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BenS

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Everything posted by BenS

  1. Jeff, I could be wrong, but I think the portraits (not the sprites) for both Linus and Geert are the exact same when you come across them in Vana's Reach.
  2. Forgive a stupid question, but, if I redownload from the Humble widget, and start playing now...what happens to my game on Steam come Monday when it gets rolled out there? Would I have to start a whole new game on Steam on Monday?? If so, I can wait a few days (I'm thinking about Achievements mainly, though I don't need too many more). But if the game I would start soon from Humble Bundle could get...I don't know...ported over to the one I'm playing on Steam... Sounds a bit stupid as I type it. Maybe if magic was real... Anyway, regardless of the answer, I've been looking forward to my 2nd play through. Fingers crossed.
  3. I don't mind checking back in daily to see if 1.0.1 is out, but will it garner a post when it happens?
  4. I'm going to try, as I said earlier, a turret-less Tinkermage for more of a challenge. I am chomping at the bit for 1.0.1, though; I would prefer to play a 2nd game fresh w/ whatever changes make it into the game, rather than fire up Steam one day and find out certain things work differently...
  5. aka what I missed out on in the 1st game: 1) never hit 30th level. Part of my problem was that by the time I realized I had missed the entire Temple of Velusa map, and went back to Redbeard, I couldn't get the option to open the map up. Maybe I did something wrong? But at that point, I didn't want to lose out on hours since my last real save, and went ahead and finished the game. That said, after finishing the game, I did go back to that earlier save just so I could finish more quests and do that map (and get some more Steam achievements along the way while I was at it). But I stopped playing after finishing that map. I seem to have missed a few quests; or maybe, they weren't available to me b/c I was pro-Redbeard? Hard to say. 2) never got all 8 rare items for Nicodemus. I got 6 of the 8; didn't even know how many there were until consulting a pinned list by Randomizer (thank you). 3) after playing on Normal, I'd like to try (gulp) Hard for a change. I'm a little worried about friendly fire (sob*Daze*sob), but we'll see how it goes. Another play through (spellcatcher keeps making that 2 words...maybe it is...) will give me at least 1 more main companion to try. I created a Shadowwalker and took along Khalida & Nathalie. In my next game, I'd like to try a Tinkermage (maybe even disregard the turret-focus altogether for a challenge) and bring along Botan & Nathalie (how can anyone not take her--she's awesome in battle). 4) figure out what to do w/ all those Potions of Disguise. When a 2nd one dropped, I thought it was a bug! Then others came in time. 5) I need to think about whether I want to try 2-handed weapons for a change. This might be good early-to-mid game, when physical dmg is still worthwhile, but I worry that strategy won't serve me as well (and by me, I mean Botan) late game. Maybe I could switch to sword & shield by then. This is a tough one; shields are great in this game. Though w/ a little micro-management based on my enemies, nothing says I couldn't switch between them throughout the game I guess... 6) I was so paranoid about wasting an inferior runestone on my gear, I never did buff up my best stuff and stupidly hoarded a ton of runestones. What a waste! Now that I know what's available, I won't be so stupid the next time through. 7) As long as I'm confessing to stupidity, I also hoarded all kinds of potions/elixirs and never used them (beyond healing potions and the occasional speed potion). Of course, on Hard, I'll be hard-pressed not to use them I suspect. I did use the various wands (except the Corruption ones--D'oh!) and scrolls (no Resurrection b/c I wanted a particular Steam Achievement). 8) Maybe try some different skill-sets for Nathalie & Botan. Though I need to make sure they complement my own, especially if I more or less ignore Turrets. That's all I can think of. I know the Avadon series has been a divisive one for long-time fans, but I've enjoyed them very much personally. I'm a little sad it's over.
  6. Just checking in to report that I finished my 2nd playthrough w/ this custom party just fine. I did get melee skills & hardiness for the archer, who survived just fine. Maybe it helped having already played the game, w/ copious notes (and great advice on these boards), but it was no more difficult than the 1st (default party) playthrough. I think I'm going to replay A:EFTP w/ this kind of custom party now...
  7. The only PC I'm nervous about is the single spellcaster, priest/mage. I've pretty much always played the Avernum games w/ separate priests & mages, and the dedicated priest to save my bacon in a tough fight while the mage pours out damage. Having a (non-hasted etc.) PC have to choose between 1 or the other might be tricky, but I'm willing to try for the novelty of it (for me, anyway). Since that PC will also be responsible for Arcane Lore, I think that means my spell progression is going to be slower than otherwise would happen, so I'll have to make the most of what I get, when I get it. Unless I compromise on the Archer (giving him sword skills to get some Hardiness), that PC is also in danger of taking frequent dirt naps, so that'll be another challenge for me. Again though, this is just an exercise in trying something different than I typically do. Hopefully the novelty won't wear off. Thanks for the comments.
  8. I don't mean Singleton playthroughs; that's beyond me. I just mean a party that is far from optimal, on Normal setting. I've spent many an hour poring through these forums, and know all about what's optimal (hint: non-melee, non-ranged). But I've now beaten the game w/ the default party, and want to try something different. For example: 1) Dual Wield fighter (never played one in an Avernum; nerfed a little since A:EFTP I understand); 2) Archer (yes, I know!!!); 3) Sword & Shield fighter (just too many fun swords in the game, and some nice shields to boot); 4) and here's the crazy one: a single spellcaster (Priest/Mage). All human b/c I'll need every single trait I can scrape up. Obviously 2 & 4 are problematic, but again, the point is to have fun w/ a 2nd playthrough w/ different characters. Simply boosting the difficulty setting by itself is not what I want, nor do I want 3-4 spellcasters (which is optimal), just b/c I like the variety of a more "traditional" group of PCs. Anybody doing something like this?
  9. Normal setting; default party; made it to 36th level w/out XP traits or farming for Wisdom Crystals: 1) Fate of Kyass quest 2) Abandoned Farmhouse--had to look this up for the answer as it was bugging me; otherwise didn't look up spell locations (and see next) 3) Never found 3rd-level spell tomes or the like for: (Priest) Sanctification Ritual; Divine Restoration; Divine Host; (Mage) Icy Rain (*), Howl of Terror, Cloak of the Arcane, Arcane Blow 4) How to get to the body in the innermost circle of magic barriers outside the Barrier Tower 5) What to do w/ post-quest Aranea Fangs, Fire Lizard Eggs, and Wine--nobody buys them 6) Worse, nobody buys Drake Eggs as far as I remember 7) I missed out somehow on 2 of the 4 pts in Vahnatai Lore. Wasn't clear to me the difference between V- Lore and the acquirable trait, V- Secrets. I understand the former boosted AL at times, but the latter...maybe I don't remember what it did. (*) If I understand this correctly, as to its location, I tried to go back through the portal w/ a TU PC, but still couldn't find any secret areas. So no idea... These are minor things; I enjoyed the game very much, and had forgotten enough since the earlier A2 that it was mostly fresh and new. I'm contemplating a 2nd playthrough, so would appreciate help w/ 4-7 especially. Thanks in advance. Also, thanks to the regulars here who provided many fine tips through Strategy Central and regular forum postings. I should have read some of the suggested character builds before getting deep into the game, but...next time!
  10. I emailed something about this to Jeff, b/c I think the way it works is problematic. I successfully did the companion quest, and then returned to wipe out the Gray Raptors without Yoshiria even being in my party. But at the end of the game, she wasn't loyal and went up to die needlessly in Fort Foresight. That's not right, when the other PC that acted like that was Khalida--and that's b/c I failed her companion quest. If Yoshiria won't stand w/ me at the end b/c of my attack on the Gray Raptors, the game text should at least make that explicit. As it is now, it just seems like something's broken. Luckily I made do w/ 4 PCs ;-)
  11. Given the vast number of enjoyable hours I get from these games (and I play them 2x), I had no problem paying the $20 at this site rather than a reduced price elsewhere. I even bought the (now digital only) tip book just to give Jeff more $. Given it'll be a year or two before I can play the next one he puts out, I feel it's the least I can do to support him making these fun games.
  12. Lots of good ideas in this thread, and I was quite pleased to see Jeff plans to redo the Geneforge series, which I loved. On topic, I'm tired of how "cleave" damage works. I wouldn't mind it if certain attacks damaged a PC adjacent to the target--but 2 spaces away is ridiculous. Not to mention the fact that it seems certain enemies have a far easier time of inflicting cleave damage on a secondary target than if they made that the primary target. I would change cleave damage to only work w/ 2-handed weapons (and certainly not missile weapons like arrows!), and even then the secondary target would be adjacent to the first. By limiting it to 2-handed weapons, your PC makes a choice between raw damage output and better defense via a shield. Speaking of 2-handed weapons, I didn't understand why you'd add an attribute to a pole weapon that increases magical damage? A melee type isn't going to have Int very high (or even be casting spells), while a mage type isn't going to be using pole weapons due to low Str and other obvious reasons. I loved the Scarabs, but by limiting their base damage to either Dex (Blademasters, Shadowwalkers & Tinkermages) or Int (Shamans & Sorcerers), I think this system shorts a Str-based melee character. Just even it all out by saying a Scarab's base damage is built off a PC's highest stat, whatever that may be. That's all I have at the moment.
  13. Ok, finished the game, and found it a great remake of an already fun and addictive game. Better graphics; I like the new way skills and perks work; I loved the new outdoor map, showing you where quest locations were; recent innovations like the junk bag are a nice touch; little touches like the Medals are fun. That's what immediately springs to mind. EDIT: not forcing the game to be over even when you've done the 3 major quests was a nice touch; nod to Skyrim? Constructive criticism: money is a bit too tight. I couldn't afford to quite buy all the spells x2, never mind any training. Also, when you do quests for someone who charges an arm and a leg for their services (spells or whatnot), why not get reduced prices as a reward. Perhaps even in lieu of gold and/or items. It bothers me that certain spell trainers never lowered their prices, despite your interactions w/ them; though I'll acknowledge some did (I think--maybe just offered cheap spells once you did something important for them or their faction).
  14. That worked, thanks. I decided not to try and fight Sulfras, though. Someone else will have to enjoy his treasure...
  15. Is Jeff remaking all 6 Avernum games? If so, what will that do to the Avadon series?
  16. Originally Posted By: Randomizer 1) You need to fight Sulfras to get the statue to move out of the way. Something odd about this. When you talk to the bound demon that used to work for Erika, the greeter for the dragon, it intimates she's plotting her revenge through a statue she's placed in the area. I found the hidden statue, but it didn't have anything to say to me. I then returned to Erika, but the topic of Sulfras and her hidden statue never came up for me to explore. Did I miss something obvious or is this broken in some way??
  17. Well, guess I was over leveled. No problem w/ Tassik-Schai for my 15th level party. Probably good I didn't meet him a few levels earlier. It is amazing what a level or two can do to make you better prepared for a fight, I'll say that.
  18. I definitely wasn't optimized for that fight--didn't even have Mass Healing. But a lifesaver for sure was my Shade, who was immune to most of the attackers' damage, and drew aggro quite well depending on where it was positioned. I feel like I've been playing the infamous Demon's Souls on the PS3 ;-) Now let's see how I fare against another pre-nerf boss fight, the Slith leader on that island...
  19. Wow, that final Spiral Pit boss fight was insane. Took me hours to do w/ a 13th level party, w/ many different attempts. Not sure what the suggested level should be for that fight, but damn that was a bear. One independent complaint I could make: if your precious Return Life scroll is not going to bring anyone back b/c of spacing issues--don't let that burn up the scroll! That is just cheap and wrong.
  20. Answered my own question. It's the latter, thankfully.
  21. Do you have to give all the items you want to sell to the PCs w/ Negotiator for it to kick in, or does the game just track it for the party as a whole? I hope it's the latter, b/c that would be a lot of micro-management every time you sell off loot.
  22. Originally Posted By: Achire As for the actual encounter, I did notice both secret rooms and all four MacGuffins. I'm going to feel real stupid if I missed something here, but are you implying there was something in those 2 secret rooms that would have aided me in the fight?
  23. Originally Posted By: The Turtle Moves I think that the story requires Redbeard to be nearly impossible to kill--if it were easy, someone would have done it by now, right? That would be fine if the rebel path was less of an obvious choice all the way through the game. If it were more of a hidden, "destroyer" ending for hard-core enthusiasts only. The loyalist ending will probably turn out to be canon, but this is far from clear on the first play-through. As you go along making choices and having conversations, both options are presented almost from the beginning, making them both seem feasible. The player has no reason to suppose that one is orders of magnitude harder than the other. Another solution would be to reward total disloyalty (i.e. doing all the Wayfarer's quests, letting the Duke live, etc.) with some kind of extra help from Heart Miranda for the final fight. Thanks to Achire for presenting the voice of complaint of the casual gamer to the Redbeard fight. And to The Turtle Moves for bringing part of the complaint into focus. The story is set up, w/ your aggrieved companions, to clearly present a choice between staying loyal and rebelling against Redbeard. An either/or ending w/ slight variations. There's just no compelling reason to make 1 of those 2 basic choices so aggravatingly hard and/or tedious (YMMV). And thanks for agreeing w/ me on the "extra help" from Heart Miranda for rewarding total disloyalty, which was my 2nd playthrough. I think Jeff would be well served to retune that final fight for the Windows players, honestly. They're a larger pool of gamers, and for a new series trying to attract new SW players, I just think it's best to avoid turning some of them off w/ the current version of the Redbeard fight.
  24. Originally Posted By: jlsgaladriel Well, there's a couple hours of my life that I'll never get back. Yes, I actually never finished the final fight on my second runthrough. (On my first runthrough, I went loyalist, so it wasn't an issue.) Not because it was too hard: I think I could have won. (This was only on hard, not on torment.) I had redbeard more than halfway down, and still had a handful of res scrolls and group heals and mass frenzies. But because it wasn't fun, and I realized I'd have to sink another huge bit of time in to finish. I need to think more carefully about what makes a fight fun for me, but I do like a challenge. I don't want an *easier* fight. Seems like you and I had the same experience. I played the 1st time through as a loyalist, but never got a chance to fight Beloch & Zephyrine w/out redoing too much of the end sections. So I tried again, still on Hard, beat them, and then went for Redbeard as a rebellious Hand. I had him pretty close, but ran out of resources, and at that point, the fight had taken way too long to want to attempt it again. And I lost my last character. My worry is that this fight is indeed too hard and/or long for most people (*) who will play this game. I've played every post-Exile game SW has ever done, and never had this kind of experience. It reminded me of those optional boss fights found in certain JPRPG's, for the hard-core types only. I know I could try it on "Normal", but at this point, my heart's not into doing it again a 3rd time. I'll just take the suboptimal ending (rebelled to a point but accepted a lowly post rather than openly challenging Redbeard) and be done w/ it. (*) My guess is a large proportion of those who succeeded at this are regular posters on these boards. That is, not a true demographic for the silent majority that play these games. Finally, you might not have beaten him either. His attacks, and those of his Soul Jars, seemed to get stronger as he got down to the lowest health levels. It was a war of attrition & resources I just couldn't deal w/. I think it was unfair for Jeff to gimp the Shamans (and I had 2) against the Soul Jars.
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