sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,678
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Sept 1, 2019 23:57:23 GMT
As you all know Ian Livingstone's gone and done it again with Assassins of Allansia being his newest title. I managed to get the hardback edition and the cover is glorious! Without going into any potential spoilers, I had a go at Assassins of Allansia, and it is good. I would say play it normally and don't backtrack every time you make the wrong choice and lose a Skill or Luck point. It adds to the fun for having to deal with these afflictions. There are TONNES of tricks and traps about and it's impossible to not fall for them so just go along with it and do better the next time. Story isn't anything deep but it has some great encounters, especially the varied assassins themselves. And despite the art still being shades of grey, it works much better with Robert Ball's talent behind it. It's a much better adventure than Gates of Death but then that's not saying much. An above average adventure and a solid effort, but not quite a classic.
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Post by jmisbest on Sept 2, 2019 14:10:48 GMT
Why not do us A Guide?. Plus if I like what I read in the guide I may get it shortly after release rather then get it for my Birthday on The 29/10 or for Christmas
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,678
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Sept 2, 2019 16:01:11 GMT
As people have only just got their hands on it, I feel like any information I divulge will be going into spoiler territory, which I've made sure to avoid at least for the moment.
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Post by jmisbest on Sept 2, 2019 20:12:09 GMT
As people have only just got their hands on it, I feel like any information I divulge will be going into spoiler territory, which I've made sure to avoid at least for the moment I'm getting 1 of this, Sorcery 2 and Caverns of The Snow Witch as close to release day as possible and the other 2 for Christmas how about sharing a few of your personal favorite bits in case they convince me to get this for Christmas?. Please and thank you
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,678
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Sept 2, 2019 23:03:12 GMT
As people have only just got their hands on it, I feel like any information I divulge will be going into spoiler territory, which I've made sure to avoid at least for the moment I'm getting 1 of this, Sorcery 2 and Caverns of The Snow Witch as close to release day as possible and the other 2 for Christmas how about sharing a few of your personal favorite bits in case they convince me to get this for Christmas?. Please and thank you I'd say if you like Port of Peril, you're going to like this as it continues in the same vain. Assassins has a better story and good encounters, not to mention much better art. It's fairly easy but it does have Ian's usual feature of 'collect these things or die' included, which makes Port of Peril more versatile in that regard. The variety of assassins after you are what makes this adventure different. There are also plenty of nods and cameos from a few familiar faces.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,458
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Sept 4, 2019 20:09:34 GMT
One oddity this book shares with Port of Peril is that you start with 10 provisions but you are told you are hungry and need to find some food.
Apart from that, pretty impressed from my two (unsuccessful!) attempts thus far.
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Post by Wilf on Sept 7, 2019 21:25:19 GMT
It's very easy to lose lots of Skill points in the early paragraphs, isn't it? Despite having a Skill of 11 on my first attempt, I was down to a Skill of 7 by the time I encountered the Decayer which killed me very quickly. (Spoiler is minor.)My second attempt went better because I rolled a Skill of 12 and knew what *not* to do. For example, I knew not to touch the hand nailed to the tree, which is why my friendly chat with Not Frances Fletcher proved fatal. (Spoiler is major.)Bit annoyed at the ending, though, which implies you start Deathtrap Dungeon with lots of additional items (potentially including a shield, an iron key, an emerald and a diamond) and knowing who Throm is. (Spoiler is positively ruinous. You have been warned!)
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Post by babbagefart on Sept 10, 2019 20:24:38 GMT
Played through this adventure for the first time this afternoon.
Have to say I quite enjoyed it and was surprised at how easy it was for a Livingstone adventure.
I played without cheating and managed to fail at the very end by not having done the right things throughout the story but it didn't bother me too much.
Playing with a SKILL: 10 STAMINA: 18 and LUCK 11 character I fell foul of a few early traps and spent more than half of the book with a stamina of 5 or less. This would have finished me off in any other of Ian's stories but this one is strangely forgiving and I was able to survive.
I also noticed how differently one approaches a book when their stamina is so low (less willing to take risks; talk to people; investigate noises, etc) and this actually added to the story. I relied on luck a couple of times in a tough battle near the end to reduce only 1 stamina point rather than 2 after each lost attack round. I chose the Potion of Fortune at the beginning.
I say that I didn't cheat but... there are a bunch of times in this book where you find items that increase your Skill score. At one point I could have had a score of 15 from an initial score of 10. I know that we can never go above our initial but I was carrying a whole bunch of stuff that would have made life so much easier that I decided to add 1 point to my attack strength when fighting (but not to my actual Skill score). Seems minor but I don't know if I'd have survived had I not cheated in this tiny way. Although starting with 10 Provisions (according to the rules) I get the feeling you actually start with none and so there are very few chances to regain lost Stamina.
Overall I think it's a decent little book. Good enough story; plenty of action; and not as fiendishly difficult as we've come to expect from Ian's books. I'd recommend.
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,678
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Sept 10, 2019 23:49:47 GMT
Played through this adventure for the first time this afternoon. Have to say I quite enjoyed it and was surprised at how easy it was for a Livingstone adventure. I played without cheating and managed to fail at the very end by not having done the right things throughout the story but it didn't bother me too much. Playing with a SKILL: 10 STAMINA: 18 and LUCK 11 character I fell foul of a few early traps and spent more than half of the book with a stamina of 5 or less. This would have finished me off in any other of Ian's stories but this one is strangely forgiving and I was able to survive. I also noticed how differently one approaches a book when their stamina is so low (less willing to take risks; talk to people; investigate noises, etc) and this actually added to the story. I relied on luck a couple of times in a tough battle near the end to reduce only 1 stamina point rather than 2 after each lost attack round. I chose the Potion of Fortune at the beginning. I say that I didn't cheat but... there are a bunch of times in this book where you find items that increase your Skill score. At one point I could have had a score of 15 from an initial score of 10. I know that we can never go above our initial but I was carrying a whole bunch of stuff that would have made life so much easier that I decided to add 1 point to my attack strength when fighting (but not to my actual Skill score). Seems minor but I don't know if I'd have survived had I not cheated in this tiny way. Although starting with 10 Provisions (according to the rules) I get the feeling you actually start with none and so there are very few chances to regain lost Stamina. Overall I think it's a decent little book. Good enough story; plenty of action; and not as fiendishly difficult as we've come to expect from Ian's books. I'd recommend. You DO start with 10 provisions. The Skill bonuses DO NOT increase your Attack Strength. There are plenty of way to lose Skill. These items mitigate them. That is all.
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Post by babbagefart on Sept 11, 2019 6:45:11 GMT
If you start with 10 provisions then why is finding food from paragraph 1 onward such an issue for the player? You are always on the lookout for food (fishing; honey; search the island for food) and at no time is the option to simply eat one of your provisions given or even suggested. I don't think you are supposed to have any. The idea that you are supposed to be living on an island for a month would sell itself well to the idea of foraging for food and survival as a part of that challenge. I don't see why you would take enough food for just ten days. Either take thirty provisions for the whole month or take none at all. Unless you ate all of the food in the first two days prior to the adventure starting. I really think it's a misprint in the rules.
As for the Skill bonuses: It isn't (surely) possible to lose all of the Skill points that are available to pick up over the course of the adventure - especially in the early part. If this is the case then what if someone rolls a 1 for their Skill and so starts with a score of 7; then they fail to find these bonuses. They could lose 5 Skill points in the first third of the book. There seem to be very few ways of picking up Skill and Stamina bonuses in the later parts of the story.
Does this mean someone would have to play through the toughest part with a Skill score of just 2?
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,458
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Sept 11, 2019 12:04:05 GMT
If you start with 10 provisions then why is finding food from paragraph 1 onward such an issue for the player? You are always on the lookout for food (fishing; honey; search the island for food) and at no time is the option to simply eat one of your provisions given or even suggested. I don't think you are supposed to have any. The idea that you are supposed to be living on an island for a month would sell itself well to the idea of foraging for food and survival as a part of that challenge. I don't see why you would take enough food for just ten days. Either take thirty provisions for the whole month or take none at all. Unless you ate all of the food in the first two days prior to the adventure starting. I really think it's a misprint in the rules. As for the Skill bonuses: It isn't (surely) possible to lose all of the Skill points that are available to pick up over the course of the adventure - especially in the early part. If this is the case then what if someone rolls a 1 for their Skill and so starts with a score of 7; then they fail to find these bonuses. They could lose 5 Skill points in the first third of the book. There seem to be very few ways of picking up Skill and Stamina bonuses in the later parts of the story. Does this mean someone would have to play through the toughest part with a Skill score of just 2? Regarding provisions, apparently there is a way you can lose some of your provisions, suggesting you do have at least some. Why you starve yourself rather than eating one is a mystery though.
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Post by Wilf on Sept 11, 2019 17:34:02 GMT
You have enough for ten meals, but you're spending 30 days on the island. You need to ration and supplement your food, therefore fishing and foraging are a high priority.
And no 'apparently' - you can lose all your provisions easily if you're not careful.
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Post by Wilf on Sept 11, 2019 17:36:38 GMT
Does this mean someone would have to play through the toughest part with a Skill score of just 2? Theoretically, yes. This is an Ian Livingstone book, after all...
On my first attempt, my Skill had dropped from 11 to 7 by the time I encountered the Decayer. Very glad I rolled a high Skill to begin with.
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Post by babbagefart on Sept 11, 2019 17:49:14 GMT
Does this mean someone would have to play through the toughest part with a Skill score of just 2? Theoretically, yes. This is an Ian Livingstone book, after all...
On my first attempt, my Skill had dropped from 11 to 7 by the time I encountered the Decayer. Very glad I rolled a high Skill to begin with.
Fair enough. I can accept that. I mean the idea of foraging for food since 10 provisions isn't much for a 30 day stay.
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Post by babbagefart on Sept 11, 2019 17:49:48 GMT
Does this mean someone would have to play through the toughest part with a Skill score of just 2? Theoretically, yes. This is an Ian Livingstone book, after all...
On my first attempt, my Skill had dropped from 11 to 7 by the time I encountered the Decayer. Very glad I rolled a high Skill to begin with.
So a player rolling an initial Skill of 7 could, potentially, end up playing half of the adventure with a Skill of just 1? I take back my review: Livingstone SUCKS!!!
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,678
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Sept 11, 2019 18:52:28 GMT
Theoretically, yes. This is an Ian Livingstone book, after all...
On my first attempt, my Skill had dropped from 11 to 7 by the time I encountered the Decayer. Very glad I rolled a high Skill to begin with.
So a player rolling an initial Skill of 7 could, potentially, end up playing half of the adventure with a Skill of just 1? I take back my review: Livingstone SUCKS!!! You say that like it's unavoidable. Nobody is forcing you to make the same blunders. Find ways to get around them and you won't have a problem...just like ANY OTHER GAMEBOOK (technically about 80% of them). I beat the book with Skill 9, Stamina 16, and Luck 10. I would even say that a Skill 8 hero with maxed out Stamina and Luck could also get through. A fairly easy book in Livingstone terms. I have no idea what you are moaning about.
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Post by babbagefart on Sept 11, 2019 21:12:00 GMT
I take back my review: Livingstone SUCKS!!! You say that like it's unavoidable. Nobody is forcing you to make the same blunders. I beat the book with Skill 9, Stamina 16, and Luck 10. I have no idea what you are moaning about. Cool, I get it. You are right. Next time I won't make the same errors and so the Skill problem won't be such an issue. Look around though. Of all the forums I've ever known since the internet started this one has the fewest number of members and the least going on generally. It's a cold and quiet place at times. At least our little flurry of comments on the new book gave members something new to read. We were sort of advertising the new title as well. Until, that is, you try to shut the conversation down. I get the feeling you like having the last word. Personally I don't take my Fighting Fantasy that seriously...
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Post by a moderator on Sept 11, 2019 21:31:28 GMT
We were sort of advertising the new title as well. I'm not sure that constitutes advertising.
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Post by johnbrawn1972 on Sept 11, 2019 22:59:03 GMT
This is one excruciating book due to the rules or lack of them. It is like reading Critique of Pure Reason where rules are introduced then seemingly ignored for the rest of the book. I wonder if Ian Livingstone was Kant in a previous life.
Can I ask for help? I think I have added an extraneous The to the solution title. If this is right can it be deleted please?
I know the rules are being obeyed above but the ring and sword would seriously set this book on its feet.
The earring is annoying due to the possessions issue. Strictly it can be avoided but it is awesome punishment as a result. The combat afterwards does not matter as you have to win.
One last thing the strange only eat 1 meal at a time rule has been introduced. Has this been commented on yet?
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Post by johnbrawn1972 on Sept 12, 2019 13:55:07 GMT
I will just reply to myself!
The solution is now tidied up and more readable. I am not sure of some of the rules but I have made some assumptions. Strictly if you obey the rules then avoiding the earring is best and then you take the thumping -10 stamina hit. This seems perverse whichever way you look at it.
The rules for the bracelet and astral sword would make much more sense if they were initial skill bonuses. The others can count as top ups after the blitzkrieg opening.
Is the shield necessary? I am not sure. If it is this necessitates the Potion of Skill to restore skill even after taking the least line of resistance. This means later skill penalties are hard to recover from and leave you vulnerable. For instance if you do not have a shield on the boat it is an instant skill penalty.
Luck seems to play a part early on then seems to be forgotten about.
There is a major problem with the Throm encounter. If you have rolled 12 skill and use luck to devastate your opponent they will be felled before the 5 attack rounds have elapsed so you will be forced back and so lose -2 stamina which is a serious gamebook error. Throm will be throwing an axe into a corpse.
Also this feels like the Star Wars prequels where this could be called Deathtrap Dungeon episode 1 with exactly the same sense of bewilderment as to how Darth Vader shows no recollection of his previous existence.
Also now you should run to the final encounter in Deathtrap as you have acquired, if you search hard enough, the requisite gems to win the endgame.
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,678
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Sept 12, 2019 16:44:05 GMT
You say that like it's unavoidable. Nobody is forcing you to make the same blunders. I beat the book with Skill 9, Stamina 16, and Luck 10. I have no idea what you are moaning about. Cool, I get it. You are right. Next time I won't make the same errors and so the Skill problem won't be such an issue. Look around though. Of all the forums I've ever known since the internet started this one has the fewest number of members and the least going on generally. It's a cold and quiet place at times. At least our little flurry of comments on the new book gave members something new to read. We were sort of advertising the new title as well. This is because most of us fans are on Facebook which has over 2000 members keeping the spirit of Fighting Fantasy alive and giving as many ways to advertise the fact as we can.
Until, that is, you try to shut the conversation down. I wasn't trying to shut you down. I was saying you needn't complain about something that isn't even a problem.I get the feeling you like having the last word. No I don't.
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Post by Ed on Sept 13, 2019 14:11:59 GMT
The " start with 10 meals " is a standard carried over from previous books - hence the contradiction of you foraging for food.
I doubt if Ian Livingstone even checks for mistakes like this.
The motivation for why you go to the island is very shaky - a mere 20 gold pieces for endangering your life ?
You can make more than that from just one lucky encounter in other later sections of the book.
This being a Livingstone adventure, there is a very lengthy shopping list of items to be acquired.
You most certainly will need that Bag of Everything !
I've lost count of how many assassins have tried to do me in - are we supposed to keep count ?
My instincts tell me this will be a factor in success or failure during the later stages of the adventure.
The art is a vast improvement but the story and gameplay is very much by the numbers.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to fend of another one of those pesky assassins !
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,678
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Sept 13, 2019 15:31:21 GMT
The " start with 10 meals " is a standard carried over from previous books - hence the contradiction of you foraging for food. I doubt if Ian Livingstone even checks for mistakes like this. The motivation for why you go to the island is very shaky - a mere 20 gold pieces for endangering your life ? You can make more than that from just one lucky encounter in other later sections of the book. This being a Livingstone adventure, there is a very lengthy shopping list of items to be acquired. You most certainly will need that Bag of Everything ! I've lost count of how many assassins have tried to do me in - are we supposed to keep count ? My instincts tell me this will be a factor in success or failure during the later stages of the adventure. The art is a vast improvement but the story and gameplay is very much by the numbers. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to fend of another one of those pesky assassins ! Oddly, you don't need to collect a lot of items. The pendants are important. There is even a section on your adventure sheet for you to keep a tally. The text tells you at least a dozen times that you are taking them from the assassins.
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Post by Ed on Sept 14, 2019 10:59:03 GMT
Yes, there are lots of redundant items - par for the course in FF.
I finished this last night - wasn't that hard to be honest.
It was clever of Ian to structure the story as a lead-in to Deathtrap Dungeon. A prequel of sorts.
Lord Azzur - nice to meet him at last - what a thoroughgoing bastard.
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Sept 14, 2019 17:39:30 GMT
I enjoyed it a lot, for many of the reasons already given above. One of the most enjoyable being the varied characters of the assassins themselves.
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Post by johnbrawn1972 on Sept 14, 2019 21:29:29 GMT
The book is like some sort of bastard offspring of Trial of Champions and The Seven Serpents.
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Sept 14, 2019 23:08:14 GMT
The book is like some sort of bastard offspring of Trial of Champions and The Seven Serpents. Yes! Spot on. And I felt it had a sort of Temple of Terror vibe to it too.
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,678
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Sept 15, 2019 0:19:34 GMT
A minor gripe I have with this adventure is that you are supposed to be avoiding assassination NOT actively hunting down all your pursuers from the start.
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vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 809
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Sept 15, 2019 10:13:03 GMT
AM I READING THIS RIGHT? PEOPLE HERE IN THIS FORUM ARE LIKING A IAN LIVINGSTONE'S BOOK. IF SO, IT SHOULD BE OUTSTANDING! BUT TELL ME, IS THIS A NORMAL FIGHTING FANTASY GAMEBOOK, NUMBER 68 I GUESS?
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Post by Wilf on Sept 15, 2019 10:26:40 GMT
Number 68 if you don't count Sorcery! or Clash Of The Princes.
It's one of Ian's better books, gameplay wise, and if you miss out on any assassins, there's replayability value in finding them.
But it's still pretty linear, it's very simply written, there's nothing inventive about it, and the ending introduces a ton of continuity problems, which could very easily have been solved by not including a certain character from anotber book.
That said, it's probably the best Ian Livingstone book since Crypt; certainly since the end of the Puffin range.
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