All Things Solo

Environmental storytelling is the art of arranging a careful selection of the objects available in a game world so that they suggest a story to the player who sees them. Think of original Bioshock.

Let's continue on Bioshock (video game). Even if you remove everything but the environment, you can still deduce many things about the underwater city "Rapture" by looking at rooms full of water dripping from broken glasses, flickering neon signs, blast marks on posters on walls ...

I left this for last despite it is what many players want to do for various reasons, because oh boy, is it hard to incorporate to Solo Mode! But as your friendly neighborhood Soloist, I will try my best to explain different points of views and methods for this type. FGU made it way easier than I originally thought.

Points of Views on Methodology

1. Selective Reading

In his book DM Yourself, Tom Scutt details

"...techniques to navigate the adventure

...

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Since this is not those boring school lessons, I will show you the magic of transmuting one lame school subject into your own creation of Lore, instead of nagging about literature. Class, bring out your masks for today's lesson is the "Heist Theme" as we will steal from the masters of old. Then we hand-weave our own Solo Story with a pragmatic methodology and split the profit. Themes are the key to use Solo Play in a therapeutic way as I'll explain. Better news is, you don't even have ...

In Mechanics of Game Story, I briefly mentioned which elements of game story you can use to create an exciting flow for your scenes. Now, let's expand on it.

# WHY

"It all starts with a desire. A desire to have..."

Your PC's goals are your goals as the sole player in the solo game world. But just a PC trying to achieve a goal does not CREATE enough material for a STORY. When you add NPC goals that intermingle with PC's goals, you can create more INTERACTION. ...

What will happen next?

This is the question! This is the mood you want to create for yourself in a Solo Play Session. That's why too much detail is an obstacle in this type of play. You need just enough info to kickstart your first scene, and nothing else. You'll discover the rest in rest of your sessions.

Your only concern should be what is in front of your PC in here and now.

# Hang In There, Baby

Always END your sessions WITH a CLIFFHANGER ...