Hey everyone,

I've been GMing a long game with some of my friends (3 players) for almost a year now and have done a few other games with 1-3 players. I'm about to take over for a GM in a large group that I kinda did and kinda didn't start (long story) at my LCS.

I am by far the most experienced player and know most of the rules like the back of my hand, but I'm still a fairly new GM. Before starting the game with my small group I had never GMed before and had only even played 3-4 games of D&D. I have no problems with story, managing player interactions, rules, etc. but I am nervous about going into a group of about 8 players that I've only met 1-2 times.

How do I manage time, keep it fun, and give every player their due? I don't want to use the "no roll" rules. I was thinking of limiting player interaction time in favor of story and combat (in the game with the other GM he let some things go on way too long, costing us a ton of story progression play time). To make things a little easier (or harder) they are playing Beyond the Rim.

What advice can you give me?

Don't get complicated with combat, that's a lot of PCs for each round plus you having to manage all the opponents.

Focus on keeping the players talking with one another. If they're engaging each other, there's less of a demand on your time as a GM.

On that note, SW, more than most other RPGs, supports splitting the party -- so consider doing that. Arrange situations and dungeons that require groups of players to be at multiple places at the same time: distract the local constable at the dinner party while the prisoners are rescued; engage the TIE fighters while the cargo is unloaded; disable the tractor beam while the princess is rescued....

Managing a large group of players, moreso than a small group -- but it helps there, too -- is mostly about controlling focus. It's a lot like magic. Keep the players looking in the directions you want and they won't see you coaxing the rabbit into the hat.

Also search is really useful ("Large Group"):

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/203626-running-for-a-larger-group/?hl=%2Blarge+%2Bgroup#entry2073495

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/190451-whats-the-largest-party-youve-gmd-for/?hl=%2Blarge+%2Bgroup#entry1834668

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/186961-large-scale-fights/?hl=%2Blarge+%2Bgroup

I can't split the party IRL because they can all only meet the one day, but I do plan to try and split them up some during play.

If I keep them talking, won't that take up a ton of storyline time?

Ship combat could be good. If you put them is a reasonably armed ship and can give everyone a turret, you could just use one large adversary vessel which makes your bookkeeping easier.

Combat can also be sped up with one roll combat resolution, it's in the GM section and is suggested for situations where you are pressed for time and the outcome isn't in real question. It's a way to include more combat without burning a bunch of table time.

There is also group checks where a number of PCs are required to perform some sort of task simultaneously, one to slice a security system, one to slice a lock, one to disable a hydraulic system with mechanics, etc. You set a total # of successes required as opposed to pass/fail and then everyone contributes to the overall success of the check.

I already abuse group checks, lol.

They have a ship with 4 weapons, though the previous GM ruled that the ship didn't have any stocked missiles and the group couldn't afford any... Don't know why he did that, he just did. But yeah, 4 on guns, pilot, co-pilot, 2 in engineering. That takes care of 8 pretty easily.

I do want to try to avoid the one roll or no rolls though. Half of the fun is getting to roll the dice!

Yes, but 8 PCs rolling the dice and then a GM having to roll at least several groups of adversaries means functionally it takes forever for each PC to roll their dice once. A single round can really drag out, so speeding things up isn't necessarily a bad thing.

When it comes to combat, try and stick with the tables for adjudicating threat/advantage/triumph/despair unless something creative hits you immediately. The point is to keep things moving and making sure no one is sitting around for too long with nothing to do.

I can't split the party IRL because they can all only meet the one day, but I do plan to try and split them up some during play.

If I keep them talking, won't that take up a ton of storyline time?

I meant split the party in the game. Send half of them off to get the whosit and the other half to get the whatsit.

Keeping them talking with one another allows you, as a GM, the time to come up with a way to integrate whatever random direction the cats decided to herd themselves into the rest of the storyline you had planned. I usually utilize it when the party goes off in a direction for which I hadn't planned. Rather then letting them get too far ahead of me, I put a few speed bumps in their way that line up with at least two of the characters' goals or backstories. Then the rest of the party spends time asking those players about their goals/backstories while I figure out how to rework the plot to fit the new set of circumstances.

It's especially effective if you can set up competing or conflicting goals within the party. That way the party members are actively involved in shaping the direction of the encounters and they have to make moral decisions (which are really the most interesting -- to my mind -- part of the game anyway).

Lol, I've never had a problem with coming up with places to lead them. I don't rigorously plan out my adventures. I usually have 2-4 basic conflicts or storyline points I want them to hit, and a basic idea of the terrain. They can make whatever choices they want but they will hit those points no matter what they do or where they go.

It's really great at making the players feel like they have agency and control of the story. And it means that I have to spend less time pre-planning games and less time scrambling to figure out what to do when they make weird choices.

So I've only tried using Mass Combat before with a large group once, but I think it would be infinitely helpful in stream lining combat for your group. Instead of having a bunch of "Rounds" of combat, you can plan for maybe three "Phases" of combat. Give the players options for how they can contribute to the Mass Combat checks and see what they come up with. Keeps combat more narrative, but also allows the players to use their skills/talents and roll some dice. That should save you a lot of time and keep things from getting bogged down in combat rules. I've ran a group of 8 PCs before and the biggest time waster was the fact that not all of the players knew what they wanted to do when it was their turn to go.

As far as including everyone. I'd split them into 2 separate Obligation groups. Roll twice at the END of each session to see which 2 players get their Obligation triggered for the next session. Ask the 1 or 2 players that get their Obligation triggered to hang back after the session and see what ways you can implement their Obligation into the story for the next session. Works better than trying to come up with something on the fly if you roll Obligation at the beginning of the session, especially with 8 players.