Istara

I think I have finally cracked how to do this. This assumes you have the latest version of Parallels installed with Windows Steam in it (make sure you're running Windows Steam and not the Mac Steam and "streaming it" from Parallels).

For Avernum 4, 5 and 6:

1. Go to the Parallels menu bar icon and select Control Center. When the Windows 10 Control Centre window comes up, click the gear icon.

2. Select Graphics

3. If you get a yellow warning bar telling you that you can't make changes "until the virtual machine is shut down" you need to Force Quit it via the Mac Activity Monitor app (see here: https://kb.parallels.com/en/112016)

4. Once you can make changes, select Resolution: Scaled.

5. Click the triangle/arrow by Advanced Settings and DESELECT (so the square is empty) "Always use high-performance graphics" - you DON'T want it doing this. This was a new change I had to make after the recent Parallels update (September 2020) - Avernum 6 had been working, then suddenly went all screwy on me!

6. This should get Avernum 5 and Avernum 6 working flawlessly.

For Avernum 4:

7. Avernum 4 needs an extra step. It's detailed in this Steam Community thread here: (https://steamcommunity.com/app/206020/discussions/0/1742229167187268587/). Open up the Windows Microsoft web browser, navigate to this link: http://bitpatch.com/ddwrapper.html and download it. Then do as instructed:

Quote

Unpacking and opening the folder and open aqrit.cfg and setting ForceDirectDrawEmulation to 1 and copying the files inside the wrapper folder to the root folder where the avernum4.exe is and it should run without any noticiable frame lag as before.

8. To open aqrit.cfg, right click and from the Open With menu, select Notepad. It works just like Mac OS Textedit. Change the 0 to 1, save.

9. Put the aqrit.cfg file and ddraw.dll in the folder with avernum4.exe in it. On my computer this was: This PC -> Local DiskC:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Avernum 4

10. SUCCESS! (hopefully)

So far this is working for me, but I have only just started Avernum 4 (after successfully playing both Avernum 5 and 6 - it took me a while to discover the fix for 4).

Best of luck! Trust me, it is well worth the effort. There are literally hours and hours of great Spiderweb RPG-gaming to be had, and you soon get used to the more "retro" feel compared to the upgraded Avernum 1-3 series.

Unfortunately this fix did not work for me using Parallels to play Avernum 4 with Steam on a Mac. What did work was this method here (or at least it's working so far): https://steamcommunity.com/app/206020/discussions/0/1742229167187268587/

In case that link doesn't work, the basic details are:

Quote

All we need to fix almost all older Spiderware games is Aqrit'sDDWrapper[bitpatch.com].

Unpacking and opening the folder and open aqrit.cfg and setting ForceDirectDrawEmulation to 1 and copying the files inside the wrapper folder to the root folder where the avernum4.exe is and it should run without any noticiable frame lag as before.

I have also had to change the graphics settings on Parallels. In the Control Center for Windows, in Graphics you need to select:

• Resolution: Scaled
• Advanced Settings: UNCHECK Always use high-performance graphics

I couldn't find this information anywhere, so I did the unthinkable and completed Sack Tenevra to open Melchanion's fourth reward room in Avernum 6. Just sharing it here for those interested.

You get four potions and a basin with +1 Riposte. Nothing hugely special, unlike the third reward (Radiant Soulblade).

If you sack his treasure room, there are four basis with +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence and +1 Endurance.

(Now I shall reload an earlier save to undo the evil I just did...)

The original Avernum trilogy should still work fine on Mac - I've just been playing them on the latest version of Catalina (I bought them from Steam).

The second Avernum trilogy no longer work on Mac and I'm trying to get them to work via Parallels. Avernum 6 works, but 4 and 5 so far don't.

On 19/01/2017 at 1:21 AM, Triumph said:

For A2CS, you list Morrigan as a Celtic goddess. But isn’t it more likely that Jeff got the name from the character in Dragon Age Origins - a game he talked about on his blog quite a bit - rather than just from reading Celtic mythology? (Apologies if this is already established somewhere; I searched and didn't see anything in this thread addressing this.)

It's far more likely, given Jeff's interest in Celtic mythology (eg Nethergate) that he had heard of Morrigan long before it was used as a character in Dragon Age.

anywhere on the spectrum from healthy to unhealthy based on a combination of genetics, attitude, personal health history and life style choices.

And sheer luck. I can think of any number of healthy people from healthy families struck down by the Big C.

As well as overweight smokers with no apparent longevity in their genes making it well into their eighties and beyond.

Either way, I hope Jeff lives well into his hundreds and keeps making games. Because let's face it, no one makes games like Jeff!

I believe Jeff is about the same age as I am. Clearly it's time for me to start researching retirement homes and invite some undertakers to measure me up for my coffin!

I really hope he does another series. Something based in the Vahnatai world would be amazing (though I guess that could be the Avernum prequel).

I love the remakes almost as much as the original games, since so much time passes in playing the different versions. But an entirely new series/gameworld would be overwhelmingly amazing.

No unified inventory, sorry. What items are in what character's pack is a tactical decision. Plus, I just don't like this sort of system. It's immersion breaking for me.

 

- Jeff Vogel

Oh well. Still secretly praying for more stackables

Wow I really am out of the loop: I stumbled on this thread last night after posting the world's most belated review on my site for Avadon 2.

Can't wait to play the next Avadon instalment.

@eaintree I also tend not to replay RPGs except in the case of Spiderweb games. However I'm not one of those players who replays and replays experimenting with things like solo and hardcore strategies. For me, the world exploration, secrets, pack-ratting/artefact collecting and story are the main draw, so those things aren't so replayable as people who like trying different battle approaches.

@acrussel totally agree on being able to skip dialogue after a failed boss fight. Allowing combat saves would be even sweeter (like you can do in the Betas). I know it effectively means you can "cheat" your way through too-hard boss fight by literally saving and re-rolling every move, but sometimes I just want to do that.

As a packrat, a lot of the inventor ideas are interesting to me. I would like to see more stackable items, basically anything duplicate (eg cloaks, daggers) should be stackable. There is the junk bag which helps, but sometimes you get an item and have no clue why it doesn't stack.

A universal inventory might work: better still if it could be arranged into panes for Weapons/Armour, Wands/Scrolls, Potions, Ingredients/Consumables, Miscellaneous and so on. This tend to be how I arrange mine anyway, everyone gets a few healing potions in their quickslots, then the Mage carries all the wands and scrolls, the Priest carries all the potions and ingredients, and so on.

I would also like to be able to optionally remove the level cap and keep increasing skills.

Wow, thank you guys for the kind words! Sorry the site has been a bit quiet of late, there are some games I've been meaning to put on it.

And suggestions are of course always welcome

I'm not sure it's just by weight: it depends on the sword. The Flaming Sword only weighs 6lb, but you can't wield it in the off hand.

Actually you do enter via the Honeycomb (yeah - gotta trek all the way back) however you have to go by boat to open the gate.

I always try and roleplay as good/saintly, but I had to have his final present

I just did this on Casual difficulty (because I couldn't face a zillion attempts on Normal) and I found a way that was *really* easy.

Have your fighters attack the spheres that keep appearing

Have your priest constantly charm the Tower Lich's summons

Have your mage casting endless Arcane Summons

Keep on all the shields you can, particularly Elemental, and Divine Regeneration is pleasant too. Keep hasted. You will want to Repel Spirit the undead summons, because they don't seem to Charm so well (at least in my case). Your mage might want to help fireball some of the spheres too.

And never, ever hit the Lich yourself.

I will just point out that you will find yourself really torn between Dual-Wielding and using a shield. There are a huge amount of insanely amazing shields.

Jeff really needs to enable three-armed characters

I always like fire creations, they just seem more exciting somehow. My problem is that I can never bring myself to reabsorb older creations even though it would be more efficient to start a new higher level one.

I just can't euthanase my healthy little fyoras

This is just wonderful news.

The only sad thing is that it is the last game. For some reason I had thought that there would be six Geneforge games. I would be happier with sixty or six hundred more, but I guess you have to end it somewhere.

So long as you never retire, I am happy

Oh please please please make Nethergate dungeons revisitable. That was my major disappointment in Nethergate v1, having to leave behind such great eq because of weight limits and never being able to get it again.

Also it has been so long since v1 won't it be hard for people to confirm their IDs? I must have paid for it using my real name, but it was so many computers and OSes ago that I no longer even have the game or the registration details (though I think it came by CD, didn't it?)

I also remember that it was the first RPG I ever played outside telnet MUDs, and the "shareware demon" was the first such barrier-fiend I had ever encountered.

Hmm. Quite probably it was also the first thing I ever bought online, almost certainly the first game I ever bought online.

Either way, worst case scenario I'll just pay the $25 price, I fully expect that the game will be worth that and more.

The quest to get some worm bits from one of the northern mines is ruined if you clear it out first before receiving the quest. Unlike other things (the tribal goblins or shed rats) which continually regenerate after getting the quest.

When does this get unlocked - anyone know? I've done the final quest for Levitt, and he just opened up a locker

The graphics looks fine to me. I miss the blonde haired man and woman though. Any chance of them coming back?!

Ooo - I haven't tried the Answering Gauntlets - must give them a go. The Gloves of the Hammer and Eliavri's Bow are pretty useful.

What is everyone's must-have, favourite item?

Mine is the oozing sword. It's the only weapon I like to use - that poison is just so effective.