Super heroes system for solo play : rules and/or ideas welcome !

[sundayhero]

These days I'm tired of begging my relatives and friends to play minis with me (and if they do, it's not that fun as they don't know the games, and honestly don't give a s...  ). Game clubs are too far from my home. I miss my high school and college days where I was able to play regularly. But it was 15years ago.

In one word, these days I'm searching to play solitaire, but as real solo games, not as "patched" multiplayer games. You can play a rpg or wargame on your computer alone. I want the same experience on a tabletop. 


I recently bought Supersystem 3rd edition (SS3) wich is a really great game...in dual players mode. But I'd like to find a way to play solitaire the same way (surprises, impredictables events, sort of "IA" in a way). I know that 2 Hour wargames do game mechanics like that, but not for super heroes, as far as I know.

So I'm searching for a way to (in the best case) adapt SS3 to solo gaming. I downloaded the free chain reaction 3, wich perhaps is a start for some hybrid ruleset (= using SS mechanics for core rules, using CR3 for "ia" and events) ?


Any thougts, ideas, are very welcome. I need some rules to remove dust on these :

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=34305.0

 


thanks

[styx]

I feel your pain, between work, things around the house and at a certain age everyone has something going on making it hard to coordinate a game sometimes.

You and I had the same thoughts of using the mechanics of 2hourwargames, but I was looking at something a tad simpler. If you care to pool resources we could work out a packet for solo gaming for SS3 (we could even post it on the Yahoo group for further assistance).

The hardest part is working on a decent system to build villains or heroes to challenge your team, like 2HWG has charts, best I can figure is use the examples in the back at templates to plug into the charts and expand them.

The next element is the behavioral chart including deployment, actions in the game and such.

The third element to me is meshing some of the SS3 elements (namely the fluff related things) to tie into the game to add to the story. As you want both a game and a good story.

[obsidian3d]

Why not use the Mythic RPG game master emulator to run your games? You could control your hero (or villain) team, then ask Mythic questions about the actions the opposing characters do. I haven't tried it for this, but I have used the engine for actual role playing it it works great for throwing you twists.

For example let's say you're playing Green Lantern Corp and the game is controlling the Sinestro Corps. It's the game's turn. You think it's 'very likely' that Sinestro will act next, so you ask Mythic "will sinestro attack Hal Jordan?" The system answers "Yes", so you could resolve that ranged attack and then ask further questions or just have Sinestro finish his activation as you see fit. You could ask as many of as few questions as you like.

The think I like about about the Mythic engine is that is has a built-in way of throwing in twists. I'm not sure how well they'd work with tabletop, but it might be worth a try.

[sundayhero]

If you care to pool resources we could work out a packet for solo gaming for SS3 (we could even post it on the Yahoo group for further assistance).

Of course ! If I remember correctly, I have a SS3 yahoo group account, I just need to find my login again.

The hardest part is working on a decent system to build villains or heroes to challenge your team, like 2HWG has charts, best I can figure is use the examples in the back at templates to plug into the charts and expand them.

Build villains is not necessary a problem : in my idea, solitaire game means campaign gaming (wich is very well described in ss3 book).  So as solitaire "game master", you create the adventure, the plot, and the characters (heroes and villains). But perhaps I didn't understand your statement (I'm french) ? You mean "creating characters", right ?

The next element is the behavioral chart including deployment, actions in the game and such.

That's for me, the most difficult thing to handle with. Especially the way you will create suprises, twists, and events. How to simulate the enemy and comics events, without just being in a "engage the nearest opponent" thing.

The third element to me is meshing some of the SS3 elements (namely the fluff related things) to tie into the game to add to the story. As you want both a game and a good story.

That's the easy part also. Except if you want some kind of chart generating scenarios, events, and stuff. That would be a nice feature, especially on long term campaigns.


@obsidian : thanks for your entry, I'll make a search on this system. I don't know it !

[obsidian3d]

Mythic can DEFINITELY help you with the story and add twists to things. I've used it to play RPGs without a game master, and to actually write fiction. In both cases it worked surprisingly well! Not to mention that it's super cheap.

You can try it out, there's an online version of it here: http://www.evilgenius.org.nz/blackmagic.html
Without the background from the book however, it might be a little difficult to figure out.

[sundayhero]

Without the book it's simply impossible to see how it works 

I don't really get it...It's something saying yes or no to any question ? Why not just throw some dice instead, in that case ? I guess it's not as simple as just randomly generating yes or no answers...You probably enter stats or things like that ?

Sounds a bit complex ?

[styx]

Of course ! If I remember correctly, I have a SS3 yahoo group account, I just need to find my login again.



Build villains is not necessary a problem : in my idea, solitaire game means campaign gaming (wich is very well described in ss3 book).  So as solitaire "game master", you create the adventure, the plot, and the characters (heroes and villains). But perhaps I didn't understand your statement (I'm french) ? You mean "creating characters", right ?

Don't worry about language...well here is an example, you play a hero team, if you write up the bad guys, how impartial is it to your heroes? making a team to beat another team would be a bit predictable. Like the 2 Hour games they have the chart to roll on. So, you don't know what something is until you roll it.

Instead, you play a game, you random roll the super villains that you are fighting instead of a predictable team.

You could also in theory chart it to work by groups as well, so you setup the game and roll who you are up against.

An interesting thought is this, put chits or markers out on the table like 2 hour has for "encounters" so you don't know what villain you are about to encounter until you are in sight. Then you would shift from the basic chart to a specific chart for their actions. Sort of like a blinds man game...

For reactions, I would say go with a format of: Brick, Shooter, etc...then list actions they would do, perhaps in a 2d6 format to create enough of a wildcard of how they would act. Example like this:

2: Move towards nearest best cover.
3: Move towards nearest cover no matter what it is
4: Shoot at closest target
5: shoot at the highest point target
6: shoot at the last target that shot at him/her, random if nobody has shot at them
7: etc....

The above is rough format to give you an idea of how to make each type of format work for you.

[sundayhero]

Don't worry about language...well here is an example, you play a hero team, if you write up the bad guys, how impartial is it to your heroes? making a team to beat another team would be a bit predictable. Like the 2 Hour games they have the chart to roll on. So, you don't know what something is until you roll it.

Instead, you play a game, you random roll the super villains that you are fighting instead of a predictable team.

You could also in theory chart it to work by groups as well, so you setup the game and roll who you are up against.

An interesting thought is this, put chits or markers out on the table like 2 hour has for "encounters" so you don't know what villain you are about to encounter until you are in sight. Then you would shift from the basic chart to a specific chart for their actions. Sort of like a blinds man game...

That's some great ideas !  Don't forget also terrain generator. For scenario, it's easier since SS3 already has things like that.

For reactions, I would say go with a format of: Brick, Shooter, etc...then list actions they would do, perhaps in a 2d6 format to create enough of a wildcard of how they would act. Example like this:

2: Move towards nearest best cover.
3: Move towards nearest cover no matter what it is
4: Shoot at closest target
5: shoot at the highest point target
6: shoot at the last target that shot at him/her, random if nobody has shot at them
7: etc....

The above is rough format to give you an idea of how to make each type of format work for you.

I had the same thought, but it is more difficult to tell how it would work. I'm always afraid of the fact that the reaction will be only in one way : me reacting the opponent "AI" rolls. I think it's the most difficult thing to set up : How to simulate "clever" reactions of the "AI" ?

In your exemple imagine that the "AI" villain rolls a 1 cover. But what if your team doesn't have any shooting character (or anyone at range). Why should he go to cover ?  Or imagine that the IA villain has to shoot on solo player team : should he choose the weakest character to put it KO fast, or maybe he should try to shoot the stronger one to make him weaker...Or should he try to help his teammates (but that's can be easy to say that villains never helps anyone but themselves...  but in that case, solo mode will only work on the  "good side"...). Etc, etc... You see what I mean I think.

We have to think about some kind of "modificators" for that, and especially a way to simulate that. We also should integrate some modificators or special tables for each archetypes. Hulk will never react the same way than a Shield sniper, for example. At least in my opinion 

[sundayhero]

I have a idea. Imagine, for reaction roll, that we throw a d20 die. For example (weak exemple, but it's just to show the mechanic) :


Depanding of the situation, and the "bot" archetype, some modificators should appear. For example, imagine that case :

villain A (npc) is a  shooter. It's his turn. He can see :

1) Hero B (solo player) is on sight, not covered, and  and at 12" shooting range.
2)Hero C (solo player) is on sight, soft cover, 17" shooting range.

Modificators table for ranged combat archetypes :

NPC opponent is under cover : +1
NPC opponent is at more than 15" : +1
NPC opponent is at less than 15" : -1
NPC opponent is not covered : -1



Time to activate this NPC "villain A". Solo player throw ONE d20 for ALL opponent the NCP can fight. In that case, 2 oponents (heroB and heroC) can be attacked.  He obtain 12  :

result for heroB  :
NPC oponent "HeroB" is at close range, not covered : -1; -1

Final result for heroB : 10


result for heroC
NPC oponent "HeroC" is at medium range, undercover : +1; +1

Final result for heroC : 14


Smaller number wins. NPC attacks HeroB wich seems to be the clever reaction to have in that case.


Imagine that same system for all archetypes, and of course with finer modificators. Especially with the fact we have to deal with actions and held actions with SS3 (deal with that is another tuff job to do...).

By the way, it's also why I don't think CR3 rules can be easily adapted to SS3, because of that different mechanic. It's why I think that modified dice rolls perhaps are a better idea than using tables.

[obsidian3d]

That's where the Mythic engine can be useful. You ask it the a yes or no question about something you think could happen. Using your example: "Does he move in for close combat, or shoot at my character? You can guess how likely that action would be almost without thinking.

From there you ask the engine "Does Shooty-Bob fire his weapon at the nearest of my models?". If you roll a yes, that's what he does. If you roll no, maybe he moves, or shoots at something else.

[sundayhero]

But how it decides that ? It's not just a random "yes or no", am I right ? (I have to admit that I didn't search for further info for now, focusing my thoughts on SS3 and CR3 rulesets...wich seems definitly not compatible at all  )


thanks

[Hat Guy]

I have one of the D&D Boardgames and they are designed for solo play. There is a system of movement, revealing a new area, flipping a monster/encounter card and then having to react to it.

The Monster cards themselves have the monster's attacks, defense and a short guide to how they work:


Maybe a more complex version of this may work for your villains?

This page has links to people that can explain it better than me: http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/59946/dungeons-dragons-castle-ravenloft-board-game

[sundayhero]

Thanks,

I already have 2 of the 3 adventure system games (ravenloft and ashardalon). I painted entirely my ashardalon box figures, by the way...I can't remember if I posted result here (probably)  yes I found it :

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=41980.0

I even have a "almost 3d" dungeon to paint :

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=42009.0

 



This system is really clever and works really fine. But I'm not sure it would work in a opened action system like SS3...and without square tiles. The fact is also that in D&D, monsters are "mobs", not really "characters" like in SS3. In SS3 we are at 1vs1 kind of confrontation (more or less).

But...Wait a minute, maybe square tiles could be a way to explore concerning our solo project...No measuring, and everything...Square 

More seriously, dividing the table in square areas like in dust tactics, for example, maybe a way to create that kind of D&D behaviour...  I keep the idea.


Concerning actions, perhaps the NPC should use something more restrictive than the solo player. To be able to make some reactions with lighter mechanics. But It has to be balanced and competitive. D&D is a really good game for that, it's not too easy to be boring, but not too hard to become frustrating.

[styx]

There is a card company that makes grid/tile city boards that could in theory work.

[Conquistador]

In SS,  Henchmen = "mobs"

Gracias,

Glenn