Pulpy games with maybe 100 figures per side...

[FifteensAway]

No, not 100 'characters' per side but a smattering of key figures and then a 'huge' supporting cast, combatants and noncombatants both.  What would be your rules of choice for such an extravaganza?

My first thought is Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles.  But what else is out there?  And very definitely not Role Playing rules, far too detailed, but rules that allow players to get into their roles - if you understand what I mean.

And from what I know of Pulp Alley - very much not workable, meant for pretty small games.

The key figures drive the story, the other figures keep the action up.  Far too easy, especially in 15 mm, to amass so many figures and it is a shame not to be able to throw the lot of them down on the table and get them into action.

And you are 'cheating' if you say that isn't what pulp is about.  I believe there was a group that used The Sword and the Flame for pulpy games pretty early on in the evolution of pulp gaming and had at least scores of figures per side if not 100+ per side.  And an awful lot of folks that have been into pulp for a long time took their early inspiration from that group. 

So, what would you use - and, even better, show off games where you've done exactly this with photos and descriptions, OOBs, and all.  Not my game but gives an idea, and from 20+ years ago, via this link: https://web.archive.org/web/20081230135537/http://www.zeitcom.com/majgen/836sherli1.html

There are, at least, three parts - and you can see at least several score figures involved in the game in the photos, including some - hopefully - innocent critters.

Thanks!

Edit: did a quick search and Rugged Adventures came out in 2002 - a full decade before Pulp Alley.  And I know the group I linked to existed prior to 2002.  And I think G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. was around 2000 - though more VSF than pulp but an early variation/inspiration.  Just to put it all in perspective.  A little.

[Moriarty]

You might want to look at Voyages Extraordinaire, a set designed for the Victorian age where the ‘characters’ act singly, and the ‘spear carriers’ act in blocks.

https://www.wargamevault.com/product/87820/Voyages-Extraordinaires?filters=0_40204_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0

[Chris Abbey]

I know that you have discounted Pulp Alley.... but Pulp Alley would probably work very well as you would use 'Gangs' for the huge supporting cast. These are groups of 5-6 figures that act as a group. With a standard league you could field up to 43 figures (Leader and 7 gangs of 6), although there is no reason why you could not have more than 10 points per side.

[FifteensAway]

I've never seen anyone use Pulp Alley for a large game - do you have a sample AAR you can point me to with the larger number of figures?

Meanwhile...

I've been revisiting Rugged Adventures and I'm thinking it might be adaptable. 

One thing, for the larger figure setups, whether RA or FFOL:BB, I am warming to the idea that only 1 die is rolled for three figures in melee or firing.  Less fistful-of-dice, lower casualty count too quickly unbalancing games. 

And maybe incorporate as a hard rule rather than an optional one, the Personalities (Heroes/Villains - Stars of the Show) are almost never outright killed but rather knocked out of a game but ready to return to the fray for the next game.  Take a truly extraordinary situation to kill off a hero.  [Worse thing that ever happened in the Star Wars film series was killing Darth Vader, the ultimate villain (in my opinion).  So minimal inclusion of such moments.]

So, if a unit has 12 figures, it only rolls four dice.  Maybe then there is also a need to modify the results of hits - excepting Personalities - making them more 'letahl' not so much in the sense of 'kills' but in figures knocked out of the game.  That keeps the flow and speed of the game up. 

I suspect I will be putting together an amalgamated QRS that allows games to flow with some guidance but to the greatest extent just letting the Story flow as it should.  QRS only, no rulebook for the rules lawyers to consult.  Simple, fast, and focus on the action on the table. 

------

Curious why we don't see more of Rugged Adventures games given how popular, it seems, Pulp Figures are.  Thoughts?  There is one element that I really dislike - the whole PRP thing, why I used the simple word Personalties above, maybe that was off-putting for some as for me.  Lots of good ideas though.

And Voyages Extraordinaire sounds like it should be included in the stable of rules used to adapt, especially with the animal rules if I read the review right.

[Cat]

Gaslight was the first that jumped to mind, setting should handle shifting forward ~50 years easily.

[FifteensAway]

Thanks, Cat.  G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. was mentioned in the OP.  But also a good source of ideas.  And one of the 'orginal' in the Pulp/VSF realm (2000) - probably Space 1889 being the earliest I am aware of, all the way back in 1988.  TSATF of course a bit earlier, 1979.  Not 'in the realm' but adapted by some for VSF/Pulp until other rules came along - and maybe still used by some for the Pulp and/or VSF.

And to clarify about PRP - it isn't the character/personality that is off-putting but the acronym.  And it also is phonetically "perp" as in 'perpetrator' so not the best acronym for heroes IMHO.  But the rules allow for leading characters, groups of fighters, and even larger groups of non-combatants.  A simple four player game with each player having one of each of those would yield 124 figures on the table (31 x 4)- though the rules mentioned non-combatants to be under GM control.  Maybe a fourth group could be personality (player) controlled non-combatants?  So, if keeping that 124 plus giving the GM twenty non-combatants that gets to 144 figures.  And boost it to six players and that will get to 206 figures.  Yes, that is a lot of figures - but workable if using the one die for three figures - except for the personality figure who gets one die for himself/herself (itself?).

Or go with 1 personality, 12 combatants, and 24 non-combatants (12 and 24 divisible by 3) plus GM NPCs and that gets to 246 figures and meets my criteria if using six players with three per side.  And I do like the idea of players being on one side or the other rather than all players on "their own side" free-for-alls - but with each player having their own subsidiary goals to spice things up.

[Codsticker]

I know that you have discounted Pulp Alley.... but Pulp Alley would probably work very well as you would use 'Gangs' for the huge supporting cast. These are groups of 5-6 figures that act as a group. With a standard league you could field up to 43 figures (Leader and 7 gangs of 6), although there is no reason why you could not have more than 10 points per side.

Those were my thoughts as well.

[blacksoilbill]

I've never seen anyone use Pulp Alley for a large game - do you have a sample AAR you can point me to with the larger number of figures?

It may not be exactly what you're after, but there is an upcoming Pulp Alley game that looks to be a horde on one side vs a handful of figures on the other side. At least it will give you a feel for how the game handles large numbers of figures.

https://www.youtube.com/live/O0d3hRxaq-g

[FifteensAway]

I gave that video a few seconds - and stopped.  2 1/2 hours!  No freakin' way I'm watching that.  I reserve that sort of time block for highly professionally produced top quality movies - or an actual game with friends.  AAR videos and tutorials might get me if they stay at 10 minutes or less, especially less, a lot less.  Make a point, make it clear, and make it quick.  Sorry.  WAY TOO LONG.  And clearly not professionally produced from jump (which is okay but...).  And, yes, I know the effort required given my avocation was (might still be, undecided in retirement) was movie making, small time stuff but quality mattered.  A lot.

Ninety percent of hobbyist produced videos just aren't worth the time to watch.  Harsh?  Perhaps.  But simply true.  Too much rambling, way too much rambling.  Get to the point!!!  I'll bet that video could be reduced to 2 1/2 minutes and be a lot better for it.  [For the record 90% of movies fit in the same category - just not watchable despite all the heart and soul put into them, not to mention the treasure.  And, yeah, a few of mine weren't great.  Learn along the way.  But get better at each step.].

For all you aspiring video makers, of any stripe, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, value your audience's time above all else.  That is a key difference between wannabes and success (which also requires a boundless dose of just plain luck).

Yeah, soap box issue for me.  Moving on...

[blacksoilbill]

Well, pardon me for trying to be helpful. I'll endeavour to avoid the same mistake in the future

[Codsticker]

Well, pardon me for trying to be helpful. I'll endeavour to avoid the same mistake in the future

Yeah, you triggered something there.

[Elk101]

From a moderation perspective, when people ask for help and it is given, even if it's not what you might be looking for, it's much nicer for everyone if the response doesn't make those who have tried to help feel like they shouldn't have bothered. The Pulp Board has always been a great place for bouncing around ideas, so let's keep it that way.