Closing an educational gap - Ian Livingstone et al.

[beowuuf]

So the previous new book was just not rated at all then, I understand?

[Gambit37]

From what I can tell, Jonathan Green is doing some interesting stuff with new books, but I've no idea if they're any good. Definitely not buying one to find out! A bit old for that now... I just dip my toe into the news every now and then to satisfy my nostalgia

[Simon]

Aha, you didn't watch the vid If you watch the intro video all the way through, they say they're making a theatrical version for cinema, but also interactive versions -- one for blu-ray, another for the web. And you can win cash for a successful winning adventure!

Creature of Havoc was pure awesomness. Steve Jackson was by far and away a much better game designer than "find-the-object" Livingstone.

It's my understanding they only wrote approximately 2 or 3 of the books. The other 50+ books were written by a variety of other people!

[Gambit37]

It's a bit more than 2-3. In the original series, 9 out of the first 10 books were written by Jackson, Livingstone or both together. After that, they wrote another 9 books out of the 49 remaining. So about two thirds of the series were written by other authors: it's why they switched to a banner that said "Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone presents:"

See the full list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Fi ... _gamebooks

[Sophia]

Just to make it more confusing, a different person who is also named Steve Jackson wrote three books, too.

[Gambit37]

Yep, he's always confused things a bit for the readers!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jack ... _designer)

[Gambit37]

Promotional video for the new book, by Livingstone himself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vfHrrfqMrI

I know I'm 40 soon, but I'm actually gonna get this book -- full in the knowledge that it will probably be awful and no longer appeal, but what the hell

And here's an interesting brand new interview with Ian:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnyegr ... bie-blood/

Also, I just found out about a new gamebook series, Destiny Quest. Anyone heard of this? It seems to be a more involved RPG system in gamebook format:
http://www.destiny-quest.com/

[linflas]

yeah I heard about Destiy Quest, looks like a luxurious version of FF. Absolutely beautiful stuff !!

[Gambit37]

An article about how gamebooks have transferred to mobile devices:
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2012/07/return ... -gamebook/

[oh_brother]

^ Very nice! I did not know things were so advanced...I just downloaded one of the tin man gamebooks (An Assassin in Orlandes) , looking forward to getting stuck in!

[oh_brother]

Well there was a problem with the download, which I later found out was because my handset did not support the engine for the game. Did not lose any money at least.

But I sent an email to the developer asking if it would be coming out on other models, and he sent me a code to get a free copy for the PC! Very nice of them. It feels strange to be treated well by a games company.

I was playing it over the weekend, and it is very good. Really reminiscent of FF books, but dice rolling is all taken care of. Also it feels much less linear than a number of FF gamebooks, and with the bookmark system you don't have to start all over again if you mess one dice roll up.

[Gambit37]

I too have just downloaded Assassin in Orlandes (I now have a Google Nexus 7 tablet). It's looking pretty good although I've only played a few pages so far.

As I'm on a gamebook nostalgia-fest at the moment, I've been reading a few bits and pieces. This guy's blog is very interesting:
http://fightyourfantasy.blogspot.co.uk/

Also, if you fancy funding a game-book engine, there's one being developed by a team via Indiegogo. I was interested in it, but it actually looks a bit limited so I'm not sure it's worth funding:
http://www.indiegogo.com/gamebook-creator

And of course, don't forget these funny walkthrough-replays of FF books!
http://fightingdantasy.blogspot.co.uk/

I received the paper version of Blood of the Zombies this week. Man, it really brings back memories holding a green-spine in my hands again! Not started it yet, but am keen to blast through it to see how it holds up

[linflas]

Great post
Illustrator Martin McKenna sells FF originals : http://www.artistrising.com/_code/Produ ... itle&pg=48

[Gambit37]

Nice work! I quite fancy some of those prints... I'd still love to get some of the older FF line art, especially by John Blanche or Iain McCaig. And especially Gary Chalk -- I asked him on Twitter if he'd ever make prints of that stuff and he said there was no market for it

[linflas]

Some review of BOTZ from Livingstone... not suprising me a lot : http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/cdp/member-r ... centReview

[Gambit37]

Heh he he, yeah I guessed as much, although to be fair this reviewer slags off everything, so it's a good bet he only reviews stuff he really hates...! (Well, except for that book about God lower down, but *whistles*)
I absolutely know that BOTZ will be pretty dire, but I'm gonna play it anyway for old time's sake

[Sophia]

That sounds pretty terrible, and pretty brutal.
I wonder if they just assume people are going to cheat so they write them at a suitable difficulty level, or what.
("Oh, I cheated and still lost? Better cheat more!")

[Zyx]

I found this very short but very fun to play gamebook in PDF format : http://www.arborell.com/anorcsday.pdf
french translation : http://homepage.mac.com/siyanlis/Xhorom ... rcDay2.pdf

I had a go at it (the link is now dead, though) and I found it funny and refreshing ! I also tried another short adventure about a shape changing lizard (I can't find the link anymore), and there are good ideas. Linflas, can you recommend me a french community to join? I'd like to share this pleasure, maybe write something.

[linflas]

Sure ! French community has a main forum called "La Taverne des Aventuriers", but I prefer the writers forum called "Rendez-vous au 1" : they give good advices about style, way to "construct" your story, critics and awards on their own productions.
Links from homepage.mac.com are now dead because Apple has stopped providing websites. So RDV1 admins are going to release a new website where authors will be able to upload/comment their adventures. Should be working on... tomorrow : http://www.litteraction.fr. I'm penciling the logo at the moment

[Zyx]

Thanks! Rv1 looks like a nice community, and very active! I'll check the new site too!

Edit: the adventure in question was "Hissssa de Makan" of course!

[beowuuf]

While we're talking RPGs, here's a fan effort that got mentioned on another forum:
http://www.daziarn.proboards.com/index. ... thread=891

It sounds like a larger scale one of those combat gamebooks such as Joe Dever made.

[Jan]

Oh, that somehow reminds me that I've been too silent somewhere - very unusual for my blabbermouth self.

[beowuuf]

Indeed!

[linflas]

Interesting document found by chance. FF author Jonathan Green giving suggestion to his illustrator Stephen Player for "Stormslayer".
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=ca ... W0dDJnYNJw

[linflas]

Seems i've posted a cached link : here's the original document http://playergallery.com/playergallery/ ... Slayer.doc

[Zyx]

Interesting!

[Gambit37]

Oh my goodness! I think I have died and gone to heaven:

Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! coming to iPad and iPhone in 2013
http://www.inklestudios.com/misc/press-sorcery/

Although saying that, I own neither of these devices. Hope they do it for android too, otherwise I'm gonna have to buy an iPad too....

[linflas]

Short gamebooks contest, english readers may like
http://www.arborell.com/windhammer_prize.html

[Gambit37]

Very interesting! I've had several gamebook ideas over the years, I might consider entering something for next year (Yeah, assuming I get a windfall of free time!)

[linflas]

Special request ! Any "wolf" here could scan at correct resolution LW covers ? I would be interested by final volumes 25 to 28, if possible ! Thanks !