In another topic I was reading about the difficulty that comes from large parties of around 8 Players and how the narrative mechanics of the game start to generate too many results to be accounted for at that level. I didn't want to continue to sidetrack that topic, so thought it might be nice to give this issue its own.

My original reaction to the issue as described was to wonder whether you could consider having two GMs working together to expedite the increased volume of results and just the clean up/tracking of things. Otherwise, I'd say that it might require one to dilute the results some - maybe requiring multiple triumphs/despairs in order to activate certain narrative elements that would otherwise only require one in a smaller game party.

I myself think that I would love the trouble of having to figure out such issues resulting from too many players. I'm having difficulty finding enough friends to play in even small numbers regularly due to all of our differing work schedules (half of us are in the service industry and the rest have 9-5 jobs).

8 players regardless of narrative issues is too busy. Too much talking over each other, or too slow waiting to give everyone their say. Insuring something for everyone to do, particularly in combat just takes too long. 8 players should be split into 2 groups. I find 5 at the most to be acceptable, 4 is good.

The trick is always finding a second GM for the group though. A lot of people aren't willing to do that and the original GM will run the larger group just so the whole thng doesn't fall apart. Personally, I can run 6 players effectively if 4 or more are veteran players, but outside of that I have trouble balancing encounters and keeping everyone a the table engaged and focused.

My first game had five players and we did fine. My second game dropped one player and we're doing even better with four players. It probably helps that we're all more familiar with the game now too.

well it's nice to hear that pre-made adventures aren't always the worst thing ever!

My problem with large groups has been that I like plots and subplots that are tailored to the individual PCs. It becomes prohibitively difficult to have those with groups larger than 5.

What I've done in the last two sessions (both of which involved 5-6 players), is have the PCs take on more of the responsibility of narrating the events for each other.

So for example, 2 PCs were going on a nexu hunt while the other 4 attended a local carnival. I had each of these groups come up with a suggestion of a challenge the other group would face, then determine a suitable Skill Check that applied.

The carnival-goers came up with competitive hunters, navigational obstacles, and the nexu's actions for me, while the hunters contributed a house of holograms, "brave volunteers from the crowd" for the acrobats, and the digestive dangers of the local cuisine to the carnival experience.

I wouldn't try this with detailed combat scenes or plot-heavy encounters, but it's a good way to run social events or other more cinematic situations, where checks can represent broader efforts. The players can supply a lot of the background, and there's enough going on that you can slip clues for your main storyline into the other events.

What I've done in the last two sessions (both of which involved 5-6 players), is have the PCs take on more of the responsibility of narrating the events for each other.

So for example, 2 PCs were going on a nexu hunt while the other 4 attended a local carnival. I had each of these groups come up with a suggestion of a challenge the other group would face, then determine a suitable Skill Check that applied.

The carnival-goers came up with competitive hunters, navigational obstacles, and the nexu's actions for me, while the hunters contributed a house of holograms, "brave volunteers from the crowd" for the acrobats, and the digestive dangers of the local cuisine to the carnival experience.

I wouldn't try this with detailed combat scenes or plot-heavy encounters, but it's a good way to run social events or other more cinematic situations, where checks can represent broader efforts. The players can supply a lot of the background, and there's enough going on that you can slip clues for your main storyline into the other events.

I don't see the narration part of 8 players as the issue. It's the 8 people talking at one table. Trying to keep straight who is doing what. Crafting an encounter with a sufficient number of enemies to address 8 individual players as a challenge. It's just going to naturally slow play down a lot having that many people in one group.

Roleplay at the table. Yes, that is a **** good rule. Thank you!

I had to quit EotE with one of my groups because we got up to 8 players. It was just too slow, and limited the types of stories you could tell. I really don't recommend it.