tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post6208415830905615184..comments2024-03-04T09:12:37.072+00:00Comments on MALthus Dire's Fighting Fantasy Page: #41: Master Of ChaosMALthus Direhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847555508305181801noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-81361092605035804942023-07-24T08:59:31.627+01:002023-07-24T08:59:31.627+01:00Yes Ashkyos must be explored a certain way in orde...Yes Ashkyos must be explored a certain way in order to get most gold and equipment and still have notoriety below 8. But if you don't have Keeper, you'll get less gold in the city. The desert danger could be avoided if you have a camel.Neo Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11256768142487254523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-26831247658800546612022-11-06T16:30:19.689+00:002022-11-06T16:30:19.689+00:00To be honest, I'm unlikely to ever read this b...To be honest, I'm unlikely to ever read this book againMALthus Direhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15847555508305181801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-76200671037973765902022-11-03T06:34:24.765+00:002022-11-03T06:34:24.765+00:00Your review is somewhat off, as there is a very ti...Your review is somewhat off, as there is a very tight path to victory. Tasks in the main city must be completed in a specific order and without the ridiculous talking mongoose there is little chance of surviving.SCChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13206280198006887394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-79351212832841758092022-05-09T22:41:12.960+01:002022-05-09T22:41:12.960+01:00One thing I noticed is that you're encounterin...One thing I noticed is that you're encountering evil gnomes again. First Snivel the treacherous bargeman, now body-snatching gnomes working for a necromancer.Furgolashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12960124518276384824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-54145550103476721952020-04-28T06:49:26.096+01:002020-04-28T06:49:26.096+01:00Hey guys, not sure if this thread is still active ...Hey guys, not sure if this thread is still active but like to share my two cents. #41 Master of Chaos is my first ever FF book and will always have a special place in my heart ha ha! I think I got spoiled by starting with this very easy book (Not as easy as #43 Keep of the Lichlord) and here are my thoughts:<br /><br />Likes<br />1. The entire book is very linear which is how I liked games and books. No need to worry about where to go first and sequence of doing things, just have to make the right decisions in each section and remember them for future plays.<br />2. The City of Ashkyos is so easy! There are so much gold to be made (I think at the peak I got up to between 50-60 gold before spending) and who cares if you start off with absolutely nothing (Except your two gold pieces in your boots) because if you make the right decisions in the city you will be able to buy much more than you ever need for the game.<br />3. Similar to #2 you can easily make up the lost slave ship stamina in the beginning of the city, if you go to the right places first and do the right thing.<br />4. Agreed with Malthus that Ashkyos is so fun to play and so much lively encounters I can easily play the entire game in the city.<br />5. Not sure if this is intentional by KM but the fact that we start with nothing, and is able to make so much money in Ashkyos and buying almost everything in the market, much more than we would ever need to finish the game, makes it so much more satisfying than other FF books, where you start with basic equipments but only get limited amount of gold in the game.<br />6. Unlike #44 Legend of the Shadow Warriors, where one of the two main paths are extremely hard with less rewards, in this game the two paths of desert trek or boat ride essentially makes no difference in the end, except that with the longer trek you will get the Amulet which allows you to skip a big battle right before the final battle, but is not absolutely necessary to win the game.<br /><br />Dislikes<br />1. Skills are really useless in the game and not employed right. As Malthus said none of them are necessary to win the game or even to bail you out of bad situations, if you made semi-intelligent decisions. Animal Wisdom will help you make a few dollars more in the city. Blindsight is a good substitution for lantern especially in the early parts of the game. Climbing I have not used once. I didn't have Move Silently so I spent 10 gp to buy the Boots of Stealth, and not used it once ha ha. Tracking I think helped me made a few extra dollars that's it. So by far the most useful skills in the game is Blindsight in the beginning.<br />2. Unlike LotSW, the only weapon you get in the game is a sword, or the equivalent in a crossbow, or magic swords, which all do the same damage. I missed LotSW's Battle Axe which does 4/6/2 damage and coupled with the Ring of Destiny, is essentially a machine gun to just mow down your enemies.<br /><br />Regardless, as my first ever FF book and the fact that Ashkyos is so fun, MoC will always be one of my favorites! :-)Neo Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11256768142487254523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-91178608220676407532015-10-18T16:11:02.908+01:002015-10-18T16:11:02.908+01:00That 'potentially losing 22 Stamina' is a ...That 'potentially losing 22 Stamina' is a bit of a stretch, though. Yes, it is <i>just</i> possible, but only if you start with 24 Stamina and do exceptionally poorly in a fight against an opponent with just 7 Skill and 6 Stamina. There is no way (short of unnecessarily using Luck and failing the roll) you can die in that fight: someone who started with just 14 Stamina will simply be rescued sooner than someone with a higher score. And that fight is immediately followed by some Stamina restoration. It is a harsh set-up, but you're making it out to be more so than it actually is.<br /><br />As for the Silver Amulet, it is useful, but far from essential. I've beaten <b>Master of Chaos</b> at least twice, and both times I can remember, I did it without the amulet. I imagine being able to skip the fight against the Zoalinth is a much bigger deal if you've suffered the Stamina attrition of a desert crossing, but the barge route should leave you in sufficiently good shape that that one additional combat ought not to doom you.Ed Jolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07293815550517824166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-86816179009535602132015-09-08T12:23:36.542+01:002015-09-08T12:23:36.542+01:00sorry that link didn't work but not to worry, ...sorry that link didn't work but not to worry, I have your adventure printed off for future reading. I actually wrote one of my own back in the 1980's and I still have it !<br />edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13633073283427830809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-83119039116553533352015-09-07T19:46:11.979+01:002015-09-07T19:46:11.979+01:00https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1677505582...https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1677505582511586&set=gm.10153579019081407&type=1&theaterMALthus Direhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15847555508305181801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-74739590363891129512015-09-07T12:19:16.962+01:002015-09-07T12:19:16.962+01:00cant see it, can you send me a link ?
cant see it, can you send me a link ?<br />edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13633073283427830809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-1408615704857310342015-09-05T19:57:19.304+01:002015-09-05T19:57:19.304+01:00A fellow FF fan (who also proof-reads my adventure...A fellow FF fan (who also proof-reads my adventures for me) has drawn the Spider-Monkey. The sketch is on Facebook's FF pageMALthus Direhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15847555508305181801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-92025637770942215372015-09-05T13:38:26.714+01:002015-09-05T13:38:26.714+01:00just had a look at venom of vortan on the official...just had a look at venom of vortan on the official site... looks really good, would it be possible to include some illustrations ?<br /><br /><br />edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13633073283427830809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-72316801467584409352015-09-03T21:17:09.873+01:002015-09-03T21:17:09.873+01:00My main memory of this is the desert trek and the ...My main memory of this is the desert trek and the gribbly mutants.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05903993127360160864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-79459965341296652782015-09-03T18:59:41.066+01:002015-09-03T18:59:41.066+01:00great, i look forward to reading them.
.great, i look forward to reading them.<br /><br />.edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13633073283427830809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-33392454368347920092015-09-02T19:47:15.730+01:002015-09-02T19:47:15.730+01:00Panic not ed, more reviews coming soon. I've b...Panic not ed, more reviews coming soon. I've been writing my 5th amateur gamebook for the last six weeks and that has been taking up all my spare time, but it's done now so the reviews can begin again shortly :-) MALthus Direhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15847555508305181801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-70988945089557302672015-09-02T18:22:19.320+01:002015-09-02T18:22:19.320+01:00Malthus , your blog is in ' dire ' n...Malthus , your blog is in ' dire ' need of some fresh reviews.<br /><br />edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13633073283427830809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-70234614740499959252015-07-14T20:14:25.113+01:002015-07-14T20:14:25.113+01:00In the context of FF where you start with 14-24 St...In the context of FF where you start with 14-24 Stamina, I'd say that potentially losing 22 points of it is pretty harsh! Tunnels & Trolls and FF are two different things - for example, I recall that in D&D a Wizard could potentially start with 1-4 Hit Points which is EXTREMELY harsh but is irrelevant as it's not FF and FF has a very different system to both D&D and Tunnels & Trolls (as well as umpteen other gamebook/RPG systems.)<br /><br />Also, re: desert items, I'd suggest that the Silver Amulet is pretty essential in that it is needed to ease the standard Keith Martin final showdownMALthus Direhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15847555508305181801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-78962353910029651862015-07-14T17:56:02.494+01:002015-07-14T17:56:02.494+01:00Having played the Tunnels & Trolls solo Captif...Having played the <i>Tunnels & Trolls</i> solo <i>Captif d'Yvoire</i>, in which it is possible to lose all your Stamina-equivalent before even getting to make a decision, I don't find the slave ship sequence all that harsh. Especially as there's no way of losing the fight you get into if you make the most sensible decision when on deck - if your Stamina gets too low, the Dark Elf intervenes on your behalf.<br /><br />Not sure what you mean by 'key items' when comparing the boat trip with the desert crossing. Take the easy route and you'll have to fight the creature from the front cover, but it's not a horrendous fight. And if there are any other items that can only be acquired as part of the desert trek, they're so non-essential that I can't even remember them.Ed Jolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07293815550517824166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-70431670852817912962015-07-07T21:45:37.667+01:002015-07-07T21:45:37.667+01:00I really like the cover, but then I'm a sucker...I really like the cover, but then I'm a sucker for croco-characters - dem green scales are great. I remember playing this to relax after it arrived through the post just after getting a scary letter and a stinking cold! Just after finishing Vault of the Vampire the day before,a good FF like this always does the trick.AMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06953530709242023061noreply@blogger.com