How do you keep track of Military Force?

[Azai]

As a total war fanatic and one that would love to "beat the odds" with superior tactics... I always try to recreate actual military forces to cannon as much as possible.

Really studying how many star destroyers the Empire would have, keep track of what ones get destroyer, etc, etc. Same for Hutt forces, Rebel, other factions and so on. I must say it becomes extremely time consuming and can really burn you out after a while.

My question is, as gamemasters do you mostly just have an endless amount of baddies to throw at your players? Especially in a "nation building" campaign? Or do you limit the forces of each sector, planet, or rims of the galaxy?

What is your approach?

[CRMcNeill]

Sufficient unto the plot is the strength of enemy forces.

I'm a lot like you, in that I like to count heads and know what troops are available, and how they are equipped. It's fun in the abstract, and can provide a lot of useful information about what sort of equipment or personnel you may come across in a military operation. However, for the purposes of a game, knowing the number of troops and ships available is more useful for creating barriers. If you don't want the PCs to take a certain action, put a star destroyer or an armored division in their path. If you want them to complete a mission while simultaneously facing some good dramatic risk to themselves, roll back the troop numbers or types of ships, or have those troops dealing with something else, so that they are distracted when the PCs execute their mission.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[garhkal]

If the base is one out in the boonies, then i do have a total amt of troops available to draw from. If one is near an area you can expect reinforcements, then they can draw on them.
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Bren]

We are in the Rebellion period. For Naval forces I have the Task Force and exact number and type of ships for the main sectors where the PCs are based and operate. For ground forces, the numbers are either overwhelming to the PCs available forces or more limited. But effective numbers are determined by plot and dramatic needs.

[ZzaphodD]

My players (or their characters) dont keep track of anything like this, so it would mostly be a waste of time..
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My Biggest Beard Retard award goes to: The Admiral of course..

[Fallon Kell]

When I moved an imperial fleet into Wildspace, I moved a set number of ships in, and when they get blown up, I cross them off the list.
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Or that excessively long "Noooooooooo" was the Whining Side of the Force leaving him. - Dustflier

Complete Starship Construction System

[Azai]

For the most part I just run solo campaigns, with a heavy role-play theme including only myself and my fiancee. And one of my goals is to always "Be better" then the Rebels.

Take more planets, capture a few ISD, prevent Alderaan... But being essentially the solo GM(My other half, I am teaching ) It is some-what difficulty to keep this only to dramatic tension or what the plot needs. As I need a check and balance for myself.

Hence why I try to keep track of almost everything. As in could we actually get a fleet or force that makes the Imperials nervous? At least in this sector? Where are their supply lines? How quickly can reinforcements arrive, how spread thin are their forces? Or could they just overwhelm this area?

So, for myself, if we do win in our goals I will feel the accomplishment and that we truly did get through it. Not just I made it happen cause I know everything that is going on behind the scenes. But we actually beat the odds

Though in the end all this can become very obsessive, and can intrude on game play when you can't go forward until the forces, or fleet is set up. Or to keep track of how many kills here, and there.