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Slarti

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Everything posted by Slarti

  1. Hi! This is really interesting... the download link does still work, but I had to copy and paste the URL into a new tab to make it work. I guess the server doesn't like direct links from the new forum software for some reason. IIRC the GOG version did not exist way back when I wrote that. I would expect it to work fine, just like the Steam version, but can't vouch for it. If you're on a mac, you will need to use the part of the instructions that say "in the application package itself." Right-click on the app, and pick the option to "open application package" (or something like that... it's been a while since I've done this). Alternately, it's possible that the GOG version somehow stores the resource files someplace else. But I don't have it, so I can't help. If you're on PC and can't find them, copy the name of one of the text files in the zip and try doing a search for that file name. All the files have identical names as the ones they replace, so you should be able to find it that way. Good luck!
  2. Might be worth taking a look at your party composition and battle strategies. It might be the case that making just a few tweaks to how you're approaching it will make the combat much easier.
  3. Glad you figured it out. In the future, please try not to make so many posts in a row. You can use the edit feature to add updates or new information to your original post. Thanks, your friendly neighborhood mod.
  4. Hmm. Good point! Maybe Tuldaric's alteration method (which didn't require an actual Geneforge) became more widespread? Or maybe somebody came up with a more accessible version of the spell(s) that didn't require alteration.
  5. Sigh. I haven't been trying to "definitely answer" any question; on the contrary, I've been raising objections to your arguments. You made assertions; your assertions have been criticized; it's your chance to defend the assertions, now, but ad hominems won't do that. I suppose you're right that there is a chance (however small) that the extrapolated predictions you brought (that's what they are -- not actual sales data) are more accurate than not. That doesn't make them a reasonable thing to base your analysis off of. See, for example, the wildly different numbers from the links goo posted. What makes your numbers more reliable than those? (Legit question, if you think something does, that's worth discussing.) (And since you brought it up: yes, it does come off a little presumptuous to just walk up and anonymously ask a developer for sales data and analysis based on these numbers.) I will apologize for any hurt from the question about your experience with the games. It wasn't intended to be snide: it was an actual statement of confusion. You wrote: These first three things that you point out are blatantly incredibly similar between all three games, compared to other games that are out there. How easy this is to quantify varies, but let's start with the easy one -- what difference in "features available" are you suggesting there even is between these three games? I'm genuinely confused as to how somebody could play all three games and conclude that there are even moderate differences between them in the categories you listed, compared with the genre at large.
  6. Yeah, those are all interesting questions. But I think there are some challenges with this analysis. First, as has been beaten to death in this thread, the numbers you saw are absurd and clearly inaccurate. So attempting to explain what you saw in this data is a little silly. Definitely still interesting to think about what might lead to the games being received differently, but using bad data as a guide will doom your analysis from the beginning. Beyond that, there are a whole flurry of potentially relevant factors, and there's no real way to distinguish which ones were or were not impactful on sales. It's pure speculation, because there are so many factors and -- even if you had perfect data -- so few data points. There's just no way to sort this out. So, with the caveats that (1) we can't base our thinking on inaccurate data, and (2) we can really only speculate about what is and isn't an impactful factor, I'd look at your suggested factors as follows: - Story: Doubtful. Hardcore Spiderweb fans tend to praise E/A 1 for the originality of its premise and concept; 2 for its plot, atmosphere, and characters; and 3 for its variety and expansiveness. But these differences are much less pronounced in the remakes, and aren't really apparent at all in the early game. Plus, all three games are very similar to each other in this regard when compared to other stuff in the genre. So I'd be surprised if these nuances affected mass market behavior. - Features: Doubtful. For the remakes, these simply don't shift much between these three games, especially when compared to other titles. - Pacing: Doubtful, and I'm starting to wonder whether you've actually played these games? With the exception of a sequence in E/A 2, they all offer extremely open-ended progression compared to other games out there (and even other Spiderweb titles). - First-timers to CRPGs: I agree with goo's analysis above; "totally new to CRPGs" is going to be a very tiny proportion of purchases for any game that isn't super mainstream, big-studio, heavily advertised and front-paged by Steam, etc. (and even then probably a small proportion) I think situational factors are much more likely to be relevant: - Availability on different game-purchasing platforms - Price, sales, and timing of sales and promotions - How many other RPGs (big deal, or classic RPGs, etc) were released around the same time - Pollination from twitter, twitch, word of mouth, etc, which itself will be affected by all of the above plus general gaming culture
  7. Aha! Okay, thanks for sharing. I loaded up your game, checked things out, and I've found your issue. It's not a bug, and it's also not something listed in that walkthrough. And I also see why this isn't something other people have encountered... In order for Erika to trust you for this big deal mission, you need a reputation of at least 22. Then you'll see a new option, "What sort of mission do you need me for?", when you ask about her plans of revenge. Generally, by the time anyone is working on the big 3 endgame quests, their reputation is well beyond 22 anyway. You'll need to go complete a few more minor quests, then come back, and Erika will actually help you. (With stats as high as yours ended up, I can understand why you felt ready to jump to endgame content, hehehe.)
  8. Did you definitely learn about the portal augmenter from Aydin before talking to Erika? That's the other relevant trigger. (I'm not sure how you could have gotten "Slay the Emperor" without that, but maybe it's possible, especially if you're absolutely sure you've selected every single option in Erika's entire dialogue tree.) This is a 12 year old game and no one's reported this previously, so it's pretty unlikely this is a bug. (Also, I assume you haven't used any cheat engines or edited game files or anything? Just say so if you have...)
  9. what security software do you use that demands a keyboard-only response without switching out of an app first?
  10. Yeah, it definitely sounds like you haven't progressed the quest adequately with Erika. Have you gone through her entire dialogue tree? That option might not be there are the very start of the conversation.
  11. It's a little weird that this site has more statistics on AEFTP than on the other two games -- I have to wonder why, and if this could be related to any discrepancy. Also, with an peak of 11 active players out of 15,000, I have to imagine these statistics aren't that reliable, or at the very least don't go back to 2018. I would not be so quick to assume these sites provide accurate info.
  12. In G4 and G5 that was because you'd been Geneforged. G3 must have had some explanation for this? Right? Maybe? Or maybe G3 just gonna G3...
  13. He did give in and create the option of a satisfying ending for Geneforge 5, after G3 and G4's endings (where frankly 55% sounds generous). I'd expect the same thing to happen here, especially if it is in fact Spiderweb's last new game story. With the possible exception of the G5 protagonist
  14. I see the possible applicability to Afghanistan, sure. But I mean, "inhospitable terrain for an invasion" applies to lots of places; "decadence" has been used as a moral attack against foreign enemies for pretty much the entire scope of human history; and likewise the oppression of women has, unfortunately, been a thing in almost every part of the world. I don't think there's any shortage of places this can apply to. On the flip side, SW describes the Ro as "wild," "brutal," and as "barbarians." Seems pretty unlikely they'd do that if they had a comparison with a specific area of the modern world in mind.
  15. Really? This is such a classic and widespread CRPG foible. Seriously, google any variation of "NPC blocking your path", "NPC get out of my way", "NPC blocking door", "RPG pathfinding failure", "drone jam"... etc. You'll find tons of games, often really big-name games. Endless random threads on gamefaqs. Etc. It's been less common in the last 20-25 years because RPGs aren't all tile-based by default, anymore. That's the big reason. Truly not specific to Spiderweb games.
  16. Exile/Avernum 1-3 definitely have very happy, heroic endings. Uh... wow! Interesting idea, but based on google, it appears that literally no people have expressed this idea. I can see the applicability. But what makes you feel like it's such a targeted metaphor for Afghanistan specifically? Once upon a time the vast majority of RPGs had simple, happy endings. There's more variety now, but I'd argue that the majority of them still do. I don't think every RPG needs to be the same in this regard.
  17. I haven't heard of this happening before. Arum won't leave on his own, but many NPCs wander around a little. If you left the door open and left guards alive somewhere in the vicinity of the cells, I guess you could have had the ill luck of Arum and a guard somehow ending up in each other's line of sight, at which point the guard would attack and probably kill Arum. If you didn't do either of those things, then how this could happen is a bit of a mystery. Either way, this is probably a good reminder to keep multiple save files...
  18. A lot of this info is compiled here, up through 2007 anyway: https://web.archive.org/web/20090403085320/http://home.comcast.net/~tom_05/contests.html Which should at least get past the last time the BoE forum here was pruned.
  19. Doh. Thanks for trying, that's too bad. Reading through the OP again... It occurs to me that the "never work" key is something you use in walkabout mode, while the "occasionally or delayed" keys are things you press in dialogue. This combination could be plausible if the issue is one of being constantly bombarded with other keyboard input, like a function key, that the game checks for a potential use in walkabout mode, but mostly ignores in dialogue mode. Years ago (as google reminded me) this came up in a single user's copy of G4, where it was constantly receiving an F12 input. (We never did figure that one out how to make it stop; their laptop was very old and they dumped it a few months later.) So followup question: can you give a complete (as complete as reasonable, anyway) list of keys that (1) work, (2) never work, and (3) sometimes work or have a delay? (my only other thought is to look at anything else you have installed that could cause a conflict. Keymapping or controller software (even LED keyboard software), a particularly zealous antivirus, anything that runs in the background... but that's a slog and it's hard to know what the culprit might be anyway)
  20. Steam can mess around with keyboard input if its controller settings are active. If you find and run the application from outside of Steam, i.e. opening it directly from File Explorer, do you have the same issues?
  21. This is not a known issue AFAIK. That said, G4 is a 17 year old game at this point (!) (even if we love it) so it's definitely possible there's a conflict with a piece of software that did not exist 17 years ago. A few questions: 1. What platform did you get the game through (Steam, GOG, direct from Spiderweb, etc)? 2. What version of Windows? I'd ask about keymapping software, controllers, etc., but the fact that some of the keys work inconsistently or with a delay suggests the problem might not be about input being recognized specifically. Do you notice any kind of other slowdowns, graphics stuttering, anything like that? Or is it solely keyboard commands?
  22. "You reach the end of the passage, and find it has been sealed. Thousands of tons of shattered rock close the tunnel off. You look at the ceiling and see the signs of a massive magical blow, used to cause the rockfall... It is clear that the Vahnatai have left your lands, and left for good. Two chilling questions hang in the thick, dusty air: Where did they go, and can they be stopped?" This is how they leave Ghikra. It's not entirely clear if it's the way they came, though it's a definite possibility. You can't actually find it until they're gone.
  23. On the last question, almost certainly not. It's never made explicit, but of the ToM/Olgai portal, we do get: "This portal was Exile's connection to the lands of the Vahnatai. It still exists, but just barely. It flickers in and out of existance, and is clearly far too weak to use. The room is filled with dust. Nobody has been here in a while." It also seems unlikely that they would have been willing to send all those Crystal Souls through the portal to Upper Exile. And we know they had other ways up, since obviously none of the magic behind the Plagues went through the ToM.
  24. I think this is very true -- with the caveat that not every society is brutal and shallow in the same ways, or even equally brutal or shallow or whatever overall. But there are lots of ways to be harmful. So I think the romanticizing is really about seeing something that is compensatory to contemporary society. It's sort of the opposite project of dystopian literature, which is almost always applicable to something harmful in contemporary society. I'm not sure how interested Asimov was in either one, but Bradbury definitely tried to do both, sometimes at the same time. (The other thing that strikes me, sitting here reading this, is how much the two lines I quoted sound like Bradbury.)
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