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Hello, I hope this is the correct place to post this. I am looking for a Tabletop Modern wargame that utilizes 3D terrain and roughly 28mm - 32mm scale miniatures. I am able to 3D print, so I want that to be a big part of this hobby for me. Half the fun will be creating realistic cityscapes with multi tiered buildings. I prefer the modern / middle eastern setting. There are two that I have found so far, and those are "Spectre Operations" (no longer in print) and "Battlespace". I hope its OK to have links, if not I will remove them. I much prefer solo or coop games. I also wouldn't mind other recommendations that don't exactly fit the bill like Zombicide. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
I really like Five Parsecs from Home. It's a narrative focused game, but doesn't really have an explicit storyline. The story emerges from the results of rolling on tables. Their are plenty of tables for different planets, ships, enemies, exploration, loot... and more. The battles themselves are short, around 40 minutes. The player is controlling a group of explorers, normally around 6 characters. The enemy depends on the scenario and can be between 5 and 10 models.
The campaign rules are simple, but the steps for each campaign round require a lot of rolling on tables, so it might not be for everyone. Setting up a battle requires some rolling as well (e.g. mission, terrain features, possible special enemies, ...) but once the battle commences it is quite straightforward. The rules for fighting are simple and easy to learn.
It should be noted that the gear that can be acquired for the characters can't be directly bought. Instead, it is rewarded randomly, for example as loot after a battle. The battles aren't balanced. So as the characters level up and obtain better gear, the player might have to increase the difficulty. There are optionally rules for harder enemies which can be used.
There is also a fantasy equivalent, if that suits you preferences.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I will spend some time watching the videos of each of them. I ran across another potential game last night that looks like it has TONS of potential. I will link below:
Pulp Alley is, bar none, the best skirmish miniatures game I have ever played. Playing it awhile showed our group what happens when someone actually playtests their stuff. You can play head to head, co-op and solo. It has a solo deck available for the latter. It reskins easily for any setting too.
Here’s the free trial stuff including the card deck for two or more players. If you go downloads only and print your own card’s including the for sale solo deck it’s extremely cheap.
Demonship sounds almost exactly like what you're looking for.
Oh yeah, I heard there's even a module where you play the alien monster and there are random charts for what the NPC human survivors are doing while you stalk them with sick results like "Split up to search" and "Taste each other's face holes"
EDIT: Wait, no, that's Mothership RPG
This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 2023/10/11 21:24:10
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40k Potica Edition - 40k patch with reactions, suppression and all that good stuff. Feedback thread here.
Gangs of Nu Ork - Necromunda / Gorkamorka expansion supporting all faction. Feedback thread here.
I'd Solo play is a priority, I'd check out Two Hour Wargames.
https://twohourwargames.com/ They specialize in solo play in all their games. 5150 is technically a sci Fi game, but having read through it, I can say it would likely be a good fit for modern combat. At least download their free Chain Reaction rules to see if their mechanics are to your liking.
As another option, though not specifically a solo game, the reaction system in the modern combat system Force on Force makes it particularly well suited for solo play. It is ideal for a modern middle East setting with supplements for a variety of theaters including Iraq and Afghanistan. Solid rules for asymmetrical warfare as well .
https://www.ambushalleygames.net/ There is a download at the site with Solo play suggestions also.
Good luck in your search!
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/10/12 11:39:05
Thanks again everyone for all the suggestions. I now have a bunch of stuff to research! Since I am new to this, I am trying to figure out what I like and dislike about certain systems. Having a good simple AI I think is important to me. and having the AI have some randomness to it is a huge plus to me as I dont like being able to predict everything it does. I started this journey thinking Battletech was going to be my jam. But after getting it setup I realized I LOVE the theme, but fell off quickly because of the complexity and it not being geared towards solo play (turns were a slog).
loppydog wrote: Thanks again everyone for all the suggestions. I now have a bunch of stuff to research! Since I am new to this, I am trying to figure out what I like and dislike about certain systems. Having a good simple AI I think is important to me. and having the AI have some randomness to it is a huge plus to me as I dont like being able to predict everything it does. I started this journey thinking Battletech was going to be my jam. But after getting it setup I realized I LOVE the theme, but fell off quickly because of the complexity and it not being geared towards solo play (turns were a slog).
A good reaction system is probably going to be key to solo play for you. That is to say a rules system where an opponents actions (move, fire, assault) can have a variety of immediate effects on troops that are often out of the control of the player. Troops may fire back, retreat, go to ground, etc, and sometimes those effects will have an effect again on the initial acting unit. As you suggest, in it's best form, these systems encourage the player to plan for a variety of possible outcomes and function almost like a smooth AI. Two Hour Wargames and to a slightly lesser extent Ambush Alley (Force on Force) both incorporate systems that do that well. The possible downside of both of these systems is that they can seem complicated at first glance. I don't think either is terribly complicated, but it's a different approach from most wargames and can sometimes be hard to grok from the rulebook. I highly recommend looking up tutorial and playthrough videos online rather than trying to teach yourself the rules soley by reading.
Battletech is a venerable system, but it really has none of that. It's very much a system where every decision is guided by each player. I quite like the lighter version (designed for bigger games) of Battletech called Alpha Strike, but it also lacks any reaction mechanics.
Another system you might look at if only for ideas at are Space Weirdos and Sword Weirdos. They are very much NOT modern combat systems, but if you want to dabble in small skirmish zany sci-fi or fantasy combat they are alot of fun. They also have a nice basic reaction table where when a unit is attacked or shot at, there are a variety of effects that might occur. It's not as comprehensive as the systems I mentioned earlier, but it's pretty cool to see your figure attacked and then something cinematic might happen such as returning fire, diving for cover, freaking out, etc.... Both are cheap and can be seen here:
https://caseyg.itch.io/
One last suggestion. Two Hour Wargames (THW) sold several of their earlier rulesets to Rebel Miniatures some years ago. One is FNG which is a vietnam-era ruleset based on the THW reaction game engine. If 5150 is a bit too futuristic for what you're looking for, FNG might be up your alley.
https://rebelminis.com/hiru.html
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2023/10/12 15:15:37
Wow, thanks you so much for taking the time to share your valuable insight! I think maybe you touched on an important part, and that is the randomness. When watching videos, the main thing that was exciting for me with Haywire was how you didn’t know what each marker could be. It could the the Boss, couple random enemies or nothing at all. Also, before noise is made, troops patrol semi randomly, which allows for cool sneak attacks or even the enemy turning around at the most inopportune times. Oh yeah and having citizens in the mix makes for interesting battles! I guess I should also mention that I looked into bolt action, but the gameplay I saw didn’t seem to grab me.
loppydog wrote: Wow, thanks you so much for taking the time to share your valuable insight! I think maybe you touched on an important part, and that is the randomness. When watching videos, the main thing that was exciting for me with Haywire was how you didn’t know what each marker could be. It could the the Boss, couple random enemies or nothing at all. Also, before noise is made, troops patrol semi randomly, which allows for cool sneak attacks or even the enemy turning around at the most inopportune times. Oh yeah and having citizens in the mix makes for interesting battles! I guess I should also mention that I looked into bolt action, but the gameplay I saw didn’t seem to grab me.
You're very welcome. Seems like you're well on your way to finding a rule set that works for you. Haywire sounds very promising.
As for Bolt Action, it's a fine game, but definitely similar to most games that's are designed around players controlling the action.
That is again everyone for all the suggestions. I’ve been crazy busy, but I still intend to do a deep dive on each of these. One last question. I am also looking specifically at solo zombie hoard style wargames. I know there are a few out there. The specific one I honed in on is Project Z. It doesn’t seem to get the best reviews, but what do you guys think? Is there better games with similar mechanics with this theme. I would only be interested in solo or coop, no pvp. Thanks!
The first Stargrave expansion gives you solo/coop play and a zombie mini-campaign to survive through. It’s rather fun. You could also reskin operation last train for zombie combat easily enough.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/10/18 23:37:26
Please excuse any spelling errors. I use a tablet frequently and software keyboards are a pain!
loppydog wrote: That is again everyone for all the suggestions. I’ve been crazy busy, but I still intend to do a deep dive on each of these. One last question. I am also looking specifically at solo zombie hoard style wargames. I know there are a few out there. The specific one I honed in on is Project Z. It doesn’t seem to get the best reviews, but what do you guys think? Is there better games with similar mechanics with this theme. I would only be interested in solo or coop, no pvp. Thanks!
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