Hi All!

Re: Gamebook Difficulty Level

Creating a gamebook to suit diverse taste is easier said than done. FF titles -both published and amateur - vary in style, theme, and difficulty. I didn't start collecting FF until 1987, and the first title I purchased was 'Creature of Havoc'.

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Steve Jackson's adventure was ambitious, even more so than HOH and AWF. It was also his last one in the regular green spine series. Even so,

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It wasn't until turn of the millenium that I sat down and played it through - even then, it required a solution printed out from the old FF website! Many true paths are really a knife's edge. Beware: COH is one such gamebook!

It can prove a knife's edge to authors keenly aware of a balanced gameplay; presenting a challenge, yet introducing a few opportunities for the player to even the odds (even with low die rolls), at times depending on the player's own mental ability to earn bonuses, and their choice of route can affect the attribute scores.

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However, it isn't imperative for that meeting to take place - but it does help the player.

Much as I enjoyed reading FF titles over the years, some proved more difficult than others. Jonathan Green and Steve Jackson often adopt a knife-edge path that if you stray from it...DEAD! Lacking a particular item? DEAD! Citadel of Chaos and Knights of Doom are good examples of this. These are excellent stories with lots going on, plenty of exciting encounters - and great choices for those armchair adventurers wanting more of a challenge. In fact, very few gamebooks are boring.

However, there are always some players who prefer to succeed owing to victory in combat, discovering bonuses, and knowing there weren't too many pitfalls along the way because they simply took a wrong turn. In 'The Curse of Drumer', I wanted to give the player more of a fair chance over true path, and tie complex gameplay in with (what I hoped) a good story. There are death entries in COD - but only result to the player's poor judgement, at times an ill-fated die roll.

One last thing: in House of Hell

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Robert Douglas
Mon Nov 28 20:29:43 2011

@ Rhubarbcrumble,

It was 'To the Moon and Back' by Savage Garden, one of Stephen Hand's favourite songs (Dead of Night). He wanted to style a sci-fi adventure around the song lyrics: 'Overdrive' was the working title, although I might be wrong about this - anybody reading this is much the wiser, please let us know :)

p.s Since 'Curse of the Mummy' - the last FF gamebook under Puffin publication - was released in 1996, and original release date of the controversial 'Bloodbones' would have followed, Stephen didn't get the chance to write it.

asgardian
Wed Dec 21 12:24:12 2011

Whoops - one more thing! One question for Simon if around. I figured out that the scenes the Gem warrior remembers are moments from various FF books, but what about the ninja? I don't recall that one.

Phil Sadler
Wed Dec 21 15:18:03 2011

There was a ninja in Deathtrap Dungeon? I don't know if that's the one though.

Robert Douglas
Thu Dec 22 01:40:42 2011

Yes, there was a ninja in Deathtrap Dungeon, one of the competitors.

Robert Douglas
Thu Dec 22 01:42:30 2011

Is Simon Chapman any relation to Andrew Chapman?

Robert Douglas
Thu Dec 22 01:45:00 2011

Does anybody know if gamebooks such as 'Dead of Night' and 'Legend of the Shadow Warriors' are being republished? Or, are they going to be published on Kindle?

Robert Douglas
Thu Dec 22 01:47:06 2011

Back in the 80's, for me one of the fondest aspects to collecting FF was going in to the local bookshop...and seeing a brand new title on the shelf. Just couldn't beat that feeling of excitement!

asgardian
Thu Dec 22 03:18:18 2011

Robert, I hear you. Re-reading these books brings back some wonderful 80's nostalgia. Reading City of Thieves with pouring rain outside, Dead of Night at night...
speaking of which, I think some titles have sadly been lost to time and may never be reprinted. There was a start on coverting the Sorcery! series to the IPhone, and Creature of Havoc is also available. I'd actually like a company to convert the best twenty or so titles and place them on one disc for the PC - at least this would be accessible to most.

Haoie
Thu Dec 22 19:55:36 2011

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all! Let's keep on 'rolling the dice' for years to come.

SCC
Fri Dec 23 04:22:07 2011

Just dropped by and saw this. In answer to your question re: the ninja:

Yes, it is a reference to a scene in Deathtrap Dungeon. The hero defeats the ninja and takes the diamond, one of the three gems necessary to escape. The crystal being, who has the hero's memories, experiences a moment of deja vu as he takes the Black Gem from the ninja.

I'll be submitting a more FF-orientated story in a few weeks, which is in fact a direct sequel to a certain well known story that had a somewhat unsatisfying ending. Hopefully the webmaster will be kind enough to post it.

And no relation to Andrew Chapman. Sorry! Merry Xmas to all.

SCC
Fri Dec 23 05:05:29 2011

PS - asgardian: in answer to your other question I became very ill while writing Gem Runner, so the submitted entry fell far short of what I originally intended. I hope you like the revised version. If you choose correctly, you will find all the advice, trinkets and correct Gems needed to finish the adventure. Enjoy.

Stuart Lloyd
Sat Dec 24 11:37:27 2011

Merry Christmas one and all! Here's to a great 2012 full of wonderful gamebooks. Many thanks for the gamebooks of 2011.

Robert Douglas
Sun Dec 25 04:49:46 2011

@ SCC,

Clearly, physical books have their limits; I think the future will be more electronic/digital formats of gamebooks (including thousands of other titles formerly relegated to 'out of print'). People will pay a fee to download their choice from a vast archive of titles on to their net books, etc. Libraries would see old paperbacks and hardbacks being removed from the shelves entirely - and sold off to private collectors looking for a good deal - while their system would be completely computerized. In other words, they could fund services by charging a small fee to people, with private accounts, to borrow (download) written works. These accounts would be similar to something like Steam - but items would be removed automatically when book returns are due, after 1-3 weeks (depending on that person's deal choice). Or, people could pay a full price and keep that book forever. This is already happening with some FF titles. Currently, however, the transition is slow.

I'd also predict bookshops disappearing from the high street. One or two specialists would still operate; catering to collectors much as vinyl records are still being sold in very few places. CDs were quick to follow suit. Again, it's to do with the internet culture, made possible by improved connectivity (broadband).

Of course, I don't expect this to happen overnight. Amazon book department would still send material books to order. Closing down sales would take a little time to reduce stock clearances. The rest would be sold at a loss to those collecting en mass - in other words, businessmen happy to take them of the vendor's hands, although permitted to sell them at a good profit later on. I estimate this winding down would take place over 5-8 year period.

Darren
Sun Dec 25 09:30:08 2011

Thanks so much, Phil. I'll try out your method. btw, merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

gamebook freak Fri Dec 30 09:57:41 2011	yeahI've seen that the conversation has beeng going on about ff project game books like the cidital of chaos or beneeth nite mare castle. thees games sound very enteressting. I was on the site hosting them, but when I klicked on the quest or some thing of firetop mountain, it just showed me a discription. however, I so much want to play those. they sound very cool. can you stil play them?
	Well, you can of course buy the books. I doubt that any website is hosting them, though quite a few will have descriptions.

Robert Douglas
Sat Jan 7 14:43:28 2012

2012...

What on earth could happen?
The Mayans understood calendars, cycles, the sun...
Massive solar flare.
Not fatal like the one featured in 'Knowing'.
Life-changing, however.

Meantime, we might make films...and gamebooks
About a future cataclysm.
Because we humans are strange creatures indeed.

Robert Douglas
Wed Jan 11 23:46:50 2012

Life is full of plus and minus. Sorry to hear Julius wanted his adventure removed.

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