They said it was going to be an easy job. Just get in, grab the goods and get back out. Yeah right. Those are Black Dragon mercs up ahead. Time to earn your pay. Just another day out among the stars!
Five Parsecs From Home was suggested to me through the magic algorithms of the internets, it bills itself as a Solo Adventure Wargame which was something I was particularly interested in given how much “solo gaming time” had been forced on us over the last two years. A number of games had put out (or farted out, dependant on quality) solo versions of games to keep players happy and entertained during the these trying and scary times. This game has been designed from the ground up to be a solo game however, and if nothing else I wanted to see what on Earth that meant.
Wow, there’s a lot to absorb in this book. Egads!
So right off the bat, we have to define what an Adventure Wargame is. Further reading available here and here, both referencing Five Parsecs and the publisher, Modiphius. Now while I don’t agree with the articles saying it’s a new thing- Rogue Trader and more besides certainly fall into the definition- but essentially the idea is that Adventure Wargaming is about narrative play first and foremost, and its “non- competitive*” . And while there are certainly more of them springing up like Star/Frostgrave, or Rogue Stars etc. I think it’s more a part of the trend that we’re actually in the best time for Geeky stuff, you just have to go looking for it. Things like, oh you want D&D? Ok, here’s D&D (and it’s free).
Now I’ve had a few skims of the book and I still feel like I’m missing a few things – which is no critique, I think I require more caffeine – but I very much like what I’m seeing.
Generating crew and weapons
Roll on some tables! Now this takes me back – I’m getting very strong Traveller and Rogue Trader vibes here. Now don’t worry your crew can’t die in creation, but I get a nice whiff of nostalgia doing this. Just thumbs up for this whole process. Depending on how you roll your crew could be from the backwaters of the galaxy trying to earn a crust, or be some well off socialites high from watching too many adventures on TV and simply fancying a go getting the girls themselves, or anything in between. They could be well equipped with exotic gear and weaponry or under gunned, just with pistols, knives and their wits. Now to some of you out there, this might not seem fair. Well kids you might be right, but the galaxy don’t play that way.
The campaign system
Most campaign systems for mini games feel stapled on and false, but here campaign play is certainly baked into the game, so much so that I wouldn’t recommend 5PFH (which is what I hope the cool kids are shortening it to) for people wanting a pickup/one off game. You would simply lose out on too much – gangs that you do jobs against could put a hit out on your crew for example which could affect future games. Things can happen to your ship between missions that you have to put right. Characters could join your crew or be killed off if they didn’t pull through their injuries. Put quite simply I honestly feel that this system goes beyond the remit of Adventure Wargaming and skirts by RPGs. To carry on the Traveller/ RPG analogy, you roll up what the planet is like that you’re on or going to, and what’s going on there. Does that gang you stole some tech from come looking for you? Does this planet descend into war? Lets find out!
The game
Well this is the actual event! You’ve rolled to see what the planet is like and see what jobs are on offer – or if someone’s coming to you! Now let’s play a game. No I-go-you-go here. Roll a die for each of your crew and assign one to them. If it’s enough to activate them before the enemies they go first, else they go afterwards. They can do two actions each turn Move and then Fight (in that order) as well as a free action. Simple.
The AI
Ok, so this is the biggie for a solo game. It’s you vs the AI. Well, if any of you have played the very fine Firefly Brigands and Browncoats (I actually reviewed it too!) 5PFH takes a leaf out of that book by simply expecting the player to act fairly within some guidelines. Now unlike Firefly:BaB these guides are better presented with a few more instructions, but the game is quite solidly charging the player with being unbiased in their application. I like this – ultimately you are only cheating yourself in a solo game, so I think it’s a good call.
Other ways to play
There are different difficulty settings to try out, which affect various points within the game – how many opponents you face for example. There are notes on having a GM-led game taking the part of the enemy, and multiple player games where you share out the crew between you. There are different ways to generate your crew and variable crew sizes too all of which on top of the random nature of planet generation will help with replayability.
Closing thoughts
I could easily write more about this game, and frankly I’ve barely touched on stuff I want to really talk about, but my flickthrough reviews are just that- a flickthrough. This game is unlike anything else I’ve come across, there are certainly various systems that are similar in a lot of ways, but Five Parsecs From Home seems to do something that so few others have and make the campaign a part of the game. And more than that – 5PFH is built for campaigns, and while one shots are possible I don’t think they would be recommended.
Peace
Twibz
*Ultimately read “not pay to win” or “not presenting bugs in your game as features” (or both)
Twibz, the life and times. 