Haven't been writing many adventures recently, but I have written this, if you ever wanted to know what the Pit was like...

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/270695/Rough-Guide-to-the-Pit

Adam Martin
Thu Mar 28 23:18:06 2019
The Black Lobster
Skull - non-optimum ending reached

Great fun, nice to see a place fleshed out like this. Adds colour to the city of Port blacksand

Shadow
Thu Apr 4 10:13:05 2019
Gamebooks

Thank you to all of you for your advice, I will certainly take it on board.

I will make Trial by Ice my focus for now, which I'm perfectly happy with as it was my (admittedly weak) preference of the three. I do also think that it is likely to be the shortest.

@A.E.Johnston: Funny you should mention Trial of Champions, as it was the first FF gamebook I ever owned. I share your feelings of frustration as there was one path you HAD to follow, and even with a map with the correct route drawn on it was an infuriatingly challenging process. I assure you I will avoid a similar scenario in my own.
Also, I am not that familiar with all the FF Series, so it is likely that any parallels with the series will be entirely accidental and unknowingly done. That said, I would like to avoid such incidents so perhaps someone more knowledgeable than me can review my work at some points to ensure that doesn't happen.

@Ulysses: First of all your work on this site is amazing!
Secondly, you recommend keeping the adventure short, so I would like to know how short you would suggest. I hadn't planned on writing anything on the scale of your 1,000-passage epics, I had in mind a standard 400 but was prepared to compromise if the story didn't seem to hold that many. I would appreciate your thoughts.

Many thanks once again for the great advice from both of you. It is really appreciated and I will keep it firmly in mind as I write.

Ulysses
Thu Apr 4 12:08:54 2019
Gamebooks

@Shadow

Thanks for the compliment :)

My assumption is that the shortest adventure will also be the simplest (which actually isn't always true), making it a manageable story to be able to complete and learn from before moving on to attempting more complex structures (in usually longer stories).
As for the actual length of your first venture I would let the story dictate that. You could approach this in a number of ways:
1. Find an existing gamebook that seems to be of similar scope to what you have in mind such as number of locations and whether the choices are largely parallel of divergent and plan your own gamebook to be a similar length.
2. Actually plan out all of the branching paths of your adventure, count up how many references you need, then multiply that number by 1.5 to give yourself some room to move - in my experience it always takes more references than you think once you start writing.
3. Don't worry about how long it is going to be and just start writing. I believe there are programs available that will randomly assign numbers to your references, but I don't use those so I can't recommend one. A number of times I remember I have used up my original estimate for the number of references I needed without the story being complete. In these cases I have had to add more references (I seem to recall having to do this a couple of times for particular stories). This isn't a problem, especially when the gamebook is played online, but it does mean than your references are not distributed evenly. It's not that difficult to make sure you don't have gaps if you keep track of things, and also not difficult to make sure you end on a round number (if desirable) by adding in choices somewhere.

Shadow
Thu Apr 4 13:16:08 2019
Gamebooks

@Ulysses

Thank you for your continued advice. I am going to use twine to initially write the story, then transfer it into the standard FF format of numbered passages. However, your advice to plan out each pathway separately is not something I had considered, so I will take your advice and, if I feel that I may be too ambitious, I can work out what to cut. A more focussed adventure is not necessarily a bad thing, I think.

As a side-note, apologies if my comments appear multiple times. Every time I refresh the page it seems to re-post the last comment I posted. I don't know if you can also see this, but I apologise if you can, I am not doing it deliberately.

Phil Sadler
Thu Apr 4 14:02:20 2019
Gamebooks

Oh that 'multiple posts' thing has happened to me too :-(

Gavin
Sat Apr 6 15:16:07 2019
A Day In The Life

Started Day in the Life II, also got to the point with New Day Rising Mission 2 where it reveals its true colours -- a DATING SIM poo gosh er.

Phil Sadler
Sun Apr 7 19:37:31 2019
Rise Of The Night Creatures

Hey Paul. Don't forget to try the books in the 'Downloads' section (if you want to).

Gavin
Thu Apr 18 20:17:25 2019
New Day Rising

The second mission of New Day Rising is now available at https://www.wattpad.com/721262807-new-day-rising-another-world

Condutas
Sat Apr 20 20:19:01 2019
Curse Of The Yeti
Star - optimum ending reached

Interesting...that was a incredible interesting.

Phil Sadler
Tue Apr 23 20:56:53 2019
House Of Pain

Rob Hatton PLAY-THROUGH....
PART TWO....

I decide that I have seen enough of this garden of delights, and so make my way back to the main hub, satisfied with my singular find in the greenhouse.

Next I decide to take a walk through some woods on route to a nearby lake, but soon get the feeling of being watched again, with the trees close and suffocating.

I eventually find myself standing by the lake, looking across the dark and eerily still waters, with the distinct feeling that they have not been disturbed in a long time. In the exact centre of the lake is a small island, with what looks to be a gravestone standing solitary upon the grass, which piques my interest sufficiently enough to begin searching for a boat. (The prospect of swimming across is not appealing in the slightest)

It’s not long before I discover a small boat, complete with a pair of oars, moored upon the bank. Suddenly the sound of running feet forces me to spin around and confront a robed and hooded figure, rushing at me with a blistering speed, and which I only just manage to dodge aside. The figure rounds upon me for another charge, reaching for my throat with horribly rotted and taloned hands, which I am barely able to hold at bay.

The undead thing before me is a Wight, a creature who’s touch chills to the bone, and I am forced to fight it with my bare hands no less (I still don’t possess a weapon). However I do eventually triumph over the creature, and kick it’s body into the black and foreboding waters, instantly regretting the disturbance it causes to the surface.

I summon up the courage to climb into the little craft, the sense of dread and foreboding growing ever stronger about the nature of the lake, particularly it’s unknown depth..... and possible inhabitants....

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