onejayhawk
Afflicted with reason
Civ is based on Civilization the board game. They are collectible and I have a copy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_(1980_board_game)
SF books
- Thread starter gozpel
- Start date
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_(1980_board_game)
Mainly it involves taking raw combat rolls and translating them into prose. When I play these gamebooks I keep track of every single dice roll, whether it's in combat, testing for Luck (something that comes up in the story or you can use it as an option in combat to double the damage done to the opponent, but that's a risky move), or one of the "Roll one die. If the result is 1, turn to ___. If the result is 2-5, turn to ___. If the result is 6, turn to ___." Depending on the roll, you could get instantly dead.
For the purposes of turning these books into prose, I assume I've rolled the best outcome (not a cheat, as I first played these gamebooks over 25 years ago and in one case it took me 52 tries to get out alive; Deathtrap Dungeon is well-named). But I don't just automatically assume I've won whatever combats come along. If the opponent hits my character, that gets written into the narrative and I'm trying to get away from the "eating a meal cures 4 Stamina Points" thing. My characters use whatever first aid supplies they have at hand, whether regular or magical. If my character uses Luck or receives Luck, there's sometimes a mention of having (or not having) the favor of the goddess Sindla (or one or two others).
This thing about not incorporating raw game mechanics into the narrative annoyed a guy who joined one of the D&D groups I was in, btw. He saw no reason to take the fighter out of the action when he broke his ankle, "because he still has 8 hit points left". The rest of us disagreed, including the person playing the fighter. The characters don't talk about hit points; they talk about whether they feel okay, or if they're tired, or if something hurts.
I never really appreciated the Dwarf character class until I read the Dwarven Nations trilogy. The Elven Nations trilogy explains how the Elves became divided into the Qualinesti (Tanis' people) and the Sylvanesti (even more snooty than the Qualinesti, if that's possible).
Have you ever seen the Larry Elmore painting depicting what she did to him?
Do you ever play it? It's been over 20 years since I last played face-to-face, though there was an online group that did a PBP (play-by-post) version a few years back.Civ is based on Civilization the board game. They are collectible and I have a copy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_(1980_board_game)
Saying ‘Ouch! My hit-points!’ would really turn it into a Darths and Droids clone.
Yep, those.Valka D'Ur said:
As a matter of fact… no? I've seen a lot of material, but I don't remember a particular ‘Larry Elmore’ painting.Valka D'Ur said:Have you ever seen the Larry Elmore painting depicting what she did to him?
I'm reasonably sure it was by Larry Elmore, though I might be mistaken. It's in one of the calendars. Raistlin chained in the Abyss, while Takhisis rides by on a dragon, mocking him.
Ferocitus
Deity
Civ is based on Civilization the board game. They are collectible and I have a copy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_(1980_board_game)
From that wiki page...
The creator of the computer game Civilization, Sid Meier, claims that he did not play the original board game before making his game, but was instead inspired by SimCity, Railroad Tycoon and Risk. The name of the computer game was later decided during its development. Meier and MicroProse obtained the rights to use the name from Avalon Hill.
That's why I amended my original claim. However, Sid was inspired by Sim City
which was directly influenced by The Cyberiad.
As I said, it would be nice to have a more direct line. For example, in an
episode of Star Gate Atlantis, Rodney and (dude's name forgotten) play a
Civ-like game that affects people on a planet their ship is orbiting. That is a
a definite homage to Civ IMO.
Another more direct link with Civ is the short 1988 Dutch/German video of a story
from The Cyberiad called "The Seventh Sally" or "How Trurl's Own Perfection Led to
No Good". (Dialogue is in English.)
It is very dated and not great quality, but it shows the little civilization and
the inhabitants roaming around doing things we see in Civ games. At about 4:30
into the vid Trurl explains how armies, marketplaces and other buildings emerge
from his "program", and how the people are grateful.
"A sprinkling of heroes, a pinch of prophets and seers, one Messiah, and one
Great Person."
All the words and phrases are there.
That's a much more direct connection, IMO.What do you think?
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I don't have any Dragonlance calendars, but it does sound perfectly reasonable.
I've just double-checked. The painting was by Clyde Caldwell, not Larry Elmore (though Elmore has done many wonderful paintings for Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and other (A)D&D settings).
I can't post it here, as I'm fairly sure it violates the Standards As Decreed By Google (aka Takhisis isn't wearing much). Even though I found it by doing a Google search. Go figure.
onejayhawk
Afflicted with reason
Twice and never completed a game. If I had a computer back in 1991, I would have been all over Civ I. My first venture was CivNet in 1994. The network part was useless because my second-hand 386 couldn't handle a browser. I had one of those free email programs but no internet.
J
onejayhawk
Afflicted with reason
I was reminded today that most of H Beam Piper is now public domain. There is a SF story site that has most of his work posted to download or read online. Other authors include Randall Garrett, Keith Laumer, Fritz Lieber, Doc Smith.
https://scifistories.com/
J
https://scifistories.com/
J
Ferocitus
Deity
Henry Kuttner's Proud Robot is hilarious and well worth a read, if only to see
where the inspiration for Douglas Adams' android Marvin came from.
where the inspiration for Douglas Adams' android Marvin came from.
I'm going to second the recommendation for The Fifth Season and sequels by N.K. Jemisin. Gripping and compellingly written novels with an original tectonic take on "magic" that hits a satisfying line firmly between the fantasy and sci-fi camps. I really can't recommend the series enough.
More in the space opera mould, I'm excited to start reading Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, another Hugo winner about which I've heard only good things. I'm currently enjoying The Man in the High Castle (Philip K. Dick), but that's an oldie the OP almost certainly will have already read.
The Ann Leckie books are excellent!!
That sounds very much like late '80s-early '90s female RPG/fantasy characters.
If you want to write something, by all means drop me a line.
What part is the
referring to?
I'll second this one. A good fantasy romp.
onejayhawk
Afflicted with reason
Rah is agreeing with me. The world will end.
I always wanted to know how Brust packed so much into the Taltos books, but not into his other series in that world.
J
I always wanted to know how Brust packed so much into the Taltos books, but not into his other series in that world.
J
I'm not sure what you mean, so ai has a confoozed.
Ah, now I get it.
Thank you - and I hope you don't mind if we defer this awhile? My current NaNoWriMo story isn't either SF or fantasy, and takes place in a national park. Nobody is engaging in any sword-fighting (unless I drop in a scene involving the Society for Creative Anachronism... and they use swords made of rattan; real swords are strictly for ceremonial purposes).
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