Post by CharlesX on Jan 31, 2022 21:16:43 GMT
I'm sure I'm not the only person here with both Freeway Fighter and at least one of Joe Dever's Freeway Warrior books (California Countdown). Comparing the two is apples and oranges. It more highlights the oft-made criticism Freeway Fighter is a novelty Mad Max product than makes Freeway Fighter look good, let alone actually compete with Dever's series. Partly as a Mad Max fan, I like Freeway Fighter. The random Livingstone quirks - racing for fuel, note-keeping, enemies who fight duels - somehow seem less cheesy and more cool. I hate the forced 'true path' race for fuel, but I like most things about Freeway Fighter. It just isn't brilliant, and definitely doesn't compare with Joe Dever on a good day.
The fact Freeway Fighter couldn't stretch to 400 references possibly contributes to the 'novelty tie-in' stigma, which I feel is unfair (Starship Traveller is a tie-in? Appointment with F.E.A.R. is a tie-in?). I wonder whether there were no more full-size FFs after Freeway Fighter under 400 references. 'Bang for your buck'? There was never an actual rule to have 400 references, only a suggestion, which an author could choose to be a hack about or disregard. Some FF blatantly has filler: Midnight Rogue has the cheating paragraphs, Deathmoor does a 'reverse Like Sharp' with short, unnecessary paragraphs telling you to turn to another paragraph, and Eye Of The Dragon has whole sequences and permutations that are 100% brainless (it could be under 400, instead of over).
D'oh, should this long message be in this category? If not, would a moderator do me a huge favour and move it into Fighting Fantasy instead of just the individual gamebook section?
The fact Freeway Fighter couldn't stretch to 400 references possibly contributes to the 'novelty tie-in' stigma, which I feel is unfair (Starship Traveller is a tie-in? Appointment with F.E.A.R. is a tie-in?). I wonder whether there were no more full-size FFs after Freeway Fighter under 400 references. 'Bang for your buck'? There was never an actual rule to have 400 references, only a suggestion, which an author could choose to be a hack about or disregard. Some FF blatantly has filler: Midnight Rogue has the cheating paragraphs, Deathmoor does a 'reverse Like Sharp' with short, unnecessary paragraphs telling you to turn to another paragraph, and Eye Of The Dragon has whole sequences and permutations that are 100% brainless (it could be under 400, instead of over).
D'oh, should this long message be in this category? If not, would a moderator do me a huge favour and move it into Fighting Fantasy instead of just the individual gamebook section?
