So, this is the last day of #RPGaDAY2020 and it is time to award experience.
So what have a learned?
I normally try and apply all of these prompts to solo play, but many of the suggestions this year lent themselves more to traditional play that to solo play.
This morning, I was playing Dungeon World, I have a thief character and the adventure started in one direction, and then a chance roll sparked something completely different and and entirely new plot line appeared. It is that flexibility, that gives solo play some of its uniqueness. If I tried that with a group, they would probably be most upset. If you set yourself up and prepare for exploring a forgotten temple in an Indiana Jones style adventure, and you end up fighting a corrupt town guard. Sure I wasn’t prepared, I have no idea how I am going to get out of this or if I will survive.
Yesterday, I was talking about how a group was becoming very risk averse, they did not adventure, they solved problems.
Last week, I was playing 13th Age. I only really enjoy 13th Age at low levels. When the levels start going up the numbers of feats start to explode and there is too much bookkeeping for my taste. In a group, if I wanted to end every campaign whenever they reached 4th level, I would be deeply unpopular!
Most of the things that need resolving or the compromises in gaming, come from the other people sat around the table. No set of rules is perfect for everyone. No adventure will tick every box for everyone. We will happily gloss over or forgive a system for not being perfect. What we absolutely have to bend and forgive and accept are the other people.
Solo play is a place where you can do anything, go anywhere and do what you want, when you want. Group play is a totally different proposition and one based around collaboration and compromise.
One of the best ways to describe solo play is “Different, not better or worse” which is actually a pretty good way of looking at every roleplayer, as an individual, different, not better or worse.