OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

[hepcat]

I just assume that if I'm playing a GMT game (or any dense game), it's going to have longer periods of downtime. It comes with the territory. There are extremes though where a game can last 8 or more hours that I think are too much. But 3 to 5 hours is the "right range" for a game like this, imho. The only reason we played for 5 hours and only finished a third of the game was about an hour for teaching/going over stuff, numerous technical difficulties with audio on steam for some of the players (myself included) and the resulting teasing and ribbing that came out of both of those situations.

[Ertic]

I just assume that if I'm playing a GMT game (or any dense game), it's going to have longer periods of downtime. It comes with the territory. There are extremes though where a game can last 8 or more hours that I think are too much. But 3 to 5 hours is the "right range" for a game like this

To be clear, I do not have issues with longer games. However I was under the impression that this game was a 'lighter / easier' version of zeds. I really enjoy zeds, however I do not believe that game ran as long as this one appears to be. I suppose that I associated the 'easier' with similar run times if not less.

[Isgrimnur]

I'm just not wanting to play Twilight Imperium on Plum Island. Also there is nothing worse than waiting 10 mins per player turn, meaning you get one turn every 30 minutes.

Just set up Talisman and Arkham Horror and you just rotate turns.

[hepcat]

It’s a bit easier to learn, but I wouldn’t call it Zeds light. It’s still got quite a few moving parts. Plus, the board is larger with quite a few more spaces to consider when staterigizing. So you have quite a few options as to what to do each turn.

[Smoove_B]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I was kinda under the impression it was like a mix of Zeds and In Magnificent Style. Though in reading his design notes he apparently also was inspired by Aeon's End, Eldritch and Arkham Horror, Clank, Descent, Tiny Epic Galaxies, plus a little Fallen Land.

[hepcat]

I…can see that. There’s little pieces of each of those games in Plum Island.

[Ertic]

I just need to motivate myself into opening the damned thing

[hepcat]

Since you got it for free as GMT shipped you MY copy, you damn well should!

[Ertic]

Oh man I sold that copy to buy Wyrmspan!

[hepcat]

[Smoove_B]

My plastic trays from Cube4Me just arrived from Poland, so I can start the next phase of Plum Island - the sorting and organizing.

Meanwhile, I've been messing around with some solo card games recently. I really recommend Kinfire Chronicles Delve - they have to be selling this at a loss ($20) because the components are quite good. Linen-coated cards with some of the character cards having a foil-embossed backing. Heat transfer dice. Thick cardboard tokens. It's really well done.

Above and beyond that, it's fun. It comes with two characters and you are simulating a dungeon crawl to fight a boss at the end. You play cards from your hands to deal with the challenges in the dungeon - not just fights. There's traps and puzzles and events that you need to negotiate your way through and it's not just a matter of playing cards from your hand to move things along. There's lots of strategy in terms of what to play and when to play it because when you run out of cards, that's the first time you get to redraw - and when that happens, you get a random exhaustion card which interacts with either your ability to play cards or changes in-game conditions. There's just enough randomness to keep it interesting and even with setup there are variables in how you pick the boss variant and where it appears. Allegedly two more sets are coming and the heroes are going to be all interchangeable. I don't have any connections to the board game it's based on and I found it quite enjoyable.

And speaking of card games I know the Ashes Reborn card game has great reviews but I think it's only recently (the last year?) that they released the first solo/coop pack for the game. Purchasing the base game ($50) plus the solo stuff ($30) seemed like a big gamble but I learned last week that Team Covenant sells a dedicated kit (which is just some dice from the core box you need + the solo/coop box) for $40, shipped free; it arrived today. Looking forward to cracking that open and giving it a whirl too.

[hepcat]

For those that own The City of Kings and are looking for more, the designer just released over a dozen scenarios, a new campaign and two extended scenarios that are designed to be more open ended. All free, only the base game is required. Get them here.

There's a new edition of this available now. City of Kings Refreshed. There is also an upgrade pack available for 15 bucks that includes the rule changes (apparently he's streamlined it quite a bit) and the new monster cards (gone are the banners...which seemed to be annoying to many). I just ordered the upgrade...and paid the 12 bucks for shipping.

[YellowKing]

There's a new edition of this available now. City of Kings Refreshed. There is also an upgrade pack available for 15 bucks that includes the rule changes (apparently he's streamlined it quite a bit) and the new monster cards (gone are the banners...which seemed to be annoying to many). I just ordered the upgrade...and paid the 12 bucks for shipping.

Whoa! I had no idea. Ordering now, thanks!

[hepcat]

And speaking of card games I know the Ashes Reborn card game has great reviews but I think it's only recently (the last year?) that they released the first solo/coop pack for the game. Purchasing the base game ($50) plus the solo stuff ($30) seemed like a big gamble but I learned last week that Team Covenant sells a dedicated kit (which is just some dice from the core box you need + the solo/coop box) for $40, shipped free; it arrived today. Looking forward to cracking that open and giving it a whirl too.

I missed this yesterday. The solo packs (I have two so far, which I think is all of them) are great for when you have no one to play with. They do a good job of simulating another player...at least, the strategy involved when playing another player. For me, that means using the full rules for play, which this allows you to do. There are no "special rules for solo play" on your behalf when playing. I'm always amazed when they can do that with a solo AI.

Now you just have to get obsessive like me and buy EVERY damn phoenixborn deck.

update: actually, looks like the third solo pack released today, feb. 2nd.

[Smoove_B]

Figured I should probably add something I'd enjoyed last month to this thread. I've been on a bit of a Western kick (no idea why) and finally forced myself last month to play Fistful of Lead Reloaded from Wiley Games. It's a skirmish game that uses characters with stats and abilities, dice and a card deck to resolve each round. For solo play there's an official free solo rule PDF but I think it's still in testing. It worked pretty good, though eventually I started using it more like behavior guidelines and not a strict chart to follow at all costs.



I didn't think it was going to work out at first, but it was actually rather close and I never knew exactly what the AI would do each round (which made it much more fun) or when they'd activate. I'd imagine it's also quite fun as a beer and pretzels style skirmish game - not too complicated but enough meat to make it interesting.

If you have western themed minis and terrain sitting around, it's quick to set up and play. They recommend a 3'x3' area but I only had a 2'x2' area to work with, so I just modified things a bit (no rifles, aka long range weapons) and tons of cover.

[hentzau]

Figured I should probably add something I'd enjoyed last month to this thread. I've been on a bit of a Western kick (no idea why) and finally forced myself last month to play Fistful of Lead Reloaded from Wiley Games. It's a skirmish game that uses characters with stats and abilities, dice and a card deck to resolve each round. For solo play there's an official free solo rule PDF but I think it's still in testing. It worked pretty good, though eventually I started using it more like behavior guidelines and not a strict chart to follow at all costs.



I didn't think it was going to work out at first, but it was actually rather close and I never knew exactly what the AI would do each round (which made it much more fun) or when they'd activate. I'd imagine it's also quite fun as a beer and pretzels style skirmish game - not too complicated but enough meat to make it interesting.

If you have western themed minis and terrain sitting around, it's quick to set up and play. They recommend a 3'x3' area but I only had a 2'x2' area to work with, so I just modified things a bit (no rifles, aka long range weapons) and tons of cover.

Smoove, have you tried Gunfighter's Ball? That's been my go-to for western games for years. Matter of fact, I just spent the weekend at Adepticon running demos of GB for the creator (I've been doing demos for him for years now. Fell in love with the game and been running demos for him at midwest conventions for about the past 7 years). If you want to give it a try, they have a free sent of rules to download from their site.

Gunfighter's Ball Downloads

Plus he has the best western minis out there.

Edit: Oops. Just noticed this was in the solo group. There aren't solo rules out there for GB. Ignore me.

[Smoove_B]

I knew about the minis but I guess I didn't realize they were connected to an actual game...which in retrospect seems foolish.

Even if there aren't solo rules, is it something that can be played solo? I'll take a look regardless - thanks.

[hentzau]

I knew about the minis but I guess I didn't realize they were connected to an actual game...which in retrospect seems foolish.

Even if there aren't solo rules, is it something that can be played solo? I'll take a look regardless - thanks.

Sure. There's no AI, so you would just be taking turns trying to blow yourself up. I don't think Forrest is working on solo rules, at least he didn't mention anything about them.

Also, this is not a great game for campaign play. It's fast and deadly. It's wonderful for convention games. Easily can play 6-8 players to a side.

[Smoove_B]

That sounds perfect (no campaign) - that's why I liked Fistful of Lead. There's scenarios to help with setup, but you can just play one-off game night style maps and see what happens. As long as there's no hidden information, I'm pretty comfortable playing both sides, but it's also possible there are other systems that exist that would help me add variety - I'll definitely look into it.

[hentzau]

That sounds perfect (no campaign) - that's why I liked Fistful of Lead. There's scenarios to help with setup, but you can just play one-off game night style maps and see what happens. As long as there's no hidden information, I'm pretty comfortable playing both sides, but it's also possible there are other systems that exist that would help me add variety - I'll definitely look into it.

Yep, no hidden information. Grab the Greenhorn and see what happens.

[hepcat]

Fallout Wasteland Warfare has a great AI that just works. It doesn't force a rigid workflow on its NPCs, it just gives you enough info to make an informed decision on what the mini would actually do if a human opponent were playing them. I wonder if that could be adapted to other games?

[Smoove_B]

I'm not familiar with the AI for Wasteland Warefare, though I do think I have a copy I can look at. I think anything that provides (1) basic instructions but also has an (2) element of randomness works for solo skirmish games. I can just play to the best of my ability for both sides, but I don't enjoy that as much as trying to respond to what the AI is doing - even if it's just slightly random. That's one thing I did like about the Fistful of Lead system there was just enough "wiggle" that I couldn't entirely predict what would happen each turn but a strong overall structure that didn't require me to spend much time figuring out what to do.

I did look at the Gunfighter's Ball stuff last night and there's some overlap with the Fistful of Lead system, which I suppose is to be expected. However, it does look different enough - the poker chit element in particular - that I think I can try it. I can also see just from reading the basic rules that this would be a blast as a casual game night experience. At least for the basic game, it looks like it could be a bit quicker than Fistful of Lead. There seems to be more mechanics/rules for overall game play, but the character elements are much more streamlined.

Officially added to the list!

[Smoove_B]

Here's another one I was enjoying last month - The Doomed from Osprey.

Hunger, Hatred, Domination, Oblivion, and Ruin. The world is dying, poised on the brink of falling to one of these great dooms. Factions pursue their own interests, as likely to be the heralds of the world's destruction as they are its saviours. Horrors – monstrous abominations that defy logic, science, and nature – roam the land. Bands of hunters follow bold leaders, seeking out and destroying Horrors, gaining fame as word of their deeds spreads amongst the desperate survivors. Rival bands compete for prestige, clash over ideology, and pose as much of a threat to each other as the Horrors they hunt.

Another minis agnostic game - here I grabbed a bunch of stuff from Cthulhu Death May Die and Core Space - plus a bunch of the terrain I then used to set up Fistful of Lead. The art in the book is much more thematic. I'm not really sure how to describe it - like a mix between Warhammer and Mork Borg (if you're familiar with that aesthetic). There's people wearing plate armor and fighting with blasters or guys in leather armor wearing backpacks with tubes and cables, wielding cattle prods. I'm not into kit-bashing, but I really think that's what they're trying to evoke.

What was interesting (and what I was a bit nervous about at first) is that even though it's a miniatures skirmish game, there are no measurements - you're not using a ruler to plot out how far you or the enemy can move. The game is fully capable of being played solo, but you can also play it in semi or fully cooperative mode. It uses a simple action system where you get 3 each round and the first one automatically succeeds. Subsequent actions (moving, firing, etc...) require a die roll and you need to exceed your unit rating in order to have that action happen. So going back to the not measuring for movement, if your first action is to move closer to the enemy for an attack, that automatically succeeds. But then your second action is an attack and you now need to roll a die. And then you want to retreat to cover? That's another check you need to make. It changes the "flow" of the game in a way I wasn't anticipating. There's other elements - like character skills or class benefits that increase or decrease your chances of success, but the point is that other than your first action, nothing is guaranteed.

There is a campaign, but you can also just set up a scenario and play one shots. Another one I'd definitely recommend; very low overhead and quick to setup.

[hentzau]

I'm not familiar with the AI for Wasteland Warefare, though I do think I have a copy I can look at. I think anything that provides (1) basic instructions but also has an (2) element of randomness works for solo skirmish games. I can just play to the best of my ability for both sides, but I don't enjoy that as much as trying to respond to what the AI is doing - even if it's just slightly random. That's one thing I did like about the Fistful of Lead system there was just enough "wiggle" that I couldn't entirely predict what would happen each turn but a strong overall structure that didn't require me to spend much time figuring out what to do.

I did look at the Gunfighter's Ball stuff last night and there's some overlap with the Fistful of Lead system, which I suppose is to be expected. However, it does look different enough - the poker chit element in particular - that I think I can try it. I can also see just from reading the basic rules that this would be a blast as a casual game night experience. At least for the basic game, it looks like it could be a bit quicker than Fistful of Lead. There seems to be more mechanics/rules for overall game play, but the character elements are much more streamlined.

Officially added to the list!

On the Gunfighter's Ball FB page, some folks have taken a bash at coming up with some AI rules for GFB (they call it "Playing Mr. Babbage.) I've taken a look through them, and they seem a little too random for me to use.

[YellowKing]

I got some time in with Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs so here are my thoughts:

Overall, the game does a remarkably good job of emulating the GH experience in a form factor so small you could literally play it on an airplane tray. All the basics of GH are here, if somewhat modified and tweaked for the smaller scale.

The double-sided four card deck mechanic I'm really enjoying. It makes for some interesting decision points that you don't necessarily get in regular GH. And since you auto-level fairly quickly, you're upgrading cards often enough that the small number of actions doesn't get stale.
 
The biggest change is the replacing of the attack modifier deck with an attack modifier table, whose outcome is determined by a die roll. I have mixed feelings on it. It works fine in practice, but you have to constantly remember to move your counter after every attack which I haven't yet mastered. I'm also torn on always knowing the three possible outcomes of any attack. On one hand it adds a new layer of puzzle to the combat, but on the other hand it also rips away a lot of the surprise.

I do like that certain scenarios are only available to certain classes, which gives you some incentive to play through the campaign with each class. And as with normal GH, the classes tend to play so differently that even running through the same scenarios offers a unique experience.

The components are a mixed bag. On the plus side you got miniature minis which are kind of cool, and the double-layered inset monster and player boards are fantastic. On the negative side, the cards feel really cheap and mine are already warping. And while the HP dials are sturdily constructed, they're also really hard to spin and a constant pain. They also printed the blue and green dials so dark they're nearly indistinguishable from each other.

Several scenarios in, I'm giving this one a 7 out of 10. It's good fun if you're a GH fan, and as a soloable travel dungeon crawler I think it's a neat little package. Overall I was a bit disappointed in the component quality, however, and I'm not yet convinced of the replayability even with the somewhat branching campaign.