vagsancho
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Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Jul 14, 2019 16:47:18 GMT
blythspartan:
I think this story has one of the better intros. It really sets the scene and gives you a reason to be on the adventure in the first place, not simply "because you are"!
I get the feeling that this may have made a better novel or TV show than FF book, as once the adventure starts it's hard to maintain the level of detail and atmos' from the intro.
My 2penneth... Same feeling with creature of havoc.
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vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 809
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Jul 17, 2019 7:10:15 GMT
Rebel Planet - there is something in this book very well achieved that i like, a feeling that goes through all the adventure. A strong feeling. Of solitude. I desire to feel this book again.
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Post by dragonwarrior8 on Aug 17, 2019 18:13:23 GMT
Just finished this one (18 for 18! I got this series in the bag! lol). I think Kieran hit it on the nose. Through the first half of the book I thought it was really fantastic. But the quality in the second half falls off a cliff. Also, the amount of instant deaths and the means many of them are arrived at in this book is really quite ridiculous. The last half also does feel very rushed (no one was guarding the computer?) but Ive noticed this in several of the books. Im guessing this might have had to do with having to meet a deadline and realizing you are behind schedule. This is another one Id like to see with a redux version improving the last half. Overall still good, but a frustrating feeling that it could have been so much better.
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vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 809
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Aug 18, 2019 18:53:24 GMT
I remember this gamebook as a perfect book. Very complete. Flawless. I liked the way like the mankind was totally dominated by a superior kind. Wish to play it again to feel if the sensation is the same.
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vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 809
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Aug 19, 2019 20:23:04 GMT
I am playing this book right now. Perfect book. Everything perfect in this book. A futuristic flawless book. Realistic book. I feel it strongly as this reality itself. The only book with a forgivable giant background.
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Post by vastariner on Aug 20, 2019 22:51:57 GMT
Just thought that the password "the bitter sea" is quite a good translation of Halmuris.
I think this is one of the best written FF books. Waterfield hit a very good and atmospheric vibe in this one. The paragraphs about being at the university for instance rang true.
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Post by dragonwarrior8 on Aug 21, 2019 13:12:30 GMT
Just thought that the password "the bitter sea" is quite a good translation of Halmuris. I think this is one of the best written FF books. Waterfield hit a very good and atmospheric vibe in this one. The paragraphs about being at the university for instance rang true. Oh totally agree about the good writing. I really enjoyed it. It had one of the better most fleshed out prologues to date with lots of interesting information. It was the insta-deaths that I had a problem with. You hear a rattling at your door... do you ask who it is or just open the door? Ask who it is = instant fail. Wtf? lol. I would have loved to have seen a hub of some kind worked into the story where you could explore the 3 planets for the codes in any order you wanted. That way you wouldnt have to go through the first 2 planets over and over and over just to get another shot at Halmuris.
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kieran
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Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Aug 21, 2019 13:39:03 GMT
Just thought that the password "the bitter sea" is quite a good translation of Halmuris. I think this is one of the best written FF books. Waterfield hit a very good and atmospheric vibe in this one. The paragraphs about being at the university for instance rang true. I would have loved to have seen a hub of some kind worked into the story where you could explore the 3 planets for the codes in any order you wanted. That way you wouldnt have to go through the first 2 planets over and over and over just to get another shot at Halmuris. That's a good idea - I think we need a rewrite!
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vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 809
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Aug 22, 2019 10:54:13 GMT
Gold medal for this book in terms of Sci Fi Fighting Fantasy books. Number 1.
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Post by schlendrian on Aug 22, 2019 11:22:01 GMT
So, what's numbers 2 and 3?
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vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 809
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Aug 24, 2019 20:44:33 GMT
I am playing / and feeling this book right now. Going away from Halmuris beginning my journey to Arcadion. I am feeling a little nervous. There are 2 strange arcadians in this spaceship. Fabulous book. Brilliantly conceived. A Masterpiece.
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vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 809
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Aug 26, 2019 15:18:18 GMT
Perfect book. I won it today. I would not change nothing in it. Waterfield's Masterpiece. I did not identify myself with the quest, though.
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Post by Charles X. on Jul 16, 2021 18:31:20 GMT
Overrated book. It isn't the only 'best' or 'really good' Sci-fi FF, because it's linear, overlong and tough.
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Post by zoove on Aug 14, 2021 9:49:18 GMT
I just finished this one. And I gotta say, the clue on the professor’s desk eluded me because even though I immediately was drawn to the book in the centre of the desk, 2100-2200 is -100 which isn’t a valid number so I dismissed that. I think I stared at the image for an hour or more trying to crack it. Agree that it started well and then went a bit downhill. A lot of the instant deaths weren’t very fair. Go south, freeze to death. I didn’t have this one as a kid but I can’t imagine I’d have solved it as a dumb 13 year old. I couldn’t even solve it as a dumb 47 year old!
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Post by petch on Aug 14, 2021 13:47:09 GMT
I really like Rebel Planet. I think Waterfield did a really good job in giving each planet a distinct feel and atmosphere, and each one seemed progressively more difficult to negotiate, so it almost felt like you were advancing through levels in a videogame. My main issues were that by the time you got to its conclusion, the Arcadians' planet felt a bit underdeveloped (perhaps Waterfield was running out of paragraphs), and towards the end the difficulty level was ramped up a bit too much with an inordinate amount of 50/50 life or death choices. And yes, that maths problem was a git.
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CharlesX
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Post by CharlesX on Aug 14, 2021 15:04:47 GMT
I really like Rebel Planet. I think Waterfield did a really good job in giving each planet a distinct feel and atmosphere, and each one seemed progressively more difficult to negotiate, so it almost felt like you were advancing through levels in a videogame. My main issues were that by the time you got to its conclusion, the Arcadians' planet felt a bit underdeveloped (perhaps Waterfield was running out of paragraphs), and towards the end the difficulty level was ramped up a bit too much with an inordinate amount of 50/50 life or death choices. And yes, that maths problem was a git. What maths problem do you mean? I don't think I found them tough. Although I did find the music one in Tower Of Destruction tough - but that one leaves all other FF puzzles standing!
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Post by petch on Aug 14, 2021 15:45:34 GMT
I really like Rebel Planet. I think Waterfield did a really good job in giving each planet a distinct feel and atmosphere, and each one seemed progressively more difficult to negotiate, so it almost felt like you were advancing through levels in a videogame. My main issues were that by the time you got to its conclusion, the Arcadians' planet felt a bit underdeveloped (perhaps Waterfield was running out of paragraphs), and towards the end the difficulty level was ramped up a bit too much with an inordinate amount of 50/50 life or death choices. And yes, that maths problem was a git. What maths problem do you mean? I don't think I found them tough. Although I did find the music one in Tower Of Destruction tough - but that one leaves all other FF puzzles standing! The binary code one at the end. As others observed towards the beginning of the thread many, many years ago, it's open to interpretation and has two possible solutions, which is very frustrating. Know what you mean about the music one in ToD, that had me stumped too!
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Post by vastariner on Aug 16, 2021 10:43:39 GMT
I just finished this one. And I gotta say, the clue on the professor’s desk eluded me because even though I immediately was drawn to the book in the centre of the desk, 2100-2200 is -100 which isn’t a valid number so I dismissed that. You can look at it another way - just "what's the difference between the numbers?" Indeed it almost fooled me because it was SO obvious; I too spent ages looking at the illustration to see what I was missing...
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Post by zoove on Aug 24, 2021 0:59:26 GMT
Ha. I never thought of it that way! The difference between the two is 100. I just viewed it as a subtraction because it looked like an equation. Couldn’t see the Forest of Doom for the trees there….
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Post by a moderator on Aug 24, 2021 9:03:19 GMT
There are some other arguable clues: The book The First Century. How many years in a century? The headline Newsfront 4 on the newspaper/magazine. This one is rather tenuous, but as binary is important in Rebel Planet, it might not be a coincidence that the hinge of the lamp points at the number which, in binary, is 100.
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Post by vastariner on Sept 4, 2022 11:48:25 GMT
One thing that came to mind yesterday.
The opening of the book says the only word allowed in your native language is the planet name Arcadion.
The password on Halmuris is the translation of Halmuris in your native language.
Neat throwback.
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