RobertAKARobin

I've been a sucker for turn-based RPGs since I was a kid, thanks to Exile. For example, my favorite mobile game is Pixel Dungeon. Exile holds up really well alongside it, even after all these years. One thing I appreciate about Exile/Avernum is it doesn't copy directly from Tolkien like so many other fantasy universes do. Instead of using the same old elves and dwarves, Jeff invented Vahnatai, Sliths, Nephilim, slimes, troglodytes, and so much more. Despite knowing the story and lore of Exile so well, I still get sucked into it during playthroughs. Just wanted to leave a note. I hope Jeff is really proud of his creations!

[strong expression of surprise], Aloreal. I started on these boards when I was about 12 and you were here then. I've only popped in every 6 or so months over the past 8-ish years and am always surprised to see you're still active, and still writing your signature the same way. I should have known it was you. If you guys aren't in touch it's no big deal. I don't really have an orchestra at my disposal either; just thought it might be a fun side project. However, should your paths cross I'd love to get his e-mail... or you can give him mine: hello@robertgfthomas.com. Good to see you!

This is a long shot, but years ago a proto-meme on these boards was "RAGE POLAR BEAR", which was a reference to this symphony a Spiderwebber composed, I think while in music school. If I remember correctly, his name was something like Ben Rogers. At any rate, I love listening to this thing and would love to have it rerecorded more professionally. Are there any old-timer Spiderwebbers around who might know how to get in touch with this guy? Gracias!

Out of sheer curiosity, does anyone around here remember the "Rage Polar Bear" song? It was from a composition called "Symphony of Spam" by Ben Rogers. The most famous part went a little like this: Curse beyond Hesitates Or tenor from ballerina Reach an un- Derstanding (With tomato around squid) If chess board of bestow great honor upon onlooker defined by Then related to burglar Flies into a Rage polar bear! Inside demon! Living with tabloid, and cyprus mulch! Toward are what made American great! I have all four movements of the symphony on my iPod. I listened to it while driving back to Washington from Ohio yesterday. It used to be pretty big around here...

Holy cow. You're still here, Alorael? Do you still have a new name every day? When I was at Stanford I tried to get in touch with Drakefyre once or twice, because I think he went to school there too. Never reached him, though. Sigh.

Man, I joined the Spidweb forums when they were still an Ikonboard. That would have been about twelve years ago, I think, when I was 10. I used to spend so much time on these boards, feeling so cool because I was a little middle school kid messing around with all the elderly and wise teenagers who were posting. Crazy that there's still a community here, and that this is moving to Facebook! Pardon the nostalgia.

If it's a Mac, you haven't tried it already, and you're not too far in the game, I would recommend trashing the program, and then rebooting your computer while rebuilding the desktop. Then re-install the program. If you're using Windows, do whatever the hey the equivalent is on there. Making sure you don't have too many programs open or not enough disc space for a save file and that all the files for the game seem to be in order (read the docs) may help. If the problem continues, post what the error message that pops up says (if there is one), and if we can't help (or there's not one), e-mail Jeff and tell him your CD is buggy. I think he's ok with replacing bad copies.

Once upon a time, I uploaded a utility scenario called 'Cheater's Paradise' to the Internet. Little did I realize the zip file was completely corrupt, and the scenario file itself was little more than an unfinished, loose-endful pile of binary poo. So today, a year after having received the last complaint via e-mail about the thing, I finally tracked down a working copy, ironed out some bugs, and zipped it up again. It's now avaliable for download at this obscenely long link. To spell that link out, it's: http:/ /amber.sharebigfile.com/getfile.p...;captcha=343033 If anyone's interested, feel free to download it, or add it to the scenario databases. Some people have already been informed. Thank you!

'Cheater's Paradise' isn't listed either. Of course, that version is a corrupt piece of garbage, but that's beside the point.

Where did Jeff get the idea for that fluorescent blue-green cave floor in the newer versions of the Trilogy, anyway?

What about a more realistic version, where the Celtic warriors were all completely in the buff, and just wearing woad? Wouldn't it sell like hotcakes? Or, depending on the Celt, hot buns?

And a plethera of bugs didn't stop a number of kickarse scenarios being made with it. BoE is better.

Incidentally, anybody know why the Spidweb scenario table is updated like once every 23985 years? Is Jeff just busy, or is everybody doing BoA these days? (Incidentally, it's really frikkin confusing that BoA is both a computer game and Bands of America, a marching band competition organization. It seemed to good to be true when I walked to school and found everybody talking about BoA. It was.)

If you transferred your Blades to your current computer somehow, that may have mungled it up a bit. If the original CD is still lying around somewhere, you may want to try just reinstalling it from there.

I once downloaded a version of the Little Fugue played on an organ, and it was like sticking pencils into my eardrums, or maybe listening to a car alarm for about 3 minutes. Either way, I don't really reccommend it. I actually rather like the version on Exile I, but the bloody thing won't convert into something playable on iTunes, no matter what application you use. I finally just put the computer's microphone really close to the speakers and played the MIDI with some ancient program and recorded that. It sounds like the Little Fugue going through a cheese grater.

It could have something to do with Game Speed, which is adjustable in the Preferences of the game. And if that doesn't work, BoE is actually kinda fun if you play it with the 'No Sounds' option turned on. Seriously though, having your sounds a beat too late shouldn't be too heinous a problem. The game should still be quite enjoyable.

I liked the Talking Skull too. It makes you wonder who it was that did the skull's voice? —Robin, who wonders how just many posts Alorael makes on average per day.

AHH! I HAVE GRAPHICS FEATURED ON A WEBSITE!! Too bad they only really look good on my eight year-old 256-color computer.

Promptly defenestrate your PC and buy a Mac. Simplest method.

Very nicely done! Did you base these/add on to existing graphics or create them entirely by yourself? It looks like you've got some of both on here; either way, really nice.

To jump in a bit late, I've always liked scenarios that had a detailed storyline but weren't JUST story. A lot of nice, challenging action is always a plus.

Even though I last played it at least 3 years ago, I've always wondered whether the demon in the center of some maze-ish thing in the Tower of the Magi really plays a role in the story. I killed him once, and I don't think it did anything. Is this demon just randomly there? It seems he was kind of different from other demons.

Ahh! I looked at the walkthrough provided for Doom Moon II and it didn't make any sense! It said in the section titled 'Cave of Dragons' that there were trapped tiles and rigged braziers at certain locations, but practically always those were just the locations of blank cave floor or walls. What's going on? I'm stuck in the Dragon's Cave, having just woken up the dragons. I've even tried doing things like completely boxing them in with force barriers and stuff so they can't touch me, souping up my party with Major Blessing and Protection, and just trying to speed off, but I'm still destroyed by their mega-spells like Unholy Magic and Major Kill. Is there an easier way to escape the dragons, or should I just toughen up my level 46 party and keep trying to run away?

Pardon my ignorance; I haven't been here in a while. I was just browsing through Spidweb's Blades of Avernum and Blades of Exile scenario lists, and there seem to be hardly any scenarios there compared to all the ones discussed in the Lyceum. So I'm just wondering, where are the most inclusive scneario download tables around here? And by the way, while I'm at it, is there anywhere to find a walkthrough for Doom Moon II? I'm already stuck, and I just started.

Hmm, I would, but the bandwidth needed even to just upload a compressed version would exceed that of probably any of the nice free uploading websites. If you can find someone who has their own non-affiliated website with a lot of room left on it, it's worth a shot.