For Newbies: The Solo Skirmishing Big Picture

Solo-newbie Ricardo over at Fantalonia recently posted his thoughts on solo skirmishing with minis. His post is a terrific articulation of the variety of levels of solo play, and it most definitely provides a valuable service to other new players who might be having trouble wrapping their heads around gaming without a flesh-and-blood opponent in the room.

Ricardo’s write-up got me thinking that it would be awfully nice if we blogging vets of the solo table could, from time to time, share our experiences with those who have never seriously played solo before but are eager to start. The articles would be noted “For Newbies” (like this one) and would be written with an awareness for that audience. Maybe we could even link around to one another’s postings of similar content to create a mini-network of newbie-friendly material!

With that in mind, here’s my contribution, linked to Ricardo’s. (Hopefully, someone will write another one soon and link back to this one.)

"Come on, newbie! Bring it!"

 

The Solo Skirmishing Big Picture

To me, there are two BROAD styles of tabletop solo skirmishing when two (or more) opposing sides are present on the battlefield. Here's a straightforward overview for the newbie:

STYLE 1: The player commands BOTH sides, but with “incomplete” control  

Aim: To play both sides to win during each force’s turn.

The Solo Element: During every turn, random factors will alter or inhibit what the player is allowed to do. Thus, the player is prevented from predicting his or her own actions in advance because they cannot be known until the next turn begins. 

Pros: Lots of unpredictability; emergent strategies will rarely follow an obvious path; narrative elements can be easily incorporated for more depth of play; converting a beloved non-solo game into this solo style isn’t difficult; it’s always your turn! 

Cons: Remaining objective at all times can be challenging; too many random limitations or hindrances can be frustrating and strategically unrealistic, diminishing the spirit of the game.

STYLE 2: The player completely controls ONE side, and auto-rules govern the other
Aim: To play one side to win against the other side run by a rules system.
The Solo Element: A pre-created or programmed system of actions controls the opposing side, taking its actions completely out of the solo player’s hands.
Pros: The player enjoys total freedom as if playing against a human opponent; one can almost fully indulge in the competitive me-vs.-you emotions of gaming.
Cons: Auto-rules can be tedious to create and even more time-consuming to execute during play; auto-rules rarely are capable of taking all strategic possibilities into consideration; the opposing side often behaves in a predictable manner due to limited choices.

Notes:

• The concept of a player who commands both sides AND has complete control on each turn is not, in my opinion, gaming. It's practice or a personal demo of the mechanics of a game, a worthwhile activity for learning, but not necessarily for entertainment (and, to me, gaming = entertainment).
• Of course, there are products that hybridize to varying degrees the above two broad categories, but their designs all start within one of these realms.
• There are solo games that are deliberately made with Style 2 in mind, while Style 1 is often the choice for adapting a non-solo game for solo purposes. I would caution, though, from searching for the Holy Grail of solo tabletop play, a game with Style 2's aims that feels EXACTLY like playing against a real person. No auto-rules will ever fully capture that experience.
• Whichever style is preferred, the quality in most demand is unpredictability. Whatever surprises also delights!