Jump to content

Quick Avernum 5 Update, March '07


Spidweb

Recommended Posts

I've put in some hours on Avernum 5. Some more news.

 

i. Elevations are completely in the game. They look nice.

 

ii. There is now a system of battle disciplines. People with high combat skills will be able to use special abilities. Some of them are cool enough that some mages will be tempted to train in pole weapons.

 

iii. I have vastly expanded the keyboard shortcuts. You will now be able to target attacks and spells using only the keyboard. (This includes fireballs.)

 

iv. The plot is very elaborate and cool. I tried for a similar level of intricacy as Geneforge 4: Rebellion.

 

v. I have also borrowed the much less annoying action point system from Geneforge 4. And a ton of the nice graphical effects too.

 

vi. The most irritating thing left to be done engine-wise is boats. There will be a lot of water travel.

 

vii. The Anama are back. Solberg has a decently sized role. Rentar-Ihrno is still dead.

 

- Jeff Vogel

 

Edit: Fixed typo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1: Yhh nice I can't wait.

 

2: Yay it's really here!!!! eek I think i'll love it!! REally where did Jeff got that idea, it seems awesome, from Diablo maybe?? hehe.

 

3: Nice, I expect some arrows spells like in Avernum, and some area spells like in exile(and A4 :/).

 

4: What? Ow a cool plot is always nice, But I don't want a two sided Avenum please!!

 

5: Nice, I still suggest to adopt completely the old Avernum system...

 

6: Ow nice, no more sea monster cheap excuses!! Also a great complement to the game.

 

7:Tne anama are back?? Oh well...More temples to raid!! Solberg is cool, renthar is useful being dead... What will be the role of the Vahnatai in this game??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am filled with glee!

 

—Alorael, who would be disappointed if Rentar didn't play at least a moderately important background role in A5 even though she's dead. She has, after all, been more or less central to three out of four prior Avernum games. Actually, it was jarring to have Erika's absence be so unimportant in A5.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:
Originally written by Spidweb:
Rentar-Ihrno is still dead.
But... but...

What do you mean 'still?' I didn't realize it had ever been made official before now! The ending... it was supposed to be open ended...

Oh, Rentar! Say it isn't so! Who could ever fill the void left in my heart?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:

Originally by Emperor Tullegolar:
Quote:
Oh, Rentar! Say it isn't so! Who could ever fill the void left in my heart?
Barzahl. :p
Barzahl could fill another void as well.

On to a more serious matters,
Will we be able to move diagonally in the boats?
And isn't Solberg like 120 now or something? How long do wizards live for?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:
Originally written by Spidweb:
"v. Wait, what was the difference again?"

The two main changes:

i. When you try to attack with low skill points, your turn doesn't end. You attack.

ii. It is now much easier to use items (like potions and scrolls) and attack in the same turn.

- Jeff Vogel
Whoops! In my pre-coffee morning daze I had read "action point" as "skill point". Having now been set straight, my verdict on this change is: groovy.

EDIT: And having read the rest of the thread I see it did say "skill point" at the time I read it! You're a tricky one, Jeff! :p
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:
Originally written by Dikiyoba:
Originally by Delicious Vlish:

Quote:
Anamana... Doo doo do doo doo... Doot doo de doo
You're terrible.

Originally by Emperor Tullegolar:

Quote:
Oh, Rentar! Say it isn't so! Who could ever fill the void left in my heart?
Barzahl. :p

Edit 4: Dikiyoba really should use the preview post more often.
I have used my Vlish powers for evil. You are hearing that song right now aren't you?

Doo doo doo do de doo

Anamana!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Anama will be the new threat. The scourge of Bigail has ravaged the entire surface continent and has become so pervasive that now it has leaked like so much toxic waste down through the cracks to infect the already blighted underworld. Crusades. Holy Roamin' Emperors. Inquisistions. A new Dark Age. Fear! Fire! Foes! The Anama must be stopped...whatever it takes. Avernum and the Empire and GIFTS everywhere align for the love of God...or rather, for the pruning of it.

 

This stuff writes itself.

 

-S-

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:
Originally written by Emperor Tullegolar:
Oh, Rentar! Say it isn't so! Who could ever fill the void left in my heart?
Psh, you're not Drakey, no matter how hard you try.
Quote:
Originally written by Andraste:
Barzahl could fill another void as well.
Andraste is my hero!!

Uh, as for the actual topic of the thread, I have little to add other than that this all sounds pretty good. I'll have to see the results, but I am happy with the pre-pre-pre-pre-release buzz.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:
Originally written by Synergy:
The Anama will be the new threat. The scourge of Bigail has ravaged the entire surface continent and has become so pervasive that now it has leaked like so much toxic waste down through the cracks to infect the already blighted underworld. Crusades. Holy Roamin' Emperors. Inquisistions. A new Dark Age. Fear! Fire! Foes! The Anama must be stopped...whatever it takes. Avernum and the Empire and GIFTS everywhere align for the love of God...or rather, for the pruning of it.

This stuff writes itself.

-S-
They will not. It has not. You should not expect any of the above. They need not be. They should not. It does not.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This all sounds great, but I'm particularly excited to hear:

 

Quote:
Originally written by Spidweb:

ii. There is now a system of battle disciplines. People with high combat skills will be able to use special abilities. Some of them are cool enough that some mages will be tempted to train in pole weapons.

This is exactly what the character engine needed after A4. A4 was reasonably well balanced, but character progression was not terribly interesting. I'm not sure what exactly "battle disciplines" means -- whether it refers to the special abilities themselves, or -- be still my beating heart -- an open-ended, divergent specialization system like the one used in SAngband.

 

Hopefully this also means the character skills will be more differentiated. We don't need multiple sets of skills that do almost exactly the same thing (Spellcraft/Magery, and so on) and we don't need skills that are almost impossible to train in *and* are less useful than other skills (Anatomy, Lethal Blow, Riposte, and don't even talk to me about Magical Efficiency and Blademaster).

 

I do note that nothing has been written about more variety among the spells. That makes me sad, but you can't have everything.

 

Edit: Oh yeah. Solberg having a bigger role is interesting. He's already the only major character to appear in every game. Hopefully, he will also have something interesting to say -- he hasn't really done that since 1996.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I definitely think a religious war perpetrated by the Anama is the way to go. Jeff certainly seems to be into capturing present day political issues. What is more current than religous war?

 

Of course in my opinion, this would perhaps need a substantial redesign of priest spells. In addition to Martyr's Shield, it might necessitate a spell Martyr's Sword™. Martyr's Sword™ could damage both the caster and his enemies.

 

I could also see the dramatic return of Quickfire. Maybe Quickfire is the Martyr's Sword™. Quickfire could become a mid-level priest spell that could only be cast so it formed around the caster, thus likely resulting in death.

 

Repent Infidels?

 

Akbar Anama?

 

On second though, maybe this is too close to current events for Jeff's taste.

 

--------------

Second Lt. to the Supreme Lord of the Noobs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, the new highest priest spell will be Martyr's Terror. You horrify and appall your foes until they flee, weeping, but in exchanged your forced into the Path of Postmodernism. Oh, and probably banned, too.

 

—Alorael, who is quite sure that Solberg is old enough that he's now 90% magical replacement parts, as he informs you in A4. He also deserves better than to be shunted off to somewhere that isn't the center of events. He needs to go set some Anama missionaries on fire!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What about vanhatai PCs,I STILL thinking than they can be useful.By the way,I hope than still using the Genevernum style(I borrowed your word Dark Mage!)because one of the most useful stuff is than you can use in that engine are the in-game cheats(I hope than is'nt illegal speak about cheats here).What about crafting,it is very useful,the item-making of A4 is like the one in G2(you gave to the crafter the materials and he makes the item),that is not eficient,I was thinking too in the ``combination´´ of items(like Resident Evil and other games),it is like crafting but you don't need an enchanted anvil,you only need the recipe and the components.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would be nice to get extra perks from having higher skills. Like if you had 6 dexterity and 8 melee you could wield a dagger instead of a shield, if you had 8 dexterity and 12 melee, you could wield a shortsword instead of a shield. If you had something like 6 dexterity and 8 throwing weapon, the AP cost of throwing weapons is reduced by 1, if you had 6 strength and 8 throwing weapon, you do extra damage if your target is close to you.

 

I would also like to see some of the minor mysteries expanded upon like the giant lizard statues with the Bloodthirst Spear near Khoth's lair, the Vahnatai with the Jade Halberd near the surface exit, the Slith with the Obsidian Spear in the spore tunnels, and the Cthulhu-esque Bug shrine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After that slip about using skill points in combat, I thought of a way to do it. Unused skill points can be expended in combat to give an extra action. Now you would have to decide with saving them for a more powerful character or burn them to do more things in a major fight. This would keep some characters at a lower level.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:
Originally written by Auctioneer par non:
He needs to go set some Anama missionaries on fire!
I got the most delightfully evil giggle after reading that.

But on topic, this looks wonderfull!! Boats boats boats!
Oh and rentar is dead and gone
(if he shows up at the next RW cult meeting l'll just pretend I cant see him.)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It depends on how much is changed in the game engine, how many new graphics are made, and how long Jeff spends thinking about the plot. He is currently working on the new game engine and doing the Celtic half of Nethergate:Resurrection.

 

Figure about 6 months for the game and 2 months for testing. He does need some time off for rest and recreation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:
Originaly written by Kelandon:
Oh, that talk of cheats reminds me: any word on whether we will have a character editor? The cheats are fine, I guess, but the char editor was useful in various situations.
You re right,the editor is a very useful tool but,in A4 you use ``leetbuffz´´and your party is fully blessed,hasted,shielded,etc.You can't do that with the Editor(I speak of the A4 editor).Is good than I would be able of speak about cheats here,because I know troubles they have and how to fix them and a lot of sites were you can found them.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

See, with the Editor, you didn't need any cheats. You were just completely invincible. If you're going to cheat, go all the way.

 

A4 didn't have an Editor in the sense that the last games did. It did have that rudimentary one that someone(Hawk King?) made.

 

Nalyd usually runs a single maxed out party, with the rest being a good variety.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...