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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 12:56:53 GMT
From TUFFF... Another new book!
Fellow FF fans here who've read my previous reviews might remember that I'm never too keen on dinosaurs in a FF setting. I like the darn beasts - in some documentary, the kid in me always rejoice at the idea of studying those magnificent titans from ages past - but in a FF adventure it's iffy. I'd rather meet the same old boring Orc time and again than be presented with "monsters" of the dinosaur kind. That's why I was apprehensive about PoE. I had mixed feelings. Because on one part there was the promise of dinosaurs with a totally wrong Stegosaurus on the cover, but on the other hand it is a book written by Peter Darvill-Evans, and I really enjoyed his previous effort, Beneath Nightmare Castle. I'm happy to report that the PD-E part of the equation came out on top. His story was most pleasant, even with some hints of Lovecraftian influence left from BNC. Even more pleasant was the fact that it was far from being a dinosaur fest. Dinosaurs are there, yes, but they are weird creatures not native to the land, which is great as Titan is supposed to be it's own universe and it would be incredibly boring for it to share the same history/evolution as ours, but even better yet, these dinosaurs are not even plain normal dinosaurs. They've been altered by the titular portal. Well, sorta, you know? I'm being vague here just in case there are people here who haven't read it yet but are still reading my review... Something I wouldn't recommend, but hey! The cover illustration is ok, aside from my dislike of that stegosaurus, which must take nearly 50% of that cover, which means... nevermind. Inside illos by Alan Langford are great, for the most part. I'd even venture to say that they are his best since Island of the Lizard King, very focus and precise, unlike some other time where it seemed rushed. I gotta wonder though, and ask around: why does he always seems to be the guy appointed to dinosaurs stuff, or lizard related? Is this just something he got stuck with after doing Lizard King? Just curious. In any case, an enjoyable story. I felt like it could have been slightly more epic, though I'm not sure I could explain why. Maybe because there are different ways to get to the end, some more impressive than others? But I don't think it's a bad thing at all, as I appreciated overall the different branching path and the interesting adventures that they offered. Nothing like Ian's preceding book where branching off the main path meant dozing off to death. Speak in extremes, it will save you time. |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 12:57:50 GMT
From TUFFF... Excellent write up Hynreck, PDE is a fan-favourite author, so I'm surprised this work hasn't been more widely discussed. Thank you for bringing it back to our attention, I look forward to reading more from you about the other books in the series! Your reviews are become quite definitive on this site. ~ Vae Victis! ~ |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 12:58:32 GMT
From TUFFF... Thanks for the kind words, I'm trying to be all I can be, ah! I often write my reviews rush-rush at my job, so it might just be my excuse for poor imagery or other mistake of all kind. Please don't tell anyone!!  Speak in extremes, it will save you time. |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 12:59:12 GMT
From TUFFF... Hi, I recently picked up this book from a used book store, and it's missing a bunch of pages, so if someone could tell me what is at references 74 to 84, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:01:11 GMT
From TUFFF... A bit too lazy to type it all out so here's some summaries: 74
Spinosaurus tells you Gartax is leading a band of resistance fighters against the slave warriors. He's encamped half a league south eastwards. You can then go SW to Kleinkastel (143), E to the foothills of the Cloudhigh Mountains (22) or head SE in search of Gartax (263). 75
Attempt to jump over giant centipede. Roll less than Skill (337). Roll equal or greater than Skill (24). 76
Lignia is defeated but immediately starts to recover. Hurriedly climb down ladder to bottom of tree. You can now walk straight through middle of the dell (318) or along the edge (144) 77
The coin disappears within the black figure (225) 78
Reach the bottom of the staircase to find the corridor below ends in a stone wall where is inscribed:
TIDSIV FUUS!
KEY IS UNDER MAT!
You can see no mat, but there is a piece of cloth poking out from under the bottom stair. You can look closer at this (341). You can say the words "Under Mat" out loud (386) or say another password of your choice (write down what you will say before going to 184) 79
Fall into a spike pit and are eaten by goblins 80
Fall backwards. Roll die. On 4,5 or 6 you lose 2 Stamina. 2 slave warriors hear your fall and head towards you (262) 81
The wizard tells you the portal was discovered before thousands of years ago by a goblin war chief. Portal and chief took power from one another and enlaved the local population, turning them to slave warriors, each wearing a stone talisman. But the chief was defeated (199) 82
You escape into the forest and come across a wharf manned by dwarf slave warriors. You hide in a warehouse filled with oblong boxes. But boxes are opened from inside to reveal more slave warriors. You are trapped then killed. 83
Your begging is sneered at, or people back away from you in fear. Lose 4 Stamina points from hunger. You can give up and go hungry (61) or try to steal enough money to buy a meal (304) 84
Mine is not deserted. Can hear twittering from main entrance. An old man with robotic arm bursts out of the door of the building by the mine. He asks if you will help him finish his work which is near completion - his metal arm isn't much use. (I presume you have the rest of 84) |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:02:27 GMT
From TUFFF... Hi, I recently picked up this book from a used book store, and it's missing a bunch of pages, so if someone could tell me what is at references 74 to 84, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! Why would you buy a book with missing pages? (328) Despite your best efforts, you find yourself decaying in front of a computer screen. Your adventure ends here. |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:03:39 GMT
From TUFFF... Sometimes you find it at a charity shop or flea market and you don't have all day to inspect it. Sometimes people are jerks that do not appreciate such things as highly as others. Or the previous owner was a mardy four year old who was not ready to read. As such, I doubt he would have bought it new. (legendoffantasy, not the four year old) Two Words |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:04:08 GMT
From TUFFF... And sometimes you get a gamebook on eBay and only subsequently learn that the seller either didn't know or kept quiet about the fact that not all the pages were there (glowers at own copy of Slaves of the Abyss). |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:04:45 GMT
From TUFFF... I've had a lifelong habit of reading my favourite books many times over, at the expense of others. As a result, there are still many FF books that I still haven't read. I think I'll do the 'read the books in order' challenge to overcome this tendency. I mention this, because so far Portal of Evil is my favourite fighting fantasy. When I was younger, it used to be Trial of Champions, but the variety of settings in Portal of Evil, the inclusion of a portal to another world, mad alchemist, wizards, forests, rivers, lakes, gold mining, good descriptions, 'big' words that sometimes have me reaching for my dictionary, a self-loving dwarf - and despite this a 'lightness' to it, I couldn't ask for much more, except maybe an appearance by Yaztromo. Everything is better with Yaztromo. 'Then battle for freedom wherever you can, And, if not shot or hang'd, you’ll get knighted.' - Lord Byron |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:05:39 GMT
From TUFFF... One of the main reasons why I love this book is that the two greatest enemies you are up against are: Gold and the Portal. Not a badass villain or monster. That's a great concept and brilliantly executed. Two Words |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:06:13 GMT
From TUFFF... Thanks, kieran! I really appreciate it! And yeah, I didn't realize that it was missing pages until I got it back home. |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:07:33 GMT
From TUFFF... One of the main reasons why I love this book is that the two greatest enemies you are up against are: Gold and the Portal. Not a badass villain or monster. That's a great concept and brilliantly executed. Strange to say, but I never considered that and now I think of it, that just adds another layer of cool to the book! 'Then battle for freedom wherever you can, And, if not shot or hang'd, you’ll get knighted.' - Lord Byron |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:13:15 GMT
From TUFFF... *forgive this long post that is also a bit of a history lesson*
Fond memories came flooding in when I read this recently. Memories of a time when dino-fever was at its peak, and Jurassic Park was my favouritest film. The purchase of Portal of Evil was thus inevitable, and was probably the smartest move I made as a kid. It was also the first FF book I ever bought. And I was silly enough to have tarnished it with the date (22-10-1994) and a dino-sticker on the cover. At the time, House of Hell was the only other FF book I'd read but that was too difficult and I was scared of seeing page 236. In a way, Portal of Evil became my first true step into the world of Fighting Fantasy. It took a few goes but I remember completing it on the day of purchase. I always used to miss the Igneolite, and my boat usually gets smashed on the rapids causing me to fail in meeting the wizard. Little did I know that this was one of the easiest books in the series. On my most recent playthrough, I found that I could enjoy the story element a lot more now that I knew the Victory Path. Having the attraction of Gold that leads to unearthing the Portal and a Slave outbreak told to you by a talking Spinosaurus is sheer genius, and a great way to put you into the right mindset for the adventure. There are three main paths you can go on (though you miss nothing by going on the latter two first): straight into the Cloudhigh Mountains to the source of the problem; respond to a call to Kleinkastel and a tournament; but my preferred choice is looking for the wizard of Lake Mlubz. Finding out about the Portal's history and the best way to tackle it just feels more complete, rather than surviving its onslaught by chance. There's a certain brilliance to the Portal in that, it is not a typical villain but an inanimate object. Yet it resonates with all the menace and evil that personifies them. Upon the discovery of its location, the prose that leads up to seeing it is so atmospheric, that the following paragraph actually conveys an overwhelming sense of dread as you realise the scale of the danger you are in. And that paragraph simply begins: 'You have found the Portal.' Short and sweet. This is Peter Darvill-Evans at his best. The book features dinosaurs, zombies, a guy with a mechanical arm, an evil gateway, and a sh*t-faced warlord. Sounds like madness but it works, and it does so seamlessly. The illustrations are also excellent (they made me buy the book), with some of Alan Langford's best. Most people moan about the inaccuracy of the cover, but I wonder if they are aware that nearly all the dinosaurs illustrated in the book are depicted wrongly. For me it was never an issue since it does nothing to detract from the book. I tend to over-criticize when it comes to reviews, but the book is so enjoyable, so well written and carries so much nostalgia that I struggle to find anything negative to say. Portal of Evil gets a well-deserved 5/5. The replay value is high as well so in a way, the book itself is like a magnet as Gold once was. But for now, I shall leave these Cloudhigh Mountains undisturbed until I am drawn to it again. And perhaps looking back at this review, I will have another fond memory of writing it. Two Words |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:15:22 GMT
From TUFFF... Got this a few days ago – another £0.01 buy from amazon. Here are my thoughts overall:
Cover - good
Illustrations - good – atmospheric and detailed
Plot – Excellent. I particularly like the emphasis on the double-edged nature of gold – how it lures men into the mountains, but can also lead them to complete disaster.
Difficulty – definitely rather too easy, at least as long as you chose the right path in a couple of locations. Other than that, completing this book is mostly a matter of investigating everything and talking to everyone and hoping you’re going to miss the sudden death paragraphs.
Writing – fine. The descriptions are absorbing and detailed. Many of the other characters you meet are memorable. Overall, like many other fans, I rate Peter Darvill-Evans, with the original Steve Jackson and Jonathan Green, as one of the best FF writers. And being a writer myself (non-fiction), I know just how demanding it can be.
So, in summary, a fine entry in the series. Definitely one of my favourite 10 of the 40 or so I’ve played, but probably not in the top 5. It is slightly too easy, though as ever, we must bear in mind that the target market was kids and young teenagers rather than adults. I’m not as offended as some have been by the appearance of explosives in this book, though the obvious question is why you don’t just attach enough of the stuff to Balthus Dire’s citadel or the Lizard King’s fortress if you want to make sure you complete those quests without needing to outwit the Gangees or the Gonchong! |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:16:32 GMT
From TUFFF... But how would you do that without it or you being spotted? How would you get the stuff in the first place? I'm not certain, but it doesn't sound like a common thing in Titan. Two Words |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:17:04 GMT
From TUFFF... Evidently without the Internet or even the printing press, the speed at which inventions diffuse on Titan is slower than on Earth in the 21st century ... |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:19:10 GMT
From TUFFF... 78Reach the bottom of the staircase to find the corridor below ends in a stone wall where is inscribed:TIDSIV FUUS!KEY IS UNDER MAT!You can see no mat, but there is a piece of cloth poking out from under the bottom stair. You can look closer at this (341). You can say the words "Under Mat" out loud (386) or say another password of your choice (write down what you will say before going to 184) I'm sure this has been explained elsewhere, but just what was the reason for the password being what it was here? I haven't seen my copy of PoE for a long time so I don't even know what it was, but I have a distant memory of being puzzled. This book was definitely one of my favourites out of those I've read. There's a lot of originality which stops it from feeling like a knock-off or pastiche of anything and many of the characters are memorable: from Gloten the dwarf, through the dryad queen, distant wizard and one-armed mad scientist, onto Dirlin, Horfak and the ominous Portal itself. |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:20:42 GMT
From TUFFF... Spoilery Spoilery Spoilery Spoilers! Read No Further if you don't want to be Spoiled!
---oOo---
Okay, that should do it.
TIDSIV FUUS is a code for SECRET DOOR. To turn the words into code, you substitute the consonant after each consonant in the words, and the vowel after each vowel. So A becomes E, and B becomes C, and so on. APFIS NEV is therefore the code for UNDER MAT. |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:21:58 GMT
From TUFFF... Why would you buy a book with missing pages? I bought Dead of Night from a second hand book store and some of the references were put in the wrong place. Beyond 41 it started at 24-27 then continued at 42. The more beautiful and pure FF is – the more satisfying it is to corrupt it. |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 11, 2013 13:22:52 GMT
From TUFFF... Spoilery Spoilery Spoilery Spoilers! Ah, that makes sense, thank you! Were there clues given for it? Quite a tough riddle if not. |
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Post by a moderator on May 24, 2014 12:55:12 GMT
My TUFFF playthrough:
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Post by oakdweller on Mar 15, 2015 19:29:12 GMT
(This is a repost of one of my last TUFFF reviews that survived, rattling around in the back of my laptop).
Peter Darvill-Evans can always be relied upon to come up with something fresh and distinctly different from what has come before. That includes being different from his own previous gamebooks. Despite references to nearby Neuburg, Portal of Evil largely sets the bizarre horror of Beneath Nightmare Castle aside to explore a more familiar world, one that has been corrupted by the gold fever that struck the area. Of course we still need to have something a bit more fantastical than that to play with – this is FF after all – so we’re faced with an invasion of dinosaurs and zombie-like slaves. This is Darvill-Evans at his most restrained in terms of surrealistic expression, with most of the storytelling being pretty standard fantasy fare. That’s not to say that it is dull and unimaginative, just that it is not as bizarre as his other books.
In his review of this book, Sylas suggests that the real villain of the piece is gold (along with the portal itself of course). I’d agree with that, but with qualification. It’s not the gold that has caused the corruption in the land but the people who are willing to get their hands on as much of the stuff as possible at all costs. As the background section states, “Its matchless lustre attracts, not other metals, but human greed”. Expanding the social background of the setting is not something that FF has done very well at in previous books. The likes of Port Blacksand, Kharé and the townships of the Inland Sea may all be colourful and lively, but we’re rarely given much of an idea as to how the day-to-day living of their inhabitants works. In Portal of Evil we get to listen to the miners who have not only had to put up with the swindling and excessive taxation, but are now totally desperate because of the recent arrivals from the portal. I think that the book could actually have worked without the portal aspect in it at all – it would’ve been really engaging to have decided the fate of the mining community, deciding which faction to side with. (In other words there could’ve been multiple endings). The affect that the gold rush has had on the settlement of Kleinkastel itself is also mentioned (143), explaining how the town has evolved from a simple crossroads to a place with rapidly expanding suburbs. This kind of attention to detail on the social changes in an FF locality has never been so elaborate before. (I can’t recall whether or not future books manage it or not, but my memory of many of the books from #39 onwards are hazy. I’ll find out when I replay them soon I guess). The author has obviously really enjoyed creating this living, breathing world and really helps to sell its believability.
Although I like to fantasise about Portal of Evil without its eponymous portal, I don’t think that its inclusion is a mistake by any means. The portal’s ‘plans’ don’t appear to have anything to do with the gold itself, but then the connection with the two lies in the way that the opening was uncovered by the mining process. To put it crudely, the greed of the prospectors for the gold unintentionally caused the forces from the portal to be released. This point is not dwelt upon in the text and I think that is preferable to hammering home some sort of moral message. Another point that I agree with Sylas on is that having the ‘villain’ as an inanimate object is refreshingly different. Sure, we have Horfak too, but he’s more of a mouthpiece and manager working at the portal’s behest. The menace of the portal always reminds me of the black monoliths from 2001: a Space Odyssey.
Time is taken to flesh out individual characters too. Gloten, Gartak and the oddly nameless wizard all manage to rise up beyond simple ciphers. The character that I really adored though was the madman Azudraz. His craziness was not overdone, which helped to make the decisions on how to handle him not as obvious as some mad-man encounters in other books have been. One plot point that doesn’t work in Azudraz’s section though is when we’re given the option of stealing gold nuggets from the mysterious vats. Anyone with only passing familiarity with fantasy games would be hesitant to plunge straight in without thinking. However, bear in mind that you have only just been unloading gold into these vats as a favour. Why not take some of the gold before it goes into the vats? Wow, I could’ve been such a great master thief – I’m wasted in education.
The bizarro-factor may be less acute than usual for a PD-E book, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any oddities to savour at all. Most of these take the form of creatures: mechanical horses, cape-wearing apes, numerous unfamiliar dinosaurs and the like. I was excited to see a struthiomimus included when I first read this book, which is a little known dinosaur that is displayed here in my home city of Oxford at the University Museum. My favourite inventions in the book are the saltsuckers though – what an imaginative test of resolve that was. The encounter with the stegocephalian was interesting too, a toothless lizard with little aggressive potential who can ensnare its prey with sticky SKILL-sapping slime.
Alan Langford’s art is as reliable as ever. (I think that Hynreck is right about him being called up whenever there was a book in the works involving reptiles of some sort). The giant snails (179), triceratops (286) and pteranodon (53) are the most satisfying for me, as is the realisation of my beloved saltsuckers (130). It’s unfortunate that he misunderstood how the nose of the armoured mole should look though (273). I feel that PD-E probably had the real-life star-nosed mole from North America in mind as a basis for this, which has tendril-like fixtures that comprise their ‘stars’ rather than the silly Christmas biscuit that we’re given here. Yeah, I know… Picky, picky!
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Post by Charles X. on Jul 19, 2021 20:08:00 GMT
At the risk of repeating myself since I left a similar message on the solutions forum - this is a great book. The artwork in particular left a strong impression on me growing up, and the difficulty (for once) is about right.
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Post by vastariner on Feb 12, 2022 22:04:41 GMT
Having just replayed it (unsuccessfully), I will throw in a few bits and dabs.
1. You can complete it without following an optimum path. I missed out about a third of the book and still came close to winning - a choice quite near the portal went wrong and I missed a key item.
2. Gold is the enemy? Perhaps it's symbolic that I think you only need 1 gold piece in the entire adventure, and you get rid of it not long after getting it.
3. I had not properly sussed but getting through the portal is a nicely designed test against Skill, Stamina, and Luck.
4. What happens to the chaps and chapesses stuck behind the portal if you close it up?
5. There's a hidden mystery here. The portal is presumably a portal because of the magic runes carved all around it. So...who did that, and how did they know they would work...that's begging for a follow-up...
6. Is it a portal through space - or through time? Are you in Allansia 1,000,000 BC? Different sky and so on can be explained by the planet migrating slightly or by different divine effects.
7. How many of the dinos you meet are those that made it through from the other side...and how many are transformed humans/dwarves &c?
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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 Feb 13, 2022 0:01:39 GMT
This adventure is lowkey amazing and a woefully underrated gem. The Portal is one of my favourite FF villains.
4. Never thought about that since some might want to come back through with you but I guess they'll have to stay there. At least they won't have the Portal or the Slave Warriors to worry about any more. It's kind of funny when you think about it. You're like: 'I completed my quest. Peace, I'm out!'
For your last few queries, they are better left as a mystery and plays to the book's strengths.
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IoannesKantakouzenos
Traveller
Being slowly eaten alive by a Ghoul
Posts: 105
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy (Aventuras Fantásticas)
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Post by IoannesKantakouzenos on Mar 21, 2023 20:49:01 GMT
So, at last the postman brought this one to me. Time to send my horde of Byzantine has-beens to see which one manages to succeed in beating the book...
Andronicus Comnenus (10-19-11): goes straight into the mine-workings, gets killed in a fight between Troglodytes and Goblins.
Basilius Porphyrogenitus (7-20-10): captured by the Margrave's men.
Cyrillus Vatatzes (11-18-12): manages to reach the Portal, decides to ignite the Igneolite bag straight away, becomes a Slave Warrior.
Demetrios Palaiologos (10-23-10): reaches the Portal again, but the lack of torches and miner helmet means he is snuffed out of existence. Maybe we need to search some mines.
Eustathios Angelos (11-24-9): goes to Cleever and Thorke's Mine in search of light sources, loses everything and gets turned into a Giant Scorpion at the Portal. Smart move, Einstein.
Georgios Dukas (10-20-9): finally decides to go through Kleinkastel before going to the forest, gets warrant, finally finds some torches and a miner's helmet (but no candle)... and an Unlucky roll means that he joins Cyrillus in the nothingness of existence.
Heraclius Laskaris (8-16-10): mauled by a Struthiominus. Seriously?!
Isaakios Dicorus (12-18-10): decides to head first for the forest then Kleinkastel, finally finds a candle for the ruddy miner's helmet, reaches the Portal, finally enter the other side in one piece, meets the People, waits for the ambush, decides to go for the Queen first and lets Horfak escape.
Leo Syncellus (11-23-10): after some narrow escapes, passes through the Portal, finds a weird helmet, meets the People, waits for the ambush, goes directly for the Warlord, weakens him thanks to the weird helmet and kills him, finally detonates the Igneolite bag and saves the day. Hooray!
This book is actually a very good read and it's well built. However I think PD-E could have made use of some secret references, at least during the whole Gloten thing (p.e., Gartax gives you knowledge about him, deduct 50 when he beats you to tell him he is a Dwarf, instead of the hint appearing available to everyone). I like the explanation on how there are Slave Warriors and creatures (dinosaur but not only)... and I personally love the scene where you fail to surrender your sword - one of my personal best deaths.
All in all, can't wait to explore the rest of the book.
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Post by CharlesX on Mar 21, 2023 22:04:07 GMT
I've always thought Portal Of Evil is deeply underrated and one of the best FFs. I think my high opinion of the artwork might not be shared by others, but the writing is rich, concise and action-packed, the world vivid and memorable, and the gamebook doesn't require outrageous starting stats or luck, or both, as can be the case with FF. I've also good memories of Portal Of Evil as one of the first FFs I bought, and not one which disappointed (cough * Star Strider * cough). As far as IoannesKantakouzenos 's remarks go, I imagine the author's logic, aside from adding a secret reference being complicated, would be your adventurer may work out (perhaps intentionally) Gloten might be a dwarf, possibly based on nuanced clues and artwork in the text. For me absence of complicated reference instructions adds to POE's simplicity and charm. |
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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 Mar 21, 2023 22:56:40 GMT
I've always thought Portal Of Evil is deeply underrated and one of the best FFs. I think my high opinion of the artwork might not be shared by others, but the writing is rich, concise and action-packed, the world vivid and memorable, and the gamebook doesn't require outrageous starting stats or luck, or both, as can be the case with FF. I've also good memories of Portal Of Evil as one of the first FFs I bought, and not one which disappointed (cough * Star Strider * cough). As far as IoannesKantakouzenos 's remarks go, I imagine the author's logic, aside from adding a secret reference being complicated, would be your adventurer may work out (perhaps intentionally) Gloten might be a dwarf, possibly based on nuanced clues and artwork in the text. For me absence of complicated reference instructions adds to POE's simplicity and charm. I also loved the artwork in this. In fact, the art is what made me buy this as the first FF book I ever bought. |
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IoannesKantakouzenos
Traveller
Being slowly eaten alive by a Ghoul
Posts: 105
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy (Aventuras Fantásticas)
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Post by IoannesKantakouzenos on Mar 21, 2023 23:51:24 GMT
Sure, simple is good, I won't deny that. For me, it would make more logic to have a hidden reference there, or at the "write down your answer then turn to see if your answer is correct" bits. But I agree PoE works quite well without them (I know, I know, there is one in the book and it was a pain to solve, which is a point towards the simple way).
What annoys me the most about the book (and I don't know whether it's just limited to my edition) is the lack of references at the top of the pages. Never before I'd realised how dependant one is of them to find the paragraph you want to jump to. I know it's not really an issue because you can easily find what you're looking for, but still, it's a bit annoying looking at that blank part of the page.
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Post by terrysalt on Mar 22, 2023 0:15:02 GMT
Sure, simple is good, I won't deny that. For me, it would make more logic to have a hidden reference there, or at the "write down your answer then turn to see if your answer is correct" bits. But I agree PoE works quite well without them (I know, I know, there is one in the book and it was a pain to solve, which is a point towards the simple way). What annoys me the most about the book (and I don't know whether it's just limited to my edition) is the lack of references at the top of the pages. Never before I'd realised how dependant one is of them to find the paragraph you want to jump to. I know it's not really an issue because you can easily find what you're looking for, but still, it's a bit annoying looking at that blank part of the page. Mine doesn't have them either and it is extremely annoying. |
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