This is strictly my opinion of D2e and this might be considered a review of D2e which I guess it is but I wrote this to give new players to D2e who have never played D1e and new players in general to fantasy games and idea of what this game is about. Also do an on-line search and you will find a lot of information on D2e.

About 5 or 6 months ago I was looking for a new game and I discovered D1e. After checking out the rules and researching the game on line I was not sure if it was what I wanted. I was looking for something a little bit on the simpler side. Then I discovered D2e was coming out so I thought I would wait. I have not played D1e but I have played complex games in the past; D&D, Starfleet Battles, but as I have gotten older I wanted something with quicker setup and play time and D2e definitely has that.

Technically D1e is not compatible with D2e. However, I picked up an expansion from the D1e set for the extra figures. After looking at the expansion I realized that with some imagination you can also use the story lines of the expansions and map pieces with D2e. Now the map pieces from D1e do not fit D2e maps but again that is where the imagination comes into play. Plus there are a lot of extra resources available for D2e which gives this game quite a bit of extra content. Here is a link to Board Game Geek for extra D2e stuff. http://boardgamegeek.com/files/thing/104162 As for rules, well there will always be questions about how the rules are or should be. With the group I play with, we are laid back. So if there is a problem with a rule we don’t have any difficulty working it out. I know there are a lot of people out there that are a stickler for rules and I have played with them before but our group will implement house rules that we all agree with. House rules can make any game much more enjoyable rather than arguing over what a specific rule means. After all these are just games and rules are just guidelines.

Anyway, D2e is a fantastic board game that with some imagination can be played almost any way you want. Including solo play. At least that’s my opinion. In a nut shell this game should appeal to the beginners of fantasy games and veteran fantasy game players.

Thanks for your review.

What would you suggest for solo play adaptation?

I would have to work on a solo type format. I have played other games where people have come up with solo play rules, heck the creators of Starfleet Battles wrote solo play rules for some of their games. For D2e either the Overlord or Hero’s would have to go by automatic rules. But I think this could be done. I think it would be interesting as a solo game.

I've been playing a solo campaign with Descent 2e for a couple of sessions now.

Basically, I try to fulfill the objectives whenever I play the heroes or the OL (but mainly "root" for the heroes!).

The only real modification to the rule I use is with the OL cards: I discard and redraw 3 new cards every turn (heroes AND OL) and use them as it fits.

Only exception to that rule: the OL can keep ONE card for the next turn only if it is unusable the turn it is drawn.

That works fairly well so far…

sheriffharry said:

I'll have to give that a try.

sheriffharry said:

A clarification question: When you say you draw 3 new cards, you mean OL cards, correct? So at the start of the hero turn, you discard all OL cards and draw three new OL cards. And then when the OL turn starts, you discard all OL cards and draw 3 new OL cards?

Why not just keep 3 cards to hand all the time?

I would not draw 3 cards if the OL had less in his hand - say: discard the cards in the OL's hand (up to 3) and replaced them, adding one due to the start of the turn draw.

kingbobb said:

Simple enough: Surprise factor!, every turn is a "new" situation, with new things to take care of.

(Just like a regular multi-player game)

If you keep the same OL cards two problems arise:

1) You know in advance what's coming this turn, and the next, and the next.

2) Some cards are simply unusable and are wasted.

In fact one could draw a new set of OL cards everytime a new character starts a turn, but I think that would be too much/unbalanced.

Hope that answer your question.

Robin said:

That could work.

But my (limited) experience is that the heroes have a slight advantage overall in the campaign game. Always drawing 3 cards limits that.

We're definitively in home rule territory here!…

sheriffharry said:

The problem with solo play is, why would you make the optimum decision with regards to Overlord strategy?

Sausageman said:

Sausageman said:

For the challenge. If you just want to please yourself, there are other solitary pursuits you can enjoy.

Robin said:

Exactly. People have been playing solo version of wargames for decades now, it is an "acquired taste": you have to be ready/willing to play both sides as well as you possibly can (even if you "root" for one side.. in my case the heroes.)

With the objective mechanics in descent this is not too hard to do: for example, in the first quest those archer goblins try to get out as fast as possible and the Ettin just hit whatever is in his way. It's challenging and enjoyable in solo-mode. Other quests might be more difficult to play solitaire.. we'll see.

Descent 1st ed. was more problematic, there was a huge "surprise" element for the Overlord (summoning, etc.). In 2nd ed. everything (apart from the OL cards) is there at the start for everybody to see.

At the moment due to work circcumstances and my main gaming partner moving away I am relegated to playing Descent solo.

I play by having all the cards in the OL's hand being face up on the table so that I can always peruse them at any time. This allows me to play without having to continually remember or check my hand for any OL interrupt cards that I wish to play. I play both sides as best as I can, trying not to allow my prejudices against one side or the other affect my play.

I have found however, after a few single plays and half a campaign, that I tend to make mistakes more with the heroes than the OL.

One benefit is I can easily reqind play back to a certain spot if I found I played a rule incorrectly or adjust things.

I rather enjoy playing a lot of games solo. It is an escape for me from the stress and pressures of my job. being a shift worker as well makes it hard to get a gaming group happening. Plus with my career I sometimes just want to relax and 'escape' by myself rather than dealing with others like I have had to all day at work.

I play solo for similar reasons (can't get gaming group together)…but simply because it is a fun game. Isn't that the mark of a good game? Even when it wasn't designed for solo, you still want to play it?

I really feel this game would be a great and quite simple adaptation to an iphone app or java applet. The AI would be the part to hand one up, but if I were to start this project, I would make the OL the AI and the app would be for heroes only. That "shortcut" is the simplest from a programming standpoint because in the course of my solo play, the heroes have limitless synergies and capabilities that they can employ, however the OL is more straightforward. You either have an interrupt card or you do not and your objectives mostly involve taking/grabbing or blocking/killing. Those are simpler and the OL doesn't have the option to take fatigue here but not there and all of these other complicated choices a hero does.

There are remote play options. It's not the same as getting together with your friends & rolling dice, but you get the chance to play / learn the game. If you have the room to leave the board set up for the duration, you can even get the pleasure of moving all of the figures around on the board and pondering your strategy.

http://boardgamegeek.com/forum/1064199/descent-journeys-in-the-dark-second-edition/play-by-forum