Rules and procedure provide the means for a story to emerge. Tables contain the external details of the setting that matter to the PC(s) in the story.
The player's fun is derived from the process of generating setting details until the PCs reach a decision point of consequence. Then the player's enjoyment is derived from making the most interesting choice (not necessarily optimal). The player's opportunity for the most lasting enjoyment is in recording the results of the session.
Pick rules you like, set the tables, and record the story that emerges.
Really enjoying the insight- in solo play, the feeling of “surprise” comes from the dice rolls and oracles- if your game master gave you a map of the dungeon would it ruin the game? There are 52 cards in a deck of cards- there is no real surprise in solitaire- instead the card game is more of a puzzle of limited resource management- a type of solo play is resource management with random or unexpected events which require player actions, changing the game dynamic- thinking, planning and strategizing rather than just pressing the “B” button on your controller to jump every mushroom on the screen
>" You could not run an adventure like Tomb of Horrors because there is no way to determine what you encounter before encountering it"
I feel like all the criticism falls apart right here. Using the prominent modules is probably incongruent with solo-play, because of some of hte elements of misdirection and descriptive action vs environment. And IIRC, Tomb of Horrors is designed to be absurd and for tourney formats, where there are many people playing it.
Well said! Although I didn’t know there was a stigma.
I’ve always run player-driven emergent story campaigns. Successfully since the early 90’s. I don’t know how to run a module, and every time I’ve tried, it has failed spectacularly. Solo games work just fine for me. And my first RPG experience at 13 was running Star Frontiers solo for myself, figuring it all out as I went.
Yes yes yes! Love your article! I love solo play and have encountered all types of surprises and story arcs for my characters. Some people just can’t use imagination? Can’t suspend belief?
Rules and procedure provide the means for a story to emerge. Tables contain the external details of the setting that matter to the PC(s) in the story.
The player's fun is derived from the process of generating setting details until the PCs reach a decision point of consequence. Then the player's enjoyment is derived from making the most interesting choice (not necessarily optimal). The player's opportunity for the most lasting enjoyment is in recording the results of the session.
Pick rules you like, set the tables, and record the story that emerges.
Dear TBE, do you really more on oracles (Yes No etc) or random tables (not oracles but takes like those from the ToAD and d30 Sandbox).
Thanks,
V
I'm sorry I don't understand. You want my view on oracles a bit more?
Really enjoying the insight- in solo play, the feeling of “surprise” comes from the dice rolls and oracles- if your game master gave you a map of the dungeon would it ruin the game? There are 52 cards in a deck of cards- there is no real surprise in solitaire- instead the card game is more of a puzzle of limited resource management- a type of solo play is resource management with random or unexpected events which require player actions, changing the game dynamic- thinking, planning and strategizing rather than just pressing the “B” button on your controller to jump every mushroom on the screen
>" You could not run an adventure like Tomb of Horrors because there is no way to determine what you encounter before encountering it"
I feel like all the criticism falls apart right here. Using the prominent modules is probably incongruent with solo-play, because of some of hte elements of misdirection and descriptive action vs environment. And IIRC, Tomb of Horrors is designed to be absurd and for tourney formats, where there are many people playing it.
Playing with yourself is always playing with yousrelf, Brezhnen. There’s a reason solo play is pathetic.
Well said! Although I didn’t know there was a stigma.
I’ve always run player-driven emergent story campaigns. Successfully since the early 90’s. I don’t know how to run a module, and every time I’ve tried, it has failed spectacularly. Solo games work just fine for me. And my first RPG experience at 13 was running Star Frontiers solo for myself, figuring it all out as I went.
Yes yes yes! Love your article! I love solo play and have encountered all types of surprises and story arcs for my characters. Some people just can’t use imagination? Can’t suspend belief?