100%!!! Every day on r/solorpg someone asks for where to start, and they always get told Ironsworn. It seems to have become a rite of passage that people play a game they were recommended, realize it was not what they were looking for, and have to decide whether to continue. It’s why I eventually made my own game.
I like journaling but I need those simulationist systems to make the game come through. Most of my journaling is just writing down what happens in the game.
The only way I would get my head around journaling if not using an oracle or stats, would be approaching it as if I was a writer for a tv show. And I would imagine you would need to really need to know your character well, their strengths and weaknesses. So when you go to ask yourself what do they do, you have a bit of an idea of what course of action they take. This would be true if you would take a favorite character from a book or a tv show and write an episode with that character. You would know what they would likely say and do. And maybe there are new sides to a character you wont know until you develop them as you progress. Especially if you can get inside their head with thoughts and feelings etc. So this would be a time sink as much as it would be learning a light rules system and rolling up a character and adding some basic facts about them. I think the dice would lead to more interesting new paths and directions. I have combined the two in the past. But still finding my feet. Sometimes progress is slow because I wrote long form. But it can be more immersive that way. And I do think there are some benefits from that level of immersion that you might consider things you might otherwise pass on. Such as your character starting to get really tired and making poor judgements or the need to deal with a nasty wound is dictating a lot of decisions.
Great video, I really like your presentation and the way that you approach things. The example with the wolves was excellent! Also, I feel like a high-quality mic would also help your delivery (which is already incredibly strong, but the mic would just put it over the top). We certainly do love our taxonomy of game genres (I've seen it in boardgames, miniature games, and now in RPGs a LOT.) I've leaned Solo RPGs for the most part and I love how freeform they can be with what you choose to do from moment to moment, but I really want to explore journaling games and have a few sitting on my shelf (TYOV, Librarians Apprentice, Notorious) to kind of figure out what their own seperate strengths are as for creative writing and reflecting on experiences after the moment.
Thanks for the kind words! Yeah the mic is okay - the room I am in is still kind of empty so it has a bit of that echo sound to it as well. I will look at another mic after the room is a bit more put together
I think preferring one or the other depends on whether the person is more stereotypical left brain or right brain dominant (even though I've read it's outdated theory). When I used to play classical TTRPG with friends I really enjoyed light on mechanics but heavy on storytelling approach. No wonder when I check now single player RPGs the journaling type has more appeal to me. I don't need too many rolling dice and tables but I like to get wild with creativity without too much constrains. Good thing about solo play though is you don't need to share same preferences as other people because you're doing it on your own.
All solo games have some core similarities, particularly a pattern of generating a random event and then determining the consequences, and I'd say there's more of a spectrum of journaling game to mechanical game, rather than a hard line. For me the main factor is - what happens if I choose not to write anything? A good mechanical solo game has emergent storytelling without any creative input from the player.
Yeah i have found that is a big factor for me as well. Now, when I try a new solo rpg, I always have a definitive (and short!) end point to the adventure. That way I can experience what the system has to offer, but don’t feel bogged down in a lengthy campaign if the system doesn’t work for me.
Quick question - have you ever used mythic emulator? I’ve had 2nd edition sitting on my shelf and thought about cracking it open. Do you use some sort of emulator when you run Pendragon solo?
I don’t really use an emulator while running Pendragon. I use the GPC for the adventure/story, the core rulebook or expansions for rules in combat and generating enemies, hunts, feasts etc. Them, if I am not sure how my Knight would react in a situation, I roll against a virtue or passion to see which way they might react.
100%!!! Every day on r/solorpg someone asks for where to start, and they always get told Ironsworn. It seems to have become a rite of passage that people play a game they were recommended, realize it was not what they were looking for, and have to decide whether to continue. It’s why I eventually made my own game.
I completely agree! Out of curiosity, what game did you make?
A much needed video!
Thanks for checking it out!
I like journaling but I need those simulationist systems to make the game come through. Most of my journaling is just writing down what happens in the game.
Yeah I enjoy simulationist systems as well.
The only way I would get my head around journaling if not using an oracle or stats, would be approaching it as if I was a writer for a tv show. And I would imagine you would need to really need to know your character well, their strengths and weaknesses. So when you go to ask yourself what do they do, you have a bit of an idea of what course of action they take. This would be true if you would take a favorite character from a book or a tv show and write an episode with that character. You would know what they would likely say and do.
And maybe there are new sides to a character you wont know until you develop them as you progress. Especially if you can get inside their head with thoughts and feelings etc. So this would be a time sink as much as it would be learning a light rules system and rolling up a character and adding some basic facts about them. I think the dice would lead to more interesting new paths and directions.
I have combined the two in the past. But still finding my feet. Sometimes progress is slow because I wrote long form. But it can be more immersive that way. And I do think there are some benefits from that level of immersion that you might consider things you might otherwise pass on. Such as your character starting to get really tired and making poor judgements or the need to deal with a nasty wound is dictating a lot of decisions.
Haven't picked up a game yet, however I have noticed there is a difference in play-styles.
This is a nice explanation.
Thank you! Happy gaming!
Great video, I really like your presentation and the way that you approach things. The example with the wolves was excellent! Also, I feel like a high-quality mic would also help your delivery (which is already incredibly strong, but the mic would just put it over the top).
We certainly do love our taxonomy of game genres (I've seen it in boardgames, miniature games, and now in RPGs a LOT.) I've leaned Solo RPGs for the most part and I love how freeform they can be with what you choose to do from moment to moment, but I really want to explore journaling games and have a few sitting on my shelf (TYOV, Librarians Apprentice, Notorious) to kind of figure out what their own seperate strengths are as for creative writing and reflecting on experiences after the moment.
Thanks for the kind words! Yeah the mic is okay - the room I am in is still kind of empty so it has a bit of that echo sound to it as well. I will look at another mic after the room is a bit more put together
I think preferring one or the other depends on whether the person is more stereotypical left brain or right brain dominant (even though I've read it's outdated theory). When I used to play classical TTRPG with friends I really enjoyed light on mechanics but heavy on storytelling approach. No wonder when I check now single player RPGs the journaling type has more appeal to me. I don't need too many rolling dice and tables but I like to get wild with creativity without too much constrains. Good thing about solo play though is you don't need to share same preferences as other people because you're doing it on your own.
Great delineation - Is the action/scene resolved through mechanics or journaling? Great video! (Your studio space will eventually catch up 😄)
Thanks for the kind words! And yeah hopefully my space catches up soon!
All solo games have some core similarities, particularly a pattern of generating a random event and then determining the consequences, and I'd say there's more of a spectrum of journaling game to mechanical game, rather than a hard line. For me the main factor is - what happens if I choose not to write anything? A good mechanical solo game has emergent storytelling without any creative input from the player.
Nicely put - I agree! Great test, w/ choosing not to journal. Does the story continue?
I wonder if this is why I stop and start soloing games lol I just need to figure out how much crunch I want.
Yeah i have found that is a big factor for me as well. Now, when I try a new solo rpg, I always have a definitive (and short!) end point to the adventure. That way I can experience what the system has to offer, but don’t feel bogged down in a lengthy campaign if the system doesn’t work for me.
Quick question - have you ever used mythic emulator? I’ve had 2nd edition sitting on my shelf and thought about cracking it open. Do you use some sort of emulator when you run Pendragon solo?
I don’t really use an emulator while running Pendragon. I use the GPC for the adventure/story, the core rulebook or expansions for rules in combat and generating enemies, hunts, feasts etc.
Them, if I am not sure how my Knight would react in a situation, I roll against a virtue or passion to see which way they might react.
What type of game is fate? Possible to play solo?
Not sure, i would have to read it first :-)