So, I just started playing about a month ago. On a couple of occasions now I've had a game run very long as we get used to new ships/rules/etc. Unfortunately I'm playing on my kitchen table and have to clean up the game mid-session. Are there any "best practices" on how to save the state of the game so we can put everything back later and resume? Obviously, it's just family and close friends, so I want to be accurate, but if I'm off by a couple millimeters no one is going to panic.

I tried laying out some rulers and taking pictures once, and it worked, but not great. This time I'm playing with Epic ships on a 6x3 play area and there's just way too many tokens, card, ships, etc. to accurately save this way.

Any thoughts?

Hey Everyone, just bumping this as it's already several pages in. Hoping someone has some good suggestions.

Take a photo. Close enough is good enough.

i would say your picture method should work pretty well. just place everything back in its approximate locations and play on... better yet take some staged photos later

You could stick down some masking tape on the edge of each ship base, and write which ship it denotes. As long as they're all uniform (tape always on the right edge of the base, for example), then setting back up again should be nothing more than lining up bases with the tape marks. It'll keep the positions and headings perfect, and it won't disturb setting for dinner. Though it may look a bit prophetic if the salt is lined up with the tape that says Omega Leader...

Play on a large piece paper, trace outlines around the ships, and label them, listing tokens?

NakedDex, I really like that idea. I will have to try it. Thanks.

I've found that the first few rounds are where you really learn the most, especially when flying with or against a new list. A photo can help you reset, but this is a game of millimeters, so you'd probably be served just as well by playing a new game.

Just reset, and try to set a time limit, it'll help in focusing your game.

And when you know you've got the table for longer, you can look at scenarios and missions, for the more cinematic feel.

Masking tape with the fighter name, hitpoints and/or tokens written on it is the best solution.

But honestly I' d skip saving the game and introduce the 75 minutes time limit into the 100p-dog-fighting games. The decision making and the games will run smoother with the added pressure.

It also prevents games from dragging on and will give you chances for another "go" that evening.

6x3 I'm not sure about....

3x3 I do have an idea though:

Move the table.....

What I mean by that is get hold of a 3x3 piece of chipboard. Measured up accurately it'll also save you the trouble of marking out the edges of the play area. (since they'll be defined by the edge of the board.)

You can leave it as is, or you can paint it black, or cover it in black fabric... whatever works.

When you need to set the game aside, you can use Blu-tac (not actually sure if that goes by a different name outside of England, but you most likely get what I mean) to secure the ship bases and the asteroids to the board. Then you can stash the board away in a safe place until the game is resumed.

You'll probably want to remove the ships from their bases for transport/storage, just to be on the safe side.

What I'd then recommend is taking an envelope (or a card sleeve if you have any of those) for each ship, and putting the pilot card along with any other relevant tokens and cards in there.

What I mean by that is get hold of a 3x3 piece of chipboard. Measured up accurately it'll also save you the trouble of marking out the edges of the play area. (since they'll be defined by the edge of the board.)

You can leave it as is, or you can paint it black, or cover it in black fabric... whatever works.

If you're doing this, don't make it 3x3. Make it 3x4, or 3x3'8" at least. Give yourself some room to keep your cards and such off the actual playing area. Just makes everything clearer.

Dude, just leave it and eat at the living room coffee table like a normal person.

Play with a time limit like 75 minutes, you will soon start to no longer hit it regularly. In my experience you accellerate greatly after the first few games until you can expect one to last 30-75 minutes.

You need to build a gaming table.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tabletop.gaming+table&client=ms-android-sprint-us&source=android-browser&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjlzdT6y-rKAhXBMyYKHTH7D4wQ_AUICCgC#imgrc=qcF8OZCJFoZS9M%3A

Projector attached to the ceiling, aimed straight down, projecting an overhead picture of the saved state.

Projector attached to the ceiling, aimed straight down, projecting an overhead picture of the saved state.

See, now I want to do that, but with a hacked kinect to add animations and effects. Damnit...

I really think that you're looking at this the wrong way...

Rather than looking at how you can 'save state' a long game you should instead be looking at playing to a time limit.

When I was a nipper we used to make up our own rules for a 'floor based' miniatures game - using models from Gw, Havok miniatures games, airfix... Anything that looked right was fair game. We'd set up in the basement - ferel tribes of goblins with German panther support, spacemarine and other Sci fi oddities with beastmen chariots and a wing of miniature concord, giant sized sports cars which held vicious Tyranid creatures backed up by high elf bolt throwers - it was all there... Games could last 5 or 6 days (one momentous game lasted a whole half term) they were immense fun!

That was until we played warhammer fantasy - the turn constraint made all our overly elaborate plans and circuitous formation movements redundant. We had to play aggressively - pushing deep in to combat early if we wanted to cause the damage we desired. No more chasing around a hill for 16 rounds - it was do or die!

This is why I think you'd be better to add a time limit - sure, you get less time but, this shorter 'snap shot' of the battle has more tension and excitement than 2 days of flying.

So, I just started playing about a month ago. On a couple of occasions now I've had a game run very long as we get used to new ships/rules/etc. Unfortunately I'm playing on my kitchen table and have to clean up the game mid-session.

How long is very long? Quickest game I've played is about an hour. It makes me really reconsider getting into the competitive scene because with 3-4 swiss rounds at 75 min+ each and then even more rounds if you make it to the top is like...a whole day.

So, I just started playing about a month ago. On a couple of occasions now I've had a game run very long as we get used to new ships/rules/etc. Unfortunately I'm playing on my kitchen table and have to clean up the game mid-session.

How long is very long? Quickest game I've played is about an hour. It makes me really reconsider getting into the competitive scene because with 3-4 swiss rounds at 75 min+ each and then even more rounds if you make it to the top is like...a whole day.

So, I just started playing about a month ago. On a couple of occasions now I've had a game run very long as we get used to new ships/rules/etc. Unfortunately I'm playing on my kitchen table and have to clean up the game mid-session.

How long is very long? Quickest game I've played is about an hour. It makes me really reconsider getting into the competitive scene because with 3-4 swiss rounds at 75 min+ each and then even more rounds if you make it to the top is like...a whole day.

Most tournaments, from many systems are at least a day in length, if not a weekend

Reminds me of my high school debate days, spending my Saturdays from 7am-5pm verbally pummeling other kids. Except I don't have that kind of time anymore, and I don't have that kind of energy, either.

Having not entered an Xwing event yet I can comment specifically... However, I have attended many Gamesworkshop tournaments and though, yes they are extremely tiring they are also incredibly fulfilling!