Flights of Fantasy discussion

Scoring Rules

The positives

Read an nth (non-1st) book in a series
10 (plus the number of the book in the series minus the roll of a six-sided die minus the roll of a ten-sided die if the book is out of read order, plus the roll of a six-sided die if it catches me up in a series.) Technically book 2 could net you anywhere from 6 to 11 points, unless you read it out of order in which case you'd potential get anywhere from -4 to 10 points. Unless, of course book three isn't out yet in which case you'd add 1-6 to the total. Book 37 on the other hand would be 41 to 47 points and 31 to 46 if out of order. Longer series are more rewarding, right? Confused yet?

Finish a series
25 (plus a roll of a four-sided die for each book in the series.)
Potential on a three-book series: 28 to 37.
Potential on a ten-book series: 35 to 65.

Catch up on series
For those series that aren't finished by the author yet, but for which I read the most current book, an experience bonus of the roll of a six-sided die.

Write a Review of a Series Book
20 points (plus the roll of a ten-sided die)

The negatives
Starting a New Series
-20 (minus one for every series currently in an unfinished or un-abandoned state minus the roll of a twenty-sided die plus the roll of a 10-sided die) starting a new series. There are no exceptions. Life is hard, get over it. It’s possible to come out as -1 and take very little damage, but what are the odds of that?

Abandoning a Series
-25 (plus the roll of a ten-sided die). -1 to Clairvoyance. Proving abandonment is difficult and you should have seen it coming,but you didn’t so you aren’t as Clairvoyant as you said you were.

Leveling
125 points for a level which gives you 5 stat points and the roll a 20-sided die
1-3: extra stat point
4-6: 2 extra stat points
7-8: 50% new series elixir; reduces the penalty for starting a new series by 50%
9-10: 100% new series elixir; eliminates the penalty for starting a new series
11-16: nothing; things happen, but not all the time
17-18: 50% abandonment elixir; reduces the penalty for abandoning a series by 50%
19-20: 100% abandonment elixir; makes one immune to all damage caused by abandoning a series

Elixirs
Elixirs must be declared prior to rolling. Every new character receives three rolls of a 20-sided die to earn starting elixirs.

1-5 nothing
6-10 50% new
11-15 100% new
16-20 50% abandonment


Stat Points
Characters start with 25 base points and receive 5 points for every level. Stat points can be put into the following characteristics:

Intelligence: increases wittiness (*). Every 10 points in this category gives a +1 to points received for writing a review.

Clairvoyance: you can probably see when a series is headed down a bad road and every 10 points in this category reduces damage from abandonment by 1 point.

Dexterity: increases ability to juggle series. Every ten points in this category reduces the number of open series by 1 when rolling the penalty for starting a new series.

Strength: because what kind of game would this be without He-Man strength? I just haven’t figured out what it’s good for yet. Oh, I got it, every ten points in this category increases the bonus for finishing a series book by 1.

(*) results varied in test subjects

My Current Statistics

HomeInMyShoes: Level 3 Sock Puppet
Experience: 301
Open Series: 7

Intelligence: 0, you know I’m never going to review anything anyway
Clairvoyance:14, this seems like a good idea
Dexterity:17, this also seems like a good idea
Strength: 4 I’m a weakling. I know it and now the world knows it. Embrace it.

Elixirs
50% new [1]
100% new [1]
50% abandon [1]
100% abandon [1]

Well, my rolls for elixirs kind of sucked, but okay. Here we go.

Series Summary
Here is the list of series that are open, abandoned and completed.

Open Series
Brenner by Wolf Haas: [1][2][3][ ][ ][ ][7]

Discworld by Terry Pratchett: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][ ][ ][ ][20][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][27][28][ ][30][ ][32][ ][34][35][36][37][38][ ][ ][ ]

Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente: [P][1][2][ ][ ]

Laundry Files by Charles Stross: [1][2][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz: [1][2][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

Young Wizards by Diane Duane: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][ ][ ][ ]

Nursery Crimes by Jasper Fforde [1][ ][ ]


Completed or Up to Date Series
YouSpace by Tom Holt: [1][2][3]
MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood: [1][2][3]
The Orphan's Tales by Catherynne M. Valente: [1][2]

Abandoned Series
none

Okay, I'm done with the header stuff.

FIRST!

I love this.

Okay, I made myself a level 1 librarian. What other character classes could there be?

Writer
Bookseller
Critic
???

Review Blogger? Or is that another name for Critic?

You could always have the evil classes too:

Troll
Spammer
Butthurt Author
Sock Puppet

Wow..just...wow. * Flabbergasted!

I will enjoy watching you play this out!!!

I won't even pretend to possess the brain/will power to do it myself. (Plus I have no idea what happened to my D&D dice bag; such a pretty collection of blue and white).

Chris wrote: "Review Blogger? Or is that another name for Critic?

You could always have the evil classes too:

Troll
Spammer
Butthurt Author
Sock Puppet"

^This!!!

Nyssa wrote: "Wow..just...wow. * Flabbergasted!

I will enjoy watching you play this out!!!

I won't even pretend to possess the brain/will power to do it myself. (Plus I have no idea what happened to my D&D di..."

^this

I need to add a penalty for out-of-order into the nth book read scoring. I'll fix that.

Sock puppet. Definitely sock puppet.

Alright, I need some help, umm, determining open series.

Brenner: I might have to make allowances for order, depending on what has been translated into English and in what order
definitely open
HHGTHG: do I really count the last book that wasn't even written by Douglas Adams as part of the series? Didn't think so. Not open.
Laundry Files: definitely open
Odd Thomas: definitely open
A Song of Ice and Fire: previously abandoned, not open
Sword of Truth: previously abandoned, not open
Young Wizards: definitely open

Total open: 5

I'm not sure what you mean by "open" vs "not open" ?

However, I'll start with Laundry Files if you do! :) If not then I vote for Hitchhikers (which I'll also start if you do).

Note: Either series has me starting the year with a 10 point deficit, unless I start it today or tomorrow! :)

I wasn't really clear. Open means I am currently reading it. I needed this to determine abandonments and penalties for starting a new series. I was exceptionally good at not starting new series this year (only Brenner was started.) I'm not calling HHGTTG as open because I abandoned it and will probably not read the final book which wasn't written by Douglas Adams.

I don't think I should penalize myself for any series I abandoned prior to 2014 and I won't penalize myself for not getting to a next book in a certain time period.

I also won't go back and calculate out points on all previous series, just start from where I am now.

Is there a sock puppet guild I can join?

Ah! Okay. I thought you were looking for a series to start the new year.

I'll let you know when I'm looking for something to start, although there are a pile of FoF picks for that already. :)

Hmmm...running through a few scenarios I definitely need to lower the experience required for gaining a level. It looks like I only get about 30 points for completing a three-book series when the penalty for starting the new series is factored in. Seems a little difficult to require 24 books to gain a level.

I dropped the level to 125, increased series finish to a base of 25 and upped the hit for starting a new series to a base of -20. Finishing a three book series now comes out around 35-42 points depending on bonuses/penalties rolled. So three or four series per level or 9 to 12 books. Hopefully that means I can get a few levels in this year.

:-D This is the most amazing challenge, ever.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "I'll let you know when I'm looking for something to start, although there are a pile of FoF picks for that already. :)
"

That is so very true! Plus, we can do so without penalty (based on the original series challenge rules, which I am using for my challenge).

I think I'd lean towards giving myself a treasure roll for FoF reads of any sort which would allow me to mitigate some of the penalties some time.

Now where did I put those plus-eight reading glasses of loathing?

Darn, I found another open series. YouSpace by Tom Holt.

And another couple by Catherynne M. Valente. It is looking more and more like I need this challenge to clean up my reading backlog on series.

First quest completed. An nth-book read from Discworld.

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett.

10 + 28 - 4 - 4 = 30 experience

An out of order penalty and a reasonable adjustment role. I can see making out like a bandit on Discworld especially if I can get back on order.

I didn't give myself a review bonus since I don't think the twenty words I wrote is sufficient.

I added a 1 to 6 point bonus in the nth-book read experience calculation if the read catches one up on a series (i.e. no other current published books for series that are not finished by the author.)

Nice! I love this challenge.

Next book: Brenner and God by Wolf Haas.

Okay, how to calculate this one. According to FictFact I am up to date now and this was the first of three, but I've read the other two. In fairness, the order of publication in Austria was Ressurection, The Bone Man, ..., ..., ..., ..., Brenner and God. That's right it's actually book number 7 from the series, but only three had been translated, which is not true because I found Come, Sweet Death! which looks to be book three from the original publications.

So, I'm not really caught up so no points there. I'm sort of out of order, but given translation dates, not really.

So 10 points for the read, 7 points for book number, -6 adjustment (ouch), -4 points for out of order (ouch), 20 points for a review and a whopping 9 point bonus on the review. Giving 36 experience points.

How many points per level?

125. Which seems high if I start new series (probable) and low if I review books (unlikely). Should be about right. Three mostly unreturned series of three to four books per level.

Discworld is obviously a corner case with 40 titles in it giving some serious points.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "125. Which seems high if I start new series (probable) and low if I review books (unlikely). Should be about right. Three mostly unreturned series of three to four books per level.

Discworld is o..."

Hmmmm...

That should have said reviewed.stupid auto - mangler.

What does hmmmmm mean? Should I cap the bonus on book number?

Another nth book in a series read.

Book number two from YouSpace, Tom Holt's When It's A Jar. No review bonus for this one, but book completed.

10 point base, -4 adjustment and +2 for the second book in the series. 8 points total. Bringing me to 74 points in total. Still 51 points to go to get to level 2.

All right, finishing a series, well, it may not be a done series, so I'm not sure how to count that. With no scheduled book I think I mark it complete and adjust points if another book comes out.

YouSpace number three. The Outsorcerer's Apprentice by Tom Holt.

So, the calculation:

nth book: 10 + 3 -3 +0 +4 = 14
finished series: 25 + 9 = 34
review: 20 + 1 = 21
new series: 0
abandonded series: 0

total score = 69 points

Getting me to 143 total experience points and LEVEL TWO!

A roll of the 20-sided die, gives a 19 and a %100 abandonment elixir. That should come in handy.

My Current Statistics

HomeInMyShoes: Level 2 Sock Puppet
Experience: 143
Open Series: 7

Intelligence: 0, you know I’m never going to review anything anyway
Clairvoyance:11, this seems like a good idea
Dexterity:15, this also seems like a good idea
Strength: 4 I’m a weakling. I know it and now the world knows it. Embrace it.

Elixirs
50% new [1]
100% new [0]
50% abandon [1]
100% abandon [1]

:-D

Another nth book down. Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett for Discworld.

nth book: 10 + 19 - 3 +0 - 8 = 18
review: 0
complete: 0
abandon: 0

total: 18


161 experience now, only 89 more to get to level 3.

What do you turn into when you get to level 3??

Extra abilities to convince people that MrsJoseph's opinion is the only one that matters?

Minions to support my cause?

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "Extra abilities to convince people that MrsJoseph's opinion is the only one that matters?

Minions to support my cause?"

lol!


If only!


*Everyone read Andre Norton*
*Everyone read Andre Norton*
*Everyone read Andre Norton*


Dang it! didn't work.

*In zombie like, drone tone*

Must read Andre Norton
Must read Andre Norton
Must read ...braaaaiiinsss...

Oops!! Wires got crossed! Reset!



Umm... Hi? Why am I here? What were we talking about again?

Andre Norton of course.

I tried to read Andre Norton a year or two ago.


It didn't take...

Chris wrote: "I tried to read Andre Norton a year or two ago.


It didn't take..."

^

Another nth book read.

Come, Sweet Death! by Wolf Haas. I wasn't sure how to score this since it catches me up for English translations, but not the real series. So, no catch up.

10 + 4 - 5 +0 + 0 = 9 experience points with no review.

170 total experience. Still a ways to go before the next level.

Chris wrote: "I tried to read Andre Norton a year or two ago.


It didn't take..."

Dawn wrote: "

^"

I think it will have something to do with your patience as a reader with older materials. Some of her stuff reads dated. And she doesn't do any hand holding with info in her Witch World series. There's a wealth of background info that is often not discussed in an entire book. I guess she assumed that if you are reading #15 you've read the previous books?

But I love the research she put into her work!!!! Hardly anyone does that anymore. She'd created a writer's research library but it never really caught on so was sold off after her death. That...pains me greatly.

It's so sad that she changed Fantasy as much as she did but had so little traction.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "Another nth book read.

Come, Sweet Death! by Wolf Haas. I wasn't sure how to score this since it catches me up for English translations, but not the real series. So, no catch up.

..."

:)

And I broke down and started a new series. But it was a great first book. The MaddAddam series by Margaret Atwood.

So, Oryx and Crake was book one. Very enjoyable. Very much recommended.

But the scoring. Okay:

Book n of a series: 10 + 1 - 4 +0 -0 = 7
Series completion: 0
Review: 20 + 3 = 23
New Series: -20 +9 - 10 -8 = -28
Abandon: 0

Making a total of 7 + 0 + 23 - 28 + 0 = 2

Good thing I wrote a review.

Total experience is now 172. Still a measly level 2 sock puppet.

:-D

Loathe to put this here, but if authors are going to write short prequels out of order in series then I'm going to cash in.

The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While by Catherynne M. Valente. Number 0.5 in the Fairyland series and I wrote a review to pad my experience.

Book n of a series: 10 + 0 - 3 + 0 - 0 = 7
Series completion: 0
Review: 20 + 1 = 21
New Series: 0
Abandon: 0

Grand total of 28 points for a 31 page book. Hahahhahah!!!

Total experience. 200. Still a level 2 sock puppet.

:-D

Margaret Atwood The Year of the Flood. Book number two of MaddAddam.

Just the things that count: 10 + 2 -6 +20 +8 = 34

234 experience points. I can almost smell level three.