tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post3199019213731623313..comments2024-03-29T07:35:51.362+00:00Comments on Fabled Lands: Are the FL books too tough?Dave Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-46428935914485284242021-05-18T23:24:11.459+01:002021-05-18T23:24:11.459+01:00I'm so glad these books are making a comeback!...I'm so glad these books are making a comeback! I remember getting book 3 from a friend as a birthday gift way back when I was a young teenager. I played in just that book for a while and did die a few times, but then learned how to make good money trading cargo and survived longer. I did have to backtrack a few times when certain instances would lead me to another book, so when I finally decided to try and get the others it seems they were out of print, and I couldn't find them at any bookstore :(<br /> Now I found the Java Fabled Lands program, and have been playing that a lot. I'm still mostly in books 1 through 3 on the Java program, but boy, it is nice to have multiple books, especially book 1; certain mechanics make a little more sense if you have that one. It will be great to get all the books including 7 in print one of these days, so thank you Dave and Jamie for getting these books out again!<br /><br /> Anyway, I also wanted to address some of the concerns other users seem to have and share some tips that have been working for me so far:<br /><br />- Major quests often involve multiple ability checks, so bring blessings, gear and potions to quests when possible.<br /><br />- Potions from the alchemist shop in Blessed Springs are your friend, especially potion of restoration, if you have the ingredients and money. <br /><br />- While some rolls are seemingly random, many also have themes. Such as exploring unknown woods, mountains, or waters often requires scouting. Venturing into enemy territory usually takes thievery skill, countering enchantments and hexes require magic, winning the favor of stubborn guards may take charisma. Know your strengths and weaknesses and plan accordingly.<br /><br />- Duel the knights in book 1 if you have decent combat skills and gear.<br /><br />- If you have book 3, the college in Dweomer is a good base, if you can get accepted... But don't venture into the woods.<br /><br />- If you're in books 1 and 2, and wish to set sail, then save up for a Galleon. Upgrade its crew to excellent as soon as you can; you won't regret it.<br /><br />- "Luck" blessing from the Three Fortunes is always a good blessing if you can afford it.<br /><br />That said, there do seem to be many random encounters in book 2 that can make or break you, and I tread carefully in that one. <br /> Which brings me to a question about an exploit in that book that I'm surprised no one else has mentioned, namely The Fens. Walking back and forth in between Marlock and Wishport via the Fens is a good way to up your scouting skill and make lots of money while you're at it. Now you do need to be able to hold your own in combat for it to work, and might also need to invest in a cross-staff if your initial scouting skill is really low. But meet those requirements and you find treasure if no tick, and then fight if there is a tick, where enemy drops decent armour if you win. Now this part I've been playing in Java Fabled Lands, so I'm worsening is it as repeatable in print? Was it meant to be one of those double tick instances perhaps? I didn't feel too bad taking advantage of it after losing 1 thievery point to a very random road encounter (a harder star to raise), but still, I'm wondering if it was meant to be a little more restricted. Lots of money to be made, thoughts?<br /><br />Thanks<br />-Ryan K<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11216529528073914109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-66476368762323384612021-01-30T09:02:36.487+00:002021-01-30T09:02:36.487+00:00This is one of Jamie's books, but I'll try...This is one of Jamie's books, but I'll try and answer it. The relevant section reads:<br /><br />"You can purchase these ingredients for 15 Shards at many a market stall. If you make the purchase, note you have salt and iron filings on your Adventure Sheet."<br /><br />So you don't have to go looking for a specific city market. You can buy them anywhere. Just cross off 15 Shards at any time and it's assumed you've found them.<br /><br />I agree that the phrasing there makes it easy to get confused if you're used to linear gamebooks. It would have been better to make it clearer, like this:<br /><br />"These are common ingredients which you can buy anywhere for 15 Shards. To acquire some, just pay 15 Shards at any time and note that you have salt and iron filings on your Adventure Sheet."<br /><br />So, that quest is actually quite simple. Aware that people can get confused by wording, we're making sure to spell out absolutely everything in the Vulcanverse books we are currently writing. Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-16422614749322707402021-01-30T03:33:23.242+00:002021-01-30T03:33:23.242+00:00Stuck inside during the pandemic I bought big prin...Stuck inside during the pandemic I bought big print editions of the first 2 FL books to give them a spin.<br />I loved the concept, I was okay starting a second and then a 3rd character to find my way around (playing both 1st and 2nd rank characters) - but then increasingly the goodwill began to fade, frustration increased - and then I simply felt cheated.<br />The breaking point was a quest in the first book - I felt excited to finally find a path that might lead somewhere (it dealt with a ghoul).<br />And when I finally found myself entering the area, the book told me I now needed salt & iron filings - something that "many market stalls" sold.<br />Except they don't. At least not in the 2 books I paid for - I didn't find a single market in either book. Now, as someone who has played thousands of hours of rpgs over the decades from graph paper to computers to board games that was like breaking a covenant between developer and consumer.<br />And the thing is, I liked the books and the travel, so this dead end was particularly frustrating.<br />Now if it turns out I am somehow wrong - fine - I will stand corrected. <br />Anyway, I am passing along this feedback though bluntly I wonder how this issue never came up before in a series this long in print.<br />Respectfully,<br />Walt<br />vlad48https://www.blogger.com/profile/14977929732645247004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-21294664911687750272020-12-30T18:19:25.709+00:002020-12-30T18:19:25.709+00:00Thanks for the feedback, Mark. Jamie and I are cur...Thanks for the feedback, Mark. Jamie and I are currently working on a new series of gamebooks set in his Vulcanverse world, and we'll be aiming to make the experience more like an MMO this time round.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-21809536261829741252020-12-29T13:41:10.147+00:002020-12-29T13:41:10.147+00:00I just played through book 1 as a troubadour, and ...I just played through book 1 as a troubadour, and had a blast. :) at the end of my playthrough, I reached Rank 3 and a stamina of 17. <br /><br />Regarding too difficult, I would echo what others have said that it's tricky until you find a beginner quest which gives you a leg-up, but then book 1 isn't too bad.<br /><br />Ultimately, though, I think the problem with the game is that people like myself who did not play the FF books of the 80s, but rather MMOs like WoW in the oughts are used to the starter quests to appear close to where you start the game, with the harder quests not available to players until they have moved out of the beginner regions/have attained a high enough rank to even qualify for those harder quests. Sure this is a little bit of railroading, but it makes for a less initially frustrating play.Mark Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08036362631399600358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-79045445287799450622020-01-27T11:27:44.932+00:002020-01-27T11:27:44.932+00:00I'll throw that one open to the intermind. Cer...I'll throw that one open to the intermind. Certainly there are people out there who made it through the books as mages and priests, both of whom are very weak in combat skill to begin with. It could be they used Jamie's favourite tactic of beginning a character in book 3 or even book 5 and immediately heading for Golnir or Sokara, which are much safer. But you might feel like that's cheating.<br /><br />As for fighting with magic -- there's no routine way to use it in every fight. Occasionally an encounter will give you an option to use magic for a quick win, but in most cases you've just got to get that sword out.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-40623049612364022532020-01-27T02:43:26.660+00:002020-01-27T02:43:26.660+00:00I am playing through the books as a wizard but I k...I am playing through the books as a wizard but I keep dying in pretty much all combat situations. Even if I get better weapons fights are still hard. On the back of the Blood-Dark Sea it says that you can fight with magic. How do I do this is there a quest line or something?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-27146477947978844022020-01-06T09:27:10.031+00:002020-01-06T09:27:10.031+00:00That's really useful feedback, thanks. Jamie a...That's really useful feedback, thanks. Jamie and I play a lot of CRPGs, so we're used to that die/learn/repeat approach. I'm glad we're not the only ones!Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-78399343221005193202020-01-06T01:39:49.617+00:002020-01-06T01:39:49.617+00:00Just stumbled onto Fabled Lands a couple weeks ago...Just stumbled onto Fabled Lands a couple weeks ago. It's brilliant. This is the gamebook system I always imagined a gamebook system could be with the right game developers at the helm. So, kudos to the Authors for making such a wonderful thing. After getting quickly destroyed a couple times, I googled 'Is Fabled Lands too hard?' and ended up here. Now that I've played several games here's my take:If you're looking for a one-shot interactive narrative, it's going to feel way too hard. You won't have a good experience if you only plan to play this game once or twice. But if you're willing to put in some practice (as you would with any other game), then it's perfectly tuned, in my opinion. Like any other game, FL needs to be metagamed a bit. You have to learn what the game engine expects of you. My secret to enjoying the game immensely is: play it dirty at least once before trying to play it clean. Cheat. Die. Undie. Try again. Take big risks. see what happens. But stay on Book One for the cheat session. You won't ruin the world, but you'll learn so much about how to play the game. THEN, play it clean, from the beginning. After playing Book One dirty, I'm having so much fun playing clean and traveling to other books. There's still an enormous amount of content to discover, but I understand what the game engine expects of me now. It made a huge difference. In short, I don't think the game needs to be easier. But it's definitely game system for gamers, and requires an old-school gaming sensibility.Blue Botichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09204559339912941912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-73072644154119732482019-07-12T19:52:42.777+01:002019-07-12T19:52:42.777+01:00There's no mistake. If you try to go upriver, ...There's no mistake. If you try to go upriver, you first get a warning from the old man that it's very dangerous to enter the jungle. To go on, you'll need book 7. If you don't have book 7, or if you heed his warning, you go back to 44.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-40504942716281684562019-07-11T15:32:29.819+01:002019-07-11T15:32:29.819+01:00Does anyone knows if it is a mistake, that you can...Does anyone knows if it is a mistake, that you cannot leave Smognaw in Book 3, when you want to go down the river, in to the jungle? If you leave the city this way, you'll directed to number 90 where an old man warns you and shows you a stump of his leg that he lost to a crocodile. And in my german version of the book I can just go back to Smognaw, to number 44. Can someone halp me out? <br />Thank youAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04757119718747901866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-15861099633020508682018-12-02T08:32:10.507+00:002018-12-02T08:32:10.507+00:00MmmmMmmmAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01475370779003479851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-24862221127814252182018-09-03T09:53:39.926+01:002018-09-03T09:53:39.926+01:00And you only get the codeword Auric if you start i...And you only get the codeword Auric if you start in book one, remember... ;-)Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-75347837278236138992018-09-02T07:17:28.213+01:002018-09-02T07:17:28.213+01:00Easy mode is starting in book five and then head s...Easy mode is starting in book five and then head straight east for the the earlier books. Starting in book 3 is a nightmare, but also famous for being the only way of reaching a certain island and getting a certain title.wandererhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13165734127527432570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-89035477924801671302017-07-03T15:50:37.708+01:002017-07-03T15:50:37.708+01:00And now characters who start out in Book One begin...And now characters who start out in Book One begin with the codeword Auric, which will pay off in Book 12 if we ever get that far.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-14430918664070656382017-07-03T14:38:48.188+01:002017-07-03T14:38:48.188+01:00Regarding starting difficulty, I was enjoying the ...Regarding starting difficulty, I was enjoying the freedom to explore freely so much it didn't really bother me. The idea of starting book 1 on a small island was genius, but in hindsight it might have been a good idea to flesh out the island a bit more with some early encounters and side quests to beef up the character. Maybe a fight with a brigand and move the encounter with the village of the fake ghosts from north of Yellowport on to the isle of Druids. It would give a bit more of a feel for the game early on and some much needed extra cash and gear. Ultimately though, it's not a big issue IMHO.Simon Hibbshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03997328692622628629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-60087368237695429932016-09-19T08:26:28.266+01:002016-09-19T08:26:28.266+01:00I don't believe anyone could have this much tr...I don't believe anyone could have this much trouble in the war-torn kingdom. First time playing with the wayfarer was a piece of cake. I got my stat upgrade from the sage and assassinated Marlock's brother to get to rank 2. After that I was well ready for anything Sokara had to offer. Before I new it I was rolling in shards with awesome enchanted gear, two titles, powerful potions and a resurrection deal with Tyrnai. Again, unless you are playing as the wizard or something I can't believe anybody could have this much trouble in Fabled lands.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15200642077986911595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-44378825924461400392016-07-04T13:55:53.664+01:002016-07-04T13:55:53.664+01:00That sounds great!! Also is like to thank you on b...That sounds great!! Also is like to thank you on behalf of myself and the thousands of other Fabled Lands readers,most author's are only interested in that check every month and never talk or respond to their fans but you are actively accepting critique and praise from your fans,honestly it's an honor to even have you acknowledge a message but to respond to it is definitely awsome.Thank you for making mine and all of your other fans lives a little better by writing such an immersive and ongoing piece of art!!!! Much love BroAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03603099374973688912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-52614564676108639952016-07-04T11:10:45.608+01:002016-07-04T11:10:45.608+01:00After a brief fling with ebooks I'm more or le...After a brief fling with ebooks I'm more or less 100% back to reading in print myself, James, so I know that feeling. Thanks for your kind words about FL. Hopefully we'll have Paul Gresty's book 7 for you to plunge into quite soon.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-75645576982964723562016-07-04T05:11:20.233+01:002016-07-04T05:11:20.233+01:00Also sorry for making two posts but I really like ...Also sorry for making two posts but I really like that Fabled Lands is in book form I'm 26 and looove playing games on my phone but on the same token I feel like this series is much more fun in book form and also you lose something when you play it on a phone there's just something special to it when you sit in your recliner and grab a cup of coffee a fabled lands book,two dice,notebook and a pencil....i just can't get enough..Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03603099374973688912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-74692193174312657792016-07-04T05:02:07.201+01:002016-07-04T05:02:07.201+01:00Dave I bought the Amazon paperback versions of 1- ...Dave I bought the Amazon paperback versions of 1- 3 and after starting in book 1 I've killed a rat king,scorpion man and saved villagers PLUS invested 400 shards at Yellowport merchant guild all without cheating or looping or dying.I cannot agree with the others on how hard it is I started as a Wayfarer and played it like the character was me...i was in an unknown land so I played it safe and went to a town first and talked to people and piddled around until I was ready for bigger things.I think many people are throwing low level characters into the fray trying to get rich or hoping for lucky rolls so they can get good loot and end up dying over and over.Just my two cents anyway I love these books they are literally the best gamebook you can buy and I will certainly be buying the rest soon Thank you Dave for making something doo amazing and please finish the series !!!!!!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03603099374973688912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-73975984827453837492016-01-14T14:40:43.642+00:002016-01-14T14:40:43.642+00:00Gosh, if we ever turn these books into apps, I'...Gosh, if we ever turn these books into apps, I'm going to have to tighten some of those loopholes. Thanks for pointing them out, Void - and if you have the patience to endlessly fight those bandits then you deserve every level, say I.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-17748059546658192002016-01-14T01:37:04.510+00:002016-01-14T01:37:04.510+00:00Cheaty as hell, and I won't deny it. I play b...Cheaty as hell, and I won't deny it. I play book 2 primarily.<br /><br />Go to Golnir, run back and forth between Ringhorn and Castle Ravayne. Fight the bandits, you can do this indefinitely until you reach rank 12 (and you can, because the bandits are a nearly guaranteed way to level up every time you fight them).<br /><br />They drop several suits of +1 armor, one suit of +2 armor, 37 shards, and 5 swords. Also if you go to Castle Ravayne you can keep practicing swordplay until you reach 6 in Combat. It's free (aside from the stamina you lose for each attempt), and with Ringhorn only 2 sections away you can easily keep going back and forth to heal to raise up. Then when you reach rank 4 go into Castle Ravayne, talk to the Baroness. Offer to do her dragonslaying task, go kill the dragon, return with the head and you're now a paladin of Castle Ravayne. Now you can infinitely ask the Baroness for rewards, every time you get a boat reward that's free money. Every time you get armour, that's free money. And every time you get a training session you get to pick the stat to raise for free.<br /><br />People with MMO grinding mindsets can easily exploit those parts of book 2.The Voidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06204513905106670732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-3749731470431790142014-09-20T10:42:08.164+01:002014-09-20T10:42:08.164+01:00It reminds me of almost my first ever role-playing...It reminds me of almost my first ever role-playing experience. I was a 1st level EPT sorcerer with 1 hit point (unlucky roll) whose whole party got slaughtered in the underworld. I was taken prisoner by a 5th level Hluss lord - figure on 20+ hit points for that, plus its spells. In desperation I tried fooling it with my one spell, Illusion, and then stabbed with my dagger. Got a natural 20 followed by a natural 20 - instant kill. In the underworld alone, I had to get out of there but I had time to prise one gem out of the dead Hluss's carapace. When I got back to town I rolled for the gem's value. A straight 100 followed by 66 gave a value of 20,000 Kaitars. So I went up a level and now I was rich. I think that character finally retired a year later at 15th level or higher. But it could all have gone very differently.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141372262111342844.post-28304093648268853282014-09-20T10:33:58.377+01:002014-09-20T10:33:58.377+01:00If we did them today, the FL series would be apps ...If we did them today, the FL series would be apps instead of books and they could adapt their difficulty to the player's rank. Looking back, it's amazing to think of all those gamebooks created for a medium (print) that was really so unsuitable.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.com