Re: Big Games

Hi John,

>Now, the last time I ran this game it went pretty well...but it was
slow,
very 
>slow.	We only got a handful of turns in, not nearly enough to really
resolve 
>the game.  I'd like to keep things moving quickly, keep the players on
their 
>toes, make them say "Man, I've got to buy me some GZG products from the
nice 
>guy who owns this here store that we're gaming in!"
>
>So, any advice for someone wanting to run a large game?  Tips, tricks, 
>brilliant ideas?
>

Not to sound pedantic but...  don't run FMA skirmish...

Not for a big game with all-new players.  If I was going to run a game
of
that size for new players (and frankly, when I run demo games at
conventions or stores, I like to keep them to 4 players or less, just so
I
don't go mad), I'd do a Stargrunt game where each player gets to control
maybe 2 squads, or a squad and a vehicle.  And I'd leave out all of the
"optional" rules, and keep the equipment types and TO&E's simple.  Then
they get to see the nature of the game, but it doesn't get bogged down
in
detail.  FMA skirmish is fun, but can have lots of detail.  While the
basic
mechanics are simple, it's like running a stargrunt game when you add on
all the extra stuff (off table arty, EW, etc etc) - slows the game down
a
lot, and can be confusing for new players.

And, of course, you can't buy FMA skirmish yet...  Only the lucky folks
on
the test list have up-to-date versions of the game.  If you're going to
do
a demo in a store, you might consider demoing a game that the store can
actually stock, and use miniatures that they have "for sale".

Beyond that, perhaps consider creating and printing a "rules summary"
card
with the basics of fire combat - keeping it *really* simple - for
players
to refer to.  Maybe one side can have the "how to shoot" instructions,
and
the other could have a squad card for the squad or two that they are
running.  That would include a quick description of how you calculate
squad
firepower, etc.

I don't normally use squad cards because I've got all that stuff in my
head, usually, but I've played a couple of games run by Tom Barclay
where
he supplied squad cards for all the units, and it could be a help for
new
players.

Create a "story" for the scenario that is simple but fun, and gives a
reason for the players to care.  And keep it simple so that the new
players
don't get overwhelmed with surprises or whatever while they're still
learning the mechnaics.

********************************************

Adrian Johnson