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Avadon Developer Diary #4


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The next developer diary for Avadon: The Black Fortress is up.

 

http://jeff-vogel.blogspot.com/2010/11/avadon-developer-diary-4-character.html

 

It goes into the four character classes in some detail, explaining where they came from and their role in the game.

 

- Jeff Vogel

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Teleporting ninja sounds like a headache for scripted encounters. Does Avadon still use the same 'special rectangle' triggers that Blades of Avernum and other Spiderweb games used? It's bad enough making sure that a non-teleporting party isn't able to avoid triggers. If a character is able to simply jump from one side of the screen to the other, bypassing all triggers in between... Are there any restrictions when these ninja are able to use teleportation?

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Quote:
The shaman has dedicated her life to nature, and nature, in return, has rewarded her with great power. She can use her connection to the wilds to heal and bless her allies. And, when angered, she can call wind, lightning, and fire to devastate those who challenge her. A shaman is rarely alone. She can call wolves or, eventually, drakes to serve and protect her. Also, she has the unique ability to heal wounded allies.


THe last sentence that tells us that the shaman can heal allies is redundant as it was said earlier in the description.

But really, I am looking forward to when this game comes out, and will likely buy it as soon as I can.
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Originally Posted By: Excalibur
Having conversations with your own party members will be interesting, especially if party member x does not want to do mission y because of his or her own opinions...or maybe I'm reading something wrong.


Well, Jeff has been on a bit of a Bioware kick lately.
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Originally Posted By: Excalibur
Having conversations with your own party members will be interesting, especially if party member x does not want to do mission y because of his or her own opinions...or maybe I'm reading something wrong.

Worst part about this game is having to put up with the NPCs and their demands.

One of the better parts is what Jeff has them say. You do have to play the game at least twice so you have a chance to hear what all 4 NPCs have to say.

Shadowwalkers are cool to play. Too bad you can't play with more than two at a time. frown
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Ah, the deadliest ninja attack of all, known poetically as "the Quivering Elbow". The victim becomes convinced that teleporting ninjas threaten him at all times, until the constant anxiety undermines his constitution and he perishes miserably, spreading fear of ninjas to all who witness his awful fate.

 

There is no known antidote, though it is rumored that Master Oogway can do some kind of plinky-plonk-plunk thing with his twisty stick to make you tickety-boo again, if you can get to him in time.

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Originally Posted By: Shadow Bunny
Now I'm torn: do I want to play as a teleporting ninja and be awesome, or play as someone else so that I can read the ninjas dialog?

There's one NPC of each class, and you can pick any class for yourself. So you can get ninja dialogue as a ninja.

—Alorael, who in fact believes firmly that ninja friends are the best friends. They've got each other's backs. Unexpectedly.
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Originally Posted By: Student of Trinity
Ah, the deadliest ninja attack of all, known poetically as "the Quivering Elbow".


Isn't the deadliest ninja attack is the "Thousand Years of Fiery Pain"? smile
Click to reveal..
It is performed by attaching an incendiary device to a kunai and (lightly described) swiftly attaching it into the target's bottom
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But just like all the other games a singleton in a stun loop is no fun. Especially when your parry, riposte, and regeneration keep you from just dying and starting over.

 

To make game balancing easier, Jeff has made it harder to create an instant army of summoned creatures. It's possible, but hard and they tend to be squishy early in the game.

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Originally Posted By: Masquerade
Pfft! Don't you know that physics and logic are useless when in fantasy land grin
Well, seeing as I live in my own personal fantasy, only my logic and physics would count. tongue
Originally Posted By: Tirien
Also, im always expecting Teleporting Ninjas. Its kind of a constant letdown that none appear.
Just because they don't appear when you want them to, it doesn't mean they're not out there. Be thankful you're not their latest target, or you won't want them to appear at all.
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Quote:
That narrowed it down to ninjas and pirates

This is meant to be a joke, right?

a) Pirates are not fragile, unless they have scurvy
B) While pirates do inflict melee damage, its more hack and slash, not precision/piercing strikes
c) Exactly what cool tricks do pirates have? Switching their eye-patch to the other eye, so they can instantly adjust to any lighting? Oooooh.
d) Who's ever heard of land pirates anyway?
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Pirates are certainly more fragile than, say, an armoured warrior, and (at least in the movies) they do seem to be able to inflict a lot of damage.

 

I don't know of any "cool tricks" that would be attributed to pirates, though I imagine that someone could think of one or two.

 

As for land pirates, it's true that one doesn't often hear of such a thing; however, that doesn't mean it's impossible.

 

 

 

Of course, he did say that ninjas fit better with the requirements he set out, and they definitely do, so it doesn't really matter how well pirates fit, right? It could have been a joke, but it's certainly possible that it wasn't.

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Originally Posted By: Earth Empires
pirates pistols aren't that accurate unless shot in close range while ninjas throwing stars are accurate.


Honestly, I can't image a blunderbuss being less accurate than a throwing star. Even fired with very imprecise quantities of powder in a smooth bore barrel, it would still have orders of magnitude greater accuracy and stopping power than a little sheet of metal you flung by hand. Just a quick googling reveals that a conservative estimation of musket firepower would be the ability to consistently hit a man-sized target at 50-60 yards, with some higher-end estimates up to 100 yards. I couldn't image a throwing star to be very accurate or damage beyond 25 due to things like a low velocity, wind deviations, gravity, etc. regardless of what the highly accurate and well-researched ninja documentary Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon tells me.
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Originally Posted By: Dantius
Originally Posted By: Earth Empires
pirates pistols aren't that accurate unless shot in close range while ninjas throwing stars are accurate.


[...] I couldn't image a throwing star to be very accurate or damage beyond 25 due to things like a low velocity, wind deviations, gravity, etc. regardless of what the highly accurate and well-researched ninja documentary Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon tells me.


I was contemplating an honest, well thought-of response, but you're statement is just not worth it.

Don't you KNOW that a true ninja's throwing star (or shuriken for that matter) defies all elements but earth and water and fire and wood? Don't you know that? This is outrageous. I thought we had a membership test on ninja lore to avoid comments like these. If not - there should be one!
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They are a fictional team of four anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei "Splinter" in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists. From their home in the storm sewers of New York City, they battle petty criminals, evil megalomaniacs, and alien invaders, all while remaining isolated from society at large.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Oh I doubt that. The party is based on characters, not creatures. It will probably be more like Avernum summoning, where you summon the creature and it fights nearby enemies on its own, and then blocks you in a tunnel until you press your spacebar button nearly to the point of breaking before it goes away.

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Originally Posted By: Mod.
... and then blocks you in a tunnel until you press your spacebar button nearly to the point of breaking before it goes away.
Provided I wasnt near anyone that mattered, I would usually just kill the summons if it did that. Does that mean I was a bad adventurer? I dont want to be a town guard!!!
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  • 3 weeks later...

As there's been a break in the conversation, I think I might just say a little praise:

Jeff says in his DD#4:

Originally Posted By: Jeff Vogel in Bottom Feeder…
I've always enjoyed writing games that mix the high-minded and the silly.

Yeah!Right!

That's why I've always liked Spiderweb Games and why I can't wait till Avadon will be released.

 

Looking forward to more high-minded, silly game-playing!

smile

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