Mac, I didn`t understand it at first because I was pretty new to Wargaming. When I started campaigning, I went back and read it again. It made a big difference for me to play solo. I played with a homemade campaign (Black Powder Era) that used the RISK game as “the world”, 4 randomly set up “forces” and started with SCMR each. It`s been a crazy race and I keep playing with it to change some parameters. Combat Air Patrol – Kevin White`s rules for air and air combat in the Pacific during World War II. Added April 2020. Kamikaze Attack — Mike Crane provides rules and paper counters for a World War II air/naval game. December 2019 added. I played DBA a long time ago and enjoyed these games even though they were usually with a real live opponent, but in recent years I`ve switched to the old rules of Sword & Spear, their order dice system makes them a great game, full of excitement and excitement, and works well solo split-braining.
In the 80s, there were plenty of war games designed for single-player wars, from dice festivals like B-17 Queen of the Skies to Ambush`s finely programmed enemies. I was one of the SF/F solos in Ares magazine, which strongly influenced my own Last Frontier design for Solo. Blitzkrieg – Kevin White offers a simple set of rules for World War II weaponry and infantry combat. April 2019 added. Solo Dungeon Bash — Paul Le Long describes his rules in solo for a fantasy dungeon quest. January 2020. Introduction to the Battle of Britain — Mike Crane provides the rules for a hexagon-based air war game. July 2019 added. The unpredictable is the hardest part of single-player wargaming, if you do it right, then it makes the game so much better, dare I say, to play closer to a real opponent!! But splitting the brain in half was/is very easy for me and is probably the easiest way to play solo. `Battle on the Russian front` – Mike Crane explains his rules of the game on the Russian front.
Added November 2018. Great article! I posted it on my own attribution games blog because I mostly play single-player games from Two Hour Wargames – which also work well in co-op, which is one of my favorite ways to play. For someone who played 1500+ hours of Elder Scrolls: Skyrim alone, I still found the idea of single-player wargaming “a bit strange”. Unfortunately, I didn`t get very far, mainly because I was distracted by other things. I still play regularly online with friends via VASSAL, which I am grateful for. Maybe when things have calmed down – ha! – I can go back to my search for some games I can play alone. No single player article about Wargaming is complete without mentioning Rangers of Shadow Deep. It is one of the elite games of the genre, written by the creator of the legendary Frostrgrave. Well, for me there are a lot of reasons, but I think the most important and important reason is playtesting, when I write rules, I have to check them quickly and for me, the only way to do that is solo play. Hi Jon, I love browsing your website and found your feedback on single-player games useful. I`ve now gone solo for some of the reasons you mentioned, but maybe also, maybe primarily, because I found the competitive aspect of ftf rather worn.
I had pleasant, interesting, and knowledgeable opponents, but the desire to “win” arose both in the selection of the army (sifting through army lists to find the most effective types of troops) and in the “game” of rules. Cheers,Kevin Troubleshooting games alone means smoother and more enjoyable gameplay the next time you meet someone. But it`s not just about fixing bugs, you can optimize it as well. After a few solo games with your new medieval village terrain, you may find a perfect layout to kick off your next campaign. So set up single-player games to answer the questions “Does it work?” and “How can it be even better?” Games like Bolt Action, Chain of Command, I Ain`t Been Shot Mum, Sword & Spear and my games Stars & Lasers, Blood Sweat & Iron and The Last Drifters all use a system to activate units randomly or semi-randomly and facilitate solo play. I agree that it`s great to play against a real opponent, but I still love solo games. 1) “Split-braining” (great expression!). I don`t have the patience for the “other side” to look at all their tables, plan their next moves while my fingers crossed. I want to stay in the action ALL the time and see the battle on both sides. All it takes is focus and imagination. If you don`t have them, then you`d better join a club, solo play is not for you.
2) Randomization – When I was a kid, I played with soldiers and always knew who was going to win. MY side. But as an adult, I love the intellectual aspect of confronting and dealing with the unpredictable, no matter which side I`m playing on at the time. Many of my most entertaining games and campaigns came to conclusions I couldn`t predict, and I was surprised and delighted with the outcome. How did this small country with a small army defeat the great evil aggressor? Randomization comes in many forms, both simple and complex, and can occur in many places in a game/campaign. Sometimes I change and experiment to find the right combination. But the main thing I`ve learned is that the SIMPLEST is the best and actually the most effective. For example, I play DBA rules for seniors.
I couldn`t find anything like the simple elegance of the PIP system. This makes every game exciting. And for campaigns, using SCMR (William Sylvester`s Solo Mobilization Campaign Rules) takes away that feeling of “omniscient God” and keeps me constantly on my toes. Randomization – the best tool of a solo player. Classis, old naval rules – George Arnold provides his rules for old naval battles. February 2020 added. Mark Herman`s “Peloponnesian War” is designed to be played solo, but with an interesting twist. At the end of each round, the better you are, the more likely you are to be forced to switch sides and play as a loser. If you`re already the losing side, stick to it until you start winning. The game also has a movement limit, so you can`t afford to keep switching sides. To earn enough points to win, you need a quick and clean victory without doing so well that you are forced to switch sides. And it`s not easy.
I find that random events can help a lot when you`re playing war games alone, it can be simple things like a tank or infantry squad or even a spaceship that suddenly realizes they have little ammunition and need to reduce their rate of fire, or a unit leader is a bit indecisive so that his unit can`t do anything for the next turn, while deciding what to do next! Or a squad has found a secret supply of wine in the cellar so that their spirits will lift for the rest of the fight, but there is nothing they can do for the next round as they are busy drinking a little! Hi Jon, very interesting to read this and know that I`m not a barmy because I want to play solo myself:) I`ve been compiling solo rules for Bolt Action for about 18 months and I get to have a little fun with it.