Rally Round the Fridge

If January was all about finding a system for my Warring States Project, February was meant to be a time for testing the system's limits and developing the campaign. However, a problem arose. I lost my battlefield.

I live in a small NYC apartment, so I don't have a workshop or basement or garage to call my own. In fact, I've only got one table large enough to accommodate a war game, and my wife has been using it a lot for baking this month. Honestly, for the last three weeks, it has been nearly impossible to get the table to myself for a few hours! And I can't play with the paper tokens on the living room floor because my cat will invariably mess everything up!

So, rather than get my own place, I came up with the following solution:

My fridge, my battlefield

I remade my tokens with personally-modified top downs from Junior General and printed them out on Staples Magnet Sheets along with terrain images (there are two Woods and a Hill in the above pic), a ruler, hit counters, and the Rally Round the King QRS pages.

Chinese Cavalry

Inkjet Magnet Sheets

The sheets cut well with ordinary scissors, and the magnets are strong enough to keep the units secure on the refrigerator's surface. I also attached one to a small AMAC box with tiny dice inside - two white for "rolling" 2d6 and one black die for "rolling" 1d6. So, everything I need to play RRtK is stuck on my fridge!

Last night's first game - though unfinished thus far - went extremely well! Two Ancient Chinese armies clashed in rough countryside with two very solid centers of armored levies meeting in the middle.

Initially, arrows filled the sky, and my horse archers tried to take advantage of the weakened enemy front units. In response, the enemy cavalry charged forward to scatter my mounted skirmishers. And then -

And then I needed to make dinner. Though my wife is the baker, I'm Sicilian, so, when it comes to non-dessert foods, the kitchen is primarily my domain - and that means I was able to sneak in a few turns while cooking!

As the meal (tilapia, spicy homemade tartar sauce, sauteed broccoli rabe, and a passable Spanish Chardonnay) came together, I tried to charge forward my center, failed to do so, then needed my own cavalry to confront the enemy skirmishers sent to harass my center.

My cavalry blasted through the skirmishers and, when I left them to serve dinner, were on the way to face the enemy horse archers in reserve. Meanwhile, my center levies were struggling with some bad rolls and one unit had already routed. Not really sure who has the upper hand right now. I'll finish the game later today.

Yeah, so, there it is: war games with refrigerator magnets...for desperate solo gamers who want to be close to the Chardonnay.

New Rally Round the King stuff!

The promised "Historical Sampler" is available for a free download at the THW site!

In it, you'll find new campaign rules (which I cannot wait to learn more about) and 12 historically-accurate army lists, including Alexandrian Macedonians, Crusaders & Norsemen, and Late Teutonic Knights!

(By the way, the delay in updating my own developing Warring States RRtK campaign will be explained very soon. I required a rather unusual compromise for battlefield space.

HINT: I had to go vertical...)

Get the RRtK Historical Sampler HERE.

Follow Solo Battles

Dale's new 2012 blog Solo Battles is an incredible read that articulates solo war game rules development in the most erudite manner I've seen in a long while.

A day or two ago, I posted on Dale's site what I thought was a simple question about the effect of the chosen Ancients period on his work, and his response yielded far more than I had expected! His experience and knowledge base are thoroughly impressive!

If you are a big fan of solo war games, follow Dale's new blog NOW!

Micro Space Empire

TWO e-mails this week mentioned this game to me, so clearly I can't ignore it! It's Robert Bartelli's 2011 free print-and-play solo game Micro Space Empire.

From the BGG description:

Micro Space Empire is a short “express” type game for one player. It was an entry in the QPnP (Quick Print and Play) contest; it is designed to be portable and easily constructed (less than 20 cards to print, plus a player mat).

The player is the ruler of a single solar system. There are ten other systems available to conquer and each system has its resistance to conquest and can provide resources to your expanding Empire. Resources are used to enhance your military and research new technologies. However, creating a vast interstellar Empire is not without its challenges; events such as revolts and invasions can pose obstacles to your rule.

The object is to survive and accumulate as many victory points as possible before time runs out.

Get all the files you need at the official BGG page HERE.

iModela independent unboxing & test videos

Earlier this month, I asked if you would buy Roland's iModela "3D Hobby Milling machine" to make your own miniatures. Honestly, I'm still looking at it and imagining what I could do with such a device despite its $899 price tag. (In the battle between practicality and imagination, practicality often suffers a fatality.)

Carlos Asmat, electrical engineer and soon-to-be father of the Robot Apocalypse, got his hands on the North American prototype last week and posted two videos about the iModela. The first video is strictly an unboxing of the device.

The second video is a time-elapsed speedy demo of the iModela making a charm.

I'd like to see the iModela make a useable miniature for a strategy game or wargame, and I've contacted Carlos about it.

Does anyone have a REASONABLE suggestion for the type of piece to be made?

Solo Munchkin!

The Munchkin line from Steve Jackson Games is a favorite of those who appreciate wicked satire aimed at the RPG hobby. Gamer David R. has developed an excellent set of solo Munchkin rules that will keep the dust off your cards! Here they are...

From David:
Here's how I play solo games. It is a hybrid of several different sets of rules I've come across, and full credit goes to the original game designers in the Munchkin Guild. I've only added to them to try and improve the game:

Munchkin Solitaire

All regular Munchkin rules apply except below:

1. You are trying to get to Level 20 before one of your two decks run out.

2. Deal yourself 4 cards from each deck to begin. Curses, traps, wandering monsters, or any other generally bad card is discarded immediately without a redraw (too bad for you). Races, classes, Go Up A Level cards, enhancers, etc. may be played immediately to the table.

3. If you defeat a monster, you only get one total treasure (no matter what the card says).

   3.5 You win all ties.

4. If you need to ask for help, roll the d6 and add that to your level. If you still lose, you suffer Bad Stuff as normal. If this allows you to win, you get no treasure but get the level.

   4.5 Running away is successful on a 4 or above on the d6.

5. If you draw a Wandering Monster, then the bottom-most monster in the discard pile returns as an undead. You cannot ask for help on a Wandering Monster.

6. If a card directs you to do something/get something from another player, you now will get it from the discard deck (ie: just do what the card says. For example....if it says "Steal a level from the player with the highest level", then you would just gain a level).

7. When in doubt about a card, apply it the best way you can. Since nobody is around to be a rules lawyer, your only argument will come from the voices in your own head.

This plays surprisingly difficult, especially if you get a few biggies early in the game and keep getting knocked back to level 1.

BTW.....I play with the original Munchkin, Star Munchkin, Super Munchkin, and The Good The Bad and the Munchkin (I do not mix the base games at all), with Fairy Dust, Waiting for Santa, Santa's Revenge, and Marked for Death (mixed in with original Munchkin). I also sprinkle it Demented Dungeons, which is a great way of using "New World Order"-type effects to the game. I'm not sure how some of the other versions of the game might play solitaire.

Thanks, David!

Making Mothra Fly

Mothra, not flying.

Cheap, two-piece plastic martini "glass" from a party store.

Disassembled.

Mothra, flying.

Fight!

New Chain Reaction available now

Over at Two Hour Wargames, the system that exemplifies why their games are so great for solo play is back in an updated "final version." It's Chain Reaction 3.0.

From THW:

CR 3.0 is the intro game that gives you a glimpse at the widely popular games from Two Hour Wargames.

Supported by a 5000 member Yahoo Group, CR 3.0 covers modern firepower in the world of man to man skirmish. Use any figures you already have, heck you can even use paper minis, because it's all about playing the game.

Just try it and if you like it then there's a whole world of games covering a variety of genres and periods waiting for you. And you STILL can use any figures you already have!

Coming later this week will be a shiny new version of Chain Reaction Swordplay, which I am very much looking forward to playing!

Download the new CR 3.0 for free HERE.

Mighty Monsters Test Game

Anxious to let Mighty Monsters bring my newly found Godzilla toys to life, I played a test game to see what I might need to do to make the system solo-worthy. To my happy surprise, there was nothing I needed to add for solo fun! As is, Mighty Monsters is a blast, and the test game of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah was terrific!

Stacked dice made for quick city buildings that could easily become rubble.

Mighty Monsters quickly fell under my category of "commanding BOTH sides, but with “incomplete” control," and in a really good way. That incomplete control was due to the riff creator Andrea Sfiligoi plays off his Song of Blades and Heroes system. Monsters consist of body parts that may all be activated each turn, provided an activation roll succeeds. More importantly, each body part might be keyed to a special ability, such as Godzilla's head which has Fangs and Radioactive Breath. This elegant variation is enough to make each monster unique while offering a player an interesting order of choices each turn for each creature.

The "LONG" straw became a blast of radioactive whoop-ass.

At first, I thought I might have to impose some sort of solo "deployment order" device to keep the game surprising, but that was quickly shown to be unnecessary. Those body part activation rolls were surprise enough, and, on each turn, I couldn't be sure what would happen next.

During the test game, Ghidorah had the upper hand over Godzilla, lighting him up with three jolts of electrical spittle almost every turn. Godzilla's Regeneration rolls were just as lucky, though, and the King of the Monsters did not remain wounded for very long.

With a nod to every silly scene in a 1960's Toho epic, Sfiligoi's mechanics allowed my monsters to body slam each other, use wings for impossibly powerful blasts of air, punch like pugilists, and leave Tokyo an absolute mess.

Ghidorah gets slammed into a building.
The dice are now rubble, and Ghidorah is vulnerable.

Throughout the game, I never felt like I wanted for an automatic opponent to play against. I was entertained the entire time! Thanks, Andrea!

In the end, Godzilla won, and so did I...

Hurry! Vote!

One of my favorite blogging solo gamers is also one of the best minis painters out there - the awesome Spacejacker! Many of us are his fans, so let's give him the accolades he deserves!

Vote for Spacejacker's 39th Gemini Orbital Rangers for Fan Favorite in the Ambush Alley competition going on right now! It'll take all of three seconds to cast your vote HERE.

Godzilla!

In a panic to find something important that I was sure was buried in the closet of my home office, I found something even better - Godzilla toys!

These are 4-inch plastic representations of Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra (larva), Mothra (moth), King Caesar, King Ghidorah, Gigan, Mecha-Godzilla, and Battra. I got these back in 1992 and had forgotten all about them!

I was thrilled at the discovery, and I used that joyful momentum to make another impulse purchase - Ganesha Games' Mighty Monsters by Andrea Sfiligoi.

Cruising the pages of the PDF, I found stats for ALL of my monsters cleverly disguised with non-copyright-infringing names like "Giant Radioactive Regenerating Lizard" and "Three-Headed Evil Space Dragon." Oh, Andrea, you clever scamp!

The fliers are going to need stands. As for buildings for the monsters to crush, I figure if I think 1:500, I should be able to make or purchase just enough to add strategy to a fight.

Although I've got other solo gaming projects in the works, I'm pumped about trying Mighty Monsters very soon - maybe even as a Monster Island Solo Tournament.

By the way, I never found what I had been originally looking for in the closet.

Would you buy this?

Just think about it for a moment...

From Roland's press release:

Roland's New 3D Hobby Milling Machine Provides an Affordable Production Tool for Craft and Hobby Enthusiasts

iModela Produces Miniatures, Models, Jewelry, Accessories and Craft Embellishments from Modeling Wax, Foam, Balsa Wood and Plastic

"iModela is a completely new concept – a digital hobby mill designed to support a range of unique creative pursuits, from miniatures and model railroading to jewelry design and craft projects," said Brian Brooks, product manager for Roland DGA Corp. "The applications for this innovative technology are endless, and we can't wait to see what our customers will produce with it."

With iModela, 3D modelers and hobby enthusiasts can easily and accurately create and embellish a wide range of projects by producing 3D shapes, reliefs, textures and patterns from modeling wax, foam, balsa wood and plastic materials. With a milling area of 3.39 inches wide by 2.17 inches in length and 1.02 inches in height, iModela is the perfect tool for small-scale creative projects.

This baby will set you back $899, but it'll elevate you from "solo" to "independent" in an instant! You could order your miniatures from yourself!

Odds are it will also take you from "married" to "divorced" just as quickly.

Still, it would be neat to have a little machine that could make the miniatures I wanted...

For more, go HERE.

The Solo "Tournament"

In my post to newbies about what I believe to be the two primary styles of solo wargaming skirmish play, I differentiated between (1) completely controlling ONE side, with auto-rules governing the other side, like THW products, and (2) commanding BOTH sides, but with “incomplete” control. Of the two, I've been thinking lately that the latter would allow for a solo player to play multiple games "tournament-style" for a true change of pace from the norm.

It might seem, though, that a "tournament" played solo would be taking this solitaire business too far. The tournament dynamic is one of YOU-versus-THEM, with the competitive energy being generated by all of those THEMS glaring at little ol' YOU. Admittedly, there can be no solo substitute for the sinister snarls and icy stares directed at a player, but the excitement and suspense of emerging showdowns between opposing playing pieces and their particular rules and strategies can be a beautiful thing!

So, to turn a session of solo gaming into a tournament, the following seem like good starting guidelines:

• Choose a tournament format that fits your schedule. Single elimination? Double? Swiss? It all depends on how much free time you have. Of course, you could stretch the tournament out over the course of many days if you'd like, but we solo gamers are a fickle lot and interest may wane. I'd aim for an event that's one to two days maximum. (Then again, there's always the "league" concept...)
• Keep the final line-up of forces/units/teams a mystery to the very last minute. One of the most thrilling moments at a gaming tournament happens when you first arrive and find out who your opponents are. Give the opening of the solo tournament the same feel by preparing more forces/units/teams than you need to play, then randomly determining who gets to play just before the first game.
• Individual games must be relatively quick. This will probably require modifying your rules or playing a timed "speed" game. Sure, we soloists love the long, lingering sessions where we can ponder formations and maneuvers at our leisure, but being on the clock can be very entertaining, indeed!
• Reward the winning force/unit/team. Give the winners some prime real estate on the display shelf, or promise them the next purchase to bolster that squad.

Inspired by my 10-round Heroclix experiment last month, I'm going to try one of these out soon with my solo Heroclix rules since those fit the above criteria.

What other rules allow commanding BOTH sides, but with “incomplete” control?

Why solo? To maximize creativity...

The inspiration for this post came from a "lively" discussion that I had with a fellow gamer this past weekend. He had heard about my solo pursuits and proceeded to rudely express his belief that developing or playing anything while alone was worthless. To this, I vehemently disagreed. When other gamers gathered around to listen to our debate, the entire affair looked and sounded like the nerdiest rap battle of all time.

Nevertheless, the crowd's overwhelmingly positive reaction to my arguments made it clear that I had been the victor. I had proven the benefits of solo gaming as a creative endeavor and, tangentially, also proven that my opponent's mother was extremely overweight. Sucka got struck by my mental Mack truck, yo.

Of course, this wasn't really a fair fight. By profession, I "enhance" the creativity of a variety of clients, mostly in a private capacity. By "creativity" I mean the generating of new ideas, and my methodology is thoroughly supported by the scientific research of those who look way better in a lab coat than I do.

In terms of gaming, generating new ideas is obviously very important, especially when the gaming is the sort enjoyed by anyone who reads this blog regularly. Creativity is found within the design of a game - from concept to final product - and within one's engagement with rules and components. Most of the time it involves deliberately tapping into the cognitive functions of the prefrontal cortex - the "working-it-out" struggle of facing challenging problems that need clever solutions. More dramatically, it involves the serendipitous artistry of inspired design and - my personal favorite - the execution of an unorthodox move that turns out to be a master stroke.

I believe that solo gaming activities promote all of the above to a greater degree than group gaming ever can on its own. That's not to imply that a "master gamer" (whatever that is) MUST be a solo gamer to ever have a new idea; rather, it's meant to simply underscore how enriching a complementary regimen of solo gaming can be to the gaming life of any individual. Need a related example from someone in a lab coat? Let me spit some findings at ya...

From Capturing Creativity (1996) by Dr. Robert Epstein, straight-up original gangsta of Generativity Theory:

Two teams are selected from the larger audience. One is instructed to stay together for a 20-minute brainstorming session. The second team is instructed to "shift" twice from five-minute private work sessions to five-minute team meetings. Each team must generate names for a new soft drink, and each has a total of 20 minutes in which to accomplish the task. The "shifting" group typically generates twice as many ideas as the brainstorming group. Why? Because creativity is always an individual process, and social disapproval is the major deterrent to creativity our entire lives. Groups are far better at selecting good ideas than at generating them.

What's all of that got to do with gaming? Quite a lot, actually. Whether inventing games or playing them, generating new ideas is essential and best accomplished ALONE. Epstein proved this again and again throughout his years of research. The above example is just one of many.

Surely, some will not agree with the connections I've made, and that's OK; I won't leaden this post with additional scientific findings. What it all comes down to is what I've stated before: I'm a better social gamer because I'm a solo gamer, and I'd also add that I'm a more creative player in general because of solo gaming. Some of my best ideas have been generated during solo play, and many of those ideas have made the transition into social gaming projects. In fact, that's currently one of my primary objectives for this blog.

So, solo gamers, represent. Peace.