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Author Topic: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General  (Read 5807 times)

Offline Ethelred the Almost Ready

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Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« on: August 28, 2018, 09:14:18 PM »
How many of you do solo play?
How do you manage solo games and maintain a sense of suspense and uncertainty?

Things I have tried or considered have been:
Random event cards/tables.
Random scenery and random deployment. The latter is used for the side that is "the other player".  Often the side that isn't "me" also gets a random number of units - usually weighted in favour of "the other player" to offset any bias.
Variable movement rates.
Variable activation (such as Dragon Rampant).
In Napoleonic wargames I used Le Feu Sacre with it's variable order of activation of generals.  This helps to some degree, but I found it required quite a lot of concentration and management when done solo.  Possibly because Napoleonic games are quite large with many commanders.

I don't think command chits work as I know where each side is putting them and tend to just cancel eachother out.
Building a hand of cards, as in Dux Britanniarum, also doesn't seem to work for me as knowledge of both sides hands removes any surprise.  Likewise using differing game objectives/boasts etc just don't seem to work and only add another layer without increasing uncertainty.

How do you make use of heroes in fantasy games?
Are you a bucket of dice player or one who prefers tables and modifiers?
For  ease of play would a grid system work?

I am really struggling to find something that works for me.  I want something that allows some uncertainty, but also some planning.  I don't want a game that is merely ancients with fantasy figures.  I don't want to feel that the game is hard work and concentration, but does have plausible and interesting command decisions to make.

Some rules I have looked at are true fantasy rules, others are for historical games but could be  a basis for fantasy games.

To date I have looked at:
Rally Round the King
Warmaster
Warband
Hail Caesar
Dux Brit
Lord of the Rings SBG.
Commitatus
Dragon Rampant
Kings of War
To the Strongest


For small skirmishes:
Sellswords and Spellslingers
Various Ganesha Games and THW products
Age of Blood
Blood Eagle

Do I just mash together ideas from several rules systems?
Is there something else out there?
Am I just a difficult person to please :D


Offline Oldben1

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2018, 09:50:07 PM »
I wish I had the answer, trying some rpg fantasy stuff myself.  What about Pulp Alley?

Offline CPT Shanks

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2018, 11:29:44 PM »
Mash ideas.  Somehow this is what I wind up doing in the end, that and randomly mixing rules inadvertently.
"welcome to the world of cascading failure"


Offline Pendrake

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2018, 06:14:52 AM »
Crowdsource the decision making for your ‘opponent’s’ side?

Post a picture to a Forum, use a poll options for different tactical options...?
Pendrake

Offline warlord frod

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2018, 02:01:13 PM »
You might find Charles Grants "Programmed Wargames Scenarios" helpful. It provides a system of programmed enemy deployment, orders, and responses. To be honest, though there is no really good method of AI that I know of other than simply trying to play both sides as honestly as possible. You would attempt to inflict the most damage as possible or take the most strategic position. It helps to have multiple personalities  ;D lol

I also recommend you check out Pulp Alleys solo rules in their Vice Alley rule set and adapt it to your games. Dave has a very useful and flexible system that could be made to fit any era I think.  See how to video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-yljZnda9w
« Last Edit: August 29, 2018, 02:04:01 PM by warlord frod »

Offline number1section1

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2018, 06:51:13 AM »
There was a solo mechanic for The Man Who Would Be King, if my memory is correct when a unit gets within a certain distance of terrain they roll on a table and then place the relevant unit which then carries out the most suitable action.

5Core games has their version where chits are put on the table and any unit with line of sight then rolls on a table as to what it is from a pre generated force list which is larger than your own force. The advantage of this system is you could end up playing against a small inexperienced force, or a veteran force which out numbers you with armoured support.

These are two systems I like both could easily be adjusted to fantasy forces. But as mentioned there is no perfect system.

Offline LiamFrostfang

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2018, 12:10:52 PM »
 :D mash em fo sho….FROSTGRAVE is awesome.

Offline Ethelred the Almost Ready

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2018, 06:55:16 PM »
Sounds like "mash-'em-up" is the preferred method.
Of possible interest to some, I came across this blog:

http://wargaming-mechanics.blogspot.com/2017/02/buckets-of-dice.html

Some of it is rather technical for a leisurely read, but there are lots of good ideas and interesting insights into game mechanics.

Offline Elk101

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2018, 07:20:28 PM »
That website is pretty interesting, thanks for the link.

Offline Codsticker

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2018, 08:47:15 PM »


I like this sounds of this:
Quote
Crowdsource the decision making for your ‘opponent’s’ side?

Post a picture to a Forum, use a poll options for different tactical options...?
With a system like To The Strongestthe grid keeps tactical decisions straight forward which would make it easier for your online "opponents" to agree on the options.

Offline Ethelred the Almost Ready

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2018, 11:32:40 PM »

I like this sounds of this:With a system like To The Strongestthe grid keeps tactical decisions straight forward which would make it easier for your online "opponents" to agree on the options.

The only problem with online opponents is, if things don't go my way, I can't throw my dice at them. lol

Offline Monkey

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2018, 12:07:06 PM »
I seem to recall reading in a book (the Stuart Asquith solo one?) many moons ago that static scenarios work well for solo games. It severely limits the options for one side and you can play the other side more fully. So stuff where you have one side defending some sort of strongpoint, or ones where one side is surrounded and must hold out for as long as possible, that sort of thing.

Somebody mentioned Frostgrave, the Dark Alchemy supplement does contain some scenarios specifically designed to be playable solo. That might be a good place to start, then you could look into converting other scenarios into solo play. I'm sure other people have tried this if you look on the Frostgrave sub-forum, I wonder if some kind of monster hunt type scenario could be made to work well?

Finally, there are books on Solo Wargaming which might give you some ideas. If you haven't already tried to find them you should be able to pick some up fairly cheaply (I suspect the days when you could find them at your local library are long gone).

https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?author=&title=solo+wargaming&lang=en&isbn=&submitBtn=Search&new=1&used=1&ebooks=1&destination=gb&currency=GBP&mode=basic&st=sr&ac=qr
http:www.ktnestboxes.co.uk

Offline Codsticker

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #12 on: September 07, 2018, 01:19:03 AM »
The only problem with online opponents is, if things don't go my way, I can't throw my dice at them. lol
If that is an important part of Your Game, then yes, you will be disappointed with online opponents. :D

Offline d phipps

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2018, 04:30:10 PM »
You might find Charles Grants "Programmed Wargames Scenarios" helpful. It provides a system of programmed enemy deployment, orders, and responses. To be honest, though there is no really good method of AI that I know of other than simply trying to play both sides as honestly as possible. You would attempt to inflict the most damage as possible or take the most strategic position. It helps to have multiple personalities  ;D lol

I also recommend you check out Pulp Alleys solo rules in their Vice Alley rule set and adapt it to your games. Dave has a very useful and flexible system that could be made to fit any era I think.  See how to video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-yljZnda9w

THANKS for the kind comments! I appreciate your support.  :D

Offline Argonor

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Re: Solo Games and Game Mechanics in General
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2018, 10:51:13 PM »
I solo; I like card-driven mechanics for this (SS&SS, Pulp Alley, Strange Aeons), but I am probably also going to use THW systems for this, and I don't mind playing both (or more) sides in a 'normal' game (although some randomness, like in FfoL is nice when doing so).
Ask at the LAF, and answer shall thy be given!


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