Disclaimer: if you're bored of theory of war skip the first lines. At the end of this reply I added a pratical example of what you can do.
... That is a way the war could begin.
The begin is complex, but easier than the middle
.
How you handle the center of this "event" is more difficult.
What we want as a challenge? Let's try to be specific. (and if we want we can simulate all like suggested from UTM)
- Killing between players. Ok.
- Limit: use only of a limited number of potion?
- Limit: only in some place?
- What about commerce? War depends also on production.
- What about informations? Are there allowed spy and double gamers? What they can do? Maybe we can create some "secret base" if the spy found them and the attackers conquer it the defenders will lose something.
- What about time? Will we apply a defined time limit?
- Magical Research? Can we apply it in some manner?
- And resources? Mineral, and what else? The team who take more will have more possibility to win usually.
And the end is a little of medium complexity.
How do you know if someone win?
It will be only one or more matches, who remains alive win? Or maybe we need a surrender declaration? Or we need a external judge? Or is there a flag? Or you have to arrive in a place to win?
But reading through
your minds! the lines I think to see that you want some movement. But I see many other request from you. Some ask for RP, some ask for new players and some other ask for stories. There are many ways to create movement, and some of them are simpler than wars (who need also almost a little intervention of NPC), there are tournaments, celebrations, inside stories of the guild.
But I know... all of this is theoretical. And someone could be bored by it. So...
A PRATICAL EXAMPLE, of something applicaple now
To create a war training simulation is really easy. (and you do not need any NPC stories... I assume NPC intervention is a big issue, tell me if I'm wrong)
Phase 1: recruitment.
----START----
Phase 2: daily (or weekly, as you prefer) objective (ex. creating x material, enter in enemy base, etc).
Phase 3: confront.
----END----
Phase 4: points. (and ranking?)
Phase 5 * optional: some sub objective more casual, like spy stories.
And could be all driven by the players.