"Are You Dense?" Topic

In terms of players per side, that is.

What are your preferred number of players and sides for tabletop miniature wargames and what do you end up playing most often?

Player – /n/ 1. A humanoid entity that makes decisions with respect to the disposition of forces in a wargame.

Side – /n/ 1. A group of wargame forces that contribute to the same victory conditions.

So the "classic" wargame might be two players, two sides. One player running each side. Or maybe not. Possibly, what is "classic" or "normal" depends on genre. So feel free to id your genre, too.

For me: Pulpy SciFi

Preference – six players, three sides
Most Often – five players, five sides

Depends on the scenario. I sometimes need 12 players and sometimes I only need 2 or 3. If we don't have enough players for all the commands, then everyone gets to have multiple commands.

So I guess my preference is to have enough players for all the available commands in a given scenario.

Oops, I thought you said dance…

In our group, large scale skirmishes, 3 vs 3. Dragon Rampant is the current rules the majority like. I wind up dancing though the opposition.

Practically one player a side both having a detailed understanding of the rules and the strategy and tactics of the period.

Multiplayer games are only really any good if the protagonists are equally knowledgeable on the period, understand the rules and are motivated to play, not to attend as a typoe of social evening. In a few cases this has happened the games were outstanding but getting such folk together is extreemly rare.

I am part of a fantastic club with gaming 2-3 nights a week, and occasional weekends. Games vary anywhere from 1 on 1 SAGA duels, to 12 player, multi-week games.

I prefer small games with one player per side. I usually play either solo or in three player games, with either two or three sides. About every other month I play in a two-side, six-player game.

For most games I prefer two per side, three is ok and 4 being where most games begin to breakdown. There are exceptions of course like naval, Air combat and games designed for lots of players like "What a Tanker.

I mostly run sort of hard science fiction skirmish games, and find that 2 or 3 players per side works well.

I have done a few miniatures games in the style of RPGS, with the players working more or less cooperatively, and those have been a lot of fun for all involved. Those games have had 3 to 5 players.

"Both. But don't bother about the bread." --- Winnie the Pooh.

The answer to your question is:

Yes. Yes I will play a game with you. And with you, and you, and you, and you, and you…

So, basically, it depends on who shows up and what the game is.

Warmaster? (Usually 2 player) Yes!
X-Wing? (Usually 4 or more) Yes!
Ogre? (2) Yes!
GEV? (2 or more) Yes!
Wings of Glory? (4 or more) Yes!
… and you get the idea.

I mostly play--and mostly have played--straight miniature wargames with two sides each commanded by one player. Given the player shortage, I'm currently trying to adapt to solo, but it's not as much fun.

I'm fine with small teams--say three players a side--if they all know what they're doing, and I used to enjoy games with up to 10 or 12 a side, but I can't get them any more--except at conventions, where they block out too much other activity and tend to run slowly.

Never did the "all of us on one side" thing except in D&D. I'm not opposed, but you need a GM and multiple players, and I don't have that.

Well I have lost a lot weight recently … so I'm guessing I'm "less" dense …

@ my FLGS we try to keep a density to one gamer per two and one half feet of table edge. D=g/2.5'

Bashy: Fantasia is one of my favorite movies. Has it been updated?

Never did the "all of us on one side" thing except in D&D.

Most of my D&D games felt like "everybody on their own side". :)

I know what you mean etotheipi….

I can't believe you had to be so vividly graphic! The horror!