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Post by tyrion on Aug 13, 2020 11:58:55 GMT
Last round port of peril and assassins of allansia were eliminated, leaving us with only Jon Green books in this round.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,547
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Aug 13, 2020 13:15:07 GMT
Bloodbones is way too hard but I still enjoy it a lot. The Port of Crabs is a mini Moonrunner and the tropical island is more engaging than Island of the Lizard King. I love meeting all the various members of the crew after hearing rumours about them.
Howl is very atmospheric, has a great gimmick and has tons of paths to explore. It's a pity Change barely impacts proceedings and some of the paths are too short compared to others. Also the opening gets a bit boring to replay before the book branches out.
Stormslayer is a lot of fun and I like the day of the week impacting battles and events. It's very replayable as the order you do things in actually has quite an impact. Pity the illustrations and Mount Pyre are very poor.
Night of the Necromancer has a lot of cool ideas but it just goes on and on. Not sure hub-and-spokes was the way to go for this one.
Night definitely gets my first vote. It's a lot closer for the second, but I think the other two just about have the edge on Stormslayer.
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Post by linflas on Aug 13, 2020 13:31:11 GMT
I can't vote this time, only played 2.
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,744
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Aug 13, 2020 13:57:44 GMT
Not gonna vote. They are all great in different ways.
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Post by vastariner on Aug 13, 2020 13:58:42 GMT
I can't vote Stormslayer, I'm in it...
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vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 810
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Aug 13, 2020 14:26:56 GMT
The best one is Howl of the Werewolf, but for some strange reason, the only one i can not vote is Night of the Necromancer.
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Post by Wilf on Aug 13, 2020 15:01:34 GMT
I've picked two, but very reluctantly. Jonathan Green's name at the start of a gamebook is a near-certain indicator of very high quality.
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,744
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Aug 13, 2020 15:08:32 GMT
I can't vote Stormslayer, I'm in it... Me too. My Kill the Beast adventure even gets a mention. Jon Green did great including many references to fan names and adventures as well as other easter eggs. The story while simple in premise, is really fun to play and is one of the most versatile books in the series. The only real flaw to it is that it should've given the artist more time to do the artwork which is fantastic in places but unfinished in others.
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Post by Wilf on Aug 13, 2020 16:48:18 GMT
Am I the only person on this forum who *isn't* in Stormslayer?
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Post by tyrion on Aug 13, 2020 17:19:16 GMT
Am I the only person on this forum who *isn't* in Stormslayer? It's ok wilf, I'm not either. I voted for bloodbones because it still has some of the difficulty issues of earlier Jon Green books. Good story, well thought out locations but just a bit too hard. I also voted for stormslayer. Again, nicely varied encounters and your character having a background is a nice touch (how many times have we been told that we are a bold adventurer only for it to have no impact on the game?). However, howl is close to perfection (that coach ride!) and night is just really well plotted and atmospheric. The prose is superb as well.
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Post by a moderator on Aug 13, 2020 17:33:09 GMT
Stands up.
"I'm greenspine, and I'm not in Stormslayer."
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Post by stevendoig on Aug 13, 2020 18:38:58 GMT
Bloodbones is good fun - but too hard when playing by the rules - oot ye go.
Necromancer just goes on and on and gets tiresome - cheerio!
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vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 810
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Aug 13, 2020 18:39:11 GMT
There is a character in Night of the Necromancer who i have been with, even before that book was made.
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,744
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Aug 13, 2020 18:40:48 GMT
Am I the only person on this forum who *isn't* in Stormslayer? It's ok wilf, I'm not either. I voted for bloodbones because it still has some of the difficulty issues of earlier Jon Green books. Good story, well thought out locations but just a bit too hard. I also voted for stormslayer. Again, nicely varied encounters and your character having a background is a nice touch (how many times have we been told that we are a bold adventurer only for it to have no impact on the game?). However, howl is close to perfection (that coach ride!) and night is just really well plotted and atmospheric. The prose is superb as well. Numerous times in the adventure you have people reacting to you in some way so you are obviously a known hero for better or worse. You are also told in the instructions that when you Move on X Days, you regain X amount of Stamina as a result of experienced foraging or people giving you free food and shelter for your fame. Normally, you would have to spend gold and eat your own provisions as the days pass.
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Post by tyrion on Aug 13, 2020 18:55:42 GMT
That's what I meant sylas, in stormslayer people react to you like you are well known. The point I was making is that in most other gamebooks, nobody seems to know who you are.
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Post by Wilf on Aug 13, 2020 20:38:58 GMT
Sorry to see Bloodbones losing this, because it's my favourite of these four.
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,744
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Aug 13, 2020 21:36:57 GMT
That's what I meant sylas, in stormslayer people react to you like you are well known. The point I was making is that in most other gamebooks, nobody seems to know who you are. I think Stormslayer is the only book to actively say that you are a famed adventurer who's been places, met people, done heroic deeds for recognition so it makes sense that people know you in this and not in other books where you are the majority of the times trying to be more discreet. In Stormslayer, your character enjoys the fame and acclaim it brings. Other books tend to only have you recognized for very niche/specific encounters.
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Post by daredevil123 on Aug 13, 2020 21:48:41 GMT
In Armies of Death you're famous for winning Trial of Champions although that doesn't affect the adventure much.
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Post by The Count on Aug 14, 2020 5:49:45 GMT
Howl is the blatant stand out from this quartet.
I find Night of the Necromancer to be horribly overrated, and rather tedious - you lose, so start again... oh wait... you can still play... clearly over compensating for the broken player hating Spellbreaker etc... The only saving grace is the wonderful art by Martin McKenna, so this gets my first vote.
I'm sure Bloodbones will however be voted out instead - quite funny given how anticipated it was for about 20 years - and I can see why as it's yet another borderline broken Green effort. However, it is a good read for the most part and has a brilliant cover. Not one I'd rush back to though.
I'm not in Stormslayer, and glad not to be as it's not one I'd rush to read. Great concept, yet seems to be lacking in something... perhaps it is too easy as an apology for Curse of the Mummy hating the reader? I'll give this my second vote as the cover isn't as good as Bloodbones.
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Aug 14, 2020 6:50:18 GMT
I can't vote Stormslayer, I'm in it... Me too. My Kill the Beast adventure even gets a mention. Jon Green did great including many references to fan names and adventures as well as other easter eggs. The story while simple in premise, is really fun to play and is one of the most versatile books in the series. The only real flaw to it is that it should've given the artist more time to do the artwork which is fantastic in places but unfinished in others. Is there a section in an issue of Fighting Fantazine pointing these examples out? Or could you spell them out for us (i.e. me) here?
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vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 810
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Aug 14, 2020 10:36:12 GMT
I feel that Howl of the Werewolf and Night of the Necromancer are two both perfect books.
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,744
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Aug 14, 2020 13:46:32 GMT
Me too. My Kill the Beast adventure even gets a mention. Jon Green did great including many references to fan names and adventures as well as other easter eggs. The story while simple in premise, is really fun to play and is one of the most versatile books in the series. The only real flaw to it is that it should've given the artist more time to do the artwork which is fantastic in places but unfinished in others. Is there a section in an issue of Fighting Fantazine pointing these examples out? Or could you spell them out for us (i.e. me) here? I think it was discussed a while ago where people posted what they believed to be references and Easter eggs. Can't remember where but pretty sure it was on this forum.
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Post by vastariner on Aug 15, 2020 22:53:08 GMT
That's what I meant sylas, in stormslayer people react to you like you are well known. The point I was making is that in most other gamebooks, nobody seems to know who you are. I think Stormslayer is the only book to actively say that you are a famed adventurer who's been places, met people, done heroic deeds for recognition so it makes sense that people know you in this and not in other books where you are the majority of the times trying to be more discreet. In Stormslayer, your character enjoys the fame and acclaim it brings. Other books tend to only have you recognized for very niche/specific encounters. City of Thieves. The locals of Silverton seem to be in awe.
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Post by Wilf on Aug 15, 2020 23:06:38 GMT
The locals of Blacksand aren't!
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