Aleric

*Wanders off in search of easier prey*

Thanks, Randomizer.

Is there a mechanic I'm missing to this fight? I'm level 20, the rest of Cotra was relatively easy but against the named skeletal warriors like Mayor's bones, I'm only doing 1-5 damage per hit.

I definitely enjoy Rakshasi a lot more in the latest games than I did in the first Avernum remake and Exile series.

Magic immunity is nasty.

You need all the accuracy you can get. I miss more at 90% than I hit at 20%. Sounds like complaining, but I'd really like to see my numbers. I'm at Erika's Tower right now getting pelted while I've missed just about every other attack.

I thought I'd never get past the spell weaver in Fort Dolthar. Hitting one of my mage/priests for 250+ while ward of elements and protection are both up was ruining my day.

I'm actually playing torment on my first run through A2:CS. It's not blind in that I've played Exile 2 and Avernum 2, so I kinda know what to expect, but it's definitely been a challenge. I find that my hybrid tank is having a difficult time hitting things when it's slightly out of his league.

For example, my mage priests pump full INT and have 90% to hit almost everything I've seen so far. That said, they die to breezes in the wind, so it's a trade-off. Nothing looks funnier then when a golem breaks through and hits one of them for 280 when I have ward of steel up.

My hybrid is a paladin similar to what you describe, except I went INT instead of STR, so it's INT/END. It uses a sword/shield and at level 20, I'm looking at INT 24 (+5), END 10, STR 8 and DEX 7. He parries a lot, and is a dependable tank, but not so dependable with damage, as he only had a 55% or so change to smite the golems in the above mentioned fight.

That said, it's not required for you to min/max, and more important is to have fun with it.

Ok. Makes sense that it would be in special items.

I don't see it in my list, and if I click on the box in the ruins, nothing happens now. I would swear that I chose to take it, but it was around 3 am so I might be recalling it incorrectly.

In short, I'm stuck on this quest. I walk into the fort remote room and it just remarks how the ankh is make of granite, but no option to switch.

Not sure if spoilers apply here, but I picked up the quest, went to location, and took the ankh. Only I can't find it in my inventory, and I can't turn it in. I've went back to double check. Is it possible I sold it? If so, is there a console command to recover it?

I finally got the bandit group done, picked off as many sliths in that fort as I could (the boss is for another day), the drake is....still annoying because a random breath attack means trouble. Conquered the ogre quest, but not the ogre camp the shade wants you to revenge. So I decided to go ahead and take the tunnel. At Dahris-Bok now.

I decided to go ahead and fire up A2:CS since it's been in my steam library for a while. I started a new game...my "first" play through, on torment. This has been a blast.

I'm sitting around level 9 and I'm not sure what else I could realistically do in the beginning area. I don't have the 11 priest skill for sanctification yet, the drake in the back of the lizard lair is a no-go, sliths are....time consuming, that ogre group is still a little too tough, and that bandit group above Motrax's lair can wipe 2 of my PCs before I get a turn.

So...am I good to leave things they way they are and head down the rapids or should I keep plugging away here trying to level some more?

Also, why not indicate the location of NPCs related to quests? I am to turn a quest in to so-and-so. But I don't remember which area that was in. Perhaps that irritation was intended. I should go. Do something other than waste my time with poorly made trite. I suppose this kind of thing should be expected from someone who doesn't actually enjoy programming, but has continued doing so for 20 years.

I actually prefer a Journal that allows me to keep track of information I deem important. That way, if I forget to record something, it is on me. I don't want flashing arrows over quest targets with a yellow brick road leading to them. I don't even like a quest log because you end up with quests that are failed and stay there.

If you choose to do something other than playing this, good luck. You gave it a try and it appears it wasn't your ideal experience. This happens. I think Jeff meant for the experience to be more like old school RPGs.

Damage done to a goblin won't be the same as damage done to a Slith, or a Slith warrior for that matter. I always enjoyed running back to the dunvo area just to murder a random goblin band that was fleeing in terror.

It also depends on level difference as well. For example, that lone slith is do-able on normal at a much lower level than on torment.

If you're a fan of Spiderweb, show your support by buying his games. It gives him the revenue to continue making such great games!

THIS!!!!!!!!

I am a big enough fan of Jeff to buy all of his games. I don't recall ever playing any of his games I haven't enjoyed, so even if he remade Avernum 1 again in a year, I'd buy it, just to re-live it and look at the differences. This isn't everyone's idea of fun. If the games weren't successful, he would stop making them and try something different.

At any level, a person is either interested or not. A remake of a remake isn't everyone's cup of tea. There are enough differences between Avernum 1 and A:EftP to interest me. If this doesn't interest someone, there is Avadon or Geneforge. If neither of those interest a potential customer either, then Jeff tried and it didn't work.

You could bring in Avadon's tree to Geneforge. One section for melee/ranged, one for spells, and another for shaping. Have skills that improve creations or create variants based on what skills in the tree you choose.

I like Geneforge due to the original fantasy elements, its blend of fantasy and science fiction, and it's replay ability. I have yet to play any of Jeff's games that I didn't feel immersed in though.

I've never really given a lot of thought to a Geneforge editor. Looking back, I'm not sure why. Maybe I just felt Geneforge was meant to be experienced the way Jeff designed it.

Hey, I remember Castle of the Winds!

I also think of Diablo 2, where different belts allowed for more potions to be stored in a type of quick slot, and once you got the Horadric Cube, it could hold another 3x3 space worth of items.

I prefer a weight system, even if it is inconvenient.

It's probably why we won't see another Blades. He's gotta make things that pull in new customers without alienating too much of his old customer base. Blades is a great idea and all, but I don't think it met with much commercial success. Sticking with the Avernum story line, which is arguably his most successful work, is best for business. He alternates with Avadon right now, I would assume again to avoid burnout.

I recently took a map of the arrival caves from A:EftP Annotated Maps and (roughly) translated it into RPG Maker VX Ace. I think it went pretty well but before I continue, I just want to know if this is okay. I have no desire to make any money off of this and it is strictly a mapping project at this point. I will give Jeff and Spiderweb credit where it is due of course and also credit to Mike Middleton for the Annotated Maps. I just want to make sure I'm not violating a copyright in some way.

A:EtfP's Annotated Maps:

http://homepages.uni.../AvernumEscPit/

I signed up for the forums a long time ago but didn't use them much, so I missed the poll back then. I'll definitely be trying to contribute more now.

Well, I think it will be a long time, if ever, that you get a Geneforge remake. However, I think they would be interesting, from a mechanics standpoint, in using the current skill/leveling system.

Since Geneforge didn't have traits, you could devote one screen to combat skills, one to magic skills, and one to shaping skills. The "other" skills could be on each of these pages, maybe 1 each, with no prerequisite. I would play the game based on just those changes.

Mechalibur is right, the only fetch quests that don't disappear are Aranea Fangs and Works of Magery. I think simply because you don't find enough of these items to fill the quota?

As for the hammers:

I have to use Windows XP mode to run the Exile series. It's unsupported by Microsoft, so I disconnected it from allowing to access the internet in order to preserve what security I can. I've heard of using DosBox to install a Windows environment (3.1) to run older games in DosBox that required the Windows environment. It's a lot of work and requires you to have access to a 3.1 installation.

I'd vote for G1 as well. Can't imagine playing the later games without the knowledge provided in the first.

OK, so I understand the game is somewhat older and requires 16-bit color to function. That said, I have a 24-inch Viewsonic monitor, and like to play games at max resolution. So I have A4 set to not change resolution, meaning I have to manually change the color whenever i want to fire it up. The game looks fine but the visual area of the characters seems, idk, smaller? I always feel like there is an enemy off-screen waiting to ambush me.

I don't really know the plot of 4 at all. I had no idea where Fort Monastery was until I spoke with the commander. (those poor helpful monks ) I've done the preliminary work, killing goblins, etc. Skipped over the Nephil chief to pop into Fort Dunvo and meet with Anford. I'm not sure what is spoiler worthy or not yet.