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Post by jmisbest on Mar 31, 2021 10:07:56 GMT
How about we each list 1 very big problem that we each have with 1 of our top 7 favorite Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks that has nothing to do with the books plot, story, the people in it, enemies that you didn't think you'd encounter and plot twists that happen during it?. Here's mine
For me its Armies of Death and my problem is that during the part that details the stories background it mentions that The Books Hero arranges for A Small Castle to build while he or she is away but it only(?) costs him or her 14,000 Gold Coins and when you factor in the costs of things like land, labor and building materials not only do I refuse to believe that he or she could afford A Small Castle I also find it more likely that the biggest castle The Books Hero would have been able to afford would have been A Tiny Castle |
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,453
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Mar 31, 2021 11:08:56 GMT
How about we each list 1 very big problem that we each have with 1 of our top 7 Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks that has nothing to do with the books plot, story, the people in it, enemies that you didn't think you'd encounter and plot twists that happen during it?. Here's mine
For me its Armies of Death and my problem is that during the part that details the stories background it mentions that The Books Hero arranges for A Small Castle to build whistle he or she is away but it only(?) costs him or her 14,000 Gold Coins and when you factor in the costs of things like land, labor and building materials not only do I refuse to believe that he or she could afford A Small Castle I also find it more likely that the biggest castle The Books Hero would have been able to afford would have been A Tiny Castle A semi-detached castle perhaps! I dislike the way House of Hell requires you to have at last 9 Fear to beat the book - unless you allow for the reader guessing the password which I dislike even more! |
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Post by vastariner on Mar 31, 2021 11:15:20 GMT
Having to fail a test in Black Vein Prophecy...
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Post by a moderator on Mar 31, 2021 11:29:00 GMT
Having to fail a test in Black Vein Prophecy... It's an interesting idea, but there are two issues I have with the way it's implemented. 1) It happens right at the start of the adventure, while your Luck is at its maximum, when the odds of getting the required outcome are at their worst. 2) The short-term outcome of failing the roll should have some obvious adverse effect (minor Stamina loss, for example, though that would require restructuring the way attributes are determined in the book), so it actually seems like bad luck (which is subsequently discovered to have its advantageous side) rather than just random weirdness. |
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Post by petch on Mar 31, 2021 16:38:51 GMT
The fact that the Time Track has very little effect on the Ancient's stats at the end of Night Dragon.
I didn't mind all that record keeping of time - it added to the sense of urgency in the adventure - but if it had more of a dramatic effect then there would be more of a dilemma on the part of the player as to whether it would be worthwhile spending that extra time going for that additional power-up or not. Or at the very least it should supply a stiffer penalty for procrastination.
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Post by tyrion on Mar 31, 2021 21:04:20 GMT
The cheat proofing in masks of mayhem. You have so many hoops to jump through to meet vashti, but after you defeat morgana, the book just asks you 'did you meet vashti?'. So if you were so inclined, you could just say yes, regardless of whether you had or not. It wouldn't have been a stretch to put another cheat proof at that point (such as a number given to you by vashti).
Also not being able to surrender to the guards in spellbreaker - although I admit I do cheat here and pretend there is a surrender option.
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Post by The Count on Mar 31, 2021 22:48:47 GMT
Legend of the Shadow Warriors - the stupidly named Smegg is clearly a Gollum expy
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Post by Peter on Apr 1, 2021 8:12:27 GMT
The "return to the start and try again" option in Forest of Doom.
The skill 11 Moon Dog in City of Thieves.
The non-evocative illustrations in Freeway Fighter.
The provision-eating restriction in Battleblade Warrior (not strictly one of my top 7, but that rule, on its own, reduces the book's rating score from "interesting" to "frustrating to the point of unplayability").
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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 Apr 2, 2021 22:52:07 GMT
In total agreement with Black Vein Prophecy. I think that Luck test should not have been a Test at all, just a choice of options would have the same effect. It didn't need to be down to chance.
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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 Apr 2, 2021 22:53:18 GMT
Explaining what a Moonrunner is and making it more significant to the story.
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Post by vastariner on Apr 2, 2021 22:59:00 GMT
Spoiler alert for Siege Of Sardath. If you have the correct transformer potion, and you have wings, the potion does not work on the wings. Thought that was a really unfair way to avoid someone getting a smart victory.
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Post by Wilf on Apr 3, 2021 1:45:08 GMT
Spoiler alert for Siege Of Sardath. If you have the correct transformer potion, and you have wings, the potion does not work on the wings. Thought that was a really unfair way to avoid someone getting a smart victory.
If you can only use the potion machine once, how could you have both? |
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Post by linflas on Apr 3, 2021 13:27:22 GMT
Meeting a ninja in Talisman of Death..  |
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Post by vastariner on Apr 3, 2021 16:48:09 GMT
Spoiler alert for Siege Of Sardath. If you have the correct transformer potion, and you have wings, the potion does not work on the wings. Thought that was a really unfair way to avoid someone getting a smart victory.
If you can only use the potion machine once, how could you have both? I can't remember, I only ended up that route once, but it's done in the book as if it's a viable option, so there must be a possibility. |
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Post by Charles X. on Aug 2, 2021 21:45:35 GMT
The tough Crystal Golem fight in Midnight Rogue. Ironically Midnight Rogue is probably easier than the average FF book, but the difficulty level is too high. I swear FF writers are weird fetishists, whether or not they think we will cheat in the books (most of us won't), they shouldn't pointlessly include these tough monsters do-or-die rolls etc. The other series can be just as bad.
This hasn't changed in recent books such as EOTD and Bloodbones. Btw my biggest problem with AOD is definitely the 50 50 roll, tho I'm also irritated by the fact you can fight all the skirmish battles and there's not a chance you'll run out of men.
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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 Aug 2, 2021 22:29:13 GMT
Yeah, it's totally believable that when a group of 20 hobgoblins sees your much bigger army that they would attack you anyway. And despite having your vast army with you most of the time, you still have to join in all the skirmishes yourself. What would happen if you were unlucky enough to be killed somehow? Does your army disband and go home thinking maybe they could have done something instead of just watching you die from the sidelines?
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Post by The Count on Aug 2, 2021 22:38:04 GMT
Yeah, it's totally believable that when a group of 20 hobgoblins sees your much bigger army that they would attack you anyway. And despite having your vast army with you most of the time, you still have to join in all the skirmishes yourself. What would happen if you were unlucky enough to be killed somehow? Does your army disband and go home thinking maybe they could have done something instead of just watching you die from the sidelines? I like to imagine it is a suicidal urge having endured the witterings of Ian about his sailing beyond the point of endurance for one who is not suitably inebriated at the local hostelry when being bombarded with such irrelevant nonsense. |
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Post by Wilf on Aug 3, 2021 13:52:09 GMT
The fact it's a full moon on two consecutive nights in The Forest Of Doom.
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Aug 3, 2021 15:48:08 GMT
In total agreement with Black Vein Prophecy. I think that Luck test should not have been a Test at all, just a choice of options would have the same effect. It didn't need to be down to chance. The test could be kept in as a reward - a well-hidden path - for players who roll up honest characters and adhere to the rules come what may. There could also have been a (harder) way included to get the multicoloured scales (or whatever) for those players 'unlucky' enough to roll 10, 11 or 12 for LUCK. |
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Post by Charles X. on Aug 3, 2021 16:30:09 GMT
In total agreement with Black Vein Prophecy. I think that Luck test should not have been a Test at all, just a choice of options would have the same effect. It didn't need to be down to chance. The test could be kept in as a reward - a well-hidden path - for players who roll up honest characters and adhere to the rules come what may. There could also have been a (harder) way included to get the multicoloured scales (or whatever) for those players 'unlucky' enough to roll 10, 11 or 12 for LUCK. They have 50 50 rolls to make readers lose in AOD, RTFM and arguably BVP itself, as well. Perhaps BVP, with its other technical errors, deserves a revised edition? The thing is, the book is well-balanced except for the Luck test(s). |
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Post by Charles X. on Aug 3, 2021 16:36:17 GMT
Sorry, I'm not sure I'm making myself clear on one of my points. I was suggesting, FF books have 50 50 rolls to make players lose, why not have a 50 50 roll for them to get the multicoloured scales even if they pass the Luck test?
One possible theory is the writer decided against it because they were sticking to the 400 references rule (plugging my 400 references thread).
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Post by Charles X. on Aug 3, 2021 16:44:49 GMT
The above should read Multicoloured scales not Multiplied, only i have a naff spellchecker & don't know how to edit on this site, must learn sometime.
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Aug 3, 2021 16:52:47 GMT
..., why not have a 50 50 roll for them to get the multiplied scales even if they pass the Luck test? ... My children are in the process of reading this book (or rather having it read to them) and one of them came up with quite a good idea. You could gain the multicoloured scales by being injured fighting a magical creature in the ruined city, something with high SKILL that is bound by the law of averages to cause some damage in combat. Again you could try the 'honesty test' by asking something like 'were you injured twice or more, if so turn to [123]' . At [123] (or whatever reference) there'd be a penalty of some sort in there - say a SKILL loss, or a disease causing long term problems... ie something that you as a player really do not want ... and in addition to this the injured skin develops the scales either there and then or later on. Dishonest players will claim they weren't injured and so again fail the book, but this time not because they rolled anything but a 7 for LUCK at the start of it. Better than a 50/50 coin flip I'd say. |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Aug 3, 2021 18:59:00 GMT
The above should read Multicoloured scales not Multiplied, only i have a naff spellchecker & don't know how to edit on this site, must learn sometime. I'm not sure it's possible to edit unless you've signed up on here. People can only edit posts the forum knows are their own (except the mods). It's worth doing that for various reasons – e.g. people can sent you direct messages.
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Post by vastariner on Aug 3, 2021 19:50:35 GMT
The fact it's a full moon on two consecutive nights in The Forest Of Doom. Maybe it's like 95% full one night? Would look like a full moon. |
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Post by thealmightymudworm on Aug 3, 2021 20:19:49 GMT
The fact it's a full moon on two consecutive nights in The Forest Of Doom. Maybe it's like 95% full one night? Would look like a full moon. Could make all the difference in the world if you happen to be a werewolf. It's important to be precise about these things. |
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Post by pip on Aug 3, 2021 20:40:13 GMT
In Deathtrap Dungeon, the ninja picture doesn't have a background.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,453
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Aug 3, 2021 22:19:24 GMT
In Deathtrap Dungeon, the ninja picture doesn't have a background. I always thought the circle was meant to evoke the Japanese flag. |
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Post by The Count on Aug 3, 2021 23:50:36 GMT
In Deathtrap Dungeon, the ninja picture doesn't have a background. Its the Japanese flag. Teeheehee. Because Ninjas are Japanese! Lol!... soo like totally like clever and like stuff, yeah! |
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Post by dragonwarrior8 on Aug 4, 2021 0:07:34 GMT
It does seem strange that there is an area of Titan that is just like Japan.
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