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Post by tyrion on Jun 15, 2020 10:54:57 GMT
I've realised that if I just do one lot of ten at a time, by the time we've whittled it down it will take about a year to complete this. So I'm going to run two concurrently. Possibly even do all of them concurrently, what do people think? But then I'd have seven threads on the forum at once. Quite happy either way, let me know what you think.
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Post by Law on Jun 15, 2020 11:19:42 GMT
I've realised that if I just do one lot of ten at a time, by the time we've whittled it down it will take about a year to complete this. So I'm going to run two concurrently. Possibly even do all of them concurrently, what do people think? But then I'd have seven threads on the forum at once. Quite happy either way, let me know what you think. Speediness is preferable but will they still last a week? So I have time to blast through three of the books I've missed? |
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Post by Law on Jun 15, 2020 11:36:07 GMT
I've realised that if I just do one lot of ten at a time, by the time we've whittled it down it will take about a year to complete this. So I'm going to run two concurrently. Possibly even do all of them concurrently, what do people think? But then I'd have seven threads on the forum at once. Quite happy either way, let me know what you think. Speediness is preferable but will they still last a week? So I have time to blast through three of the books I've missed? (Looks at bottom of poll)
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Post by stevendoig on Jun 15, 2020 13:47:46 GMT
i think a new poll every two or three days?
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Post by vastariner on Jun 15, 2020 21:01:15 GMT
I think this decad is stronger than the first.
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Post by daredevil123 on Jun 15, 2020 21:23:00 GMT
It may be going against the spirit of the poll to ask this but who on earth thinks Sword of the Samurai is the worst book on this list?
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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 Jun 15, 2020 21:30:13 GMT
It may be going against the spirit of the poll to ask this but who on earth thinks Sword of the Samurai is the worst book on this list? Possibly someone who has only read Sword of the Samurai and Talisman of Death. |
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Post by Wilf on Jun 15, 2020 23:29:27 GMT
The Sword Of The Samurai vote is mine. I don't think there are any weak titles at all in this poll, and I had a lot of trouble choosing what to vote for. Ultimately, Sword is the one I revisit the least because it's a pretty linear structure (despite having two paths to the Tourney), and there's very little that gives it any replay value. And you'd have to be a massive idiot *not* to know the secret of the sword by the time you face Ikiru. I will readily admit that the worldbuilding, prose and artwork are all great, and that if this book were in a round with pretty much anything in the thirties, I wouldn't nominate it.
But then again, I'm the guy who likes Space Assassin, so what do I know?
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Post by vastariner on Jun 16, 2020 8:37:28 GMT
Space Assassin is great fun. I enjoy the writing in it and the surreality of the world exploration bit. The animal encyclopaedia thing is amusing as well. Worth using it just to see its reaction.
Rebel Planet as well has terrific writing that hits home a few times. Even the title is double-edged - the rebel planet being Earth...
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Jun 16, 2020 13:37:06 GMT
Even the title is double-edged - the rebel planet being Earth... Exactly right. When it first came out and I saw the title and cover I assumed the rebellious planet was going to be an alien one. |
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Post by a moderator on Jun 16, 2020 14:20:12 GMT
Ultimately, Sword is the one I revisit the least because it's a pretty linear structure (despite having two paths to the Tourney), and there's very little that gives it any replay value. I find Freeway Fighter more linear than Sword, and think that what replayability it has is derived from the increased likelihood of failure. Still, polls like this would be very dull if everyone had the same opinion about everything. |
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Post by schlendrian on Jun 16, 2020 14:38:09 GMT
I'll sit this bracket out for some time, as I only have five of those books
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Post by Peter on Jun 17, 2020 8:37:17 GMT
This is a tough one. Several of these books have a single flaw that detracts from the experience, but are otherwise excellent concepts. There is a lot of good experimentation and creativity in this range.
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Post by Law on Jun 18, 2020 20:26:05 GMT
Freeway Fighter, no doubt.
At least Space Assassin's premise tempted me to read on.
Instalment 13 is as unlucky as they come, the definition of lazy pandering to the point of atrocity.
The equivalent of two five-year-olds smashing cars together. "I hAvE a CoMpUtEr CoNtRoLeD mAcHiNe GuN!"
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Post by peasantscribbler on Jun 21, 2020 20:10:28 GMT
Not much time left for campaigning, but here is how Space Assassin won my vote.
Space Assassin: ‘The moon is red, the sky is pink,’ says the first. ‘Which is faster, light or time?’ asks the second.
Me: Ok, the moon can be used to measure time, and light is transmitted though the sky. So, the moon is to time as the sky is to light… That doesn’t really help much… Which is faster, the moon or the sky? … The sky doesn’t really move, so I guess the moon wins by default… So that would make time faster than light... What about the colours? … Red is more intense than pink, and if colour intensity is analogous to speed, then maybe the moon is faster… that would mean that time really is faster than light… But what if the moon and the sky are just misdirection? … hmmm, is the speed of time measurable? … I guess the speed of time would be one second per second… no, I don’t think so, that seems like nonsense… so that makes light faster than time by default, since the speed of time can’t be measured… or maybe that means time is infinitely faster than light?… Can’t I just back off ten feet and throw a gravity bomb at these guys?
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,453
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Jun 21, 2020 20:36:27 GMT
It looks like I'm alone in voting for Seas of Blood. No real atmosphere (all of Chapman's books have terse writing but his 2 sci-fi books kinda get away with it where this and Clash of the Princes don't) and too unforgiving and unrewarding for what should have been a loot-athon. The cyclops fight is kinda cool but also totally arbitrary - why does a random cyclops fight have a comparable number of sections devoted to it with the Balthus Dire fight?
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Post by dragonwarrior8 on Jun 21, 2020 20:53:39 GMT
It looks like I'm alone in voting for Seas of Blood. No real atmosphere (all of Chapman books have terse writing but his 2 sci-fi books kinda get away with it where this and Clash of the Princes don't) and too unforgiving and unrewarding for what should have been a loot-athon. The cyclops fight is kinda cool but also totally arbitrary - why does a random cyclops fight have a comparable number of sections devoted to it with the Balthus Dire fight? I think the book is slightly better than Space Assassin but I totally agree with you on the cyclops fight Kieran. Ive never really understood the love it seems to get in other reviews. It seems very random and the sections loop back on themselves giving you a huge advantage. I will give credit to Chapman for putting his big set piece on the required victory path for once though. You can beat Space Assassin and Rings of Kether without even encountering the tank battle game or car chase respectively which seems like poor design. |
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