Hi all

So the pbp campaign I'm running currently will probably include a lot of mass combat. I've read the commander supplement, and Assault on Arda, but I couldn't find any information about downgrading the size of a force due to the damage it takes. Does it work like wounds in combat? Additional success mean you go down a level? That seems like it would shorten combat between two small units massively. Is it just down to GM discretion? Any help with this would be appreciated.

Like so many things it is narrative. If the battle is one of attrition, yes, success kills enemy soldiers (amount up to GM). If the battle is an evacuation, success equals people evacuated. In that case threat or despair could indicate loss of troops, as it would hinder you in the future. But again, subject to the GM.

I will say, FFG frustrates me by teasing me with just enough crunch to get me interested, but then doesn't finish the job, leaving 2 different GM's running games wildly differently. Almost, but not quite as bad as White Wolf's Mage system in that respect. But still, an excellent system, as long as you understand how the GM is planning to run things.

On 10/30/2017 at 4:57 PM, Rabobankrider said:

Hi all

So the pbp campaign I'm running currently will probably include a lot of mass combat. I've read the commander supplement, and Assault on Arda, but I couldn't find any information about downgrading the size of a force due to the damage it takes. Does it work like wounds in combat? Additional success mean you go down a level? That seems like it would shorten combat between two small units massively. Is it just down to GM discretion? Any help with this would be appreciated.

So yeah, common misconception.

The mass Combat system is a narrative one. As you can see in Arda, the idea is the players run conventional encounters, and those are bracketed by mass combat checks that define the larger battle without the game getting bogged down with tracking details. But not so much about careful tracking of what happens when you smash two forces together

So there's no definite way to track mass casualties, because as the system is trying to simulate a films action, and not an actual battle, so casualties only matter in relation to the narrative.

Andas you know that can be a lot...or not at all. The idea is just that it's vague enough to ensure the GM has options, like running an unwinnable battle, but also free enough that a totally open ended battle will work just as well. And in both cases the Players can have some agency in how it unfolds, without risk of the battle going totally off the rails.

So it's GM discretion.

That said, adjusting force size as you go is totally doable.

The top two methods would be:

A) Player direct action. A short 2-3 round encounter pits the players against a threat in a (more or less) on thier own encounter. If victorious, the enemy force is reduced. (So like the players shoot down a tie bomber that's really pounding their position, removing that air asset from the battle and dramatically reducing the Empire offense)

B) Triumph/Despair on mass combat checks. Triumph you get reinforced. Despair they do. Triumph they are reduced in strength. Despair you are.

Ah ok, cheers for the advice guys!