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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The Myopic Sniper" data-source="post: 3738368" data-attributes="member: 55013">4e, more than any other edition before, seems to be oriented around designing for synergies in groups, both for the characters and monsters.<a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20070727a" target="_blank">http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20070727a</a>  This can be seen in the idea of "combat roles."  The Leader buffs The Defender who is taking damage from the Artillery while the Controller holds back the Mooks so the Striker can get a kill on the Brute.Combat in solo play is not optimized for this.  In any one-on-one situation, you will probably get a rock-paper-scissors problem.  Defenders may have no problem wading through Mooks, but lack the appropriate qualities to take on Lurkers.  Strikers might be able to effectively evade Artillery style monsters, but get totally punished by Brutes.  Etc. However, once you gain some real play experience, this might not be such a disadvantage.  You can use this to more carefully craft encounters.  If your player's character is a Defender, you can make sure that Masterminds are of a much lower level if they easily trump your characters role, meanwhile you can give them a full challenge with Brutes and just swamp them with Mooks because you know that they are equipped to deal with those particular challenges.The defined monster roles makes it easier for you, because you have a basic idea of what works well and what doesn't against your player's character.The problem of course comes in that without a Leader to heal and buff, your player's character has to take time outs (go back to town, etc) regularly to rest and heal.  However, this was the way it was in 3e with groups.  So maybe that isn't a game breaker for you.Because of the emphasis on group play, I don't see WOTC doing any special rules work or write ups for one-on-one, but I think that once the system has been out for a while, there might be an opportunity for an OGL publisher to have a source book for creating encounters, adventures and campaigns appropriate for such campaigns.  Even creating magic items etc that may help in this regard but aren't appropriate for group play.In the past, in one-on-one I have always had my player run multiple characters.  That may be easier 4e due to streamling and focus on combat roles.</blockquote>

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