1) Heart of Ice - Solution

[champskees]

This is probably my favourite sci-fi gamebook. It hits gold in most aspects, the writing is engaging and the characters are interesting, the design is excellent with multiple methods to solve any given problem; there is definitely replayability value as different characters can access different areas and learn more about the world they are exploring. Basically, if you haven’t read it already, DO IT NOW.

The solution below is foolproof due to the nature of the book i.e. there is no dice/randomness involved. Although a character has four skills, I have elected to have none i.e. this solution is for an average joe type character, but can still be used by other characters without any major issues. I even gave him only 20 Scads instead of 30.
This being said, one of the endings can only be achieved if you possess the Paradox skill (and have a Psionic Focus), so this will be covered below. The solution also requires a slightly different path if you have the Lore skill, so I’ve considered this as well in a separate solution.

The Average Joe
Skills: None
Profile: Just an average guy, tryin to get by…
Life Points: 10
Possessions: None
Money: 20 Scads

() = No. of items (add 1 if you possess a Psionic Focus)

001 Tell him that you prefer to travel alone.
045 You are willing to pay this.
       Lose 3 Scads.
067 Refuse point blank.
155 Head east, to Venis.
139 Join their group.
225 Chip the body out of the ice.
205 Do not take the shortsword.
205 You do not have the Lore skill.
270 One of the others took it.
312 Take ID Card (1).
161 Lose 3 Life Points.
161 You do not have a shortsword.
334 Opt for the Paradise.
334 Lose 6 Scads.
244
329 Go looking for gossip about Kyle Boche.
179 Reveal Boche’s whereabouts.
179 Take 10 Scads.

If you have the Cybernetics skill:
• 414 Attempt to make contact with Gaia.
• 351 You have the Cybernetics skill.
• 265 Add codeword: Humbaba.
• 372 You are not willing to pay that much.

414 Find out if any travellers have gone missing in the Appenine Mountains.
451 You possess an ID Card.
069 You want to get the ID Card altered.
135 Reconsider and leave now.
223 Persist in trying to get the ID Card altered.
245 Lose 5 Scads.
245 Add codeword: Proteus.
025 You do not have the codeword Diamond.
202 You are able to pay this sum.
202 Lose 10 Scads.
246
010 You do not have the codeword Diamond.
229 Tell him to be gone.
095 You possess an ID Card and wish to make use of it.
353 You have the codeword Proteus.
374 Choose the medical lounge.
028 Restore 2 Life Points.
073 Take the elevator to the library.

If you do not have the Cybernetics skill:
006 Try to establish contact with Gaia.
138 Add codeword: Humbaba.
138 Consult the archives for information on the Heart of Volent.

If you have the Cybernetics skill:
006 Read up concerning the Heart of Volent.

You do not have the Lore skill.
182 Add Codeword: Lunar.
182 You’re finished in the library.
073 Take the elevator to the armoury.
447 Take Knife (2).
073 Leave before your deception is uncovered.
311 Save money by sleeping rough on the streets.
165 Sleep in the open plaza.
253
333 Look around the rest of the bazaar.
359 You do not have the codeword Diamond.
402 Take a detour to the pyramids at Giza.
423
440 You have the codeword Humbaba.
167
233 Go to the research level.
276 Throw away ID Card (1).
276 Take Cold Weather Suit (2).
276 Take Food Pack (3).
276 Take Food Pack (4).
276 Take Med Kit (5).
276 You have not activated Little Gaia.
036 Power up the metal box.
057 Take Little Gaia (6).
057 Search the lab for other equipment.
080 Take Polarised Goggles (7).
080 Descend the shaft to the bottom level.
255 Answer ‘Gilgamesh’.
318 You do not have the codeword Gilgamesh.
425 Add codeword: Gilgamesh.
425 Leave the pyramid.
361 You came here on foot.
393 You possess Cold Weather Clothing.
393 Lose 1 Life Point.
393 You possess Polarised Goggles.
403 Use Food Pack (6).
403 Use Food Pack (5).
100 You have the codeword Gilgamesh.
123
341 You have a knife to cut it up.
362 Throw away Polarised Goggles (4).
362 Take Food Pack (5).
362 Take Food Pack (6).
362 Take Food Pack (7).
298 Press on without delay.
426 You possess Cold Weather Clothing.
426 Lose 2 Life Points.
444 You have two food packs.
444 Use Food Pack (6).
444 Use Food Pack (5).
125 You do not have the codeword Diamond.
213
191
243 You do not have the codeword Scythe.
111
300 You do not have the codeword Hourglass.
300 You do possess a medical kit.
257 Use Med Kit (4).
257 Restore 1 Life Point.
278 Descend into the catacombs.
385 Accept Golgoth’s invitation. You have the codeword Gilgamesh.
406 Insist that Gilgamesh joins the party.
427
016 You have the codeword Gilgamesh.
198
325 You have the codeword Gilgamesh.
132
110 Hold back to see what happens.
088
154 Throw away Knife (3).
154 Take Barysal Gun w/ 3 Charges (4).
154 Take Med Kit (5).
154 Take Flashlight (6).
154 Take Stun Grenade (7).
176
038 You do not have the codeword Nemesis.
082 Talk to Baron Siriasis.
170 You want to eavesdrop.
364 You possess Little Gaia & want to leave her to record what the Baron says.
446 Add codeword: Nemesis.
446 Talk to Golgoth.
126 You have the codeword Nemesis and wish to propose an alliance.
214 Add codeword: Blue.
192 Use Food Pack (6).
192 Restore 1 Life Point.
192 Use Med Kit (5).
192 Restore 1 Life Point.
083 You do not have a Manta Sky Car.
039 You have the codeword Gilgamesh.
105
149 Continue across the bridge.
215 Take the right hand passage.
128 Light your flashlight.
172

If you have the Paradox skill:
281 Try to free the man using your Paradox skill.
366 Take Stasis Bomb (6).
409 Add Codeword: Mallet.
388 Bridle at being ordered about.
450 Lose 1 Life Point.
450 Retreat the way you came.
107 You have the codeword Mallet.
195 You have a Stun Grenade.
239 Use Stun Grenade (5).
261
175

If you do not have the Paradox skill:
281 Leave him frozen and continue on your way.
388 Do as he says.
430 You do not have the codeword Mallet.
041
175

175 Pretend to be a follower of the Volentine cult.
301 You have the codeword Lunar.
322
018
150 You have the codeword Blue.

Destroy Heart Ending
346 Attack Singh using a charged Barysal Gun.
346 Lose 1 Charge.
389 Lose 3 Life Points.
431 You have a charged Barysal Gun.
219 ‘In this chamber deep below the ruins of Du-En, the two of you give your lives for the sake of the entire world’.

Other Endings…
346 Decide not to act.
410
415 You have the codeword Nemesis.

God Ending
153 Release the Heart’s power.
174 ‘Your adventure has culminated in godhood’.

Frozen Sentinel Ending (if you have the Stasis Bomb)
153 You have a Stasis Bomb and wish to prevent the Heart ever falling into anyone’s hands.
197 ‘The stasis bomb activates, turning you into an undying sentinel for all time’.

Walk Away Ending
153 Reject the chance for power.
453 ‘The thirst for power has claimed so many lives – a senseless waste, when all of them might instead have channelled their efforts into saving this frigid dying world. Perhaps that is your destiny now. You step into the elevator, and the door closes behind you’.

[champskees]

This alternate path is suggested for those characters that possess the Lore skill, as a character that only possesses Lore cannot obtain an ID Card.

The Average Joe but with Lore…
Skills: Lore
Profile: Just an average guy, tryin to get by…
Life Points: 10
Possessions: None
Money: 20 Scads

() = No. of items (add 1 if possess Psionic Focus).

001 Tell him that you prefer to travel alone.
045 You are willing to pay this.
       Lose 3 Scads.
067 Refuse point blank.
155 Head east, to Venis.
139 Join their group.
225 Chip the body out of the ice.
205 Take Shortsword (1).
205 You have the Lore skill.
183
249 Lose 2 Life Points.
438 Take Vade-Mecum (can use options for Streetwise in Venis) (2).
438 You do not have the Close Combat skill.
334 Opt for the Paradise.
334 Lose 6 Scads.
244
329 Go looking for gossip about Kyle Boche.
179 Reveal Boche’s whereabouts.
179 Take 10 Scads.
414 Buy supplies for your adventure.
350 You want to undergo genetic enhancement.
434 You have the Lore skill.
266 Buy the Exalted Enhancer.
266 Add 5 Life Points (Maximum Life Points now 15). Lose Agility skill.
266 Lose 7 Scads.
266 You have the Streetwise skill (due to the Vade-Mecum).
414 You are ready to leave.
025 You do not have the codeword Diamond.
202 You are able to pay this sum.
202 Lose 10 Scads.
246
010 You do not have the codeword Diamond.
229 Tell him to be gone.
095 Try to find out about the Sphinx.
011 Add Codeword: Humbaba.
011 You have the Lore skill.
095 You are ready to get some rest.
311 Save money by sleeping rough on the streets.
165 Sleep in the open plaza.
253
333 Look around the rest of the bazaar.
359 You do not have the codeword Diamond.
402 Take a detour to the pyramids at Giza.
423
440 You have the codeword Humbaba.
167
233 Go to the research level.
276 Throw away Vade-Mecum (1).
276 Take Cold Weather Suit (2).
276 Take Food Pack (3).
276 Take Food Pack (4).
276 Take Med Kit (5).
276 You have not activated Little Gaia.
036 Power up the metal box.
057 Take Little Gaia (6).
057 Search the lab for other equipment.
080 Take Polarised Goggles (7).
080 Descend the shaft to the bottom level.
255 Answer ‘Gilgamesh’.
318 You do not have the codeword Gilgamesh.
425 Add codeword: Gilgamesh.
425 Leave the pyramid.
361 You came here on foot.
393 You possess Cold Weather Clothing.
393 Lose 1 Life Point.
393 You possess Polarised Goggles.
403 Use Food Pack (6).
403 Use Food Pack (5).
100 You have the codeword Gilgamesh.
123
341 You have a shortsword to cut it up.
362 Throw away Polarised Goggles (4).
362 Take Food Pack (5).
362 Take Food Pack (6).
362 Take Food Pack (7).

At this point the solution becomes virtually identical to the previous one, the only difference being that at Para 301, you use your Lore skill instead of the Lunar codeword (which you do not have).

[sylas]

Very nice Champskees. Could you also do one for the jungle path please? That one's much trickier with zero Skills.

[gmchampskees]

Sept 11, 2019 15:17:51 GMT sylas said:

Very nice Champskees. Could you also do one for the jungle path please? That one's much trickier with zero Skills.

These were the only ones I had on my hard drive. Don't know if I even have my maps anymore. If you have it prepared, be my guest?

[misomiso]

It would be great if anybody decided to do a map of this gamebook; it has so many great reviews it would be good to see a visual representation of it's construction.

Ty

[nathanh]

Sept 11, 2019 15:17:51 GMT sylas said:

Very nice Champskees. Could you also do one for the jungle path please? That one's much trickier with zero Skills.

I can't work out how to do this with no skills. With no skills I think you need Lunar, and the only way to get that with no skills that I could find on the jungle route was via Al-Lat. But the damage you take going to Al-Lat puts me over the edge once I reach Du-En (or before it, if I don't use the teleporter) no matter what else I try.
I can do it with one skill (there are many options, but Agility is probably the fastest).

[sylas]

Sept 22, 2020 13:11:30 GMT nathanh said:

Sept 11, 2019 15:17:51 GMT sylas said:

Very nice Champskees. Could you also do one for the jungle path please? That one's much trickier with zero Skills.

I can't work out how to do this with no skills. With no skills I think you need Lunar, and the only way to get that with no skills that I could find on the jungle route was via Al-Lat. But the damage you take going to Al-Lat puts me over the edge once I reach Du-En (or before it, if I don't use the teleporter) no matter what else I try.
I can do it with one skill (there are many options, but Agility is probably the fastest).

Been a while since I worked it out so I'll see if I can do it again. I didn't write it down unfortunately but remember it being possible. I'm pretty sure there's also a way to win with zero Skills AND no robot companion.

[sylas]

Although I was convinced there was a no-Skills route through the jungle, I tried to find it again to no avail. Therefore I must concede that it is not possible, requiring at least one (almost any non-combat) Skill as nathanh pointed out. Vexing.

[a moderator]

Having discovered a surviving copy of Per Jorner's review of Heart, I'm posting it here for the edification and entertainment of interested parties.

For context, I should also point out that the introduction to the batch of reviews in which it was originally contained did say:

As an exercise and to keep readers on their toes I've also left in one sentence that is actually a bald lie and not a real part of the review

The review itself:

VR5: Heart of Ice

Plot summary: A few hundred years into our future, the world is becoming a glacial wasteland. One day the mad supercomputer responsible for this mess sends out a message about a cosmic artefact of great power hidden in a dead city. A number of daring and resourceful characters take up the challenge; one of them is YOU! But who'll be the one to get their hands on the power, and what is to come of it?

This is not the first VR book, obviously, but the first one I've read, and so this will be in large part an analysis and review of the game system and general series design. The rules take up four pages, of which roughly two list sample characters and one contains skill descriptions; leaving out all flavour text and using a small font, it would be possible to fit the strictly necessary information on a single page. Loosely speaking this system could be seen as a logical progression from the stat regime of the basic FF system, by way of Lone Wolf's stat-supported skill set, to an almost purely skill-based character definition with the addition of a sole, non-random numeric value, the Life counter.

Character creation essentially boils down to picking four skills out of a list of twelve, encompassing things like combat (Close Combat, Shooting), utility (Cybernetics, Piloting), resource (Cunning, Survival) and mental forces (ESP, Paradoxing). Three skills carry an extra "cost" in that an item is necessary for their use, effectively eating up an inventory slot (although in the case of Shooting, it is quite possible that even those who lack the skill will feel safer carrying a gun around).

This system is not only simple and elegant, but it also makes an absolute joy out of character creation; you can pick your own archetypes out of 495 possible - and viable - character builds. This is in fact the only gamebook so far where I've felt I could actually design and play - even role-play - my very own character. In FF books with spell or skill sets, you'd typically try to pick the useful options over the less useful or (sometimes) the useless, and your selection would rarely if ever serve to define your character. In Lone Wolf, an attempt was made (I assume) to balance the skills, but you were still playing the same guy doing essentially the same things, and as you completed books and picked up bonus skills, initial differences in skill selection would diminish. Here, not only are all skills nominally equally useful, but as they are the primary tools with which you unlock paths and options, skill selection will have an impact on the nature and flavour of your problem-solving at almost every stage. If you don't want to spend too much time thinking up your character, there's no reason to agonize overmuch. The book can be completed no matter which set of skills you choose, since it's in fact possible to reach all endings but one without using any skill whatsoever.

A comparison with the standard skill set for the fantasy-oriented titles in the rest of the series shows three noteworthy differences: firstly that there are two combat skills instead of three, one being swapped out for the modern utility skill Cybernetics; secondly that the flavour of one of the two "magic" skills is investigative rather than defensive; and thirdly that both psionic skills use the same focus item, encouraging you to choose none or both.

As an additional note, the predefined characters come with slight variations in starting money and, in one case, Life points. I would assume this was done for flavour rather than as an indication that some skills and/or skill combinations are worth less than others, but as I would recommend that you forgo these packages anyway, it doesn't matter a lot (and if you think it's warranted, you can always modify your creations accordingly) . My own characters included a Sam Fisher-esque special ops veteran (Cunning, Roguery, Shooting, Survival), a supernatural techie (Agility, Cybernetics, ESP, Paradoxing), and a crafty pilot (Lore, Piloting, Roguery, Streetwise).

Using a skill is very simple: either you have it or you don't. Sometimes you are told to make differing modifications to your Life counter depending on skills possessed (typically Close Combat or Survival), but mostly they define which general courses of action are open to you. I say "general" because for the most part, you don't actually know what will happen, only that it's likely to help with your current situation - in fact, skills can even be used "passively" in ways that are impossible to predict but which nevertheless turn out to your advantage. The trick here is to show the character doing clever and interesting things, because this is fundamentally rewarding even if it results from simple decisions on the reader's part. Heart of Ice does not fail in this department. The solutions and resolutions to problems and situations are sometimes effected with an amount of handwaving (how come no one bothers to check, guard or use the elevator in 7? How come Gilgamesh conveniently stops following you around in 445? Why is it that "any computer that can understand speech can also be reprogrammed in the same way"?), but they are generally given a lot more thought than usual in gamebooks and are diverse and gratifying in any case.

Commendably, you can almost always choose a likely option and assume that your character isn't going to act dumb and attempt something that has a low chance of success. This lack of "gotcha" mentality is refreshing. There is one particular exception, turning from 149 to 193, which demonstrates how the player may select a dangerous course of action, hoping that the character can more properly assess the risk involved, and end up wishing that 193 had read "Unless you have X, you back off" instead of "Unless you have X, you die". Of course, it could be argued that the difficulty of the action couldn't have been known until it was attempted, and that it would be impractical to ask the player for confirmation.

The rules mention that when options for multiple skills are given you can choose any one of them. However, you still have to pay attention to the wording, as it's sometimes obvious that some references, whether skill-related or not, are meant to take precedence. As a rule of thumb, the terms "use" and "want" indicate optional links, while "have" often - but far from always - signals a priority redirection. I found common sense was sufficient to sort it all out.

Finally, although they aren't technically covered by the rules, codewords form an important part of the series design. They help you keep track of apprehensions and animosities, allies and alliances, afflictions and abilities. A few times you are told to record special circumstances "normally", though, for no apparent reason. Consistency would have been nice, at least for us perfectionists. On the whole the idea is practical and economical, though on occasion it may strain suspension of disbelief as you have to imagine what your companion(s) are doing or not doing while you engage in dangerous activities. Also the system precludes the use of hidden redirections, but those never gained much popularity anyway.

As one might guess by now, I have become quite fond of this system based on my experiences with this book alone. It certainly proves that you can achieve some complexity without using numeric attributes and elements of chance; your choice of skills and how well they turn out to complement each other is a random element of sorts. The Life counter gives the book a means to dish out punishment other than death. An obvious advantage with the luckless system is that less bookkeeping and no dice means it can be read pretty much in any situation where you might read a normal book, like on a train, where (in the absence of champagne-drinkers to beset) people could be expected to stare at dice-rollers, prod them with umbrellas or otherwise behave menacingly. Keeping track of your inventory in your head once it starts to load up with junk might not be the easiest thing, but with some practice I think it could be done.

The fact that the system is completely independent of setting and level of technology almost begs for it to be applied to the most outlandish scenarios - or maybe just ones that haven't seen a lot of attention in gamebooks generally. It certainly deserves to see further use in books that focus on concept and story, if Messrs Morris and Smith would give their blessing.

Moving on to the premise, it is a real cracker, aspects of which I certainly intend to rip off. I like post-apocalyptica, and this is actually one of the more palatable scenarios I've come across. In a not so distant future, a supercomputer charged with maintaining the Earth's climate has been infected with rabid, disruptive viruses, and consequently joined the glorious ranks of demented/evil artificial intelligences that you keep reading about in the paper. Soon, the whole world is heading into a devastating ice age and towards what looks like the terminus of human history. In fact, there is a palpable "dying Earth" feel pervading the book, with evident homages to Vance and the genre in general. The metaphysical element reflected in the skill set melds seamlessly into the setting as a blanket explanation for unnatural creatures and circumstances - hey, it works. This exotic streak also ties heavily into the story's MacGuffin, which, though it may seem a little strange and awkward to begin with, is later given a context where it makes perfect sense, and disbelief is suspended alligator-like among the rafters.

The success of this setting can be attributed to superb use of exposition, tone, and detail. You can come across historical records, encounter mutants of the frozen wilds, explore forgotten facilities and learn additional information about the world around you. Technology whose deeper secrets are lost to the centuries meshes wonderfully with a kind of freakish neo-Renaissance civilization of explorers, opportunists, merchants and nobles. At all times does this world feel as if it exists outside of your immediate experiences, outside of the page, instead of as a set of disparate ad hoc ideas. It's a little bit like Return to Firetop Mountain that way.

The style and narration are virtually faultless. I've spoken on the lack of evocation in gamebook prose in the past (which is not necessarily the same as dryness or briefness), but I'd have to turn over all the stones to find something to complain about in this one: it is inspired but not florid, ambitious but not conceited. Dialogues and descriptions frequently contain interesting observations, curious particulars or amusing exchanges. The characterization of your competitors surpasses that of many a novel. Suffice to say that I've found few gamebook moments as gratifying as telling Boche off on the quay in Venis, or as portentous as stargazing with Janus Gaunt, or as disturbing as coming eye to eye with Baron Siriasis for the final time. This is no gang of Mungos! Your antagonists are smart and resourceful and your only consolation is that hopefully so are you.

Once you've read the introduction and stepped out into the chill of Italy, bound for the Sahara, you have the classic choice of going east or west. One of the paths is potentially very long and the other is potentially very short, measured in references, and this can be seen as an imbalance. It's well known that in gamebooks, managing to get somewhere with as little fuss as possible often means you're sorely underprepared for what awaits you there. It is true here for some paths though not for all. Also, depending on your choice of paths certain skills may take on great importance while others becomes worthless. Of course, as mentioned previously this is no different from any other book.

There are a couple of moments which act as not entirely obvious bottlenecks; still there isn't much of a puzzle factor. This is due to the general rules design as well as specific adventure design. To begin with the latter, you will find that many if not most items and codewords can be found in multiple locations. There are even two unique items that have different origins but share the same designation and functionality. This makes it easier for the book to provide meaningful uses for your acquisitions, so there are two sides to it, but it also means that which items or codewords you pick up will seldom significantly shape the path ahead of you.

The other reason can be explained mathematically, so let's do that. Say you end up in a situation where the book provides three skill options to deal with an obstacle. Try to guess the probability that at least one of these three is on your character sheet! It might seem that the odds of finding a match in two limited selections would be against you, but the chance is actually 41/55 or 75%, assuming all skills are equally likely to be picked for anything. Add to this that you can sometimes substitute items or codewords that can be had regardless of skills, that readers are likely to try to pick skills so as to avoid utility overlap, and that death is not necessarily the only remaining alternative, and you have your explanation for the book's relative lenience. Anyway, the task of planning out differing "true paths" for various skills or skill sets is simply so complex as to be impossible, and what's been done here - focus on a broad major path with a couple of key points, add a few side tracks and hope that everything balances out in between - is certainly one valid design.

Also I suppose some will enjoy the fact that even your first character is not the berated doomed adventurer just dropped off outside the Trial of Champions for his first foray into Deathtrap Dungeon, but rather a true pulp hero with a very real chance of success - as long as you move in roughly the right direction and don't entirely screw up, or else you happen to stumble onto one of the wild card options. Actually what I would recommend is that you create one character and play some two to four games (depending on whether you suffer any early failures) moving down the same path, and then, whether you achieve success or not, switch to another character and also another general approach.

The end sequence, although clearly superior to most other books in the way that it doesn't boil down to "oh, and here's a Skill 12 baddy", I didn't find all that cleverly tactical as it has been described as. First of all, you cannot suggest an alliance if you don't have a certain piece of information, even though the value of such an alliance would not be any smaller. Secondly, the consequences of the choices in this section are relatively unpredictable, spanning from instant death over grave bodily injury to painless, almost undeserved victory. The range and nature of the endings are intriguing, though, as there isn't really a "best" one (but there is certainly a worst one!).

A few words on the illustrations by Russ Nicholson, of which there are not too many (about 10 each of full-page and half-page pieces). They're good. Perhaps it is only the funky hats of the people of Venis that put me in mind of Moebius. They add to the flavour, no doubt, but ultimately I don't think the book even needed them; there are so many moments that work splendidly without illustrations that this is as good a time as any to question the practice.

Before summing up, the obligatory array of specific comments:

* Adding to the inconsistency of codewords, they aren't always used to avoid spoilers - I'm thinking of things such as the end of section 276 which pretty much tells you what to expect next. I would assume that Morris weighed pros and cons in each particular case, though it annoyed me that it's possible to both research and explore Giza even if you have absolutely no in-character reason to do so. Asking about specific people in Kahira should also have been appended with the condition of "if you know about them". Moreover, the book is inconsistent when it comes to deleting codewords that have no further purpose.

* There seems to have been a great leap in technology from our time: several instances of "magical" technology had evidently appeared by the end of the 21st century, with conditions on Earth already critical. Yet apparently none of this could be brought to bear against Gaia, or used to establish more space colonies.

* In section 232 we learn that the information represented by the Nemesis codeword was already known since long. Why would for instance the US government forget about this? Or if they remembered but assumed Gaia's new declaration about the Heart's properties meant the old one was incorrect, why would a mere repetition of it carry any weight in 214?

* How do you keep a straight course for Du-En while traversing the Sahara? How do you even know where it is? How come it's nearly equally as hard to get there no matter where on the African continent you start from? How come if you ditch Boche in Venis and fly non-stop to Du-En, he's still there to thumb his nose at you when you arrive?

* At the beginning of the adventure you're equipped with "thick furs". Later on you can acquire "cold-weather clothes" - it is perhaps meta-logic more than anything else that suggests these provide a whole other level of protection.

* The main character's gender is commendably unspecified except for one thing: the ability to pose as Hal Shandor using either a simple disguise or "a few deft changes" to his holographic image (never mind that a real hologram couldn't be changed in the way described).

* There's an intercontinental subway going through one of the world's most geologically active regions. Yay?

* Minor notes: 450 is missing a "scream like a little girl" option. 325 says "scimitars" but the illustration contains straight double-edged swords. The people in the illustration for 200 should be facing in roughly the same direction. 297 is unfair because you may be forced out of the base entirely even if you clearly have unfinished business. The transition from 19 to 41 is somewhat bizarre in terms of (lack of) character reaction. What prevents Boche from simply following in your footsteps in 155? Why can't you pick up any equipment (other than the knife) in 185 when you obviously need it? Why can 382 only be reached by way of 339, and was this intentional? Why can't you set out for Giza from Sudan, or take the one-man flyer there from 382, when you may actually have a specific reason for doing so? In the options for 371, "run from" should be "run into"; overall there's an abundance of typos compared to the well-edited FF series, although this is the only one that could cause confusion. The crossbow is never used, even though a related dialogue snippet hints that this was planned at some stage.

I can't say with absolute certainty that this is the best gamebook I've read, but if not it's certainly one of the very best, with the best character design, the best one-shot world design and the best writing. Almost every point of criticism has to be aimed at something which is clearly the exception and not the norm. Rather than a hackneyed outing that you struggle through and put behind you, Heart of Ice is an experience to remember and reflect on. It shows every sign of having been written by someone who loves the gamebook medium, and with great narrative skill and vision to back that energy up there's no question that this is worth your money.

Some time later he appended the following paragraph:

Additional cover art note for Heart of Ice: Besides being raised above the surrounding landscape and seemingly having received a minor facelift, the Great Sphinx is depicted in the wrong place. If it's in the right place, then the flyer is speeding off in the wrong direction while the Pyramid of Cheops has been shrunk and shifted towards the Pyramid of Chephren. If we instead conjecture that the Sphinx has jumped over the latter and is now facing west, then the flier is correctly heading towards the Sahara and we are seeing the smaller Pyramid of Mykerinos (which should perhaps be a little further to the right).

[jatang]

Heart of Ice

Dave Morris

Creative writing Assignment

You will write a short story based on the character you created. You can start your story after any

of the sections you visited on your adventure. Please give a two sentence summary of where your

story begins.



Your story should include:

-one main character

-one to three minor characters (antagonist)

-at least one conflict

-meaningful and effective dialogue

-your story must make clear use of one of the following techniques: flashback, foreshadowing,

suspense, symbolism or irony

-a creative title


can anybody do this ty

[jatang]

Sept 22, 2020 15:48:23 GMT sylas said:

Sept 22, 2020 13:11:30 GMT nathanh said:

I can't work out how to do this with no skills. With no skills I think you need Lunar, and the only way to get that with no skills that I could find on the jungle route was via Al-Lat. But the damage you take going to Al-Lat puts me over the edge once I reach Du-En (or before it, if I don't use the teleporter) no matter what else I try.
I can do it with one skill (there are many options, but Agility is probably the fastest).

Been a while since I worked it out so I'll see if I can do it again. I didn't write it down unfortunately but remember it being possible. I'm pretty sure there's also a way to win with zero Skills AND no robot companion.

Heart of Ice



Dave Morris



Creative writing Assignment



You will write a short story based on the character you created. You can start your story after any



of the sections you visited on your adventure. Please give a two sentence summary of where your



story begins.







Your story should include:



-one main character



-one to three minor characters (antagonist)



-at least one conflict



-meaningful and effective dialogue



-your story must make clear use of one of the following techniques: flashback, foreshadowing,



suspense, symbolism or irony



-a creative title





can anybody do this ty

[CharlesX]

Jatang doesn't seem to show up as a registered member, don't know how that works. Also think posting this long message twice is borderline spamming as it isn't relevant to sylas and nathan H's conversation.

   I suggest if Jatang is interested in this he do his own creative writing piece, which might get others interested. I suggest more inspiring wording as the way it is written sounds like dry schoolwork. Instead of:

 

Creative writing Assignment

You will write a short story based on the character you created. You can start your story after any
of the sections you visited on your adventure. Please give a two sentence summary of where your
story begins.

Your story should include:
-one main character
-one to three minor characters (antagonist)
-at least one conflict
-meaningful and effective dialogue
-your story must make clear use of one of the following techniques: flashback, foreshadowing,

suspense, symbolism or irony

-a creative title

can anybody do this ty

Make it sound less like schoolwork and more like a fun social exchange, drop some articles, try not to use formal words like "should" and "must".

Anyone interested in Heart of Ice fan fiction? Why not write a short story based on a character you created! You can start your story after any sections you  passed on your adventure. First write a two sentence summary where your story begins.

Story can include:

A main character

One to three minor characters, perhaps antagonists
A conflict, or more than one

Meaningful and effective dialogue

Maybe include techniques such as flashback and foreshadowing

Suspense, symbolism or irony

A creative title

It still sounds a little like you want us to do an English class homework assignment, my apologies if it isn't.

Edit: Notice as well the very low number of posts in jatang's account, which again makes it look like a spam\bot account.

[thealmightymudworm]

Yes, Jatang if you need advice on how to get started on your project and/or guidance on how it's going so far, there are probably people here who will be happy to help you.

If you're just expecting someone to do it for you we can admire your chutzpah, but unless you're making a guarranteed cash offer it's safe to say that's not happening.