Jean-Philippe

Originally Posted By: Kinsume I just want to see 6 party member slots added back in. + 1

I think magic is rather powerfull. At low level I use mostly fireballs and tries to have at least three characters able to cast it as soon as possible. At higher level with so much resistance is rather major haste/major blessing for my party and slow all for the ennemy.

Originally Posted By: MissSea See, I'm a player who enjoys over-leveling. I'll grind out a couple of levels just to make sure I've got enough gas in the tank to get through the bosses with a minimum of fuss. But I guess that's what the editor's for. So am I but I don't want to use the Editor, I would like to be able to gain XP (and loot) in respawning areas if I fell I need them. My favorite spiderweb game was Exile 2 for this reason (and its plot which was the best), there were empire's fort to provide me some XP and gold when I wished.

In all Exile games, the demo part is pretty long. Just try it, if you get hooked, register, if not just quit. Either way, I am sure it will happen before the end of the demo. When I play Exile now, what really bother me is not the graphics but the small size of the game window, 9*9 square is really tiny.

Thank you randomizer, I didn't check the desk. I overlooked a couple of things in this dungeon, would have to be more carefull.

Hello, I am looking for Thara's papers (the dragon's secretary). I went to the wretchs' lair and searched thouroughly (or so I thought) two time and didn't find them. Where are these bloody notes?

Exile 2 has been my first spiderweb game and my first Computer RPG, even if I had been playing RPGs for already more than ten years at the time. The plot is the best of all the Exile/Avernum serie and I finished Exile 2 at least 5 times, against two each for Exile 1 and 3, one for Avernum 1 and I don't think I ever went to the end on any other Avernum game, almost to the end for all except Avernum 5 but not the end. To be fair at the time, I was using a mac and there weren't that many CRPG for it. I rather liked the respawning of all empire dungeons, it could be tedious at times but at least you could always get the xp or gold you think you needed. I never use the character editor to get experience and if the game don't provide enough progress for my party, I only stop playing. I think that's why I didn't end most of the Avernum games, I hate the definitely finite pool of xp and gold you can get, especialy with all the nice options to build your characters in Avernum 4-6. Of course I regreet the 6 characters party which was better than 4. I havn't played Exile for a while, I wonder if I would still like it. The problem is not the interface, neither the graphics, but the small 11*11 squares play window (if I remember corectly) is a bit small now.

There are around five places outdoor where you can find ingredients, which regrow after a while. One is west of Formello, you have to speak with someone in the Inn to gain access to it. It's available very soon in the game and you can make some money with it. One is north of the tower of Magi. One is south of the Honeycomb, north of the lava filled cave between the tower of Magi and Almaria. I don't remember the other. The main use of alchemy is to gain a bit more money, I didn't use potion very much in Exile, except energy potions which are quite handy in the deep of a dungeon or after the encounter with a Mug Demon. Alchemy is worthwhile. I think it's better to afect it to a fighter character who doesn't as many skill points.

In Exile 2, items you get from kill are random iirc. But you don't have to kill your brother in arms to get exp and gold, there are a lot of empire patrols too. The empire's checkpoints are also very good to get a huge amount of eperience and loot, then you can visit Walby and, if he doesn't have anything good to sell, Silverlock for skill potions.

I partially agree with RogueThunder, I was a big fan of Exile 1-3, finishing each game at least 3 times (more for exile 2). I only finished Avernum 1-3 once, and didn't finished Avernum 4-6 even if I like them. It should be noted that I often delay in finishing my games, usually wishing to get the last XP from the game. What I missed when going from Exile to Acernum 1-3 was the down sizing of my party from 6 to 4, less characters, less tactical options, less team building. But the skill system is far better. In Exile it was mostly "raise your STR to 20 and other stats a bit as needed", in Avernum you have far more things to do and to chose from. With Avernum 4-6 and the all-one map, the world has shrunk. It's a huge loss for gameplay even if one map scale is more pratical for small encouters and tiny location not worth a large scale map. What I don't like in recent Avernum games is the absence, or near absence, of respawning. When I play a RPG, I wish to always be able to grab more XP/gold if I wish to, or feel I need to, before going further in the game, I loved Exile 2 for this. Of course I may unbalance the game by getting a too strong party too soon, but only if I wish to unbalance it by overabusing. In recent Avernum games, you only get the XP the designer allocate you, enough to plays the game for sure, but with the extensive skill system (I love it!) it's very frustating (and don't tell me about character editor, I never use it except for game plot issues). By the way, I tried to play Geneforge but never went past half the demo, only one character is bring. I fear I won't like avadon for similar reasons, I will try it anyway.

In the Exile games, physical attacks after hasting and blessing the whole partie is the most efficient way to fight at mid and high level. Direct dammage spells are more usefull at lower level when monsters don't have much resistance. In big dungeons, you should always carrie at least a couple of energy potions in case of emergencies, like the encounter with a mug demon. It's also a good idea, to save on equipment slots, to always carrie a LOT of energy herbs and use alchemy to make weak energy potion when needed to keep your mage at least at half their max SP. One problem in the golem factory (or whatever its name) is the limitations on movement, it's not always easy to reach a golem pestering you with fire/col bolts.

My usual party in exile is: A human tank, as he have SP to use he also is the alchemist A nephil fighter who take care of locks and traps, some archery too, as long as I feel it useful A slith warior mage, another fireball is always useful A human mage/priest A human priest/mage A human priest/fighter, will get mage spell too when SPs allow it That's for the beginning of the game (roughly the demo part in exile 2, or the first 12-15 levels). After I get party buff spells (haste all, bless all and the awesome major blessing), direct dammage spells (fireball mainly) lose their effectiveness. The main strategy become buff everybody and everybody at the front. So each character learn weaponery asap, blades for everyone except spear for the slith and bash for the priest/mage. I also get the two fighter learn a bit of priest magic, the wound spell is handy in restricted dungeons.

Originally Posted By: Randomizer He's in Melanchion's Keep in the northwest corner. thank you

By the way, who is ooking for Research Notes? I am near the end and I fear I overlooked him (or her).

Originally Posted By: BathosAndPathos Okay, so Exile under a newer engine is what I want. ;D I think Jeff is working on Avernum1-3 with A6 engine. If only he could add more spells and resurect the fifth and sixth character ...