New FFTD begining, better than the original (Spoilers?)

[Winter Wolf]

I have read through the beginning sections of the new edition of Flight from the Dark and I think that Joe has really shown how he has mastered his craft since the original. But what do the rest of you think. Please discuss why it's better or even worse!

 

[Winter Wolf]

For me the new beginning is a huge improvement when I first heard that the book would be getting a new start as it were I was a bit excited and a bit concerned but it has turned out to be a huge improvement to the book in my opinion.

For one thing you get to share Silent Wolfs sense of loss as he looses friends and teachers. When if you make it out of the monastery you have a greater sense of what has been lost not just the people but many irreplaceable relics and trappings of past masters and the first order. It also shows Silent wolf having definite talents and an academic inattention rather than being serial under achiever that seemed to have been suggested in the past!

Another aspect that I enjoyed was the chance to explore the monastery learn about it's different chambers, halls and court yards. There seemed to be quite a few nice pieces of tech and cool weapons that the original order used and you get to have a play with some of it.

Joe seems to have balanced out the use of some of the disciplines and pieces of equipment. Some disciplines that I could remember using rarely get quite a bit of use in the first book. Also there seems to be more reward and possibly less sudden death injury and endurance loss if you don't have a discipline or item seems to be a more common way to go and I like it.

All in all a huge thumbs up.

WW

 

[Balgin Stondraeg]

I think I enjoy most of the new stuff. Things being moved around a bit to keep us on our toes was a nice touch too. I specificaly enjoyed all the new descriptive stuff sprinkled liberaly throughout the adventure to help it come to life. I didn't like two or three of the new pictures but the others were all good.

The battle in the monastery had this odd feeling about it. About halfway through the battle I kept getting this nagging feeling that the entire adventure was nearly over. I'm glad it wasn't .

 

[jadrax]

Yeah, the intro was huge ;o)

As an old time player your sat there thinking, "Eek, I have been sat with this book for half an hour now and I haven't actually started the book proper!"

Also I think it sets up the series a lot better. You really get a feel for who the Kai are, and who Silent Wolf is, as you go through the monestry.

 

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Yeah, the intro was huge ;o)

I didn't mean the length. I meant that I kept feeling "oh well, soon the new adventure will be over and I'll be back into the old adventure". The nice little changes to the old adventure kept it fresh (you can do it without metting the burrowcrawler now ).

And then there were some new changes towards the end which were a really nice touch as well .

 

[RuneDancer]

From what I've read so far (up to LW lighting the beacon), I am impressed with the change of beginning.

I still love the original idea of "the worst student can shine given a chance", but am definately amazed with the detail of the monastery which you didn't get with the old version.

 

[Balgin Stondraeg]

From what I've read so far (up to LW lighting the beacon), I am impressed with the change of beginning.

Well there's a new ending as well. It's just as good .

 

[RuneDancer]

'kin hell!!!

Amazing stuff and was not expecting that last bit one iota.

One slight thing I had with the book - there was possibly too much detail he was trying to include. But this has probably something to do with the way I liked the fast pace of the original.

 

[RuneDancer]

So, what's gonna happen in CoD? I thought Madelon was the name of the Baron's daughter? Are we gonna have to save this new Madelon now, and she becomes (as has been discussed at length elsewhere) the love interest of our hero?

 

[Balgin Stondraeg]

So, what's gonna happen in CoD? I thought Madelon was the name of the Baron's daughter? Are we gonna have to save this new Madelon now, and she becomes (as has been discussed at length elsewhere) the love interest of our hero?

Same here. In fact I always thought she was a Stornlander or Durenese (and wondered why the king of Sommerlund would turn up to rescue her - I'd always assumed she'd been on the way to visit the court of Sommerlund and been abducted en route since she was such a long way away from Holmgard). Now she's king Ulnar's daughter (and has a personality too ).

I was a little bit worried about the kai crystals. I found myself wondering where the graveweed and gallowbrush potions had gone (for later use in books 3 & 4/5). I got a nasty suspicion that the "grenades" would work better for the computer game than poisoning people and so they might have replaced them. I hope that isn't the case .

 

[Methos]

So, what's gonna happen in CoD? I thought Madelon was the name of the Baron's daughter? Are we gonna have to save this new Madelon now, and she becomes (as has been discussed at length elsewhere) the love interest of our hero?

maybe Madelon ist just a common name
or maybe it was just said that she is the barons daughter and not the kings cause of safty reasons

many possibilities, we will know in 2 months

 

[Minervian]

I've read up until the point LW meets Banedon.....

I was rather amused by one thing - in the old introduction, Silent Wolf is punished for inattentiveness in class by being sent to collect firewood in the forest.

In the new introduction, Silent Wolf is punished with extra weapons training... but as a tribute to the original, Mr Dever slipped in a little threat from Silent Wolf's teacher, saying that if he was late for the extra weapons training, he'd be sent to collect firewood on the day of the feast(!).

So it's kinda like reading a parallel-dimension-new-beginning of FFTD... something that almost happened that didn't. ... if Silent Wolf DID wake up late that morning, he'd have been sent to the forest... and then you'd have the original introduction.

 

[beowuuf]

Actually, it's more quantum than that - his mentor tosses a coin, so in one reality the coin came down another way and he would have received the punishment he was threatened with

I haven't really had the chance to read more than the start so far - kinda waiting for my replacement copy now, even though no-one has asked for the original back! Just want to enjoy it without disruption

 

[MIK0]

I haven't really had the chance to read more than the start so far - kinda waiting for my replacement copy now, even though no-one has asked for the original back! Just want to enjoy it without disruption

Same as me. I read only the intro, then sent back my copy.
Really interesting intro.

 

[Ser Andrew]

I really liked the new intro, but honestly, it could have been anything and I still would have liked it. I can't put into words what it felt like to read this book. 13 years since the last time I read a lone wolf book, and it was still pure magic.

 

[RuneDancer]

I just hope I get to use my three 'new' Backpack items in later books:

1/2: Kai Crystals - didn't use either at the beacon

3: Fire Flask - didn't use that on Vurnos (but do I actually get a choice? there's no penalty for not using it, and no advantage for using it, and decided to keep it in the hopes of it being useful later). I certainly would have used it at Alema given the choice.

 

[EvilRedEye]

I just played the beginning for the first time ever. I thought it was excellent, really dramatic. Afterwards I decided to look at the copy of the original I have (which I've never played for some reason). I wasn't expecting it to be anywhere near as good but c'mon! Knocking yourself out on a tree branch?!

The new beginning is a big improvement and its a far more fitting beginning to such an epic series - better to start off with a fanfare than with a whisper.

 

[Ser Andrew]

I'm sure this has been covered somewhere else, but can we look forward to more changes in future books? Or is Joe D. just going to leave the others as is?

 

[RuneDancer]

Therein lies the problem, I don't think FotW will be much different.

FftD is now 450 pages, whereas FotW is at 320 pages (with, purportedly, a mini-adventure in there too).

This suggests that book 2 is of same length as the original. There may be changes, but I can't see how there could be anything as sweeping as book 1.

 

[BlackCat]

There may be changes, but I can't see how there could be anything as sweeping as book 1.

Well, a change in the possibilities in the Tarnalin Tunnel would be welcomed. Right now, the original book can be summarized like this:

Do you have Animal Kinship? Follow the Noodnic by turning to section A.
If you don't have this discipline, you need a magical weapon. Do you have the Magical Spear? Then fight the Helghast by turning to section B.
If you don't have Animal Kinship or the Magic Spear, your life and quest end here (well, in the Tarnalin Tunnel), no matter what you do.