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Post by Zipp on Oct 16, 2004 18:33:43 GMT
What is Fighting Fantasy? i've heard of them numerous times, but i'm from the US and I understand they are mostly a UK thing. What are they?
On a possibly related note, do they have anything to do with the Lost Worlds fighting books?
Anyone heard of these? I'm a big fan and know where you can get them cheap, if anyone is interested.
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Post by Black Cat on Oct 16, 2004 18:59:21 GMT
I might not be talking of the same thing, but I think that the Fighting Fantasy is a series of books where you are the hero, just like the series of Lone Wolf is, created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone in the early 80s, and I think that the books are not related to each other, except for a few exceptions: you play each book as a stand alone. I played a few of them in their French translations, but I wasn't really captivated by them. As for the link with the Lost World fighting books, I don't know, I never heard of them.
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simkn
Kai Lord
Posts: 111
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Post by simkn on Oct 17, 2004 6:38:23 GMT
Yep, Black Cat pretty much nailed it on the description of Fighting Fantasy. Steve Jackson and Ian Livingston, Lone Wolf-type books, each standalone. I wasn't aware they were mostly UK though... is this true?
I don't know what Lost Worlds is either... care to enlighten us?
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Post by outspaced on Oct 17, 2004 9:36:45 GMT
Check this out: www.gamebooks.orgThe site is run by a helpful chap called Demian Katz and he is probably the world expert on gamebooks. If you follow the link to the Series List, you'll see both Fighting Fantasy and Lost Worlds linked. Follow those links for more information, including some reviews. Fighting Fantasy was my introduction to gamebooks about 19 years ago (where's my zimmerframe?), and while they vary in quality, there are some very good entries to the series. Towards the end they were becoming rather too difficult with too many mathematic codes, rules, insanely hard combats, etc., but at their best, they are readable, fun gamebooks. The fact that they had multiple authors (Jackson & Livingstone did not write all of them) made for interesting stories, since each author had their own particular areas of interest and brought them to the party. While this can (and in some cases does) make for an uneven series, because they are all stand-alone (except for the 4-book Sorcery series), this doesn't grate too much, and should you come across an author whose style particularly irritates, you can simply ignore his books and read some others. Hope it helps. |
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columbob
Kai Lord
Up the Irons!
Posts: 161
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Post by columbob on Oct 18, 2004 15:55:13 GMT
Recent rereleases by Wizard books (http://www.fightingfantasygamebooks.com/)
in the UK and Canada (not the US) are only concerned with Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's books. Together, they wrote around 20 of the 59 FF titles, plus the 4 Sorcery! books.
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Post by Zipp on Oct 22, 2004 3:24:29 GMT
Sorry for taking so long to reply. The Lost Worlds books are combat books. They simulate one combat between a friend (enemy?) who needs another book. It's pretty hard to explain without the books themselves, but it's very simple to play. Here's a good site for them: www.flyingbuffalo.com/lostw.htm |
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Post by North Star on Oct 22, 2004 11:21:27 GMT
Oh them! I remember those...
The thief and the king; the red mage and the green mage; the sorcerer and someone else...
*heh*
NS.
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Post by Relenoir on Nov 1, 2004 3:52:23 GMT
Lost World books sound a lot like Combat Heroes by Joe Dever. Wonder which ones came first?
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Post by Zipp on Nov 1, 2004 19:34:29 GMT
Lost Worlds had it's coming in the seventies, I believe. I'm not sure it was released in the UK, but most likely it was.
I've not heard of the combat heroes.
Sigh, I own all these cool games... the systems are great, the ideas are cool, and yet... the only problem with games is that you need people to play them with.
Except Lone Wolf.
Actually, I'm currently in the process of developing my own card game. I'm not sure if I will pursue playtesting through the internet, but I'll let you know (and take first dibs if interested) if I do.
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Post by Relenoir on Nov 21, 2004 21:59:12 GMT
Card Game? shudders No, no more card games for me. They take up space, and are stolen or burned too easily.  Good luck though! |
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Post by Zipp on Nov 21, 2004 22:37:54 GMT
 Sounds like you've had a bad experience with one. Myself, I never met a card game I didn't like.
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Post by paidooooooooo on Nov 26, 2004 3:07:50 GMT
Sorry to say but some of the Fighting Fantasy books were very poor, Freeway warrior is a good example.
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Post by Black Cat on Nov 26, 2004 3:30:55 GMT
Sorry to say but some of the Fighting Fantasy books were very poor, Freeway warrior is a good example. Not to be confound with the series of the same name written by Joe Dever! ;D The real name of the book you are talking about is Freeway FIGHTER. |
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columbob
Kai Lord
Up the Irons!
Posts: 161
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Post by columbob on Nov 26, 2004 12:47:23 GMT
Joe's series was originally supposed to be called Highway warrior, but Games Workshop was releasing a game by that name at the same time, and kindly asked Joe to change the title of his books or get sued. It's amusing how different people in the same business get a very similar idea at the same time.  Blame those conventions where people share their ideas. |
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Post by Zipp on Nov 29, 2004 5:52:28 GMT
Or those secret microphones.
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Good luck though!
Sounds like you've had a bad experience with one. Myself, I never met a card game I didn't like.
Blame those conventions where people share their ideas.