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http://www.blacklibrary.com/Warhammer-40000/hive-of-the-dead.html

Is it supposed to be like those Lone Wolf RPG books? Is this like a choose your own adventure book?

Perhaps it's a book where they replace the name of the character with yours.

It's a choose-your-own-adventure:
http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/Zombies-Vs-Lasguns.html

Also, those 40k RPGs (Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, Deathwatch, etc) aren't by White Wolf. They're by Fantasy Flight.

Oh mah gawd Choose your own Adventure 40k.

This is awesome, except for the price tag.

Absolutionis wrote:It's a choose-your-own-adventure:
http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/Zombies-Vs-Lasguns.html

Also, those 40k RPGs (Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, Deathwatch, etc) aren't by White Wolf. They're by Fantasy Flight.

I know who did those books... I was talking about the Lone Wolf RPG books.


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Chowderhead wrote:Oh mah gawd Choose your own Adventure 40k.

This is awesome, except for the price tag.

I know right? 20 bucks?

It says it operates on rules quite similar to 40k, but requires no models... so I would think not really a choose your own adventure... it still requires a d6 -

I played many CYOA games that needed die.

Chowderhead wrote:I played many CYOA games that needed die.

Really? I'm used to the built-in page randomizer.

malfred wrote:

Chowderhead wrote:I played many CYOA games that needed die.

Really? I'm used to the built-in page randomizer.

Fighting Fantasy used dice. There were a couple others as well.. Some time travelling (police...?) one that I vaguely recall from the late '80s that worked off a similar idea to Fighting Fantasy.

From the email

'Hive of the Dead is the first ever Warhammer 40,000 gamebook. Using rules reminiscent of those in the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game, albeit without models and terrain, with just this book, a six sided dice and a pencil, you can battle the zombie hordes from the comfort of your armchair.'

Unless I am completely misreading the above, it is quite similar to 40k the wargame, not a CYOA. Granted, I don't know that much about the mechanics of 40k, and even less about CYOA (last one I read it was the 80's and I was a very wee lad indeed), but the way they phrase it is sounds like there is quite a bit to do.

I don't know if anyone ever read the "Star Wars Missions"
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Missions

They're basically a CYOA with dice elements. You CYOA-around until you meet a 'dice challenge'.

You have your stats (strength, accuracy, etc).
You encounter a problem. You roll a die and attempt to roll under your characteristic (Akin to a characteristic roll in 40k). If there is an enemy to shoot, you roll "Ballistic Skill".
If you succeed, flip to page XX.
If you fail, flip to page YY.
"Failure" didn't necessarily mean 'game over', but it often meant you jammed the lock, the enemy got away, etc.

This looks almost exactly of that sort.

MajorTom11 wrote:It says it operates on rules quite similar to 40k, but requires no models... so I would think not really a choose your own adventure... it still requires a d6 -

Check the link:
http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/Zombies-Vs-Lasguns.html

That Link wrote:This is the first of a new range of Warhammer 40,000 gamebooks, interactive novels where you take the role of the main character and decide where they go, what they do and whether they live or die. You fight the many enemies you meet in your adventure with a simple dice-based rules system where you roll to hit, wound and save, just like in Warhammer 40,000.

Hive of the Dead? What's in it, Zom-bees?

Gitkikka wrote:Hive of the Dead? What's in it, Zom-bees?

Yep, plague zombies by the look of it

This is bound to be very similar to Steve Jacksons Fighting Fantasy. Mate with the demonette turn to page 69, or put a hellfire round through her heaving breats turn to page 78.....type affair.

Quite novel, and perhaps a tip of the hat to the founders of GW. Price tag is crazy though, and no wonder they're doing it as a Print on Request......I imagine there will be precious few requests for this

Delephont wrote:This is bound to be very similar to Steve Jacksons Fighting Fantasy. Mate with the demonette turn to page 69, or put a hellfire round through her heaving breats turn to page 78.....type affair.

Quite novel, and perhaps a tip of the hat to the founders of GW. Price tag is crazy though, and no wonder they're doing it as a Print on Request......I imagine there will be precious few requests for this

I know right? $20. That's harsh. Privateer would have it inscribed on gold for those kind of prices.

GW is the expensives! Hurr!

Just as a comparison: the new run of Lone Wolf vol. 1 is a 450-page hardcover with a color map printed on the inside cover. And it retails for $20. Hive of the Dead is less than 300 pages and a paperback. Yes, it's print on demand. Black Library wants to know just how badly you want this book.

Manchu wrote:Just as a comparison: the new run of Lone Wolf vol. 1 is a 450-page hardcover with a color map printed on the inside cover. And it retails for $20. Hive of the Dead is less than 300 pages and a paperback. Yes, it's print on demand. Black Library wants to know just how badly you want this book.

As poorly edited as Mongoose books have been (don't forget "just plain bad" ie: Battlefield Evolution or whatever it was), you couldn't pay me $20 to take it.

Delephont wrote:This is bound to be very similar to Steve Jacksons Fighting Fantasy. Mate with the demonette turn to page 69, or put a hellfire round through her heaving breats turn to page 78.....type affair.

Quite novel, and perhaps a tip of the hat to the founders of GW.

I'm glad somebody else noticed this - I have fond childhood memories of 'Citadel of Chaos' and 'City of Thieves'. Not so fond that I'd shell out twenty quid for this, mind you...

English Assassin wrote:

Delephont wrote:This is bound to be very similar to Steve Jacksons Fighting Fantasy. Mate with the demonette turn to page 69, or put a hellfire round through her heaving breats turn to page 78.....type affair.

Quite novel, and perhaps a tip of the hat to the founders of GW.

I'm glad somebody else noticed this - I have fond childhood memories of 'Citadel of Chaos' and 'City of Thieves'. Not so fond that I'd shell out twenty quid for this, mind you...

It's not 20 quid.

yeah,
purchased/ordered mine in a heart beat.
I love these as a kid.

But saddly making it Print On Demand has pushed the price up to £16 inc postage and will put off allot of people...
especially kids which is a real shame as this could/should have easily been a £3.99 book in every GW.

Panic...

When I saw that title, I thought someone took my Necromunda Scenario and wrote a book on it....

The Choose Your Own Adventure line was a really good series.


Wonder if they still have those out there?

Worglock wrote:

Manchu wrote:Just as a comparison: the new run of Lone Wolf vol. 1 is a 450-page hardcover with a color map printed on the inside cover. And it retails for $20. Hive of the Dead is less than 300 pages and a paperback. Yes, it's print on demand. Black Library wants to know just how badly you want this book.

As poorly edited as Mongoose books have been (don't forget "just plain bad" ie: Battlefield Evolution or whatever it was), you couldn't pay me $20 to take it.

I can't recall there being any editing mistakes in Flight from the Dark. Of course, I didn't read the whole book -- that ain't how it works. It was a fun game though.

I'll be eager to see what they do with this, how or whether it takes its cues from RPGs or wargames or somehow both. Should be fun, too. And it's not the price I mind, really. It's the shipping that really hurts. Not twenty quid, one Britisher says to another. But for us Yanks it's even more.


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@Grot 6: see the review I linked and quoted in this very post, old chum.

Man, I used to love these kind if books when I was a kid. I'd check a bunch out of the school library at a time. It's a shame that this is so extensive. Just too much for a "for giggles" item.

The price did sting me a little, but had to grab a copy just to check it out, loved these sort of books as a kid

So Ive shelled out nearly £55 so far this month with this and Aurelian. I'm sure it'll all be worth it

£13 for 288 large pages seems alright to me. Ordered, should be a laugh.

I don't know the CZ Dunn though? Is anyone else familiar with his work/recommend it?

Could be Christian Dunn himself, the editor.

Manchu wrote:

Worglock wrote:

Manchu wrote:Just as a comparison: the new run of Lone Wolf vol. 1 is a 450-page hardcover with a color map printed on the inside cover. And it retails for $20. Hive of the Dead is less than 300 pages and a paperback. Yes, it's print on demand. Black Library wants to know just how badly you want this book.

As poorly edited as Mongoose books have been (don't forget "just plain bad" ie: Battlefield Evolution or whatever it was), you couldn't pay me $20 to take it.

I can't recall there being any editing mistakes in Flight from the Dark. Of course, I didn't read the whole book -- that ain't how it works. It was a fun game though.

I'll be eager to see what they do with this, how or whether it takes its cues from RPGs or wargames or somehow both. Should be fun, too. And it's not the price I mind, really. It's the shipping that really hurts. Not twenty quid, one Britisher says to another. But for us Yanks it's even more.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
@Grot 6: see the review I linked and quoted in this very post, old chum.

I'm guessing you never had experience with any of their D&D books for 3rd Edition?

Edit: or the Conan RPG.

No, I didn't need to find editing mistakes to assess the quality of those products.

Well my copy of Hive of the Dead turned up this morning.

Not read it yet but the book is a nice size and quick flick through has plenty of illustrations.

It's (as you might expect) very evocative of the Fighting Fantasy game books in layout and style. With the inventory page at the front and the tiny random monster illustrations throughout along with some full page stuff.

I'm looking forward to getting home from work tonight and having a read.

Unless [looks around empty office], someone can recommend a D6 generator for the iPhone?

yeah,
Picked mine up from the Postoffice today.
Looks really good and the game system seems fairly detailed. had a quick flick through lots of cool art, about 90% of pages have Art.
Can't wait to play... I'll review as soon as I've started to play it.

It's not a good day to be a zombie, I also picked up incursion by grindhouse games...

Panic...