I read an article in The Citadel not too long ago that complained about how frustrating campaigns and large battles can be to organize and run. Having organized and run a large campaign in the last year for WS&IM that lasted 4 months and actually reached its conclusion and successfully run the 2nd largest naval battle in history; Jutland using all the ships (all 251) using General Quarters WW1 naval system, I think I can put my two cents in here in reply.

First; if you are going to run a large campaign or battle you need to plan well ahead (I mean 2 to 3 months ahead!). Confer with the group of your must reliable gaming partners on a campaign/battle that you all find interesting. Then figure out the minimum and optimum number of players needed to complete it in a reasonable amount of time.

Second; set a date at least a month in advance and invite at least 4 times the minimum number of needed players to attend. Mail out invitations a month in advance requesting an RSVP. Then start calling them a week before and get a firm commitment. If you don't get at least twice the minimum by then consider calling it off and save yourself the trouble.

For you married people out there, this should sound very similar to planning a wedding reception, and in many ways it is. Truly epic gaming doesn't just happen; it is the result of a large amount of work and organization. I love organizing battles and campaigns and only regret that there aren't more people out there willing to do the same. Low turn out or lack of interest frustrates many.

If you are thinking about running a large battle/campaign don't give up. Just try to keep this in mind: Design the size of the battle/campaign within the limits of the numbers players available and organize ahead and you can have some truly great gaming experiences.