kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,451
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Feb 21, 2022 11:30:54 GMT
This is a game Greenspine ran a couple of times some years ago (so hopefully he doesn't mind me pinching his idea!) and I thought it was worth reviving.
Objective Below are 10 questions about the Fighting Fantasy series. The goal for each one is to provide an answer that's a) correct and b) different from answers provided by other players.
If you want to play, PM me your answers - do not post your answers in this thread
Scoring For each correct answer, you score 1 point plus another point for each other player who gave the same answer.
For each incorrect answer, the amount of points you score is the total amount of players plus one.
The player with the lowest total score after all 10 questions have been answered is the winner.
Example The question is name a Fighting Fantasy gamebook written by Ian Livingstone. 7 players answer. - 3 players answer Deathtrap Dungeon and so each score 3 points - 2 players answer Temple of Terror and so each score 2 points - 1 player answers Return to Firetop Mountain and scores 1 point - 1 player answers Creature of Havoc and so scores 8 points for an incorrect answer.
A common correct answer is therefore always better than an incorrect answer.
Other Considerations This will only work if we get a decent number of players - if I get fewer than 6 sets of answers, I'll probably not proceed with the game.
Whenever the term 'Fighting Fantasy gamebook' is used in the questions, this includes only: - The original 59 Puffin gamebooks - The 2 Clash of the Princes gamebooks - The 4 Sorcery books - The 6 new books published by Wizard Books - The 4 new books published by Scholastic No other supplementary material is included
I've tried to make the questions clear and not open to interpretation but it's possible that some may interpret a question in a manner I hadn't expected. In such cases, I get final say if an answer is correct.
You don't have to answer the questions off the top of your heads - feel free to research answers.
The Questions 1. Name a Fighting Fantasy gamebook which was authored by more than one person. 2. Name a medallion you can acquire in Daggers of Darkness. 3. Name a Fighting Fantasy gamebook where you can learn and cast at least one spell (please name one of the spells too). 4. Name a Fighting Fantasy gamebook that has more than 400 sections. 5. Name a Fighting Fantasy gamebook published under Wizard Series 1 that has not been published in either the Wizard Series 2 range or the Scholastic range. 6. Name an author of a Fighting Fantasy gamebook where that was their only published Fighting Fantasy gamebook. 7. Name an attribute other than Skill, Stamina or Luck that you must roll for at the start of a Fighting Fantasy gamebook. 8. Name an item you can buy from Yaztromo in Forest of Doom. 9. Name a Fighting Fantasy gamebook which does not take place (even partly) on Titan. 10. Name a Fighting Fantasy gamebook where you can use a bow of some kind (eg longbow or crossbow) - please provide me with a reference number where it's mentioned to save me headaches!
Deadline Please provide your answers to me by Private Message by 12 noon (GMT) on Friday 4 March.
I will provide scores and analysis shortly after the deadline.
Feel free to ask for any clarifications in this thread, just don't post your answers!
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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 21, 2022 17:14:15 GMT
I recall this being quite fun. I think I was late to the party last time so didn't really join in. I'll have a go this time.
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Post by petch on Feb 21, 2022 17:36:10 GMT
This sounds fun, I'll play.
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Feb 21, 2022 20:02:45 GMT
I'll have a go. Answers sent by PM.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,451
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Feb 21, 2022 20:48:16 GMT
Well I've already had 6 entries so the game will definitely go ahead. But the more the merrier if more people want to play.
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Post by terrysalt on Feb 21, 2022 22:29:46 GMT
"3. Name a Fighting Fantasy gamebook where you can learn and cast at least one spell (please name one of the spells too)."
Do the book and the spell both have to match or do you get a point for matching either of them?
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Post by a moderator on Feb 21, 2022 22:47:04 GMT
Not my idea - I first came across such contests at another forum, and the person who introduced them there had previously encountered the concept elsewhere.
I foresee much arguing in connection with question 3. Good luck.
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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 21, 2022 23:14:13 GMT
I was assuming Q3 would require only the title of the book. Naming a spell (any spell) in the book is just to confirm its existence in the adventure.
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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 21, 2022 23:16:45 GMT
This game would be quite fun to play in real time since the subject could be anything really. Does the game have a name?
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Post by a moderator on Feb 21, 2022 23:41:53 GMT
The main term I've seen used for such games before now is Rare Entries.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,451
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Feb 21, 2022 23:45:07 GMT
I was assuming Q3 would require only the title of the book. Naming a spell (any spell) in the book is just to confirm its existence in the adventure. That was indeed my thinking, but reading it back I agree that it's not terribly clear. If anyone who has already sent me their answers wants to revise their answer to Question 3 in light of this confirmation they can do so.
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Post by a moderator on Feb 22, 2022 0:04:21 GMT
The issues I anticipate with question 3 relate to how a couple of terms in the question are defined.
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Post by Gabe Fandango on Feb 23, 2022 0:46:09 GMT
Hi, I'd like to take part in this as well if there're still spots available. New member here, although I'd posted as a guest on this board previously a couple of times. Been following the Fantazine too (before it went inactive). This game intrigued me enough to finally register a full account.
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Post by philsadler on Feb 23, 2022 10:48:59 GMT
There is no limit to the spots available!
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Post by Wilf on Feb 24, 2022 9:02:10 GMT
You've got mail.
I look forward to your adjudication on my answer to... well, the one I wrote lots of words justifying!
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Post by natwa on Feb 25, 2022 19:30:51 GMT
I want to participate too, but I have two or three questions. Firstly how excact do our answers be re: examples of spells, name of magic items and such? For the book I'm thinking to name in the answer to the question about FF gamebooks where you can cast spells, I remember(at least quite a few) of the types of spells I can cast, but I'm not 100 % sure I know any of the excact names, although I think at least one of them is quite similar. As for Forest of Doom, I've only played that in my native language, so although I remember many of Yaztromo's magical items and their names in the translation, I don't know how faithful the translator was to the original names of the magical items. So do I have to know the excact names of the magical items in the original English version. And in connection with this question, if you are given the the name of a FF gamebook where your character can use magic, but the name of the spell should not be correct enough for you, would that mean zero points for that answer.
And finally, if we don't give you a reference number for the bow question, does that mean we don't get a point for that answer. The thing is, unless we know the paragraphs in question for our respective FF gamebooks, we would have to look it up in the FF gamebooks in question ourselves, and too me that feels a bit like cheating, although I know on the other hand that there are few, if any, of the FF gamebooks that I know so well that I can remember paragraphs like that by heart.
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Post by a moderator on Feb 25, 2022 19:36:37 GMT
Kieran will have to rule on the translation issue, but he's already indicated that looking in the books isn't cheating: feel free to research answers. Part of the fun of these games is coming up with obscure and unlikely-but-justifiable answers, and most people will have to go looking through books if they want to find that sort of thing.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,451
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Feb 25, 2022 23:34:45 GMT
Firstly how excact do our answers be re: examples of spells, name of magic items and such? Try to be as precise as you can. When it comes to the names of books, I'll allow a little leeway over unimportant words (eg Saying "Warlock of Firetop Mountain" rather than "The Warlock of Firetop Mountain" is fine. Saying "The Warlock of Firetop Hill" is not.) With items, it needs to be how the item is referred to in the text. If you can give me the name in your native language with how you would translate it into English that would be acceptable in that case. It wouldn't be fair to penalise you for not having the book in English. In that case, no - the answer to that question is the name of the book - the spell is just to help me out with checking if you're correct. As Greenspine mentioned, it's not cheating to look at the books. The challenge of the game is more about trying to work out what will be an unpopular (but correct) answer rather than testing your memory. The reference number in that question isn't critical though - the answer is the name of the book. Similar to the example of a spell in Question 3, the reference number is just to save me the hassle of trawling through dozens of books looking for mentions of bows. If you can't provide the reference number, even an explanation of the context might help me check it.
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Post by CharlesX on Feb 26, 2022 8:30:14 GMT
Question 3 asks to name an FF gamebook where you can 'learn and cast spells', so does this mean you have to acquire the ability to cast a spell at one point, irrespective of things like your character background or the number of times you can cast spells?
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,451
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Feb 26, 2022 9:52:11 GMT
Question 3 asks to name an FF gamebook where you can ' learn and cast spells', so does this mean you have to acquire the ability to cast a spell at one point, irrespective of things like your character background or the number of times you can cast spells? It has to be a spell your character learns in the book. Spells your character is assumed to already know do not count.
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Post by a moderator on Feb 26, 2022 15:06:16 GMT
Well, that's cleared up one of the points of contention I anticipated.
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Post by Wilf on Feb 26, 2022 18:01:44 GMT
I'm now worried I've given a common answer for Q3, and not a rare one... ...but that's the thing with Rare Entries contests - sometimes the most obvious answers are the ones to go for 'cos everyone else is bound to avoid them because they're obvious. Looking forward to the results!
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,451
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Feb 26, 2022 19:28:20 GMT
Question 3 asks to name an FF gamebook where you can ' learn and cast spells', so does this mean you have to acquire the ability to cast a spell at one point, irrespective of things like your character background or the number of times you can cast spells? It has to be a spell your character learns in the book. Spells your character is assumed to already know do not count. Since this question might not have been very clear on my part, anyone who thought that any book where you can cast a spell counted can revise their answer if they wish.
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Post by The Count on Feb 27, 2022 15:01:42 GMT
I changed my answer for 1 and 6 at the last minute before sending. Will be interesting to see if that works out to have been better.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,451
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Mar 2, 2022 11:13:55 GMT
Just a little over 48 hours if anyone else wishes to play. Also a reminder that if anyone else wishes to change their answer to Question 3 to do so before the deadline.
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Post by dragonwarrior8 on Mar 3, 2022 14:57:23 GMT
I must say, this is a great idea and I'm looking forward to seeing some of the answers...and also who takes home the title!
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,451
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Mar 3, 2022 16:56:26 GMT
I must say, this is a great idea and I'm looking forward to seeing some of the answers...and also who takes home the title! Still time if you want to enter yourself?
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Post by dragonwarrior8 on Mar 3, 2022 18:34:01 GMT
I must say, this is a great idea and I'm looking forward to seeing some of the answers...and also who takes home the title! Still time if you want to enter yourself? I'd probably be at a large disadvantage as I haven't played close to all the books yet (including Daggers of Darkness). Hopefully one day!
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Post by a moderator on Mar 3, 2022 18:54:14 GMT
Still time if you want to enter yourself? I'd probably be at a large disadvantage as I haven't played close to all the books yet (including Daggers of Darkness). Hopefully one day! Every correct-but-badly-scoring answer you give will penalise one or more of the other participants just as much as it does you. And sometimes the only answer you can think of turns out to be a good one, as everyone else has rejected it for being too obvious. As for the books you don't know, cautious searching at the FF wiki could potentially provide correct answers without giving away too much of the solution.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,451
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Mar 5, 2022 21:54:11 GMT
Apologies with the delay on the results folks. Finally succumbed to this Covid everyone's talking about and it's left me a bit devoid of brain power. Hopefully post the full results tomorrow.
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