Saturday, November 28, 2015

Kickstart your gamebook Christmas

Good ay, gamebookers! I've actually managed to get a few posts written this month (you will see them at some point) and I'm quite enjoying blogging again. I thought I'd swing by and tell you about three lovely gamebook kickstarters currently running.

6Quest - a game of interactive fiction

6Quest is a Hungarian game, but they want to extend their wonderful gamebooks to the English speaking world. There is a massive world to explore and I will be looking forward to exploring more of it. If you want to try a demo of 6Quest, go here.

Tin Man Games does The Warlock of Firetop Mountain

This is already on 50000 AUD with 38 hours to go. Tin Man Games is using the original Fighting Fantasy book to show off its new engine with maps, miniatures and strategic combat. The book will also have many extra features to it, such as being able to play different characters, extra rooms and much much more. Back it for your rewards before it's too late...

ZFiles: Infection - Videogame, comic and zombie apocalypse

This interactive game looks gorgeous. I am really looking forward to the awesomness that it can produce. It is combining a comic and gamebook to make something that looks wonderfully presented and slickly put together. Check it out!

So back back back people!



Wednesday, November 25, 2015

RPG - Mazes and Minotaurs

I love Mazes and Minotaurs, the Ancient Greek themed RPG started all the way back in 1972.

I get a warm sense of nostalgia when I read books like this - the font, the artwork, the way that some of the rules are a bit loose and unrealistic, or, in some cases, state that  they are supposed to be loose and unrealistic.  I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I get that with other books like that such as with Tunnels and Trolls and some retro clones.

For example, Mazes and Minotaurs spits int the face of having different damage for all of the different kinds of weapons.  Heroes deal 1d6 damage with most weapons, 1d3 damage with daggers, or 2d6 damage if they are large weapons.

The game is willing to throw away complexity in order to bring on an enjoyable experience, steeped in the flavour of Ancient Greek heroics.  There are several classes that are not generic fighter, mage, thief, but rather Greek type classes such as amazon, spearman, centaur or elementalist.

Experience is earned based on your class.  Classes are split into three types - warrior, magician or specialist (hunters and thieves are specialists).  Warriors earn glory points by vanquishing monsters and accomplishing heroic feats.  Magicians earn wisdom points for vanquishing supernatural creatures and exploring the unknown.  Hunters get experience for killing beasts (animals) and using hunting, and thieves get experience for acquiring loot and using thievery.

The Greek gods feature heavily too and so do many ancient Greek artefacts.  I always had a thing for Greek myths when I was little and this game allows you to live them.

The new edition provides material almost as entertaining as the game itself and that is anecdotes and letters from players of the game over the years, usually involving arguing over rules and situations.  They are entertaining to read.  I hope that more are published online.

The Mazes and Minotaurs core books are also FREE along with many more resources, which can all be found here.