Hi All,

Bit of advice needed here. I'm on the net via a wireless hub. I think BT Broadband is upgrading to a new system, although I'm not certain about this. I tried accessing videos on Youtube and suddenly it seems I can't watch them or download anything higher than 16kb/s. Do you think any BT maintenance would disrupt/slow down the service in some way?

Back to some more Earl Grey...

bcyy
Thu Apr 9 06:18:58 2015

@Robert

I'm afraid I'm a bit of a homo nonelectronicus too, but I'm pretty certain that you need to provide more information before anyone can diagnose your problem. For instance, whether you are sharing a certain bandwidth among your neighbourhood. If you are, then it's entirely possible that a neighbour might be ftping a large file at 20Mbps or something.

Still, I admire your tenacity in seeking help over the internet with a 16kb/s connection. How long did it take to load this page?

Robert Douglas
Mon Apr 13 15:16:18 2015

@ bcyy,

It's okay, crisis resolved: the connection cables in the junction box on the roof had been damaged by the high winds and rain prevalent in UK last week. As a precaution BT slowed down the connection speed as, at first, they weren't certain if it was too fast. The repairman arrived this morning - the old box of wires simply fell apart in his hand! The connection itself has since remained constant and improved while it should be restored to normal speed within a few days. Didn't take long to load the page at all (a bit sluggish, though) although God knows how it managed to connect at all with all that damage.

This might be useful info for people experiencing similar problems after that hellish weather.

A.E.Johnston
Fri Apr 24 23:26:51 2015

Hi Robert, sorry for the late reply, I hadn't checked out the site for a while. I ended up watching a few seasons back to back of Knightmare, definitely a lot of fun and very nostalgic- thanks for bringing it up, it helped rekindle and old memory that was a lot of fun to revisit now we are in the Internet age.

Also began to check out some of the other old TV shows from my youth, such as Father Ted and Blackadder. It's great when you watch the same shows as you did when you were a child, and are still able to enjoy the humor.

Robert Douglas
Sun Apr 26 16:04:49 2015

@ A.E.Johnston,

That's one benefit of the digital age: accessibility. I've got Youview on the TV so I can record progs so much more easily than VHS ever did - in advance too, also with options to record the entire series (if relevant). Beats having a mere four or five channels back in the day. If I miss something, likely I can catch up with it on iPlayer (BBC, ITV, Channel4, etc). Fascinating when you realize that cinema made its debut turn of the last century; wonder what folk from back then would reckon to all this technology?!

Apart from Knightmare, I enjoy(ed) a variety of shows. Grange Hill is one piece of nostalgia I've been catching up on Youtube. Amongst others, Mr Bronson was a brilliant character! Although, some story lines were better than others: one favourite episode of mine was the school intruder/ghost (SPOILER! shortly after Danny Kendall died), so the janitor Mr Griffiths joined with some pupils (who were caught by him whilst they were on a dare) to hunt down the interloper. As such, it was a good mix of comedy and suspense!

Even younger, I remember 'The Flashing Blade' on Saturday (or Sunday?) mornings. It was a French historical action drama dubbed in English, set during a Franco-Spanish war. One of those things that stuck in my mind. Nice to watch the titles, though!

A.E.Johnston
Sun Apr 26 19:50:06 2015

Hi Robert, absolutely it's great to revisit the old shows, and catch those jokes you may have missed when you saw them in your younger days.

On a side note, I can't wait for the Windhammer tournament, I had been working on my entry, but had put in on the backburner for a while. Hoping to get back into it soon, play test it, make sure it makes sense and holds water and all that good stuff.

You don't happen to have any tips or general advice do you? Just curious since you definitely seem to have a lot of experience writing and playing gamebooks!

Robert Douglas
Wed Apr 29 02:27:37 2015

@ A.E.Johnston,

Sorry to hear you won't be entering the Windhammer tourney field, so to speak! There's a sense of excitement when entering these competitions. I had to do the same last year as I had a lot on my plate. Hope things go well with your entry's future progress.

As for general advice, I would say that you can't go far wrong with two qualities: imagination and enthusiasm. Everybody's approach to creating a gamebook is different - as for myself, most plot ideas and factors materialize along the way. Preconceptions encompass the player's character, setting, and specific rules, and rest of the adventure develops from there.

Sometimes, I may have to rack my brains to invent some scene, encounter, challenge, form of gameplay, etc that will have bearing later on. One of many examples: SPOILER ALERT! In the Curse of Drumer, I already had the enchanted axe Hreinleika in play, although it wasn't until much later that I decided to 'extend' the weapon's powers and so 'inserted' a valuable piece of advice in the form of an imprisoned Reverend Maddesby (which in itself is a sense of achievement in locating him) who holds one last, unwritten secret that vastly increases the player's chance of survival. Not sure if anybody completed TCOD without unlocking the Hreinleika's full potential?

It's guaranteed that all (published and unpublished) writers have the two essential qualities. But, I'd recommend a dose of playing through some of your old gamebook collection to get the inspirational motor going. If you're stuck for ideas of spells, settings, gameplay, or plot ideas, then delve into some Advanced FF (Titan, Dungeoneer, Blacksand, etc) for advice, even some video games such as Elder Scrolls, Neverwinter Nights, Icewind Dale, etc. You could also draw inspiration from work by your favourite authors, even the music you listen to which instils a desirable mood and atmosphere. Movies too are handy for more visual elements of scene settings, dialogue, and character interaction. Also, find story ideas during day/weekend trips away: does the place you visit bear a certain history, or particular building of note? What kind of plot could stem from one, some, or all of these facts surrounding the place? Would you use the actual place or real-life people having once lived there, or simply transpose this or a similar background onto a fantasy or sci-fi setting?

I would also say 'experience' is something that comes gradually, and inevitably with mistakes along the way. Snakeland Scorpion, for example, was complex in it creation during writing - and a major headache to plan out!. Although quite proud of this (and other) adventures I've designed/written, nevertheless it could have done with a bit more polish and lacked the plot sophistication of, say, TCOD. Further down the line, I would say that Nye's Song had a promising concept but sadly fell short due to a linear gameplay (i.e lack of player choice) and blighted by too many die rolls (ridiculous for a short gamebook). In this, perhaps lies advice for fellow gamebook writers to learn a valuable lesson from such mistakes. Keep the gameplay balanced, the story exciting, the characters in-depth and endearing.

For the record, I'm lucky to possess all FF (except for the Poster Book) and all Lone Wolf (except for Magnamund Companion) - so, yes, I was and still am an avid player of gamebooks!

Robert Douglas
Tue May 5 02:21:20 2015

Hi All,

Taken a break from writing Windhammer entry to bring you some Tracks of my Years (although, in truth, I discovered most of these years after release):

Kool in the Kaftan - B.A.Robertson
Wardance - XTC
Never Going Back Again - Fleetwood Mac
The Worker - Fischer Z
Stuff - Nik Kershaw
On Every Street - Dire Straits
Love and Pride - King
Look At Me Now - ELO

Loads more possibilities, but they only allow a few. Thank you, and good night! :)

A.E.Johnston
Tue May 5 06:31:23 2015

Hi Robert, thanks for your great response as always, I think I just need some time to step back and accumulate some more idea before writing again.

I always liked an idea Hemingway stated, in which he would allow time between writing sessions to allow his "well" of creativity to fill again. It was always a resounding metaphor to me, as giving yourself enough time to think up more stories and ideas is always an important step in writing.

Also just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your gamebooks on the site. I've read and completed nearly all of the gamebooks uploaded here, and am looking forward to "Shrine of the Salamander". Saw some good tunes on your list too!

Robert Douglas
Fri May 8 14:19:35 2015

@ A.E.Johnston,

In regards to Hemingway's approach to writing, I would say that momentum is also important, especially when planning a series. Sometimes, an author returns and many fans become alienated by a different approach. One example would be Bernard Cornwell's '1356', a sequel to his 'Grailquest' series (written a dozen years previously). In my personal opinion, while the story, concept and characters were quite good, I felt it didn't quite fit in with the series itself somehow. Or perhaps twelve years is too long to resume a series? Many fans probably have to re-read the first three books to get into the recent fourth instalment. On that note, if he ever decides to resume the Starbuck Chronicles (set during the American Civil War), I'll no doubt get stuck into books 1-4 before starting a (possible) fifth one. Many fans keep begging for a continuation of Starbuck, while Bernard Cornwell keeps promising...but there's other projects he's keen to do and he's only so young.

If it's okay with Andy, I'll put a link here: http://www.bernardcornwell.net/
so inquisitive souls can have a look at what he does. He also directly answers any questions to fans. Busy man!

Robert Douglas
Sat May 9 00:40:05 2015

ENCORE!
Room for two more Tracks of my Years choices:
To the Moon and Back - Savage Garden
Auberge - Chris Rea

Clap, clap, clap!

Tammy
Fri May 15 18:20:48 2015

Hello all.

So here is my gamebook Grekgun. It's been on FFProject before but I had it taken off because it had many errors and was not strictly FF. Anyways, if you get bored, give it a try. It is available on Lulu for free download. There is a part two and part three to it but they won't be ready for some time later this year.

http://www.lulu.com/shop/tm-badowski/grekgun/ebook/product-22168026.html

Robert Douglas
Fri Jun 12 03:06:15 2015

Hi All,

Hope it's okay to post this message. It's is a very sad day for Hammer Horror fans (myself included).

You've probably heard that Christopher Lee has just died at the great age of 93. Amongst his most famous films are Dracula, The Mummy, The Wicker Man, The Man With the Golden Gun (James Bond), and, cast as Saruman, in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies. He often partnered with Peter Cushing on numerous titles in the Hammer Horror franchise, who sadly died of cancer in 1994. He returned to Hammer Horror Productions for the first time in thirty five years and starred alongside Hollywood star Hilary Swank in The Resident. He appeared in the award-winning Hugo. Christopher Lee also did much voice-work and promoted the musical arts - singing was one of his talents. His earlier career is a fascinating story of a distinguished life in the RAF during World War II. He even volunteered to fight for Finland and contributed towards their cause in the Winter War.

Christopher Lee was actually a step-cousin of Ian Fleming author of James Bond, distantly related to Robert E. Lee the leading Confederate general during the American Civil War, and John Lee the astronomer.

He brought much to the world of British cinema and the arts, and will be sadly. Condolences to his wife, family, friends, and millions of fans. Also heartfelt feelings to Stephen Hand who, as I understand, is a huge fan of the Hammer Horror films.

There's a more detailed account on Wikipedia for those who wish to know more about Christopher Lee's incredible life.

Andrè M. Pietroschek
Sat Jun 13 19:39:00 2015

Whoa, it has been a while. First: Becoming urban homeless last winter might have felt like real life starting my own 'Beggars of Blacksand', but instead of a magical awakening I only got my abyssal loan/debt at the bank, and the new hotel room for getting through with it.

Second: Steam sells solo-adventure stuff now, I bet you knew?

Third: I returned to play 'Fallen London' at story-nexus once more. Some fans attempted to craft fantasy & horror alike gamebooks with that software, too.

My regards

AMP

post skriptum
https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5882955/

Robert Douglas
Sun Jun 28 11:29:40 2015

Speaking of future gamebooks, just wondering if there's going to be any more FF titles forthcoming? Has anybody got any news? Are Wizard still publishing the FF series? Have they stopped publication of hard copies? Do UFOs exist....oops! Sorry, wrong subject.

Phil Sadler
Sun Jun 28 18:58:25 2015

Well, Blood of the Zombies was the last one and that was a long time ago. So I think they may have stopped ... again.

Robert Douglas
Fri Jul 3 20:54:40 2015

Hi Phil, I hope you're wrong but I do agree it looks ominous. But at least the fan-written and kickstarter projects are still going strong. Plus, FF content in Dragonmeet will continue until Steve and Ian (and other authors and/or artists) can no longer participate - besides, in all fairness, they do have other business/hobby/family commitments . But it's always nice for an 'estate' or convention to be established long after the sad but inevitable demise of those who founded such a following. You get these things with famous actors, rock stars, etc. That's why I believe FF Project and other websites can help promote such ideas long into the future.

As to Stuart Lloyd's appeal regarding Frankenstein Wars kickstarter (and future ones), I'm wondering if there's another way money can be raised more effectively? It's likely this would rely upon space/time slots (sounds a bit like wormholes!) for minimal or no cost at all; perhaps in centres promoting the arts: in libraries and museums that could promote awareness. For example, galleries hosting fan artwork in return for a donation or entry fee from the public that goes towards kickstarter campaigns. It could be a nationwide, continental, even worldwide project. And it doesn't have to support just academic interests; a healthy percentage of donations raised could be apportioned to one, a few, or several established charities. Not sure if this idea is feasible in legal terms, even if written permissions from the relevant authorities were to be established.

I do know that Sarah Outen, for example, is currently travelling around the world via sailing ship, canoe, and bicycle (I think she's in USA at the moment). However, she's using the opportunity to raise money for several charities, and sponsored by well known companies. Again, not sure if an FF movement could be sponsored, subsequently raising money for its own artistic interests whilst supporting other charities, and helping out prominent companies/corporations by advertising their participation?

Yaztromo
Fri Jul 3 22:04:03 2015

@ Phil
Blood of the zombies was published in 2012: not such a long time ago... gamebooks fan are much more patient than that.

Stuart Lloyd
Sat Jul 4 07:53:18 2015

@Robert

Patreon sounds like what you might be after. Rather than people asking for a lump sum in a certain amount of time, they ask for a certain amount for every product they produce.

I made a patreon for a gamebook series, which went off the boil as school got more hectic. Now I'm on holiday, I hope to produce more: https://www.patreon.com/lloydofgamebooks?ty=h

SCC
Sun Jul 5 08:59:34 2015

Robert, the long and short of it is printed literature is under siege by technology at present, and many titles are being converted to the Kindle etc. This is now the focus. I don't believe that any more FF titles will be reprinted unless in electronic form, and this involves a different type of licensing altogether. Seeing a version of the Sorcery! series presented as an app is a start, but a long way from being satisfactory.

I'd like an electronic library of all the FF titles - after paying the initial fee you have them forever. Obviously to protect copyright the files would have to carry some kind of protection to prevent sharing. I think this is now the only viable option. While I still have fond memories of reading the originals as a boy, I believe that time is well and truly past.

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