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Post by vastariner on Nov 26, 2020 0:00:01 GMT
I've got a soft spot for Kharé. It seems a far more real city than Blacksand; I'd wonder why anyone would live there, whereas Kharé seems to be just about live-able, so long as you don't want to go through the forbidden gate (and frankly there's no need to do so given what lies that way). If you keep yourself to yourself, you're not likely to offend Redeyes or deal with Living Corpses or fall into the traps.
And winning a Fighting Fantasy book IS like making love to a beautiful woman. You've got to be ready for a few rolls, take a peek every now and then, keep your fingers inserted, and work out how to bring it to a successful climax. Oh, and don't break the spine.
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Post by Wilf on Nov 26, 2020 8:18:41 GMT
The sudden implications of catching a deadly disease from entering the Caverns Of The Snow Witch do not bear thinking about.
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vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 809
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
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Post by vagsancho on Nov 26, 2020 11:36:23 GMT
And winning a Fighting Fantasy book IS like making love to a beautiful woman. You've got to be ready for a few rolls, take a peek every now and then, keep your fingers inserted, and work out how to bring it to a successful climax. Oh, and don't break the spine. Yet... I would truck all the pleasure of this world for just one single thing.
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Post by petch on Nov 26, 2020 12:14:01 GMT
Oh, and don't break the spine. I just read this while in the middle of a particularly dull Zoom meeting at work without putting myself on mute. Big mistake.
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Post by bloodbeasthandler on Dec 6, 2020 15:44:53 GMT
-- I haven't read enough of the books, and I haven't read any very recently, and as I've mentioned, Magehunter is the only book of mine that I actually enjoyed playing. --- I'm quite chuffed at Slaves getting the top spot, even though Jonathan Green has thrashed me in the Marmite stakes. In retrospect, Slaves played to our strengths. I provided the background and the insistence on there being a world and stuff happening outside the story, while Steve provided his signature quirks on the event level. My memory's shot, but I'm going to say I think it was Steve who came up with the death paragraph of your sword being pulled from the rubble of Kallamehr. If the book was a bit linear it was because we had never written one before, were figuring it out as we went along, and were doing so in the heyday of the railroaded RPG scenario. I was pleased to see Slaves of the Abyss did so well. It's one of the ones I'm most likely to reach for on the bookcase for a bit of FF nostalgia and escapism from time to time, as well as to enjoy the story and the game. I got my wife playing it a few years ago and she enjoyed it too. In the quote above you mention not having played many books recently at all. And in your interview for Fighting Fantazine 11 you said that you hadn't read SotA since it was written 25 years ago. Is this still the case? Are you not tempted to have a sit down and a read through of your [now voted number 1] book? It is not often a fan of a book or genre has access to the author in quite so straightforward a way as we do on here, so forgive me but i thought I'd ask if you ARE going to revisit your books, might I [or we if others agree...] ask a favour of you? That would be to have a pen and paper nearby and jot down some notes and thoughts as you go through on what you are reading ... rather like a director's commentary on a film in the extras section of a DVD... for example 'this bit was inspired by a Dave Morris roleplaying session where we...' or ... 'I based this character on a roommate of mine back when I was living in...'. That sort of thing? Background info and observations. I appreciate the time that has gone by will have had an effect on the old memory, but i do think that a reread is quite likely to jog loose some memories you thought you might not still have, and add to what you've already said in F-Fantazine 10 and 11. Of course, only if you have the time and the inclination!
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Post by sleepyscholar on Dec 7, 2020 0:47:04 GMT
It is not often a fan of a book or genre has access to the author in quite so straightforward a way as we do on here, so forgive me but i thought I'd ask if you ARE going to revisit your books, might I [or we if others agree...] ask a favour of you? That would be to have a pen and paper nearby and jot down some notes and thoughts as you go through on what you are reading ... rather like a director's commentary on a film in the extras section of a DVD... for example 'this bit was inspired by a Dave Morris roleplaying session where we...' or ... 'I based this character on a roommate of mine back when I was living in...'. That sort of thing? Background info and observations. I appreciate the time that has gone by will have had an effect on the old memory, but i do think that a reread is quite likely to jog loose some memories you thought you might not still have, and add to what you've already said in F-Fantazine 10 and 11. Of course, only if you have the time and the inclination! This is a funny idea. If I wasn't currently up to my armpits with my students' theses (submission deadline: December 15. A couple of the buggers haven't even shown me what they've written yet) I'd start straight away. Little known fact: I'm a massive fan of Rob Brydon's Director's Commentary ("Naughty old Peter!"), so would be drawing on that for inspiration.
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Post by sleepyscholar on Dec 7, 2020 0:48:13 GMT
And come to think of it, it would be even better if I could get Steve W to do the same (him being the higher-rated writer, after all!). Don't hold your breath, though...
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Post by The Count on Dec 8, 2020 2:12:12 GMT
Given the dungeon is under constant change Is it? I thought it only got redesigned between DD and ToC due to someone winning the former. I could be wrong.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,470
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Dec 8, 2020 9:49:12 GMT
Given the dungeon is under constant change Is it? I thought it only got redesigned between DD and ToC due to someone winning the former. I could be wrong. Yes, I'm pretty sure you're right. The previous contestant with the missing hand seemed to have learned something of how to beat the thing suggesting it hasn't changed much since his attempt. And the second Trialmaster appears to have been a prisoner for some time and wanted to escape. I assume the traps are reset, some new monsters are put in and the dead bodies are cleared away, but otherwise it remains the same every year until it's beaten. Doesn't necessarily mean there wouldn't be scrying pools. They play the same games over and over in the Crystal Maze yet contestants always seem a bit clueless as to how to beat them.
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Post by vastariner on Dec 8, 2020 10:52:44 GMT
That's because they don't see the other episodes before taking part...
The only time I ever saw a team win TCM was a team that had someone sorting the tokens out before popping them in the box. Most teams seemed to be shoving everything in and hoping there were more gold than silver. When there seemed to be roughly equal amounts of each that was never going to work.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,470
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Dec 8, 2020 11:05:12 GMT
That's because they don't see the other episodes before taking part... Some games are repeated in more than one series though. Though admittedly sometimes with a bit of variation.
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Post by a moderator on Dec 8, 2020 12:04:09 GMT
Years ago I saw or read an interview that contained an anecdote regarding the recording of an episode of the second series of The Crystal Maze. Apparently one of the contestants was very confident and cocky, because he'd repeatedly watched the first series on video, and had memorised the solutions to all the puzzles.
He did not cope particularly well with the discovery that almost all of the puzzles had been changed for the new series.
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Post by petch on Dec 8, 2020 16:13:57 GMT
I'd like to think that something similar happened to that elven prince contestant in Trial of Champions. Maybe they heard about the solution to the dungeon from the winner of Deathtrap Dungeon, thought they knew how to win the thing then blundered straight into a squeezy tongue trap (while Sukumvit watches on through a scrying pool, drily passing on the news to the crowd of his demise with cutting Richard Ayoade-type wit).
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Post by The Count on Dec 18, 2020 3:30:39 GMT
cutting Richard Ayoade-type wit I disagree about this point. He was only funny when he commented about some screaming attention seeking hippo from Essex. He is nowhere near Ed or Richard for sarky comments about useless contestants. Or humour in general. I think next week I will start a thread where I explain my rankings. Mostly because I noticed one book that I gave a 7 when it should only have got a 5...
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Post by petch on Dec 18, 2020 10:53:49 GMT
I think I picked Ayoade there as I imagined him to have the closest match to how I perceive Sukumvit, due to his standoffishness (Ed would be too friendly, O'Brien too surreal). I do like Ayoade though, and he does make me laugh quite regularly, but then I laughed at the bum-faced demon in Gates of Death so I don't think my humour barometer really deserves to be taken seriously by anyone else. He is overly helpful though with already dumbed-down games. Oh, and I remember exactly which episode you're referring to with the Essex-based ungulate. She grated on me so much I had to fast forward it past any of the games that she whined and bellowed her way through. Good grief. Like your idea for a thread, look forward to that one
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,470
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Dec 18, 2020 11:09:49 GMT
I disagree about this point. He was only funny when he commented about some screaming attention seeking hippo from Essex. He is nowhere near Ed or Richard for sarky comments about useless contestants. Or humour in general. I don't mind Ayaode, but yes I definitely prefer Ed and Richard too. However Ayaode is much better than Stephen "The Crystal Maze is shit, isn't it? Haha!" Merchant. My biggest problem with the newer series is the lack of games (2-3 per zone as opposed to 3-4) and the players no longer get to select the category of game. Also, why bring back the dull Industrial Zone over the more interesting Ocean Zone?
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Post by petch on Dec 18, 2020 14:11:35 GMT
I think I picked Ayoade there as I imagined him to have the closest match to how I perceive Sukumvit Having thought about this further, I actually now think it's more appropriate to say that Sukumvit would combine elements of the personalities of all 3 TCM hosts: Ayoade's aloofness, O'Brien's unpredictability and Tudor-Pole's dress sense. I'm not really sure how Merchant fits in to this comparison, but he only ever hosted 1 episode so he shouldn't count anyway. (Looking at the time of my previous post, it took me 3 hours to think of this entirely worthless nugget. 3 hours. I really must do some work.) Of course, the other game show host that Sukumvit compares with is Killian from The Running Man, since as far as I am aware none of the Crystal Maze hosts have been complicit in the deaths of any of the participants during filming. I think it's quite a widely known fact that Richard Dawson was chosen to play Killian as he was known at the time as the host of Family Feud, the US version of Family Fortunes. If that film had been a British production, we could have seen Arnie facing off against Les Dennis doing a Mavis Wilton impression.
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Post by a moderator on Dec 18, 2020 15:30:46 GMT
Also, why bring back the dull Industrial Zone over the more interesting Ocean Zone? I think I read something somewhere about issues with insurance owing to the amount of non-still water involved.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,470
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Dec 18, 2020 15:51:46 GMT
Also, why bring back the dull Industrial Zone over the more interesting Ocean Zone? I think I read something somewhere about issues with insurance owing to the amount of non-still water involved. Ok, that's a good reason I guess!
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Post by johnbrawn1972 on Dec 18, 2020 16:30:40 GMT
The rankings here are so considered can we pin the main results along with the Top of the Pops climbers and fallers.
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Post by petch on Dec 18, 2020 21:33:07 GMT
So who's going to set up some sort of tie-breaker for the jointly-ranked titles, then? I second the motion to pin the results for prosperity, however before they are did we want to follow Wilf's suggestion to have a tie-breaker? If so, I'm happy to set this up unless a more established forum member would prefer to take the reins from a relative newcomer such as myself?
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Post by johnbrawn1972 on Dec 18, 2020 21:52:29 GMT
So who's going to set up some sort of tie-breaker for the jointly-ranked titles, then? I second the motion to pin the results for prosperity, however before they are did we want to follow Wilf's suggestion to have a tie-breaker? If so, I'm happy to set this up unless a more established forum member would prefer to take the reins from a relative newcomer such as myself? As much as I like a windfall do you mean posterity?
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,470
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Dec 18, 2020 22:36:43 GMT
So who's going to set up some sort of tie-breaker for the jointly-ranked titles, then? I second the motion to pin the results for prosperity, however before they are did we want to follow Wilf's suggestion to have a tie-breaker? If so, I'm happy to set this up unless a more established forum member would prefer to take the reins from a relative newcomer such as myself? I say go for it. Let's hope there's no ties!
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Post by petch on Dec 18, 2020 23:31:54 GMT
I second the motion to pin the results for prosperity, however before they are did we want to follow Wilf's suggestion to have a tie-breaker? If so, I'm happy to set this up unless a more established forum member would prefer to take the reins from a relative newcomer such as myself? As much as I like a windfall do you mean posterity? Oops. Yes. Yes, I did.
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Post by petch on Dec 20, 2020 10:52:09 GMT
I'm going to take the lack of objections since Kieran's post as a good sign and press ahead with setting up some tie-breakers then!
So...there are 3 ties in the countdown as below:
Group One Currently tied in 57th: SPACE ASSASSIN by ANDREW CHAPMAN FREEWAY FIGHTER by IAN LIVINGSTONE DEATHMOOR by ROBIN WATERFIELD
Group Two Currently tied in 35th: SCORPION SWAMP by STEVE JACKSON (US) TEMPLE OF TERROR by IAN LIVINGSTONE
Group Three Currently tied in 2nd: LEGEND OF THE SHADOW WARRIORS by STEPHEN HAND MOONRUNNER by STEPHEN HAND
I'll use the same PM based system that Wilf did for the main comp. To take part, PM me with your favourite book from each group, so you'll be sending me a PM with 3 books total. The book with the highest number of votes will be placed in the highest position on the overall table, simple as that (and in the case of the 3 way tie, the books with the most, 2nd most and least votes will be placed in 57th, 58th & 59th places respectively).
In an effort to prevent further ties, I won't be submitting a vote unless at the time voting closes an equal number of votes have been received in any particular group, in which case I will cast my own vote for my favourite (and as I have my own personal clear favourite in each tie, I am secretly hoping that will happen in at least one group!). This could possibly fall down in the case of the 3 way tie in the event that an equal number of votes is received by all 3 books there, but in the unlikely event that happens I'll cross that bridge and think of an alternative way to separate them when I come to it.
I'll close the vote at midnight next Saturday 26th and will announce the winners on the Sunday.
Hopefully this will nicely round off this whole wonderful exercise before the end of the year!
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Post by vastariner on Dec 20, 2020 13:46:33 GMT
I do intend at some point to do a defence of Space Assassin, as I think it is the most underrated gamebook in the FF series, with a number of fascinating little details.
It gets a lot of abuse for its final paragraph; Andrew Chapman said he only had one precedent when writing - WoFTM - so copied it. But actually shouldn't it be a short and concise finish? Your job is basically spacecop and you do it. It suits your clinical devotion to the job to grab Cyrus and extradite yourself with him and hand him over, and that's all folks.
(Of course the sequel would be about how a dodgy defence lawyer got him off on a technicality...)
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,470
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Dec 20, 2020 14:22:40 GMT
Yeah I think Space Assassin is decent. Not a huge fan of the planet on a ship or the floor tile puzzle but everything else is pretty fun. Quite a few paths to explore, the combat mechanics are great, there's loads of colourful aliens and the pilot is an interesting encounter. I probably wouldn't have ranked it much higher, but it would have been a bit further up. That said, I'm not voting for it here but I hope it comes 2nd of the three.
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Post by tyrion on Dec 20, 2020 17:26:16 GMT
I've got a clear favourite in groups 1 and 2, so I'm off to read Stephen Hand books to make a decision on those two. What a chore...
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Post by petch on Dec 23, 2020 15:28:16 GMT
We're at the halfway stage between when voting opened and when it will shut, and conveniently for me I don't need to try to artificially create tension as votes are genuinely incredibly close.
Specifically: one group is separated by only 2 votes, another group by a solitary vote and the other group is currently a dead heat.
That means if you have not yet cast your votes, you have a real chance to impact the results and secure a win for your favourites. And just as importantly, you could minimise the chance of things ending in a tie and allowing me the chance to cast the deciding vote (remember: I have previously admitted to liking both Blood of the Zombies and The Gates of Death, the 2 books propping up the foot of the table - so it is in your power to stop me!).
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Post by The Count on Dec 24, 2020 18:32:18 GMT
I do intend at some point to do a defence of Space Assassin, as I think it is the most underrated gamebook in the FF series, with a number of fascinating little details. It gets a lot of abuse for its final paragraph; Andrew Chapman said he only had one precedent when writing - WoFTM - so copied it. But actually shouldn't it be a short and concise finish? Your job is basically spacecop and you do it. It suits your clinical devotion to the job to grab Cyrus and extradite yourself with him and hand him over, and that's all folks. (Of course the sequel would be about how a dodgy defence lawyer got him off on a technicality...) You can be attacked by angry cleaners. I imagine you have just trod squirrel like alien poo onto the freshly polished floor that took them hours
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