What FFs would you enjoy more with more references?

[CharlesX]

What FFs would you like to see in maybe a 'deluxe' edition with more references? This thread is probably just partly a finger to the Puffin suggestion FF writers rewrite existing FF with 300 references, which FF writers such as Jon Green were halfway through doing before Puffin made up their mind to just cancel FF. I've no idea either whether some of the numerous reprints\apps could have some more references, personally I'd settle for more corrections (even imperfect such as with Curse Of The Mummy and Revenge Of The Vampire) but I think either, particularly the former, seems unlikely (although I heard the Sorcery! App has effectively done this).

   Ian Livingstone's books such as his latest Shadow Of The Giants or Eye Of The Dragon could be longer. I think many of the sci-fi\earth-based ones could benefit from having more encounters and power-ups. There are others that could benefit from both a rewrite as well as maybe an extension ('taking advantage'), such as Starship Traveller and Armies Of Death. I don't think very highly of either Starship Traveller or Freeway Fighter - Freeway Fighter wasn't brave enough or forgiving enough for me.

   For many people this thread will feel like 'messing with something that ain't broke' and I totally get that.

[vastariner]

Well, Starship Traveller, obviously, given we were short-changed with that one to start with. Pretty sure there should have been another load of references in the first half of the journey to dig out the warp speed.

Have said it before, but Battleblade Warrior should have been a multi-parter.

Something obvious with the Seven Serpents on a first re-play in a while: there's quite a rush at the end, the final four serpents are in about a fifth of the book.

[sylas]

Starship traveller and Freeway fighter would benefit with more references. I would use them to flesh out scenarios and characters though rather than adding new scenes and encounters.

[hallucination]

Deathtrap Dungeon. The concept is so great; the labyrinth though could’ve been even greater

[scouserob]

The obvious one: Starship Traveller.
Could have done with the Ganzigites being recurring antagonists throughout the journey due to the misunderstanding with the eagle and various hard-line military types commanding their warships. 
More spaceship battles.

Less obvious: City of Thieves
Not the Port Blacksand section, which is great, but Zanbar Bone's tower could have done with more paragraphs.

[sylas]

I would have preferred Shadow of the Giant to have a longer second half. The first half in the city takes up about two-thirds of the adventure when half or less would suffice. More focus was needed on the Giants themselves to make them epic opponents instead of very short-lived ones.

[paperexplorer]

I'd probably go with Spectral Stalkers, just to develop each world a little more.

Perhaps the same could be said of Starship Traveler.

I don't think Freeway Fighter would be better with more paragraphs though. Rounding up to 400 wouldn't make any significant difference there. Mind you, a section requiring you to leave the car and explore a town or warehouses for some vital clue or item might have made an interesting side quest.

I would prefer Shadow of the Giants rewritten to reduce the town section and increase the maze section rather than more entries.

[nathanh]

Midnight Rogue, Talisman of Death, and maybe City of Thieves have strong and intricate first parts and less intricate and interesting second parts, so would probably benefit from more fleshing out of the second parts.

Some of the later Livingstone books could do with more elaborate non-winning paths, but probably would be better served by having the winning path be stripped back a little instead of more references.

I could happily play a book like Secrets of Salamonis for much longer. I think I'd prefer one or more other books with a similar structure, but would settle for a longer single book.

Night Dragon could reasonably have more references, not to make it significantly longer but to distinguish more between the choice of ordering of the quest components (either having the quest areas have differences depending on the order, or by having different small encounters on the journeys, like in Stormslayer).

[terrysalt]

Oct 16, 2022 10:51:09 GMT nathanh said:

Night Dragon could reasonably have more references, not to make it significantly longer but to distinguish more between the choice of ordering of the quest components (either having the quest areas have differences depending on the order, or by having different small encounters on the journeys, like in Stormslayer).

If there were morning, noon and night versions of each quest depending on the order you sought them out, that would be incredible (and of course, add to the fun of min-maxing the perfect order).

[misomiso]

I'd like to see a 'Deluxe' edition of Starship traveller, with a longer book and some rewrites. It would probably be simpler just to write a whole new sci-fi book, but I like the concept of Star Trav just the execution was a bit off.

Night Dragon, or a similar concept, could be a much longer book. It's epic going to kill a Dragon and so the Quest can be suitably long.

Shamuntanti Hills and the Seven Serpents could do with some extra length, the Crown of Kings could be an even thousand.

Deathtrap Dungeon is perfect, but I think it could have had better sequels. There was so much to experiment with it's a shame it's only been revisited once.

Phantoms of Fear could have been 480. The concept was so interesting a little more space to experiment with it would have been good to see.

I know it's longer already, but to make Creature of Havoc suitably epic Steve could have gone up to 580 or 600. After the Dungeon always feels a bit rushed.

Shadow of the Giants as some have said could use a longer final section.

[Wilf]

Vastariner has already given my go-to answer for this one: The Seven Serpents. After a the lengthy and eerie Baklands section, we have a small handful of encounters in the Forest Of Snatta, a rather brief Lake Ilklala crossing, and the blink-and-you-miss-it trek through the Vischlami Swamps. All three environments would do better for being extended, and the encounters with the Air and Time Serpents made optional, not mandatory.

I would like to see two alternative routes of passing Lake Ilklala without meeting the Ferryman / Air Serpent: one long trek around the edge of the lake, eventually finding a way to cross the Karabak River and into the swamplands from there; and one where the player spends a bit of stamina building a raft to cross the lake in; a fragile thing which might be easily destroyed in the encounter with the Water Serpent or the Flying Fish. A couple of extra set pieces on the lake would be nice; trekking the long way round would take an extra day and would mean the Serpent Of Time has left the swamps and can't be encountered.

I would like to see a more substantial confrontation with the Marsh Goblins, where it's easier for a warrior to acquire the LIX parchment. I would also use LIX as a spell option when encountering the Serpent, that any player could use (akin to calling on VIK in Khare). There are lots of gruesome marsh-dwelling nasties I'd like to put into this location, too.

Most of all, I'd like to have an option where the Sun Serpent can be released from Fenestra's orb if the player does something rash when encountering her - attacking the sorceress might lead to the orb falling to the floor and breaking, f'rinstance. Thus it should be possible for all seven serpents to make their way to Mampang, which would justify penalising the player's stats, as only six would return had the player not interfered there.

Don't get me wrong, The Seven Serpents is one of my favourite things published under the FF banner, but I can't help feeling that from Snatta onwards, it's terribly rushed and could be made so much better if it were another 150-or-so paragraphs longer.