I finally played my first session of solo play last night after trying and failing to start over the past few months. What struck me most was…how excited I was to find out what happened with each roll and how often I decided I didn’t need to roll for what happened next, I just knew what made the most sense and was most interesting to me. I liked my own ideas. Your videos gave me the push I needed, especially your videos like these. Thank you for helping me enter this world and helping me realize that I don’t enjoy spending time with myself, and I might want to change that. Thank you for your vulnerability and your unfiltered thoughts on psychology, solo roleplaying, and everything else.
Congrats on your first session! It warms my heart to hear these kinds of stories, thanks for sharing. Man Alone is fantastic, and makes our lives better.
Your description of the “I keep buying new games but I never play them…” phase is so spot on. I’ve been feeling that, and struggling to accept the next step, but the way you described what you might do with your copy of Troika someday really struck a chord with me. Earlier today I had a moment where I was looking at my collection of unplayed books, and I just had this feeling of happiness wash over me that kind of came out of nowhere, and I just thought “I love my books.” I think a big part of that was finally doing a solo session for the first time yesterday :)
I did the whole “buy everything that looks interesting” and let’s be honest, that’s still going on. I got Ruthless Heaven, Boundless Fate yesterday and I just ordered a bundle with Ironsworn and Ironsworn: Delve. I’ve tried to play a handful of Blackoath (Alex T.) games but having to learn the rules means I might start making a character and then get bogged down before I get to play. On the other hand, I have played one session of Fighting Fantasy, and one dungeon worth of Notequest because they are very straightforward to start. I did play Ironsworn: Starforged for 3 months everyday in a co-op play-by-post (our story was 36,000 words long before the other players just stopped in the middle of a mission). Also one round of Ironsworn co-op before that which was intense because we did setup all the Truths, make characters, try to figure out how to play and use oracles in our first session and got burned out haha. I decided to focus on Salvage & Sorcery so I’m trying to learn it and get started, taking notes on the book. Maybe I can get started playing today. Once I get to the really fun part it should get better.
I am at that point right now. Just decided to stop buying books and start playing them. It is possible, folks. It happens. There is a way out 😂. And I do love my books man. I have a magnificent collection
Guess putting one self financial restrictions.. either voluntarily or by necessity makes one skip this part. But. I think in buying stuff lies a quest of its own.. the quest for the holy grail. Beware, it leads you to a lot of silly places!
I really enjoyed reading through the comments and even copied some of them into my diary, because I found them so helpful. It also helped me accept the fact, that I am just an ordinary guy with the same problems most of us solo gamers face at some point. Thanks to you all for your comments, helpful advice and thank you Man Alone for this great vid. At some point I fell asleep, but that's due to me doing research for my world building in slumber land. That's the beauty of the Internet - I will just watch your video again.
The biggest learnings for me 1- Two years ago, I found that there was treasure trove of rpg supplement, games, books, videos that explain and talk about solo rpg! The hobby has exploded: tons of indie designers on itch have material, big publisher are starting to support solo play seriously. 2- We were in another dimension compared to Fighting Fantasy gamebook with oracle, and all it's variants and focus/action/theme tables. 3- Playing solo allow you to learn the game rules of a system, you don't need to start with your friends. 4- All the tools and experience in solo helps you to become a better Game Master 5- Exploring & discovering what I prefer in a solo rpg: mechanics (skills, no skills, combat options), narrative, a good mix of both, world building, settings, using maps for inspiration, journaling,... 6- We are all desginers: You can mix & match rules/mechanics from different system to enhance your experience.
When my mother got cancer, I was in the middle of an Old School Essentials solo game, classic fantasy stuff. During all the hospital visits, with endless hours available, I kept playing. But suddenly I found myself writing "somewhere, an old woman lay dying on a bed". I looked at the words for a while and it just kind of made sense. Like a weird merging of realities. Basically what I've learned about Solo play is that it's good to just let it go in whatever direction it wants. It's kind of like breathing; you can take a breath deliberately, but it also just ticks along subconsciously too. Until it doesn't
I've considered myself a solo-gamer for my entire life. From "playing" with the DK Eyewitness cross-section illustration castle book to finding and poring over AD&D books and modules as a preteen in my friends walk-in closet. Something just clicked in me when my best friends older brother loaned me the Lord of the Rings ICE adventure game box set (the one with the Angus McBride art of Eowyn confronting the witch-king on the cover) and I saw the maps and realized that ANYTHING could happen in those hobbit holes and regions that were mapped. I wanted to drink tea and eat pastry in the comfort of a hobbit hole in the late evening after foraging for mushrooms and getting into trouble with the nearby farmers. The act of being proactively creative is so wonderfully satisfying because as you say it is actually difficult, it thwarts hedonic adaptation because its challenges are always present, but they yield in ways that you don't expect. It's those wonderful sessions where you realize that it's 3 in the morning and you have so many unanswered questions to explore.
For me solo rpg games tell me how much “crunch” in mechanics I want. Most of the time I want less crunch and more story, so I favor “mechanics light” games. Others may really enjoy mechanical gear turning, and knowing where you fall along that spectrum is quite valuable in determining how you relax into a gaming world.
What I learned from my Solo RPG plays is: - Don't sweat it. Don't follow the rules like a fanatic religious person. - Do what feels more natural. - Bend the rules if needed. - Stop playing if you feel stuck. Continue your game after some time and new ideas will come. - The start is one of the most difficult parts. Once you get started many things will come natural. - You don't need to know everything from the start or before the game starts. Just a few info and start play. Ask and answer questions as they come. - who cares if you make mistakes? It's your game. No one is judging. - Solo RPGs can be creative. - Keep notes or a journal. It makes a good read after some time. - You don't need a lot of rulebooks or supplements or helping tables and such. An Oracle can be just the only tool you need most of the times. Just have fun. Stop when tired. Get back when you feel like it.
@@sumdude4281 Yeah, I know. It happens to most of us. But it's just a "mind play" if you think of it. Look, you can think it as a "fate's way" or "powers of good" or just God, to help your hero get the right things done when needed. Unless you are playing a game of "see how he/she died" or something. Then you can let the bad things happen as they come. 😁
@@sumdude4281 By the way, you don't need to cheat or something that gulitful. Just avoid your character to get killed. Like any big hero in books or movies etc, he/she can't die (unless you want to). But there can be other consequences. The bad guy shots your hero. Your hero doesn't have to die. He can be unconscious. Then someone finds the hero but without any memories. Or in such a bad condition that has to spend a lot of time healing and hiding until gets better to find the bad guy again while presumed dead. See, there are many options just with a small modification of a rule. 😉
Man you hit the nail on the head im at the buying stuff i wanna try phase. Ive been wanting to do solo for so long but i always just stop right before i start i own well over 200 different rpg systems and solo helpers like mythic and charts, and hearing your view that for just a little bit im not me but this person going on an adventure, so im gonna start my Battletech rpg adventure as a pilot for the SLDF at the start of the Reunification War, wish me luck ;)
Quentin from Marketing here! It sounds like you didn't pay attention during onboarding!! At this company we are a Family!!! Every one of us has an important job, and if we just all meet our KPIs for the quarter then we'll all SHARE THE WEALTH!!! I mean, I know we haven't gotten raises in a while, but we're in this together right!!?!? Just keep our Team Values and our Mission Statement in mind, I like to repeat them in my daily prayers, and I'm pretty sure that's going to pay off with a promotion in the next few years!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, listen, I don't know that "internecine" and "inchoate" mean, but you don't need any words other then the words that are in the Employee Handbook!!! See you at the Team Meeting on Monday!!
I think the one thing I would say that I have learned from Solo RPG play, is it is okay to mash a bunch of stuff together for something unique. And I buy everything Alex T produces. But here is an example, I wanted to a scene to meet a patreon at a tavern. But I really wanted that Tavern to be unique and not just something non-descriptive. So I have bought Broken Cask a while back and even had Broken Cask Society as well. So it offered me a chance to pull out the book and generate a tavern. Now, I got a unique location to return to when needed. So I see a lot of the supplements and solo stuff I purchase as a toolkit to return to when needed. Also, don’t be afraid of changing systems in the middle of what ever game you are playing. Just switch it up. Not everything translates straight through, but that is okay. Maybe it is a flash back or an alternative universe briefly. Lastly, I would say I want to seem more systems embrace group to solo back to group play. Star Trek Adventures / Captain’s Log planted this idea firmly in my mind. Where you have a group adventure that is going on and then between sessions you can do this solo side missions. Seemed like a wonderful idea. Marvel Multiverse also seems like another setting where this should also be possible.
Hi Man. Just discovered your channel this week and wanted to say that I have found the handful of videos I’ve had the time to watch so far incredibly helpful, useful, enlightening, entertaining and thought-provoking. “Everybody has somewhere to go, but nobody is arriving anywhere.” That made me pause the video and have a bit of a think. I’m looking forward to diving into the back catalogue. Thanks for this channel.
This is high-quality ManAlone content right here. Fresh. Also, Troika is amazing. If you want to see it in action The Ragamancers at Science Fantasy Awesome did a great playthrough. I th
When I traveled for work back in the day, and even in the days on Active Duty when I did 6 month deployments , I always took a game with me, to study, practice, play. A couple of times there were actually a couple of us interested in the same game that we did get a session in off duty. Mainly board wargames.
I'm 3 months into the soloRPG venture, first two weeks were almost a manic shopping spree, because ttRPGs were a hobby I abandoned some 18yrs ago, and I was speedrunning any% the last 2 decades. Then I came to my senses and realised I'm buying too much into the future and this is supposed to be for me-now, so I became cold, calculating, rational, austere with my fantasies and turned on impulse control. It helped, but not entirely - so I rescoped into "This is a mountain that will keep growing, and it is fine, because I will never,never run out of steps to climb, just don't let me lose sight of the peak". I do think there is a danger of lingering in the impulse-collectivist mindset, and just giving in to compulsive buying without actually starting to play is safe and comfortable, but that's missing the point.
Video 67 of me liking and then commenting on every new upload to tell the viewers that the Man Alone Podcast is absolutely some of that sweet, unhinged audio/vocal-honey. Psssst. Anybody into astrobiology? The study of life, its existence and/or possibility, outside of earth’s atmosphere? Most people jump straight to aliens. But I’m talking about possible life on a microbiological level. Bacteria in a small pool of water on a hospitable planet thousands of light years away. Or plants thriving in the ecosystem of a planet in our neighboring galaxy.
What I learned is it’s not as easy as it looks, there is a space in your head that you have to break through. While playing my motivation dies to the futility of having complete control. But also geek gamer said thinking or playing anywhere near the space is still solorpg gaming. Like get off your own back don’t give into pressure
I am not a fan of Jazz music, however, I will use the analogy. The Mork Borg Universe is like a Jazz or Jam band, and a conversation as you said perhaps. It is people riffing off the central idea and then the riffs that come along. And this should be a wraning to the Disney, Marvel, copyright lock down folks. The creative work that people can build on, reshape and rework, re-relate, reflavor is sooo much more vibrant than one group locking down the canon, regurgitating the same formula. This is one thing I love about RPGs, it is also the thing I love about narrative gaming, you can reshape rebuild. Though no longer a fan of 40K it inspired me at first because I could visualize my own Chapter of Space Marines, but the tournament chasing locked down format crushed the creativity out of it. For me. So ROCK ON! Solo RPG Jammers!
I'm a RPG player and also a GM, I play with a group, but I also buy things that will probably will never play with my group. Those are the things I decided to solo play just to see how the mechanics work and have something that doesn't depend on the time others have available. I found it very empowering to keep changing from player to GM to oracle. I log my things in a LITrpg way, with all the dice throws involved, because I like to keep those as also an explanation about how the rules work.
Distraction v Investment. I feel like many games are distractions when you solo play. Until you made me think about Journaling. Now when I journal my games I feel like it is not just a distraction it is a creative wrting exercise.
It didn't go that way for me. I wanted to play DnD for 10+ years before I got into a game. Then I played like 4-5 sessions before I wanted more. I wanted to play everyday. So I watched solo TTRPG videos for like 100 hours before I bought one (2D6 Dungeon). It came on a Thursday and I got to play on Friday night. Then I found your channel. Now I'm making my own game. Love this shit.
I'm 100% in the "I wanna buy this" phase, but I will say that I also just love having hardcover books of interesting systems. In fact, OSE Advanced Referee and His Majesty the Worm just came in today, now I need to find a nice set of tarot cards to go along with it. Also also, Pendragon, Harnworld and Harnmaster 4e are the next books on the list to acquire. Will I ever play them? Who knows, but if I ever get a medivel kick I will 110% be ready for it!
"Love the possibility of what it can be and don't get onto the next step" - this has actually hit me. Now I understood why I like to think of and start new plays but don't usually go further than one or two sessions. I feel excited about the game before it starts, and when it actually gets to playing, it becomes more material and objective, and I get less interested - because its not as flashy and exciting as feelings my abstract fantasies and expectations are. It sounds simple but wow, just how has it striked me. Now, wonder where this piece of mind gets me...
I probably wasn't hit with the "constant buying" phase as badly as some other people since I'm an extremely cheap person and only collect free stuff, but I was still hit with the lure to make purchases in preparation for solo. I would search every Goodwill and Dollar Tree for cheap board games and tabletop pieces I can repurpose for solo rp. I collected 5 games before I realized, "I'm not gonna actually use these, am I?" Once I stopped myself I was finally able to play my first session. I'm still waiting on a tarot deck I bought myself 2 days ago, though, so I guess I didn't really stop myself.
"It's not a distraction, it's an investment." - thank you for calling this out. Distraction can feel bad or a waste of time. But an investment is so much more true and meaningful. 27:02
In my buying too much solo stuff phase, I got both of the Table Fables books. They didn't really connect with me. Too generic and short. There's a table of 10 country names, and you worldbuild one continent, or use them for baronies and its already exhausted. That said, her Arcane Artifacts and Curious Curios tome is phenomenal. So many unique and creative magic items, each one more interesting than the last. Makes for great random loot tables in most any fantasy game. Really glad I got t hat one.
I can't zoom in far enough to be able to see what shortcuts he has on there. I need to set mine up, I got the 32 button version. Seemed like an awesome thing for a lot of uses!
Also, to add, we as humans need a purpose. I believe in God thus my purpose is clear. Though faith does not alleviate the challenges we all face so I guess what I wanted to say is I wish everybody the best and God bless
I finally played my first session of solo play last night after trying and failing to start over the past few months. What struck me most was…how excited I was to find out what happened with each roll and how often I decided I didn’t need to roll for what happened next, I just knew what made the most sense and was most interesting to me. I liked my own ideas. Your videos gave me the push I needed, especially your videos like these. Thank you for helping me enter this world and helping me realize that I don’t enjoy spending time with myself, and I might want to change that. Thank you for your vulnerability and your unfiltered thoughts on psychology, solo roleplaying, and everything else.
Congrats on your first session! It warms my heart to hear these kinds of stories, thanks for sharing. Man Alone is fantastic, and makes our lives better.
Your description of the “I keep buying new games but I never play them…” phase is so spot on. I’ve been feeling that, and struggling to accept the next step, but the way you described what you might do with your copy of Troika someday really struck a chord with me. Earlier today I had a moment where I was looking at my collection of unplayed books, and I just had this feeling of happiness wash over me that kind of came out of nowhere, and I just thought “I love my books.” I think a big part of that was finally doing a solo session for the first time yesterday :)
I did the whole “buy everything that looks interesting” and let’s be honest, that’s still going on. I got Ruthless Heaven, Boundless Fate yesterday and I just ordered a bundle with Ironsworn and Ironsworn: Delve. I’ve tried to play a handful of Blackoath (Alex T.) games but having to learn the rules means I might start making a character and then get bogged down before I get to play. On the other hand, I have played one session of Fighting Fantasy, and one dungeon worth of Notequest because they are very straightforward to start. I did play Ironsworn: Starforged for 3 months everyday in a co-op play-by-post (our story was 36,000 words long before the other players just stopped in the middle of a mission). Also one round of Ironsworn co-op before that which was intense because we did setup all the Truths, make characters, try to figure out how to play and use oracles in our first session and got burned out haha. I decided to focus on Salvage & Sorcery so I’m trying to learn it and get started, taking notes on the book. Maybe I can get started playing today. Once I get to the really fun part it should get better.
I think the key is try to do a little bit, if not every day, at least a little bit a few times a week.
I am at that point right now. Just decided to stop buying books and start playing them. It is possible, folks. It happens. There is a way out 😂. And I do love my books man. I have a magnificent collection
Guess putting one self financial restrictions.. either voluntarily or by necessity makes one skip this part. But. I think in buying stuff lies a quest of its own.. the quest for the holy grail. Beware, it leads you to a lot of silly places!
I really enjoyed reading through the comments and even copied some of them into my diary, because I found them so helpful. It also helped me accept the fact, that I am just an ordinary guy with the same problems most of us solo gamers face at some point.
Thanks to you all for your comments, helpful advice and thank you Man Alone for this great vid.
At some point I fell asleep, but that's due to me doing research for my world building in slumber land. That's the beauty of the Internet - I will just watch your video again.
The biggest learnings for me
1- Two years ago, I found that there was treasure trove of rpg supplement, games, books, videos that explain and talk about solo rpg! The hobby has exploded: tons of indie designers on itch have material, big publisher are starting to support solo play seriously.
2- We were in another dimension compared to Fighting Fantasy gamebook with oracle, and all it's variants and focus/action/theme tables.
3- Playing solo allow you to learn the game rules of a system, you don't need to start with your friends.
4- All the tools and experience in solo helps you to become a better Game Master
5- Exploring & discovering what I prefer in a solo rpg: mechanics (skills, no skills, combat options), narrative, a good mix of both, world building, settings, using maps for inspiration, journaling,...
6- We are all desginers: You can mix & match rules/mechanics from different system to enhance your experience.
When my mother got cancer, I was in the middle of an Old School Essentials solo game, classic fantasy stuff. During all the hospital visits, with endless hours available, I kept playing. But suddenly I found myself writing "somewhere, an old woman lay dying on a bed". I looked at the words for a while and it just kind of made sense. Like a weird merging of realities.
Basically what I've learned about Solo play is that it's good to just let it go in whatever direction it wants. It's kind of like breathing; you can take a breath deliberately, but it also just ticks along subconsciously too. Until it doesn't
"Fourth," he said cautiously, knowing that it meant nothing but what it meant to himself and his story.
I've considered myself a solo-gamer for my entire life. From "playing" with the DK Eyewitness cross-section illustration castle book to finding and poring over AD&D books and modules as a preteen in my friends walk-in closet.
Something just clicked in me when my best friends older brother loaned me the Lord of the Rings ICE adventure game box set (the one with the Angus McBride art of Eowyn confronting the witch-king on the cover) and I saw the maps and realized that ANYTHING could happen in those hobbit holes and regions that were mapped. I wanted to drink tea and eat pastry in the comfort of a hobbit hole in the late evening after foraging for mushrooms and getting into trouble with the nearby farmers.
The act of being proactively creative is so wonderfully satisfying because as you say it is actually difficult, it thwarts hedonic adaptation because its challenges are always present, but they yield in ways that you don't expect. It's those wonderful sessions where you realize that it's 3 in the morning and you have so many unanswered questions to explore.
For me solo rpg games tell me how much “crunch” in mechanics I want. Most of the time I want less crunch and more story, so I favor “mechanics light” games. Others may really enjoy mechanical gear turning, and knowing where you fall along that spectrum is quite valuable in determining how you relax into a gaming world.
What I learned from my Solo RPG plays is:
- Don't sweat it. Don't follow the rules like a fanatic religious person.
- Do what feels more natural.
- Bend the rules if needed.
- Stop playing if you feel stuck. Continue your game after some time and new ideas will come.
- The start is one of the most difficult parts. Once you get started many things will come natural.
- You don't need to know everything from the start or before the game starts. Just a few info and start play. Ask and answer questions as they come.
- who cares if you make mistakes? It's your game. No one is judging.
- Solo RPGs can be creative.
- Keep notes or a journal. It makes a good read after some time.
- You don't need a lot of rulebooks or supplements or helping tables and such. An Oracle can be just the only tool you need most of the times.
Just have fun. Stop when tired. Get back when you feel like it.
I think the hardest part for me, is #1 on your list. I worry about being "fair" or "cheating"...my own insanity lol.
@@sumdude4281 Yeah, I know. It happens to most of us.
But it's just a "mind play" if you think of it.
Look, you can think it as a "fate's way" or "powers of good" or just God, to help your hero get the right things done when needed.
Unless you are playing a game of "see how he/she died" or something. Then you can let the bad things happen as they come.
😁
@@sumdude4281 By the way, you don't need to cheat or something that gulitful.
Just avoid your character to get killed.
Like any big hero in books or movies etc, he/she can't die (unless you want to).
But there can be other consequences.
The bad guy shots your hero.
Your hero doesn't have to die.
He can be unconscious.
Then someone finds the hero but without any memories.
Or in such a bad condition that has to spend a lot of time healing and hiding until gets better to find the bad guy again while presumed dead.
See, there are many options just with a small modification of a rule. 😉
23:00-25:00 or so hit hard. Got surprisingly deep today. 🤔
Love the phrase, "manic ambulation." 😂
Man you hit the nail on the head im at the buying stuff i wanna try phase. Ive been wanting to do solo for so long but i always just stop right before i start i own well over 200 different rpg systems and solo helpers like mythic and charts, and hearing your view that for just a little bit im not me but this person going on an adventure, so im gonna start my Battletech rpg adventure as a pilot for the SLDF at the start of the Reunification War, wish me luck ;)
I’ve learned I like games more than I like playing.
Quentin from Marketing here! It sounds like you didn't pay attention during onboarding!! At this company we are a Family!!! Every one of us has an important job, and if we just all meet our KPIs for the quarter then we'll all SHARE THE WEALTH!!! I mean, I know we haven't gotten raises in a while, but we're in this together right!!?!? Just keep our Team Values and our Mission Statement in mind, I like to repeat them in my daily prayers, and I'm pretty sure that's going to pay off with a promotion in the next few years!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, listen, I don't know that "internecine" and "inchoate" mean, but you don't need any words other then the words that are in the Employee Handbook!!! See you at the Team Meeting on Monday!!
I think the one thing I would say that I have learned from Solo RPG play, is it is okay to mash a bunch of stuff together for something unique. And I buy everything Alex T produces.
But here is an example, I wanted to a scene to meet a patreon at a tavern. But I really wanted that Tavern to be unique and not just something non-descriptive. So I have bought Broken Cask a while back and even had Broken Cask Society as well. So it offered me a chance to pull out the book and generate a tavern. Now, I got a unique location to return to when needed. So I see a lot of the supplements and solo stuff I purchase as a toolkit to return to when needed.
Also, don’t be afraid of changing systems in the middle of what ever game you are playing. Just switch it up. Not everything translates straight through, but that is okay. Maybe it is a flash back or an alternative universe briefly.
Lastly, I would say I want to seem more systems embrace group to solo back to group play. Star Trek Adventures / Captain’s Log planted this idea firmly in my mind. Where you have a group adventure that is going on and then between sessions you can do this solo side missions. Seemed like a wonderful idea. Marvel Multiverse also seems like another setting where this should also be possible.
Hi Man. Just discovered your channel this week and wanted to say that I have found the handful of videos I’ve had the time to watch so far incredibly helpful, useful, enlightening, entertaining and thought-provoking. “Everybody has somewhere to go, but nobody is arriving anywhere.” That made me pause the video and have a bit of a think. I’m looking forward to diving into the back catalogue. Thanks for this channel.
This is high-quality ManAlone content right here. Fresh.
Also, Troika is amazing. If you want to see it in action The Ragamancers at Science Fantasy Awesome did a great playthrough. I th
I've got a work trip coming up shortly - I think it's going to be White Box or BFRPG coming with me on that one.
When I traveled for work back in the day, and even in the days on Active Duty when I did 6 month deployments , I always took a game with me, to study, practice, play. A couple of times there were actually a couple of us interested in the same game that we did get a session in off duty. Mainly board wargames.
I'm 3 months into the soloRPG venture, first two weeks were almost a manic shopping spree, because ttRPGs were a hobby I abandoned some 18yrs ago, and I was speedrunning any% the last 2 decades. Then I came to my senses and realised I'm buying too much into the future and this is supposed to be for me-now, so I became cold, calculating, rational, austere with my fantasies and turned on impulse control. It helped, but not entirely - so I rescoped into "This is a mountain that will keep growing, and it is fine, because I will never,never run out of steps to climb, just don't let me lose sight of the peak". I do think there is a danger of lingering in the impulse-collectivist mindset, and just giving in to compulsive buying without actually starting to play is safe and comfortable, but that's missing the point.
Great comment, this is a great expression of solo rpg- i will always have more steps to climb, but never let me lose sight of the peak
@@JackMcCarthyWriter Thank you :)
Video 67 of me liking and then commenting on every new upload to tell the viewers that the Man Alone Podcast is absolutely some of that sweet, unhinged audio/vocal-honey.
Psssst. Anybody into astrobiology? The study of life, its existence and/or possibility, outside of earth’s atmosphere? Most people jump straight to aliens. But I’m talking about possible life on a microbiological level. Bacteria in a small pool of water on a hospitable planet thousands of light years away. Or plants thriving in the ecosystem of a planet in our neighboring galaxy.
Not into astrobio, but I did enjoy Greg Egan's "Diaspora", and Tchaikovsky's "Children of Time" series, should be up your alley.
What I learned is it’s not as easy as it looks, there is a space in your head that you have to break through. While playing my motivation dies to the futility of having complete control. But also geek gamer said thinking or playing anywhere near the space is still solorpg gaming. Like get off your own back don’t give into pressure
You find your way to the innermost chamber … there is a Man, Alone, waiting for you… he speaks… you listen… and something begins to stir in your soul…
Came for the philowaffly, stayed for the philowaffly.
"everybody has somewhere to go, but nobody is arriving anywhere" :D
I am not a fan of Jazz music, however, I will use the analogy. The Mork Borg Universe is like a Jazz or Jam band, and a conversation as you said perhaps. It is people riffing off the central idea and then the riffs that come along. And this should be a wraning to the Disney, Marvel, copyright lock down folks. The creative work that people can build on, reshape and rework, re-relate, reflavor is sooo much more vibrant than one group locking down the canon, regurgitating the same formula. This is one thing I love about RPGs, it is also the thing I love about narrative gaming, you can reshape rebuild. Though no longer a fan of 40K it inspired me at first because I could visualize my own Chapter of Space Marines, but the tournament chasing locked down format crushed the creativity out of it. For me. So ROCK ON! Solo RPG Jammers!
I'm a RPG player and also a GM, I play with a group, but I also buy things that will probably will never play with my group. Those are the things I decided to solo play just to see how the mechanics work and have something that doesn't depend on the time others have available. I found it very empowering to keep changing from player to GM to oracle. I log my things in a LITrpg way, with all the dice throws involved, because I like to keep those as also an explanation about how the rules work.
Distraction v Investment. I feel like many games are distractions when you solo play. Until you made me think about Journaling. Now when I journal my games I feel like it is not just a distraction it is a creative wrting exercise.
It didn't go that way for me. I wanted to play DnD for 10+ years before I got into a game. Then I played like 4-5 sessions before I wanted more. I wanted to play everyday. So I watched solo TTRPG videos for like 100 hours before I bought one (2D6 Dungeon). It came on a Thursday and I got to play on Friday night. Then I found your channel. Now I'm making my own game.
Love this shit.
Our collegiate paradox: we are solo playing together.
I'm 100% in the "I wanna buy this" phase, but I will say that I also just love having hardcover books of interesting systems. In fact, OSE Advanced Referee and His Majesty the Worm just came in today, now I need to find a nice set of tarot cards to go along with it. Also also, Pendragon, Harnworld and Harnmaster 4e are the next books on the list to acquire. Will I ever play them? Who knows, but if I ever get a medivel kick I will 110% be ready for it!
"Love the possibility of what it can be and don't get onto the next step" - this has actually hit me. Now I understood why I like to think of and start new plays but don't usually go further than one or two sessions. I feel excited about the game before it starts, and when it actually gets to playing, it becomes more material and objective, and I get less interested - because its not as flashy and exciting as feelings my abstract fantasies and expectations are. It sounds simple but wow, just how has it striked me. Now, wonder where this piece of mind gets me...
Squished my mind grapes.. nice ..that needs to be on a shirt 😂
Fantastic video/chat. Thanks!
I probably wasn't hit with the "constant buying" phase as badly as some other people since I'm an extremely cheap person and only collect free stuff, but I was still hit with the lure to make purchases in preparation for solo. I would search every Goodwill and Dollar Tree for cheap board games and tabletop pieces I can repurpose for solo rp. I collected 5 games before I realized, "I'm not gonna actually use these, am I?"
Once I stopped myself I was finally able to play my first session. I'm still waiting on a tarot deck I bought myself 2 days ago, though, so I guess I didn't really stop myself.
"It's not a distraction, it's an investment." - thank you for calling this out. Distraction can feel bad or a waste of time. But an investment is so much more true and meaningful.
27:02
Third. Good morning from Germany
Wait - you don't engulf your nightly meditations on my use of exclamation marks!!!!!!!!
You used my favorite word in the dictionary, Egregore!
In my buying too much solo stuff phase, I got both of the Table Fables books. They didn't really connect with me. Too generic and short. There's a table of 10 country names, and you worldbuild one continent, or use them for baronies and its already exhausted. That said, her Arcane Artifacts and Curious Curios tome is phenomenal. So many unique and creative magic items, each one more interesting than the last. Makes for great random loot tables in most any fantasy game. Really glad I got t hat one.
What does that Stream Deck do?
I can't zoom in far enough to be able to see what shortcuts he has on there. I need to set mine up, I got the 32 button version. Seemed like an awesome thing for a lot of uses!
Which castle is on the title page?
Man Alone might have listened to Alan Watts. :) One could do worse.
Second
NOWWWWW you've got it - FINALLY! For doing this, you are hereby rewarded a temporary "first"
@@amanisaloneI am honored. My saga is complete.
Also, to add, we as humans need a purpose. I believe in God thus my purpose is clear. Though faith does not alleviate the challenges we all face so I guess what I wanted to say is I wish everybody the best and God bless