(TFT) Troop Movement in TFT

[John Paul Bakshoian <shadowhex@hotmail.com>]

Troop Movement in The Fantasy Trip:

To quote a member of this usergroup, Guy McLimore Dec 98:

	"Melee isn't an RPG either.  Its a boardgame with
	 an RPG feel that hooks into an RPG pretty well and
	 expands to an RPG once In The Labyrinth is added."

I agree with Guy.  TFT started out as a miniatures game (whether you use 
lead figures or cardboard cutouts) and became a miniatures roleplaying game 
with ITL. Yes it can be played strickly roleplaying with no figures, but its 
origins is definitely figure based. You can continue playing on a hex set-up 
or you can convert hex to inches (or centimeters.)

My quick interpretation of RPG and miniatures styles is:

	Roleplaying				=	all acting
	Miniatures Roleplaying	=	using miniatures w/ emphasis on RPG
	Roleplaying Miniatures	= Using miniatures w/ less emphasis on RPG
	Miniatures				=	all representational tactics

I use 25mm lead figures and the 'inch' set-up.  This allows for the use of 
terrain, trees/rivers, buildings, dungeon interiors, props, and especially 
large amounts of 25mm figures.

Right now in the fantasy miniatures field, 40K and Warhammer run supreme in 
the LA area.  (I will try to mention my locale often, as I would suspect 
things are different in other regions.  I wish to learn what these 
differences might be.)  But these games are "all representational tactics" 
miniatures.  Each figure represents ten, twenty, fifty troopers.  And if a 
hero is present, his single figure representation seams bizarre next to 
those "50" troopers.

Enter The Fantasy Trip.  Each figure represents itself.  The simplicity that 
allows quick creation and play of a character allows easy creation of a 
troop.  In Troop Movement I use a 'what you see is what it is' (most of the 
time), so characters should reflect what the lead piece looks like.  
Chainmail fighter with longsword and sheild should be reflected on stat 
sheet probably as chain & small shield and bastard sword, etc.  I usually 
run eight characters to a page.  This makes a quick reference.  Each 
character is custom made:  give each a personality or don't.  I often flesh 
out one or two characters and let game play mold the rest.  Sure you have to 
play each of your troop as unknowing of the other's thoughts and anticipated 
actions, but you've probably been doing that already as a game master.

The fun of troop movement is the mass battles it allows.  I've had six 
players running eight characters each on a 4'x8' board of rugged terrain.  
The combat lasted 15 rounds (one minute 15 seconds) or 2 days real time.  
Since this was a roleplaying miniatures game, not all of the players troops 
fought.  Some were trying to figure out the riddle that they came across 
[shifting rocks and digging deep.]  What they so timely discovered saved 
most of their party from my hellbound horde (with some nice roleplaying by 
the scholar/wizards.)

After years of running single characters, my players flipped over running 
eight single characters in an actual 100 character battle.  (Some of the 
things they liked was that many of their characters could die and they still 
had more; they could create fighting teams that ran as a unit; they could 
have one maverik character totally at odds with his own group & allied with 
another players group, etc.)  And after roleplaying miniatures part of this 
game came the regular roleplaying <splitting up loot and non "by the clock" 
solving of puzzles> and then miniatures roleplaying as one of each of the 
party went down into the catacomb to stop the evil.

I have had games where we had war:  two players had 100 characters each and 
equipment and battled each other.  I game mastered it.

Here is a sample of my Troop Movement template:
(I apologize in advance if this doesn't print on some of your screens)

____________________________________________________________________
| Name      Race     | Name    Race     | Name    Race     | Name/
| ST =               | ST =             | ST =             | ST =\
| DX =               | DX =             | DX =             | DX =/
| IQ =               | IQ =             | IQ =             | IQ =\
| MA =               | MA =             | MA =             | MA =/
| Armor	 ______      | Armor  ______    | Armor  ______    | Armo\
|        ______      |        ______    |        ______    |     /
| Weapon ______      | Weapon ______    | Weapon ______    | Weap\
|        ______      |        ______    |        ______    |     /
|        ______      |        ______    |        ______    |     \
|                    |                  |                  |     /
| Talents            | Talents          | Talents          | Tale\
|                    |                  |                  |     /
| Items              | Items            | Items            | Item\
|____________________|__________________|__________________|_____/
| Name      Race     | Name    Race     | Name    Race     | Name/
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

You can do a full page for each if needed, but this is the quick reference 
in battle.

Has anyone else tried similare excursions?

{Next installment of Troop Movement:  rule expansion for troops.}











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