"SBH Solo Engine" Topic

Has anyone come up with or modified a solo engine for games of SBH? If so can you share what you've done; thanks!

I've played it solo,no actual engine though. I just played it as impartially as I could,and it made for some enjoyable games.These rules lend themselves well to solo play,especially with the command/control. I did a write up for my solo games on here last summer.

Yeah, I've played this and several others impartially but was hoping someone might have created their own home brew solo rules for this game.

Have you seen the solo dungeon-crawling rules in Gold & Darkness?

Yes. And while those are fun, I can't help but want something….. IDK, different I suppose.

I played SoBH solo the other night, using counters instead of miniatures for the enemy until they were in line of sight, then flipping the counters to see if they were real enemy or just 'blips'. The blips all had the same Q value and movement until they were identified.

I guess it would be easy enough to set rules for the enemy warband – e.g. they will attempt x activations on 1 dice, x on two dice and x on three dice. They will always move towards the nearest enemy if possible. etc etc. You'd probably have to give them extra points to make up for their predictability.

The whole solo gaming thing…I just do not get it.

I understand the fun to a degree, I play computer games and at this time I play single console games (no MMO games). So I can see a art of the "entertain thy self".

But to seek out opportunities to game in the miniatures sense just catches me cold.

I have lived in the great North of Alaska, 80mi north of Nome, in a no man's land with a handful of other techs and had no desire to solo game.

Currently I have been without a proper gaming group for longer than most people here have been gaming, with some exceptions (OFM first gamed with a cro-magnon group :), so one would think the idea of solo gaming would be attractive to me…still not so much.

I kinda wished I was interested in solo gaming…but to each his own.

I've never really done it, but I'm going to try the Song of Gold & Darkness dungeon crawling rules. I made up my group of heroes and encounter cards, I've got a ton of WoTC dungeon tiles and a load of minis I only use once in a blue moon for D&D. So I might as well get some use out of them and see if it's a fun way to kill a night when the wife is out and the kid is in bed.

I've never really done it, but I'm going to try the Song of Gold & Darkness dungeon crawling rules. I made up my group of heroes and encounter cards, I've got a ton of WoTC dungeon tiles and a load of minis I only use once in a blue moon for D&D.

Same here. I'll let you know if I come up with other solo rules for this.

you need to find a way to add chaos and fog (lack of information) without making it totally random.

mabe throw a die at the beginning of each enemy turn and let the overally tactical behavioir inthat turn be gouverned by that. like 1-2: defensive, 3-4: in-between, 5-6: aggressive.

28mmMan wrote:

The whole solo gaming thing…I just do not get it.

A few years ago, I would have agreed with you. I really only started investigating solo gaming as a way to get some practice in. Only after delving into it a bit did I realize it has an elegance all its own. The same mechanics can be used for cooperative gaming as well, so just calling it "solo" is a bit misleading.

I understand the fun to a degree, I play computer games and at this time I play single console games (no MMO games). So I can see a art of the "entertain thy self".

The appeal to me is that I can play a truly unbalanced scenario or difficult situation without putting another player in the disadvantaged situation. Not that you can't do that with a willing opponent, but those aren't always available. I find it more of an "us versus THEM" experience as opposed to "just beating FRED" game.

But to seek out opportunities to game in the miniatures sense just catches me cold.

There are two variations of solo gaming (at least):

1. To play a game solo just for entertainment.
2. To get extra practice in for a game normally played against a live opponent.

I started out as case 2, but have shifted to 50:50.

I have lived in the great North of Alaska, 80mi north of Nome, in a no man's land with a handful of other techs and had no desire to solo game.

For me, it was a case of heavy business travel and only getting a few opportunities to game with my sons each month. Not wanting to get trounced, I started practicing a bit to get familiar with the game rules. Then, of course, it evolved. I only wish I'd figured out the cooperative aspect back when my kids were little. We would've had a blast working together.

Currently I have been without a proper gaming group for longer than most people here have been gaming, with some exceptions (OFM first gamed with a cro-magnon group :), so one would think the idea of solo gaming would be attractive to me…still not so much.

Ah… but have you TRIED it? :)

Seriously, it made no sense to me at all until I stumbled upon it by accident. I don't consider myself a "solo gamer" at all. I much prefer a live opponent. But if I'm stuck by myself with the alternative being bad TV, a hostile hotel bar or a quick game, I'll opt for the game.

Very unexpectedly, I also found myself really enjoying working out mechanics that work well for solo, which has led to endless tinkering with rules. I've taken to using a voice recorder to capture my thoughts on those 3-5 hour drives. Again, more fun for me than listening to a bad AM station.

I kinda wished I was interested in solo gaming…but to each his own.

Hey, solitaire is probably the most heavily used software out there! :) It's not for everybody, but I wouldn't rule it out depending on the options available.

- Bob

I just remembered there are some guys on the SBH Forums who are using this for solo games:

link

The Mythic Game Master Emulator. For six bucks I might have to check it out.

Ok, I read the preview and reviews, I'm buying it when I get home.

Cool, thanks for the link, Hexxen!

I definitely recommend the Mythic GME for solo gaming, but it doesn't provide game mechanics per se. It is great for background and "off table" decisions, but won't help so much with making quick and reasonable opponent moves.

- Bob

yes GME is great help in solo gaming , and the full version of mythic is even more helpfull ( for such a minor price difference) .
It can be used in solo wargaming as sieur d'armarillo desmonstrated since a few years back in various issues of a magasine ( saddly I can't remember the name right now ) .

Different players described theyr gaming use of mythic and GME with solo wargames ( many were using THW as basis but most of their use shall be easily applicable to other "solo-friendly" rules such as those from SBH ).

28mmMan wrote:
The whole solo gaming thing…I just do not get it.

As bob said , it has to be tried before arguing against it , and offer multiples gaming opportunities that coul'd be difficult or nearly impossible to achieve with gaming buddies ( mostly on the bloodily inequal forces and total fog of war side ) . Campaigning solo as a place on it's own aswell , nearer to single players computer games than any other .

Terrement, to clarify, I am A Bob on that list, but not THAT Bob. He of the fur-lined foxhole is very much into the Featherstone approach to solo game, including panoramic narratives. He makes extensive use of Mythic GME and has some great ideas.

My point about mechanics wasn't to imply that Mythic GME can't be used for game mechanics, but that it doesn't provide SOLO tactics for the non-player opponent. You can certainly use it, but I'd say it's far different than the solo mechanics used in Two Hour Wargames rules, for example.

That said, I've purchased just about everything related to Mythic that Tom Pigeon (the author) produces, including the full Mythic RPG AND the GME. I give them all a hearty recommendation.

- Bob

28mm man
Depends what you want out of a miniatures battle? Do you want socialization? Competition? Then solo play makes no sense.
Do you want a story? Had enough socialization today? A puzzle to solve? Solo play makes a lot of sense.
I am with people all day at work 10 hours a day helping them and at times making stressful decisions. (I am a military surgeon and command a unit of 200 people) 30 minutes by myself with no one really bleeding is great relaxation to me. I concentrate on a story that I don't know the ending too. It is a great hobby and it depends on what you are looking for in it. Fortunalty for us it is large enough to accomidate many facets. Solo play might not be for you but it is for me.

Joe Legan
platoonforward.blogspot.com