Hi all, I only get to play 'actual' x-wing about only bi-weekly, maybe weekly if i'm lucky. I tend to play a lot alone, just to practice formations or lists. As such, ive used a few solo rules variants. I'll cover two of them here.
1. X-Wing AI. The Latest version here: http://xwing.runbam.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/xwing_ai_1.7.0b2/index.htm
Pros: -basic game rules remain the most intact.
-Giving free target locks to AI opponents gives them a needed punch against the player.
Cons: -Requires access to the website
- AI moves can end up being very poor.
- AI does not account for obstacles.
2. Chit-draw solo rules borrowed from Leo's Simple Solitaire Star Trek Attack Wing. Found here: http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1221629/leos-simple-solitaire-rules-playtest-and-developme
Pros: -Fast playing.
-each ship will make 'good' moves.
Cons: -Ignores PS
-rules are less intact because its more randomized.
Conclusion: each system has its merits and both achieve the main goal which is not being able to cheat yourself. For a quick fun game by yourself or a demo you might consider Leo's method. To more accurately test a list or combos, you'll want to use XWAI.
edit: one possible variant to Leo's chit-draw system is that chits are only drawn for deployment and activation, but shooting is resolved as per PS. I will experiment with this.
Edited by vyrago