Yes... But What Actually Happens?

 A vast number of writers have stories about telling someone that they are a writer and being offered a "million-dollar" story idea. Said person will be happy to share it for half of the story's profits and all the author has to do is write the thing.

This reflects a profound ignorance of both the craft and the business of writing. First is the idea that there is any money to writing. The second is that there is any special value to ideas. Anyone in the industry can tell you that the real challenge is not the uniqueness of the idea but the quality of its implementation.

The hardest part of writing is not coming up with an idea for a story, or even characters. It's not even coming up with a plot. It's the process of actually putting those ideas into words. With the proliferation of various story structure schemes, it's possible to outline a detailed plot, craft richly detailed characters, know your story's theme and symbolism, and still be stuck trying to decide how to begin the thing. In fact, those schemes may make it worse since they give you so many additional elements to juggle instead of just thinking of what would be fun or interesting.

I don't have as much experience with solo RPGs, but I expect similar or even worse difficulties.

Fortunately, there is an increasing number of "Oracles" available to gamers to suggest story events. Unfortunately, many of them are both arbitrary and random, containing vague non-sequiturs that confuse as much as inspire... 

So I spent much of Thanksgiving weekend compiling a semi-structured list of several hundred plot objectives. My goal was to create something that was both exhaustive and structured so that one could select the scope of randomness desired. It turns out that "exhaustive" and "structured" are rather difficult to balance. To make matters worse, reading some actual play accounts, it seems that many players prefer a very simple--even minimalistic--tool.   

I've always liked the telescoped approach where you provide a simple basic structure and allow for optional levels of increasing detail. Among the numerous scholarly papers that I've read on procedurally generated content, one of the authors discussed how you can generate an enormous amount of material by combining several smaller lists of items.

With those two things in mind, I tried to sort my not-yet-exhaustive list of plot objectives into basic categories. 

Action Goals

1. Creation – create something new or cause something to be
2. Destruction – kill, impair, render useless
3. Protection – prevent or resist change and maintain the status quo
4. Change – improve, repair, redirect, persuade or transport
5. Knowledge – detect, identify, locate
6. Concealment – hide, deceive, trick
7. Control – buy or sell, steal or give, capture or release
8. Help – advise, assist, equip or empower

Domains

1. Information, Ideas
2. Person, Relationship, Organization
3. Place
4. Thing, Tool, Resource

This is certainly subject to change, but I think it can already cover a very broad range of missions. For example, Knowledge + Concealment + Organization could cover a spy mission while Concealment + Destruction + Place could be a sneak attack.

I'm still planning on expanding this into a more robust-yet-still-structured list so that if you already know you want some sort of investigation mission, you can randomly select from among a number of options which would not only include more specifics but supplementary lists of required support elements as well.

MOODPIGS, Solo RPGS, and Oracles

Why?

When the subject of Solo RPGs comes up, one of the first questions asked (besides why) is how? Stories, story games, and RPGs all involve some sense of exploration and mystery solving. How do you play a game like that when you are the one creating it and thus know everything before you begin?

Good question. The simplest response would be: through the use of an oracle.

It turns out, that using an oracle is not really that much different than how a regular game is run. Sure, a bad GM will construct a plot and then railroad the players into following it regardless of player "choices." A competent GM will usually have some sort of plot or plot elements ready but understands that (as the much-paraphrased saying goes) no plan survives first contact with the enemy and so is prepared to wing it when the players inevitably head off in unexpected directions. Experienced GMs frequently don't even prepare a plot. They'll just lay the toys out for the players, read their reactions, and push plot elements in front of them as appropriate--rather like a jazz player riffing on narrative rather than musical themes.

I'm sure that many players have posed a question to their GM for which they were entirely unprepared. More then once I've seen (and done this as well) a GM quickly assign probabilities for various outcomes in their head then roll a dice to determine what actually happens. This is no different than what happens in Solo play. In fact, when you consider that both the GM and the players are responding to ideas randomly generated by the other, it really is no different than if dice had determined both the setup and results of a player's actions. (And I've had some pretty random players.)

So what is an Oracle and how do you use it?

An "Oracle" is a simple tool or method that a solo player uses to help him determine the results of a narrative question. In its simplest form, it can just be tossing a coin and calling out heads or tails or rolling a die and calling odds or evens.  It helps the player make a decision when they truly have no idea how to respond and it helps them avoid common repetitive responses, injecting a certain sense of surprise and uncertainty to the game/story.

More complex versions can provide additional information. Usually, these are fairly generic Magic 8 Ball kind of responses that have to be interpreted within the context of the game events to determine the outcome. (Presumably this is how it got the name "oracle")  Just as how early RPGs went from simple binary "hit" or "miss" results on character action rolls to a more graduated series of responses (including critical success/failure or partial success/failure) the most common oracles take a clue from improv theater and--in addition to a simple yes/no--introduce the concepts of yes/no and... or yes/no but...

In practice, these tools are little different than the random encounter tables, NPC reaction tables, or critical hit tables used in traditional RPGs. The oracle tables are simply a more generalized form that allows their use in a broader range of situations. Considering their similarities, you could argue that RPGs have always included an oracle in some form as a part of the game.

An Example: The MOODPIGS Oracle

Above, I've included the oracle for the solo adaptation of MOODPIGS on which I am working. The normal resolution system for MOODPIGS is a comparison of the results of opposing dice pools. The dice pool's size will generally start within a range of 1-6 dice and may increase by adding an additional 1-3 dice and/or by re-rolling dice. An "average" value--such as might be used in a situation where no particular skills or situational modifiers apply--is 2 dice. The player would roll his 2 Action Dice (labeled AD in the table above) for his character's actions, while the GM (or sometimes the player himself) rolls the Challenge Dice. (CD in the table above) Simply compare the AD and CD results to the Oracle table to determine the outcome.

Breaking Ties and keeping the story moving.

Some game resolution systems--including MOODPIGS--allow for the possibility of a tie. This is problematic as an answer to a yes/no question. In fact, depending on the relative size of the competing dice pools, the chance of a tie can rise as high as 33%. While some degree of ambiguity may be appropriate for anything that gives at least some pretense of following reality, nothing is more annoying than repeatedly being told to try again. As a result, 2 of the 3 possible tie results have been given slightly different interpretations so that the story can move forward even if the story's character doesn't. In addition to the ambiguous Yes...and No, there is Interruption/New Event which means that before you can even find out the answer to your question a new situation has taken over and must be dealt with. And... (taking a clue from the Recluse Solo Engine) there is Question Assumptions, which means that the question itself is based on a misunderstanding. Something that is assumed to be true (or false) isn't and you need to re-examine what you think you know.   

Interpreting the Results

• Yes, And — The answer is not only yes, but the results are even more yes than expected.
• Yes, But — The answer is yes, but only mostly yes. The results are compromised.
• Question Assumptions — The question is based on a false assumption. Reconsider something assumed as true.
• Yes — Keep going based on this fact being true.
• Yes… And No — Or neither. The results are ambiguous, or the task is bigger than expect. Additional requirements must be met or a different approach tried.
• No, But — some aspect may be true or some path might be found to the desired outcome.
• Interruption / New Event — Something new and unexpected and probably urgent has come up.
• No — Consequences may follow.
• No, And — Not only no, but worse than no.

The oracle presented here--and indeed as most oracles are--is evenly balanced between yes and no responses. Sometimes the player may wish to weigh the answers a little more heavily toward the yes or the no while still allowing for the possibility of either reply. This can be done by simply rolling extra dice but counting only 2 of them (the 2 highest or 2 lowest depending on which way you want to eight them) or by rerolling 1 of the 2 dice if one of them happened to not be counted.

An Example

A character is attempting a task that is not particularly likely to succeed, but which could be very helpful if it does. This task does not fall into any of the normal skill categories so the player decides to use a standard 2 Action Dice vs 2 Challenge Dice roll but to give the Challenge Dice a bonus to indicate the increased difficulty of succeeding. The player has already determined that only even-numbered results (e.g. 2,4,6) will be counted as passing. Odd results (1,3,5) will not be counted. The player has 2 options.

Option 1: The player rolls 2AD vs 3CD but if all 3 CD come up as even, he only counts the results as 2.

Option 2: The player rolls 2AD vs 2CD, but if 1 or more CD come up as odd, he may reroll one of them.

The end result is the same either way. It is simply a matter of preference as to whether one wants to roll more dice or make more rolls. 

As you can see from the chart above, using 2D vs 2D gives an even chance of success, failure or a mixed result. By adding 1 dice to 1 side, the odds of 1 outcome happening increases from 33% to 44%. Adding 2 dice bumps it up even further to 58.33%. You can add even more, but once the ratio passes 2:1 you might as well just determine the results outright.

M.O.O.D.P.I.G.S

 

I got drawn into RPGs in the 70's when my brother came home with a bunch of photocopied pages from the 1st edition D&D PHB and DMG books. It wasn't long before we had the basic set then, later, every single 1st ed AD&D book printed at the time. Pressed into service as the DM, I was often forced to adjudicate stuff that wasn't covered by the rules, which led to modding the rules, which led--eventually--to trying to create my ideal game system. 

It turns out that's kind of hard. And on top of that, my ideal system changes from time to time over the years. At this point, I would consider just getting a complete system something of an accomplishment.

Lately, I've spent a little more time on Reddit wandering around various RPG subreddits including onepagerpgs which inspired me to try to condense my current attempt down to a single page. More than just an interesting challenge, I find such exercises in focus very helpful in defining just exactly what my goals are.

The result? M.O.O.D.P.I.G.S

I'm not married to the name. It doesn't (necessarily) have anything to do with moods or pigs. (But then I'm not one to tell what to have or not have in your game.)  I've considered swapping the two middle stats around and calling it SPAR, but I thought that might sound like I was trying too hard. At least this name is pretty memorable. 

A number of changes have not been playtested very much, but then it's not a huge departure from other games I've played/run. The tri-fold brochure layout is more convenient for printing before using, but I've always liked the idea of explaining the game to a prospective new player by just handing them a simple brochure.

If anyone feels like playtesting this, I'd love to hear how it goes.

Thinking the Unthinkable

I have lately found myself considering something that I would have considered appalling only a few months ago. 

Solo RPGs 

A Solo RolePlay Game sounds like an oxymoron. RolePlay games (not the computer simulations of a vaguely Tolkien-esque warriors whacking elves and orcs with swords) could probably be best described as collaborative improvisational fiction. They frequently use funny-shaped dice, sometimes small figurines, and they almost always use rules. (Sometimes many MANY rules.) The idea of a solo RPG just sounds ludicrous. 

Defenders often suggest that one should just consider it as a form of a writing exercise. I can see that, except that I've never cared for writing exercises. While they can sometimes get the juices flowing, they rarely (if ever?) produce anything I'd actually want to read. Besides, I have my own system for writing novels. 

I successfully did NaNoWriMo 9 1/2 years in a row. I've finished at least 6 full-length novels and have numerous others in various states of completion. I've most likely written around a million words, writing exercises seem like wasted effort... except... the more I read about solo RPGs, the more interested I've become. 

It began with a rare but crippling bout of writer's block following some serious PTSD. Since then, I've been stuck on a novel titled The Awakened which I've occasionally described as:

Imagine if the Light and Dark sides of the Force were semi-sentient pan-dimensional life forces engaged in a proxy war where they recruit combatants by infecting them, granting them amazing powers which enevitably destroy their warriors.

I'm excited and committed to this story, but I can't seem to get my hands around it. There's too much to grip. Conceived as a tight third-person POV, I may have to broaden it. After listening to the audiobooks of JC (Wildbow) McCrae's serialized novels Worm and Ward and Twig, I've considered doing something much the same. But I've got to write it first. 

So why Solo RPGs?

Thinking back to when all we had in the RPG field was the basic D&D box set and the Advanced books, we spent a lot of time planning games that didn't always get played due to lack of players. The Lone-wolf books sometimes helped fill the void and, where it didn't, we'd use the random dungeon generator in the back of the DMG, a TRS80 Microcomputer, a little BASIC knowledge and create our own procedurally generated adventures much like the later Wizardry games. 

In some sense, Solo RPGs feel a little like we've come full circle. If nothing else it feels a little more like venturing out into the unknown rather than re-treading the same ground over and over again. Scrolling through forums and reading about yet another Tolkien-esque/D&D clone game session makes me shudder. And while real magic can happen around a table of 4 or 5 other players, it's harder to escape cliches when others are involved, and no story generated by a committee is ever worth reading.

Also, I like procedurally generated things. I'm fascinated by the phenomenon of emergent complexity--surprising complex behaviors generated by simple rules --and lately I've been reading a lot about human cognition and various approaches to behavioral simulation like MircoPsi and OpenPsi

I'm also fascinated by the mechanics of how stories work. And while I wasn't looking, the indie RPG community has made great strides catching up to some advanced narrative theory, while the Solo RPG community has come up with some really interesting tools that can at least suggest some of the procedural approaches used elsewhere.

Perhaps Solo RPGs are simply a thing whose time has come, or perhaps I'm just distracting myself from the real job of writing, or maybe I'll find a way out of this inexplicable creative blockage. Either way, I'm assembling my tools and preparing to experiment. We'll see what happens.