Questions on mastering a Starship Troopers game

[tHe_MaN]

Hi there,

I recently picked up the SST core rulebook at my local RPG shop, not knowing that the line had been abandonned. Now that I've been through the entire book, I still have questions before being able to master my first game.
The game seems to imply that you need to play it in squads (that is, a 10-men unit), and this is confirmed by the campaign proposed at the end of the core rulebook. However, I do not have 10 guys in my gaming group, usually only 3 or 4, so what should I do:
- fill the squad with NPCs (which means a lot of work for me as GM)?
- have each player play 2 or 3 characters (which means less identification between player and character... but can be interesting actually, especially if playing with minis)
- simply have the squad reduced to the number of players I have in the game, which will probably end in a very short life during the first mission of the very first campaign

I would be grateful to anyone who can tell me how he deals with this in his games!

 

[Paladin]

I'd suggest you go with a full squad of NPCs, but allow players to do multiple PCs if they want to. During the sessions convenently break into "fire teams" and separate the current PCs the players are playing into one fire team and the other set into the other with 1-2 NPCs in each. When the action starts to get dull or you hit a good cliff hanger do a cutaway scene to the other fire team. Lets the players manage multiple PCs without talking to themselves as often and leaves you with fewer NPCs to deal with. The cutaway allows suspense/creativity to build as players dwell on the action. When things get gritty on the combat the fire teams can join or hit things from multiple angles to improve survivability.

 

[teamescape]

Or, alternatively, give them a few levels extra and make them some sort of "elite" strike squad or give them a specific mission and tailor the numbers of enemies to how many people are playing. I'm 100% loath to use more than 1 NPC in a party for about 1000 reasons that I really can't be arsed to go in to. I'd avoid the idea suggested by Paladin 'imo' (no offence or anything), once again, for a multitude of reasons.

You do not need an entire squad of troopers to make it fun. If anything, less players is better as the desperation sets in as they realise it's them vs the world, so to speak.

 

[tHe_MaN]

Thanks guys for your answers - I guess I'll try both in order to see which best fit me and my players ;o)