Ah, nostalgia...

[Trenton.]

It's been quite a while, and I'm sure with the new remakes some people's opinions must have changed.

 

Let me break it down as to why I choose Exile as my pick. It is the series that got me into Spiderweb Software gaming. If it wasn't for the Exile II on my old neighbors computer, I might never have found my way here. (And I never would have found myself to many, MANY other places as a result. Literally my entire life changed when I joined Spiderweb Software. I've made so many other friends, including my best friend, as a result from joining this place.) I will never forget the fun I had playing Exile 2 on this old computer. I guess it being the first is one of the main reasons why it's my favorite.

 

Now, I know what people say. "Oh gawd, look at those graphics." For its time, Exile was one of the best games I have played, And I think the graphics fit right in with the old timey feel to it. There's just something about swords, horses, and games like this that makes old graphics feel like they belong. The better the graphics in an adventuring game, the more out of place it seems.

 

And finally, the mechanics. Sure, the inventory was just a little sidebar visible at all times. Not very asethtic. But it got the job done, and Damnit if I didn't just enjoy seeing the green name that said I was using a broadsword. Plus, the very best part, YOU COULD CLOSE DOORS. Combat was fairly intuitive, the enemy AI was splendid, and every fight was fun. There was 7 levels of spells that could be cast in both priest and mage, with around 10 spells in each level! And there were so many unique ones too. Such as removing/PLACING Magical Barriers, Quickfire, various levels of summoning spells, summoning a wall of daggers for freaks sake. The party of six felt much more natural than the parties of four, and carrying loot was a lot easier.

 

One last thing. Bashing your head into every wall you find and getting excited when you find a secret. None of this button crap. That was the life.

 

What did you pick? Tell us why in the posts below!

[Randomizer]

Exile had one feature that has never appeared in the remakes, the monsters could pick up items like potions and use them in combat. There was nothing like reading that a goblin had just pick up and then drank the healing potion lying on the ground. Especially in the early part of the game when they were significant.

[Goldengirl]

I'll bust and say that the latest iteration of the games is my favorite. I came to Spiderweb by way of the Geneforge series, so by the time I started playing, the original trilogy had been completely remade.

 

Technology spoiled me. The graphics are part of it, sure, but the mechanics are even better. Even getting into Avernum (game one) was hard; no quest log, are you kidding? I loved the second and third ones, though I only played the demos. Embarrassingly, Avernum 3 was my favorite, but only because I was too young to know quality.

 

That said, the remakes are still my favorite. This is the first time that I've ever felt comfortable playing the first iteration (Escape from the Pit), and I got hooked so well that I bought the whole game. I'll likely do the same for the second one, once I get around to playing it. It's not just the graphics. It's the simplified and revamped combat system that moves beyond whacking things with swords and picking from a silly long list of spells. It's the addition of the junk bag. It's so many more things that make the game more fun and less of a chore.

 

And yes, that includes not having to run into every square inch of wall to get to the hidden areas.

[Lilith]

Exile had one feature that has never appeared in the remakes, the monsters could pick up items like potions and use them in combat. There was nothing like reading that a goblin had just pick up and then drank the healing potion lying on the ground. Especially in the early part of the game when they were significant.

 

That definitely wasn't a thing in Exile. I know it was in the original Nethergate, though -- maybe the original Avernum as well?

[Forget it]

Voted for Exile. Nothing is ever quite like your first time.

 

But, the new releases are vast improvements.

[Kelandon]

That definitely wasn't a thing in Exile. I know it was in the original Nethergate, though -- maybe the original Avernum as well?

I think it was, though this was rare. Definitely the monsters held and used items (as in BoA); someone or other (giant chieftains?) in Avernum 3 carried invulnerability potions that, er, affected combat if they drank them.

[nikki.]

Yeah, creatures picking up stuff is definitely an Avernum thing.

 

Also "Avernum 3 was my favorite, but only because I was too young to know quality."

 

Avernum 3 IS quality, friend. Third best SW game.

[The Almighty Doer of Stuff]

The Za-Khazi Run for BoE was the most fun I've ever had playing a Spidweb game. I couldn't put it down! It was pure joy. And I always avoided it because everyone else said it was low-quality (to use much lighter phrasing than was actually employed).

 

38

 

I'm sure I'd love the main trilogy but there's no surprise anymore. I've been here since 2001, I know most of the main story and much of the subplots just from reading the message board. I find that disappointing. I keep trying to play but I can't finish. I'm going to keep trying though, maybe.

[Slawbug]

Nethergate was definitely the game where it became a common sight for monsters to pick up and use items, and I remember this seeming new and unexpected. I don't think that was a thing in Exile. It seems more likely that some monsters had an inherent ability presented as if they were using an item. Thinking about item drops in BoE would seem to confirm this.

 

Googling turns up a number of references to it, but every last one is a post by Randomizer, so this may be yet another randomized urban legend

[Eldibs]

Exile series for sure, due to the inherent craziness of being the earliest releases. Force Barrier and Quickfire? Awesome. Ravage Enemy, Major Blessing, and a metric ton of Boots/Rings of Speed? Also awesome.

[GiantFriendlyTalkingSpiderman]

I only played the original and the second remakes and I could go either way, I tried some of the original Avernum games but it didn't go so well...

 

In Avernum 1 the first group of goblins I found moved faster than my mage and killed her instantly so I rage quit, then I tried BoA and somehow agro'd the mine boss in VoDT well before I should have resulting in every space in the boss room covered in summoned minions, I rage quit.

 

 

 

I voted for Exile because of the shear variety and freedom that originally brought me into spiderweb games, even though I only finished BoE due to my child self's attention span it was hard to get all the way though the full sized games. I also cant go back to exile 1&2, the item UI is just too rough in those two, I remember 3&blades cleaned it up a little, but that's OK because I can just buy and play the new versions!

 

Frankly there is no clear winner in the end, each iteration has something exceptional and something lacking

 

 

Exile: +Max 6 characters +crazy terrain altering spells +Hardcore elements(food and what not) +Best Trait system! +Combat starting positions(not just in a straight line) -Busted or unbalanced skills/traits -single difficulty -Backtracking(realistic weight limits) -Harshest min-maxing

 

Avenum: +Good reason to take negative traits giving your characters interesting weaknesses & creating interesting situations +Mercenaries -Combat issues caused by 4 characters limit -Less spells

 

New Avernum: +Ease of access +Clean controls and visuals +No permadeath +Easily switch between melee/ranged attacks +Sword that scales with int! +More balanced spells +more AOE variety(even if it's broken) -No permadeath -Skill tree hinders melee/range hybrids(IRONIC) -4 stat (str/dex/int/end) system -No negative traits

 

 

If only we could combine all the pro's into some sort of highly modable "blades" game... oh well.

[The Almighty Doer of Stuff]

There are two difficulty settings in BoE, and I think it's been there since E1. Go to Preferences, click the light next to "Make Game Easier". I think it halves the HP of all mobs.

[Slawbug]

I think that may have been new in E2. Actually, I'm not even sure E1 had that preferences dialog box when it first came out, but maybe it was added in 2.0?

[Vexivero]

Exile was the game I grew up with; it was the first game I got addicted to and kept playing. Six-person party, automatically-respawning dungeons, and easily-replaceable graphics. Life well wasted.

[Mysterious Man]

Exile.

 

Jenneke is an unparalleled hero.

[Slawbug]

An Hero, Unparalleled.

[Aran]

By series, the first Avernum trilogy. By individual game, I'd pick Exile 3, but Avernum 1-2. The first two Exiles just felt too rough around the edges, and I'd already played their remakes by that point. Exile 3 on the other hand was my intro to SW.

[Necris Omega]

Exile earns so many nostalgia points from me this really isn't fair.

 

"Throg want kill"

[Arch-Mage Solberg]

I picked the original Exile Trilogy. It is what got me started with Spiderweb games back in 1997. I've enjoyed playing nearly every game Jeff has made since. I say nearly because I haven't played them all.

[skcolb]

By series, the first Avernum trilogy. By individual game, I'd pick Exile 3, but Avernum 1-2. The first two Exiles just felt too rough around the edges, and I'd already played their remakes by that point. Exile 3 on the other hand was my intro to SW.

I feel the same way on games. Exile 3 was also my intro. I took a long time off before playing the new Avernum 1 and later 2. Anxiously awaiting the remake of 3.

[Mysterious Man]

An Hero, Unparalleled.

 

You suck. Let me enjoy my drunk nostalgia trip.

[Hyena of Ice]

I voted Avernum originals, but then again, I've never played the Exile trilogy because the installer says they won't work on Windows 7.

[Hyena of Ice]

I feel the same way on games. Exile 3 was also my intro. I took a long time off before playing the new Avernum 1 and later 2. Anxiously awaiting the remake of 3.

 

I hope that Jeff takes AT LEAST two years to make it. There was just so much in A3 that made it so perfect, a ton of which was not present in A1 or 2, originals or remakes. I want to see a LOT of greenery sprites, that underground reed spoken of in A1_3 that rough cloth is made out of, and let's also have some giant mosses and lichens (or maybe not-- only way either would be practical is by creating detailed fractals.) One year worth of development just plain isn't good enough for A3.