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Post by The Wytch-King on May 19, 2004 12:17:58 GMT
I recently stumbled over a few excerpts from the Kaiwisdom mailing list, and the following few lines were a little surprise to me: Never heard before that Joe Dever seemed to be unhappy with Grey Star. Can anyone shed light on this matter? Did he dislike just the character, or maybe the whole series, and did he ever give reasons for that? (Maybe in an interview?) The Wytch-King, naturally curious about that
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Post by outspaced on May 19, 2004 15:55:02 GMT
This one seems to be pure pie in the sky. Judging from how enthusiastic Dever was about the World of Lone Wolf series in the Lone Wolf Club Newsletters, I would say he was happy with them. Additionally, Dever and Page were friends at some point (I wouldn't think they're still in touch, but . . .), and Page's main contribution was apparently fleshing out Southern Magnamund--one would suppose this would be in role-playing sessions more than just the four Grey Star titles. So no, I don't think Dever has any problems with Grey Star--either the character or the books--whatsoever. Paul Grant, however, seems to have very, very unusual views on women, seeing as how ALL the women in Lone Wolf's life are goddesses of some description . . . Perhaps he should see a psychiatrist to get asked that age-old question: 'So, tell me about your mother . . .'
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Post by avarius on Feb 9, 2007 22:11:06 GMT
It's been many a moon since I read Greystar but I always thought that they were exceptionaly good gamebooks, I remember them having a strange, almost forlorn atmosphere that distinguished them from Joe Dever's material.
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Post by avarius on Feb 11, 2007 20:51:16 GMT
I read the Grey Star books ages upon ages ago too... I read through them once. So to me, they weren't that cool. Well, I didn't read them more than once apeice either, and that was nearly twenty years ago, but remember each book vividly so Mr Page must have been doing something right. That said, I also enjoyed the 1984 film Dune, so maybe I'm not the most reliable critic in the world lol.
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Post by Tiefling on Feb 12, 2007 14:41:51 GMT
Actually, I think that if Dever were to re-release (in terms of revised/expanded plot and improved gameplay) any of his books, it should definitely have been the Grey Star books. The atmosphere was great, the back story was intriguing and could have been investigated in depth. Since Grey Star was not a lone wolf (pun intended), the interaction with his companions made for an interesting (and sometimes light-hearted/comical) side story.
However, the gameplay was awful --- if you could actually manage to survive your way through Book 1, then the rest of the series was cake. And from my last reading of the books (about a year ago), there were lots of rules issues left unresolved.
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Post by avarius on Feb 19, 2007 23:27:23 GMT
Gameplay issues? You mean to say that you actually used the combat system!? I just read the GS books, couldn't be bothered with all of the spells. Have legitimately cracked every single LW book though (apart from 28 which I have abandoned hope of ever finding). If you really want to read a flawed gamebook try the last volume in the way of the tiger series, utterly shambolic!
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Post by outspaced on Feb 20, 2007 9:59:46 GMT
. . . or, a different opinion of Inferno is that it is a tense book leading up to a killer, Blade Runner (Director's Cut)-style ending that works very well. I've certainly always thought so.
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Post by avarius on Feb 20, 2007 18:00:40 GMT
You have to bear in mind that I was still a child when I read Inferno and my tastes had yet to mature to the extent that I could easily accept a conclusion that wasn't cut and dried.
Additionally, I should point out that I found the other WOTT gamebooks immensely enjoyable and Smith and Thompson deserve huge credit for their creative output.
However this does not sway my opinion of Inferno.
The series was initially aimed at children and it was unfair to entice them into a gripping story then deprive them of any meaningful conclusion. There is a time and a place for ambiguity and the final chapter of a childrens gamebook saga is not it.
Blade Runner though.....unbeleivable!! I still get goosepimples thinking about it's opening scene.
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Post by ita1crx on Mar 7, 2007 16:57:31 GMT
. . . or, a different opinion of Inferno is that it is a tense book leading up to a killer... Was Way of the Tiger the ninja game books? If so, was the last one where you end up stuck on a spider web begging for you god to rescue you? I really enjoyed that series, but with the horrid ending I never re-read it. Its just too depressing.
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Post by outspaced on Mar 7, 2007 19:36:00 GMT
Yeah, them's the ones. You play a ninja with throws, kicks and punches, and you can expend Inner Strength to cause more damage. And the last one ends in the middle of the biggest fight in a real high-octane, 'write-the-conclusion-yourself' way. I genuinely like it. But the majority of fellow gamebook fans don't.
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Post by avarius on Mar 10, 2007 21:24:03 GMT
Were there ever any more WOTT books planned or was Inferno the ending originally conceived?
I ask because I know that the gamebook market took quite a sudden nosedive and a lot of publishers jettisoned the format. My best guess has always been that this was the reason for the abrupt conclusion to the series but it seems that quite a few actually enjoyed it so now I'm not so sure.
D and D with Jeremy Irons is the guiltiest pleasure I've enjoyed since Deathstalker.
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Post by outspaced on Mar 11, 2007 11:37:10 GMT
Apparently, I have heard that a seventh book was scheduled according to Warlock magazine, so possibly the publishing company decided to pull the plug at Book 6, causing them to rewrite certain parts of that adventure; but whether Book 7 would have been the final book, whether it would have instead been a longer, ongoing series, or whether Book 7 would have had a similar ending to the one from Book 6--only Thomson and Smith know!
Personally, I enjoyed Deathstalker 2 more than the first one, but only because the actor was trying to be Bruce Campbell!
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Post by ita1crx on Mar 12, 2007 15:09:10 GMT
...And the last one ends in the middle of the biggest fight in a real high-octane, 'write-the-conclusion-yourself' way. ... I don't remember it that way. I just remember basically dying and having a very unhappy feeling. I guess I'll have to re read these books.
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Post by avarius on Mar 12, 2007 22:34:42 GMT
All of this Way Of The Tiger retrospect has reminded me that the exploits in the world of Orb didn't end with Inferno.
There was a very robust entry in the Fighting Fantasy series entitled The Talisman Of Death which was penned by Smith and Thompson and set in Orb. It even featured fairly substantial appearances from some of the baddies from the Avenger books. Where it stands chronologicaly though, I have no idea.
I think there's also another FF book set in Orb called Sword Of The Samurai but I've never read it so don't know too much about that one.
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Post by outspaced on Mar 12, 2007 23:45:10 GMT
You're right about Talisman of Death, but Sword of the Samurai takes place in the land of Hachiman in the continent of Khul in the Fighting Fantasy world of Titan.
Talisman of Death was written before Avenger!, I believe, and is therefore the first gamebook set on the world of Orb.
The DuelMaster books also take place vaguely in and around the world of Orb.
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