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Post by lordomnibok on Apr 15, 2017 22:54:01 GMT
In my opinion, Creature of Hangover is a great mini adventure. It made me smile a LOT and I read it four times despite completing it on the second go; love the variety of choices. It is a very short gamebook, so I would encourage anyone with five minutes spare to give it a go if they haven't already. (I drew on years of experience to get me through this quest.) The collapsible sections and bite-size proportions of the story also increase the fun of it. Thanks again Mudders for sharing your great brand of humour, it was a joy to play.
(Side note; it flows brilliantly, but I believe that section 6 should read "you are IN danger...")
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Post by lordomnibok on Apr 12, 2017 23:09:13 GMT
I have never read it, but I have a vague memory of it from somewhere. I may be wrong, but I think it is by the creators of Way of the Tiger. I also think it is a rare find. I'm not 100% on that, so you may correct me if I am wrong, but it would be interesting to know if it is any good.
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Post by lordomnibok on Apr 11, 2017 11:13:13 GMT
The Only Way Is Edoras
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Post by lordomnibok on Apr 11, 2017 3:58:08 GMT
Ian Livingstone's:
Shakor The Demon
Pendant Of Omnipotence
Necromancer Of Blacksand
Goblins And Necromancers:Darkwood's Hideous Insiders
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Post by lordomnibok on Apr 9, 2017 19:44:15 GMT
Just out of curiosity, how many illustrations would you need and what is the timescale to complete them? Also, do you need a cover illustration? Looking at perhaps 4 B&W illustrations across two items plus a B&W map. No cover needed at this stage, but I haven't started planning issue #17 and so a cover artist will be needed then. Let me know if you want to be considered. Thanks for the reply. I will PM you later in the week.
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Post by lordomnibok on Apr 5, 2017 9:38:49 GMT
Just out of curiosity, how many illustrations would you need and what is the timescale to complete them? Also, do you need a cover illustration?
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Post by lordomnibok on Apr 4, 2017 23:46:12 GMT
This is fairly nit-picky, and I suppose it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but I can't help but keep thinking that I hope this book comes with a nice green spine.
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Post by lordomnibok on Mar 31, 2017 17:02:45 GMT
Thanks to you both for the tips. I'm now looking forward to giving this series a try.
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Post by lordomnibok on Mar 29, 2017 21:24:19 GMT
I was considering trying out this series, but now that I have read your review I am unsure whether to buy the originals or the reprints. I like the idea of reading the originals, but the adjusted versions sound better. Also, I wonder if all the books in the series maintain a good standard? I will consider my options. Lastly, I can relate to your FF buying craze; I felt obsessed with the idea of having them all & I recently achieved that goal. Fortunately I had collected most of them as a kid anyway, but I wish I had bought Magehunter when I was ten; I lived on breadsticks and beans on the week that I finally purchased that one.
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Post by lordomnibok on Mar 28, 2017 12:18:55 GMT
Haha. I thought that, but I wasn't brave enough to start one. With some of the other ideas that were jumping into my head, I feared I might get barred from the site. (Feel free to steal my idea & start one up if you want to though, in my honour of course.)
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Post by lordomnibok on Mar 27, 2017 22:53:58 GMT
I wonder if they consider the anagrams when naming these books. POP is very memorable, but things could go wrong pretty fast if Livingstone decided to write a book about "Shakor The Demon" for instance. I wouldn't fancy that anagram popping up all over the forum.
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Post by lordomnibok on Mar 27, 2017 12:51:40 GMT
Agreed. The Demon Prince sounds far cooler, but I love sailing so the Port of Peril (POP!) will do just fine for me. Then again, it could always be about a drunken adventurer whose goblet gets spiked. We shall see...
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Post by lordomnibok on Mar 20, 2017 16:07:40 GMT
I have no doubt that Champskee’s solution offers the best route through this book from a perspective of risk reduction and probability of success; that seems to be his indomitable forte. I am posting an alternative route for those readers who want to complete the book AND find all three keys to the lair; for me, the hidden keys forged the beating heart of the book, and finding that final key was the moment I enjoyed the most – it took me quite a while, and Waterfield certainly did conjure my feelings of despair when I was wondering fruitlessly around in that marsh for the fifth time. If anyone is curious as to how to reach all of the keys, this is how I did it. (Max skill; this is barbarian style)
- Stay in Arion.
- Write down the first name fragment: ‘Pen...’
- Find a place to sit.
- Join the group.
- Insult this muppet! How dare he mug you off!
- Test your Luck; you must pass this test, or all will be in vain!
- Test Skill and play until successful.
- You have acquired King Jonthane’s Letter ‘88’. Lovin’ it.
- Test your Luck.
- Go and see what he wants.
- Write down second name fragment: ‘...garl’.
- Dude, take a look at the rest of your junk.
- Stay in Arion.
- You have the letter.
- Go to The Bushel
- Go in.
- Stay.
- You recall and combine the two name fragments, making ‘Pengarl’. You may now go to room ‘56’ in the morning.
- Call it a day.
- Defeat the fishy menaces. How dare they steal back what I stole?!!
- Remain in the city.
- Visit the guard (page 56)
- Cheers Geeza, I think I’ll take that Truthstone, thank you very much. Catch ya lata bruv, I’m off to the market-place now.
- Needle, thread, a Lodestone and some of that sallow seed oil please me old chappy. And two portions of grub while we’re at it. Good day to you kind chap, I’m now off to save a princess.
As Champskees mentioned, you can make your way down to the docks at this point to ask about the kidnapping, then you can go to have words with that dastardly baron. I skipped it on this run through, but if you have got great stats and want to risk confronting him, you can do so before leaving. His demise would contribute to the future safety of the land, I guess, but it’s up to you if you can be bothered. Just don't use the Truthstone yet.
Okay then, it’s time to bust out of Arion and get this princess back home.
- Page 200. You have King Jonthane’s Letter. Turn to 88.
- Otherwise...
- Whatever mate, I ain’t staying here!
- Ah, Fang-zen! Back for another beating, ay?
- Seek shelter in Outpost.
- Stay.
- Hmmm, that burned out shell of a cottage looks comfy.
- Cross the threshold.
- Draw your sword in preparation for whatever it may turn out to be.
- I think I’ll chill for a bit and go for a gentler approach.
- A Stand of Oaks, you say? Thank you, old hag.
- Fight Timber Wolf - I personally felt a bit rotten at having to kill this beastie, but I don’t imagine my character would have.
- You are at a stand of oaks. (Add 50 to paragraph)
- First key. Crescent Moon Key ‘112’. Two left to find.
- This is where The Champ would suggest that you follow the river upstream to the north. He is, of course, correct in that this is probably the safer option. But I’m a brash adventurer, teleported here from East London on a mission to find three keys that I don’t actually need so that I can complete this book in the most heroic manner and save some hot princess and retire to Florida; can I be bothered to hop around on some bobbing platforms - Hell no, I’m off the other way to kill bad guys and snakes and stuff. Key two and three will be mine!
- You meet two Blackhearts; there is an insta-death chance whilst battling here, but you would have to be massively unlucky to die. Bump these guys off and tip them into the river.
- Aha! An ‘A’ Medallion! This looks important. Cheers Geeza, I’ll take the clothing option, not neck or possessions, thank you, then I’ll mosey on to the south.
- Test your Luck.
- You call yourself a snake?
- Wade across.
- Kill the Granny.
- Camp until morning.
- Go South.
- I ain’t drinking from no random well mate, I’ve read too many Ian Livingstone books.
- Dude, have you not seen the size of my sword? Kill the Pterolin. Go west.
- North
- Lataz Nandibear.
- Ignore it.
- Push through in a westerly direction.
- (Ah, the marsh. Playing by the rules, I stumbled around here so many times without finding the next key. This was the last key that I found.)
- Get up even though any movement seems hopeless.
- Why yes, per chance, I do have a needle, lodestone & thread.
- Test Skill. (If you fail the skill test, prepare to wonder around and get lost a lot. Have a nice time.)
- If you are successful in the skill test:
- West.
- Carry on.
- Get to the sixth.
- Get to that skiff!
- Maybe I won’t retire to Florida... Fight the Gator!
- I think I’ll pay one gold, coz I ain’t that generous bruv.
- Try on the crown.
- Gimme that cylinder.
- Second key; Cylinder ’55!’ Cheers Skeletor, catch ya in the afterlife, I’m outta here!
- North.
- Allow yourself to do this.
- North-west.
- (Okay, this may not be the most sensible page to turn to, but this is my most favourite beasty in the book and it also features on the front page, so let’s chop its head off before carrying on.)
– Kill the Cradoc!)
- Chop off the Ogre head.
- I just killed a Cradoc, think I’ll take a break from fighting.
- I’m just gonna wait for a bit; been a long day.
- They do not find it among my possessions.
- Why yes, I do have these things.
- I was chillin’ on the post mate.
- Third key. Branchy key thing ‘158’! Cheers bruv, I’ve been looking everywhere for that! I’m off to save a princess now but I’ll come back for a pint with ya another time. What a smashin’ geeza!
- Go down.
- Yeah I’ve got some.
- Flippin’ ‘eck, you ain’t looking so good! Ah, so you’re dead then. Well thanks for nothin’, I’m off to finish my mission with my three awesome keys!
- “In the livid glow of a Deathmoor sunset, you come to an ancient door set in the hillside” ...Nice.
- I pull out my keys
- 112 + 55 + 158 = 325 (Turn to 325)
- Hmmm... Some signs. I think I’ll go right.
- Wait...
- waaaait.....
- Rumbling ay? Sounds exciting, let’s go in there!
- Wohoo! An awesome picture! Slay Bob the Ogre Smith.
- Take the helmet marked with the letter ‘A’.
- Turn right.
- Move it up.
- You have a lamp.
- Continue straight on.
- Fight rats.
- Continue down the tunnel.
- A Millipede is not pursuing you.
- Fight the Pool Crawler.
- “Few battles have come tougher than that” (unless you’ve played an Ian Livingstone book.)
- Push the lever up.
- You are wearing an ‘A’ helmet.
- Present an ‘A’ Medallion.
- If you know a secret about the two giants, you should know what to do, if not;
- Fight these brutes together.
- Use the Truthstone on Otus.
- Puzzle. Answer is 84.
- I killed a Cradoc mate, you ain’t nothin’. Use Otis’ clue. Turn to 84.
- “Your bolt pierces Arachnos’ black heart. Telessa rushes into your arms.”
- You write a letter to King Jonthane to tell him that you are holding his daughter captive. You demand one billion gold coins. Who is he going to send to rescue her anyway, Fang-Zen? The desperate king bows to your demand, and Arion is bankrupted overnight. However, now that the money is yours, you decide not to return the princess to him. She has fallen madly in love with you, so you go and find the Aleph (which you know of from another book) and it teleports you to the south of France where you retire together happily ever after. The End. (Okay, that last bit wasn’t in the book, but as it’s my walkthrough I figure I can extend the ending as I please. Hopefully this will be a useful guide to any adventurers who shared my desire to find all the keys. Chow. Lord OmniBok. Have a good day.)
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Post by lordomnibok on Mar 1, 2017 22:38:42 GMT
I like silence when reading so that I can allow the real world to fade away and the book to consume me. That said, the Celtic music in your link sounded like a very fitting accompaniment to a gamebook so I tried it on low volume whilst reading Destiny Quest. For me, it mildly enhanced the experience, as DQ is quite chilled anyway. But I will always read FF in silent immersion, with only the rain pattering at my window.
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Post by lordomnibok on Feb 18, 2017 21:09:07 GMT
Much appreciated Mudworm. It took me quite a while to get the perspective right on that fire demon. Also, for those who might have missed it, I believe that Livingstone has completed his first draft and is now in the proof reading/play testing stage.
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Post by lordomnibok on Feb 16, 2017 19:16:10 GMT
Thanks for the compliment hynreck. I really appreciate feedback, especially considering how long they took to draw. Hopefully Livingstone liked them too
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Post by lordomnibok on Feb 16, 2017 14:41:54 GMT
Thanks offm. Yeah my drawings usually come out quite dark and moody. The profile pic is sort of a self-portrait, as I set up a mirror and used my reflection to help me draw the face.
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Post by lordomnibok on Feb 16, 2017 12:59:28 GMT
For those who are interested, I pitched to Ian Livingstone for the illustration job on his next book. I doubted I would get very far looking at who I was up against but if you want to check out my work I'd be happy to hear your thoughts. www.ironrose.co.uk/davelewis.html
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Post by lordomnibok on Feb 2, 2017 23:53:43 GMT
Hang on Greenspine, what in the world are these charity shop that you visit!?! So far, scattered with others, you’ve found Knights of Doom, ALL FIVE BLOOD SWORD BOOKS!! Spell Breaker, Magehunter, Revenge of the Vampire, Curse of the Mummy and more! Who owns these shops? Ian Livingstone’s mum? It sounds like you’ve found Gamebook Heaven to me. (Very nice of you to list some of them up here for the benefit of others though.)
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Post by lordomnibok on Feb 1, 2017 18:05:03 GMT
Ah yes, upon your jogging of my memory, i think you are referring to something about a run-in with a Blackheart's arrow. Very well recalled Geenspine.
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Post by lordomnibok on Jan 31, 2017 17:36:34 GMT
My luckiest moment came a few months ago when I found Deathmoor in a charity shop for a small price. I nearly broke into a sweat with excitement. I presume you might be a Deathmoor fan, judging by your name Blackheart?
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Post by lordomnibok on Dec 29, 2016 12:53:07 GMT
I enjoyed Eye of the Dragon. Jackson's citadel of chaos was my favourite book regarding not plot, but difficulty, so in my 'Happy Dream Place,' Livingstone's new book would match that difficulty, but with a more epic plot.
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Post by lordomnibok on Dec 28, 2016 21:02:59 GMT
P.S. Let us not forget the skill 12 mandatory fights scattered along the way as well. But despite all the difficulties that come with attempting a Livingstone book via the rules, I still look forward to it; I am mesmerized even when the despair of countless deaths, or a missing key, continue to bait me.
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Post by lordomnibok on Dec 28, 2016 20:50:09 GMT
Wait a minute Hynrek... Or should I say IAN? Is that you?!?!
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Post by lordomnibok on Dec 28, 2016 18:09:44 GMT
This is a Livingston book we are talking about; chances are you will be long dead before you witness Littlebig's demise. Very well then, how about this: As you walk past the body of Littlebig, the rocks suddenly start to move. That was no mere landslide; you are being attacked by a horde of boulder beast champions! Have you got 7 magical throwing hammers, a sorcerer's wand and a brass necklace? Of couse you haven't, this is only your sixth attempt! Return to page one and try again. I would actually like to see Champskees make a guest appearance in Livingstone's new book; if you are lucky, he could magically appear as a mysterious mage to lead lost travellers away from the paths of doom. I genuinely think that would be quite cool.
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Post by lordomnibok on Dec 28, 2016 15:26:48 GMT
As long as he doesn't bring back Littlebig... I didn't loathe LittleBig, but as you obviously wasn't a fan, what about this for a comeback in the new book: ...Across the iron-grey hills, you suddenly spot a distant shape waving to you. It is none other than your old friend Littlebig! Unfortunately, a sudden rumbling shakes the landscape, and you watch in vain as your comrade is buried beneath a random landslide. You continue nonchalantly with your quest...
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Post by lordomnibok on Dec 28, 2016 15:10:00 GMT
Awesome news. Expected, but still good to hear. I wouldn't threat; i doubt we will be seeing Littlebig again, but even if I thought we were going to, it wouldn't dampen my current enthusiasm.
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Post by lordomnibok on Dec 25, 2016 9:32:18 GMT
And a merry Christmas to you too Mudworm. May all ye on this forum be blessed with rare and mighty gamebooks this Christmas.
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Post by lordomnibok on Dec 20, 2016 0:33:13 GMT
Regarding question 2, I always follow (c). I don't think this is the most logical thing to do, but I believe that it is in closest accordance with the written rule, so that's why i do it. Regarding skill, any adventurer with zero skill would have a life expectancy of about a second; they wouldn't have the skill to kill themselves intentionally, let alone anything else, so I'm certain that they would quickly meet their doom at the hands of a savage gnat or something. Zero skill = death by default, unless you're a toddler with an overprotective barbarian as a dad. Luck is tricky, I guess I would begrudgingly let it go into the minus.
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Post by lordomnibok on Dec 19, 2016 13:17:36 GMT
Ah this thread has made me reminisce. Star Strider was my first gamebook; not my favourite now, but I remember being amazed by it then, with the feeling that I had been transported into a new, real and almost tangible universe. You can't beat those beautiful puffin books. So many years of enjoyment.
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