digimortal93
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Joined: Thu 11 Jul 2019, 23:16

player size

Thu 11 Jul 2019, 23:17

How many players would you recommend for a game?
I have never played an rpg like this and i would like to try one, so just some helpful advice for a newbie.
 
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The1TrueFredrix
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Re: player size

Thu 11 Jul 2019, 23:43

You want a minimum of three for a game like this. Four or five would be ideal. Plus you as mother of course. 
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digimortal93
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Re: player size

Thu 11 Jul 2019, 23:57

ok thank you wasnt sure :)
 
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Diego
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Re: player size

Sat 13 Jul 2019, 01:35

I'd actually advocate closer to 3/4. Horror is more threatening when you haven't got loads of people to provide 'comfort'. Also fewer players makes it more likely you'll get through the scenario without someone breaking immersion.
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Fenhorn
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Re: player size

Sat 13 Jul 2019, 01:45

A agree that three or four is probably the optimum here.
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aramis
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Re: player size

Sat 13 Jul 2019, 20:13

3-5 players ... noting that the clear roles on ship need at least 3...
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hibishop
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Re: player size

Mon 05 Aug 2019, 20:03

Over the course of 6 individual sessions, I've ran Alien with as low as 2 and as high as 5 players, at any one time.

2 players was actually do-able as long as their agendas more or less align.  They were on the same side (mainly to survive), while as the GM, I played the role of the many NPC antagonists (Xenomorphs/Infected/Traitor).

5 players was more difficult to managed, because they had less time to shine in the spotlight.  And for a scenario like Chariot of the Gods where there is four decks, once the 5 players were spread out across multiple decks, some locations triggered climatic events, whereas others had little to nothing to do.  
 
Pily
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Re: player size

Mon 05 Aug 2019, 20:45

I myself have tired between 2 and 4 playing and i found 3 not including GM was the best as they all started sweating and getting a bit argumentative at times with each other on what to do next:)
 
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Konungr
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Re: player size

Tue 06 Aug 2019, 00:59

I think 3-4 is absolute optimum. 5 is tops reasonable. 6 is doable but difficult for everyone for lots of reasons. More than 6 makes you a bad DM you cannot possibly keep track of everyone and give everyone the best experience and everyone at the table will suffer because of it.
 
Jhea
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Re: player size

Tue 06 Aug 2019, 10:31

I think 3-4 is absolute optimum. 5 is tops reasonable. 6 is doable but difficult for everyone for lots of reasons. More than 6 makes you a bad DM you cannot possibly keep track of everyone and give everyone the best experience and everyone at the table will suffer because of it.
Not true, this totally depends on how  well 'behaved' your players are, and how good your time management as a GM is.

I run a game (shadowrun and das Schwarze Auge) with 7 players, and everyone gets his time to do his stuff.
Not everyone will have HIS shining moment at that particular evening, but everyone has enough time to do his stuff.
Also it helps if you break down the groups into pairs and let 2 of them have do something for about 3 - 5 minutes, and then switch the group (i usually do about 5 - 10 minutes per group, and shorter when it comes to a fight)
The players not involved usually need to check some rules, get something to drink (we play online via skype/discord) 

Yes of course you can have more time per player when in a smaller group, that is true. but you are not a bad GM if the group is bigger.
That just means that EVERYONE has to step down a bit and have a bit patience.
But you can orchestrate a much bigger orchestra with bigger /more satsifying results (already ran smaller groups too, but the fights and outcomes were always 'small' with bigger groups you can get to epic with some build up, and my players love it)
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