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....

Phil Sadler
Tue Apr 23 20:58:14 2019
House Of Pain

Rob Hatton PLAY-THROUGH....
PART THREE....

However, after a few moments of tentative rowing I begin to build some confidence, and am soon making impressive headway across the lake. It seems like no time at all before I make landfall upon the shore of the little island, and drag the boat up onto the bank to make sure I have a safe method of return to the mainland.

Making straight for the grave, I am surprised when I behold the incomprehensible scrawl which covers the whole headstone, which appears to be in no language known to man. However, I am given the option of spending a point of luck in my attempt to decipher the strange script, which I eagerly do.

Happily, after spending some considerable time studying it, I begin to make sense of the writing.
It basically tells the story (in the first person) of the man buried here, and how he fell in love with a Mirror Demon, who tried to take him through her portal into another dimension. He survived this encounter (though perhaps his sanity did not) and took from the demon a gold ring, which he promptly buried himself alive with! (Presumably after scrawling his own epitaph on his gravestone)

Its at this point that I spot the very same ring (Presumably) half buried in the surface soil, which I decide to take with me, and stand up to return to the boat. It’s then that I finally spot the ragged corpse of an old hag which was propped against the other side of the stone, though it’s a wonder I didn’t smell it, and I walk around to better see the thing. Around it’s neck is a strange green key on a chain, which I pluck up the courage to take and examine, and I see the word “Angelicas” inscribed on it.

Whilst I ponder the significance of this, I see a movement in my periphery and to my horror I regard the corpse turn it’s ghastly head to look directly at me, before uttering a soul-rending scream. The creature before me is a Banshee, an undead nightmare which has come to herald my doom, but I don’t intent to stick around.

Dodging the creature’s initial lunge I run full pelt for the boat, but unfortunately not quickly enough, and I feel her filthy claws rake my back. I don’t stop for a moment however, and I dive into the boat, using my momentum to propel the craft into the water.

The Banshee halts at the water’s edge and lets forth another terrible howl, but I ignore this whilst concentrating on rowing away from the island at top speed. I pause for breath when I am half way to the shore, counting myself lucky to have escaped that situation with my life, but little do I realise that the danger is far from over.

All around my boat the water suddenly begins to boil and surge, and from beneath it’s surface emerges a vision from a nightmare, an huge alien head with spider-like eyes and a mass of writhing tentacles.

Whether this is an octopus, a kraken or something akin to a Lovecraftian horror, it’s intent is the same regardless..... my demise.

The tentacles curl around my pathetic little tub, ready to break it to pieces at a moments notice, leaving me with few prospects of escape. But from somewhere within my terrified mind I formulate a plan of action, and reaching into my coat I pull out the flash light I found earlier, directing it’s beam directly into those predatory eyes.

The effect is instant, though only temporary, as the creature flinches away from the artificial light and consequently releases the boat.

With this one chance to escape I row for my life, but the recent exertions have taken a toll on my stamina, and the tentacles once more wrap themselves around the boat.

This time there is no escape as the boat, with me trapped inside it, is pulled beneath the surface of the cold, black water.........

THIS ADVENTURE ENDS HERE.....

ffproject
Tue Apr 23 21:10:00 2019
New Day Rising

New Day Rising - Another World

The second mission for Severian and his team. Download it here.

ffproject
Tue Apr 23 21:17:54 2019
News

Tammy Gives and Takes Away

Four gamebooks by Tammy Badowski have been added to the Downloads page : Appointment with Lord Azzur, The House of Venus, The House Overlooking The River and Vegan Slut.

At the author's request, the following gamebooks have been removed : The Crimson Ark, The Dark Lord, The Loyal Servant, The Sleeping Dragon and Xshanaar Assassin.

Yaztromo
Wed Apr 24 13:29:55 2019
Tales From The Bird Islands Development

Wow! Two years passed since last post.... :/

Haoie
Thu Apr 25 00:50:42 2019
General Chat

Bandersnatch was fairly interesting. I'm glad it gave gamebooks some good exposure!

Fffan
Sun May 5 01:13:21 2019
Beggars Of Blacksand
Star - optimum ending reached

I dont like ont true path stories, this once required to start over multiple times until i found the right path by complete luck, and to be honest i an not sure of what i did right this time.

David
Thu May 9 20:17:03 2019
Hunger Of The Wolf
Skull - non-optimum ending reached

4th time. finally completed it.
loved this adventure

Robert Douglas
Fri May 10 00:55:45 2019
Hunger Of The Wolf

Hi David, are you sure you completed it? There should be a star instead of the dread skull'n'cross bones!

Robert Douglas
Fri May 10 01:37:12 2019
Reading Club

'War of the Wolf' -
This is the eleventh book in the Saxon Stories series by leading historical fiction author Bernard Cornwell. And, at time of this RC recommendation, the latest Uhtred Ragnarson adventure set in late Dark Age Britain. Uhtred, the ageing warlord of Bebbanburg (later to be known as Bamburgh Castle) has journeyed from Northumbria to help the besieged city of Caester (Chester) from a rebellious army. However, this is only the start of a serious undertaking: Uhtred soon sets about finding Skoll, a ruthless Norse chieftain with designs on becoming a powerful king in his own right. His ambitions prey upon smaller kingdoms, including that of Bebbanburg: of this Uhtred is all too aware. But Skoll's fearsome reputation rivals that of Uhtred and soon the wolf banner of Bebbanburg must duel the wolf banner of Skoll - the War of the Wolf must be fought to its brutal, bloody end!
Yet another fantastic adventure in the Saxon Stories. Towards the end of this year we'll likely see a twelfth instalment, depicting a power struggle between two strong contenders for the Saxon Crown....

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