How do you handle multiple-player games?

[oabee]

OK, I'm going to take the plunge here in a few weeks and host a multi-player game for the first time, featuring 4-5 Companies. Preliminary plans are for 250 points per Company. I have set the scenario tentatively as Bring Him Back Alive, as the opposing companies vie to capture an evil scientist, currently working in a secret lab in the French countryside, who has made great breakthroughs in developing advanced weaponry. Note: these will be veteran wargamers, but first-time IHMN players.

I'm fairly sure multi-player games have been discussed here before, but please humor (humour?) me: the vast experience and wisdom found in this glorious Forum would be appreciated as far as rules modifications, Company size, encouragement, chastisement, words of sage advice, or whatever is necessary to make an enjoyable multi-player IHMN experience.  I eagerly await the observations and experiences of you seasoned campaigners. 

BTW, one idea I am toying with is to randomly determine specific animosity between certain Companies. For example, the Leader of Company A has a passionate hatred for the Leader of Company B, so if he personally takes Leader B out of the game, 10 VPs are awarded instead of the normal 5 VPs. Which brings the question: While obviously player A should know his Leader hates Leader B, should Leader B know that Leader A hates his guts, or not?  Meanwhile, Leader B hates the guts of the Leader of Company C, and so on. And how do you place the initial setup of Companies if you use this rule? Too confusing?  Or too much fun?  Or do YOU have a better idea? 

[strawbuk]

I have done quite a few multiplayer games and there is enough emnity emerges  between companies/players  without forcing it..    

I recomend though at least two objective related to the professor (capture him, grab some plans and get off table with them, blow up the lab ) and give the player slight different cuts of those to player plays at say 10 points each and the 5 pts each for each oppsition leader killed.  keeps action moving and not focuseed on one spot which can lead to a pile up/slog.

Other than that , lots of markers ready (use NO markers to indicate figures that run, as they can't shoot: then take off markers figure who can shoot when they do - real time saver)

Finally brook no fiddle faddle precision figure placement,  and as man in charge make free rein of Narrative Interpreative Umpiring....

[oabee]

Finally brook no fiddle faddle precision figure placement,  and as man in charge make free rein of Narrative Interpreative Umpiring....

Great advice, and especially appreciate the above. 

[Silbuster]

We normally play with 3 to 6 players. The rules work well as they are but:
1/ I would recommend keeping forces small (250 points) so as to speed play.
2/ To make it as fair as possible for a wide variety of companies:
All players roll a die before the game starts.
The highest roll sets out all the terrain.
The second highest decides whether there will be a scenario complication.
The lowest roll chooses the point on the table edge his company will enter. Then the next lowest etc. Entry points should be evenly spread arond the table perimeter.
3/ Choose scenarios which force players to move around the board.

[oabee]

We normally play with 3 to 6 players. The rules work well as they are but:
1/ I would recommend keeping forces small (250 points) so as to speed play.

Great advice, Silbuster. I especially appreciate the above, as that was my cunning plan. 

Does anyone ever alter the move sequence, if only for, say, the first turn, allowing players to move more than one miniature at a time to speed up play? Any ideas along that line? Or is the normal move sequence just fine in all cases?

[Silbuster]

Great advice, Silbuster. I especially appreciate the above, as that was my cunning plan. 

Does anyone ever alter the move sequence, if only for, say, the first turn, allowing players to move more than one miniature at a time to speed up play? Any ideas along that line? Or is the normal move sequence just fine in all cases?

If nobody is going to interact then throwvfor priority as ususl but then the players move all of their figures when it's their turn.

[oabee]

Re: Rosie Pink and the Big Battle at the WI IHMN Day.

Any pearls of additional wisdom about multi-player games gleaned from this titanic struggle? 250-point Companies, were they?

Absolutely stunning table, by the way, and still another excellent after-battle report by Silbuster.

[Silbuster]

Re: Rosie Pink and the Big Battle at the WI IHMN Day.

Any pearls of additional wisdom about multi-player games gleaned from this titanic struggle? 250-point Companies, were they?

Absolutely stunning table, by the way, and still another excellent after-battle report by Silbuster.

300 point companies. It was chaos. I was fighting four different opponents in two locations simultaneously. Your best bet is to assign a lead player for each side and part of the board who calls the shots as regards whose figure on their side and in their particular area gets to act next. After polishing off a company of British infantry in my back yard, I then allower the players I advanced to assist to decide when my figures would act (usually last!).

[Tehet]

We can comfortably run 3 and 4 player games using 100 point companies (which usually vary from 1-4 figures) on 2' x 2' boards using our own rules modifications developed for Salute which would be a good starting point for multi-player games. As players get into the swing of play 50 point increments could be added...

I do think scenarios are vital to this style of play and it can be very bloody and very fast!

The basic modifications are here

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=76974.msg947274#msg947274

Craig has now got all of the info (demi-companies and scenarios) so hopefully this should appear on the web blog soon in some form.  

[Craig]

Craig has now got all of the info (demi-companies and scenarios) so hopefully this should appear on the web blog soon in some form.  

I do and I shall  .  Just got a book launch to get out of the way...

[Silbuster]

One idea we intend to test when there are many players is for each player to roll a D10 when their turn comes round. Their roll divided by 2 (rounding up) and is the number of figures they have to move. So if the first player rolls a 7, he has to move 4 figures instead of 1 before play moves to the next player.

[Craig]

Have you tried this rule out Sir Silibuster?

[wulfgar22]

One idea we intend to test when there are many players is for each player to roll a D10 when their turn comes round. Their roll divided by 2 (rounding up) and is the number of figures they have to move. So if the first player rolls a 7, he has to move 4 figures instead of 1 before play moves to the next player.

7TV has a similiar rule. You get an amount of Activation Tokens which is equal to half your Cast (Company) rounded up. It's quite a fun rule as it forces you to think carefully about who you'll choose to act. Of course, there are talents, skills, etc which can increase your number of activations.

[Silbuster]

Have you tried this rule out Sir Silibuster?

Not yet. To be clear, a player will still get to move all his figures during a turn but he will move them in randomly sized batches rather than one at a time. We're thinking of doing the same for shooting and melee attacks. It would not only speed things up (important in large games), it would also make good leaders worth their points investment.

[Tehet]

One idea we intend to test when there are many players is for each player to roll a D10 when their turn comes round. Their roll divided by 2 (rounding up) and is the number of figures they have to move. So if the first player rolls a 7, he has to move 4 figures instead of 1 before play moves to the next player.

Some good ideas floating around here.

So if Leadership is involved will you be adding to the roll i.e. +1 activation for each point of leadership? Perhaps points could be used to curb another players roll i.e. if your highest leadership was +3, you might add 2 to your own roll and deduct 1 from another faction. If that is too unbalancing it could be tied in with initiative...

It would certainly make leaders more attractive targets!

I will try your system when running the larger planned multi-player games at our forthcoming 'Big T' day and it would be good to get some ideas how we might use other talents or even powers...