|
Post by peasantscribbler on Feb 16, 2022 0:29:11 GMT
I went with Portal of Evil, and I finally logged a win. Although I still made a few decisions that I didn't intend to make, I had a fairly accurate memory for what to do in this one. I wasn't sure how to tally all of the non-lethal combats, but I assume that the fights against Gloten and the Struthiomimus don't count.
Starting Stats: Skill=9, Stamina=20, Luck=8 (Initial Skill was boosted to 10 by the statue of a Goblin god.)
Enemies defeated (9): Soldier First Troglodyte Second Troglodyte First Gnome Slave Warrior Second Gnome Slave Warrior Triceratops Giant Centipede Glaciator Horfax
Items gathered: 10 provisions 12 gold pieces stone talisman on a leather thong Ring of Zombie Warding Sword of Gravalan hunting horn Margreave's warrant Potion of True Seeing hand-mirror Swords-ease rope bundle of torches miner's helmet (useless because I didn't find the candle stub) Igneolite two caged birds mirror shard helmet with mirror properties tattoo of the Sign of the Spear
Information learned: This was the weakest part of my game. I didn't get Gartax's information about Gloten. I also missed the useful information that you get when you show the talisman to the wizard.
Didn't use a guide.
|
|
|
Post by schlendrian on Feb 17, 2022 19:19:38 GMT
I went with Spellbreaker. I was on the verge of defeating the Devil Worm, when I rolled a twelve for my attack strength - normally great, but here an instant death. I had Sk 10, St 16, L 12 and 5 Gold.
|
|
|
Post by nathanh on Feb 18, 2022 14:45:19 GMT
I played Spellbreaker and died to the 50% death roll, with everything else done successfully. I played out the rest of the adventure and would have won. Sk 11 St 24 Lu 10. Starting gold 8 (I won Eclipse to get enough gold).
Enemies fought: BRIMSTONE DEMON, BRIGAND, MASKED BRIGAND (2 rounds), PIPER, PLAGUE RAT, CARRIER FLIES (3 rounds), PLAGUE ZOMBIE, CANKER, BARROW GUARD, BARROW GUARD, OGRE, BLACKGUARD, OUTLAW LEADER, THE MASK, MARSH ASSAILANT (2 rounds), FEN BEAST, REVENANT, WRAITH RIDER, GRIMALKIN, BLACK CAT, TOAD, GRIMALKIN, RAT
I think the gameplay for this one doesn't need much fixing to be actually fine: - Surrender to the guards option, as in this challenge
- Hawk say 5gp cheaper
- Can go to healing well after the market
- No 50% death chance
|
|
|
Post by CharlesX on Feb 18, 2022 21:21:00 GMT
I played Spellbreaker and died to the 50% death roll, with everything else done successfully. I played out the rest of the adventure and would have won. Sk 11 St 24 Lu 10. Starting gold 8 (I won Eclipse to get enough gold).
Enemies fought: BRIMSTONE DEMON, BRIGAND, MASKED BRIGAND (2 rounds), PIPER, PLAGUE RAT, CARRIER FLIES (3 rounds), PLAGUE ZOMBIE, CANKER, BARROW GUARD, BARROW GUARD, OGRE, BLACKGUARD, OUTLAW LEADER, THE MASK, MARSH ASSAILANT (2 rounds), FEN BEAST, REVENANT, WRAITH RIDER, GRIMALKIN, BLACK CAT, TOAD, GRIMALKIN, RAT
I think the gameplay for this one doesn't need much fixing to be actually fine: - Surrender to the guards option, as in this challenge
- Hawk say 5gp cheaper
- Can go to healing well after the market
- No 50% death chance
There's a good gamebook underneath the many unfair do-or-die rolls, both in terms of gameplay and description, albeit a heavily linear one. I don't think it's one of Green's better works, though, I think it's below-average and ugly (the world-building, which Champskees praises, I think is too old and too cliche).
|
|
|
Post by a moderator on Feb 19, 2022 0:00:42 GMT
I did poorly on both books this week, and got similarly mediocre stats when playing each. Portal of Evil Sk 7 St 20 L 9
Fights won Soldier
I got killed by a bandit named Kran.
In Spellbreaker I was kileld by the Piper. Still around 24 hours for kieran, thealmightymudworm, and (subject to whether or not he likes either of the books) The Count to submit results. Week 8The randomiser is in the mood for some seafaring shenanigans this week. This century - Crystal of StormsLast century - Seas of Blood
|
|
kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,456
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
|
Post by kieran on Feb 19, 2022 0:31:05 GMT
There's a good gamebook underneath the many unfair do-or-die rolls, both in terms of gameplay and description, albeit a heavily linear one. For all its faults, I wouldn't say it's linear. The path to victory is very narrow but there's a fair bit of fun stuff to do off that path.
|
|
kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,456
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
|
Post by kieran on Feb 19, 2022 0:38:05 GMT
My attempt at Portal of Evil saw me take a few risks to up my kill count and thereby getting myself slaughtered by Southern bandits So, I'm going to go with my Spellbreaker playthrough Sk11 St19 Lu8 Go6
I can't really blame the book's difficulty here because I was actually making all the necessary rolls and then chose to do the wrong thing at the well. Since I knew I'd lost by that stage, I went exploring and eventually ended up joining the Dance of Death.
Kills Brimstone Demon Brigand Piper Lurcher Fen Beast
|
|
|
Post by terrysalt on Feb 19, 2022 7:15:17 GMT
Using my incredible psychic powers, I predicted the exact fight I'd die on in Crystal of Storms: the enraged wraithfish. Stats: skill 10, stamina 22, luck 7 Items: 10 gold pieces, healing potion, bread, apple pie, 2 dried fish, ornate dagger (+1 Attack Strength), 2 stinkfruit, Methedus' shard, aeronaught's helmet (+1 skill, may exceed initial), hand axe, calming potion, crab pincer (-1 attack strength, +1 damage), greater potion of might (+2 AS, +2 stamina), potion of fire oil and calamari. Fights: cockroach queen, tunneller beast, lightning serpent, scarecrow, giant crab, 2 harpies, giant metal hand, 2 wheelies, great white squark Codewords: Hazi, Bubble, Vizzig, Rescue I had plenty of ways to heal myself but none to heal the bathysphere and so I now lie dead on the ocean floor. I could have had even more items but I started eating food as soon as I found it because my inventory was getting kind of unwieldy and I was too lazy to keep recording them all.
|
|
kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,456
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
|
Post by kieran on Feb 19, 2022 9:40:23 GMT
I started eating food as soon as I found it because my inventory was getting kind of unwieldy and I was too lazy to keep recording them all. Don't blame you, making all food heal different amounts of Stamina was an incredibly annoying decision.
|
|
|
Post by vastariner on Feb 19, 2022 10:10:10 GMT
Seas of Blood.
Sk: 8 St: 17 Lu: 11
Crew strike: 11
Crew strength: 14
Log: 5+6
Booty: 5 slaves
Naval wins: Lagash warship
Combat win with a naval crew: goblin horde
Combat win solo: acid ball
And then the cap'n gets blown up by an exploding door.
Not sure this pirate lark is all that.
|
|
|
Post by The Count on Feb 19, 2022 16:37:18 GMT
So rather than one of the reader hating efforts by Green working through his playground problems, being inexplicably bored by Portal of Evil seemed a better option, especially with my initial stats... Skill 7
Stamina 20
Luck 7
I went through some woods, spoke to someone, chose to ask about treasure, got some clues, went through more woods, fought someone, went through some more woods, went into a tree, went back into the forest, met a crazy man, went back into the woods again and somehow ended up in the mines where I fell into the portal and got turned into a slave warrior because I decided that my last provisions didn't contain an egg... BORING! Should have gone for the swift death of Spellbreaker...
Items collected:
Hunting Horn
Potion of True Seeing
11 GP
Hand Mirror
Sprig of Sword Ease
Margraves Warrant
Miners Helmet
Stout Rope
Bundle of Torches Sack of Igneolite
Caged Red Bird Caged Blue Bird
Mirror
An afternoon of boredom
Enemies fought:
Soldier
First Slave Warrior
Second Slave Warrior
Dromaeosaurus
Gloten (I let him win)
Struthiomimis
Slave Warrior
First Scurrellor
Second Scurrellor
Clues:
Gloten is a Dwarf
Gloten likes pick axe fights Let Gloten win and say he has the strength of a Dwarf
Glotens treasure - sit on the throne, left arm first then right
Horfak and Dirlin are missing The Elf Queen has set illusions
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Feb 19, 2022 23:58:01 GMT
Took a shot at Portal
Initial stats: Skill 8 Stamina 21 Luck 10
First win! A small wrinkle: although I own a copy of Portal, I have no idea where it is. So I had to fall back on a dodgy pdf which lacks certain numbers. At one point in choosing to head to the mountains in Khul, I should have turned to 277 but it doesn't exist. So I had to look up the solution, check that I was on track for Azurdraz and then just browse the pdf to find his picture. Only two or three paragraphs were bypassed. I could have sworn someone helped me find out the missing bits when I was writing a section of the Aleff but apparently not.
At one point I was on 1 Stamina, which at least made the decision on some bandits' offer of gambling vs showing my prowess an easy one. Not being able to eat when you want is more annoying than I remembered, especially when you've been waiting to eat recreationally and get told now you have to eat. Nevertheless, I still love this one.
Fights to the death: Soldier, Giant Spider, Koalit, Dwarf Boatman, Armoured Mole, Pteranodon, 2 Troglodytes, Glaciator, Horfak
|
|
|
Post by thealmightymudworm on Feb 20, 2022 5:57:03 GMT
I'd missed this... So it's more profitable to be a Skill 7 loser who doesn't live through the first fight than a moderately competent hero who almost manages to kill the villain. If I have seen further than others it is because I have stood on the shoulders of a stack of participation trophies.
|
|
|
Post by a moderator on Feb 20, 2022 14:55:46 GMT
Week 7 scoring 1st: peasantscribbler – 14 (stats bonus 4 + victory bonus 10) 2nd= terrysalt – 12 (stats bonus 2 + victory bonus 10) 2nd= thealmightymudworm - 12 (stats bonus 2 + victory bonus 10) 4th: nathanh - 6 (stats bonus 1 + most fights won bonus 5) 5th: The Count - 5 (stats bonus 5) 6th= greenspine - 4 (stats bonus 4) 6th= kieran – 4 (stats bonus 4) 6th= schlendrian – 4 (stats bonus 4) 6th= vastariner - 4 (stats bonus 4)
Running totals 1st: terrysalt - 64 2nd: greenspine - 50 3rd: nathanh – 47 4th: kieran - 37 5th= peasantscribbler - 32 5th= schlendrian - 32 5th= thealmightymudworm - 32 8th= The Count - 25 8th= vastariner – 25
|
|
|
Post by schlendrian on Feb 25, 2022 19:01:32 GMT
Seas of Blood (my own, as it turns out): Sk 8, St 20 L8
AS 11, CS 12 I plundered the temple of Enraki, goz almost killed by Jiamil and his henchmen just looking for anice afternoon of dice games. A storm at Trysta meant my end.
Enemies defeated: Priests of Enraki, 3 Pirates, Jiamil el-Fazouk
Plunder:120g, 10 slaves
days in the log: 24
|
|
|
Post by a moderator on Feb 26, 2022 0:01:20 GMT
Reminder to greenspine, kieran, nathanh, peasantscribbler, thealmightymudworm and The Count that there's just 24 hours to go for week 8.
Week 9 A very tenuous link between the randomizer's picks this week: a villain who sucks blood, and a book that apparently just sucks.
This century - The Gates of Death Last century - Vault of the Vampire
|
|
|
Post by terrysalt on Feb 26, 2022 0:33:40 GMT
How is the whole "can't bring anything with you" aspect to be handled in Gates? Is the 10 point bonus for winning simply off the table or is making it to the end then dying because your magic shoes were on your other body considered a victory?
|
|
kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,456
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
|
Post by kieran on Feb 26, 2022 0:52:33 GMT
I figured I had a better chance with Crystal of Storms. This was probably true but I still didn't win. Sk9 St19 Lu8 I survived a couple of fights by the skin of my teeth but I was finally got by the harpies when flying to Asperitas.
Enemies beaten: Tunneller Beast Lightning Serpent Scarecrow Rabid Rat Horde Chest Creature Marauding Dragon Fruit Tree Stormkin Giant Toad Sky Watch Officer Giant Crab Octoman Octobeast
I won't bother listing items/info as Terry got further than me anyway.
Didn't use a guide.
|
|
|
Post by a moderator on Feb 26, 2022 1:03:57 GMT
How is the whole "can't bring anything with you" aspect to be handled in Gates? Is the 10 point bonus for winning simply off the table or is making it to the end then dying because your magic shoes were on your other body considered a victory? As I understand it, this is a bug, not a feature. The book has a victory section, but there's no way of reaching it by the rules because of an internal contradiction, right? If that is the case, the shoes are exempted from the restriction on taking items with you. If anyone who knows the book better than I do is aware of a way to win without disregarding part of the text, please explain it here. If the book is genuinely broken, apply the above fix (or suggest a better solution, if you know of one).
|
|
|
Post by terrysalt on Feb 26, 2022 1:14:21 GMT
If such a solution exists, I too would be eager to know of it! A similar exception might be needed for the deathstone. I believe the game is theoretically possible to win without carrying it through the gates but the odds are very close to zero. (killing two skill 10 opponents while your skill is likely set to 2). Unlike the shoes, this one isn't literally impossible though so it may need a different ruling. The guides in the solution thread assume you have the deathstone if that's worth anything.
|
|
|
Post by The Count on Feb 26, 2022 10:33:20 GMT
A joyful romp across the Seas of Blood this time Crew Strike 10 Crew Strength 8
Skill 7
Stamina 15
Luck 12
Gold 20
Log 5
Having set sail, I decided a daring raid on Lagash. Then failed to outmanoeuvre their Warships who wiped me out with ease.
|
|
|
Post by CharlesX on Feb 26, 2022 12:18:25 GMT
A joyful romp across the Seas of Blood this time Crew Strike 10 Crew Strength 8
Skill 7
Stamina 15
Luck 12
Gold 20
Log 5
Having set sail, I decided a daring raid on Lagash. Then failed to outmanoeuvre their Warships who wiped me out with ease. Interesting stab at Seas Of Blood there, The Count. Pretty much ALL your starting stats were too low except Luck. Seas Of Blood is great if it does require high starting stats, but at least it doesn't have a million do-or-die rolls etc. like Spellbreaker.
|
|
|
Post by a moderator on Feb 26, 2022 16:36:07 GMT
A similar exception might be needed for the deathstone. I believe the game is theoretically possible to win without carrying it through the gates but the odds are very close to zero. (killing two skill 10 opponents while your skill is likely set to 2). Unlike the shoes, this one isn't literally impossible though so it may need a different ruling. The guides in the solution thread assume you have the deathstone if that's worth anything. Does anyone who knows the book reasonably well want to comment here? That 'likely' suggests that the fights could be less one-sided, and I don't know how much permitting use of the deathstone would change the difficulty level of the book, so I'd welcome input from the better-informed. Well, input other than suggesting a bonus for destroying the book rather than playing it.
|
|
|
Post by schlendrian on Feb 26, 2022 17:27:45 GMT
In the event that no one wins either book, is there a 'closest to victory' bonus for each book or just for one, and there is a mechanism to decide which? Not that I have any stakes in the matter
|
|
|
Post by a moderator on Feb 26, 2022 17:54:05 GMT
So far there's only been the one 'closest to victory' bonus in weeks where nobody won.
Give me a bit of time to analyse the data and see if changing that would be worthwhile and practical.
ETA: Nobody won in weeks 1 and 2. In week 1 kieran was the only player of Sky Lord to survive more than two fights, but still got less than half way through the book. The bonus went to schlendrian, who made it to the final door in Escape from the Sorcerer but couldn't open it. In week 2 greenspine was the only player of Fortress Throngard to kill the Dragon. The bonus went to kieran, who made it to the final fight in Freeway Fighter.
If we're going to give 'closest to victory' bonuses for both books in win-free weeks, the rule should be backdated to the start, with belated bonuses for kieran and greenspine.
And then we start arguing about bringing in a 'closest to victory' bonus for the adventure that nobody won in weeks where only one of the adventures had a winner.
And about 'per adventure' bonuses for highest kill count.
Who wants to open those Pandora's boxes?
|
|
|
Post by nathanh on Feb 26, 2022 18:42:32 GMT
It took me longer to find my copy of Seas of Blood than to play it.
Sk 12 St 18 Lu 7 Crew strike 9 Crew strength 8
Killed by Lagash Warship.
|
|
|
Post by a moderator on Feb 26, 2022 19:11:10 GMT
I've now played Crystal of Storms for the first time. A bit of tone whiplash in the transition from the whimsy of the early investigations to navigating past the drowned corpses of your friends and colleagues once you reach the Nimbus. Sk 10 St 22 L 12
Fights won: Tunneller Beast Lightning Serpent Scarecrow Rabid Rat Horde Chest Creature Grapes of Wrath Marauding Dragon Fruit Tree Stormkin Giant Toad Sky Watch Officer (reduced his Stamina to target and spared his life) Giant Crab 2 Harpies 2 Wheelies Howl Cat Giant Metal Hand Great White Squark Wraithfish (with nothing to say I couldn't use Luck, I did so to increase damage so as to minimise the number of rounds I had the Skill penalty for being on a ledge) Tideus (reduced his Stamina to target, but Bathysphere's Stamina was knocked down to 2 in the process)
Shortly after that final fight I encountered a Shark-Kin, which did an automatic 2 Stamina damage to the Bathysphere.
Items held: 8 gold pieces Aeronaut's helmet Ornate dagger Cloudkin staff Longsword Calming potion (x2) Hand axe Potion of fire oil (x2) Incus ledger page Crumpled note War-hammer Toad goop Crab pincer Potion of might Potion of power Greater healing potion Silver goblet Waterproof firesticks Conch shell
Codewords acquired: Hazi Bubble Galen Rescue
Unless I needed to save Methedus' shard for the endgame or had no chance of success without the codeword Vizzig, I did better than terrysalt.
|
|
|
Post by peasantscribbler on Feb 26, 2022 22:01:24 GMT
I played Crystal of Storms. I see that greenspine made it further than I did, so I think I will just list my starting stats and fights won. I was killed by the Wraithfish. Is it just me, or does the world-building owe a little to J.K. Rowling?
Starting Stats: Skill=10, Stamina=18, Luck=12
Enemies defeated (20): Tunneller Beast Lightning Serpent Scarecrow Rabid Rat Horde Chest Creature Grapes of Wrath Marauding Dragon Fruit Tree Stormkin Giant Toad Sky Watch Officer (reduced him to 3 stamina) Scarecrow (I was forced into a loop and had to fight it again) Giant Crab First Harpy Second Harpy First Wheelie Second Wheelie Howl Cat Giant Metal Hand Great White Squark Giant Electric Eel
Didn't use a guide.
|
|
|
Post by a moderator on Feb 26, 2022 22:14:26 GMT
Re-fighting opponents via loops doesn't count, so only one of those Scarecrow fights is valid.
|
|
|
Post by peasantscribbler on Feb 26, 2022 22:19:44 GMT
A similar exception might be needed for the deathstone. I believe the game is theoretically possible to win without carrying it through the gates but the odds are very close to zero. (killing two skill 10 opponents while your skill is likely set to 2). Unlike the shoes, this one isn't literally impossible though so it may need a different ruling. The guides in the solution thread assume you have the deathstone if that's worth anything. Does anyone who knows the book reasonably well want to comment here? That 'likely' suggests that the fights could be less one-sided, and I don't know how much permitting use of the deathstone would change the difficulty level of the book, so I'd welcome input from the better-informed. Well, input other than suggesting a bonus for destroying the book rather than playing it. The ending of the book is a mess. It seems probable that, at one point in the writing process, authorial intent was that you can't take anything with you beyond the Gates except a khopesh. This intention was clearly forgotten, and the book is unwinnable if you stick to it. I think the best approach is to allow the player to take all possessions beyond the Gates (even if this makes no narrative sense). Unless I'm missing something, the book never directly instructs the player that you can't bring your possessions beyond the Gates. You learn that you cannot takes possessions beyond the Gates when you read the Book of the Dead, but perhaps the author of the Book of the Dead was misinformed.
|
|