Ironweed

Killing Redbeard? Yeah, the only help I got was from Heart Protus, who, like my character, was of the opinion that Redbeard must be killed for the good of the Pact. Since I played as a Pact loyalist, I slaughtered every filthy rebel and Farlander I came across. My character hated Dheless just as much as she hated Redbeard. Alas, the game forced her to become a Redbeard herself. Oh woe.

It is strange that changing the system from within isn't an option, because the game constantly hints that it is an option. Several characters in the game (like Odil and Philana) make it clear that serving the Pact isn't the same as serving Avadon - and that opposing Avadon might in fact be the best way to serve the Pact. (Jeff even gives you the option to work undercover for the Council representatives.) Yet in the end, it is impossible to side with the Council and shut down Avadon. Seems power corrupts pretty goddamn fast.

spoilers about the ending below . . . . . I played as a Pact lover / Black Fortress hater through the whole game. I helped the Pact in whatever way I could, while simultaneously harming Avadon as much as I could. (The game makes this possible so credit where credit is due.) I killed Redbeard solely because I wanted to shut down Avadon. And yet, in the end the game forces me to become the new Keeper and give the Pact the finger. The Council comes demanding that I shut down Avadon and I - according to the ending slides - send them packing?? No I don't, silly game. If it was up to me, I would have helped them burn Avadon to the ground. Why? Why didn't I have the option to say "to hell with Avadon, I'm a loyal soldier of the Pact"? Did I do something wrong? I'm perturbed.

Originally Posted By: Sundays in the Breach the world of Calithon I remember. It was Arancyatar's idea, was it not? We were all supposed to design a different part of Calithon. I even made a rather detailed map of my part. (The northernmost part of the world, settled by a warlike and seafaring people. I can't remember what they were called - Irokesh? Arukesh?). But contributions were far and few between and people lost interest. Wasn't the original idea to use Calithon as an RP setting? Is Aran still around on SW?

The main problem with G2 is that G1 is so damn good. G2 feels like a slightly improved G1 with a much less interesting plot. Once you pass through the Secret Tunnel, all sense of mystique is gone.

If X makes an appereance in Avadon then Aimee had better make one too. She's been travelling through other planes of existence since A2 and I want to know what happened to her, dammit! Don't remember Aimee? Nobody ever remembers Aimee. Here's a link: http://encyclopedia.ermarian.net/wiki/Aimee

Solberg was great in A1-A3, but I didn't like the way he turned out in the later games. A5 really ruined him for me. He was somewhat better in A6 (having him go out in a blaze of glory was a good decision) but by then it was already too late. RIP Solberg. I'll always remember you as you were in A1. Kelner's story is interesting enough. Also, he is not mentally unstable like 95 % of the mages in the game. As for important mages who were not in A6, I always liked Aimee. Whatever happened to her? Maybe she still "wanders strange worlds by thought" as the game put it. I guess we will never know...

Originally Posted By: Lilith Avernum 6's promotional campaign literally promised "the end of Avernum" I think everyone understands that - it's just that making unsolvable problems the focus of your story doesn't make for a very satisying story. Even though A6 was about the end of Avernum, your adventures were not. Indeed, your adventures were essentially about preventing the end of Avernum; every single thing you did in the game was towards that end. Only there was nothing you could do. At times A6 felt more like a skillfully crafted slide-show than anything else; you ran from place to place witnessing the end of Avernum but being frustratingly unable to do anything about it. The Slith Horde-quests were especially frustrating. I killed the leaders of the Horde, I wiped the floor with the Scourge, I pretty much eradicated every single hostile Slith on the map - but the Slith Horde still conquers Northern Avernum in the end?? That's just unfair. I don't mind Avernum coming to an end, but at least let me feel like I have accomplished something.

Originally Posted By: So Much Killing Originally Posted By: Lilith Successfully killing him does have a major effect on the ending, but, uh, good luck actually doing it. I think it would have been better to save the Scourge quest and have the dragon give something else, like kill Gladwell (which you could choose to do or not). Then after you fix the portal, the King says to you, "Okay, we've saved the people, but if Avernum is to survive, we have to kill the Scourge." And Jeff could have expanded the Scourge area a bit to maybe make it like three separate areas, each with its own defenses. Then when you're done, yippee!, you've saved Avernum. But you get sucked into some kind of vortex, find yourself in a new cave, maybe have another battle with something, and then find yourself in Upper Avernum or the surface, and the narrative pretty much plays out as it does now. That's just one possibility, but it does, I think, address the slightly unsatisfying nature of the current ending. Something like this, yeah. I didn't like the way the game kept changing focus all the time. First the game was about solving the Blight, then about stopping the invasion of the Horde, and finally about dealing with Melanchion. In the end, none of these problems were solved in a satisfying way. Well, you did get to kill the Scourge, but that was an optional quest, and there was absolutely nothing you could do about the Blight or Melanchion. The game teases you with the ability to change the future of Avernum, but in the end nothing you can do has any real impact. Essentially, the nation of Avernum is doomed before you even step out of the Castle Food Depot. Which makes your heroic struggle seem somewhat futile.

Originally Posted By: Ephesos Originally Posted By: Mod. Agreed, zones = easier travel. I still miss the old Avernum-style movement with towns and outdoors being distinct areas. Created a much better sense of scope. Actually, I would say the Geneforge-style movement gives you a pretty good sense of scope. Much better than in A4-A6 at least.

Am I the only one who found the ending of A6 to be a little... anti-climactic? I honestly wasn't expecting the game to end where it did. Being sucked into the portal was unexpected and exciting, but then... The End. What? What about Melanchion? I was totally looking forward to betraying him! And what about curing the Blight? Not to mention the Vahnatai colony - after refusing to sack Tenevra I was hoping for some diplomatic solution. But no, nothing. I guess your main objective had been to repair the Great Portal all along? Seriously, your last mission was to act as bodyguard for some crystal-workers! That's not very epic, to say the least. And the boss battle at the end (I guess I have to call it that) was really easy too. I think the Infernal Lord managed to do a total of 15 damage to my party before it was killed... Well, that's enough whining. At least the game brought some conclusion to what has been a truly great series. Thanks to Jeff for mentioning Upper Avernum and Valorim in the ending!

Originally Posted By: Spidweb So I'm sitting there watching this, and what I'm thinking is this: Who is this Bluebeard guy? He's very powerful. Very rich. Has a castle full of magic doors. He mentions how he has great influence with the court. What's his deal? Where did all that wealth come from? What does he use those portals for? What is his day job? And here was my idea. He's a warrior. Or an assassin. Or a spy. That sounds rather dull, to be perfectly honest. The Bluebeard concept is fascinating and you ask some excellent questions, but why on Earth would you make such a mysterious character into a warrior / assassin? Surely there are more interesting things you could do with the character than having him be some kind of questgiver spymaster? Anyway, I will await the game with great anticipation.

Originally Posted By: Excalibur Originally Posted By: Earth2025 Nephar: Hey Cordelia, cast Mass Sleep spell so we can loot this town. The mass sleep spell in the Exile series didn't cover a wide area though, unless you got lucky with the spray fields spell. Oh wait, this thread wasn't about Exile. Was there a Mass Sleep spell in the Exile series? Because I'm pretty sure there wasn't, at least not in E3.

Having to worry about food is not a bad idea, but going back for more rations every day sounds like mindless backtracking. And having to ask guards to open gates for you is another chore I could do without...

Originally Posted By: Drakefyre I always thought that Upper Exile sucked ... and the troglo/giant plague was my second most fun, next to the roaches. Doing the troglo "peace" mission, and going to the barrier cave were lots of fun. I'm curious as to why you didn't like Upper Exile. I think it was a pretty interesting beginning area. And having a base of operations close to the surface made sense, sort of.