James Bond

[InzeladunMaster]

I have started reading the James Bond books... and discovered that they are so vastly different from the movies that they could refilm each of them with the new Bond and make some great films - with the same titles as the other films!

The Moonraker book is so far different from the movie of the same name I wonder why they bothered to give that movie that particular name!

 

[thormagni]

I actually got into James Bond through the Ian Fleming books before I saw the movies and I completely agree. I don't know if I would like them as much as a 40-year-old as I did as a 15-year-old but they were a lot of fun.

I recently thought about trying to round out my collection again so my son could read them. I thought I had all the Fleming books but when I tried to find them, I'm missing something like 4-5 of them. But ultimately, I decided they might be too old to interest him.

On a movie note, while I grew up in the Roger Moore era, I was never really a fan. His fights always looked so cheesy that even as a kid I couldn't get into him.

 

[Grimhelm]

I haven't read any of the books. I have to say that I enjoyed the new Bond portrayal, though I thought the movie overall was a bit weak. A little too contrived for my tastes. Perhaps that is why the old movies fell into that campy sort of feel. It's tough to deal with this sort of subject matter (which borders on superhero) and not have it be campy.

 

[InzeladunMaster]

Too be honest, the first book was likewise a bit weak, but the new Bond captured the character perfectly.

Like Thormagni, I also consider the Roger Moore Bond to be the worst portrayal, but I did enjoy some of the actual plots/movies of his era.

 

[APewty]

I like them all. Each has it's flavor, it's strengths and it's weaknesses. I liken it to my children: I'd never dare pick one above the rest.

 

[thormagni]

I would, of course, be remiss if I didn't point out that I have most of the materials for Victory Games' James Bond RPG from the mid 80s. I only played it a few times, back in the day, but it was a lot of fun.

 

[Fyrestryke]

You should change your handle to "RPG Librarian"...

 

[APewty]

I orginally expected this thread to deal with RPG, though I've only seen some source material from afar.

 

[thormagni]

I orginally expected this thread to deal with RPG, though I've only seen some source material from afar.

Yeah, we tend to use the forum for a sort of community site for our little group, talking about games, books and other interests.

As far as the James Bond RPG, it had a point-buy character creation system, where you started as either a newbie, a mid-level agent or as a 00. I remember it used a percentile die resolution system, although I can't recall the details (and I'm too lazy to go pull it off the shelf to look.)

The most fun part for me was the gadget creation rules. You could take the real-world stats on a given car (curb weight, 0-60 acceleration, skid pad, etc.) and translate it into game mechanics. I have a copy of the Q-manual which still has a 1984 vintage, handwritten, Thormagni exclusive writeup of a 200 mph Trans Am they featured in Car and Driver magazine. I apparently thought that car was the bomb back in my senior year of high school.

 

[thormagni]

You should change your handle to "RPG Librarian"...

Or to "Packrat" or "Compulsive RPG buyer" Both are equally accurate.