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Post by CharlesX on Mar 11, 2022 21:10:50 GMT
If you had a perfect FF - not just good, but five stars out of five - what might it look like? Few thoughts Would it have a cool title? Who would have been\would you want as the author(s)? Stephen Hand? Steve Jackson? Paul Mason? Many amazing authors had brilliant FFs ready to go before Penguin cancelled the series  How long would it be? Would it be a multi-volume epic a bit like Sorcery!? What stats would it have besides Skill, Stamina and Luck? Would it have a Time track? Would it have Magic? Would it take place on Titan or modern day? Would it have multiple paths to victory? Would it incorporate puzzles? Would you prefer more shopping, or feel shopping was more a distraction? Could you revisit locations, or would it just be an excellently-designed adventure? And because English is so subjective, would it fail every creative, intellectual and public test but he worth 5 stars to you, because you're a fan-head  ? |
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Post by CharlesX on Mar 11, 2022 22:08:15 GMT
I'm going to get the ball rolling. As I've said, there were some great suggestions for FF by the like of Stephen Hand (Blood Of The Mandrake(s) or whatever it was), Paul Mason and Dave Morris, plus more, before Penguin decided FF wasn't making enough money anymore. Quite frankly they sounded better than the dominating Livingstone and even Green formula we've had since Eye Of The Dragon!
Take Howl Of The Werewolf as a perfect example of a five-star FF, after it became the newest entry in the running for best FF author poll. Where did it excel? Rich, dark, atmosphere, varied enemies, alternate paths of completion, longer-than-average, good difficulty level, intelligent writing. The Change stat arguably didn't always work, but aside from that you weren't bogged down with notekeeping, which for example could make Night Dragon and Island Of The Unread feel too long.
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Mar 11, 2022 22:43:12 GMT
How long would it be? Would it be a multi-volume epic a bit like Sorcery!? I'd probably prefer it not to be a multi-volume epic mainly because you never know these days if the author or the 'market' will ever see the thing through to completion. Look at Game of Thrones and Joe Dever's Lone Wolf (admittedly with the latter, the series will be completed but long after the original author had died). Would it take place on Titan or modern day? Without doubt Titan. That doesn't mean it all has to take place in well-known areas along well-trodden paths because there is so much of Titan not properly fleshed out. Let an author develop a corner of the world in a similar way that parts of the Old World or Isles of the Dawn etc were done. This can take place over multiple books. But if the story is set, say, in Blacksand, then I'm going to expect the writer to have read and reread the AFF Blacksand book and not do things that contradict it. |
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Post by terrysalt on Mar 12, 2022 5:21:06 GMT
If you had a perfect FF - not just good, but five stars out of five - what might it look like? Few thoughts Would it have a cool title? Who would have been\would you want as the author(s)? Stephen Hand? Steve Jackson? Paul Mason? Many amazing authors had brilliant FFs ready to go before Penguin cancelled the series How long would it be? Would it be a multi-volume epic a bit like Sorcery!? What stats would it have besides Skill, Stamina and Luck? Would it have a Time track? Would it have Magic? Would it take place on Titan or modern day? Would it have multiple paths to victory? Would it incorporate puzzles? Would you prefer more shopping, or feel shopping was more a distraction? Could you revisit locations, or would it just be an excellently-designed adventure? And because English is so subjective, would it fail every creative, intellectual and public test but he worth 5 stars to you, because you're a fan-head ? It would be written by Stephen Hand and be about a Moonrunner...  |
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Mar 12, 2022 13:20:00 GMT
It would be written by Stephen Hand and be about a Moonrunner... the Mandrakes Just fixed that for you there, mate. But no, you're right... a prequel to Moonrunner would be good, is that what you're getting at?. Something similar to Creature of Havoc where you don't really have control over yourself and find yourself doing evil deeds or not even aware of what you've done? |
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Post by misomiso on Mar 12, 2022 15:30:42 GMT
A perfect FF book...
Mmm I think a book like Deathtrap Dungeon is close to perfect, as is Legend of the Shadow Warriors and House of Hell, as they all execute their ideas very well and are 'world consistent'.
But ok my general criteria would be something like:-
It would have a cool title, either alliterative or with lots of atmosphere
It would probably be by Steve Jackson
It would not be multi volume, HOWEVER it would be Epic in length, maybe something like between 700 - 1000 entries, maybe with clear subdivisions within the book (Ie Act 1, Act 2, Act 3 etc)
It would probably have some kind of fourth stat; either a 'Change' score like Howl but one that works better, a FEAR score you can't go over, or some kind of Magic.
It would take place on Titan
It would have multiple ways to finish the book at one level, HOWEVER there would be special sequence / ending if you took a completitionist route.
There would be puzzles
It would have shopping, but not TOO MUCH shopping as that can get quite distracting
You COULD NOT revisit locations; it would be very much designed like the Shamunatai Hills / Cityport of traps or early Ian Livingstone books where you just drive inexorably onwards.
Everybody would love it!
Finally it would also
-Have a FANTASTIC story, that really said something about the human condition
-Possibly have some kind of twist that you didn't see coming and made perfect sense.
-Have a love interest for some Romance
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Post by terrysalt on Mar 12, 2022 20:43:31 GMT
It would be written by Stephen Hand and be about a Moonrunner... the Mandrakes Just fixed that for you there, mate. But no, you're right... a prequel to Moonrunner would be good, is that what you're getting at?. Something similar to Creature of Havoc where you don't really have control over yourself and find yourself doing evil deeds or not even aware of what you've done? I was just making a joke that Moonrunner was already the perfect FF. If Stephen Hand wrote a prequel to it, I'd be buying that on the spot though. |
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Post by Peter on Mar 13, 2022 8:47:04 GMT
I'm thinking that maybe I would like another multi-book story, with each book having a distinct flavour, like Sorcery.
As misomiso said, a fourth stat, like Fear or Courage or Resistance of some kind.
As bloodbeasthandler said, in a previously-unused part of Titan, a setting that is recognisable but fresh.
Multiple ways of winning, but only one successful ending paragraph (I like the "turn to 400" instruction). Pathways or items that make winning easier but not essential, so you don't get a long way through without realising you can't possibly win.
Shopping where you don't have enough money to buy every useful item, so you have to choose things that complement your strengths or compensate for your weaknesses (high or low starting stats). This way, "anyone, no matter how low their initial rolls, should be able to get through".
Clues scattered through the book that aid with decision-making, if you are observant enough to notice them and wily enough to interpret them.
Most importantly, illustrations that stimulate your imagination and encourage you to think about what lies beyond the frame of the picture, illustrations that transport you to the world within the pages.
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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 Mar 13, 2022 17:12:44 GMT
A gamebook being part story, part game only needs two things to be perfect: a compelling story that stands out from the crowd and decisions that have been thought out, and a game mechanic that makes it replayable and is most importantly, fun.
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