Spidweb

I wanted to respond to the complaints about limits for what character classes can be made male or female. (Since some are unhappy about playing certain classes as males and some are unhappy about playing some classes as females.) Since I started writing these games in 1994, I have taken great pains to make sure that each of my games, as much as possible, allow for a variety of genders and races in the characters you play. That hasn't changed. However, our situation with Avadon is much the same as with all other game developers: We need to release the game before money runs out. All creature graphics are being done fresh for Avadon, a hugely tricky, time-consuming, and expensive job. And PC graphics are the most difficult and expensive of all. Each PC requires a multitude of icons. We simply didn't have time to do more PC graphics. We will still be working very hard just to get everything else done in time. So we decided to split the PCs up the way we did. Letting the player choose any PC graphic for any class won't work because the weapons for each icons are dependent on the class. Allowing this choice would result in a ton of confusion and bug reports ("Why does my sword look like a wand?"). We will consider alternate ways to allow this, like graphic-altering cheat codes. That might be doable. On the bright side, if Avadon does well enough to justify Avadon 2, we should have the time and resources to spend a few months making the next set of 4 PC icons. I really hope this can happen. Thank you for your understanding. We've never made it a secret that we are a small company with limited resources, doing the best we can to make a sort of game the game industry doesn't provide. - Jeff Vogel

We have put up Avadon Developer Diary #3. It has lots of nice, solid information about the game system. http://jeff-vogel.blogspot.com/2010/09/avadon-developer-diary-3-character.html Development continues apace, and we still hope to release the game in early 2011. - Jeff Vogel

Originally Posted By: Goldenking I don't think it could be a Spiderweb game without that certain touch of humor. And I'm excited for having power, again. That was something I always enjoyed from the first Geneforge games. "I'm a SHAPER. That means I get stuff FOR FREE!" sort of thing going on. Terribly fun. Shaking down merchants for lower prices is an option in Avadon. I always giggle when I let players use their power in obnoxious ways. - Jeff Vogel

I have finally put the second part of the Avadon Developer Diary up on my blog here. It talks about process of setting the theme and mood of the game, which is something I need to do before anything can actually be written. Hope it has something of interest ... - Jeff Vogel

Contact us directly at support@spiderwebsoftware.com, and we can help you to get a fully registered copy. - Jeff Vogel

This deserves its own post and it'll get more attention, but this is something I should make clear early on about the new versions of Avernum 1-3. They will have exactly the same world structure as the old games. In other words, there will be an outdoors distinct from the towns. And it'll look a lot nicer. - Jeff Vogel

http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=205 Much of it will be familiar, but there's a bit more new information. - Jeff Vogel

It will basically use the Geneforge system, but we'll make it so it's really easy to jump from zone to zone. - Jeff Vogel

The newest version of Geneforge 5 definitely fixes the problem with OS 10.6. (If it didn't, we certainly would have heard about it and fixed it some time in the last 9 months.) I suggest trashing your old Geneforge 5 folder to make absolutely sure you aren't accidentally running an older version and then download a fresh copy from us. - Jeff Vogel

All of our games, as far as I know, work on Wine. The number of Linux users who refuse to use Wine and who don't have another machine for gaming is a pretty thin slice of pastry. We are building up the energy to port our games to a new platform, but I'm afraid it won't be Linux. Sorry about that. - Jeff Vogel

Because of the way the genre works, unless you stick the main character with a wholly prefab personally Final Fantasy style (and I don't do that), there are only a very limited number of ways these game can begin. Unknown from the sticks, or badass with a lost memory. That's kind of it. You can live with that convention, or you can't. I'm certainly not losing a ton of sleep over it. What MATTERS is where the story goes from there. That's where all the variety, the innovation, and the fun is. And I'm willing to bet a year of my professional life that the world and story of Avadon are pretty darn cool. - Jeff Vogel

Last week, after six months of hard work, we were finally able to announce Avadon: The Black Fortress to the world. Avadon is our next, all-new, Indie fantasy role-playing game. And, hopefully, trilogy. We're really excited about it. It's the first time in quite a while that we're doing something really new, and these monthly development diaries will say a bit about the new series and the ups and downs of making it. So, for the first post, I wanted to write about where the idea came from. I am often asked where I get my ideas. So, if you ever wondered, here is one answer. The First Idea About three years ago, I saw that the Avernum and Geneforge series were drawing to a close, and I needed to come up with something new. This was, of course, both exciting and terrifying. Coming up with an idea that will determine the course of years of your life (and possibly put you out of business) is a stressful process. About this time, my wife and I went to see a Hungarian one-act opera called Bluebeard's Castle. I am normally not a fan of opera. Exactly the opposite, in fact. But some friends had cheap tickets, and we had babysitting, so, you know, whatever. And what was it like? Well, I will quote Wikipedia. "The basic plot is loosely based on the folk tale of Bluebeard, but is given a heavily psychological reworking—some would say psychoanalytic or psychosexual" So you know it was a totally fun time. As far as I'm concerned, an evening out is a failure if it doesn't involve the word "psychosexual." Anyway. The opera is about Bluebeard, this incredibly scary guy who lives in this huge, dark castle. He brings home his new, young, pretty wife and is showing her around. His castle has seven doors, and he unlocks and opens them for her one after the other. Each door looks out onto some cool room or vista. Some open onto treasures. Others onto subterranean realms. Or far-away lands. (So this is already sounding like a Paper Mario game.) When each door is opened, they sing about it. At length. So then they get to the last door. Bluebeard refuses to open it. His wife begs for him to. He refuses. This goes on for a while. Finally, Bluebeard gives in and opens the door. Bluebeard's other wives (!) walk out silently. They take his new wife and pull her through the door, which closes behind them. Bluebeard sings about how sad he is. Opera ends. Very psychosexual. So I'm sitting there watching this, and what I'm thinking is this: Who is this Bluebeard guy? He's very powerful. Very rich. Has a castle full of magic doors. He mentions how he has great influence with the court. What's his deal? Where did all that wealth come from? What does he use those portals for? What is his day job? And here was my idea. He's a warrior. Or an assassin. Or a spy. He can go wherever the king wants, and do whatever needs doing. Something needs to be found out? Some rebel needs to die? That's what Bluebeard does, and he is well paid for it. Turning a Glimmer Into a Game These ideas bounce around in my head for a few years, getting massaged into a more video-game-friendly form. And that brings us to Avadon. In Avadon, the land of Lynauus is split in two. There is the Pact, an uneasy alliance of five nations, banded together for safety. On the other side is the Farlands, the enemies of the Pact, barbarians and monsters and old, crumbling Empires, kept weak and divided. But they long to get their revenge on the Pact. To put together armies and destroy these upstarts. And the Pact is protected by Avadon. Avadon is a fortress in the wilds, a law unto itself, separate from the government. Its warriors are tasked to find problems when they are small and do whatever it takes to remove them. Avadon is ruled by Keeper Redbeard, the smiling, jolly, utterly ruthless master of the Black Fortress. He has been in charge for sixty years, though he doesn't appear to have aged a day. As the game begins, you have just arrived at Avadon's gates. And you have found that, after decades of steely, unbroken control, things are going terribly wrong. Redbeard wants to see you. He needs a pair of fresh eyes, and it is a bad idea to disappoint him. And that is where the new series came from. Over the next few months, I will say more about the world and the gameplay itself.

Dicuss.

Lynaeus - Linn-Hard A-Uss. Lynaeus has long been the continent name in my D&D campaigns. I just like the way it looks. - Jeff Vogel

I think, after all these years, I have earned a little bit of faith in coming up with a cool storyline. Believe me, as I release info about the setting in the world, you'll see that it will stand out and have a lot of character. However, there is only so much information that can go in a press release, and I don't want to overload it with stuff, about the Pact, and the Farlands, and Redbeard and his "wives", and the philosophy of Avadon, and, well, there is a TON of background info on the land and history of Lynaeus. This is just the first bit of info. Lots to come. Be cool. - Jeff Vogel

The way I pronounce it: Ave-Uh-Dawn. The first syllable rhymes with "have". Accent on first syllable, I think. But everyone will pronounce it differently. I'm still surprised that many people say Jen-Uh-Forge. - Jeff Vogel

For Immediate Release Spiderweb Software Announces Avadon: The Black Fortress, An Upcoming Fantasy Role-Playing Game for Windows and Macintosh May 27, 2010 - Spiderweb Software, Inc. announced today the upcoming release of Avadon: The Black Fortress, an all-new, Indie fantasy role-playing game. Avadon is in epic adventure in a strange and dangerous world. You are a spy and warrior who must fight the enemies of your homeland. As a servant of the Black Fortress, your word is law. Gain power and influence, experience an exciting adventure, and battle a conspiracy to destroy your people. You are an agent of Avadon. The Black Fortress. Outside your lands, there are limitless threats. Barbarians. Fading, jealous empires. Titans and unspeakable horrors. The warriors and spies of Avadon are charged to keep them at bay, weak and divided. Your resources are unlimited, and all must obey you. But a dark time is coming. Assassins are killing Avadon's warriors, and hidden enemies plot to unite all of your homeland's foes. If you cannot discover and destroy this conspiracy, and soon, your people face total destruction. But beware. The assassins will soon come for you … Screenshots and more information are available here. Avadon: The Black Fortress is an epic fantasy role-playing adventure in an enormous and unique world. You can choose from four different character classes, each with dozens of unique spells and abilities. Explore cunning dungeons, hunt for hundreds of magical artifacts, and travel through an enormous world, full of secrets. Avadon features many different endings. Your choices will change the world, and there is plenty of replay value. Avadon: The Black Fortress will be released for Windows and Macintosh in early 2011. Spiderweb Software, Inc., an independent game-design company based in Seattle, WA, is fanatically dedicated to creating fun, exciting fantasy role-playing games for Windows and Macintosh. Past titles include the award-winning Geneforge and Avernum series. More information on the company is available at http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/. Contact: Jeff Vogel, Spiderweb Software, Inc., PO Box 85659, Seattle, WA 98145 E-mail: spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Phone: (206) 789-4438 URL: http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com

The upload fo the demo was corrupted, which was causing the problem. We have replaced the Avernum 6 upload and the new copy seems to be fine. So just uninstall and redownload v1.0.3. - Jeff Vogel

These boards are getting their own URL. (spiderwebforums.com) We hope by having the board have its own dedicated web hosting account the performance will improve. We will be starting the switch on 4/1/10. (Yes, I know this is April Fool's day, but it is in fact not a joke, just an amusing happenstance.) The switch over should take a few days. Our parent site, http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/ will have the full and correct url when it is all done. It should be http://www.spiderwebforums.com/forum/ubbthreads.php when all is said and done. An alternative, temporary address to use during the switch is http://216.104.46.70/forum/ubbthreads.php and we hope to keep our IP address for the forum the same, so this link should continue to work. This will cause headaches and we are sorry for that, but it is long overdue. All the topics will be preserved, but important links will need correcting. Keep using the boards as usual until then. And thanks for you patience with us as we make the switch. Mariann Krizsan

Some users have reported problems with getting Avernum 6 for Windows to pick a screen resolution that doesn't have an eye-hurting screen refresh rate. I'm working on v1.0.1 now, which has a few fixes (like for Magical Efficiency) and I want to see how the new screen resolution changing code works. If you've had this problem, I have released a v1.0.1 test version that should do better at picking a native screen refresh rate your monitor likes. Please try it out and let me know if it helps in this thread or at spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com. Download the .exe at ftp://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/temp/Avernum6v101test.zip Copy it into the Avernum 6 folder (in Program files) and run it by double clicking on it directly and see if it helps. - Jeff Vogel

I have released a v1.0.1 test version that should do better at picking a native screen refresh rate your monitor likes. Please try it out and let me know if it helps in this thread or at spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com. Download the .exe at ftp://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/temp/Avernum6v101test.zip Copy it into the Avernum 6 folder (in Program files) and run it by double clicking on it directly and see if it helps. - Jeff Vogel

Bug reports are best e-mailed to me. I almost didn't notice this. This will be fixed in the next updates. - Jeff Vogel

Uninstall the game completely before redownloading and reinstalling. This is almost undoubtedly a file corruption. - Jeff Vogel

Go to the support page http://www.avernum.com/avernum6/support.html and read the "running slowly" section. Be sure to update your display drivers and, if that doesn't help, try the DirectX version. - Jeff Vogel

The version of our game on Gamersgate is fully up to date. Our web site doesn't have a newer version. Registering through the Gamersgate system doesn't register through our system. The software is entirely different. We don't have any access to their system, so we are powerless to register copies registered over there. Contact me via e-mail and I'll see what I can do for you. - Jeff Vogel