As role-playing fits more and more computer systems I think bigger groups can be formed if everyone has a tablet. The Dungeon Master can track everyone in the party easily.
Yes, I think you are correct in this. I think it'll also help to make the game more visual as tools are created to display maps, combat, positioning, etc. But there will still be a max and I'm not sure where that max is. Ten maybe?
My game has been running pretty consistently at nine players. I've been able to handle it with some tools not usually available at a table, and people seem to think the game does well. But there has been some strain, both on myself and the group.
I think it would be possible to go well above ten players, but they'd need to work quite well together without much intercession, and I would expect increasing problems as the number goes up.
Edited: daishain on 12th Sep, 2017 - 1:09am
Name: Hobgoblin
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Comments: I like small groups of 3-6 players. Small groups make things more fun and interchangeable because you get to know the players as a person and their player styles. The game moves lots faster too. Larger groups take long to do simple tasks because there is always someone who is not ready to move forward. .
To be frankly honest I find the entire "Party" based system itself to be a bit flawed at least when we are talking about what sort of teams should be going into dark dungeons that are crawling with monsters. Let's imagine for a second that all the powers and strengths we read about in fantasy novels were a reality. That you or I could go out and even join a guild like a mage guild or whatever. Ok in a situation where let's say a giant dragon is attacking a city, why in the world would only 5 or so people be the optimal number to deal with the situation? So you have a tank, a fighter, a priest, and a mage and that's a perfect party? Are you sure? In a real situation wouldn't you want more like 20 tanks (On a revolving fight schedule so as one person gets tired others take their place), 100 fighters, and 100 mages? In a situation where you are in some dungeon and there are hundreds of monsters that are crawling around living there, why would a small party of 5 be enough? Especially when the enemies have powers too…
The only reason the small party system makes even a little sense is because we are talking about running a game. But in reality if everyone had these kinds of abilities and the enemies were also THAT dangerous, and considering that if you die you don't get to be resurrected like in a game, what group of 5 would even be willing to throw their lives away on such an adventure? Just like the military attack enemies as huge groups, I imagine real adventure parties would likely be more like adventure armies. Noone wants to die.