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

[sundayhero]

For my own needs, I'm just thinking of making city tiles (like the ones we see on some battle reports of ATZ, Pulp City or SS3, for example), each one representing the "active zone" or something like that.

I'm also thinking about going into 15mm : since I plan to go on ATZ next month, it will be easier to keep the same scale for ATZ and SS3, especially for solitaire gaming (this way, no need to go in the big gameroom and "block" the pool table, I can install a 1 meter square portable board directly in my bedroom, for example). And scenery will be compatible with both games (and any future modern city games). Since in solitaire, you have to paint the "2 sides" and also create all the scenery, 15mm should be the way to save time and money.

By the way, I created a topic in superfig yahoo group. So in the future I'll brainstorm on each side and share infos between the 2 plateforms.


@Glenn : I think I see what you mean. Perhaps we could do (to make things faster and simplier) 2 levels of "AI". One simple for mobs/henchmen, civilians, etc... and one for real Villains. It would simplify the solo game mechanics, and also put some personality in "real" villains (or heroes, if we choose to make a campaign on the dark side).

[Conquistador]

<snip>It would simplify the solo game mechanics, and also put some personality in "real" villains (or heroes, if we choose to make a campaign on the dark side).

Just to keep things grey (gray) remember there are "mercenary" supers who swing both ways for the right cause/price.  But that would probably come after you work out any kinks in the Black (Villain) and White (Hero) mechanics.

I admit I find this idea tempting as I head towards retirement downsizing.  

But converting 200 plus figures to 15 mm when nothing else is in that scale daunts me.  I have way too many 25+ mm from "day one" and am starting to trade off 6 mm for 3 mm so that (15 mm) would require yet more terrain...  Yikes!

Gracias,

Glenn

[sundayhero]

Personnaly, everything still need to be build (scenery, boards). I painted around 10 super heros and villains (see my topic somewhere here), and started to build masters for 28mm city builds. So I guess I'm not that much involved for now in 28mm to be in the same situation you are.

If I had all buildings and a lot of figures already painted, I'll stay in 28mm too !

[Conquistador]

Part of the retitement planning is moving my Supers to an 1840 Northern Mexico (New Mexico in USA terms) setting.  I have the buildings already for a community and terrain is WIP plus all my Historical figures are from that area (Pre-Pueblo Revolt to pre-MAW.)  

My 19th Century stuff is Spanish VSF (Venus) so I justify the (same) buildings because...

I am the GM and it's VSF.        

That does mean I am selling off all my modern/SF police/civilians plus any Super armed with firearms I cannot easily convert (or explain PSBS terms.)  

Keep us informed on your Solo Supers experiences, please.

Gracias,

Glenn

[sundayhero]

I'll be glad to see you VSF super heroes (kind of league of extraordinary gentlemen ? ) adventures !

Personnaly, my project is still alive. Not much brainstorming online (here and on yahoo group), but I'm still documenting myself about solitaire mechanics around (mostly on historic homebrew rulesets). These days I'm thinking about something I readed about AI "states" : neutral, defensive, agressive, and a way to spend actions depanding these states and situation.

These seems to be simple and book keeping free systems, a way more simple (and more in the keep it simple style of SS3) than my recent lucubrations.  I have to keep it mind that playing solitaire is quite demanding : you move all the figures, resolve all the actions, etc, etc...So I believe keeping a simple system (even if a bit less realistic) will be better. The key (in my opinion) is to keep that "comics storytelling" aspect, with big surprises, turnovers and incredible events. It will be more eficient (again, in my opinion) for that kind of games than something really "simulationist".


We'll see, I'll keep you informed here.

[sundayhero]

Following that new idea, I found a few dice for my project :

3 side red ("agressive")
2 side blue ("defensive")
1 side white ("neutral").





I should be able to find a way to use them...I'm also trying to not be too much influenced by homebrew other systems available : I readed that some solo rules are using dices and agressive/neutral/defensive behaviours, but it's about everything. Ido that to try to find also my own ideas. 


I'll keep you informed !

[Conquistador]

Please do!  The "dice thing" sounds interesting.

Gracias,

Glenn

[carlosyc]

Well. Why don´t you begin with simples scenarios?

Example1: Two Centinels (or two giant robots, or two giant monsters) attack the city
Your super-team have to stop them

Centinels have basic programation:
-Capture de Mayor (or Destroy the Hospital,...)
-Defend theirselves and neutralize the menace
-Kill the civilians that cross in their way

You have to save the civilians, save the major and destroy the robots. There are victory points for each objetive

Centinels move automatically to their primary objetive (the mayor) shooting or grabbing any civilian they see (they move with the scatter diagram and some restrictions). If you attack them, they turn in combat mode:
- If you shoot they have a reaction:
                                                 1 Throw objet: they pick up a car, debris or civilian and throw to you
                                                 2 Entangle: they shoot Ice, Net or something similar to incapacite
                                                 3 Repulsor: they shoot with Ranged Attack with No Knockback mod
                                                 4 Charge (if you are at X" they roll again, cause they not charge mor than X")
                                                 5-6 Ranged Attack: they shoot laser o missile
- If you attack in close combat:
                                            1 Grab and throw you: they try to grab you
                                            2 Entangle or Grab
                                            3 Repulsor
                                            4-5-6 Close Combat: with different Maneuvers
Every dice result have a preferent post-reaction: 1, 2 or 3 means that they don´t give you too much relevance, they only try move you away. When they move you away they back to their primay objetive. But if they roll 4, 5 or 6 they see you like big menace and it´s probably that they tray to attack you again in the next turn.

It´s only a brain storm but...you know: It´s easy make solo rules with robots or dumb monsters. When you have success on this you can aument the complexity

[sundayhero]

Hi,

I completly missed this answer 

That's some clever points you bring here. I believe it's probably possible to find a storyline for a campaign with this kind of "dumb monsters". Robots, controlled citizens, hive spirit, etc...

Thank you !

[sundayhero]

Hi,

Just to inform you that because my 28mm zombies project (ATZ), I will build a city soon (I already painted the board) and make another solo try for SS3.

I think I found a possible solution, instead of reinventing the wheel, why not use some bits of free chain reaction 3 into supersystem. It should be pssible without much work (just taking the tests and tables, in one word, algorythms needed for solo play.

People are using generic TJW rules for a lot of things, from historical to aliens, etc...So why not usin it with supersystem. The star/grunts concept should work pretty well out of box, I hope.


I'll keep you informed.