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Below Zero Point |
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Robert Douglas Thu Nov 27 23:31:10 2014 |
@Mowen, Thanks, I was a bit worried about how it would fare as regards the gameplay. I got the sci-fi/PI theme from ideas such as Bladerunner and Mikal R Kayn (a character in the Starblazer comic books). Glad you enjoyed it! I've got halfway through Book 2 of the Sean Calibre Case Files. In the meantime, both Curse of Drumer and Below Zero Point have made some impact on FF fans. |
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Dustin Tue Mar 17 02:10:58 2015 
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Fantastic. Excellently written, and, as game-books go, not unfair in the slightest. Great plot; it was also interesting getting a glimpse into your knowledge of British slang (whether acquired naturally or otherwise)--I don't exactly get much exposure to that, being American and all. Great job- I'd read a sequel any day. -Dustin |
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Robert Douglas Tue Mar 17 13:26:31 2015 |
@ Dustin, Thanks for the comments. Regards British slang, are you referring to Vance (the Cockney officer with that weird thorn-net gun)? I'm concentrating on writing the next Windhammer then I'll continue with SC Book 2. |
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Robert Douglas Mon Aug 10 20:34:38 2015 |
Hi All! I've received a few questions regarding the historical background to Below Zero Point. I purposefully kept this in the shadows because an established timeline limits the scope of ideas as they emerge and might prove difficult to insert in future adventures. As such, in the narrative I was very selective in any reference to key events and scenarios. Please note the following may give arise to SPOILERS: Q1) You mentioned something called 'The Great Anarchy'. What was this, exactly? A) In short, a worldwide Dark Age would be the best way to describe it. In my mind at the time, over-population would be a chief cause, producing a catastrophic knock-on effect as regards trade and commerce, immigration, xenophobia, and so on. It's actually something we're experiencing today - but by around the 2030's (in BZP's history) it's like a volcano that finally erupts. Riots and wars spring up across the globe. Society begins to break down, made worse by dwindling fuel and food resources. A very nasty spiral indeed! Q2) So the entire world is devastated? A) To a certain extent. The more powerful nations retained some stability, order, and integrity, yet the victims numbered in tens of millions. There wasn't a nuclear conflict on a large scale (and if there had, even by 2202 humanity would still be struggling to recover from that dread scenario) but it's very likely to have occurred on a smaller, restricted scale. Q3) Bubonic plagues were alluded to in the narrative: was disease one of the causes of The Great Anarchy? A) No, they were caused by The Great Anarchy; a general breakdown in society affects almost every aspect of our lives and millions would experience a miserable existence at some level or another. In fact, there are (too) many nasty bacterial and viral diseases out there today, most of which have been eradicated or merely kept at bay by antibiotics in first world countries - but what if those medical facilities were suddenly removed, or stretched to breaking point? Furthermore, some viruses tend to evolve, rendering known vaccines useless. And without preventative measures and medically personnel in place, what happens in BZP is tragically inevitable. Q4) You mentioned that these diseases were suddenly eradicated by arrival of the superbly-advanced Ageala - but, as an alien species, didn't they have a 'prime directive' similar to Federation law in Star Trek? A) The Ageala - 'Ageal' is singular - are pacifistic, so from their perspective a stricken world would have been very heart-rending. And you're right: it's very likely an advanced space-faring species would uphold a strict non-interference policy in the natural development of another species. Yet it proved too tempting a crusading mission for one individual; the ship that landed at Talavera in 2087AD was actually commanded by a disillusioned element within Ageala society. Rebellious perhaps, but a timely intervention that changed the course of human (Terran) history. Q5) About the fate of your native country (UK) in BZP, would you classify it as one of the 'powerful nations'? A) Not quite. It has always relied largely upon overseas trade, and thus too small to ride the storm of The Great Anarchy, in comparison performing less successful than, say, the United States or China. While these and similar nations also rely upon trade, they have the capability to adopt isolationist policies and enact somewhat ruthless measures; certain civil liberties would be 'suspended' in favour of national survival. This actually sounds very similar to Nazi Germany in the 1930's onwards - but the arrival of the Ageala eventually negated any martial law and police states. Yet they still experienced turbulent times, hardship, and loss of life. Those who'd survived hailed the Ageala arrival - and the year 2087 - as a real turning point in human history, besides a true golden opportunity to ascend to the stars! As regards the UK, Sean Calibre Book 2 will give more details on its blighted history, 2020-2087. 7) Can you give us some idea on Book 2's progress? A) So far, I've done about 70% of writing, have the rest of the story planned out in my head, and typed out almost half of the adventure. Now that my gamebook for Windhammer 2015 has been completed (and submitted), I'm very keen to resume Book 2. In fact, I'm only going to pause when latest publications by Bernard Cornwell and Peter F Hamilton are released. For now, I'm ready to get stuck into it! |
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Robert Douglas Sun Aug 16 01:34:34 2015 |
Sorry, I forgot all about poor old question 6. I'll put it here without further comment... Q6) So what type of government rules the UK in BZP's backstory? A) First of all, I have to mention that by the mid-20th century it's no longer a 'united kingdom'; England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland went their own way - although ironically (being smaller countries) all four were further divided up into territories effectively ruled by rival corporations. These were originally founded by a conglomerate of wealthy companies: some specialized in transport, others military hardware, and a variety of other types of business, at the core of which pharmaceutical researchers provided improved (but not sufficient enough to eradicate the plague) antibiotics. In other words, this corporate society (each corporate often engaged in open warfare with others), holds the population to ransom with promises of a healthier tomorrow, that all must work towards this noble goal, any dissent will be met with force by 'security' forces and mercs....you get the idea. Such is the way of a 'corporate society'. I'd actually recommend the film Rollerball (both versions) that provides some insight of life within such a beneficial yet uncompromising regime. Peter F Hamilton's Greg Mandel stories are set in a 2040's England gripped by global warming and just recovering from ruthless PSP rule, to a more democratic/capitalist style under the New Conservatives. Coming back to BZP backstory, when the virtuous Ageala touched down and swiftly eradicated the plague, such corporations finally lost their leverage. They either had to adapt, or be destroyed by a stronger, vengeful populace: 2087 marked the beginning of Humanity's technological and cultural 'golden age'. In the Epilogue (SPOILER!) Joe Saunders mentioned something about the Royal Family being evacuated to the Falkland Islands during The Great Anarchy. There would have been a core element still loyal to preserving the 'old order'. This would likely have been Guards regiments in the British Army, including some of the high-ranking generals, certain elements of the royal navy, a few politicians still hopeful for a democratic constitution, and certain other key people and bodies to help with the military restructure and civil admin. Effectively, it would survive as an insular 'Kingdom of the Falklands'. And why did I choose the Falkland Islands? The native populace has and will be pro-British even through the Great Anarchy; this provided a secure environment for the (now English) Crown. Besides which, those extra troops would bolster the former protectorate's defences. With the Great Anarchy somewhat subsided by the 2060's, diplomats from the KOTF would petition both governments of the United States and Canada for military aid to help the ailing populace of the former UK. However, many historians from Sean Calibre's era - with hindsight - would often speculate whether the eventual commitment to U.S/Canadian troops landing on British soil and subsequent attack on the fortified corporations did more harm than good; provoking the corporates only caused them to join forces, and the people suffered terribly from damage to property and infrastructure, while reprisals became commonplace. As the 'Liberation Wars' (as they came to be known) bogged down to a stalemate, the Ageala rendered the entire campaign moot. However, historians have the luxury of hindsight - nobody could have guessed aliens landing to solve the plague problems thus negating the chief purpose (and leverage) behind the corporation existence. The Ageala would have appealed to these corporations. Those that resisted found themselves outgunned and outmatched due to Ageala ship technology, force-fields, advanced robotics, etc, all readily supplied to a people deserving better. The rest of the army would have disintegrated through mass desertion, supporting the increasingly powerful corporations as mercs, or even going into business for themselves and hiring out their learned trade (if they possessed the relevant expertise, i.e HGV vehicles, electronics, IT, engineering, etc). Many of the latter would eventually become disillusioned with the harsh rule of corporate society and join the growing resistance. Some would already be independent traders. |
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DarthLang Wed Sep 14 05:50:01 2016 
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Had dinner with a crime Barron. Went to an asteroid and shot up some people. Tried to loot a corps and got thrown in jail. 10/10 would get thrown in jail again. |
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Robert Douglas Wed Sep 14 15:39:33 2016 |
Went barefoot through London King's Cross and Waterloo Station, with the tube in-between. |
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Robert Douglas Wed Sep 14 15:41:27 2016 |
Sorry you were thrown into jail, DarthLang. I think I know the section you were captured. |
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Stinger Fri Sep 30 18:57:10 2016
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I really dug this! Lots of action and suspense. Only thing is, if I fail a luck test, I feel like I shouldn't lose a point for failing. lol Its bad enough suffering the conciquences. Great fun though thanks so much. Keep up the great work! :D |
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Stinger Sat Oct 1 05:49:51 2016
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Arghh! died thanks to that accursed Quanillian spider! Man that really seemed like a dirty trick. lol Some of these enemys we face seem really tough though . I had a heck of a time with those REVIVED CYBORGS! And that scorpioid the way it blows up even after you defeat it. sheesh! But, one day, one play through I'll make it all the way. but.. not even sure that was even close to my overall objective. Is there somewhere I can find more ways of healing? I'm leaking stamina like a siv :P Speaking of the revived cyborgs, I thought the following line would have been removed since I had a thermal mack. Due to the intense cold from the shattered cryogenic pods, you must fight with your Attack Strength reduced by 1. I just thought that would have been taken into account when fighting those things. But, one day, one play through I'll make it all the way. but.. not even sure that was even close to my overall objective. Is there somewhere I can find more ways of healing? I'm leaking stamina like a siv :P So far I've found the meal/ration packs, and the pills, they all give four stamina each. But I've yet to find both of those items in one game. hehe Never the less, this is an awesome gamebook! Thanks again, and every single time I play it. :) |
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Robert Douglas Sat Oct 1 12:45:09 2016 |
@ Stinger, Thanks for the comments. You bring up an interesting point regarding the thermal mac. However, I don't think Sean would be wearing it at the time - if I remember rightly it was a Backpack Item. Both Sean and Joe Saunders didn't plan on staying in the cryogenic chamber and, by the time the cyborgs are accidentally revived, it's too late for him to dig into the backpack and put on the mac. Later in the Polaris wastes, it turns out Sean doesn't personally require the mac as he's wearing an insulated armour suit. But the thermal mac does come in handy another way.... I apologise for the gamebook's combat difficulty, although I did insert opportunities for collecting meals and medication. Also, Sean's current Stamina is healed to its Initial score twice in BZP (and perhaps one or two Skill points, I can't remember). Also, loss of a Luck point - whatever the result - is part of the FF gameplay. Again, I do recall moments where Calibre receives Luck points if he learns valuable information or achieves mission objectives. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the adventure. It was good of you to let me know how it went. Hope you succeed :) |
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bluejuice915 Tue Mar 14 21:55:58 2017
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Fairly good overall. It was rather long, and the new missions compound some confusion. The gameplay was fun though, and the many decisions and opportunities were great. The availability of weapons was skewed, with very few close-combat compared to the number of such fights, and vica versa for guns. Well recommended though for the obvious effort that went into writing all the plot and background. Grade: 95. |
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Robert Douglas Wed Mar 15 18:37:32 2017 |
Thanks for the comments bluejuice915. Some positive points, while others pointed out improvements. Some weapons provided a bonus but intended more as a superficial fun feature rather than drastically alter the gameplay. Not sure what you mean by 'new missions' however. Calibre did cross paths with several characters having their own agendas, such as that dealer in alien antiquities, Graeme Hammond, offering to help Calibre's progress in return for a favour. Apologies for the length, but one thing I didn't like about many of the published gamebooks (in particular the earlier ones) is that they seemed too rushed, the paragraphs too brief in content - there's always room for a bit of description, a bit more dialogue. Sometimes I like a bit of back-story to spice things up. I'm currently writing Sean Calibre Book 2 and, be warned, this will be even longer than its predecessor! But I'm hoping the content will have plenty of depth. Well done for completing it successfully! |
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RogueOne Fri Nov 24 21:49:57 2017
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Done! |
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Billy Bob Sat Jul 21 16:51:10 2018
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Way to much writing, marching wasps, really? |
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Robert Douglas Tue Jul 24 18:27:26 2018 |
Yes, really. |
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paul Thu Mar 21 18:18:18 2019
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whoops, should have dodged! |
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karolina&szymon Sat Apr 15 23:05:56 2023
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so much reading just to die at the end. do not recommend. |
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Robert Douglas Wed Sep 6 15:09:15 2023 |
With regards to the previous comment: I highly recommend Peter F Hamilton's excellent Night's Dawn trilogy. Approximately 3,300 pages of pure sci-fi fun in space opera form. And I didn't regret one page of it; time well spent. Such a read was long overdue because of previous commitments. And I would do so all over again. Meantime, I'm due to start the sixth instalment of Earth's Children, at 800 pages in length. On the other hand, perhaps you don't quite have the patience to read even a fraction of that? Seriously, I've never understood why some gamebook readers don't simply sit back and take a more relaxed attitude to enjoy a colourful narrative and story - something which has taken the author many non-profit hours to create, write, and edit. Just skipping all that fun only to focus on the options, and then get angry at failing, only once at that, speaks volumes about a person's overall character. Giving up at the first hurdle. It's very sad that too many people will be going through life missing out on too many important things. So many life lessons gamebooks have to offer, yet nevertheless they go over certain heads. |
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YARD Fri Sep 15 16:13:10 2023
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Well, I have recently been complaining that an unfortunate number of stories here end up too short. This is particularly acute when they happen to be at mere 50 refs, but some of the 100-200 ref stories can also feel "cramped", with completely reasonable choices or important detail left out. This happens to be the absolute first time when I felt the opposite - finding that the story really, really drags and wishing it would end already. And no, it's not length in and of itself: this work is at 380 refs, while A Princess of Zamarra is at 500 refs and is so far my favourite work on here (though I expect/hope Ulysses Ai's sci-fi series & The Diamond Key to at least give stiff competition once I get to them!) Further, Soul Tracker is at 400 refs and Outsider! is at 458: I have some notable misgivings about both, yet altogether, they are both interesting and impressive works (at least as far as genre fiction goes), which make great use of their length and are consistently exciting throughout. Not so here - I don't use the word "tedious" lightly, but it fits this story all too well. I won on the 4th try
SPOILER
And I audibly muttered something unprintable in disappointment by the time
SPOILER
The plot is just really uninteresting, since you are fighting completely random terrorists who do not seem to have any real cause for the longest time - and the one passing reference to their goal being to cause a "new dark age" around halfway point hardly helps to make them more compelling. Everything about them feels completely arbitrary, and there is so little reason to care. The sidekick isn't the worst, I suppose, but the banter is nowhere near as good as in Soul Tracker and not enough to keep you invested - not when the antagonists are completely lackluster and the supporting characters are usually those who blurt out ridiculous amounts of helpful information after hardly any prompting to you, strangers they have just met. Ref 134, where massively important secrets about the terrorists are revealed over drinks in a night club controlled by said terrorists, in full earshot of anybody who could have taken interest, is the absolute worst for this. The descriptive writing is not bad, but it feels stronger in many other gamebooks on here, and is certainly not strong enough to save this one. (Out of comment space, continued below.) |
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YARD Fri Sep 15 16:21:30 2023 |
Other narrative weirdness.
SPOILER
Process-related weirdness.
SPOILER
And finally, proofreading.
SPOILER
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| You may have noticed that people are no longer able to agree to disagree. Please don't bring any more divisive political ranting here. |
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