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Twilight Valley

Mac/Windows

 

Author: Nikki

Levels: 1-100

Version: 1.0.0

 

[composite=eyJ0aXRsZSI6IlR3aWxpZ2h0IFZhbGxleSIsInRpZCI6IjEyMzg4IiwidGFncyI6WyJjdXRzY2VuZSBoZWF2eSIsImRhcmsiLCJkaWFsb2d1ZSBoZWF2eSIsImxpbmVhciIsInBsb3QgaGVhdnkiLCJzaG9ydCJdLCJiZ2FzcCI6eyI1IjowLCI0Ijo2LCIzIjo1LCIyIjowLCIxIjowfX0=]

Composite Score: 3.5/5.0

 

Best: 0.00% (0/11)

Good: 54.55% (6/11)

Average: 45.45% (5/11)

Substandard: 0.00% (0/11)

Poor: 0.00% (0/11)

[encouragenecro]

 

[/composite]

 

Keywords: Cutscene Heavy, Dark, Dialogue Heavy, Light/No combat, Linear, Plot Heavy, Short

Edited by SylaeBot
Automated Sybot edit; worker IPB::csrThread/vanadium
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This is unique. A scenario with absolutely no fighting. At all. And I quote the scenario: "Have you really managed to escape without having to fight, or talk, or do ANYTHING?" And yes, yes you have.

 

The closing dialogue tells this scenario's story in exact detail: "It's almost as if these things have been building up for years and years, and you are just seeing the final few stages of them..." Again, true. It's a story, and that's all. You aren't meant to be the central characters in this tale, and in fact, Roxy could've done your job. But again, it's unique, and I really appreciate that.

 

Tricks using the day/night cycle, stellar dialogue, and awfully pretty towns and outdoors tied together a very enjoyable scenario. My only objections are fairly petty... like the Geneforged tree clusters, which looked odd stretched out, and the blue marble walls that look like blue hedges.

 

Go play it. My level 1 party and I enjoyed it, you probably will too.

 

Rating: [rating]Good[/rating]

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Twilight Valley was one of the three scenarios that don't have combat in them and which were released around the same time. Because this "time" happened to be the second 1/10 contest, Twilight Valley is not the lengthiest of scenarios. However, it is (still!) Nikki's longest scenario. Some feat that is.

 

Nikki was aiming for pretty when he was designing TV and he succeeded. The towns and the outdoor section are pleasing to the eye. Custom graphics are used in all sorts of tiny places like in new lamps and trees. The custom graphics for NPCs aren't as successful. The villain looks more sissy than menacing, the Geneforged woman didn't quite fit in and Roxy is a green-haired anime woman. *Shudder*

 

Nikki fancies himself a writer and it shows. The dialog and descriptive texts are all well-crafted. There's a nice balance of drama and some humor.

Unfortunately, I read somewhere that this is a vampire scenario so I wasn't very surprised by the plot twists.

Nonetheless, the plot is rather interesting and I actually enjoyed finding out what's going to happen next. I just wish next time Nikki will cut the length of the cut scenes a bit. Especially the one with Tovas' diary was too long.

 

So TV doesn't have any combat. Is that a handicap? I say no. It's a story scenario and an entertaining one at that. However, because of the lack of combat and lack of puzzles the player doesn't really do much. There's only the dialog and moving from point A to point B.

 

Fortunately, that is enough for this scenario.

 

Rating: [rating]GOOD[/rating]

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  • 1 year later...

From Thralni on the CSR:

 

Yay, first to pass verdict!

 

When the scenario was finished, I had mixed feelings: "Oh my god", and utter dissappointment. Let me start from the beginning:

 

I had already heard about TV being a non-combat scenario, which I really looked forward too, so big plus for that. I suck at combat, and I don't like fighting that much at all. I found that Nikki had rapped up the story in a good way. You didn't fight the bad guy in the end, but there was a different approach to the ending, one that I sort of almost felt was quite clever. I mean, I can't remember a scenario in which fighting was 0% of the story, and you didn't have to fight to the bad guy in the end. Way to go Nikki!

 

So if there is no combat, what do you do? You talk. A lot. There are a lot of things to read: dialogue (absolutely everybody seemed to have at least something to say), signs and environmental descriptions. Now, I am a very impatient guy at times, and sometimes I had to force myself to read all the trivial stuff. I did thought, because I know Nikki can write well, and indeed: it was a pleasure to read it all. I think I saw two typos only in all of the scenario, which I'll gladly pass on to Nikki when I get the chance.

 

The plot was very good, mainly because everything seemed so different than in "normal" BoA scenarios. Pity, though, that I had read that poem Nikki included with the scenario: it was a major spoiler, causing me to know from the start who the bad guy was. What I would have liked, though, is a bit less steering on the suthor's side. generally, i felt I was told what to do, rather than finding clues and coming, myself, to the conclusion to go to a certain place. It was a refreshing experience though, after all the other scenarios which in the end, including my own, are a tad clich.

 

Roxy was a good character. At a certain point, you go to a cave in a hill, and a person approaches. This approachign was extremely well executed, me thinks. You slowly hear steps coming closer to you. When that happened I was literally shaking. I held the muse with a stiff hand, looking nervously at the screen, although I knew there wasn't any combat in the scenario. Again, Nikki, way to go.

 

There were several other things, like town design (which was very pretty), which gave me an "Oh my god" feeling at the end: a feeling of pleasure and a time well spent.

 

And now comes the part at which I was utterly dissappointed. It's the ending. It felt as if Nikki decided: "That is it, wrap it up boys, film is over. Nothing to see here sonny, the end." In a dialogue box, you get to see what happens: you go to Greenleaf, and you appear with your party at Greenleaf. You bring back laurina (you don't go past the gates, really, you stand there and...) get a dialogue box saying what she says. then you get another dialogue box, saying you go to search for more clues about the bad guy, but you find nothing and go home.

 

Right. I would have loved to go back myself upon finding the girl, on the way to Greenleaf seeing the bad guy sort of fly around, watching me, maybe some encounter on the way or so (make it night, even). Then, if the dialogue box says I go back, I actually want to be given an option: go bak or let the story go on, saying I don't find anything. I like walking around, choosing these options myself.

 

What happens to the other two kidnapped people you will never know. What happens between Roxy and the mayor, you will never know too, but you don't have too. The way Nikki told this gives me enough to speculate, which I like.

 

So. Let me recap: I enjoyed this scenario very, very much. Probably at the same level as I enjoyed Rats Aplenty. However, for the dissappointment I felt at the end, for not letting me do as I please, but wrapping up the story and kicking me out of the scenario, I will have to take some points away. Overall:

 

[rating]AVERAGE[/rating]

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From Nioca on the CSR:

 

I'm always up for a good story. Twilight Valley provided such a story, and that's a good thing. However, combat should be a factor in any scenario, even if it's only 1 or 2 fights. Without that, it felt like something was missing, a part irreplaceable, no matter how good the story was. Sadly, this is going to affect my score of the scenario a lot.

 

For others, no combat is a blessing. For me, it's not.

 

[rating]AVERAGE[/rating]

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From Milu on the CSR:

 

I don't think combat is a necessary requirement for a scenario. Non-combat scenarios are always welcome.

 

The mystery in the story was interesting. However, when the plot was gradually revealed, sometimes I had the feeling that I've seen this all too many times before (I'm talking about typical romantic vampire stories - though perhaps I'm just not the right audience). Also, if I was a detective, I would have had strong suspicions about the mage: he could have been, for example, a jealous lover. And the ending was a bit too anti-climatic or too many important questions were left unanswered, unless I missed something essential.

 

However, the town had a nice atmosphere.

 

EDIT: Almost forgot... The graphics were very good, though I couldn't see many of the doors in the final town.

 

[rating]AVERAGE[/rating]

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From Lazarus on the CSR:

 

First the negatives.

-No combat. I suppose no combat is better than bad combat, but this is usually a department where a well done scenario can pick up some points from me.

-Cutscenes. Some were good, but I think overall they were a bit overused in TV. There were several places with long cutscenes just handing you text-- if there isn't going to be any action then just give me a message dialog.

-The final dungeon. Compared to the visuals of previous towns, this was a really letdown. That blue wallset is a good one for this kind of setting, but first something has to be done about the north doors-- they're way too hard to see. Floor choices here is really questionable-- that wood just doesn't go along at all. This didn't add to the mood for me at all, and it was supposed to be the climax of the scenario.

-The plot was fine, but some things bothered me. Firstly *SPOILER* the ending is that the girl voluntarily returns home-- what the hell did I just accomplish? (And this coming from the guy who made FB.....) */SPOILER* And the ending, as mentioned before, doesn't really feel like an end. You're left with lots of questions, and I personally was left feeling like this was where the real action of the scenario was about to start (As in: Alright, now this is where I stick a stake through that bloody vampire's heart..... No go, it just ended.)

 

Some good points.

+Well designed towns, right up to the final dungeon. Greenleaf was especially pretty. Good use of custom graphics throughout.

+Plenty of dialog. The dialog basically was the scenario, but at least it was plentiful, and well done.

+A well done day/night cycle.

 

Well that looks kind of lopsided on the negative side, but it really isn't. I'm just better at criticising than praising.

 

[rating]GOOD[/rating]

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From S M Adventurer on the CSR:

 

Twilight Valley was a pretty good scenario. The graphics were beautiful. I particularly liked the design of the outdoors, with all them flowers. The town of Greenleaf was designed nicely too.

 

I agree with what's been said about the "someone is coming" cutscene with the footsteps. That was an excellent scripting technique.

 

I found it to be quite a relief to not have to do any combat for once in a scenario. While I'm not a big fan of dialog string after dialog string, particularly if I'm replaying the scenario (I played it twice.) The story was pretty interesting.

 

Although, like a few others according to their reviews here, maybe the ending could have been extended a bit. But that's all right. The scenario is good as is.

 

Overall, I had a pleasant experience playing this scenario and will rate it accordingly.

 

[rating]GOOD[/rating]

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From Jemand on the CSR:

 

A well drawn scenario certainly, the custom graphics give it a special unique feel. The combatlessness (not a word, I know) left the scenario with a sort of empty feeling. It also left me wondering why there is a weapons shop at all. The fact that you can't actually fight the big bad badguy sort of annoyed me.

In my opinion, the

Avernum engine mainly exists so that you can fight things, gain XP and get more powerful. A scenario that is all dialogue and cutscenes... well, I couldn't help but feel that it was abuse of the engine. Besides that, however, I think that TV is pretty good.

 

[rating]AVERAGE[/rating]

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From Excalibur on SV:

 

 

Combat - (null) - because the lack of combat did not bother me at all, I won't give any score here.

 

Indoor Design - Best - The town design is exemplary.

 

Outdoor Design - Good - The flowers are an apt decoration, though it could have done with a few less, I think.

 

Writing - Best - This is really the scenario's selling point. It flows well and kept me playing.

 

Plot - Good - A good story, though it could of had some very minor touch-ups.

 

Technical - Good - Nice cutscenes, and no bugs.

 

Balance - (null) - there isn't really much to balance.

 

Creativity/Innovation - Good - The story is creative, and there's obviously a lot of thought as to the visual effects.

 

Other - Good - Cheers for getting away with absolutely no combat. There are nice custom graphics as well.

 

Replay Value - Good - Definitely would play it again.

 

[rating]GOOD[/rating]

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  • 10 years later...

So...I enjoyed this scenario. I liked that it was a non-combat scenario. I like the idea of your characters having ultimately zero impact on anything. What I would have liked, though, would have been some sort of non-combat sidequests that didn't really ultimately change much...but maybe you found a survivor, or discovered something that gets you some reward, or have to engage in dialogue and if you don't answer correctly you get eaten...or something to make this less of a passive experience. You can find at least one secret...which I like, and I like the backstory, and the story in general, but it would be great if there were more to do.

 

I give it an average.  It's well done for what it is. I would have liked there to have been more in it though...maybe even just more secrets that, if you uncover them it reveals more backstory but changes nothing.

Edited by Clintone
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