Douglas, whether the comment was constructive or negative you learn from it. Why wasn't the gamebook liked? Maybe there's room for improvement next time. I always seem to get terrible reviews on stuff I've worked very hard on but I try to improve myself and try to understand what it is that made the person who read my gamebook dislike it so much? Of course, now I could really give a rat's ass about it all but I guess getting negative remarks on your work can strike a harsh cord.
meschlum Thu Mar 10 00:41:06 2016
Noticed a minor bug - towards the beginning, when attacked by zombies and skeletons, if the Fear check is failed (meaning the zombies cannot be shot), the opponents are two pairs of (weak) Zombies (sections 192 and 440), rather than Zombies then (stronger) Skeletons (sections 476 and 473) if you pass the check and do not shoot.
So it could be a situation where failing a Fear check is better?
friedrich berg Fri May 13 13:34:27 2016
It was pretty cool
Robert Douglas Fri May 13 23:35:38 2016
Thanks Friedrich. Sorry you got killed - just out of interest where did it happen?
Stinger Thu Jul 6 00:17:10 2017
Man I've played through three times now and still I find a way to die. lol Thanks so much for this really interesting, and scary little gamebook! :) The only thing I never understood was why I had to keep doing skill checks once I found the sacred axe, I forget now what its called. But I had to test my skill about three times over, and I never was clear on why? To may haps see if I were worthy? Thanks for this book, and this good group of friends we travel and fight here with, I really like the way they work together. My last lesson learned, never test your luck in a darkend passageway. :P
Stinger Fri Jul 7 06:29:13 2017
This time I started with SK 12 ST 24 LK 11 and fear 12. Glad I went with the 24 stamina, I needed nearly every bit of it! :) Not sure why I was unable to use the provisions in my previous game, possibly it had something to do with my IPhone? No clue, But I'll be playing on my desktop from now on.
finally, the nightmare is over - the Curse of Drumer has ended! Thanks again RD for another fun but on edge run through TCOD. Just glad I figured out the answer to the combonation door with the orb, methinks that helped a lot! Next play through I'll have to try the alternate weapon and choices. Thanks again! :D
Stinger Sun Jul 9 09:10:26 2017
Somehow I failed the tests, and was killed by the ice demon. ⚰️
Babap Tue Jul 25 14:34:13 2017
Took me long enough to find the good ending.
Surprisingly the first puzzle actually cause me a lot of time, for those who got stuck the answer is:
SPOILER
6 6 6 as is the number for the devil
END SPOILER
Feels a bit sad that the ending results in the protagonist moving away from his/her home, as if he/she can't be the same again. Understandable, but still make the victory rang a little hollow to me.
RogueOne Tue Oct 24 01:12:44 2017
Done!
SPOILER
Fighting all four Champion Fire Demons at once was a bit rough. Perhaps the Hreinleika's effects aren't properly calculated: only 2 stamina was coming off for each hit, and their skill stayed the same.
END SPOILER
Robert Douglas Wed Nov 1 03:50:38 2017
RogueOne, Well done! However,
SPOILER
there is a secret behind the Hreinleika axe that can be learned from a certain source. If you want to know where, let me know and I'll put the answer in the spoiler box. Otherwise the divine axe merely wounds them normally whereas ordinary weapons are ineffectual!
END SPOILER
Robert Douglas Wed Nov 1 04:12:59 2017
A late reply to Babap's post during July: it wasn't actually the protagonist's home, the player's character was newly arrived to the area on 'business' with Scott and Jimmy (who were associates both local to the area). Terry turned out to be the brother of
SPOILER
Nel, a district nurse as described in 'House of Hell' entry 209 (with illustration). I'm certain I got her name from FF archives although perhaps it's made-up, I can't remember now.
END SPOILER
It's possible he lived either locally or from some distance away yet endeavoured to find his missing sister, but by now resolved to avenge her. Whatever the case, he joined forces with Richard Ettingley, an aristocrat from a wealthy estate that has a long history of rivalry with the Drumers. With the player's quest concluded (entry 400), and haunted by the loss of his friend Scott, and all the horrors, he decides to leave the area for good.
Xena Mon Nov 6 11:47:23 2017
Fun
Babap Fri Jan 12 21:32:07 2018
Been a while, but playing it again. This book is always that awesome to me.
Anonymous Mon Apr 9 16:54:40 2018
Why is there ALWAYS bats in Fighting Fantasy adventures? They kill me every time, and i hate it! Good story, though.
Robert Douglas Tue Apr 10 15:44:32 2018
I feel a bit guilty about including bats within a villainous capacity; they're often misunderstood creatures. However, I don't think there are many people would have them as a pet, or keep them as they do pigeons or chickens. And they are creatures of the night so it's more convenient to categorise them as familiars for witches and vampires. On the other hand, bats are wildlife protected by the RSPCA and other animal trusts. Sorry you got killed, glad you enjoyed it :)
meschlum Sat Aug 11 03:00:53 2018
When using Dibir Malacht with Honour, Fear rolls were still required (and fortunately passed) when seeking the Gold Cross. The automatic successes may not be working?
I think that they are, but the way that I've implemented it may be confusing. What happens is that you don't even see the two automatic successes that Dibir Mallacht gives you, you are just sent straight to the 'successful' paragraph. What I suspect you're seeing are the third and subsequent rolls, and you have already benefited from the Honour power.
Shadow Sat Jan 19 14:15:09 2019
I share everyone's sentiments about the stat rolls - in particular there don't seem to be enough ways to restore luck so, even if you start with a luck of 12, at some point you're rolling against a score of 5 or 6. Also,
SPOILER
I believe your trip into Maddesby's house is just a series of 6 tests; including 4 skill, 1 stamina and 1 luck
END SPOILER
.
However I know this is something that has been mentioned a lot previously, and having attempted to write my own 'FF-style' stories in the past, I know how hard it can be. So I would like to praise the author for both his dedication and the amazing results that emerged. House of Hell was the first ever FF book I read, and as a 9-year old the picture of the goat-headed demon accompanying passage 222 (I think) was traumatizing, but helped get me really into the genre. So to have an adventure so closely linked to that great FF classic is truly satisfying, and immensely enjoyable to revisit the location after it was burnt down.
Aside from its continuity with Jackson's creation, the story itself is brilliantly well-written, with great character development and a certain flair that makes you want to read on, and therefore makes dying even more frustrating. The author should be very proud of his work, and whilst there are obviously a few minor issues, the story as a whole is fully engaging and should not bother a true FF fan at all.
Robert Douglas Sun Jan 20 11:57:10 2019
Hi Shadow,
Thanks for the kind comments. I enjoyed writing The Curse of Drumer. It's a shame I got a bit carried away with the frequency of stats rolls. Since then, I've tried to limit their amount in future FF endeavours. Live and learn is a handy proverb; it's silly to repeat mistakes.
On a side-note, my bookworm marathon (over the past two years) will conclude in late Winter (early March). I'm currently reading Dan Snow's 'Death or Glory' - a gripping account of James Wolfe capturing Quebec - before my progression to 'War of the Wolf' by Bernard Cornwell. Oddly, the latter sounds like an FF title! After which I'll be free to write further FF adventures.
Shadow Sun Jan 20 14:18:10 2019
I share everyone's sentiments about the stat rolls - in particular there don't seem to be enough ways to restore luck so, even if you start with a luck of 12, at some point you're rolling against a score of 5 or 6. Also,
SPOILER
I believe your trip into Maddesby's house is just a series of 6 tests; including 4 skill, 1 stamina and 1 luck
END SPOILER
.
However I know this is something that has been mentioned a lot previously, and having attempted to write my own 'FF-style' stories in the past, I know how hard it can be. So I would like to praise the author for both his dedication and the amazing results that emerged. House of Hell was the first ever FF book I read, and as a 9-year old the picture of the goat-headed demon accompanying passage 222 (I think) was traumatizing, but helped get me really into the genre. So to have an adventure so closely linked to that great FF classic is truly satisfying, and immensely enjoyable to revisit the location after it was burnt down.
Aside from its continuity with Jackson's creation, the story itself is brilliantly well-written, with great character development and a certain flair that makes you want to read on, and therefore makes dying even more frustrating. The author should be very proud of his work, and whilst there are obviously a few minor issues, the story as a whole is fully engaging and should not bother a true FF fan at all.
paul Mon Mar 18 17:54:14 2019
killed by a vampire, oh the indignity. this was a fun gamebook, well plotted. some of the text is a little hammy, but it doesn't hinder it once you get into it.