A-EftP - Where did the races go?

[The Vagrant Werewolf]

I have to admit, I'm really sad about this.

 

Am I missing something, here? I remember Avernum having the nephilim and slithzerikai. I thought they were just locked out in the demo (as the Character Editor was), but I can't see any way to get at them. The original Avernum had them, so where are they in the reboot?

 

I always used to create a team of nephilim and slithzerikai just to piss off the xenophobic empire patriots, it was a laugh. And fun from a roleplaying perspective! I can't do that any more?

 

It's just not the same without the races...

 

I'm going to put in for a refund on the iPad version I got if they're really not in there. Seven quid isn't exactly a trivial amount of money to throw away on something I don't want to revisit.

 

But this was going to be a massive nostalgia trip. It can't be a nostalgia trip without my original team. It'd be like playing Mass Effect again, but now Wrex and Garrus are humans.

[Slawbug]

Avernum 1 (and Exile 1 before it) only had human player characters. You will presumably be able to play nephils and sliths in the second installment, as always. At this point in the story, there is simply too much hatred and prejudice towards those races for them to be accepted in human settlements.

[The Vagrant Werewolf]

Ah, damn. My memory was too fuzzy on this.

 

I remembered playing Avernum II, III, and Blades.

 

They really weren't in the first? Well damn. My bad, then. Okay, I won't be going for a refund (for obvious reasons, since this is my fault and they weren't taken out retroactively), but I doubt I'll be playing this version.

 

Looking forward to Nu Avernum II, I guess.

[Gon]

Avernum/Exile were still fighting the Nephils and Sliths in AEFTP/E1, it's was only thru the actions of the player party that this situation is changed by the second chapter.

[Alorael at Large]

In A1, everyone is a xenophobic bigot. Look at how prisoners are treated and you'll see why you don't want non-humans in your party. There's also the story problem: your group gets tossed through the portal together. Sliths don't come through the portal at all, since they're from Avernum, and nephilim get thrown through a different portal altogether.

 

—Alorael, who will also point out that he doesn't think Spiderweb can do refunds in purchases through other companies. They have no way to verify purchases through third parties.

[Zaraf]

I will admit that I was also confused by this until I realized that it was Exile 2 that I had been playing when I was young. Are they planning on remaking all 6 Avernum games in the new engine?

[Kinsume]

Yes.

[Acky]

Originally Posted By: Kinsume

Yes.

Well, at least 1-3, if current trends continue. Spiderweb hasn't come out and said anything, so we can only assume. In my opinion it would be very moronic to remake the second trilogy, and I don't think Jeff will do it. A4 will stay compatible much longer then A1 could.

[Firecage]

...Avernum 4-6 kinda does use this engine...though I do admit that some icons in avernum 4 could use spicing up.

[Slawbug]

Nethergate: Resurrection also uses (a later iteration of) the same engine as the original Nethergate. It's not impossible that Jeff would release new versions of A4, A5, and A6 that are more like N:R than like complete remakes. This would give him a chance to port them to the new platforms, get the games some well-deserved publicity, and if the production time was closer to N:R's, prices could probably be lower on all platforms.

[Earth]

Originally Posted By: Zaraf

Are they planning on remaking all 6 Avernum games in the new engine?

2nd trilogy remake might not see daylight but at least 1st trilogy will get remake. 2nd trilogy gets remake if ports to tablets are made but 2nd trilogy isn't that necessarily since that doesn't bring much new to story except A4 (although its remake of A3) and A6.

[Alorael at Large]

I don't think story concerns are the biggest in Jeff's mind. The real question is whether the games are becoming inaccessible, stylistically or functionally, and as a corollary whether remakes would sell. The second trilogy runs just fine and is probably close enough to the current trend in graphics and gameplay.

 

—Alorael, who would expect remakes of the earlier Geneforges first. They're older, after all, and Geneforge 1 is beloved enough that it might merit the treatment. On the other hand, it has also already made the leap to Steam. At any rate, these decisions can and probably will wait until the A2r and A3r.

[Randomizer]

Jeff had so much trouble porting A6 for the Mac App Store that he will probably do a complete remake to get the Second Trilogy available at some later date.

[Acky]

Originally Posted By: Fight fire with FIRE!!!

I don't think story concerns are the biggest in Jeff's mind. The real question is whether the games are becoming inaccessible, stylistically or functionally, and as a corollary whether remakes would sell. The second trilogy runs just fine and is probably close enough to the current trend in graphics and gameplay.

—Alorael, who would expect remakes of the earlier Geneforges first. They're older, after all, and Geneforge 1 is beloved enough that it might merit the treatment. On the other hand, it has also already made the leap to Steam. At any rate, these decisions can and probably will wait until the A2r and A3r.

I asked Jeff in an email a few months back and he said he was planning on remaking the Geneforge series as well with the same engine upgrades as G5, but not within the immediate future. We'll probably see Avadon 3 before a Geneforge 1 remake.

I do hope that he adds some skills and creations to the game. Specifically Battle Disciplines (and maybe additional creations to make up for no Drakon/Gazer/Rotghroth). Give us Guardian lovers some grace.