Re-posted from The Last Alliance as I only have five players and ideally want eight.

Greetings. I'm looking at trying a combination of solo gaming and remote control, by hosting a 2000 points-per-side game on my table but with four generals per side giving their orders to me via email. It's a trial event to see how well it works before I embark on a larger-scale affair later in the year.

The scenario is a simple one for now, being a fight to the death. Each side will have an overall commander, with 500 points of troops to be distributed as he (or she) sees fit. They can allocate them to their three subordinate commander(each with 500 points of their own), hold them as a reserve, feed them to the player screaming for support the loudest or try and win the battle on their own. The subordinates will have an element of tactical control but should obey the supreme commander's instructions as best they can. Each player should select one miniature (a Hero, obviously, but not necessarily the most powerful or expensive) and that will represent themselves on the battlefield. Personal glory can be achieved by risking oneself in the thick of battle but if you die then command passes to one of the other players and you lose automatically!

Obviously the fact that the players will not be present will impact massively on the play. I intend making all tactical decisions for both sides based on over a decade of playing SBG but players are welcome to give instructions based on their preferences, troop types and the tactical situation. I'll stick as much as I can to what instructions are supplied but things might have changed since those instructions were submitted - no plan survives contact with the enemy!

Obviously everyone will know the terrain - from a general photograph supplied before deployment - and the forces on their own side. Enemy forces will remain unknown until the end of turn one. Even then it will simply be a photograph of the enemy battleline from the general's position. Each subordinate will get a local photo and the overall commander will get one of the whole battle and one of his local position. I aim to get one turn per day and would hope that players will be able to turn around the instructions in that sort of timescale.

There will be an element of trust involved, in that players should not talk to each other (and since there are no Palantirs, no sharing of photos!). Sending a courier from one's own figure to that of another player is the only way to communicate. I'll put a limit of fifty words, sent to the recipient once the figures touch (at any point in the Movement phase). No long essays, considering it represents a breathless soldier trying to remember exactly what the boss told him...

After the battle I'll share all the details to participants and spectators on TLA.

If anyone is interested in participating, and has the ability to receive daily emails with large photographs plus can reply speedily, then let me know. This event will hold eight people but the next one (tentatively based around the Pelennor Fields but with a what-if? twist) many more.

I don't understand this doesn't have any replies at all..
As I said on TLA, I absolutely love the idea, so I'm looking forward to participate.

I don't really understand the purpose of this, and don't have much time at the moment. SBG isn't as turn based so there would be a lot of emails for just one turn, but then you have said you would make the tactical decisions - seems like it could take the power out of the players hands... Some things which might get you more replies -is anyone in the world suitable? how long will it go for? do you want to do one turn per day or more (then certain time zones would fall out).

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http://www.one-ring.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=25957&p=325932#p325932

I think this would be much better suited to a War of the Ring-type game, as then you are directing whole units of soldiers. In the SBG, so much of the strategy lies in the individual positioning of models, which would be very hard to communicate through e-mail.

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Respectfully,
Jonathan

Do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly

Battle Companies

Unless you had a millimetre-resolution coordinate system...

I like the general idea of it, but I'm gonna sit this one out. If this does come to fruition, please inform us! Good luck.

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"Mickey, my friend!"