[LP] Not a Gamebook: Transformers: The Invisiblity Factor

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:25 am

I've decided to jump on the crazy train and have my own gamebook LP thread. However, since I have no gamebooks, I am forced instead to do an LP of Choose Your Own Adventure Find Your Fate... Junior book. Specifically, The Transformers(TM): The Invisibility Factor. I figure we could have a laugh as we do it for the sheer novelty of it all.

Okay, first, some background:

It's 1986, Transformers is arguably at the height of it's popularity, and there's lots of merchandise and books and what not. Choose Your Own Adventure "Multipath Adventure" books are also exceeding popular at this time. It was only natural that the two would mate and produce the Find Your Fate... Junior TF books. (I'm spelling it with an ellipsis because that's how the logo does it).

Ballantine Books made nine books, and they are notable for a few things other than being terribly bad and hilariously awesome: They use extremely toy accurate illustrations, the most toy accurate designs in any TF media to date, actually. Occasionally there are ships from Star Wars. Also, unlike a majority of multipath books, these are actually told in the third person, rather than the second. And in one of them, you are actually prompted to write in the book to warn the Autobots about something. This comes far closer to working than logic would suggest.

Alas, I do not have that one. The one I have, as mentioned above, is The Invisibility Factor, the ninth and final book in the series.

A disapproving Lionel Stander looks on as Galvatron's box art leaves the Millennium Falcon.

The Invisibility Factor wrote:An invisibility device that can make spacecraft appear and disappear has been invented by a young woman scientist (how progressive!). The device makes secret attacks easy to launch and impossible to stop.

If the Decepticons gain control of it, they will destroy the world.

Can the Autobots beat them in this desperate struggle?

YOU hold the key!

Seems like just another day at the office, really.

Now, since this is a Find Your Fate... Junior book, there aren't really any "rules". Instead, we got this:

ONLY YOU can protect the Earth from the evil destruction of the Decepticons!

Read the directions at the bottom of each page. Then decide what the Autobots should do next.

If you decide correctly, the Autobots will triumph! If you make the wrong choices, the unspeakable evil of the Decepticons will rule the world!

Hurry! The adventure begins on page 1.

Seriously heavy stuff, I know. Makes AD&D look simple.

But the adventure will not begin on Page 1, for it will instead begin on page tomorrow, because I have one motherbitch of a headache.

Red_Rob · Post by **Red_Rob** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 9:17 am

Shrapnel wrote:Occasionally there are ships from Star Wars.

Wow. If you're going to steal designs from other franchises, it might be best not to use the single best known sci-fi franchise of all time, y'know?

Shrapnel wrote:Now, since this is a Find Your Fate... Junior book, there aren't really any "rules".

So it's the time honoured "read the DM's writer's mind" action resolution system? Okay then, time to think like a 1980's Transformers writer...

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 5:24 pm

Red_Rob wrote:
Shrapnel wrote:Occasionally there are ships from Star Wars.
Wow. If you're going to steal designs from other franchises, it might be best not to use the single best known sci-fi franchise of all time, y'know?

It's not the only time that Star Wars has intermingled with Transformers.

Shrapnel wrote:Now, since this is a Find Your Fate... Junior book, there aren't really any "rules".
So it's the time honoured "read the DM's writer's mind" action resolution system? Okay then, time to think like a 1980's Transformers writer...

That's the spirit!

Now, let's finally begin!

Page 1
It's a cool, clear night in the desert. The sky is crowded with stars, and the only sound is the faint whisper of a breeze. There's no sign of trouble as the Autobots Kup and Hot Rod drive along.
"Earth can be so beautiful at times like this," observes the old warrior, Kup.
"It sure can," agrees his young friend, Hot Rod. "Even if it doesn't look at all like Cybertron."
"You know, this desert reminds me of something," recalls Kup, who is fond of telling old stories of his younger days and the fierce battles he's fought.
"Everything reminds of something else," laughs Hot Rod good-naturedly.
"It's called experience, lad. You should learn to appreciate it "No, no, really! This is like the desert world of Sonacron V. The Sonites were tiny little insect folks with legs that could-"
"Hey!" Hot Rod interrupts him. "Look at that, up in the sky!"
Kup looks up. "It's just a shooting star.... No, it's not. I don't know what it is, but it's coming right towards us!"

That is an epic piece of dialogue, it is.

Turn to page 2

Page 2
"What ever it is, it's blinking on and off!" Yells Hot Rod. "Let's see if we can get right under it and check it out."
In minutes, the strange object is low enough in the sky for the Autobots to see it clearly. It certainly isn't a star. It's some type of spacecraft.
Kup and Hot Rod watch as it comes down for a sputtering landing on the other side of a large rock. They hear the clanking, wheezing sounds of damaged engines breaking down.
"I've never seen anything like it," Kup admits, staring at the rickety ship that is patched together from odd parts and scrap metal. One minute the ship is visible, and the next minute it disappears-- only to appear again minutes later.
"Let's see who's inside," suggests the impulsive Hot Rod.

Turn to page 69

Page 69
"Not so fast," warns Kup. "Maybe this is a Decepticon trick. That thing could be crawling with Decepticons. They'd jut love to get their grimy hands on one of their Autobot enemies."
"Well, do you think we should go back for some other Autobots to back us up?" asks Hot Rod.
The Autobots can't decide. The choice is yours.

If you think Kup and Hot Rod should investigate the spacecraft right away, turn to page 54.
If you smell a Decepticon Trap, have Hot Rod and Kup go to the Autobot city of Metroplex for a backup team on page 20.

This is it, our first choice. Whadda we do?

(As an aside, I'll try and get some scans of the illustrations in once I figure out how to work my damn scanner.)

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 9:12 pm

Half a vote for investigating now. If it's not a trap, it would be looted before we get backup.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 9:22 pm

Investigate.

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 2:06 am

Investigate it is!

Page 54
Kup and Hot Rod transform into their robot modes and duck behind the tall rock (what tall rock?). In minutes the hatch of the space craft opens and a woman climbs out. She pulls off her hat and shakes out her long, brown hair (fan-service!). She stares at her spacecraft in disgust. In her arms she holds a box the size of a toaster oven.
Before Kup can stop him, Hot Rod impetuously steps out from behind the rock. The startled woman shrieks at the sight of him.
Kup runs up behind Hot Rod and tries to calm the woman. "We won't hurt you," he tells her. "We Autobots are friends to Earthlings."
"I...ah...I've heard of you," the young woman says, "but I always thought it was just a crazy story kids liked to tell."
"We're real enough, you can bet on that!" boasts Hot Rod.
"So I see," the woman murmurs, still not believing her eyes. Something in Hot Rod's friendly, boyish manner reassures her, though.
"I'm Sarah Sanders," she tells the Autobots after a moment. "I'm a scientist and I've been working on a project with money I got from a research grant."
"Is that one of your inventions there?" asks Hot Rod, pointing to the box she carries.

Turn to page 19

Page 19
Sarah sighs. "This is my Invisibility Device," she says. "Or it will be, if I can ever get it to work properly. I was testing it out here in the desert when my ship broke down."
An Invisibility Device! Kup and Hot Rod stare at each other. Such a device could be a valuable tool to the Autobots in their fight against the Decepticons!
What should they do now?

Should they just take the Invisibility Device from Sarah, since, after all, it's ultimately for the good of Earth? Turn to page 45

Or should they try to convince Sarah to use the device to help the Autobots? Turn to page 25

I should say, the illustration that goes with page 54 totally has the Millennium Falcon in the background.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 2:51 am

Theft Eminent domain is the Autobot way. Seize the device!

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 2:57 am

I'm genuinely curious to see what will happen if literal Saturday morning cartoon heroes decide to take shit from friendly scientists without asking.

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 3:50 am

You asked for it...

Page 45
Hot Rod can't control himself. He grabs the box from Sarah. "Wow! With this we could beat the Decepticons in a snap," he says excitedly.
"Hey, that's my invention! Give it back to me!" Sarah cries.
Hot Rod hesitates, but then his greedy side (what?!) wins (what?!) out over his sense of fairness (WHAT?!). "Sorry, lady, we need this more than you do," he says. "You'll be glad we have it, anyway, 'cause we're going to use it to keep your planet safe from the Decepticons."
"Now, Hot Rod," Kup warns, "give the lady back her--"
It's too late. Hot Rod has already transformed into his auto mode and is zooming back to the Autobot city with his prize. "I'll be a hero when I show our leader, Ultra Magnus (yeah right), this Invisibility Device," Hot Rod things happily. He is busily dreaming of how the Autobots will battle the Decepticons invisibly when... kar-a-barooooom!
The Invisibility Device has a self-destruct explosive button and Hot Rod accidentally triggered it when he went over a bump. Now his dreams of glory have gone, well, all to pieces.

THE END

Okay, first of all, that's both totally bullshit and a little dark for a kids book.

Secondly, we just started this party, there's no way in hell Hot Rod's stupidity is going to prevent us from continuing. So I'll assume that we chose correctly, in which case...

Page 25

"Ms. Sanders," says Kup politely, "we need the secret of the Invisibility Device."
"Sorry," Sarah's voice is firm. "It's too dangerous."
"But--but we need it to help us defeat our enemies, the Decepticons!" cries Hot Rod. "Believe me, you wouldn't want them to rule the Earth. Your device will help us fight them."
"That's just it!" says Sarah. "I don't want my invention used for war of any kind!"
But just then the scream of jet engines fills the air!
"The Decepticons!" gasps Kup. "They must have seen the ship flickering in the air!"
And the now the Decepticon jets attack!
Wham! A blast sends rock and sand flying!
Crash! A second blast rattles the spaceship!
Bam! A third blast hits so close that Sarah is knocked right off her feet! The Invisibility Device flies from her arms and falls to the ground several yards away.
"Come on!" Hot Rod tells Sarah as she scrambles up again. "We've got to get out of here!"
"But--but the device--"
"No time to go back for it now!" Hot Rod cries, and quickly transforms into his auto mode. "Jump in and let's get going!"
The two Autobots and Sarah whiz out of firing range. Kup hastily glances back.

(This is certainly one way of writing a combat scene.)

Turn to page 26

Page 26
"The Decepticons aren't following us!" Kup says. "They're landing to look at the spacecraft. Come on, let's hide among theserocks and spy on them!"
"There's Galvatron," whispers Hot Rod.
"But the Autobots are getting away!" the Decepticon Thrust is telling the evil leader.
"Forget them for now," Galvatron orders. "I wish to know more about this human's spaceship. And about this strange box the woman was carrying!"
Sarah gasps. "Oh no! Look! He has the Invisibility Device!"
What should Kup and Hot Rod do now?

If you want to attack them right now, turn to page 8.
If you think they should try to steal the Invisibility Device back, turn to page 18.
If you're afraid the Decepticons are about to leave Earth in the spacecraft, you'd better have Hot Rod and Kup hurry back to the Autobot city for reinforcements and an Autobot spaceship. Turn to Page 52

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 4:34 am

I think I remember the 'right' choice here, so I'll sit this one out.

EDIT: typo

DOUBLE EDIT: Once I finish a couple of final papers I might start up another FF LP. Kind of hard to top Spectral Stalkers, but I do have Peter Darvill-Evans' first FF book: Beneath Nightmare Castle. I also have Ian Livingstone's first solo book, The Forest of Doom, which was the other book I put up votes for (but it repeatedly lost.) Details for both are spoilered below:

Fighting Fantasy #3: The Forest of Doom

The Forest of Doom wrote:Only the foolhardy would risk an encounter with the unknown perils that lurk in the murky depths of Darkwood Forest. Yet there is no alternative, for your quest is a desperate race against time to find the missing pieces of the legendary Hammer of Stonebridge — fashioned by Dwarfs to protect the villagers of Stonebridge against their ancient doom.

Being Ian Livingstone's first solo book, this is a totally linear fetch quest set in an unusual location. In this case, it's a dungeon crawl in a forest, as opposed to a city (or dungeon.) Unlike Livingstone's later (or earlier) works, if you miss one (or more) of the required plot devices you can New Game+ with all your gear, loot, etc. to try and find the other(s). The New Game + rules are not terribly clear.

Fighting Fantasy #25: Beneath Nightmare Castle

Beneath Nightmare Castle wrote:Creatures from your worst nightmares lie beneath Neuberg Keep!

In this book, you find yourself in Neuburg, once a pleasant town in Khul, but now home to the vile monsters begotten of warped sorcery. An age-old horror has been re-awoken deep beneath the Keep, and it is up to you to face it and free the town and your friend, Baron Tholdur, from evil enchantment. But beware! Deep underground lie hideous traps and terrors, waiting to ensnare you! Will you succeed? Only if you are the resourceful hero you claim to be ...

This is basically Lovecraft meets Conan. There's a Willpower mechanic (a cross between Will Saves and Sanity Points), some genuinely scary moments, and shitloads of really disturbing and drawn out deaths (which are kind of half the fun of it.) There are also a plethora of interesting potential opponents (not all of which are evil), my favorite being a gang of starving children.

Not sure if anyone's interested, and if so, which one would be preferred (I'll probably do both over the holidays.)

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 5:59 am

Theft! I said theft again.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 7:52 am

I'm going to make an honest effort to vote for the right options, curiosity be damned. The 'cons have just expressed interest in the box, so we won't be able to steal it. Reinforcements.

@Darth: I'm equally interested in both. Nightmare Castle is more likely to be genuinely good, while letsplaying Forest of Doom (as opposed to playing as intended) might add more value.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 4:50 pm

I just realized something:

The Invisibility Device has a self-destruct explosive button and Hot Rod accidentally triggered it when he went over a bump. Now his dreams of glory have gone, well, all to pieces.

Bam! A third blast hits so close that Sarah is knocked right off her feet! The Invisibility Device flies from her arms and falls to the ground several yards away.

Why no explosions?

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 5:00 pm

Because it didn't get jostled by a bump in the road; that's the only way to activate the self-destruct.

fectin · Post by **fectin** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 7:39 pm

Other books in this series had actual benching storylines. So there wasn't necessarily a single right answer.

Go for reinforcements.

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Fri Dec 13, 2013 7:45 pm

Right-o! Reinforcements it is!

Page 52
Now that the Decepticons have the Invisibility Device, they decide to take this strange ship that's totally the Millennium Falcon and fly into deep space. They need time to study the Invisibility Device and the way it works without Autobot interference. They're going into space to find that time!
Hot Rod and Kup race back to the Autobot city, Metroplex, for help. "Hurry!" Hot Rod cries to the other Autobots. "The Decepticons are going to leave Earth with an Invisibility Device! We've got to get a spacecraft ready and attack the Decepticons before they get too far away!"
"Everybody prepare for a launch!" orders the Autobot leader, Ultra Magnus.
Soon an Autobot spacecraft blasts off from Metroplex and into the blackness of space, in pursuit of the Decepticons.
"But... where are they?" wonders Hot Rod. "There isn't a trace of the Decepticons in all this emptiness around us!"
"What do you expect?" asks Springer, who's piloting the Autobot ship. "Space is--well, full of space! Anybody have an idea where the Decepticon ship might be?"

Find out what the Autobots think on page 59.

Page 59
"The Decepticons could be anywhere!" says Hot Rod, looking out at space.
"No, they couldn't," corrects Kup. "They weren't that far ahead of us. Hmm! They might be hiding on Earth's moon."
"They could be heading into the asteroid belt beyond Mars," suggests Prowl. "That would be a good place to hide."
"Or," adds Springer darkly, "they could already have figured out how to use the Invisibility Device."
Where is the Decepticon ship?

If you think the Decepitcons are hiding on the dark side of the moon, turn to page 10.
If you think they're heading into the asteroid belt beyond Mars, turn to page 17.
If you think that the Decepticons have figured out how to use the Invisibility Device, turn to page 48.

fectin · Post by **fectin** » Fri Dec 13, 2013 11:57 pm

Dark side of the moon fer sure.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sun Dec 15, 2013 5:54 pm

I think that they're invisible, because going into the asteroid belt would be suicide and I'm sure that the Decepticons know that Transformers and the dark side of the moon do not go well together.

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 12:40 am

The Decepticons stopped the moon landings.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 6:16 pm

Which might mean they're hiding there right now! In favor of breaking the tie I will change my vote to going to the dark side of the moon.

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 6:55 pm

(Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, 6.29.11, Starring Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, and John Turturro. Rated PG-13 for intense, prolonged sequences of sci-fi action, violence, mayhem and destruction, and for language, some sexuality and innuendo)

Page 10

The Autobots out at the dark side of the moon. Because there's no sunlight shining on it, it's even blacker than the space around it.
"Can't see a thing on the surface," says Springer. "And we're not picking up anything on the ship's sensors, either. Maybe they're done there, maybe not."
"Suppose we try firing a few blasts," Hot Rod says uncertainly "Wouldn't they try to shoot back? Then we'd know where they are."
"Too risky," Jazz cuts in. "Then they'd know where we are! But I think I have a better plan."
Ultra Magnus considers. What do you think he should do?

Hmm. I wonder.
Oh, well.

Do you want him to go with Hot Rod's idea, risky though it may be? Turn to page 40.
Or would you rather have Ultra Magnus listen to what Jazz has in mind? Turn to page 46.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:38 pm

Why the fuck would we not listen to another plan? Our time isn't that limited. Especially given Hot Rod's plan is "Just shoot it, Fox."

angelfromanotherpin · Tue Dec 17, 2013 12:21 am

Hot Rod is terrible and his ideas are terrible. Jazz is endlessly entertaining. Advantage Jazz.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 7:34 am

angelfromanotherpin wrote:Hot Rod is terrible and his ideas are terrible. Jazz is endlessly entertaining. Advantage Jazz.

This. Hot Rod was Transformers' Jar Jar way before there was an original Jar Jar. Listen.

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 1:58 am

Starmaker wrote:
angelfromanotherpin wrote:Hot Rod is terrible and his ideas are terrible. Jazz is endlessly entertaining. Advantage Jazz.
This. Hot Rod was Transformers' Jar Jar way before there was an original Jar Jar. Listen.

That's a bit harsh.

He's certainly Jar Jar in this book, but in the cartoon and comics he's varying degrees of badass.

On the other hand, Jazz was voiced by Scatman Crothers, and Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime was voiced by Judd Nelson.

Hmm... bit of a tie, that.

So, plan 46 from outer space!

Page 46
Ultra Magnus listens to Jazz's plan and nods. "Let's do it," he says. "Shut off all power in the ship." Quickly he explains the plan to Springer but not to us, then adds, "Now, everybody keep silent!"
The other Autobots haven't heard the plan and they aren't quite sure what's going on, but they trust Ultra Magnus. They obey. The Autobot ship floats silnently through space. Since no one aboard it is using any power, it can't be picked up on any sensors. And since the sun's light is blocked by the moon and all lights are off on the ship, it can't be seen, either.
"Get ready, Springer," Ultra Magnus whispers. "Ready... now!"
At Ultra Magnus's signal, Springer launches a small probe. Suddenly it's very clear that the Decepticons are on the moon! Ruh-roh! When they see the probe's rocket, they think it's the Autobot ship and start firing. Now the Autobots know exactly where the Decepticons are hiding!
"Open fire!" shouts Ultra Magnus.
Bolts of energy split the darkness of space! Again and again the rocky lunar surface is lit up by explosions as the Autobots' shots strike home. Suddenly the Autobot ship is rocked by a lucky Decepticon shot!

Turn to page 60

Page 60
The Autobot ship is damaged but still functioning. Quickly the Autobots start up the engines.
"The Decepticons are trying to get off the moon!" cries Hot Rod.
"They won't make it!" says Springer, aiming carefully.
He fires--and scores a direct hit on the Decepticon ship! There's a blinding explosion! It's so bright that the whole dark side of the moon is no longer dark. But just as quickly, the light fades away into darkness once more...
"It's over," says Kup softly. "Too bad the Invisibility Device blew up with the Decepticon ship."
Ultra Magnus straightens proudly. "The Invisibility Device may have been destroyed," he says, "but so is the Decepticon menace--at least for now!

THE END

Well, that was quick. Then again, this is a Find Your Fate... Junior from the 80's.

So, what now? Do people want to explore the other paths, or end the madness now? Either works for me.

The Gaming Den

[LP] Not a Gamebook: Transformers: The Invisiblity Factor

[LP] Not a Gamebook: Transformers: The Invisiblity Factor

Re: [LP] Not a Gamebook: Transformers: The Invisiblity Factor

Re: [LP] Not a Gamebook: Transformers: The Invisiblity Factor