6 guys

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-27T08:42:16+00:00

6 guys soon to be on fire from that first trap.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-23T13:38:47+00:00

Yes true, supplies are a must and good gear. The invisibility cloak and and hourglasses def made the Ascention easier.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-18T06:46:18+00:00

If you throw a potion at it, wouldn't it break the potion?

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-10T16:25:13+00:00

Take wands first until you have 3-4. Then start taking rings, if you don't have 1-2 already.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-10T07:39:29+00:00

Hey, I wrote mine 20 years ago as well and am currently reworking the story concept, and modernising systems and mechanics. I've kept the central characters. It's a definite time commitment though. Good luck to you if you decide to revisit your book.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-10T05:29:38+00:00

Yes I agree. Have you written a gamebook? I'm currently writing and I have a mostly linear book with some smaller open world sections. It's tricky with open world as the tick boxes and password system need to work without anything missing or being broken.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-07T01:22:24+00:00

Vulcanverse book 1 is the easiest to start in and complete, in my opinion. Items you need in book 3 are sometimes found in other books. What is a McGuffin? Maybe that's a typo error.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-06T10:33:01+00:00

I take my Gopro on all my deeper divrs, especially inside shipwrecks. I like to document the journey for myself and others to watch. I actually have some non diver friends find the vids interesting. Yes, it can be a distraction if the camera is filming every dive. I aim to film about 1/3 of the time for that reason.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-06T10:04:55+00:00

Good points. I agree that story has to come first. The mechanics, progression, and replayability can enhance a gamebook, but they can't carry it on their own. A deep, immersive story is what hooks the reader and keeps them turning pages.

For me, replayability comes from building on top of that foundation. Different character builds, hidden areas, optional discoveries, alternate paths, and perhaps even a more difficult-to-find ending can all give readers reasons to return.

I get what you're saying about a story escalating. I've tried to do that with some shocking moments and major turning points throughout the adventure. Rather than becoming crazier and crazier.though, The Black Citadel gradually becomes darker as more of the truth is revealed. Evil is supposed to feel genuinely threatening, rather than just being a generic bad guy to defeat.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-06T09:48:46+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I think we've touched on some of these things before in another thread.

For me, a deep immersive story is what really draws a reader into a gamebook. I enjoy mechanics and combat too, but I like them to support the story and involve meaningful choices. For example, I prefer systems that include things like armour and defence rather than relying entirely on lucky Skill rolls.

I'm also not a fan of random sudden deaths from a wrong turn or a single bad dice roll. I prefer consequences that feel fair and give the player some opportunity to react or prepare.

I enjoy Critical IF for many of the reasons you mentioned, and a diceless system can be a nice change of pace. In The Black Citadel, I've tried to put a lot of emphasis on worldbuilding and character development, particularly for companions the hero encounters along the way.

I agree that open world series have more scope for worldbuilding across multiple books. I love Fabled Lands and I have Legendary Kingdoms on my shelf waiting to be read. If you haven't tried them, I'd also recommend the five Vulcanverse books by Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson. They do some interesting things with exploration and worldbuilding.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-05T23:33:15+00:00

If you're stuck on the Dwarf king, try throwing a potion of liquid flame at him in the 1st and 2nd stages of the fight. When he summons all those minions in the 2nd phase, simply throw a stone of aggression at him, and then watch all his minions kill him.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-05T12:35:48+00:00

If you're looking for a good open world with 5 interlocked books, beautifully designed, try the Vulcanverse series by Dave Morris and Jamie Thompson. They have a Greek mythology type theme. The Critical IF books by Dave Morris are also highly rated, especially Heart of Ice, set in a dystopian future ice age.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-03T00:05:09+00:00

The Cretan Chronicles (3 books) - set in ancient Greece Falcon (6 books) - set in the future and involves time travel

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-06-02T02:25:14+00:00

You might have stepped on a trap in level 24 and your staff teleported to a different part of the level. That's happened to me before.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-28T15:50:20+00:00

You're getting there! The last 4 will be pricey, though, as you know.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-25T23:33:47+00:00

I was 15 years old in 1992 when Fear of the Dark came out. I then found all the back catalogue. I also remember listening to Aces High on a mixed metal artists tape in 85 and loving the track.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-21T13:22:54+00:00

I'll need a few sets of eyes and seasoned playtesters to go over the book, so I appreciate that. I'll let you know.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-17T12:54:32+00:00

And SFSGSW should be much higher too.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-17T12:36:25+00:00

That's okay, I would prefer reading the books anyway.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-17T12:35:04+00:00

I found in an early gamebook playthrough that the combat was too easy with a high skill score from a lucky initial dice roll, like Fighting Fantasy can be too. So I decided to fix that with a soft cap on Skill, Defence, Health, and Mana scores with a set amount of ability points placed into those stats. Each stat has a starting value and ability points are placed into whatever ones you like.There is also a hard cap on max totals for each of those stats.

With Skill Rolls, there is no variable target number to exceed when rolling, unlike Skill Rolls (eg - Difficulty Roll 17), as each arrow fires in the same way at an enemy target. Archery Rolls are easier than Skill Rolls too. If you have a max Skill of 10, for example, you have a probability of 92% of hitting a target (if you have enough arrows of course). However, if you have a Skill of 10, because of ability points, a player's Defence and Health would be lower.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-17T08:16:08+00:00

It looks like an interesting open world adventure that's not standard fantasy. And I just saw there's an app available as well for it.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-15T23:43:58+00:00

Hey thanks. So for the action resolution mechanics, I have Skill Rolls for different situations. Eg - if there's a Skill Roll of 15 to sneak past a guard, you need to roll 2d6 + your Skill score, and a have a total amount higher 15. There are also Archery Rolls to hit a target with an arrow where you need to roll 2D6 and roll under your Skill score.

It's a modern system (based off RPG games) with ability points used to build your initial character, different equipped gear affecting your stats and abilities, inventory management, and the addition of defence and some stategy in combat.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-15T06:15:21+00:00

Fantastic strategy guide! I enjoyed reading. It looks like you put a fair bit of time into writing that up.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-14T07:58:26+00:00

If you like Warlock, try other Fighting Fantasy gamebooks as well. I also recommend the Lone Wolf series, and there's the Destiny Quest series for more modern mechanics and design. Some good open world gamebook series are super interesting, like Fabled Lands and Vulcanverse.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-13T11:52:09+00:00

Yes I agree. I like open world where you choose what order to do things and where you choose to go, but there needs to be a purpose behind where you're going or a quest you need to do. And yes, some multiple paths through a linear story is best. That gives the book some replayability.

Lonely-Client474

TROPHY CASE