I agree with that, start smaller, check that it all works, expand later. Thank you. that was one of the main problems with the first game, way too many people...

BTW Tugster if I can offer some advice - maybe start with a smaller group than 10 to get it off the ground and ensure manageability before expanding scope - cheers

totally in.

Hey Tugster,

Pretty sure I was Imrahil (one of multiple Gondor players), I would be interested to do the whole LOTR thing again, but as you say simplified and streamlined in terms of number of players.

Not sure what to make of your new idea - if you do want to get something off the ground I would probably be interested

it's all done asymmetrically; in that you are never required to be online at any particular time of day, as long as you check in frequently to respond to things.

I see. So if I understand it correctly, planning about 15-30 minutes for looking at current status + decision making for actions, plus any encounter within a reasonable reaction time (like within 1 or 2 hours at busy time of the day and longer for sleepy time of the day, like check in before sleep and after waking up)? Well, I'm on Europe time, though a bit of a nightowl, so that frame would be somewhat shifted (something like an early riser/early bedgoer from the eastcoast, timewise). And maybe something happens irl so the 2 hour might become 3 once or twice.

But if that sounds about ok, I think I should be able to manage that. And I would gladly be part of the game.

Each regular player would control a capitol city and probably two smaller towns, with ten characters that could lead armies or go on other missions, such as exploring, or whatever. You'd probably have a military size of about 10 units or so, but they generally would not go in 10 different directions! You'd have a small navy too, most likely. It doesn't take a huge amount of time, but it does take getting access and telling me what you want to do when I need you to make decisions.

Giving instructions is not much harder than saying, tell my warrior Bill to take three units of light infantry and explore north along the coast, but then while exploring maybe you encounter something and that's when I need responsive people, maybe the thing you've encountered is an NPC or maybe it's another player, you cannot always tell which is which. Maybe there's a battle, or maybe not, but I cannot wait a week for you to tell me what to do...

If I have a large interest in the game, there will be room for people to play as individual adventurers. I need more than 10 people willing to run small nations, All the nations will be small at first. Thereafter, people could be a solo adventurer, not directly attached to a player. Solo players could conceivably win, without controlling a nation. There will be lore imbedded and secret victory conditions, in that in order to win, you must first discover what must be done to win, then do it. I cannot say more.

When you start, you will only see what you can see, you can see just one province, so you see the province you are in, and one province in all directions. Hidden things, you only see if you pass a search check, so there is large scale fog of war going on.

Maybe there is a compromise for those who don't have much time but would like to do a bit roleplay and be part of the world, something like a 'half-role' or 'companion'? Not doing much in terms of gameplay, decision-making or event-influencing, but something of a support bonus to a 'main char' or 'full-role' (maybe even giving them something like +1 to a stat or something)? To flash out the world more, bring more flair and engagement into the world without increasing the workload?

Like a servant/retainer for a noble? Or a wife/husband/child/familylikethat? Or a parrot for a pirate? Someone that deepens a character and also increases the interactions between the players?

Tell me if that is a bad idea, and maybe most people don't even want something like that, but I could see that working for some without having to feel pushed for time if they don't have much.

Well, I'm kinda interested, especially since I got an itch for roleplay due to a certain game *looks at brainbomb* that have left me a bit yearning for more.

Question I have, how much input would you expect from a player at a daily base? Asking that because I may stretch myself thin by joining, as I have a mafia game starting in a few days (see thread in this forum) and some other things running currently and don't want to disappoint anyone. (Also I was just wrongly D1'ed last mafia game so I guess I would be active in that new one out of pity, but you never know.)

If it's about a few minutes as a base (for check in and communication) and a bit more if deeper involved on some day (about one hour, maybe a bit longer), that should be fine, but I'd hesitate and probably pass if it's much more. (Also maybe I'm a bit too cautious but I'd really like to know what are the expectations from the side of the GM if you are willing to put in base 4 hours at a day.)

oh, and it's not even close to being like DnD, for those that asked this.

Me again, GM from this game.

I have a proposal. I had a variety of issues running this game. First is that it is a LOT of work for me, the second is I had too many players and some nations had multiple players, which was good and bad, but made it more work, the third is that some of those players were not responsive, which made even more work for me trying to get action from people, because there were times that I needed to wait and wait for a critical decision from someone or pull teeth to get it. So, I have created another world, it is a RPG, and the focus of how the rules work are a balance between characters doing RPG stuff, exploring, adventuring, etc, and military strategic and conquest, etc. Itis not a diplomacy game, but diplomacy plays a part. I am making some adjustments to my rules and mechanics and then I can run it again. Also, a defining feature of the game is that you can only talk to other players, if you are physically in contact with them on the game map, managed via discord servers. Also, this new world will have a CivDip feel to it, in that the map will be unknown to all, you gain map knowledge only as you explore. Forces only "see" one province away. The rest is unknown or fog of war. So, if you want to play in this new test game, please private message me. It will be a few weeks before I have it set up to play.

I am the creator and the gamemaster for this game. I could try to run it again, but I need to rework some things to simplify the workload for me, it literally took like 8 hours a day for me to run it. It is an amazing game, for me as well, to watch, but I need to seriously look at how to manage the workload. I also need a core of dedicated motivated players, I had some fantastic players, but I had others that had to be prodded to response, which made things harder for me. I'm retired, so I do have time, but I have to get it down to like 4 hours a day, not 8...

PRINCE WILLIAM wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 12, 2024 10:59 am

It is an exciting idea. I had never played a game concerning Middle Earth except the one which was made by modifying the Medieval Total War 2.

Others than tge bugs, that one was fun

It is an exciting idea. I had never played a game concerning Middle Earth except the one which was made by modifying the Medieval Total War 2.

it had a horrible combat system that made no sense and yet it was very amusing

Esquire Bertissimmo wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 12, 2024 12:20 am

brainbomb wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 11, 2024 11:35 pm

id probably use a map more like this for example although his was amazing

What game is this map from?

I play a LotR board game also called "War of the Ring", but it looks nothing like the pictured board (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/115746/war-ring-second-edition)

Think it was an old SPI game

brainbomb wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 11, 2024 11:35 pm

id probably use a map more like this for example although his was amazing

What game is this map from?

I play a LotR board game also called "War of the Ring", but it looks nothing like the pictured board (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/115746/war-ring-second-edition)

brainbomb wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 11, 2024 11:35 pm

id probably use a map more like this for example although his was amazing

I played this.

Tugster had a great gsme
One if his frustrations was folk not telling him what they wanted.

I saw him online the other day.
Hmmm

Sounds fun! I would probably join if you start it up. Forgot how to play d and d but sounds interesting

brainbomb wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 11, 2024 11:31 pm

It was like a giant board game, with combat mechanics, and wincons, and tons of players, and there was sorcery powers and private chats, a world map, tons of locations.

I legit would be willing to run this and maybe simplify a few things. I think at one point he was even having to run what towns would do while your character was away.

meanwhile I was just having a blast as gollum trying to convince a nazgul that I wanted to join sauron. and he gave me a bunch of orcs to command.

I was one of the two Gondor players. It was quite fun although sometimes quite hard to keep track of what was happening.