By Evie Moriarty, Lead Game Designer
Photo by Fatima Martín Pérez

 

Previously, we’ve talked about the idea that Fallout: Wasteland Warfare is becoming a ‘solo first’ game in its new edition, with the primary focus being on playing the game without an opponent. But that’s not the only way to play, and as we’re exploring today, solo gaming doesn’t mean you’re not interacting with other people.

 

The default way to play is indeed solo mode. That’s where you tackle a campaign in a bespoke, procedurally generated Wasteland, taking the role of a hero leading a warband belonging to a particular faction. You might be a Survivor leading a ragtag band into the wastes to find a place to call home, but you could also lead a savage gang of Raiders, a chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel, or even a tribe of Super Mutants. As the line progresses, the options available to you will expand. Even so, the core of solo mode remains the same: explore the wasteland, encounter its denizens, and grow your warband’s power while trying to complete quests.

 

When we’re talking about what Fallout: Wasteland Warfare is like in its new edition, we’re mostly talking about solo mode. A lot of the same principles and rules can apply to the other game modes, but it’s the default way to play. The core rulebook is written with the assumption that this is how you’ll be playing for the most part, with the rules for other game modes being alterations to these core mechanics. This is what we mean by ‘solo first’: the core materials are written from the perspective that this is how you’re playing, and it’s the easiest and quickest way to jump into the game.

 

But what if you don’t want to play that way? Well, there are plenty of options.

 

You could, of course, play solo mode in a one-off encounter rather than a campaign. There are no special rules for this, as the rules for creating encounters are all baked into the campaign. Instead, you’d create an encounter using those rules, or pick and choose to create a custom one you particularly like the look of, and play that. Want to practice against a difficult boss? Why not play a practice game as a one-off encounter? What about if you’ve bought a new faction, but it’ll be a while before your warband runs into them in your campaign? Get playing against them right away with a one-off encounter.

 

Then there is cooperative campaign mode. This works just the same as solo mode, but instead of tackling the wasteland alone, you’ll be joined by a friend controlling their own hero. You create a warband together and then head into the wastes, supporting each other in your endeavours. This coop experience is best for people who want to play together consistently over a long period, as the whole campaign is cooperative in every encounter.

 

If you don’t fancy that, or don’t have the time to dedicate to it, then you may enjoy venturing beyond, which is a cooperative game mode you’ll find in the Into the Wasteland expansion book (which is in the first starter set). This lets you and any number of friends create your own wasteland maps and put them together, creating one enormous region that you can all travel across freely. Everyone updates each other on the places they go and what they find there, keeping the shared map up to date. They can even find each other and head out into the wasteland together. With two full warbands, you’ll be able to tackle the hardest of challenges when you play together like this.

 

This game mode is perfect for playing in stores or with friends in a single group. You can play many of your encounters solo, updating each other and building a single massive Wasteland together as you do. But if you want to play with someone else, you can meet up and play a few tough boss fights together and really show the Wasteland who’s boss. You can trade between your warbands and help each other in more subtle ways, too, heading out to tackle challenges one player may be struggling with, but a combined warband is better equipped to deal with them.

 

But what if you don’t want to play with someone, but against them? Well, you have a couple of options.

 

Firstly, you can play opposition mode. This is a great way for someone to join your campaign temporarily, having them take the role of the enemies you face in combat encounters. They control the movements and actions of the enemies, using the same rhythm as solo play (which allows for stealth and all that great stuff), but with more intelligent opposition. If you enjoy games with a player and a gamemaster, then this is probably the mode for you.

 

Also included is battle mode: a straight-up clash between warbands. You can either create a warband for battle mode, using a special balancing system to make sure things are fair, or you can pit your campaign warbands against each other to see who comes out on top! There is a selection of scenarios to play, and it’s a great way to hang out and challenge your friends.

 

Next week, we’ll look at an overview of how combat works. See you then!