"solo starship game" Topic

Does anybody know of a good solo starship game, or a system for playing Full Thrust solo? I am also asking on Star Rangers Space Combat News site.

Silent Fury has a solo scenario: silent-fury.com

Solo Full Thrust, I would use card activation for each ship.

2 Hour Wargames has a starship combat game in the works, which will have solo rules – he's been talking about it on his blog, sounds fairly close to release.

Star Fleet Battles includes a number of solo scenarios, mostly involving space monsters of one type or another. Many of them could be adapted to Full Thrust – if nothing else they'll give some good ideas for how to create an automated opponent with its own unique mechanics.

On the boardgame end of things, Astra Titanus is designed for solo play (pretty much OGRE in space, thematically):

link

Struggle for the Galactic Empire is a purely solo large scale strategic game, although probably not quite what you're after since the focus isn't starships:

link

5150 Star Navy. Wing Leader is specifically geared to be played solo, but it is more for star fighter dog fight than for fleets of big star capital ships.
Please have a look at my blog: link

5150: The Hishen War – Fleet Action

Just started play testing last night but should be released by September.

I live in a rural part of the USA so I make my homebrew rules solo-friendly. Feel free to try my spaceship game: Greater Space Battles.

link

It may be a bit simplistic but I have a bunch of fun with it. The player runs both sides, but a lot of randomization keeps the surprises coming. The damage system is simple but abstract, so there's very little record keeping.

Also, possibly 5150 Fringe Space (Is that 3 different 5150 space games in the works, now? Exciting!)

link

My impression is that 5150 Star Navy/Wing Leader (same game?) is for star fighter dogfighting between squadrons (Star Wars style).

5150 The Hishen War is more like grand scale fleet games… Battle for the Second Death Star? (Haven't seen this game yet so that could be a terrible comparison).

5150 Fringe Space, as you can see, is more for the one or two ships Traveller or Firefly type set up.

I think its good that we have different rules for such different settings, though I can see it causing confusion when they all come out…

Ed,

Any more info on 5150 Hishen War???
Would like to read more about this as am interested in fleet-scale.

Thx,
Mark

With the fashion for shortening titles of rules sets……Please be very carefull when refering to Astra Titanus……..

Blacksmith…….terrific AAR.
are the ships specific to the game or from general manufacturers
I have 5150 and NewBeginings and now it looks like I will have to have these games as well……I hope you are getting commision from Ed….!

Just had another look at your blog
I think its great that you write everything in Alien as well as English
Great work……Keep it up mate…!!!!

Thanks for the kind words isaanmini. The ships are plastic ones from the Silent Death that you can buy at EM4. The game can use any type of ships.
I'm getting comision if the ruleset sees the light.
Alien? :)

The upside is THW may have as many as 3 space combat games, the downside is I have to be patient.

THW now has released "5150:Star Navy" which is fleet scale battles and they have released "5150:Fighter Command" which is fighter combat.
Both games can be played solo, same side, or against each other.

I have played Full Thrust solo, although I only used the Full Thrust Light rules. It worked out okay.

@pahoota Way to go on knowing how PDF booklet works! I've gone blue in the face trying to explain to other writers.

"If you aren't going to have a page count evenly divisible by four, at least include a blank page to allow padding as needed…' *sigh*

Now to check out the rules. ;->=

Doug

Edit: In the Materials Needed section you had me at: 'Spaceship miniatures (scratchbuilt ones shoot straighter)'

Thanks for checking it out Doug!

I haven't played any games with these rules since last spring (2012) due to work, but I've always had a great time with them.

The "vector readout disc" movement idea may be a bit wonky for some, but if you have a hex mat you can ignore them and instead just use the discs as on-table record sheets.

I posted alternate missile rules a while ago which improve upon the rules as written: link

Enjoy!

I think FT with card activation is a good idea.

Throw in some other card, or die roll tables to add a bit of interest too, e.g. various tactics, strategies, or victory conditions for "your opponent".

You can do the same for maneuvering, formations, etc. as well.

Instead of a straight up, roughly the same type of force for each side battle, mix it up a bit, and pit DD's or other light forces up against a balanced fleet, or a capital ship or two vs. a number of cruisers, etc., to add interest to your games.

The other one I really like is the planetary defense game, with light forces for the defenders, e.g. planetary defense guns and missiles/torpedoes, fighters, and missile boats, or other similar small craft.

Give the defenders a balanced force, or an assault force, but they need to protect the assault landing ships from the defenders.

To add in a bit more interest, perhaps there's a rescue fleet on the way, to aid the defenders. The question is, can they get there in time, before the planetary defenders have been forced to surrender, or are annihilated?