2025 games count.

[Chris Pringle]

Of course, the value of a player-hour depends on the game. I am not a fan of multi-player games with single-activation rules, i.e. where only one player at a time activates one unit at a time (be it by card draw or dice from a bag or initiative sequence or whatever). I was once involved in a six-player game of Saga - terrible idea, devaluing my player-hours by a factor of three compared to a simple IGO-UGO game where all the players on one side can do their thing in parallel.

[fred.]

I very much agree

One of my worst multi-player experiences was also 6 player Saga, where we rolled for initiative but then went clockwise round the table so I nearly always went after and before the same two players. As well as having to wait for 5 other players to complete their turns before I got another go

We do tend to play with sides in most multiplayer games were each side undertakes a simultaneous move with all players on that side. Often these end up as informal paired-off mini games within a bigger game.

[paulr]

Of course, the value of a player-hour depends on the game. I am not a fan of multi-player games with single-activation rules, i.e. where only one player at a time activates one unit at a time (be it by card draw or dice from a bag or initiative sequence or whatever). I was once involved in a six-player game of Saga - terrible idea, devaluing my player-hours by a factor of three compared to a simple IGO-UGO game where all the players on one side can do their thing in parallel.

Fully agree waiting for everyone else to have there go would seriously devalue your player-hours.

Over Easter 2019 I ran three multi-player For King & Parliament refights of the Battle of Cheriton with 7-8 players per game. FK&P is a card/chit draw game but the approach we took was that each player had their own bag of chits. So, all the players on the active side were busy activating units and their opponents were busy fighting back. We did end up with a few situations where a couple of Parliamentarian players were attacking units commanded by a single Royalist player (or vice versa). The three players fairly quickly sorted out the order they wanted to activate the various units.

[sunjester]

Of course, the value of a player-hour depends on the game. I am not a fan of multi-player games with single-activation rules, i.e. where only one player at a time activates one unit at a time (be it by card draw or dice from a bag or initiative sequence or whatever). I was once involved in a six-player game of Saga - terrible idea, devaluing my player-hours by a factor of three compared to a simple IGO-UGO game where all the players on one side can do their thing in parallel.

I think that depends on your rules and who you are playing with. For example, in the Martian Invasion campaign I am currently running, if all the players and the Martians moved simultaneously...utter chaos.

[kustenjaeger]

Fully agree waiting for everyone else to have there go would seriously devalue your player-hours.

Over Easter 2019 I ran three multi-player For King & Parliament refights of the Battle of Cheriton with 7-8 players per game. FK&P is a card/chit draw game but the approach we took was that each player had their own bag of chits. So, all the players on the active side were busy activating units and their opponents were busy fighting back. We did end up with a few situations where a couple of Parliamentarian players were attacking units commanded by a single Royalist player (or vice versa). The three players fairly quickly sorted out the order they wanted to activate the various units.

When I played in Simon Millar's Marlburian 5-6 person play test game of Lust for Glory at Salute we all had our own bag of chits and broadly played the player opposite which seemed to work pretty well.

I can't imagine doing a 6 person round robin without shuddering.

Edward

[fred.]

I think that depends on your rules and who you are playing with. For example, in the Martian Invasion campaign I am currently running, if all the players and the Martians moved simultaneously...utter chaos.

I was meaning that all the players on a side take their turns at the same time. Whether the game is IGOUGO, random activation, unit at a time etc. Basically you are choosing which side activates at a time. 

[kustenjaeger]

My April games so far:
 - 2 x Wings of Glory WWI
 - 1 x 18th century (the aforementioned Lust for Glory at Salute)
 - 1 x WW2 IABSM game (Eastern Front 1941)
 - 1 x Frostgrave [likely to be another on the 28th]

Player hours is interesting. The two Wings of Glory (2 of us playing) were probably 3 hours in total, the 18th century (5 playing) about 3 hours actual play, the Frostgrave (4 players) about 3.5 hours, the WW2 IABSM game (3 players plus me refereeing) about 4 hours.

Edward

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Mortal Gods, two hours

[Chris Pringle]

Anton ran a game of the Battle of Mahiwa for us. (BBB rules.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mahiwa
I believe this was the largest engagement in the whole African campaign in WWI.
Very different and entertaining game. Full photo-AAR to follow.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Live Free or Die: 1st Saratoga, this time as British.
11 turn game, almost won it, but on turn ten a unit failed a morale and fell back away from the open winning objective!
Drat!

[Chris Pringle]

Live Free or Die: 1st Saratoga, this time as British.
11 turn game, almost won it, but on turn ten a unit failed a morale and fell back away from the open winning objective!
Drat!

Commiserations! But at least you got some last turn drama.

My Mahiwa AAR is up now:
https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-biggest-wwi-battle-in-africa-mahiwa.html

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Another bit of the Telavera scenario last night, the Spanish were well beaten, but did better than the historial result.

[sunjester]

Two games this week, a Middle Earth game with Midgard and a Sellswords and Spellslingers bash.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Hard fought game of Soldiers Of Napoleon tonight
Both sides broke simultaneously. Real hard thinker of a game.
2&1/2 hours

[Chris Pringle]

Weirdest game in a long time (but not in a bad way):
Clash of Rhyfles.
28mm skirmish, vaguely WWI-style, between warring tribes of anteater people in the world of the Quar.
https://rhyfler.com/rulebooks/