the Great Potato

Complete with the appropriate sound effects!

Oh wait, I was answering the question you just asked before.

EDIT: In case that isn't clear, I was saying that you should just absorb your creations and make new ones when you improve your shaping skill or knowledge of a specific creation shaping.

The reason you would evolve them over time as opposed to starting them out with high skills is so as you gain levels (and therefore more essence), you can get them more skills. But we basically all agree that fundamentally, quantity is better than quality.

Nothing except sentimental value.

He doesn't want every tester to be an expert, but they should be able to explain what's going wrong and be able to follow his instructions for a fix.

We're counting utilities, surely!

She was always a seer on the surface too. She disappears after Exile I, though, and I can't remember if she makes a cameo in Exile II.

It would be interesting if she played a part in Avernum 5, though.

No you don't

That actually sounds really cool.

If you get a chance to kill the night enemy, why shouldn't he have the chance to kill you? Would you be on a time limit (say 8 turns) to kill him, and if you didn't that would be failure?

I'm about to go dumpster diving (aka looking through text dumps of the games), but here's some stuff beforehand:

Linda was not one of the five mages exiled together - Aimee was, though.

X is much younger than those five, possibly even born in Exile.

Okay, I'd revise my original post to organize the ages like this:

Aimee

Erika?

Rone/Solberg

Erika?

Patrick

This would depend on whether or not Erika was the same mage from skylark vale or not.

EDIT: Aran, what happened to slarty's text dumps? They're gone!

I think it happens at the end of the current state, so if you kill them and revive them in the same state, the game won't end.

There are the five mages exiled together:

Erika

Solberg

Patrick

Rone

Linda

I'd say that Erika and Linda are probably the youngest, followed by Patrick and Solberg, and Rone would be the oldest.

In Geneforge I always keep a finger on the quicksave key. Avernum doesn't quite have the same effect. Then again, that's also a result of the real-time movement.

Drakons are worse than the Shapers, in that they want to subjugate everyone - humans, serviles, other creations, and even drayks.

Tell that to Thuryl ...

The Undead Need Loving Too!

Well, not everyone can be a shaper. That's why you need a Geneforge - to change people's genes so that they're able to learn to shape.

But it's true!

Umm ... Alorael ... he said all of that in his post. Learn to read.

Not all of that is true, but I am forbidden to say more. But I can say that using the Geneforge changes you in much the same way that canisters do.

I know! Why don't we just call it Pokémon and be done with it!

Right now I only have access to BoA, and if I get access to BoE (which I'm trying to), then there's a possibility I could only judge newcomer and large.

EDIT: Ash, does that mean you'll have no entries in the contest?

Ocean Bound and Galactic Core weren't ports, though, so we're safe.

Well, it's the player's fault if they don't use the default party. And a way around it is to include the saved game, but have the scenario already started and the PC inside the scenario. Then run the intro dialogue through some dialog boxes, and presto! That way you can give the player special abilities, special items, items with scripts, etc. from the get go.

These are the builds that I've run before and enjoyed:

Pure melee Guardian - very fun but gets frustrating towards the end of the game. Luring enemies out one by one is tedious.

Battle magic agent - oh the awesome power! Destroy destroy!

Daze and melee agent - this is similar to the pure melee guardian but better because Daze lets you survive in group combats.

Magic shaping Shaper - status effects are brilliant, and having gazers out there too is unstoppable. Not very fun, though, but definitely powerful.

I'd say that this hunter guardian is my new favorite, along with the daze/bless/melee agent. The ability to sneak around and kill things from afar is amazing. I can't believe I never tried this before!

I like to run and hide and take things on one by one. Cowardly? Yes. Smart? Also yes.