Hi and welcome to the site from the beautiful Hudson River Valley. Where in NY are you? I am about an hour south of Albany on the Hudson River. You will find this site full of helpful and very knowledgeable people. Once you get your starter set and review the rules thoroughly, I recommend taking a shot at one of the solo campaign games. Also the AARs on the site provide lots of ideas for solo games. If you have any questions just post them to the site and you will be happily rewarded with the willingness of site members to share their knowledge.
Bill