe_Mello: Could you make a common sense roll, please, Ryu?
Ryushikaze: With Smart?
Joe_Mello: Sure
*Ryushikaze rolls*
Joe_Mello: SHE'S DEAD!
JuddG
Worthy Tortoise
Posts: 75
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:21 am
Location: Atlanta, GA
Contact:

Re: How big is too big?

Post by JuddG »

Joe_Mello wrote:How big of a party is too big?
Hard to say, but a good rule of thumb is six total players. The thing is, you are going to have no individual time for anyone outside of the combat cattle-call, or you are going to have a story that focuses on just a handful of the characters that you are interested in.

As long as some people don't mind being support (and I am always struck that some people say they are OK with it, but few actually are), you will have about 10-12 bored as hell players.

That, or you are going to end up running nothing more than a massive multi-player video game with a thin plot and just some slam-bang fights and such. Still, that can be fun in the short-term.

I guess it all depends on your objective. If it is a just a way to kill some time stomping mooks and such, it may be fine.

Another point on huge groups: If you don't mind, a co-GM can handle some of the subgroups of PCs and can add a bit more "face-time" to the experience for folks too. That face-time ratio is what makes of breaks any game, really.
Judd M. Goswick
Gamemaster
Legion Anime/Gaming Society
Joe_Mello
Exalted Amphibian
Posts: 196
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:50 pm
Location: Here and There, Now and Then

Post by Joe_Mello »

Well, this would probably have more than one GM simply because it seems more feasible this way. Also, I would probably use sub-groups since the storyline would more often that not be aided that way.

The idea is that it's supposed to take place during a (preferably anime) convention, and that the "con lore" is the integral part of the storyline. Players would play mostly as themselves, but they would have a fighting style of choice that would have to conform to convention rules (ie no live steel, et al). I would probably take applications pre-con and prepare character sheets to be distributed on Day 1.

Luckily, the convention which I'm thinking about doing this for is 10 1/2 months away so there will be plenty of time to hammer out the details.
Joe_Mello: Could you make a common sense roll, please, Ryu?
Ryushikaze: With Smart?
Joe_Mello: Sure
*Ryushikaze rolls*
Joe_Mello: SHE'S DEAD!
JuddG
Worthy Tortoise
Posts: 75
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:21 am
Location: Atlanta, GA
Contact:

Post by JuddG »

Joe_Mello wrote:The idea is that it's supposed to take place during a (preferably anime) convention, and that the "con lore" is the integral part of the storyline.
This sounds more workable. I would stick to that 5:1 ratio for player's to GM and have each GM run a sub-plot of the game, so that they can keep up with the progress of each sub-plot. Dividing it by geography can let players move from table to table as they actually move in the game setting, but GMs have a great deal more trouble keeping it all straight.

Another tip would be to internalize the whole plot, so that NPCs are not germane to what is going on. That way, you can have a geographical divide and the plot gets stirred up by players from pillar to post. This is exactly what LARP plotters do, with a very few "NPCs" in their scenario.

Hope this is helping gel ideas for you. The idea sounds cool, especially for a Con.

:!: "Old School Gamer" Aside Alert :!:

I put together a murder mystery scenario that was held during a in-game LARP setting. The players had two sets of stats - the "player" and the "character" for their characters. Only by figuring out in-LARP events could they solve the murder mystery. The murder didn't stop the game because the police were concealing it (it was part of a larger undercover scheme and the man-down was one of the cops who had infiltrated the LARP). Some of the players didn't know there had been a murder, since the PC group was made up of the LARP cabal of the undercover cop and his "replacement".

Never got to run it. :(
Judd M. Goswick
Gamemaster
Legion Anime/Gaming Society
Joe_Mello
Exalted Amphibian
Posts: 196
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:50 pm
Location: Here and There, Now and Then

Post by Joe_Mello »

It probably is going to be more of a mystery-type of RP, but there will be a final battle.

The general outline of the story is that the antagonizing force has planned something sinister for the last day of the convention and that the con chair put it on the GM(s) to organize a task force of plainclothes (ha!) attendees. These attendees will be parsed into small squads in order to prevent the bad guys from catching on. When out of game, they are to act as normal attendees and follow the convention rules. If anyone gets in trouble with con security for anything that is not percieved as minor (ie glomping, running, clogging halls, etc), they will be ejected from the game. All of the secret agenty-type stuff will be done with the OVA system and with the GM's assistance.

One of the most important things to note is that squads are allowed to exchange information out of game. However, only a select few are going to recieve the reward for catching the bad guys, which is the Fictional Badge of Platinum, something so valuable, only 0 have ever been made. These Fictional Badges would let the bearers enter any convention for free as long as he or she lived. In reality, I would probably buy them Pocky or something.

In its final form, the convention RPG would be a pseudo-LARP because the players play as themselves and no actual RP mechanics are to be used out of the setting.
Joe_Mello: Could you make a common sense roll, please, Ryu?
Ryushikaze: With Smart?
Joe_Mello: Sure
*Ryushikaze rolls*
Joe_Mello: SHE'S DEAD!
Post Reply