Originally Posted By: Evnissyen
Vrek & Rent:
As Nalyd already explained, returning to the optional fight-mode system would necessitate returning to the clomp-clomp-clomp system which I've found utterly tedious, not to mention slow. In A3 you need to clomp-clomp-clomp across the entire town map of Fort Emergence, through several doors, down several hallways and through yet another door to meet the merchant or the trainer. Then you have to type T and then A (in the case of the merchant). Much easier if you just point to that spot on the map and watch your characters zoom there, right? And then when you get there just click on the merchant. Implementing both features would not be so difficult, even less so that Vogel already has experience with both systems.
Also... to expand on what Madrigan said, if A6 returned to the old system then I think the only people who would buy it would be those who feel nostalgic for Nethergate-A3. Not a good marketing strategy, as somebody pointed out not too long ago... I don't remember who. It's not nostalgia, not for me anyways. It's for actual playability.
Despite the fact that the gameplay in A4 & A5 is significantly refined (not to mention the graphics and animation improvements), I can understand your affection for the optional fight-mode system... but in Nethergate and the original Avernum trilogy I feel like I'm exploiting the system and only my fighter is seeing action; the other characters are really useless for most of the time. They're only useful for large-scale fights; otherwise they just get in the way. (And it's annoying having to hit that Peace button in order to get out of fight mode.) The way I see it: if I have 3 characters in my party then I've chosen 3 characters for a reason. I reduce from 4 characters because I find that only 3 are necessary, and this allows me to level up more quickly. With all characters meeting with every fight: strategy becomes a team effort rather than just slogging through tunnels with your fighter smashing your enemies as they appear and the mage & priest being used most of the time as nothing more than pack mules. If you want to make more use of your mage and priest, you can easily make use of them with an optional fight mode. It's all on you to make that decision.
The fact that the auto-combat-mode system helps keep you from being surprised (and gives you the upper hand if you've trained in Dexterity and Quick Strike) I suppose might be seen as good or bad. Personally, I like being surprised. Even if I have 20 DEX no each character, I'd still like to be blasted by that drake when I turn the corner, rather then immediately enter fight mode and proceed to kill it without taking a scratch.
(clipped, for redundancy)
I don't want to suggest you're wrong to prefer one style over another; we all have our preferences... I just feel that this stuff is stuff of the past. Life goes on. Personally, I hope that A6 has a totally different interface. I'm quite happy already that G5 will look rather different from G4. As I've said before: I don't feel that Jeff has any obligation to stick to a certain interface or graphical style throughout an entire series, any more than a serial writer should be obligated to adhere to one style throughout an entire series should he or she tire of that style and come up with a better one. Remember: Newer is not always better. I actually find things refreshing when major graphical changes happen (though less so about the massive usage of Geneforge sprites), and to be honest, I still enjoyed the single, long flowing cell system he had for A4. But the mouse reliance in the game threw me off.
The only thing I agree with is that both Avernum & Geneforge should have more spells... but I want new spells as well. I do not want the games to move backward. Hey, I just really miss my area effect spells. Never said new spells was bad for anything.