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Tonight we had 8 people signed up for my AP7 table - 3 playing their first Starfinder game, 4 veteran players who've all played AP7 at least once. Normally we'd find someone to GM and run a second table of the same adventure, but as an experiment I did something new: run it as a multi-table game. It worked out really well.
We switched to running AP7 in "campaign mode" to legally incorporate some modifications and house rules: two tables would run as two starship crews delivering supplies to Nakondis. The teams were balanced out using skittermander pregens from Skitter Shot along with level 1 Raia and Kesk.
Part 1 both teams would make their own way to Madeline's Landing with the encounters in different order so my one copy of AP7 maps could be shared.
Part 2 players could switch tables to divvy up into 2 teams tackling the missions faster, ending in an epic scene where
Then for part 3, after delivering supplies the newbie table took on the final starship combat in tandem with the experienced table at the crash site - players had their choice based on whether they liked starship combat.
It was a solid 5 hour game for both tables that included players on comms with the other team including cross-table RP, strategizing, and aid. Some more thought will be needed to continue the experiment into AP8/9 but given the player feedback I think we'll give it a shot.
I ran the second table.
We had a blast there and I would absolutely do this again!
I normally dislike GMing because it's non-cooperative and I find actually quite antagonistic between myself and PFS players. It's mentally exhausting. HOWEVER.
Running an AP with a co-GM was a freaking BLAST. My players were all "huh?" at first, and frankly I was too, but we quickly warmed to Arc's crazy plan.
I wouldn't try this with every AP, but AP7's non-linear narriative and objectives (in part two) were ideal for a two table team.
The two table set-up gave me another GM to actively collaborate with. The 7 versus 1 dynamic was replaced with a cabal of two versus many.
Bottom line: working with another GM on the same adventure was novel and fun!
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That out-of-the-box thinking is a great way to mix things up, well done.
Slowplay, GMs don't have to be antagonistic to players and vice versa. That concept is an archaic subtle carry over from 1st and 2nd edition D&D. The job of the whole table is to create a phenomenal, collaborative story. That is what the developers have in mind when they design the system. If that collaboration means that the 'players' rofl stomp everything in their path, sweet! If that means that the characters are constantly on the verge of dying, also sweet! The important thing is it is what everyone wants. I would posit that your own mentality is what gets in the way of your enjoyment as a GM.