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Post by a moderator on Sept 10, 2022 12:38:28 GMT
Sorry, misomiso, but having separate 'review' threads is just going to cause confusion and clutter the forum.
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vagsancho
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Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Sept 10, 2022 18:49:59 GMT
Really? I read the Shadow of the Giants and think it's awful. Maybe I am just too old for this stuff now, I just thought it was a tired rehash of boring tropes he's done before over and over again. Nice illustrations but a very boring and pointless adventure with lots of nonsensical "choices". Well. I did not read Shadows of Giants, but in analogy, when i saw the first star wars in childhood i thought it was awesome, now when i saw it again, i thought it was completely Horrible.
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vagsancho
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Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Sept 10, 2022 18:58:09 GMT
So, i question, what is the general opinion about this book? Do not want to know the answer from people who think Crypt of the Sorcerer is a bad book.
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Post by a moderator on Sept 10, 2022 19:17:22 GMT
The list of books in the front of my copy puts Secrets before Shadow, so I've renumbered the threads to reflect the 'official' order.
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Post by tyrion on Sept 10, 2022 19:37:46 GMT
So, i question, what is the general opinion about this book? Do not want to know the answer from people who think Crypt of the Sorcerer is a bad book. The plot can be summarised as 'greedy treasure hunter accidentally destroys village and decides they'd better do something about it' However, the gameplay is balanced, the writing is excellent and the illustrations are top notch. If you like Ian Livingstone books (but maybe think they are too hard), you'll like this one.
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Post by scouserob on Sept 10, 2022 23:14:33 GMT
First Attempt/Impressions - Good Stuff
The art, both external and internal, is fantastic and it really adds to the experience. (You can just spend a while just holding these two new books and flicking through, looking at the pictures. It reminds me of the old days with Deathtrap Dungeon in the local library. The previous Scholastic books didn't really lend themselves to that.)The rules are basic, and pretty standard fare, though I'd prefer to take an old Potion of Fortune, rather than this new fangled Potion of Luck that doesn't have a +1 Initial Luck modifier. (What a rip off.)We rolled: Skill 7, Stamina 17, Luck 7. After recently mapping City of Thieves, Deathtrap Dungeon and Island of the Lizard King, I had the feeling this wasn't going to last long. (And Wilf's first attempt had me worried about just how low my skill could go!)Fortunately it was quite a while until we got into a fight but by then we had only a Skill of 5 and Luck of 3 and, unsurprisingly, did not even win a single attack round. We fought a Wraith with Skill 10 in a tomb outside Hamelin. The descriptions, locations, options given, and plot up to the place of our death were all very enjoyable. We made quite a few bad choices and quite a few good ones and so have plenty of new options to explore next time. I particularly liked the repeated descriptions of you looking back and seeing the Giants plodding slowly off in the opposite direction. So overall, despite the brevity of this first attempt at the adventure, we both enjoyed it greatly and will probably play it again tomorrow. (Don't worry, I won't be posting after every attempt.)
The Minor NiggleI'm confused by the provisions rules for this book. Firstly it isn't specified when they can be eaten. (I assumed the rule was the same as for potions: any time except during combat.)Secondly, it is specified that you can only eat one provision at a time. So what exactly does that mean? One provision only in each, non-combat, paragraph? That is the only sensible ruling I could think of, but if anyone can shed any further light on this then let please me know.
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Post by slloyd14 on Sept 11, 2022 8:06:10 GMT
I did a playthrough with skill 10, stamina 24, luck 7 and managed to destroy he giants, but my companion died at the end.
I was surprised that you get 10 provisions and a potion on this one. First, I expected it to be like the other later Livingstone books and my character not having provisions. I managed to get all the way to the end and not need any provisions or potions.
What is it with brutal penalties? Losing 1d6x2 stamina or losing 2 skill + 1d6 stamina or losing 2 skill, 6 stamina and 4 luck are all possible penalties (I got the 1d6x2 and rolled a 2, but I saw the others through making bad decisions). Any large skill penalty is basically a delayed death sentence for most people.
I found 2 items that can give a +1 attack strength bonus that were on the correct path. Since the highest skill opponent you face has a skill of 10, if you have a skill of 7 and get both items, that should make the combat possible. Add the fact that one skill 10 opponent loses 1 stamina per round and the other skill 10 opponent you don't have to fight to the death means that it is survivable. Also, the snake sword gives you a +2 attack strength bonus against one of the skill 10 enemies, so that should be OK (Although the snake sword and one of the +1 items are mutually exclusive). Also, I am so glad that there are lots of attack strength bonuses rather than skill bonuses.
Lots of luck rolls. I was lucky (pun intended) with my luck tests. I also found an item that let me automatically succeed at a luck test, so that helped. I failed the last one, so I got the not so successful ending.
The special swords that give attack strength bonuses against certain opponents also help. This reminds me of the sword in Stormslayer. Also note that the cursed sword actually gives the biggest bonus against the iron giants. The other sword that does this is hidden behind a (non essential) skill 10 opponent, but that sword has no bonuses against other foes - although it should. It is the dragon sword and there is a creature called an emerald dragon.
I liked how a cursed sword you can get gives you the biggest bonus against the iron giants. Another case of Ian Livingstone having items with both good and bad effects (see the gold ring from Island of the Lizard King).
As far as the story and setting goes, Livingstone plays all the hits. We have Firetop Mountain (and a minor character from it). Hamelin seems to be Blacksand-lite, along with its own reclusive retired hero. There is a wizard that has a big list of minor magical items they can sell you (Yaztromo-lite), a mention of the battle of Fire Island, a junk shop where you buy actual useful items (the easiest decision in the book - 'Do you want to go in the junk shop?' - YES), a HUGE list of items that you can get, only some of which are useful, a companion, an eating competition a collection of items to get, one of which is cursed and probably some others I haven't mentioned. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I still enjoyed it and, on the whole, it was less brutal than previous books.
So in conclusion, an enjoyable romp through northern Allansia with less brutal opponents.
Errors? There is a creature called the Emerald Dragon, but the dragon sword does not provide a bonus against it.
Most people could probably win with 2-3 playthroughs when they learn which items and encounters are necessary and which items are either not worth fighting creatures for or cursed.
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vagsancho
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Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Sept 11, 2022 8:39:50 GMT
Did you prefer: Shadows of the Giants, Assassins of Allansia, or Night Dragon?
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Post by scouserob on Sept 11, 2022 9:34:46 GMT
Rune Sword Question"Every time you use it in combat you will automatically lose 1 Stamina Point" So does this mean: - Lose 1 Stamina point per combat?
- Lose 1 Stamina point per attack round?
- Lose 1 Stamina point per won attack round?
I'll assume the first option if I ever take this sword as I believe that is what is intended here. What do you think the intended option is?
I know It'll probably never be worth getting but after seeing slloyd14's post above, who knows this may come in useful...
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Post by hallucination on Sept 11, 2022 9:47:52 GMT
my interpretation is the same as yours: lose 1 stamina point per combat, though i suppose it could be argued that each attack round (won, lost or tied) is a use of the sword in combat. Now, in some FF adventures individuating certain combats might be tricky but if I recall correctly Shadow is reasonably clear (not that i have yet exhausted all the possible pathways, but am giving it another hoon this afternoon).
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Post by scouserob on Sept 11, 2022 9:56:08 GMT
Broken/Demon Sword QuestionYou lose 2 Skill points in the sentence immediately following the sentence stating that you'll have to use your broken sword. (Though the two aren't explicitly linked, the implication is there.)There is no chance of you fighting with the broken sword as if you survive to the Double Duck Tavern then you'll end up with a Demon Sword. So do you get your 2 Skill points back when you get the Demon Sword? It isn't stated that you do, so I'm playing it strictly by the text and not giving myself those skill points back. What do you reckon? Again the Demon Sword may not be worth getting but, who knows, it may also come in useful down the road... PS Love the Storm Sword. Anvil Branches
I've completely explored and pre-mapped Anvil now and I'm impressed. Excepting instant death branches, there is only one branch that can be pruned with 100% confidence at this stage without further exploration. Hiring Biggly Though maybe I should say 99% confidence just in case Biggly comes back later. Pruning that and the instant death branches leaves 7 branches out of the sword shop, which meet up to give 2 more potentially best ones in the tavern. Fire Sword/Dagger/Wrestle Fire Sword/Dagger/Don't Wrestle Fire Sword/Wrestle Fire Sword/Don't Wrestle Vampire Sword/Dagger/Wrestle Vampire Sword/Dagger/Don't Wrestle Vampire Sword/Wrestle Vampire Sword/Don't Wrestle Rune Sword/Dagger/Wrestle Rune Sword/Dagger/Don't Wrestle Rune Sword/Wrestle Rune Sword/Don't Wrestle Demon Sword/Wrestle Demon Sword/Don't Wrestle Two of these 14 branches seem much better than the other twelve but who knows... The possible extra 2 gold from the arm wrestling may increase your chances of victory but I very much doubt it given the risk involved.
I'm also guessing that both the Rune and Demon swords aren't the best way to go and that you may as well get the dagger along with your Rune, Fire or Vampire sword. (But at this point I don't know whether the dagger is cursed...)
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Post by slloyd14 on Sept 11, 2022 10:58:35 GMT
Broken/Demon Sword QuestionYou lose 2 Skill points in the sentence immediately following the sentence stating that you'll have to use your broken sword. (Though the two aren't explicitly linked, the implication is there.)There is no chance of you fighting with the broken sword as if you survive to the Double Duck Tavern then you'll end up with a Demon Sword. So do you get your 2 Skill points back when you get the Demon Sword? It isn't stated that you do, so I'm playing it strictly by the text and not giving myself those skill points back. What do you reckon? Again the Demon Sword may not be worth getting but, who knows, it may also come in useful down the road... PS Love the Storm Sword. Anvil Branches
I've completely explored and pre-mapped Anvil now and I'm impressed. Excepting instant death branches, there is only one branch that can be pruned with 100% confidence at this stage without further exploration. Hiring Biggly Though maybe I should say 99% confidence just in case Biggly comes back later. Pruning that and the instant death branches leaves 7 branches out of the sword shop, which meet up to give 2 more potentially best ones in the tavern. Fire Sword/Dagger/Wrestle Fire Sword/Dagger/Don't Wrestle Fire Sword/Wrestle Fire Sword/Don't Wrestle Vampire Sword/Dagger/Wrestle Vampire Sword/Dagger/Don't Wrestle Vampire Sword/Wrestle Vampire Sword/Don't Wrestle Rune Sword/Dagger/Wrestle Rune Sword/Dagger/Don't Wrestle Rune Sword/Wrestle Rune Sword/Don't Wrestle Demon Sword/Wrestle Demon Sword/Don't Wrestle Two of these 14 branches seem much better than the other twelve but who knows... The possible extra 2 gold from the arm wrestling may increase your chances of victory but I very much doubt it given the risk involved.
I'm also guessing that both the Rune and Demon swords aren't the best way to go and that you may as well get the dagger along with your Rune, Fire or Vampire sword. (But at this point I don't know whether the dagger is cursed...)
I found a use for the dagger. It cuts a leech off you if you wade through a cellar submerged in water. You lose 1 stamina point with the dagger. If you don't have it, you lose 1d6 stamina points.
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Post by drmanhattan on Sept 11, 2022 11:02:15 GMT
Really? I read the Shadow of the Giants and think it's awful. Maybe I am just too old for this stuff now, I just thought it was a tired rehash of boring tropes he's done before over and over again. Nice illustrations but a very boring and pointless adventure with lots of nonsensical "choices". Well. I did not read Shadows of Giants, but in analogy, when i saw the first star wars in childhood i thought it was awesome, now when i saw it again, i thought it was completely Horrible. I understand this point but I recently replayed some of the earlier books and thoroughly enjoyed them. Whereas this one just felt like phoning it in copying and pasting his usual stuff, it was very easy to beat the book, and it's full of pointless and random "choices" with no logic, and some comical "puzzles", at least he provided some "escape" options if you didnt have this or that item in some of the locations, but it felt like the stuff in the town was a poor mini version of City of Thieves and the showdown with the Giants I found very boring. It's OK if everyone else seems to like it though, but for me just way too few choices of interest and far too much with the mcguffins and enforced choices just to move the pretty silly plot along.
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Post by slloyd14 on Sept 11, 2022 11:12:33 GMT
Rune Sword Question"Every time you use it in combat you will automatically lose 1 Stamina Point" So does this mean: - Lose 1 Stamina point per combat?
- Lose 1 Stamina point per attack round?
- Lose 1 Stamina point per won attack round?
I'll assume the first option if I ever take this sword as I believe that is what is intended here. What do you think the intended option is?
I know It'll probably never be worth getting but after seeing slloyd14's post above, who knows this may come in useful...
I assumed it was the first option as well, which makes the penalty pretty small, especially if you have 10 provisions. Even the second option would be do-able with the provisions and a decent skill. It really lowers the chances of losing at the end, so it might be worth it. You save a bit of money if you buy it as well.
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Post by hallucination on Sept 11, 2022 16:00:02 GMT
Had a lot of fun with this adventure.
It's later Livingstone at his best I reckon. If it had been released back in the 80s as, say, FF20-something, I'm sure we'd all consider it a classic and probably his last great title. Also, the illustrations are amazing. So glad to see Scholastic ditching their approach. We heard at FFF4 that the return to classic FF style illustrations was a matter which IL forced on Scholastic, and if that's not an exaggeration of what happened, then go Ian!
I get that for some folks this book comes across as nothing new, just a re-hash. And yes it's linear, and there are difficult rolls and fights, but I also found it a much more interesting and engaging read and a more balanced game than anything IL's done in a long while, especially with the attack strength bonuses and opportunities to recoup lost stat points. Yes there're mcguffins but that doesn't bother me especially since in many cases there are still alternate ways through if you don't have one specific thing.
A couple annoying errors, probably due to lazy copy-pasting, but that's no excuse. There's an item which costs 10 gold pieces but if you buy it the book says you pay just five (I am assuming this is an error), and the rules at the back give the usual spiel about you beginning with, amongst backpack etc, a sword. (What? Are you even still carrying the one the intro says you broke?) That's being picky though: certainly nothing gamebreaking.
Anyways, it took me a few goes (as it should), but I finally bet the book upon rolling a very decent 12, 23, 11 adventurer. From previous goes I had a fair idea of what to avoid and what to buy etc, but still, it was having high skill and luck that helped see me through. For me the luck potion was a must. I'd be curious to hear if anyone's opting for either of the other two starting potions. The end game actually had the heart pumping, as i hoped to hell i was making the right choices and that the dice wouldn't fail me! I found this quite satisfying and certainly not something that many other gamebooks have achieved. EDIT: I've since improved my route through the book and beaten it with an 8, 15, 10 adventurer. As Charles X points out below, the required fights ain't too bad.
Given the book's linear structure its replayability is obviously affected, but I am still left wanting to try again in future in order to try out some different sword options
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Post by scouserob on Sept 11, 2022 16:08:30 GMT
What? Are you even still carrying the [sword] the intro says you broke? Yes. If you attack the shopkeeper in Anvil then it says your only option is to set off armed with your broken sword. (And -2 Skill.) I would have preferred it if the back of the book had listed a broken sword as part of your starting equipment rather than a sword. But yeah, a very, very, minor nit-pick.
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Post by hallucination on Sept 11, 2022 16:17:21 GMT
ah, thank you! Not an error per se but a source of confusion, ha!
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Post by tyrion on Sept 11, 2022 16:45:22 GMT
I managed to beat it with 9/14/7, which is something I thought I'd ever say about an Ian Livingstone book. I got the fire sword, then the Serpent sword so the two difficult combats weren't that bad.
I lost six items to a thief while listening to goose, but happily enough had six junk items form the boy with the tray and the spider hag. I rolled well enough at the end; the only skill test I failed was when a giant stood on me.
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CharlesX
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Post by CharlesX on Sept 11, 2022 19:06:31 GMT
Rune Sword Question"Every time you use it in combat you will automatically lose 1 Stamina Point" So does this mean: - Lose 1 Stamina point per combat?
- Lose 1 Stamina point per attack round?
- Lose 1 Stamina point per won attack round?
I'll assume the first option if I ever take this sword as I believe that is what is intended here. What do you think the intended option is?
I know It'll probably never be worth getting but after seeing slloyd14's post above, who knows this may come in useful...
I assumed it was the first option as well, which makes the penalty pretty small, especially if you have 10 provisions. Even the second option would be do-able with the provisions and a decent skill. It really lowers the chances of losing at the end, so it might be worth it. You save a bit of money if you buy it as well. Lose 1 Stamina point per enemy? Lose 1 Stamina point immediately after combat, before you can use provisions or even a potion?
My guess is no to the former and yes to the latter, but nothing is specified.
There are a couple of errors I've noticed like others. If you fail the knowledge test about the Gorgon's number of snakes and have to flip a coin, not only the references but seemingly the outcomes are flipped as well. You call heads, you are told it's tails and instantly die. You call tails, you are told it's heads and win. Is this meta Stee Jackson-esque paradoxical cleverness? No, just an error. More pertinently, you can get the Dragon Sword long before you encounter the Emerald Dragon, but in the reference where you fight the Dragon the Dragon Sword is not mentioned, where you might think you'd get at least a +1 attack strength bonus, if not more. I disagree with hallucination who suggested some of the fights are tough - apart from the do-or-die stuff at the end, this is definitely one of the easier FF entries. Slow Stamina depletion is never a problem either, which is a slight gameplay issue - I'd rather there were maybe 5 meals at the start instead of 10, and then if the Rune Sword had either or both of the penalties I've suggested, it ight be halfway worthwhile to choose the potion of Strength.
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Post by a moderator on Sept 11, 2022 20:02:47 GMT
If you fail the knowledge test about the Gorgon's number of snakes and have to flip a coin, not only the references but seemingly the outcomes are flipped as well. You call heads, you are told it's tails and instantly die. You call tails, you are told it's heads and win. Is this meta Stee Jackson-esque paradoxical cleverness? No, just an error. It's the climax of the Blitz Race from Freeway Fighter all over again. Swerve right, and you're told you go left.
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Post by slloyd14 on Sept 17, 2022 14:31:20 GMT
Did you prefer: Shadows of the Giants, Assassins of Allansia, or Night Dragon? Good question. I would say Night Dragon without reservation as it is more open and seems more epic. The fact that you can get a bunch of bonuses to fight a powerful opponent helps. The thing is with a lot of Ian Livingstone books is that he ramps up the difficulty without ramping up the bonuses. After that, I would say Shadows then Assassins. They both have the same tone, but Shadows has had the worst aspects of Ian's books (the impossible combats) reduced (we can thank Sylas and Jon Green for that, I expect). I wouldn't mind more books like Shadows. I expect you could make an Ian Livingstone AI to churn them out.
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Post by jmisbest on Sept 19, 2022 12:40:52 GMT
Does anyone know if The Skill 12, Stamina 17 and Luck 7 Character I generated then posted about a while back will be able to beat Storm of Giant?, I would say that if I start with The Potion of Fortune and when making dice rolls have a lot of luck I may just make it, but I want other people's opinions
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Post by hallucination on Sept 19, 2022 15:19:11 GMT
Does anyone know if The Skill 12, Stamina 17 and Luck 7 Character I generated then posted about a while back will be able to beat Storm of Giant?, I would say that if I start with The Potion of Fortune and when making dice rolls have a lot of luck I may just make it, but I want other people's opinions You won’t have a problem with skill or stamina, and with a bit of luck with the dice you’ll hopefully be ok. That is, if you don’t run into an Insta-death. Also, it’s not a ‘potion of fortune’, unfortunately; the potion of luck doesn’t raise your Initial Luck.
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CharlesX
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Post by CharlesX on Sept 19, 2022 15:34:01 GMT
Does anyone know if The Skill 12, Stamina 17 and Luck 7 Character I generated then posted about a while back will be able to beat Storm of Giant?, I would say that if I start with The Potion of Fortune and when making dice rolls have a lot of luck I may just make it, but I want other people's opinions Definitely a strong chance, although the low luck score would mean it wouldn't be seriously easy. Weirdly, Steve's book seems to be tougher than Ian's this time around. Not just because the true path is harder to work out, which it most certainly is, but the fighting is tougher, as well. I wonder if anyone will be posting some solutions at some point? It's rather demanding - like Assassins, Caverns and Deathtrap Shadow Of The Giants possibly has a complicated true path depending on your start-up stats, and what assumptions you make about the Rune Sword (tbh it's probably still the best bet even for 1 stamina damage lost per round), Secrets Of Salamonis is also an ordeal to map out.
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Post by jmisbest on Sept 19, 2022 16:34:09 GMT
Does anyone know if The Skill 12, Stamina 17 and Luck 7 Character I generated then posted about a while back will be able to beat Storm of Giant?, I would say that if I start with The Potion of Fortune and when making dice rolls have a lot of luck I may just make it, but I want other people's opinions You won’t have a problem with skill or stamina, and with a bit of luck with the dice you’ll hopefully be ok. That is, if you don’t run into an Insta-death. Also, it’s not a ‘potion of fortune’, unfortunately; the potion of luck doesn’t raise your Initial Luck. Ooops sorry I'd forgotten that its a potion of luck that doesn’t raise your Initial Luck. Sorry
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CharlesX
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Post by CharlesX on Sept 19, 2022 19:35:58 GMT
Shadow Of The Giants Review
TLDR: A rather traditional Livingstone FF which is better than many of his if not his best, shows Livingstone has learned some things since his previous slightly wanting Scholastic gamebooks, but maybe not in the top 2 FFs.
The review: You are on a linear quest where you buy lots of things, get companions, dodge traps and fight enemies. It isn't particularly unexpected. Where it lifts itself above drossy stuff like say Port Of Peril and Assassins Of Allansia is the new take on the old material - to use an analogy, this is Return Of The Jedi, not Star Wars The Force Awakens. You choose betwee a variety of swords. The fighting is balanced, as are the do-or-die rolls. There is a true path, but it isn't a nightmare to find, neither does it feel remotely boring. The pacing is good. The artwork is excellent. It's definitely not perfect, and not just because of small things such as linking errors (there's one or two, but it's parsecs off Revenge Of The Vampire or Port Of Peril). It has every Livingstone cliche and trope in the book - illogical decisions necessary to gain essential items, lots of useless items, little or no hint what will be useful or not, predictable storyline, limited description. I personally would have preferred a slightly tougher gamebook, but you can't please everyone and this is a better goldilocks bowl than Forest Of Doom or Blood Of The Zombies\Crypt Of The Sorceror (shut up, Vagsancho). If you like Livingstone's gamebooks you will have a really good time with Shadow Of The Giants - even if you're more into other FF authors I think this is very much worth while.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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Post by King Gillibran on Sept 28, 2022 10:32:44 GMT
When was the last time he wrote a good un? I love Ian Livingston's books. I do not understand why everyone is so against him. remember without him there would be no FF. only ones I do not like are Freeway Fighter and Blood of the Zombies. because they do not occor in Titan or Amarillia. Blood of the Zombies because it is not ordinary rules
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CharlesX
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Post by CharlesX on Sept 28, 2022 10:51:21 GMT
When was the last time he wrote a good un? I love Ian Livingston's books. I do not understand why everyone is so against him. remember without him there would be no FF. only ones I do not like are Freeway Fighter and Blood of the Zombies. because they do not occor in Titan or Amarillia. Blood of the Zombies because it is not ordinary rules It's mainly because everyone here plays strictly by FF rules, where Ian Livingstone has written some hard FFs with do-or-die rolls such as Trial Of Champions, which I'm a fan of but it's pretty hard, and Crypt Of The Sorceror, which whatever Vagsancho might say about its other qualities is broken in terms of its difficulty level. Perhaps he deserved the benefit of the doubt after that, but his previous Scholastic works weren't terribly creative, although Shadow Of The Giants is great.
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Post by terrysalt on Sept 28, 2022 11:24:31 GMT
When was the last time he wrote a good un? I love Ian Livingston's books. I do not understand why everyone is so against him. remember without him there would be no FF. only ones I do not like are Freeway Fighter and Blood of the Zombies. because they do not occor in Titan or Amarillia. Blood of the Zombies because it is not ordinary rules I think he's a decent enough writer but an absolutely terrible game designer. As a result, people who value the game part of game books tend to have issues with Ian's work. His self-stated belief that everyone cheats means he doesn't see a need to balance his books. This is fine if you are in fact cheating but for those who try to play them as actual games (and I suspect such people are overrepresented on these forums) they quickly become a nightmare.
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kieran
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Post by kieran on Sept 28, 2022 14:00:27 GMT
Finally got a copy of this and gave it a go. It seems pretty similar to Port and Assassins - extremely linear and the plot takes quite a while to get going. I don't know why Ian has now decided all his books need to be essentially one long corridor - it seems like the antithesis of what gamebooks should be about. Also not sure why he now thinks aimless pootling about waiting for the story to kick in is a good way to start a gamebook. Compare to Deathtrap Dungeon where you're immediately thrown into the action and are soon asked to choose between mutually exclusive paths.
In fairness, I did reach a dungeon where things did appear to be branching out a bit - but then I died very soon after! There also was one point where you could choose between exploring a few different streets. I'll give it another go and see if it allows for a bit more variety than it seems on first impressions, but I have to say so far I'm a bit disappointed after hearing some good buzz about the book.
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