|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:00:27 GMT
From TUFFF... One of the stand out classics of the range. The story has all the lovely Hammer Horror clichés and is filled with some superbly moody art from Martin McKenna. The 'Afflictions' tally is great and the castle does genuinely feel quite large. I've always enjoyed romping about those death-filled hallways in search of the Count. (328) Despite your best efforts, you find yourself decaying in front of a computer screen. Your adventure ends here. |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:02:31 GMT
From TUFFF... What a lovely little book that turned out to be.
Now let's get the basics out of the way: this is another new book for me, that I've avoided throughout my younger years solely on the fact that one of 'em damn Dracula wannabes found itself on the cover, somehow. As you may recall, I'm not too fond of the Bela Lugosi ---> Christopher Lee classical design, and as a youngster quick to judge a book by it's cover, in this case as a rip-off instead of an hommage, I've let it fall behind until those last two years, with my renewed interest in the FF world. So let's tackle that cover first shall we? It's extremely well done. No wonder it's a favourite of Les Edwards. There's really no flaw in it, only perhaps nitpicking, and my dislike for big bad Dracula. But nowadays the sight of D doesn't bother me as much, even amuses me a little, considering I'm now the owner of plenty of cheap horror movies, b-grade, z-grade even, from years gone, and that includes a few old Hammer Drac. I mean, Peter Cushing and Mr. Lee are still awesome, no matter what. Inside illos by Martin McKenna: wow. What an improvement over his debut. I mean, the Daggers of Darkness illos weren't bad, but they were kind of funky at times. No so here. Everything seems to have been meticulously taken care off. Love his texture work. Some highlights: love that Tigerskin Rug (and love the concept) and the Necrotic Jelly. What a disgusting sight. Storywise: Thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't know if it's a sign of maturity, but the fact that we were threading Hammer grounds didn't bother me at all. I seemed to grasp more the hommage vibe of it. Plus the book doesn't just stop at being an hommage, it's his own little universe too. A creepy one at that. Let's say I'm glad to have read it so close to Halloween. How appropriate. I had a little puzzlement over the fact that you can meet Gunthar with both books, and while Gunthar's book seems to be the appropriate one to give, handing over the Sword book seemed more rewarding... and I wondered if Keith Martin knew about the dilemma, or if it was just something he missed... or something I missed? Anyway, I'll end by adding that while Mr. Martin's first entry Stealer of Souls failed to impress me (I thought it was okay, nothing more), I was glad to find that this book doesn't continue the trend. And as such, I'm now looking forward to his next one. Speak in extremes, it will save you time. |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:03:40 GMT
From TUFFF... I had a little puzzlement over the fact that you can meet Gunthar with both books, and while Gunthar's book seems to be the appropriate one to give, handing over the Sword book seemed more rewarding... and I wondered if Keith Martin knew about the dilemma, or if it was just something he missed... or something I missed? Yeah that bugs me to. Shouldn't you be able to give him both? |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:04:15 GMT
From TUFFF... That's kind of what I did, by cheating!  Speak in extremes, it will save you time. |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:04:47 GMT
From TUFFF... What I always do too - I justify it by saying that's probably what Keith wanted us to do - it helps me sleep at night  |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:05:12 GMT
From TUFFF... You just imagine your character saying something like: by the way, I have this other book that might interest you... Want a look-see? Speak in extremes, it will save you time. |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:06:44 GMT
From TUFFF... You just imagine your character saying something like: by the way, I have this other book that might interest you... Want a look-see? Me too I'm glad you enjoyed this book. The general consensus with Keith Martin is, I have personally concluded anyway, that he's written two fun books (this and Master of Chaos) but then everything else is an unbeatable, over-complex mess. Whilst his books, as I have mentioned in the 'Return of the Vampire' thread, do have a series of [sometimes quite serious] flaws, I still enjoy his work immensely for both the story and the gameplay. Which are the two main ingredients of a gamebook, right? I'll be very interested to see how you get on with the rest of his work. ~ Vae Victis! ~ |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:08:03 GMT
From TUFFF... The general consensus with Keith Martin is, I have personally concluded anyway, that he's written two fun books (this and Master of Chaos) but then everything else is an unbeatable, over-complex mess. Well, Stealer of Souls would probably be his least complex book. Master of Chaos is very much a transitional book between his first two and the over-complex later ones. |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:08:41 GMT
From TUFFF... GIANT RAVEN SKILL 7 Really? It's a frickin bird The more beautiful and pure FF is – the more satisfying it is to corrupt it. |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:09:46 GMT
From TUFFF... GIANT RAVEN SKILL 7 Really? It's a frickin bird It's a frickin GIANT bird. (328) Despite your best efforts, you find yourself decaying in front of a computer screen. Your adventure ends here. |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:10:36 GMT
From TUFFF... I've seen Giant Ravens at the Tower of London and they are a lot bigger than you might think. Not Albatross huge, but it's no pigeon. Two Words |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:11:07 GMT
From TUFFF... And it can fly. Which is a pretty significant combat advantage. Just ask that poor woman in that Omen movie. |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:13:12 GMT
From TUFFF... Until now, I have read 4 books of Keith Martin: Stealer of Souls, Vault of Vampire, Tower of Destruction and Master of Chaos.
I must say that Keith Martin is a very good author, but having in count only these 4 book's I've read, I feel that, comparing with Ian Livingstone and UK Steve Jackson, I have a feeling of the absence of a giant masterpiece (Deathtrap Dungeon, City of Thieves, Crypt of the Sorcerer, House of Hell, Creature of Havoc).
About those Keith Martin's 4 books, I would say that two of them are good and two others are very good, but none of those is what I would call a "giant masterpiece".
I will say, however, that my favourite FF book of Keith Martin is Vault of Vampire, because mainly the atmosphere inside it is tremendously good (!!) (a little better than in the others), and among other things, Katarina Heydrich and Reiner Heydrich are two very interesting characters.
Razaak's apprentice |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:13:44 GMT
From TUFFF... Keith Martin's epic is Night Dragon, IMO. Quit waiting for Champskees to get around to posting a solution, and try it for yourself. |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:14:12 GMT
From TUFFF... Personally I think Keith peaked early, his later books are a bit too number crunchy for my taste. Not that they are without merit though. Island of the Undead has a great feeling of mystery to it for instance. |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:15:50 GMT
From TUFFF... Vault of the Vampire and Howl of the Werewolf.
Two unbelievably good books. Absolutely amazing both in terms of Atmosphere. I must say however, that again in terms of atmosphere, to my eyes, Vault of the Vampire has managed to be even greater.
However again, from these two, I shall say I prefer Howl of the Werewolf, due to another very good elements inside, such us, epic story, fantastic encounters, and mainly, identification with it. I identify myself a lot more with Howl of the Werewolf than Vault of the Vampire.
But from these two, which one do you prefer? Razaak's apprentice |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:16:29 GMT
From TUFFF... Of those, probably Vault. I do like Howl too but it feels overrated. Sorry Jon. Two Words |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:17:09 GMT
From TUFFF... Both are well above average for the series. Howl has better atmospheric writing but Vault is more cleverly designed. I'd probably say I prefer Vault by a whisker. |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:19:30 GMT
From TUFFF... GIANT RAVEN SKILL 7 Really? It's a frickin bird I remember him well. He "bit" me. I killed and ate that dark meat's beast. Bloodly delicious that freaking bird. And I still won 4 gold pieces. Good memories about that encounter. Razaak's apprentice |
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Nov 12, 2013 23:20:12 GMT
From TUFFF... Here's a puzzler: my understanding of the FF rules was that you could never have more than the initial number of provisions in your backpack, but talking to the Forest Ranger will net you 2 provisions. By this point you can't have lost any more than 2 stamina, so there's no way you would have fewer than 9 provisions. Author oversight, or do you think unlimited provisions are intended here? |
|
|
|
Post by a moderator on May 24, 2014 12:52:13 GMT
My TUFFF playthrough:
|
|
|
|
Post by oakdweller on Mar 15, 2015 19:35:49 GMT
(A repost of an old TUFFF review of mine).
At the time this became my favourite FF book and it stayed that way for many years to come. I loved the ‘classic’ Hammer Horror feel so much that I read the life out of it. My copy is looking very shagged out indeed and it doesn’t look likely that it will be republished any time soon, so I conducted my replay gingerly. It’s been some years since I last played Vault of the Vampire (the late 90s I think), so I prepared myself to be disappointed that the adventure wasn’t the delight that I remembered it was. I wasn’t disappointed, but it no longer enjoys the privilege of being my top book.
The main impression that struck me now, that hadn’t back in the hazy mists of the 20th Century, was just how brazen Keith Martin is in throwing in every horror cliché that he can think of. This is actually more obvious in the clunky background section, complete with yokels who dislike “furriners” and go silent whenever the local supernatural menace is referred to. When the beckoning headless horseman makes his grand entrance it seems that we are actually in the realm of tongue-in-cheek parody. However, the tone of the book is consistently straight, so I think that Martin was actually being deadly serious. Rather than making the book feel pathetic and sad, this serious approach works well because, as hackneyed as the backdrop and ideas maybe, the enthusiasm to explore this familiar ground with refreshed vigour is infectious. After ignoring the coachman, the details such as howling wolves and hooting owls is actually immensely fun.
Talking of clichés, this book made me realise that there is another well-worn device used here that is particular to FF books (and maybe to gamebooks in general – I’ve never actually read any others). It is that of the aggressive encounter which looks like turning ugly, but is actually an ally. In this case it’s the local ranger and her pet bear.
Even if you take the long route to the castle, there isn’t long to wait before you get to your destination. This was a wise move, as Castle Heydrich is much more fun to explore than the surrounding countryside is. There are plenty of interesting encounters to enjoy and Martin makes sure that he puts his own stamp on traditional vampire storytelling. I particularly liked the way that the first meeting with Siegfried is handled. The game tries to dissuade you from advancing further by placing no less than three deterrents in the way: the horde of rats, a bossy magical door and a flock of bats. Each time, the text gives you an option to give up and return to the main courtyard. I don’t know how many players have backed off, but I thought that it was quite a neat way to ‘hide’ a key encounter.
My memory was of the text being heavily detailed, but it doesn’t actually have as much depth as – say – Phantoms of Fear had before it. However, that doesn’t mean that the text is dull and uninvolving by any means. There is just enough character detail and background information on the Heydrich family history to give life and colour, although it would of course have been nice to be given much more, especially on the Reiner/Siegfried relationship. There are also plenty of neat touches throughout: the soundless ringing of Siegfried’s bell; the charming novelty of fighting an animated tigerskin rug and the shock of discovering the mausoleum/laboratory in the crypt. The crypt is where most of the disturbing horror is to be found (and what a great idea it was to show this end-game location off as soon as you arrive at the castle grounds, but make it inaccessible). It never reaches the skin-crawling heights of Beneath Nightmare Castle, but tapping one of your veins and fighting necrotic jellies comes close. The most effective moment in the crypt though is when one of the severed arms in the laboratory grabs you. It is magically connected to a nearby head in a jar which whispers for help (which you cannot provide unfortunately), but if you decide to attack the arm then the head weeps. I remember attacking the arm on my very first play-through back in 1989 and feeling rather upset that I’d furthered the suffering of something that was already in a great deal of pain. This for me is when horror is at its most effective: when it touches on feelings of melancholy and sadness as well as on the scares and revulsion.
I’m now going to whip out my dagger and open up an old wound in the vein of controversy: the use of a crucifix. Ages back, Jamus wrote a review of Dead of Night which criticised the way that it used a cross. Kieran – quite rightly – pointed out that cross symbols were used by religious groups long before Christianity was devised. However, in Vault of the Vampire the object that is used is a very specific form of cross. A crucifix, by definition, has an image of someone being crucified on it. Now, I’m not aware of any other person aside from Christ being depicted on a crucifix, but even if other people have been used as such they must be rarities. I’m not a Christian, so I’m not saying that I’m offended by the inclusion of a crucifix here, but rather that pointing out that it doesn’t fit in with the mythology of Titan.
Onto practical matters, the FAITH score works fairly well, although it is rather too easy to gain a score that is so high that it can make dice rolls against it moot. I’d completely forgotten about the AFFLICTIONS feature. I only received one in my recent play-through: the Curse of the Bat, but this didn’t do anything at all. I noticed mention of others such as Lycanthropy and the Curse of the Healer, so perhaps it is only pertinent when other paths/actions are taken. The many references that were made to needing a light source were annoyingly superfluous. You have a lantern in your possessions at the beginning of the adventure, but I’m fairly certain that there is no way that you can lose it. This means that making the blades of the magic swords that you come across luminous is also unnecessary.
One other effective horror moment that really stuck in my memory is in the reception room (near to where Lothar is). If the option to try one of the biscuits is chosen then the following happens, “You bite into the sugared, crunchy biscuits with their thin, dark chocolate surface – and reach the soft centre of clotted blood” (4). I just love moments like these which allow you to indulge in some sort of pleasures before subverting the whole experience. (I’m not so keen when this happens in real life though. Ruined pleasures I mean, not eating gory biscuits). Whilst we’re on the topic of the reception room, those who were irritated at the nannying attitude toward alcohol in Star Strider will note that something similar happens here when the white wine is sampled. A SKILL point is docked because “you drank a little too much”. Oddly enough, when you discover a bottle of fine brandy in the crypt there are no such negative effects, despite the fact that its ABV must be substantially higher.
I am in love with Martin McKenna – well at least with his artwork anyway. There’s something about the rich velvety gloominess of his illustrations that always manages to give a terrific jumpstart to any shortcomings that the text may have. My favourites here include the cluttered crypt laboratory (255), the splendid necrotic jelly (313), the zombie kitchen (172) and the dying Katarina (400). Best of all though is the tigerskin rug (221), which surely couldn’t have been realised any better than it has been here.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2015 20:02:52 GMT
With all this TUFFF salvaging by almightymudworm it's as though the forum never went down. I wonder what ever happened to vagsancho? was one of my favourite posters, made me laugh. I remember these reviews by oakdweller, quite a good read. I'm glad to see them again.
|
|
|
|
Post by johnbrawn1972 on Mar 15, 2015 22:22:45 GMT
With all this TUFFF salvaging by almightymudworm it's as though the forum never went down. I wonder what ever happened to vagsancho? was one of my favourite posters, made me laugh. I remember these reviews by oakdweller, quite a good read. I'm glad to see them again. Thank goodness that deranged irritant is long gone. I take genuine wit any day over obsessional ranting.
Vault is great fun. I bought a second hand copy for a little under £3.
I played out my own route and then looked at Champskees solution. I have to say my solution was virtually identical as the 'forces' are fairly strong.
The one thing I wish was slightly different was the difficulty of the book stats wise. I have to agree with Champskees strong stats are necessary otherwise you are finished. That reminds me one day I must do a 12/24/12 route for Night Of The Necromancer when I have moved to my new house. The strange thing is the route is more difficult because of the freedom this affords. In contrast 7/14/7 or 8/15/7 seems to force a more 'determinate' route. Even for strong stats the Spirit Stone seems like a red herring other than testing the limits. I have come to believe the Black Hourglass is the 'hidden' desirable super weapon. Nevertheless going for 'everything' is a blast.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2015 18:37:18 GMT
John, every forum needs a troll, or it would get very boring.
|
|
kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,453
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
|
Post by kieran on Mar 19, 2015 13:14:53 GMT
Hey, maybe we could take a CS Lewis stance and say there is a Jesus in every possible world.
|
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Mar 24, 2015 22:08:37 GMT
With all this TUFFF salvaging by almightymudworm it's as though the forum never went down. I remember these reviews by oakdweller, quite a good read. I'm glad to see them again.  Yes it's good to see good posts and posters coming together here again. It's probably inevitable that like everyone else he'll find his way here eventually. Was he posting on the Yuku version of TUFFF? He has provided us with a few laughs, no question, but I think there are probably quite a few people on here who aren't in a big hurry to crack open that particular crypt - not everyone has the STAMINA needed to cope . |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2015 22:24:05 GMT
Although I like a good troll (forum drama), I guess we have to let some members go. I wonder if he was genuinely a FF fan or just there to be annoying? I don't think I remember him on the Yuku version, in fact, I believe everyone stopped posting regularly after that conversion.  |
|
|
|
Post by hynreck on Apr 14, 2015 15:34:57 GMT
Uh-oh. Talk of the devil tammy. What did you do?? Stop praying to the wrong gods!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by offm on Apr 15, 2015 10:25:29 GMT
i found vagsancho a little annoying , then again i found myself a little annoying sometimes
|
|
