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Post by tyrion on Oct 11, 2019 21:28:46 GMT
If you were to present an ff book as the most representative of the series as a whole, which would it be?
This is what I'm thinking:
Creature of havoc: probably the best designed gamebook, but not typical of most ff's Deathtrap dungeon: a superb dungeon City of thieves: superb illustrations, also a cracking story Caverns of the snow witch/crypt of the sorcerer/return to firetop mountain: I'm lumping all these together as they are all ridiculously hard but do show more of allansia Warlock of firetop mountain: where lots of us began, does it stand the test of time?
Maybe a random one? Maybe just one where you have leather armour, a lantern, a sword and a backpack (haversack, rucksack) with some cheese and ham sandwiches and cake?
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Post by stevendoig on Oct 11, 2019 21:37:08 GMT
I would add, Island of the Lizard KIng, Temple Of Terror, Trial of Champions, Masks of Mayhem, then most of the others had some unique gimmick or suchlike until Deathmoor stuck out like a sair thumb at the end of the range.
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Post by deadshadowrunner on Oct 12, 2019 6:32:52 GMT
FF to me is not just the usual fantasy gamebook series but a large mix of genres and styles that other gamebook series don't come close to (ok, it's pretty much just fantasy and sci-fi, but still, many distinct and different styles from various authors). As such I don't think there can truly be a definitive or typical FF book, the books listed so far are mainly representative of Livingstone's style of worldbuilding. And while Livingstone can certainly be considered as the author that most represents FF, if I had to choose one book, I would go with Spectral Stalkers as it demonstrates the variety that FF possesses.
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Post by Wilf on Oct 12, 2019 8:43:31 GMT
The most typical book? It would have to be one where YOU enter an underground complex full of monsters in order to reach and defeat an evil wizard. The Warlock Of Firetop Mountain is excluded because it invented the form. Nearly three dozen books in, though, Stealer Of Souls has no excuse for being so clichéd.
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Post by stevendoig on Oct 12, 2019 11:39:36 GMT
i forgot Stealer of Souls! it could very well fit the definition
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,437
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Oct 12, 2019 12:18:02 GMT
I think Stealer did a few things that were atypical of the series at the time it came out. The hub and spokes design for instance, learning spells and the somewhat out there Empire of Illusions segment.
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Post by daredevil123 on Oct 12, 2019 17:36:14 GMT
Isn't Deathtrap Dungeon the quintessential FF book?
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,437
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Oct 12, 2019 20:25:49 GMT
Oddly less than a third of the books have a dungeon that takes up a significant chunk of the book. So maybe a wilderness adventure might be more typical.
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Post by vastariner on Oct 13, 2019 15:38:26 GMT
Isn't Deathtrap Dungeon the quintessential FF book? No - for one very good reason.
Nearly every other FF book has some sort of ulterior mission for the Greater Good. Save a nation, rescue someone or something, stop ultimate evil.
Deathtrap Dungeon is for you and you alone.
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Post by daredevil123 on Oct 13, 2019 16:22:40 GMT
Isn't Deathtrap Dungeon the quintessential FF book? No - for one very good reason.
Nearly every other FF book has some sort of ulterior mission for the Greater Good. Save a nation, rescue someone or something, stop ultimate evil.
Deathtrap Dungeon is for you and you alone.
Good point. I still think the most typical FF book is probably an early Livingstone one though.
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Post by Paul Mc on Oct 14, 2019 5:51:24 GMT
Most typical has to be Citadel of Chaos (apart from the magic spells and different ways to defeat the baddie.)
Fight creatures/beings, explore rooms, collect items that are generally bric-a-brac, know atleast one number and turn to that page. Fight final boss who has skill 12.
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Post by daredevil123 on Oct 14, 2019 17:11:55 GMT
Few FF books are as completable with minimum or low stats though. And, as you say, the magic is unusual.
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Oct 14, 2019 17:34:24 GMT
Temple of Terror feels pretty 'typical' to me. Allansia-based. Some high SKILL and STAMINA opponents. Special skills [magic]. Overland travel and also dungeons. Collect objects and defeat the known baddie who is an evil wizard.
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vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 809
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Oct 16, 2019 9:56:49 GMT
" Your trial is a joke. Everybody knows that something very suspicious is going on..."
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