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chglcu posted:Limitations on what can be done, such as PbtA move lists But PbtA doesn't really have this, unless you mean they confine the scope of what can happen when you perform one of the moves. When you play a PbtA game and describe something that doesn't fit a move trigger, the game doesn't care about it, and you are effectively beginning a freeform roleplay (or, solo, I guess a free writing exercise) as you go down that rabbit hole. For instance, when your MASKS character (as an example) watches television for an evening, that just happens, there are no rolls or stat manipulations or guided outcomes besides what your storytelling instincts suggest. When you play a PbtA game, though, though, you are sitting down to do things the game cares about, so finding a way to bring it back to the game's focus eventually, making up some new custom moves (most PbtA games recommend this), or finding a new game to cover the new scenario are all things you could end up doing within the scope of play.
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Feb 13, 2022 23:00
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chglcu posted:(snip) Oh my, this is an unenviable position to be in. When choosing to solo roleplay you're effectively choosing to apply a bit of structure to a creative writing exercise, so the actual mechanical benefits of choosing a system is really more a matter of personal flavor. "What do I find personally engaging on a crunch level?" The thing Ironsworn does is adjudicate target numbers for your move rolls to a randomized difficulty and give a discrete structure to your character's progress. Everything else is player-driven narrative-forward design, which is largely system agnostic and could be backported to other games without a lot of difficulty. (It is also obviously descended from pbta in terms of broader design) This accommodates the creative writing element while also offloading certain key decisions away from the player, if you want to make the narrative feel more organic as you write it. Now if you hate "metagaming" (I generally consider the elements you describe as being a form of player resource management within a game rather than an external means of influence, and this I assume must be a cultural difference of perspective) then any system not built with assumptions for solo roleplaying are, effectively, going to be metagamed by you in the process of playing out of sheer necessity since they don't offload those key decisions to an impartial source. You will always be metagaming your solo roleplay because you have to determine the challenges and consequences you face, but you will be doing so even more if you're not using a system to prompt you out of your subconscious safety. The thing you have to ask yourself isn't just "what system supports the content I want?" You will be your own GM and you can do what you like wrt content no matter what the game says. Really, it's more a matter of "what am I hoping to get out of this game?" From your fairly strict criteria, it does sound like you want a solo roleplaying experience that is hard mechanics-forward and crunchy, like a litRPG that you write as you experience it. If no system exists that allows you to have that experience rules as written, the onus is upon you to modify or create one that suits your purposes. Runa fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Feb 13, 2022 |
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Feb 13, 2022 23:14
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Most PbtA games also have a catch all move for doing something risky which works well for any situation where the outcome isn’t guaranteed as well. The underlying mechanic of “miss/weak/strong” for dice rolls is extremely powerful and opens up a world of mechanical and narrative possibilities. Same with the FFG Star Wars/Genesis dice or any other non-binary resolution mechanic, but PbtA is the most approachable and easily adapted in my opinion.
Bottom Liner fucked around with this message at 23:18 on Feb 13, 2022 |
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Feb 13, 2022 23:15
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Really, the matter of what system to use in solo roleplaying isn't a question of how to do it, it's a matter of how much GM burden are you willing to take on to get the experience you want. Solo RPGs are a very small, niche space and are rules-light as a matter of course. As a solo RPG is functionally a creative writing aid, they are designed with that principle in mind. Converting a crunchier conventional ttrpg to solo play will necessarily demand more work to accomplish similar end results. If the work isn't being put in by the author of an oracle you're using, then you yourself will have to provide.
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Feb 14, 2022 01:39
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You can always use something like Ironsworn for narrative and out of combat stuff then switch to your favorite crunchy combat system when needed. Works just fine as long as you keep the various stats in relative parity.
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Feb 14, 2022 02:37
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Bottom Liner posted:You can always use something like Ironsworn for narrative and out of combat stuff then switch to your favorite crunchy combat system when needed. Works just fine as long as you keep the various stats in relative parity. I'm not gonna lie this thought exercise is getting me pretty excited to do just that
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Feb 14, 2022 03:08
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chglcu posted:So, just from a quick read about Four Against Darkness, it seems like very much not my thing. I strongly dislike level and class-based games. I’m honestly having a hard time explaining exactly why both GURPS and Ironsworn aren’t quite what I’m looking for. Lemme see if I can work out what I’m actually looking for... Well it sounds to me like you want a mid-crunch skill-based generic system. Try Mini-Six (or one of the several other OpenD6 systems) or Everywhen or Freeform Universal 2e (there's a beta out there) or some other generic system coupled with a generic GM emulator like Mythic, CRGE, MUNE, Motif, etc.
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Feb 14, 2022 19:41
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Ironsworn Delve expansion is on sale today and every purchase adds a free community copy. It's a good supplement that rounds out the system well IMO. https://shawn-tomkin.itch.io/ironsworn-delve
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Feb 18, 2022 23:02
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Delve was also in the Racial Equality bundle from a while back, if you got that. Starforged meanwhile is undergoing final editing and was declared “art complete “ so it is on track for release.
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Feb 18, 2022 23:10
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Galaga Galaxian posted:Delve was also in the Racial Equality bundle from a while back, if you got that. Oh poo poo
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Feb 18, 2022 23:20
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Starforged Digital Edition is officially released as of today. The change log is pretty robustquote:Everywhere Bottom Liner fucked around with this message at 21:16 on Feb 19, 2022 |
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Feb 19, 2022 21:13
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Unfortunately it will still be a little while until people who didn't (late) back can purchase it. Shawn is focusing on making sure production gets underway right now.
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Feb 19, 2022 21:17
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Galaga Galaxian posted:Unfortunately it will still be a little while until people who didn't (late) back can purchase it. Shawn is focusing on making sure production gets underway right now. Aw heck lol
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Feb 19, 2022 22:41
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I'm new to solo gaming and I'm having a blast with 5 Parsecs. It's so much more engaging than I thought a solo RPG could be. Using Tableplop for the battlemat and using the grid-based rules has been working out really well. My friend and I are going to try a coop campaign later this week, so I'm looking forward to trying that out. I backed Starforged late, so we might try that one out next.
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Feb 21, 2022 04:47
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Here's another new inexpensive solo journaling RPG: Colostle: The Roomlands quote:The Colostle, an impossibly massive castle, the interior of which is so large that mountains, valleys, towns, cities and even oceans fill its rooms, with the ceilings and roof so high they are beyond sight, shrouded by the misty expanse of the sky, that sits within it’s vaulted heights. Played with a deck of playing cards that you cross reference against tables in the book for writing prompts, and also for combat numbers. This is an expansion to the original Colostle, which I never played, but you can get the original core book and this expansion together in PDF for $14.
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Feb 21, 2022 20:05
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Hi everyone I have been very interested in doing some solo RPGing and I'm also a DM so I kind of consider it prep work for D&D night. Anyway I made a big book of random tables because I found the tables available to me to be inadequate. I'm sure some of you could make use of them too, I formatted them to be as efficient as possible for printing (I like to put them all into a binder, so I can take out the sheets I need): https://www.mediafire.com/file/3zypyaoezv5mrxe/Rutibex_Solo_RPG_Tables.pdf/file
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Mar 2, 2022 23:24
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Shawn Tomkin posted:--- Since at least one person commented in here about getting Starforged I figured I’d copy this from the Discord.
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Mar 3, 2022 00:27
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Oh drat, just a couple weeks to go huh
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Mar 3, 2022 02:04
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There's a TTRPG bundle supporting trans organizations in Texas that includes a few solo games https://itch.io/b/1308/ttrpgs-for-trans-rights-in-texas From just a cursory glance there's Princess with a Cursed Sword and World Builder. No idea on quality, and I'm sure there's others.
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Mar 3, 2022 22:16
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Princess with a Cursed Sword is pretty good, though in general I'm a fan of the author's works. It's closer to a storytelling exercise, but there's still dice rolls (coin flips) and I used some wooden disks to make my own coins to go along with the tarot deck I used to play it.
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Mar 4, 2022 03:54
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Thinking about attempting the whole solo game deal, and I didn't any lists of oracle systems in the opening post with a quick check. Are there any suggested ones that I could wrap around another system that does tactical combat that I may already have? Relatedly, are there any good algorithmic AI sets for solo tactical gaming? I know of Five Parsecs, and I've seen FlexAI in passing, but is there anything people can vouch for?
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Mar 9, 2022 04:33
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There's a similar bundle for  in the GBS Ukraine threadpotatocubed posted:I'm about 800 posts behind on this thread so this might already have been posted, but:
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Mar 9, 2022 05:20
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https://www.modiphius.net/products/solo-game-masters-guide Modiphius are publishing a book by Geek Gamers. Her youtube channel is pretty good. Still waiting for Five Leagues though!
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Mar 9, 2022 08:36
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90s Cringe Rock posted:https://www.modiphius.net/products/solo-game-masters-guide Oh hey, I watch her content pretty often. Good for her.
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Mar 9, 2022 09:04
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90s Cringe Rock posted:https://www.modiphius.net/products/solo-game-masters-guide Only 70 pages of random tables? I expected more from her. I love her solo games youtube. It put me in the correct direction to find all the best solo oracles and tables.
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Mar 9, 2022 09:11
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Tasoth posted:Thinking about attempting the whole solo game deal, and I didn't any lists of oracle systems in the opening post with a quick check. Are there any suggested ones that I could wrap around another system that does tactical combat that I may already have? Relatedly, are there any good algorithmic AI sets for solo tactical gaming? I know of Five Parsecs, and I've seen FlexAI in passing, but is there anything people can vouch for? Mythic GME is what I use when I want to solo games using the games native system. I also layer on the Scarlet Heroes HD and Defy Death mechanics if it's a D&D adjacent game
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Mar 9, 2022 13:05
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StarkRavingMad posted:Delve/Rise/Umbra: Three separate games by the same author, available separately or in a bundle. They use basically the same mechanics, drawing cards from a regular deck of cards and drawing a map on a grid, and are essentially solo RPG Dwarf Fortress (Delve), Dungeon Keeper (Rise), and Rimworld (Umbra). Maybe more mechanics/board gamey than RPG but can tell some interesting stories. Delve (and 997 other things) is in the itch.io Bundle for Ukraine. Firstly, that is a good cause and it is so worth checking out if you haven't already.This was the first game I was drawn to out of the lot. Something about the cover captivated me. I read the rules. I got out my mapping paper and a pen. I fired up random.org since I couldn't find a deck of cards. Opt to explore one level down, draw a King of Clubs. That spawns a monster that overwhelmed my starting forces. My game of Delve was over in fewer than 30 seconds. I am familiar with Dwarf Fortress and its version of "fun". I am on board with that. I'm not on board with game design that results in a loss before the first turn is even over.
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Mar 16, 2022 15:55
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Antifreeze Head posted:Delve (and 997 other things) is in the itch.io Bundle for Ukraine. Firstly, that is a good cause and it is So keep playing your character in hell. Why would dying end the adventure
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Mar 16, 2022 16:08
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Rutibex posted:So keep playing your character in hell. Why would dying end the adventure Because there thousands other ways I can spend my time, I'm not going to bother kludging in a haphazard fix to polish up a turd.
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Mar 16, 2022 16:45
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I think Rise and Umbra have a rule to basically give you a chance to build up, or maybe it was a tweak in errata or on patreon. It's something they need, unfortunately.
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Mar 16, 2022 16:47
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90s Cringe Rock posted:I think Rise and Umbra have a rule to basically give you a chance to build up, or maybe it was a tweak in errata or on patreon. It's something they need, unfortunately. Delve does have that rule: If you are exploring in depth 1 and draw a ♠, ignore that card and draw again; this will allow you some time to build up your hold, recruit Units, and prepare your defences. Otherwise, you will encounter a remnant. Check the table on page 21 to find out what you’ve stumbled upon, and then draw it on your map in the space you chose to explore. The problem is that Antifreeze drew a K of Clubs which is one of the very few non-spade enemies. I probably would have just kludged the rule and counted it the same as a spade and re-drawn. But I can understand wanting to follow the rules. Rutibex posted:So keep playing your character in hell. Why would dying end the adventure Delve isn't really that kind of a game, it's not like a single-character narrative where you can just free-form the adventure. It's more of a solo pen and paper Dwarf Fortress. StarkRavingMad fucked around with this message at 17:06 on Mar 16, 2022 |
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Mar 16, 2022 17:03
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I will go back to it, it is still a concept that interests me. And if I get a semi-successful play-through under my belt, I'll probably look back at it and laugh. But it will be a bit before that bitter taste fades from my mouth.
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Mar 16, 2022 17:24
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90s Cringe Rock posted:I think Rise and Umbra have a rule to basically give you a chance to build up, or maybe it was a tweak in errata or on patreon. It's something they need, unfortunately. The designer does a ton of tinkering and expansion-building on patreon and discord, I think is is her nature to release stuff and iterate on it. Primarily her first rule is always “if it’s not fun, you can play it how you want.” But that does result in a potentially unsatisfying time for people who want to run a tightly tweaked experience out of the box.
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Mar 16, 2022 18:05
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StarkRavingMad posted:Delve isn't really that kind of a game, it's not like a single-character narrative where you can just free-form the adventure. It's more of a solo pen and paper Dwarf Fortress. Sorry I actually have a bunch of Delve charts I put into my book of tables so when I heard Delve my mind instantly went to D&D. I have just got into solo rpging as a DM prep tool (this is my excuse  ) so I'm running D&D. If the dice killed my character in the first round of a game I would take note of my alignment, crack open the manual of the planes and start role-playing D&D's well detailed afterlife with extensive encounter tables  But I guess Ironswarn is it's own setting if you play with all the rules and you would be throwing away a lot of the Ironlands setting to do that in the game itself. Rutibex fucked around with this message at 18:48 on Mar 16, 2022 |
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Mar 16, 2022 18:43
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They’re talking about Delve, which is a separate, unrelated game from the Ironsworn: Delve expansion. Just in case that wasn’t clear (cause I got confused a bit at first!)
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Mar 16, 2022 19:01
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Galaga Galaxian posted:They’re talking about Delve, which is a separate, unrelated game from the Ironsworn: Delve expansion.  Ohhh a map drawing game, gimmie
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Mar 16, 2022 19:49
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Rutibex posted:
 If you are interested in map drawing games, you might like Penciltown. I heard about it from the Geek Gamer's youtube channel; and I've bought it, read through most of it, but I have yet to play it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv9Vjw8cUJs&t=1375s Basically, Penciltown is a solo exercise in building up a town using randomly generated resources. If you are successful, eventually you can acquire gold to hire adventurers, build a church to hold holy relics or even build a wizard tower and encourage wizards to live in it. It is $5 on Drivethrou for a 37 page book. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/253129/Penciltown  
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Mar 16, 2022 20:58
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Oh that looks pretty cool, for $5 I'll definitely check it out.
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Mar 16, 2022 21:06
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Helical Nightmares posted:
Do you have thoughts on that one vs PencilVillage?
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Mar 16, 2022 21:26
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Helical Nightmares posted:
Thank you for reminding me of this! I watched this same video and made a note to get this game but I forgot Graph paper is the paper of the gods
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Mar 17, 2022 04:18
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