'Death or Victory', my latest entry for the FF Reading Club! Historians - both professional and hobbyist - certainly know about the Capture of Quebec by daring General James Wolfe in 1759. However, in truth this was only part of a hard and brutal campaign of attrition - and British victory was by no means certain. The Seven Years War has often been seen as a 'world war' between the European superpowers of the day; the New French empire in North America was one such theatre of this conflict, a vast far-flung territory yet whose fate would have far-reaching economic and political advantages for whichever side that won. Although there were other armies and objectives active within Canadian territories at the time, the capital of Quebec was seen as the real prize. Author Dan Snow is best known as the TV co-presenter of 'Battlefield Britain' (alongside his father Peter Snow). 'Death or Victory' is a study complied from diaries and journals from various contemporaries present during such a difficult campaign; he has had to sift facts from exaggeration, conjecture, and even weigh up personal accounts based on political bias. Some acts and motives still remain a mystery and he states this while coming up with possible reasons. The arduous Quebec Campaign marked a steep learning curve for the British army that was often pushed to its very limit. Many valuable lessons were learned in the evolutionary face of warfare: the importance of a naval and army co-ordination along the treacherous Saint Lawrence, how light infantrymen played an integral part against the brutal savagery of Native American Indians during skirmishes in the forested regions, and even Wolfe's own policy on hygiene and the prevention of disease throughout his encampments. As Dan Snow explains with dramatic flair suited to a decisive war, the French garrison army under Montcalm - consisting of disciplined regulars, Canadian sharpshooters and militia, fierce Native tribesmen - in fact proved most stoic and loyal to preserving King Louis' hold over Quebec, frustrating several attempts at a British landing and assailing the Royal Navy whenever they could. Mistakes and miscalculations were made, opportunities found and missed, acts of gallantry and atrocities committed, the exhaustion and exhilaration, the feints and battles, and luck as always played its part in a campaign that, for both sides, certainly became a stark choice between 'death or victory'.

paul
Sat Mar 16 17:22:28 2019
Waiting For The Light
Skull - non-optimum ending reached

what a loser! but what is going on here?!

paul
Sat Mar 16 23:22:19 2019
The Dead World
Star - optimum ending reached

omg i completed it.... i just picked my directions at random... wait this probably isn't good is it?

Arbiter
Sun Mar 17 10:43:31 2019
New Day Rising

SPOILER

END SPOILER

paul
Sun Mar 17 11:13:36 2019
A Midwinter Carol
Skull - non-optimum ending reached

should have contined to the orphanage but i felt that revenge would be in character.

paul
Sun Mar 17 14:59:44 2019
Tomb Of The Ancients
Star - optimum ending reached

completed it that was a fun little gamebook.

paul
Sun Mar 17 18:35:40 2019
Sharkbait's Revenge
Skull - non-optimum ending reached

died in combat :(

A. E. Johnston
Mon Mar 18 06:07:47 2019
Gamebooks

Hi Shadow,

Just wanted to give my opinion since you are looking to write a gamebook- I have a few stories I’ve had in the works for a while, most of which are being continually worked upon, but I did submit a finished gamebook a few years ago to Windhammer which received mostly positive reviews. Basically I’m no Gavin Mitchell/ Robert/ Ulysses AI, haha, but hopefully I can provide some constructive feedback.

Before focusing on a setting, try to think about the different paths available to the reader and think what would lead to the most exciting scenarios- linearity is always to be avoided, but then again too many dead-ends/ instant death pathways can also spell the instant death of your story! My favorite example is based on the gamebook “Trial of Champions” (the sequel to Deathtrap Dungeon). By the time I had cracked how to beat it, I had played through it so many times that it was no longer enjoyable, and reaching the end felt more like a chore than a climactic finish. In that gamebook there are so many vital items needed that missing one automatically leads to failure down the road. I would stay away from this in general for whichever story you plan to write! You can use Twine or a different type of software to keep track of your pathways if it helps, and also what items are needed to progress to certain areas (if at all).

Like any story, gamebook or not, interesting characters, settings and plot lines also need to be a focus. What are the motivations of the character? Why should we care? Do their actions make sense in the grand scheme of the story? Saying that let me comment on your proposed ideas:

Halixor's Gauntlet
A tried and true gamebook formula, and honestly one I will always enjoy. Deathtrap Dungeon will forever be a fan favorite, but if you do decide on this route try to add your own spin to it (the outside setting probably won’t be enough to give it flavor to be honest, and setting in an outdoor maze is also something we have seen before and that I wouldn’t necessarily recommend).

Trial by Ice
Sounds similar to the beginning of “Portal of Evil”, another fan favorite about a down on his luck adventurer. Has potential, but again, unless you can add a new dimension to the storyline to make it “pop” it may be best to stay away, as to not rehash an old idea.

The Dragon's Hoard
Interesting premise, but try to avoid making things to complicated, both for the reader, and for yourself the author. Also sounds similar to the “Hobbit” trilogy, so again try to avoid re-hashing stories that already exist, or taking the same storyline and slightly tweaking it.

My biggest piece of advice is don’t feel as if you have to be caged in by the fantasy genre- if you want to stick to fantasy that’s absolutely fine, but keep in mind that all sorts of gamebooks/ stories exist (case in point, the latest update to the site is a story about a 40 year old guy at a music festival combating depression and alcohol consumption).

All three of your ideas have merit, but if you decide to stick to one of them do try to make the story “yours” and as original as possible. Hope this helps!

A.E. Johnston
Mon Mar 18 06:10:11 2019
A Midwinter Carol

Paul you're a beast!!! How many of these stories did you play? It looks like you completed everything that was uploaded to the site, well done, lol.

paul
Mon Mar 18 11:19:53 2019
A Strange Week For King Melchion The Despicable
Skull - non-optimum ending reached

what a thoroughly odd gamebook. i was tortured to death by a dom dwarf. i enjoyed it though. the gamebook, that is. i might enjoy the torture too, but that's another matter.

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