The Bazaar #64: Solo RPG for Rifts

[desrocfc]

There is a burgeoning industry of solo RPG’s, something I’ve started to dabble with (Mythic, AstroPrisma). Apparently, there is a massive audience of Rifts Players without a group to sit down and join. Seems to me this might be a market worthy of exploring! They *do* require a bit of a mindset shift.

I thought I'd write something up to start the conversation (full article link below to my Rifts Blog). Let’s chat about Solo RPGs, what they are, how they function, how they might be of benefit to you, either as a Player/GM with a regular group, or someone who wants to experience the world of Rifts but has no FLGS or group willing to play anything by d20 clones.....

https://www.scholarlyadventures.com/pos ... -for-rifts

Have you ever tried any of the multiple Solo RPGs out there? If so, what’s been your go to (and why)? Would you consider a Palladium Books or Rifts-specific Solo RPG product?

[Grazzik]

Interesting article, covers some good ground. There is a strong note about an oracle, but the point that rings very true for me is that everything is play.

While solo play (not 1 on 1, but actual solo) doesn't seem to be discussed often on this forum, I have to admit I do a lot of Rifts solo play when the gang can't get together. Have I TPK'd my own PC as a killer GM? Oh yeah, often in glorious and sometimes inglorious ways. Have I pulled a CYOA-esque hack of rolling back the last few strikes or even an entire fight just to see if it would turn out differently? Sure! Would love to hear other folks' experiences in solo playing Rifts.

Here are a few things I keep in mind when I solo play Rifts RAW (or RAW-adjacent):

• I don't intentionally import solo mechanics from non-PB solo games, I like the Rifts way of doing things
• I journal the heck out of the game as it is a way of keeping myself honest as both a player and a GM, often finding better ways of being both... also, it cuts down on GM planning as you can rely more on continuous improv to build on what came before
• You can easily tell when the story doesn't ring true if you aren't having fun
• I don't use an oracle mechanism, I just throw stuff at the PC and see if they come through okay focusing on the story narrative and PC's motivations to be the guardrails, rather than random elements
• It really lends itself to immersion when you feel trepidation about ratcheting up the difficulty for a PC you have invested a lot into since YOU are putting them into harms way, not another person... the only person you can blame is... um, the dice, yeah the dice.
• If there are elements of the setting or game you want to ignore, there's no disagreement
• If there are elements not in the setting or game you want to try, there's no disagreement... if they don't work out, just toss 'em
• While most of the time it is usually a sandbox with one or two initial backstory concepts establishing tone, I do use adventure modules from other games from time to time to give a PC a chance to take on a distinctive character without having to spend time/energy on the plot, but after the first one or two, it usually goes full sandbox
• The biggest shortcoming is combat power, as anything that can't be handled solo will require deus ex machina for the PC to survive... I've tried running multiple PCs solo to address this and that is a bookkeeping nightmare... I've also tried to have a PC supported with robot drones or "red shirts", but rolling for combat is a drag if all of the combatants but one (the PC) is potentially replaceable on a whim - this means either the power level can be quite low or there is a lot of munchkin maxing... I did have a regular PC make a successful (i.e. not die) solo run through a small horde of zombies with no munchkinism - it just meant using terrain to deal with the zombies in smaller manageable groups, so an overabundance of creativity is a must!
• The second biggest shortcoming is that you either munchkin max skills or you rely heavily on NPCs for skills you have no slots for
• That said, solo play of Rifts does have a puppet master feel to it that can be very rewarding... kinda like a mental version of a Sims-type game...

[MyDumpStatIsMA]

Apparently, there is a massive audience of Rifts Players without a group to sit down and join.

I can relate to this.

Would you consider a Palladium Books or Rifts-specific Solo RPG product?

To be honest, I'd rather have a middle ground option than going totally solo. I wish, for example, that AI was less stupid so a system could be developed that'd use AI to manage most elements of a campaign. Integrate it all into an app, run it off your phone or PC or whatever.

AI would need to be far more reliable than it currently is, for what I'm envisioning. It'd need to write dialogue, respond to your spoken or written dialogue, generate NPCs, etc. Hell, it might even be able to create art and turn the whole thing into an interactive visual novel.

[desrocfc]

<snipped to preserve post length; no snub intended>

A lot of great points there Grazzik, a lot of them covering some of the ground I've been exploring. I've been toying around with a Core Rules System (CRS) re-write for PB, one that is capable of handling any single system and traversing from one to the next, while keeping the current library viable for use. I've been scratching out some details for a possible chapter for a GM Emulator and NPC Generator/Emulator, as well as an introductory adventure, equally compatible for solo play or group play. I'm also editing through some adventure submissions that could work for solo or group.

Prepping a solo character for PB combat is a challenge, but I made a few key adjustments to a few core facets (e.g. M.D.C. = S.D.C. x 10, S.D.C. **can** damage M.D.C. but at 1/10th its impact (preserving the 1:100 ratio). The remainder is just formalizing rules presented across multiple game lines and later books (shadow edits) into a consolidated source. Oh yeah, and eliminating Cowboy as a Skill Category.

Thanks for the read and kind words!

[desrocfc]

Apparently, there is a massive audience of Rifts Players without a group to sit down and join.

I can relate to this.

Would you consider a Palladium Books or Rifts-specific Solo RPG product?

To be honest, I'd rather have a middle ground option than going totally solo. I wish, for example, that AI was less stupid so a system could be developed that'd use AI to manage most elements of a campaign. Integrate it all into an app, run it off your phone or PC or whatever.

AI would need to be far more reliable than it currently is, for what I'm envisioning. It'd need to write dialogue, respond to your spoken or written dialogue, generate NPCs, etc. Hell, it might even be able to create art and turn the whole thing into an interactive visual novel.

I understand your perspective. I'd rather have Rifts and PB on equal footing with d20 clones, but alas short of a re-launch of the Core Rules, I think it will chug along at it's current bandwidth and market penetration. Kevin/Shawn have managed to keep quality high, content immersive and fascinating, and price less than anything WotC/clones puts out.

As for AI, I think we're a ways away from that; short of whatever WotC is conjuring up for their online gaming platform - something I am vehemently avoiding. I *prefer* a sit-down game with friends and new acquaintances, but understand 'adult time' comes as a priority, the remainder a premium to be prioritized how one sees fit. Apparently it's a new market, perhaps enough cross-over with 'group at table' Players to make it worthwhile? <shrug>

[MyDumpStatIsMA]

I *prefer* a sit-down game with friends and new acquaintances, but understand 'adult time' comes as a priority, the remainder a premium to be prioritized how one sees fit. Apparently it's a new market, perhaps enough cross-over with 'group at table' Players to make it worthwhile? <shrug>

Yeah, the old fashioned tabletop method is the ideal, but failing to find that, it'd be nice to have an alternative. AI acting as GM would undoubtedly be inferior to real people, but it could still be a useful tool for experimentation with game systems, or trying out a character concept, etc.

[MyDumpStatIsMA]

This is pretty funny. I decided to run ChatGPT through a D&D scenario of its own creation. This was the result:

(note: everything I wrote I'll put asterisks by; everything else is from ChatGPT)

Elara beams, her hope shining through her worried demeanor. "Oh, that sounds perfect! Just remember to let your heart guide the melody. The Moonlit Glade is just beyond the village, filled with ancient trees and shimmering lights.

As you make your way there, the air grows cooler, and the faint sound of rustling leaves surrounds you. You can almost feel the sprite's playful energy lingering in the shadows. Prepare yourself for what lies ahead!"

I rolled 14/20, Pretty good, high chance of success. Continue the story accordingly.

As Arlo begins to play the lively dance tune, the glade comes alive. The trees sway gently, and a soft giggle echoes through the air. Suddenly, a small, shimmering sprite appears, eyes sparkling with mischief.

I rolled 1/20, very bad. This won't end well. Continue the story accordingly.

The sprite's laughter turns into a shrill cackle as Arlo's melody falters, the notes clashing awkwardly. The mischievous creature narrows its eyes, sensing weakness. "Is that all you've got?" it taunts, darting around Arlo in a blur of light.

Suddenly, with a flick of its wrist, it conjures a gust of wind that sends Arlo tumbling to the ground, disorienting him. The sprite snatches up the song scroll from where it had been hidden beneath a nearby rock, holding it just out of reach.

Arlo finds himself at a disadvantage, the sprite's playful energy now threatening.

I rolled 2/20, very bad. This won't end well. Continue the story accordingly.

Arlo stumbles, his voice faltering. The sprite giggles, twirling the scroll teasingly. "Catch me if you can!" it taunts.

*Wait, wait! I lost my focus because I was unsettled by your sudden appearance. Give me but one more chance to play my music as I intended.*

The sprite pauses, a glimmer of curiosity in its eyes. "One more chance? How delightful!" it chirps, but the moment Arlo begins to play again, the sprite unleashes a burst of energy that disrupts his melody.

Arlo feels a sharp pain as the magic backlash strikes him, causing him to stagger back.

"You'll have to do better than that!" the sprite mocks, dancing just out of reach, the scroll still clutched tightly in its tiny hands. The air crackles with tension as Ario realizes he must act quickly before the sprite grows bored and decides to attack again.

*Maybe you're not in the mood for music? That's fine. But I can do other things to entertain you. I can dance, recite poetry, make riddles, or even partake in such base knavery as a drinking game! What strikes your fancy?*

The sprite's eyes widen with intrigue, its playful demeanor shifting slightly. "Oh, a dance? Poetry? Riddles?" It claps its tiny hands together, clearly entertained by the options.

"How about a riddle?" it suggests, tilting its head. "If you can stump me, I might just consider giving back that scroll of yours!" The sprite leans in closer, eager and expectant.

"What's your riddle, bard?" it prompts, a mischievous grin spreading across its face.

*What's as wide as the ocean, deep as a puddle, and flows never-ending?*

The sprite's eyes narrow in concentration, its tiny brow furrowing as it ponders the riddle. "As wide as the ocean, deep as a puddle... flows never-ending?" It flits back and forth, clearly intrigued but struggling to find the answer.

"Is it... a river?" it guesses, a hint of uncertainty in its voice. "No, no, that can't be right! Tell me, what is it?" The sprite seems genuinely stumped, its playful demeanor wavering as it awaits Arlo's response.

*Pride.*

The sprite's expression shifts from confusion to realization, its eyes widening in surprise. "Pride!" it exclaims, a mix of admiration and frustration in its voice. "Clever bard! You've caught me off guard with that one."

With a reluctant sigh, the sprite flutters its wings and retrieves the precious song scroll from behind a nearby tree. "Very well, you’ve earned this," it says, handing over the scroll with a hint of respect. "But remember, pride can be a double-edged sword."

Arlo now holds the scroll, feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over him.

*I bow to the sprite politely, and give my thanks for a good and fair game.*

The sprite beams at Arlo, its mischievous nature momentarily softened by the bard's graciousness. "Thank you, kind bard! May your melodies always flow!" With a playful wink, it zips away into the shadows of the Moonlit Glade, leaving Arlo with the precious song scroll in hand. The glade feels lighter now, as if the air itself hums with newfound energy.

*I return to Elara and tell her the news.*

Arlo makes his way back through the enchanting Moonlit Glade, the precious song scroll clutched tightly in his hands. As he approaches the village, the sun begins to dip below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the cobblestone paths.

Elara stands at the edge of the village, her eyes scanning the forest anxiously. When she spots Arlo, hope ignites in her gaze. "Did you find it?" she calls out, her voice trembling with anticipation.

With a triumphant smile, Arlo unfurls the scroll, its shimmering surface catching the fading light. "I have it!" he exclaims, the weight of his journey lifting. Elara rushes forward, tears of joy glistening in her eyes as she reaches for the scroll.

*I give her the scroll, while asking what makes it so important to her and her family.*

As Arlo hands the scroll to Elara, her fingers tremble with reverence. "This scroll holds our family's legacy," she whispers, her voice a soft melody of nostalgia. "It contains songs passed down through generations—tales of love, loss, and hope. Each note weaves our history together."

Her eyes glisten as she continues, "Without it, our stories fade into silence. The sprite may have taken it for mischief, but to us, it's irreplaceable." She clutches the scroll to her chest, a mixture of relief and gratitude washing over her. "Thank you, Arlo. You’ve not only retrieved a scroll; you've restored our family's heart."

The village around them seems to breathe easier, the weight of lost melodies lifted.

[MyDumpStatIsMA]

Sorry for the long post, I didn't think it'd take up quite so much room. I can delete it or cut some of it if you want.

Anyway, the funny part is that after all was said and done, and I stayed overnight in Elara's house with her family, I was going to leave the next day...

...and the GM forgot I finished the quest already. It acted like I hadn't done it and was about to embark on it all over again. Evidently something I said screwed it up. All I did was ask if there was anything else the family needed before I left.

So, yeah, kinks to work out.

I will admit it's cool how it handled the riddle. I was tempted to cheat like in the Hobbit when Bilbo asks Gollum 'what's in my pocket?'; but then I thought the sprite might get angry at an obvious attempt to cheat. So then I went with the intentionally nebulous question I asked, which really could have several different answers (vanity, pride, ignorance, etc), and is not a very good riddle. I was hoping, though, that it didn't recognize it as overt cheating, and it didn't. So that part was impressive.

[Grazzik]

Sorry for the long post, I didn't think it'd take up quite so much room. I can delete it or cut some of it if you want.
...

Pls don't delete, that was a great example / read. The advances in AI sophistication in the last year is only accelerating and, this time next year, I'm sure we might be talking about which different AI tools acting as GMs are more fair or seem to be becoming jerks / killer GMs as they pick up bad habits from published content... basically replacing the fallible human GM with a fallible machine GM.

That said, my personal, somewhat luddite view is that when the a solo player surrenders the GM role to an AI, solo play moves from theatre of the mind to a video game and loses a bit of the magic. The AI storytelling is convenient and may become better than anything most GMs or solo players come up with, but there is an intrinsic fragile art to solo play that AI can easily shatter.

Hmmm... if some Rifts gamebooks survived the Cataclysm, does Archie GM sessions with Hagan?

[MyDumpStatIsMA]

Pls don't delete, that was a great example / read. The advances in AI sophistication in the last year is only accelerating and, this time next year, I'm sure we might be talking about which different AI tools acting as GMs are more fair or seem to be becoming jerks / killer GMs as they pick up bad habits from published content... basically replacing the fallible human GM with a fallible machine GM.

I've found one site that has different AI personalities; just going by the description, one's a stingy a-hole, one's generous with rewards/XP, and another's neutral. So you can evidently choose to have an abusive GM.

But yeah, the current state of AI is mixed. On one hand it's extremely impressive it can do what it does, even in small doses. On the other hand, it makes mistakes even that same short span. For instance, notice how the sprite went from retrieving the scroll from under a rock, to having it in its hand, to then retrieving it from behind a tree? Minor quibble, but still. I would imagine it's very easy to break the AI's train of 'thought' by doing anything too weird.

I had never considered sneaking into the glade to steal the scroll, or using my magic abilities to do anything, but I guess I could have. I originally asked Elara (quest giver) what she knew about the sprite, and she suggested that I play music for it. So I did. It's weird that the GM made me roll 3 times in quick succession, but then I didn't have to roll at all for the riddle. I'm glad, actually, because boiling the riddle down to a skill check would've ruined it. With no roll, it felt like a legitimate exchange between me and the NPC.

I tried a different AI GM than the Elara one (which was just generic fantasy with D&D flavor but not the actual rules); the new one is D&D rules-specific. I made a monk (the AI generated an avatar which was pretty good considering my barebones description), and was presented with a starting scenario where I'm in town and I meet an older monk from my monastery, and we evidently haven't spoken recently. Instead of being given a quest, he asks me what I'm doing in town; which I consider a prompt for me to make my own quest. So I tell him that I'm getting supplies for a pilgrimage to a nearby shrine. He asks what's special about the shrine. I say it has strong ambient chi, and I want to meditate there to cleanse my spirit. He asks why my spirit's troubled. I say I wonder if I'm meant to be a monk, or if I just happened into it because I was given to the monastery as an orphan (note: I'm making up all of this as I write it to the AI, so I'm not being particularly careful or elaborate). He replies that the coming journey will give me the answers I seek, and he offers to help me find out more about the shrine and how to reach it. And I stopped there for the session.

Overall it was a pretty good conversation. I'll see where it goes.

That said, my personal, somewhat luddite view is that when the a solo player surrenders the GM role to an AI, solo play moves from theatre of the mind to a video game and loses a bit of the magic. The AI storytelling is convenient and may become better than anything most GMs or solo players come up with, but there is an intrinsic fragile art to solo play that AI can easily shatter.

Certainly. You go from being the director to simply reacting to prompts. I doubt it'll hold my attention long term, but it's definitely fun to experiment with in the short term.

[MyDumpStatIsMA]

I just tried another AI GM (so, the third for anyone keeping track). It's the most detailed so far, with a lot more skill checks. I'm playing a Warlock and I'm level 1 with just a couple of cantrips, one of them Prestidigitation. I use it more than expected. In one session I:

Was accosted by a group of thugs. I threw a bag of illusory coins at their feet and ran.
Was dangling from a rooftop, about to be accosted by (other) thugs. I made it appear as if an expensive ring fell off my hand and into a water barrel beneath me.
I was trying to sneak into an Inn and was confronted by an employee. I said I was a city inspector looking into a rat infestation, and I created the illusion of a really strong stench and said it was the rats causing it, which then allowed me to inspect a hidden storage area.
I dressed like a beggar and rolled an imaginary apple (as if I'd dropped it accidentally) towards a group of people I wanted to eavesdrop on.

For the record, this is how I'd normally play in most games. Avoiding combat, trying to talk or trick my way out of everything. But in this particular case, since I'm playing solo (I tried to recruit an NPC and was turned down), I'm extra careful to avoid needless fights.

I was just about to finalize a deal with a rival thief in which we split the contents of a magic box between us, so as to avoid a fight and satisfy our employers. I'm not 100% sure my employer would be okay with half the contents, but I'm winging it. Anything to avoid a fight. I ran out of dialogue, though. Most of these AI services have a monthly charge after the trial period ends.