OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

All discussions regarding Board, Card, and RPG Gaming, including industry discussion, that don't belong in one of the other gaming forums.

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hepcat
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

Well, now I'm interested. I love the Fallout mechanics. It's like playing a huge story as the narrative cards are many.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

I haven't played Firefly but it's the game I most often hear Outer Rim compared to.

The Fallout comparison is pretty apt, as is Eldritch Horror/Arkham Horror 3E where an encounter is some flavor text along with some kind of test or reward. From the play through I watched, these really added some strong thematic feel.

I'm going to try to get a game in this week at some point. I'm a little nervous because I am not a huge fan of "race to the point value" games. I'm really hoping the theme wins me over. Why did I buy it? Because Star Wars. And hype. And because I am weak.

On the HEROES OF TERRINOTH front, I did watch a play through of the first mission and read through the rulebook. I think I'm really going to enjoy this one as the rules are really easy to grasp and setup time is minimal.

The one mechanic that really intrigued me is the Aid action, which every character has some flavor of. Essentially it's a way to assist a fellow party member via healing, giving success tokens, allowing them to refresh cards, etc. It puts a different spin on teamwork that I think is missing or minimalized in a lot of co-op games. While a co-op game, by its very nature, relies on players working together to achieve a goal, the extent of working together is usually each member using their special powers to advance the goal for the good of the party. Much rarer is the ability to use your power to directly assist another player's turn. It allows for some interesting strategic choices - do I try to kill this monster even though I'm not a great fighter in the off chance I get lucky, or do I refresh my buddy's combat card so that he can kill it on his turn with a greater chance of success?

I think some folks are a little put off by Heroes' simplicity, but it's just what I'm looking for right now. After burning my brain in both CITY OF KINGS and GLOOMHAVEN recently, I'm ready for some semi-mindless dice chucking.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Redfive »

hepcat wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2019 12:08 pm Well, now I'm interested. I love the Fallout mechanics. It's like playing a huge story as the narrative cards are many.
One of the reviews I saw said that they were already seeing narrative cards repeat in a 2nd or 3rd game....so FYI I guess.

The game board is all but set up with signs pointing at either end that say 'future expansion tiles here' so I'm sure there will be more narrative cards as well, for a price.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

Finally got a legit game of Heroes of Terrinoth in. My first playthrough was so easy I knew something must be wrong, so I quit in the middle and watched another play through where I caught some dumb errors.

The second play through I'm pretty positive I got everything right. While the first scenario was still fairly easy (as I've read it should be), it was still a lot of fun and there were some tense moments as I went on an epic-fail dice rolling streak.

First impressions are that I really like this game. Simple rules, quick setup and tear down, gives you a bit of the co-op dungeon crawl feel without the fiddliness and hassle of the big box games. Solo play works really well with two characters, though I do want to find a better way to track character turns since it's easy to get confused with of your two activations you're on. I tried One Stop Co-Op Shop's method of simply turning the party leader torch upside down after his first activation and my dumb ass still managed to get mixed up. I may custom make something or see if one of the meeple places has anything that would work.

At any rate, for $30 I think it's a steal for a really solid solo experience that would also be fun with friends.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

Got my first game of OUTER RIM in the bag.

Played a short game (race to 8 fame) with me playing Han Solo against the AI"s Lando Calrissian. He wound up beating me 8-7, but not before I had two shots to beat him. Unfortunately my battle with an assassin droid to get his bounty didn't work out in my favor, and an illegal cargo run to Kessel ended in failure just before Lando earned his final fame point.

Upon review of the AI logic I did mess up a couple of very minor rules, but not enough to sway the game significantly in either direction. If anything I made it harder on myself, which left me feeling pretty good about only coming up one fame short. And had I played a full game to 10, things could have swung in my favor.

The rule set is pretty easy to grasp from a learn-to-play standpoint, and there's a separate rules book that answers any questions. The game also flows pretty quickly and smoothly once you get the rhythm of it.

I was very impressed with the AI deck. There was never a point in the game in which either of us were more than a couple of points ahead or behind the other, so the tension was constantly high. The AI simplifies real player activity a bit (it never has to perform skill tests to deliver cargo or complete jobs, it doesn't do ship or personal goals, etc.) but it still manages to replicate a real player's turn outcome quite well (cards are rotated in the market decks, it completes jobs and deliveries, it buys things and upgrades its ship). For phases in which the AI may only perform one action of several, there is a priority listing on the card and the AI will do the first action that applies to its game condition. For phases in which the AI can perform multiple actions, the actions it will take are clearly listed and you just resolve all of them. It's a simple system that works very well.

The one thing I really liked from a solo perspective (and it would apply to multiplayer games as well), is that there are a lot of meaningful decisions to make every turn. In the Planning Phase, you can move your ship, recover all damage, or gain 2,000 credits - but you can do only one. In the Action Phase, you can buy a card, discard the top of any market deck, deliver cargo/bounties, or resolve Actions from upgrades and items, and can do any or all of those. And in the Encounter phase, you are again restricted to one of resolving a location encounter, patrol encounter, or contact encounter. So there's a constant dilemma on how to most efficiently utilize your turn to either gain fame or put yourself in a better position to gain fame. Between the dice and the randomized encounters, however, there's always a gambling element.

Do I recommend buying it just for solo play? I think it depends on how much you enjoy racing for points against the AI vs a more traditional co-op experience. I will say, however, that I tend to dislike point-based games in general, and I still really enjoyed this one. If you think you may be getting it to the table with friends as well as playing solo I'd say it's well worth it. Just for solo will depend on your love of the theme and mechanisms.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Tao »

I was wandering around a FLGS yesterday and came across a few games I had not seen before and was hoping to get some input.

I recently learned of this store which is only about 10 minutes from my house, and saw they have a Board Gaming Group session on Saturday's. I went in hoping to connect with a few board gamer's but alas this was a bust. There were 4 or 5 groups occupying tables 4 of which were playing....Magic, big surprise (not). One other group was playing Terraforming Mars. I am aware of the game but have never played, wow there are a lot of little bits and pieces. They seemed like friendly folks but this was the second time I was in the store (last time was on a Sunday) and both times the same group was playing the same game. Last time I did not speak with them and wasn't aware it was Terraforming Mars. Anyway, I digress, here are the games I came across and am wondering if anyone has any experience with;

Champions of Hara - watched a couple of reviews this morning and it seems to have a good vibe as a co-op game
The Masters Trials: Wrath of Magmaroth - Tom Vassel reviewed this and his opinion is the game is HARD to the point of being nearly unwinnable at times
Pathfinder Adventures Card Game Core set 2019 - So this looks like a possible reboot of Rise of the Runelords with additional characters, some new mechanics and a new more immersive story. I already own RotR board game and the Pathfinder video game. I enjoy the game and would be willing to drop $60 on a new kit as long as it has enough new stuff.
Massive Darkness - looks interesting but pricey
Legends of Dragonholt ??

They also had all of the D&D board games like Legend of Drizzt, ToEE, Wrath of Ashardalon. Any recommendations on any of these that may stand out for solo play?

How is MageKnight for solo? I played this once years ago with TheMix and only vaguely recall the game, there is now an ultimate edition for about $100.

I am itching to buy Aeons End but the digital version just dropped on Steam as an EA so I am waiting a bit.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

I posted a few paragraphs on Hara a little while back.. I liked it enough to search out the hard to find expansion for it.

Massive Darkness I do not like.

Mage Knight is best solo, but if you want a streamlined version, or you like Star Trek more than fantasy, look for Star Trek Frontiers.

As for Pathfinder, it’s good. But they’re releasing a new version now that has a lower price of entry.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

I can only speak on a few. I've heard mixed things about the Pathfinder reboot. Quite a few are about the layout and font used on the cards making them difficult to read. Card quality is still apparently not great, so depending on your feelings towards sleeves that might be a +/- issue. The theme for the original core set never really came together for me - it always felt like we were just burning through decks. It also seems like a game that might be much better with 4 players - because of the added locations you don't see in a two or three player game.

Dragonholt is like a modern take on a Choose Your Own Adventure book It's not bad, but it's closer to reading a book than playing a game. Again, if you're in the mood for that, it's terrific. But my own personal preference is to just read a game book. I appreciate the attempt to be innovative in the market, but it was just a little flat for me.

Mage Knight is a bit like Metallica for me. I was never into either when they first came out and really only discovered them long after they'd been out and were popular. Going back and trying to listen to old Metallica is not enjoyable for me as they sound like they're imitating bands I've come to love. Of course they're not, but have no perspective or point of reference for what they did, when they did it. It's the same for Mage Knight. I was a late comer to that title and I understand how influential it was in other game. But to me, I like playing those games, not Mage Knight. YMMV and maybe it'll be the greatest thing you ever tried.

The D&D games are the same - they're fun, but so many games have come out since then that have built upon, expanded, modified what those games did, the D&D games just seem...simple in comparison. They're not bad by any means, but if you're playing them and something is bothering you, chances are it's been addressed in design by someone else in games that came out years later. They all play the same (mechanics) so it comes down to theme you identify with the most.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Tao »

Thanks for the feedback. I did do a search before I posted and did see Hepcat's post about buying the expansion for Champions of Hara but for some reason did not see the full write up, which I did just read.

I will most likely pick up Champions of Hara since pretty much everything about the game intrigues me from the game play to the theme to the art work. I will also likely pick up the new PACG core set. It's not overly expensive at $60 and even with it's flaws I did enjoy the original. It's just really easy to play solo as I can take my time building the locations and the mechanics just seem to work plus I very much like the progression. One of the things I wish Too Many Bones had was a persistent progression for your Gearlocs. Instead it feels more like a board-game version of a rogue-like. Still a great game though. Also thinking I will pull the trigger on MageKnight Ultimate Edition. That should keep me busy for the summer.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Tao wrote: Sun Jun 23, 2019 4:20 pm How is MageKnight for solo? I played this once years ago with TheMix and only vaguely recall the game, there is now an ultimate edition for about $100.
I would definitely echo Hepcat's sentiments regarding Star Trek: Frontiers vs. Mage Knight.

Personally, I find the theme for Star Trek: Frontiers to be a much more suitable and enjoyable fit for the underlying mechanics than the clunky fantasy theme of Mage Knight. Be prepared though, the learning curve remains fairly steep (which isn't helped by the awkward 'two manuals' approach the game relies on). However, if you make the effort, it provides one of best solo experiences around. So if you're interested in learning how the game plays, I recommend first watching Ricky Royal's Box of Delights playthrough prior to delving into the instructions.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

I really need to give STAR TREK: FRONTIERS another shot. I played solo a couple of times when I first bought it and played it with a friend a time or two, but got distracted with other shiny things and never really gave it the attention it deserved. I will say, though, that once that steep learning curve clicked and I put together some insane combo from my hand, it was among some of the most satisfying gaming moments I've ever had.

Speaking of games in space, I played (and lost) my third game of OUTER RIM today. However, once again I lost by only 1 point which makes me feel the AI is incredibly well-balanced. In the last two games, I had a chance to win but failed on a job delivery at the last minute. One of the things I'm starting to learn about the game is that not only do you need to play to your character's strengths, you also need to understand when to cut your losses. Sometimes you just have to give up that massive 2 Fame bounty which is difficult to deliver in favor of running lower rewards jobs with a better chance of success.

It's a fairly light game rules-wise, but there's enough going on here strategically that I find myself enjoying it more every play.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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YellowKing wrote: Sun Jun 23, 2019 11:09 pm I really need to give STAR TREK: FRONTIERS another shot. I played solo a couple of times when I first bought it and played it with a friend a time or two, but got distracted with other shiny things and never really gave it the attention it deserved. I will say, though, that once that steep learning curve clicked and I put together some insane combo from my hand, it was among some of the most satisfying gaming moments I've ever had.

Speaking of games in space, I played (and lost) my third game of OUTER RIM today. However, once again I lost by only 1 point which makes me feel the AI is incredibly well-balanced. In the last two games, I had a chance to win but failed on a job delivery at the last minute. One of the things I'm starting to learn about the game is that not only do you need to play to your character's strengths, you also need to understand when to cut your losses. Sometimes you just have to give up that massive 2 Fame bounty which is difficult to deliver in favor of running lower rewards jobs with a better chance of success.

It's a fairly light game rules-wise, but there's enough going on here strategically that I find myself enjoying it more every play.
I'm curious how the 'wheeling and dealing' portion of the game will affect the overall feel. Obviously, it can't happen when playing against the AI but I'm certain the devs intended for it to be a large part of the game since they list is as one of the official actions in the action phase.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

Redfive wrote:I'm curious how the 'wheeling and dealing' portion of the game will affect the overall feel.
Yeah, I wonder if they put that in there to encourage more player interaction since the game is largely one of focusing on your own fame engine. I doubt I'll get a chance anytime soon to try multi, unless I can convince my wife to play.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Skinypupy »

I'm very intrigued by Middara: Unintentional Malum after watching this review.

A JRPG-themed dungeon crawl that feels inspired by Final Fantasy and Monster Hunter? It's like they read my damn mind.

The first "act" is out now (currently in reprint), with another two huge acts to come based on the Kickstarter. Plus, they're local here in Salt Lake. :)
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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YellowKing wrote: Sun Jun 23, 2019 11:09 pmSpeaking of games in space, I played (and lost) my third game of OUTER RIM today. However, once again I lost by only 1 point which makes me feel the AI is incredibly well-balanced.
Huh. I'm curious if I'm doing something wrong because I got two solo plays in yesterday and the AI seemed to gain fame way too fast to be fun. There's all this cool stuff you can do -- build up a crew, buy a better ship, mod your ship -- but unless you ignore almost all of that and just mad rush directly for quick fame points it doesn't seem like you can keep up with the AI.

Has your AI been doing the "buy a fame point for $8k" very often? Maybe I'm just having bad luck with my AI gaining lots of short-distance cargo/job runs, but it felt like mine was buying points really often.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Skinypupy wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2019 9:32 amThe first "act" is out now (currently in reprint), with another two huge acts to come based on the Kickstarter. Plus, they're local here in Salt Lake. :)
I remember passing on it when it was launched in 2015, so imagine my surprise when it was released a few months ago to glowing reviews. I picked up a post-KS copy off eBay and unfortunately it came just as I was preparing to move. I've read through the manual, watched videos, sorted the components - all the prep work is there. It has a 500 page campaign book with branching plots and hidden elements. I have it all set up to play, but I'm still living out of boxes after moving this last weekend so I just can't sit down to play it - but I want to. Regardless, backing was a no-brainer for me. I don't care for the art/style but I really like the idea of a board game that allegedly plays like Mass Effect or Dragon Age - characters that have their own stories that can change as the campaign progresses and they interact with one another and plot elements. Art/Style aside, it would seem to be exactly what I've been looking for after 8+ years - a legit RPG experience in a board game.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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Smoove_B wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2019 11:47 am
Skinypupy wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2019 9:32 amThe first "act" is out now (currently in reprint), with another two huge acts to come based on the Kickstarter. Plus, they're local here in Salt Lake. :)
I remember passing on it when it was launched in 2015, so imagine my surprise when it was released a few months ago to glowing reviews. I picked up a post-KS copy off eBay and unfortunately it came just as I was preparing to move. I've read through the manual, watched videos, sorted the components - all the prep work is there. It has a 500 page campaign book with branching plots and hidden elements. I have it all set up to play, but I'm still living out of boxes after moving this last weekend so I just can't sit down to play it - but I want to. Regardless, backing was a no-brainer for me. I don't care for the art/style but I really like the idea of a board game that allegedly plays like Mass Effect or Dragon Age - characters that have their own stories that can change as the campaign progresses and they interact with one another and plot elements. Art/Style aside, it would seem to be exactly what I've been looking for after 8+ years - a legit RPG experience in a board game.
Will definitely be interested in hearing your impressions. It looks like something that would be right up my alley, but then again, I've thought that about a few other games that clunked.

Hearing rumors of a digital companion app as well. If it's implemented as well as Gloomhaven's, I'm all in.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Redfive »

wonderpug wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2019 10:31 am
YellowKing wrote: Sun Jun 23, 2019 11:09 pmSpeaking of games in space, I played (and lost) my third game of OUTER RIM today. However, once again I lost by only 1 point which makes me feel the AI is incredibly well-balanced.
Huh. I'm curious if I'm doing something wrong because I got two solo plays in yesterday and the AI seemed to gain fame way too fast to be fun. There's all this cool stuff you can do -- build up a crew, buy a better ship, mod your ship -- but unless you ignore almost all of that and just mad rush directly for quick fame points it doesn't seem like you can keep up with the AI.


Has your AI been doing the "buy a fame point for $8k" very often? Maybe I'm just having bad luck with my AI gaining lots of short-distance cargo/job runs, but it felt like mine was buying points really often.
I saw that option several times with the AI but rarely did it have the $8k on hand. I didn’t find it to be a problem but this is only on about a 3/4 play through.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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wonderpug wrote:Has your AI been doing the "buy a fame point for $8k" very often? Maybe I'm just having bad luck with my AI gaining lots of short-distance cargo/job runs, but it felt like mine was buying points really often.
Fairly often, but make sure you're only doing the FIRST available action of the bottom section. For instance, typically "complete a job" comes before purchasing Fame, so if the AI completes the job they will NOT purchase a Fame point that turn. I only point this out because I made that mistake a couple of times on my first play through.

From my sessions, I found that while the "buy fame" cards came up a lot, the AI only got to take advantage of them maybe half the time either because they had a job to complete first or they didn't have the money.

As far as the AI getting short job runs, you do have some influence over this by using the "discard top card of a market deck" action. Since the AI buys job cards and cargo almost exclusively, you can try to ditch cards that are close to their location in hopes of forcing them into something further away.
wonderpug wrote:There's all this cool stuff you can do -- build up a crew, buy a better ship, mod your ship -- but unless you ignore almost all of that and just mad rush directly for quick fame points it doesn't seem like you can keep up with the AI.
Yeah, unfortunately you have to be very aggressive against the AI. I found I had to do upgrades when I had an opportunity, not necessarily when I wanted to. I imagine in multiplayer you have a bit more luxury since the other players are wanting to upgrade as well.

I have a feeling this is one of those games that once you learn the right strategy, beating the AI a majority of the time won't be that difficult. I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to cracking the code, but I'm not *quite* there yet.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by AWS260 »

I tried Pax Pamir solo against the included AI (you can also use it in a game with two human players, as a third faction). The AI is pretty interesting -- it plays by almost all of the same rules as the player, and basically simulates a powerful but chaotic faction. It's not tricky like a human player, but it applies relentless pressure. In my game, it churned out tribes and spies out with alarming frequency, forcing lots of meaty decision-making. Not as much fun as a human opponent, but it's nice to have this option when I can't get people to the table.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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Playing 7th Continent solo while it storms outside. I had forgotten how great this game is as a solo experience. :wub:
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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Over the fourth I was able to get in games of:

Deck Box Dungeon - It's like a hand held version of Descent 2nd edition with the app. It's quick to set up, simple to learn, yet has more choice than you'd think. It's not as deep as Descent, of course. But it's still worthy of the moniker "dungeon crawl".

Unbroken - my copy finally arrived a little while ago. I played one game and won without too much trouble. Thankfully they include rules for varying difficulty levels as the game on "normal mode" is pretty easy.

I like the resource management aspect of the game. You essentially have to collect life points in the form of "effort" that also doubles as damage, as well as other resources like wood, iron, food, etc.. Then you can convert those to various upgrades as well as higher effort.

You play through 4 levels of a dungeon (represented by 4 random, progressively more difficulty monsters). I'll probably keep it, but I'm not sure how much replayability is in the game. Hopefully they'll release some expansions.

Set a Watch was a pleasant surprise for me. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Although the rule book is utter crap. "Page 1: create the monster deck", "Page 4: Remember to separate out the cards marked unhallowed when creating the monster deck!". How frickin' difficult is it to just tell you all you need to do something IN THE SAME DAMN PARAGRAPH THAT YOU INTRODUCE IT!?! :grund:

But the crap rule book aside, I liked what I saw. You grab four characters and choose 3 or 4 of their 6 or more ability cards to use. Then you send one of the heroes back to camp each game round to do things like heal, increase your campfire level, switch out ability cards with one not chosen, etc. using dice that you assign in the same manner as Alien Frontiers (to heal, you need to assign a die with a value of 6, to chop wood you need to assign three dice of which all three must be of increasing value, etc.).

You then reveal monsters in a line according to the number set by the current location card, turning over a number of them according to your campfire's level.

Finally, you defeat them using the abilities and the dice values of your 3 heroes "on watch" (i.e. not in camp).

This one is technically 1 to 4 players, but if you play with anything less than 4 players you still have to assign all 4 characters.

...next up, I go back to Brook City to see if I just screwed something up my first two (partial) playthroughs.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Blackhawk »

So, any suggestions for a quick, thematic solo or very solo-friendly game that doesn't involve taking out a loan? I've got plenty of solo friendly games, but most of them take a long time to set up and a long time to play. I need more games that I can grab when I have an hour to kill. Hostage Negotiator is the perfect example of what I'm talking about. Five minutes to set up, 30 to play, it uses its theme well (it feels like hostage negotiation, not like a logic puzzle with hostage pictures on it), and it doesn't cost a fortune.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

Set a Watch (because I'm high on it right now) - 20 bucks from miniaturemarket (MM) Preorder still though.

Friday - 14 bucks from MM. It's Robinson Crusoe in a simple card game...but plays quite well.

One Deck Dungeon - 18 bucks at MM (there are two entries in the franchise...both standalone). One of the better small box solo games.

Deep Space D-6 - I have both this kickstarter game, and its print and play predecessor that was set in the Star Trek universe. Obviously, going commercial prevented them from remaking that original version. But the DS D-6 version is tons of fun too. 25 bucks on coolstuff.
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OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hentzau »

If you don’t mind DIY, I really enjoy Star Trek: The Dice Game.

Link

It’s a re-theme of Deep Space D6, which you may be able to buy outright. I have a copy but have never bothered to break it out, I like the ST one so much. Be warned, it can be brutal. I have yet to make it to Captain.

Also, One Deck Dungeon is a lot of fun. Easy set up, plays in about 45 minutes. I play this one mostly on my tablet.

Link

Edit: What Hep said.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

hepcat wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 1:40 pm Deep Space D-6 - I have both this kickstarter game, and its print and play predecessor that was set in the Star Trek universe. Obviously, going commercial prevented them from remaking that original version. But the DS D-6 version is tons of fun too. 25 bucks on coolstuff.
I would absolutely echo hepcat's recommendation of Deep Space D-6.

It plays in about 30 minutes, and takes almost no time at all to set up (set up is basically just a matter of selecting a ship layout, shuffling the threat deck, dealing out two threat cards and you're good to go). It plays very much like a dice-based version of FTL: Faster Than Light. It provides a surprising degree of replayability for the price, comes with great quality custom dice and also includes a nifty case that's highly reminiscent of an old school Choose Your Own Adventure book:

Enlarge Image

As hepcat points out, it's available from CSI for $24.99.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by $iljanus »

Anonymous Bosch wrote:
hepcat wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 1:40 pm Deep Space D-6 - I have both this kickstarter game, and its print and play predecessor that was set in the Star Trek universe. Obviously, going commercial prevented them from remaking that original version. But the DS D-6 version is tons of fun too. 25 bucks on coolstuff.
I would absolutely echo hepcat's recommendation of Deep Space D-6.

It plays in about 30 minutes, and takes almost no time at all to set up (set up is basically just a matter of selecting a ship layout, shuffling the threat deck, dealing out two threat cards and you're good to go). It plays very much like a dice-based version of FTL: Faster Than Light. It provides a surprising degree of replayability for the price, comes with great quality custom dice and also includes a nifty case that's highly reminiscent of an old school Choose Your Own Adventure book:

Enlarge Image

As hepcat points out, it's available from CSI for $24.99.
I'd like to add recommdation to the pile for Deep Space D-6. I backed the KS and took my time getting to it, then wondered what the heck took me so long? It's really quick to set up and a simple rule set. And there are different ships with unique tech that can influence your play style.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Blackhawk »

Awesome, thanks! I did have Friday on my list at one point, but it was out of print and retailing for $80. Space Station D-6, though - that one looks interesting.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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Friday is in stock for 15 bucks on miniaturemarket, coolstuff and amazon. Be warned though, it's brutally tough.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

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Yeah, this was a year or two ago. I just wasn't aware they'd (apparently) done another run.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

I love the Legendary Encounters games, but I'd been avoiding the Firefly version because the artwork they used for the game is painfully bad. My buddy is motivated and crafty, so with a little help from someone else, they fixed the majority of the game cards, adding stills from the TV show to them instead of the horrific art. I've been told that if anyone wants access to the files, just send me a message and I can connect you with the Dropbox files.

Anyway, I've been playing the last two nights and managed to (unfortunately) lose during the second episode this evening. If you're familiar with the LE system, it's 90% the same. The differences are minor but fit with the theme. Namely, you always have a "full crew" -- all the characters are present, even if they're not active players. In this way things can still happen to them depending on card draws. The biggest difference is that the Serenity is almost like another character. It has inventory slots (for upgrades) and it can take hits during combat with other ships. Again, this makes sense because the individual characters aren't being targeted in space by bandits or the Alliance - the Serenity is.

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Regardless, now that I'm not distracted by the art, I can recommend this game. I'm actually quite impressed with the LE system overall. I wasn't thinking I'd like Alien or even the X-Files versions, but this is now three that are all different enough to keep around and play when the mood strikes.
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OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Zarathud »

Can you Artscow the card files?
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

I'm not sure. I don't know if they're formatted for Artscow. He just printed them out, cut and stuffed into the sleeves. I will ask.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hentzau »

That would be a hell of an artscow Order, but really cool. If he does put them up on artscow and would be willing to share, let me know.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

He said he looked into Artscow but the formatting wasn't working - something about the card width not matching. He said Printer Studio will work, but it's not cheap.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

Been messing around with Camp Grizzly the last few nights as a solo game.

Enlarge Image

That was pretty close to the ending. I distracted Otis, slipped past him and moved a bit closer to safety. He caught up the next round, but I won combat with that ax. However, in an earlier round Otis had a "I think he's dead..." card placed on him (because I have the worst luck) so instead of disappearing and randomly showing up somewhere else, he just stood up the next round and continued the chase. I made it to the Fire Tower finale and as the last event drawn, I had two police officers spawn in my location (again, bad die rolling) and they took my weapons - not a great situation as I ran to the fire tower. Without any way to fight, Otis made quick work of the counselors.

Highly thematic and the art is really, really good. I'm not quite sold on it as a solo game, but you can certainly play it that was as the enemy has his own AI and also does things because of the event deck. I wish I could get my hands on the expansions, but apparently the publisher/creator has all but disappeared, leaving some KS backers unfulfilled. The official website has the game and minis as "out of stock" but you can order the game off Amazon and it comes shipped directly from the publisher. Similarly, the minis (pewter) can be purchased directly from the artist that made them. Very weird, but you can get both (for now). If you have any interest in the horror genre, the game is a love letter to the 80s movies you remember. Maybe not a great solo game, but still one I'd recommend.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

Picked up Arkham Horror 3rd edition during the Asmodee sale recently for less than half off. During this past weekend's 137 degree weather, I gave it a shot over a few margaritas.

The setup is still about the same as the 2nd edition Arkham Horror we all know and love. Which means it's a bit long. With expansions, it will get significantly longer, I imagine. But that's just how it goes with any FFG game these days.

Overall, the experience feels like a mash up of Eldritch Horror and Fallout the board game. Exploration and actions are very similar to the former, while the card codex they use to advance the narrative is ripped straight from the latter. Since I love the codex in Fallout, this was fine by me. However, it DOES make the game's replayability a bit worrisome without expansions that focus on adding cards to that codex. Thankfully, Fallout comes with a lot...I mean a lot...of cards for its codex. But AH doesn't have nearly as many. This worries me a little.

Also, since the four scenarios in the game use the same codex cards to advance the objectives, I'm guessing it will get repetitive fast. I'm hoping they address this in future expansions. I think it would be very easy to just follow Fallout's paradigm and make the scenarios less dependent on the codex for its narrative, while making the codex cards more of a "questing" system that helps you build up to the big bad for that scenario.

Anyway, I liked what I saw, but not enough to recommend it to anyone who has Eldritch Horror and/or Fallout. At least not at this juncture. However, if you're a Lovecraft nut like myself, it's worth it. And if you can get it dirt cheap like I did, it's well worth it.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by Smoove_B »

I've lost track of the number of games I've played recently where it ultimately feels limited by the number of event cards. I guess the only ones that haven't felt limited were games like Hexplore It and Fallen Lands - probably because of the sheer volume of cards they include. I don't know if it's a rational feeling, but a deck with ~80 event cards seems like it would get repetitive rather quickly. (80 is just a number I randomly pulled from games I've played recently; I have no idea how many AH 3E has)
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by hepcat »

In some games, the event cards don't really drive the story. They're just used for some randomness and flavor. But AH 3rd edition does, so the repetitiveness is going to become apparent quite quickly. Mainly because they'll always show up in the same order.
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Re: OO Solo Board Gamers Guild

Post by YellowKing »

I don't mind the card repetition, but I do mind that the game kicks my ass. I have yet to win the first scenario.

I guess I need to just move on to one of the other ones, but it really bugs me that I'm like 0-6 at this point against that one. I may have to do some BGG searching and find the optimal set of investigators to tackle it (so far I've been choosing random, only switching out if I pulled 2 of the same role). I've also tried with 1, 2, and 3 investigators to no avail. I can't really figure out how the game scales.

Despite my apparent negativity, I do REALLY like AH: 3rd Edition, having never owned Eldritch Horror. In fact, it's the game I'm considering going back to now that I've burned myself out on Outer Rim.
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