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Help Transitioning from EftP to A6


Jemelby

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NOTE: I'm going to type a bunch of crap below - please call me out where I have errored, or am obviously missing a point.

 

I've played thru Avernum: Escape from the Pit on my iPad, and enjoyed it enough to purchase A6. I might be mistaken here, but I get the impression that EftP is more more developed (for iOS) than A6, though EftP pre-dates A6 story wise. EftP just seems to have a bit more thought and polish to it. For instance:

 

• The miniaturized world map in EftP is godly compared to the 'everything's the same scale' in A6

• All the lore-ish skills (tool, arcane knowledge, first aid...) combine for the whole party in EftP. In A6, I believe this is true except for tool use, thus causing me to sacrifice the capabilities of ONE toon into which I sink all the TU points.

• In EftP, the combat grid is only red around an enemy for a 9x9 square. In A6, there's no "hot spot" visible to help identify enemy location, or to offer a hint as to what is lurking just out of sight. The whole screen has a red grid.

• in EftP, if a ranged toon (spell or missile) is instructed to attack a target, it will automatically close to maximum range and fire. Is A6, you have to manually move the toon within range and THEN fire.

• EftP has an honest to goodness skill tree. For A6, I find that I have to consult the forums to see what skills are available, and what the prerequisite is for attaining them. (E.g. I wouldn't even know gymnastics exists if I didn't train an adequate number of points in other skills and have it appear in the list)

 

All in all, I preferred EftP, but I suppose there is a "get used to it" factor that will eventually kick in. Regardless, the open world aspect both avernum games (on the iOS) are superior in design and play to that god-awful, scripted, go-here-then-go-there, if-you-need-to-discover-something-we'll-tell-you-about-it Avadon games.

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I haven't played the iPad version, but A6 continued the Second Avernum Trilogy system of seamless world on the same scale so towns/dungeons are huge compared to the world.

 

The skill system carries over from earlier games so it takes some getting use to. Most of the best skills from A:EftP aren't available until the endgame.

 

There is some you can't get there until you completed certain quests like Avadon. But since you start out in the Great Cave, the area is large enough that you don't mind the restrictions.

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You are not mistaken, A:EftP is more modern (developed) than A6. It is a remake of A1, which is a remake of Exile 1, and reflects a much more refined user interface due to it being recently re-programmed. A:CS will come out towards the end of the year and is a remake of A2 which was a remake of Exile 2 and will have the newer user interface as well. Jeff is slowly modernizing the Avernum series so that it runs on modern computers which provides a side benefit to us of a better user interface.

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• The miniaturized world map in EftP is godly compared to the 'everything's the same scale' in A6

This is actually what the original versions first trilogy were like; Jeff brought it back for the remake, probably because fans would have rioted if he hadn't. ;)

• All the lore-ish skills (tool, arcane knowledge, first aid...) combine for the whole party in EftP. In A6, I believe this is true except for tool use, thus causing me to sacrifice the capabilities of ONE toon into which I sink all the TU points.

You are correct. In fact AEFTP was the first (and is so far the only) SW game to allow you to pool TU. This was a welcome innovation, but with 4 characters you can afford to have one specialize as a thief in the older games.

• in EftP, if a ranged toon (spell or missile) is instructed to attack a target, it will automatically close to maximum range and fire. Is A6, you have to manually move the toon within range and THEN fire.

A lot of people actually hate this feature of the newer games, because the pathfinding is unpredictable and sometimes disastrous; it can end up running your squishy mage right up to the enemy, or sending your tank the long way around an obstacle, or otherwise fouling up your battle plan.

• EftP has an honest to goodness skill tree. For A6, I find that I have to consult the forums to see what skills are available, and what the prerequisite is for attaining them. (E.g. I wouldn't even know gymnastics exists if I didn't train an adequate number of points in other skills and have it appear in the list)

Yeah, the earlier skill systems are a little esoteric, and if you just wing it without checking Strategy Central, you'll probably end up with less than optimal builds. But the games are beatable with less than optimal builds, on Normal anyway. Still, that caused a lot of frustration for new players, which is probably why Jeff changed to the tree system. It's much harder to make an unplayable character with the newer games.

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I think what I like most about the spider web games is the user based support. In just a few short hours (minutes for the first reply), I have had a meaningful exchange of information that vastly expands my enjoyment of the game. Thanks all.

 

Continuing along the OP theme, I have noted that I can learn a new spell from a tome. I had read earlier that there was a version/episode of the game where you had to have an initial knowledge of a spell, and a tome could only be used to improve the spell. Doesn't seem to be the case with A6 (or EftP)

 

Also, I have noted that I can move and attack AFTER I have already attacked. This is welcome, since I built plenty of QA into my toons. Nothing worse than having your Melee/tank get bonus AP, and then not be able to reach anything.

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You should know that in A4-6 there often isn't much point in learning a spell above level one. You don't get additional effects as you do in AEFTP or the first trilogy, just small incremental increases in power. By all means buy an extra level or two of the cheaper spells if you like, but you can save your gold for other things. Spells will get more powerful anyway as you increase your casting skills, and Magery and/or Spellcraft (I forget which is used in A6, possibly both).

 

Edit: It's A1-3 that require you to have a level of a spell before you can learn it from a tome.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Maybe after Avernum: Ruined World and Avadon 3 are done, we'll start getting second trilogy remakes. Just imagine it -

 

Avernum IV: Shades of Gray

Avernum V: The Empire Strikes Back

Avernum VI: Hunger Games

 

Jeff will make so much money off Steam distribution network by then, that he'll decides to hire a team and make Avernum 7 and Nethergate 2. And a new property too of course: Legend of Alorael

 

At any rate, I hope that by now, you are really enjoying Avernum 6. Very excellent game and I think with enough patience, it's possible to get a pretty satisfying ending no matter which side you chose to take.

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