Space Assassin

Background - 

Its a new year as 1985 rolls around.  Puffin are crying out for more books.  I can only imagine Ian's fingers are just bloody stumps from all the typing.  But things take an interesting twist.  A twenty four year old man from Australia has just finished reading his little brothers new book.  It is a gamebook called Warlock of Firetop Mountain.  Andrew's creative juices start flowing.  Believing that the authors have fantasy cornered he comes up with a plan for a Sci Fi version.  This is the first draft of Space Assassin.  It is not designed to be Fighting Fantasy but its own unique thing and he sends it off to Puffin for a look and I believe they send it to Puffin UK where it ends up on the desk of Philippa Dickinson, the godmother of Fighting Fantasy publishing at Puffin.  

No doubt under pressure to keep churning these popular books out at an unprecedented rate she calls Ian.

Phone rings and Ian picks up

"Hello, Ian speaking"

"Ian its Philippa"

"Philippa please, I promise the doctors said I need to stop typing so much.  My fingerprints are gone and my index figure has been reduced to a stub.  The next book will be ready as soon as possible, I promise, please don't send the boys around again."

"Ian, before you start..."

"My knee has not recovered from their last visit, but honestly when I get more ink for the typewriter.."

"Ian calm down!  Besides the boys are busy visiting Roald Dahl.  I was going to say I have some fan fiction that we might be able to use this month for a new Fighting Fantasy."

"Really, fan fiction?"

"Yep, its a bit different but we can change it to Fighting Fantasy no problem, only thing is its set in Space."

"Oh god no, do you not remember Starship Traveler?!"

"Hmm yes, and this one is also a bit short.  But unless you have another book ready to go?"

"Erm ok, I am sure it was just a one off.  Throw in a puzzle to take it up to 400 and it will be fine."

"I am glad you agree Ian, ill talk to you next month, I trust it will be ready.."

Phone hangs up.

But yep, according to the man himself he went and wrote a sci fi gamebook and sent it off and then proceeded to have zero control over the content which included a puzzle being in the game that was a surprise to him.  It also was written with a different system in mind but retro fitted to be Fighting Fantasy.  Again no memories of playing this one but always keen to see what a new author is bringing to the table.  I am worried about it being sci-fi though.

Covers - 

I actually like this cover.  Some futuristic security guards blatantly not doing their job and watching sports instead.  My question is why do all dystopian sports have spikes?  If anything sport is getting softer!  Look at football.  You used to be able to put in proper tackles but these days players fall over at a gust of wind.  Can you imagine throwing in some spikes for Neymar?  He would faint!

If anything the sport they will be watching wont involve any contact and the ball would be made of sponge for safety reasons.

No reprints of this one (which I think is worrying) and its straight onto the US cover.  They have gone for a black background for a change which helps the whole space aesthetic.  Looks like its an exo-suit from the Alien films except with a gun.  But why is there a pool with a tentacle monster in space?  And that drone in the background is shooting out electricity!  That close to water is very dangerous, HSE aboard the spaceship will be calling!

Premise - 

So the system of Od is ruled by a tyrannical scientist by the name of Cyrus.  He has a penchant for being a bit of a dick.  For some reason he sends robots and mutants to harass your world.  No mention of what form this harassment takes.  I will imagine that they are really annoying door to door salesmen and telemarketers. 

The worst of old Cyrus's crimes though is the kidnapping.  It is believed that they are taken away for him to experiment on and are never seen again.  However we do not have any evidence of this and it could easily be a case of wild speculation in the local pub.

Everyone though seemed ok with this, so no one important must have been taken.  But things have taken a turn.  Word has reached us that his next experiment will be to destroy our planet.  Covering the planet in radioactive isotopes and showering the planet with deadly viruses.  This sounds less like an experiment and more like genocide.  

The powers that be decide that the best way to deal with this is contact the local assassins guild and put a hit on Cyrus.  Well actually its not a hit.  We have to go on board his starship, the Vandervecken, and capture him and bring him to justice.  

The guild pimp me out in the latest weapons and pressure armor to deal with this.  Why me you ask, well because I am a master of 27 human and alien martial arts!  Hopefully the alien ones translate well to someone with two arms and two legs.  I set off to save the planet and find the Vandervecken in a nearby star system and smuggle myself onto its supply shuttle on the planet its visiting.

This Mission Briefing as its called (nice touch) is less thank two pages.  Which is disappointing to be honest but what we do get is really good and quite excited about this.

Playthrough - 

So we do get the usual Skill, Stamina and Luck but we also have some extras to looks at!  The first one is armour which can help protect from gunfire.  Its a 1d6 roll plus 6 and works just like testing your luck.  If you pass it protects you but its -1 to the total every time you test.

We also get a shopping list for equipment -

• Electric Lash - 1 (a gun that takes off the standard 2 stamina each time it hits)
• Assault Blaster - 3 (takes off 1d6 of stamina with each hit)
• Grenade - 1 (throw before fight and 1d6 stamina off everyone)
• Gravity Bomb - 3 (a mental sounding mini black hole bomb)
• Extra Armour -.5 (add 1 to your armour score)

You get 1d6 to spend and must take at least the Lash or Blaster for a gun.  

Rules for gunfire combat are different as well compared to hand to hand.  When I fire I need to roll equal or less than my skill score to score a hit.  The book though when it fires back must roll less than the skill, equal is a miss, so it is slightly weighted in the players favor.

Finally we get space provisions which are called Energizer Tablets.  These drugs perfectly replicate the healing powers of a corned beef sandwich.  In fact they are slightly better in that they restore 5 stamina.  But you only start with four!  Come on now I had 10 full meals in my backpack before and in the future I only need little tablets and only have 4 of them!  I guess none of my martial arts involve wearing a back back.  In other walkthroughs I have read though people call them pep pills but energizer tablets in my book which is the dragon cover.

A whole barrage of new stuff though and they sound really good, can't wait to try the gun battle out.

Skill - 9

Stamina - 22

Luck - 9

Armour - 9

That was a lot of 3's rolled.  Pretty average but not terrible.  Stamina is good which is great for the playthrough lasting a bit longer!

I roll a 6 for my equipment.  Great news that the Assassins Guild are sparing no expense.  Quite right as if it goes wrong we are all dead.

I decide to go for the Assault Blaster, a couple of grenades and 2 extra points of armour to take it to 11.  Lots of rolling involved in the Sci-Fi books so far but its still a lot less than Starship Traveler.

In my book the equipment section says 3 bars, 3 bars of what!?  With this question unanswered we start our adventure. 

The Vandervecken is pretty bad ass.  Already a massive step up from the art in Starship Traveler.

So I throw myself out of the shuttles airlock just before it docks and I use a clamp to attach myself to the Vandervecke's hull.  I quickly locate an airlock and make it inside the massive starship.  No doubt in a location as far away from Cyrus as its possible to be.

In the hanger I get the options of using a gravity bomb on the security door or a basic left and right choice through the vents.  Or the very tempting option to rummage through a pile of refuge.  Page 1 and you get an option to go through the rubbish.

I decide to have a look in the rubbish, why not!

My arrival on the Vandervecken

A quick rummage reveals that its a dead alien creature.

I feel bad that I thought this guy was a pile of rubbish.

The trail of blood shows he/she crawled out of the right hand tunnel.  He has an electronic device on its person so I pick it up.  Looks like some kind of bomb but its missing some pieces.  Not sure what to call it on my items list.  I go for dead aliens bomb kit.  The book tells me I put it in my pack!  I do have a pack!  How big are these energizer tablets!?

Since the right vent did not go well for our dead friend I opt to go left.  I make a right mess of opening it but a test of luck means I miss the cables electrocuting me.  Its blocked so I have to go in the right hand one.  I come to another hatch and hear a gurgling sound on the other side.

Id like to think I also spent hours hiding here.

I appear in some kind of prison block which is guarded by a Robot with a blaster.  I can engage in conversation, sneak off or fight.  I really want to have a go and gun battle so immediately I go for that.  Its at this point I remember how terrible I am at first person shooters and it takes me three goes to shoot the robot.  Luckily he is also terrible and only hits me once but it just pings off my armour.  I then get the option to pick up his Assault Blaster.....sh*t I could have got the gravity bomb!

Investigating the gurgling sound, its an old man in bad shape but I free him and he is very thankful.  He imparts some wisdom about the robot pilot and that if he asks me about feeling just say I don't know.  Fair enough, lets check the other cell.

Gizmo?  Is that you?

This cute little fur ball is in fact an Imp which bites me and causes me to lose another point of armour.  I leave the prison block and continue down the corridor.  The next door is described to be hot.  I decide thats probably some engine room and not where I would find Cyrus so continue on.  I walk on for some time and arrive at a t-junction but also a door that says extreme danger, enter only with authority.  Well that sounds bad so I head left.  

I know this feeling

This poor man is getting into trouble from his boss Cyrus.  Apparently the command robot on the bridge has developed feelings (interesting we have a take on AI) and Cyrus is blaming him for it as he is the head tech for the robots.  He has been ordered to shut him down as the robot has figured out Cyrus is a maniac.  The man is in a pickle though as he would consider that murder.  I just go along with him and make friends and he gives me a keycard for the door.

Next I arrive in a robot repair room.  They are all docile and I end up with a large simpering tool which means I can only carry two additional items.  At the moment I only have one so I decided to take it for just now.

This is reminding me a lot of warlocks layout.  A lot of corridors and hatches instead of doors.  I worry about missing items so at the moment opening them all.  

Which turns out to be a mistake.

This razor whirls at me but in good news I was clay pigeon shooting at the weekend and I wasn't terrible.  I one shot the razor out of the air.  I find a combat suit which I put on and it raises my armour to 14, but only then does it tell me its bulky so reduce skill by 1!  Wish I knew that before, can I change back?  Nope on I go.

The next area leads to what must be a Fighting Fantasy record with eight (yes 8) enemies.  These portabots all have skill 7, stamina 2.  I get the option to lob a grenade.  Yes, yes thanks ill do just that since the rules state it affects all enemies in the combat.  I only roll a 2 but that's enough to wipe them all out.  

I go through another door and find an armoury and yet another chance to pick up an Assault Blaster!  But I get a luck point back and pick up a pair of infra red goggles!

Next I have a locked door that I need to pull one of two levers.  I am left handed so go left.  The door opens and its yet another t-junction.  This time I mix it up and head right.  

It is called a Micro Helicopter but looks more like a space wasp!

I have tried micro helicopters and I am terrible at flying them.  I am not told what type of combat it is so its time to use some of my martial arts skills.  We are both skill 8 but he only has stamina 2.  One karate chop is all it takes.  Everything goes a bit wrong though as it catches fire and the room is soon ablaze.  I get the option to take two items but this would take me over my limit so I ditch the simpering tool.  I am now the proud owner of a plastic cylinder with ball bearings and an unopened cardboard packet with a red heart.  I open the package to find a deck of playing cards.  I wonder if space cards are different?

The next room in the never ending corridor contains a machine for copying tapes.  I take the tape from the machine but all the others are blank.  I wonder if they are recording music off the radio.  

And I wander into this dude.

The deity is one if the most unique fights I have come across so far in all the books.  He has six unique weapons and each combat round he rolls to see which one is used.  If you roll a 6 he uses an instant kill disintegrator but its only skill 5.  Its ranged combat but this could be a messy one.

He may have a lot of weapons but he proceeds to miss me with every single one.  Including the instant kill ray with his first attack.  I wont lie, that was terrifying.   I go over to inspect its remains but he blows up causing 4 points of stamina damage. 

The next room has a pool of water covering half of it.  I get the option to investigate the pool but looking at the US cover I feel it will just have tentacles in it so I go the dry way.  In the next corridor its a precarious walkway miles about what appears to be a countryside.  And of course yet another t-junction.  I go left, another t-junction... 

I go left again and end up in the scene form the cover.  I learn that the sport is called Zero-G Fangball and its the Epsilon-Indi telecast!  I calmly pull out my deck of cards and offer them a game since they clearly are not that bothered about their job.  But turns out they do not want to play and its blasters out.  Turns out Guard 1 is terrible but Guard 2 is an absolute sharpshooter but my armour takes three hits for me.  They have triggered an alarm though so I make haste through a security door.

Why would you not put up handrails!

The text specifically calls out the lack of handrails over the mystery pool of water so I take the path around the edge instead.  

Wrong choice.

I alas do not have any of the wonderful sounding Anti Mollusc Formula Four so its a straight hand to hand fight.  Alas I have not read about the mollusc nervous system either so I do the standard two stamina damage.  Both are skill 8 but the dice are kind and I only take three hits.  As their lifeless bodies float to the surface I have my first energizer tablets to bring the stamina back to a healthy 19.

A Space Orc?

I am told this guy holds a disintegrator which I know from the other battle is an instant kill.  He offers me a question to get past but I look in my pack and get an option to use the deck of cards again.  I pass a luck test and bamboozle it so much with a question it ends up a drooling mess.  I was also a drooling mess when I was trying to follow what my character was saying.  I dive through one of the portals behind him.

A VR Game!

I sit down in the seat and find myself in a game with its own set of rules.  Its a bit like world of tanks.  

I wont lie, my first read through of the rules has confused me.

Once you get into it though it becomes a lot simpler.  I was actually really enjoying it.  Initially the other tank put me in trouble as I lost two shields without reply but I got him back twice (including a lucky miss from him).  But then I got behind it twice and missed both times.  Another trade put it 2-1 shields wise for me and I then managed to go 17 turns without us bumping into each other.  Finally by blind luck I ended up behind him again and took him out.  This battle lasted quite some time.

And the logical finish to this was of course to appear in some kind of anti grav transport tunnel heading towards a big mouth creature called a Toroid.  Now it was skill 0 (a first) but I had to kill it within 3 turns by shooting it and it had stamina 12.

First roll hits and I roll a 6!  Only need to score 6 with two shots.  But my second shot misses.  Third shot hits and I am not joking I roll another 6 for damage.  Absolute scenes here that no one understands.

Very strange room to have on a intergalactic spaceship

The next room has the ominous message of step on the wrong tile and its goodbye.  I have to pick a path and add up the numbers and turn to that reference.  If it makes no sense its game over.  I have no idea, I assume you get a clue that I have missed.  It wont be up all the way up the middle.  I decide to start middle and go left (left has been serving me well so far), so 255.  And yeah fully expecting my death it actually makes sense.  I am leading a charmed life in this one that's for sure.

Its back to back encounters now as I find these guys blasting me as I go through the door.

No I have not read a book about robotics.

I really wish I had found the library in this book, would have helped no end with all these encounters.  We are all skill 8 so its a very even battle.  I do prevail after taking the first Sentinel out quickly but the other guy lasts a lot longer.  I get him down to 1 stamina and then roll a 6 for damage.  That's like a head shot when the enemy only has a sliver of health left.  By the end of the encounter my armour is in absolute tatters and I take my second tablet to boost the stamina.  Armour won't be stopping anything going forward now.

I have made it to the bridge!

I decide to have a chat with the pilot since I am pretty sure any more firefights will result in my death.  He wastes no time in small talk though and immediately he starts contemplating existence and if we are dreaming each other.  I remember the prisoner's advice earlier to say I do not really know so I go with that.  He tries again but I feign disinterest and he asks me to leave.  

I make my way into the computer room and am shocked by how old it is.  Not real life shocked by 80s tech but my character is shocked as it does not have any cryogenic cooling.  I get the option to shoot it up but I am meant to be taking Cyrus alive so crippling the ship does not factor in to my thinking.  I go straight into the next room and bump into Cyrus himself!

Wait are you not the Vampire from House of Hell?

I decide to sit down first with him and have a chat.  I am 99% sure its a terrible idea but I owe it to justice to find out his true intentions.  But of course the drink is spiked.  My stamina sees me through though and he threatens me with an advanced piece of kit.  Nope you had your shot at trust so I dive at him.  Its only some old clockwork kit!  He escapes down a hatch and I follow him down.  But he has managed to get into some exo suit called the Waldo!

I get the option to search the backpack but all I have are ball bearings.  Ah why not I shrug.  Amazingly it reduces his skill by 1 point as they make him unsteady on his feet.  What are those ball bearings made of?

Its boss time!  He has skill 9 reduced to 8 so we are level there.  He only has stamina 12 though and its a gun fight so this might be close.

I hit with my first shot and roll a 3 so he is down to 9.  He misses, no doubt having a comedy fall as he steps on some ball bearings.  Its a repeat in the next round, he misses and I take off another 3.  Its even better next round as I take off 4 stamina.  He hits me though but its only a 2, he should have used the Lash!  Boom!  Head shot!  6 stamina off and its all over.  I read the best instruction you can get in Fighting Fantasy, turn to 400.

Wait what?  Really?  That's it!?  I finally make it all the way through and that is all we get!?  There is a huge chunk of empty space as well on the last page that could have been used!  That makes it even worse!!!!

This would be like the entirety of this blog being - 

Played Space Assassin, it was ok.

Notable Encounters - 

Mapping out this book I realised that I have missed a lot of amazing encounters!

Fancy a pet space squirrel? 

Its not even as simple as that, they can all escape or you could eat their food and its instant death.  Even worse, if you don't feed your pet squirrel he tells the Zark that you are a bit of a dick and that he should shoot you.  Treat him well!

You can deactivate the reactor core which leads to a scramble through the ship to get to an escape pod.  It leads to failure but I prefer to think of it as an alternative ending.

Anyone that's worked late at the office will recognise this scene.

The cleaners do not take kindly to you and they attack with their vacuums!  This may sound exotic but my partner was telling me the other day that a cleaner at her work put someone in a headlock for putting a cup with washing up liquid in the dishwasher.  Id like to think this had happened on the Vandervecken along with people not cleaning up after themselves.   No wonder they are so angry!

This gentleman is actually very nice to talk to.

There is also an interesting series of questions from a bunch of Simulacrums.  At first it looks like random guessing but if you read carefully there are hints which point you to the right answer.

But ok lets talk about the encounter that really defines this book that I managed to miss by miles.  Which is just as well as its a pain in the ass.  On the ship there is a mini planet.  In theory this sounds like a fun and novel idea.  But its nothing more than another maze like the one in Warlock.  There are a few encounters like with these guys - 

This lot can be very friendly but one faux pas with the wrong gift and its instant kill!

But most of it is very dry and boring and it took me ages to map it out, and even then I am pretty sure I have a part of it wrong.

Artwork - 

Its another new artist, Geoffrey Senior who looks after the art this time.  I think we can all agree its a massive step up from the previous sci-fi book.  The Vandervecken, the Pilot and the Deity are my favorites from the playthrough.  And those village backwater aliens are also great.  I find Geoffrey is excellent at capturing the aliens, especially when you think what information he must have had to work with.

Finally some evidence that Cyrus is a bit of a monster.

The Robot Guard in the prison.

All in all some excellent stuff here.  But its not all good news.  There is a lot of artwork of scenes that are not that important.  This is not the artist fault but it is frustrating as there are plenty scenes in the book that would do great with an illustration.

A hall with black dots...ok

The cryo chambers

The lake is pretty cool, but you cant do anything about it, you just have a look and move on!

And this is just a dead end!  If you see this you are dead already.

Just a waste as I would have loved to see more from Mr Senior but from what I can see on Titannica this was the only book he illustrated.

The Big Bad - 

Cyrus's motivations other than being a mad scientist are not really fleshed out.  I do like the brief cat and mouse game you play with him when you first meet.  If only I had not drank the wine I could have used my infra red goggles.  He can also just bugger off in an escape shuttle and leave you just watching if you are not careful.

The Waldo looks bad ass!

But as bad ass as it looks its also not the most challenging with only skill 9 which you can also reduce like I did.  I think its skill should be upped a bit but be able to take it down with the correct items.  The thing is because its ranged combat, you can give him a high skill and not make it impossible for low skilled characters as you are not rolling skill v skill.  

Menagerie - 

Well what a mix there is here.  On one hand you get the futuristic enemies such as the many robots.  Some of them are traditional enemies but a few times you find yourself surrounded by 6-8 small robots, really designed for you to lob a grenade at.  But what I did like was the uniqueness of some of the fights.   The Deity for example I really enjoyed, with so much different options and it managed to cause a little bit of poo to come out when he got his disintegrator out.  The Toroid as well with only a few shots to take it out before it eats you (should have had an illustration) adds some tension to the encounter.

And you can be a ruthless dick and kill nice scientist underlings.  

But we also have some more fantasy type monsters such as these - 

A Scorpion with Wings, its called a Winged Scorpion

The Thran Shapeshifter is pretty much a Vampire

And there seems to be a strange obsession with everything octopus!

Explains all the tentacles in the US cover!

Entertaining Deaths -

Oh we get some good ones here team.  Lets start with eating the Space Squirrel food.  Not a stamina hit, straight death!

I particular like the option of giving the tribes chief a can of nerve gas.  He accidently sprays it in his face killing himself and then his tribe kill you in vengeance.

Failing to pay cost of a pan dimensional homing device.

Turning on the gravity in the garbage chute and being ejected into space.

But this books winner is with out a doubt the absolutely ridiculous situation of defeating a guardian robot in a random hall.  Turns out he is guarding a safe which in itself is booby trapped!  Its got a black hole trap if you press the wrong button, which I am pretty sure would have caused a catastrophic problem for the ship.  This whole situation makes no sense.

Pete's Corner -

Don't reason with Robots

 

Final Thoughts - 

Ok during my playthrough I thought this was really enjoyable.  It was not until I mapped it out that I realised that its Warlock of Firetop Mountain in Space.  This makes sense as that was the only gamebook Andrew Chapman had read.  The spaceship walkways are just the same as the mountains tunnels with a door off the main passage.  But with the same amount of upsetting t-junctions!  God I forgot how much I hated t-junctions.  The final confrontation with Cyrus is also very reminiscent of the battle with the Warlock.  But the big reminder is his version of the maze of Zagor which is the planet in the spaceship, and is just as frustrating.

I thought I was extremely lucky with my playthrough.  Honestly the two rolls of 6 to take out the Toroid was so jammy.  But not as fluky as a complete guess at the route for the number path.  Now it is a terrible unthematic encounter, don't like it.  And to make matters worse the advise you can get about it is flat out wrong!  All I could think though when I read I made it was, yeah no one is going to believe this.  Id already worked out that I could use the Indiana Jones clip as a finish!

But the real luck was the route I took and not ending up on that god forsaken planet or any of the instant kill rooms.

What I really liked though was the new mechanics.  Armour is great but even better was the shooting combat.  It made for much faster paced combat encounters and as you are rolling against your own skill rather than skill v skill made it a lot fairer, especially for low skill characters.  I mean I was skill 8 for most of the playthrough.

And at least there was no you must have this item or its game over, the items would help in the right situations.

Lets talk about the tank game.  Its really interesting and a testament to how Andrew can plot out an idea.  It can be a little boring after a while and takes up far too much of the book but from a technical stand point I think its amazing.

But this kind of sums up Space Assassin.  There is some really good ideas in here and I found my playthrough pretty fun.  But its also full of some filler.  The planet has to go, or at least reduce its size and have some actual encounters on it rather than repeated plains and hills.  Its an interesting idea but not executed well.  Combined with the tank game and multiple reference passages just directing you straight to another page I feel a lot of potential was missed.  Which is a shame as more encounters like the ones in the route I took and this would have been great.

But that ending is terrible.  And I don't just blame Chapman, Puffin or anybody should have picked this up.  

Would love a modern rewrite with this premise.

Score - 5 out of 10.