CharlesX
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Post by CharlesX on Oct 29, 2022 9:29:57 GMT
It makes logical sense that you could only eat one provision, which equates to one meal, and that be it. How many references would you then need to pass before you can eat again though? It's always amused me to think of a badly wounded warrior, 1 stamina point away from death, eating himself silly and instantly recovering. Or to use a scenario from Bloodbones, in the midst of an epic battle at sea, our badly wounded hero with a last gasp effort fells Mirel the Red, and while the fighting carries on around him the hero scoffs down 3 full meals and skols a bottle of rum before walking forward to challenge Cinnebar Unrealistic, but tell me you haven't done it Even if an FF doesn't specify eating one meal at a time\only when instructed (i.e. in most cases) I've always thought scoffing one or more meals in the 30 second interval after battling one opponent but before another in a pitched battlefield is as ridiculous as you've described, which is why I don't do that. I call it at bottles. It's the same in say Legend Of Zagor where you have to get to the Heartfires and are told you can spend a minute eating a provision if you like.
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Jonathan Green
Squire
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Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by Jonathan Green on Nov 6, 2022 10:49:21 GMT
YOU ARE THE HERO - An Interactive History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks - has barely a day left to run on Kickstarter.
You can pledge your support here - - and please share the link with all your friends.
Thank you.
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Post by scouserob on Nov 6, 2022 11:36:48 GMT
YOU ARE THE HERO - An Interactive History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks - has barely a day left to run on Kickstarter. That was worth posting. Your last minute reminder has earned you a last minute £35. 😀 I'm looking forward to this.
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vagsancho
Knight
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Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Nov 19, 2022 23:15:14 GMT
For those who prefer non Linear FF books (not me!) Daggers of Darkness is probably the most non Linear FF book of all. It it the best? No. Is it in the best Ten? No. Is it in the top 20. No. Is it in the top 30? No.
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Post by petch on Nov 21, 2022 13:12:08 GMT
When I tried to rank all of the FF books, I placed Daggers at 29, so would only just disagree with you on that one!
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vagsancho
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Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Nov 22, 2022 16:29:24 GMT
STORMSLAYER - description: The book that no one talks bad about it, and at the same time, the one that is the less talked from all.
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CharlesX
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Post by CharlesX on Nov 22, 2022 17:41:38 GMT
STORMSLAYER - description: The book that no one talks bad about it, and at the same time, the one that is the less talked from all. Your words read like a cross between Oscar Wilde and Leo Tolstoy (that is, bit highbrow and nonsensical at the same time). I always thought Stormslayer is one of Jon Green's better books, certainly better than his Spellbreaker and probably better than his Curse Of The Mummy, and I've no problem saying it is a good one.
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Post by a moderator on Nov 23, 2022 2:20:36 GMT
vagsancho , might I direct your attention to the ' Individual gamebooks' section of the site, which has a separate thread for every single book, so you can join the existing discussions rather than randomly spamming this thread with your observations on specific titles?
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Post by johnbrawn1972 on Dec 2, 2022 14:42:03 GMT
Does anyone know what the next books are that will be released either old classics or new additions?
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kieran
Baron
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Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Dec 2, 2022 15:14:43 GMT
Doesn't seem to be anything announced yet. I would guess Temple of Terror would be the next with maybe Trial or Crypt following. Would be good if it was a fixed version of Crypt!
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CharlesX
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Post by CharlesX on Dec 2, 2022 19:01:22 GMT
Doesn't seem to be anything announced yet. I would guess Temple of Terror would be the next with maybe Trial or Crypt following. Would be good if it was a fixed version of Crypt! Only FF don't tend to touch\fix reprints in terms of gameplay, and SJ & IL are no exception. As you mention Trial I think a fixed version would be great - Trial is Ian doing what he's good at, dungeon adventure, which is let down by the excessive difficulty. For example, the Tentallus tongue-mouth could be three dice against skill in cases where it's trying to eat you, instead of two. You could maybe have 5 provisions, so players with average Stamina stand a chance. But what Ian did in Shadow Of The Giants was over-compensate with a gamebook that is too forgiving - even if you don't follow the true path 10 provisions is too many against enemies with medium Skill and lower Stamina than yours, plus a potion.
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lt
Squire
Posts: 18
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Post by lt on Dec 2, 2022 19:46:40 GMT
Doesn't seem to be anything announced yet. I would guess Temple of Terror would be the next with maybe Trial or Crypt following. Would be good if it was a fixed version of Crypt! Only FF don't tend to touch\fix reprints in terms of gameplay, and SJ & IL are no exception. Â Â As you mention Trial I think a fixed version would be great - Trial is Ian doing what he's good at, dungeon adventure, which is let down by the excessive difficulty. For example, the Tentallus tongue-mouth could be three dice against skill in cases where it's trying to eat you, instead of two. You could maybe have 5 provisions, so players with average Stamina stand a chance. But what Ian did in Shadow Of The Giants was over-compensate with a gamebook that is too forgiving - even if you don't follow the true path 10 provisions is too many against enemies with medium Skill and lower Stamina than yours, plus a potion.
Ian, or Sir Ian, would think, argh, could never appease this crowd...too hard and they complain, too easy and they do too. 🤣
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Post by Pete Byrdie on Dec 3, 2022 12:16:16 GMT
Only FF don't tend to touch\fix reprints in terms of gameplay, and SJ & IL are no exception. Â Â As you mention Trial I think a fixed version would be great - Trial is Ian doing what he's good at, dungeon adventure, which is let down by the excessive difficulty. For example, the Tentallus tongue-mouth could be three dice against skill in cases where it's trying to eat you, instead of two. You could maybe have 5 provisions, so players with average Stamina stand a chance. But what Ian did in Shadow Of The Giants was over-compensate with a gamebook that is too forgiving - even if you don't follow the true path 10 provisions is too many against enemies with medium Skill and lower Stamina than yours, plus a potion.
Ian, or Sir Ian, would think, argh, could never appease this crowd...too hard and they complain, too easy and they do too. 🤣 My experience of modern fandom is nobody hates a franchise more than its biggest fans. I'm fine with an easy book that has lots to explore, a hard, linear book that's well written with an interesting story and fun encounters, whatever. What we criticise about gamebooks may have more to do with what they lack that could have made up for what we're being critical of, if you take my meaning. But if a books not hard but impossible, that's not really of any use to anyone except cheaters.
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Post by johnbrawn1972 on Feb 16, 2023 18:50:45 GMT
This is a shout out to Rob. I have been looking at the old solutions and I wondered if my solutions to City(especially) and Deathtrap(risky) compare favourably to the original solutions.
My solution to City seems more radical.
Deathtrap is harder due to the punishing structure. I can only surmise the Potion of Fortune is better as you have a 72% chance of retaining most of your provisions. The fight against the Pit Fiend is brutal but again I hope the 72% chance of a successful luck roll just about evens the odds to win here.
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Post by scouserob on Feb 17, 2023 9:20:31 GMT
This is a shout out to Rob. I have been looking at the old solutions and I wondered if my solutions to City(especially) and Deathtrap(risky) compare favourably to the original solutions. My solution to City seems more radical. Hi JohnBrawn I've just checked out your City of Thieves solution and am intrigued by the fact it hinges on you purposefully depleting your luck. 😂 (Radical!) I'll code of City of Thieves at least though it may take a while. (I'll ask questions for clarity and continue this in the City of Thieves solution thread...)
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Post by johnbrawn1972 on Feb 22, 2023 19:02:08 GMT
This is one final shout out to Rob as as I am out of hobby horses though I have plenty of those to be going on with.
The reason I ask is because Howl of the Werewolf and Stormslayer are at the end of the run and I feel it could be a very long wait.
I have tried to squeeze the last ounces out of Howl and I am hoping for a 25% chance(a bit overly optimistic I know) with 8/12/7. A bit more radical is my evolutionary strategy with Stormslayer where I am hoping for a 50% chance(slightly more realistic) with 10/14/7.
I was wondering if you could do a comparison maybe fairly soon rather than in the long run?
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Post by scouserob on Feb 23, 2023 8:23:19 GMT
Sorry JohnBrawn but I don't have either of those two, so It'll have to be a no for Stormslayer and Howl of the Werewolf. I did enjoy the City of Thieves probability coding and your alternative solution, though, and I'll get around to looking at Deathtrap Dungeon at some point.
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Post by johnbrawn1972 on Feb 23, 2023 12:48:12 GMT
Sorry JohnBrawn but I don't have either of those two, so It'll have to be a no for Stormslayer and Howl of the Werewolf. I did enjoy the City of Thieves probability coding and your alternative solution, though, and I'll get around to looking at Deathtrap Dungeon at some point. It is no problem. I would have liked to have them. I am now having the big sulk.
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trialmaster
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Post by trialmaster on Mar 12, 2023 9:12:01 GMT
It all seems to have gone quiet again with regard to any news about new or re-released FF gamebooks for 2023.
With the (slight) resurgence in gamebooks recently and the 40th anniversary last year, I was hoping that we would see more regular new FF gamebook releases again.
I assume that nobody has heard anything?
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CharlesX
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Post by CharlesX on Mar 12, 2023 12:32:56 GMT
It all seems to have gone quiet again with regard to any news about new or re-released FF gamebooks for 2023. With the (slight) resurgence in gamebooks recently and the 40th anniversary last year, I was hoping that we would see more regular new FF gamebook releases again. I assume that nobody has heard anything? I was thinking the same thing these last few days but after a Google search, and not being SJ or IL, I have absolutely no news unfortunately. I hypothesize things may depend on whether the two new FFs sell better, just the same, or worse than expected. Scholastic for their part seem to have improved the quality of interior art and cover picture while having an inferior spine and paper quality, so looking at it glass half-full I guess they are not treating series as bad as they could be (though not brilliant either). Tangentially I don't know why Scholastic are giving such mixed treatment to this best-selling series, I would rather it had high-quality paper, spine and illustrations like Fabled Lands. I assume by "(slight) resurgence in gamebooks" you refer to app sales, the two new FFs, and a number of new gamebooks that have appeared for younger children, because SFAIK there have been no ambitious gamebook series other than these.
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Post by paperexplorer on Apr 3, 2023 7:50:03 GMT
Citadel and Forest just turn 40 on March 31st
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Jun 7, 2023 18:46:07 GMT
It all seems to have gone quiet again with regard to any news about new or re-released FF gamebooks for 2023. With the (slight) resurgence in gamebooks recently and the 40th anniversary last year, I was hoping that we would see more regular new FF gamebook releases again. I assume that nobody has heard anything? I was thinking the same thing these last few days but after a Google search, and not being SJ or IL, I have absolutely no news unfortunately. I hypothesize things may depend on whether the two new FFs sell better, just the same, or worse than expected. Scholastic for their part seem to have improved the quality of interior art and cover picture while having an inferior spine and paper quality, so looking at it glass half-full I guess they are not treating series as bad as they could be (though not brilliant either). Tangentially I don't know why Scholastic are giving such mixed treatment to this best-selling series, I would rather it had high-quality paper, spine and illustrations like Fabled Lands. I assume by "(slight) resurgence in gamebooks" you refer to app sales, the two new FFs, and a number of new gamebooks that have appeared for younger children, because SFAIK there have been no ambitious gamebook series other than these. Since the pandemic and the war, paper has become more expensive.
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Post by philsadler on Jun 7, 2023 20:30:08 GMT
Do people still believe in the fake virus?
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CharlesX
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Post by CharlesX on Jun 8, 2023 8:39:36 GMT
Do people still believe in the fake virus? It seemed real when I caught it after multiple vaccine shots. Some people don't believe the war is real either. Presumably they make the anti-virus\vaccine crowd look like Mensa.
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,680
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Jun 9, 2023 15:02:27 GMT
Believing everything is fake until you experience it.
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Post by johnbrawn1972 on Jun 15, 2023 12:06:00 GMT
I have updated some of my solutions especially Stormslayer. I have realised I needed to make more sense of not having a Potion of Giant Strength if you somehow throw 15-18 on 3d6 followed by throwing 11 or 12 on 2d6. What are the odds of doing that? The very helpful extra 3 gold pieces, where you acquire a rope and grapple, allows you to buy the Wyrmskin Cloak and a Potion of Giant Strength though you have to forgo the Chainmail Armour and Potion of Strength. You can still avoid the ambush. At the end it is best to use 2 luck if you do not have a Potion of Levitation. The Wyrmskin Cloak should give you an advantage equivalent to an extra attack round.
The other major change is a solution for Caverns of the Snow Witch with the Potion of Skill where you take mild attrition so you can take advantage of the 10 stamina boost just before the Bird Men. I think the point being made is a stamina boost of 24 outweighs the benefits of the Potion of Skill so I will only put this forward as an alternative.
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kieran
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Post by kieran on Jun 15, 2023 18:27:55 GMT
I have realised I needed to make more sense of not having a Potion of Giant Strength if you somehow throw 15-18 on 3d6 followed by throwing 11 or 12 on 2d6. What are the odds of doing that? Pretty low- about 1.5%
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roidhun
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Ironic, self-deprecating nerd and geek extraordinnaire.
Posts: 78
Favourite Gamebook Series: The Legends of Skyfall (Yes, really!)
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Post by roidhun on Aug 18, 2023 14:12:11 GMT
Believing everything is fake until you experience it. Reminds me of an obviously U.S. Democrat-generated political jibe I saw on Facebook a couple of years ago: REPUBLICANS DON'T GIVE A S**T WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU UNTIL THE SAME S**T STARTS HAPPENING TO THEM.Now why do I have this odd urge to mentally replace the word Republicans with the word Conservatives... ? And the further urge to replace the word Conservatives with the words Arse-Lickers To Saudi Crown Princes Who Order Journalists Murdered, Butchered And Their Body Parts Smuggled Out In Diplomatic Bags... ?
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Post by johnbrawn1972 on Aug 25, 2023 17:20:12 GMT
This is asking a lot but is there anyone who can see if my Howl of the Werewolf solution reaches 20% chance of success and also if Stormslayer reaches 75% chance of success. I would do it myself but my mathematics is not really up to completing something so technical. I know this is a bit of an ask. These have been my hobby horses of recent times.
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Post by someone on Sept 16, 2023 10:44:37 GMT
This is asking a lot but is there anyone who can see if my Howl of the Werewolf solution reaches 20% chance of success and also if Stormslayer reaches 75% chance of success. I would do it myself but my mathematics is not really up to completing something so technical. I know this is a bit of an ask. These have been my hobby horses of recent times. This would definitely be too time consuming for me to do that, I'm sorry. Anyway, the answer would depend on your policy of using luck in each fight, which is not mentioned in your solution.
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